Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Summary: Before she even recognized what was happening, before she could even protest, he had gotten into her bloodstream so acutely that Eva Marie couldn't imagine him not being there in the first place. RandyEva, oneshot

Oh, dear God, this is long. This idea just hit me and I went crazy writing for it. I had been meaning to write for Eva and Randy for the longest time. I've grown to really love them together. Honestly, I really used to dislike Eva Marie, but I've grown to really like her, thanks to Total Divas. And Randy has always been one of my favorites. I just think these two are cute together and this is my take on them getting together. As I said before, it's looooooong, and slightly similar in style to my SheamusSummer from a while back, but I just found myself writing and writing and writing and I couldn't stop. Please enjoy!

Under the Skin

Eva Marie knew his nickname was 'The Viper' for a reason.

He had a sinister in-ring style about him, able to strike without a moment's notice, able to render his opponents incapable of speech after each and every move in his arsenal. He was ruthless, relentless, and a bit off-kilter. A different kind of unstable, a different kind of manic. That wicked smile would appear on his face as he smashed his opponent's head into the turnbuckle. That same wicked smile would delight the crowd and send a shudder through anyone and everyone's spine back in the locker room.

Randy Orton was, indeed, The Apex Predator.

And, really, it had never been more apparent than it was now.

She had done nothing to earn his ire, nothing to make him set those blazing eyes on her, but she had that...feeling in her system, as if her blood was boiling, a strange curling pit of need buzzing in her stomach. She knew that feeling all too well, and she was almost terrified of what it meant.

He had only touched her, just a simple brushing of fingers against her arm, a simple muttering of, "You're up, Red," and that was all it took to make her feel like a knock-kneed, trembling teenager, butterflies fighting a war in her stomach. The area where his fingers brushed her flesh seemed to be electrically charged, even after he'd removed the stimulus.

Randy had just demolished Seth Rollins, ending the match in a brutal disqualification after he'd taken the ring bell and pummelled the two-toned Superstar on the head with it. Eva distinctly remembered wincing as he did so, but a strange sense of excitement had coursed through her as that frighteningly enticing smile stretched his lips.

As she was musing on previous events, her music began to play. She tried her best to put on a facade that told the world that she was not completely distracted at this point in time, but she stumbled, feeling her face fall despite herself as she strutted out to the ring, all false confidence with the boos ringing in her ears.

All she could think was, simply, Randy.

"You did good tonight," came his smooth voice.

Eva was surprised, to say the least. It was a comment that she wasn't used to receiving, and especially not from someone like Randy Orton. She was used to getting looks from other Divas and Superstars, ones that told her that she wasn't ready, that she shouldn't be here, that she should be modeling for Maxim or doing porn or whatever other derogatory they could think of.

It turns out, high school didn't end, ever.

A slight smirk curved her lips without her volition. "Yeah? You should take a poll and see how many people think that."

Randy looked surprised at the slight bite in her tone. And, honestly, she was surprised as well. She was normally cordial to everyone and anyone. It was the polite thing to do, it was how she was raised, but yet she couldn't help the bitterness in her voice, so she said, "Sorry...I guess the crowd kind of got to me today."

There was a slight softening of his features, one that Eva wouldn't have believed if she hadn't seen it with her own two eyes. "It's a lot of pressure, yes," he said, gruffly. "But I meant what I said. You're improving. Gradually, you're improving. It's nice to see."

Eva gulped, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks, but before she could respond he had turned, leaving her slack-jawed, staring at his retreating form and wondering what she could have done to earn the attention of The Viper.

Ever since that one moment, that one comment, she found herself staring at him more often than not.

She'd find that she could pinpoint little habits of his. How he'd pace back and forth before a match, trying to pump himself up. How he'd murmur to himself every now and then, planning things that would never truly come to fruition. She knew the majority of Randy's mindset was impulse. A strange kind of chaos that worked for him. It was interesting to see how that played against Seth's calculated mayhem.

Eva would notice the way his arms would flex, skin stretched taught over lean muscle, the tattoos looking more attractive on him than any other man she'd seen. She'd notice the storm in his eyes, the way he would gnaw on his lip and the way he would run a hand over his short hair, as if doing that one action would right everything in the universe.

She'd watch the ease with which he breathed, the rise and fall of his chest, the beating pulse in his neck, the way his nostrils would flare. She'd note the movement of his bare stomach, abs flexing every now and then when he turned a certain way.

And, when Eva would eventually looked away, she'd miss the moment when his gaze was turned on her.

Eva stared at the bruise that had formed on her midsection, inhaling sharply as her fingers came into contact with it. She continued to poke and prod it, regardless, trying to diagnose herself, but coming up with nothing. Her ribs didn't hurt too much, not enough to be broken, but they were still uncomfortable.

"Damn," a deep, breathy, rumbling voice commented. "Who did that?"

"AJ," she admitted.

Randy looked downright puzzled. "That pipsqueak?"

Eva smiled. "I know she hates me. I can see it in her eyes. I'm everything she hates about this business... But I asked her to help me."

"Yeah?"

"She's the most popular Diva right now...has been for quite some time."

"And you're thinking some of the crazy will rub off on you."

Eva smiled. The wryness in his tone made her stomach feel light in the oddest way. "No, nothing like that."

It was silent for a moment, before Randy said, barely audible. "You don't have to be anyone else. You're fine."

Eva looked up at him, wondering if she had heard correctly, when he cleared his throat and said, "Let me get you some ice for that."

For what seemed like the millionth time, Randy Orton left her with a mind full of racing thoughts and a heart that just couldn't keep up.

The crisp morning air bit into her bare arms, seeped through the thick material of her leggings, chilled her ears. Eva couldn't find it in her to care. She needed this run. She needed the glorious exhaustion that followed it. She needed time to herself to run and blare music in her ears and just be.

However, that wasn't the case - every song on her playlist made her think of him.

"He's a cheat!" a snarling voice shouted. "He's a cheat and a liar and he shouldn't even be a part of this company!"

Eva hadn't meant to stumble upon this display, but she had heard his voice - so deep and dark and angry - and she couldn't help but make a detour from the women's locker room to follow that voice.

"Randy," Hunter's voice, now. "Calm down."

"Don't you tell me to calm down, Hunter!" Randy spat his name as if it were poison. "I'll calm down whenever I see Rollins in the ground!"

Their voices became hushed, then, so Eva couldn't quite make them out. She paused at the door, waiting for Hunter to leave the room, and then she stepped through the threshold, heart in her throat, wondering if she was about to make a mistake.

"Randy?"

If his shoulders weren't already so tense, she was certain he'd lock every muscle in his body just at the sound of her voice. "You shouldn't be here."

Eva had always had a bit of a stubborn streak in her. She set her shoulders and strutted forward, unperturbed at the chaos that was Randy Orton. She had dealt with far worse, overcome things that would have other people cringing in their boots - and it was because of this that she was able to approch him without fear, without apprehension.

His stormy gaze locked with hers, teeth bared in what should have been a frightening display. "I said get away."

"What?" she challenged him. She had always been a bit fiery - for which she had her dad to thank - but maybe the hair dye had intensified that. All red everything. "Because I won't like you when you're angry?"

The teasing tone in her voice was enough to get Randy to take pause. He stared at her as if seeing her for the first time since his argument, and - despite the anger surging through his body - he laughed.

"You must have a bit of a death wish."

"Nah," she said, after all was said and done. "I'm just not easily frightened by things like that."

Randy looked at her, his eyes unreadable. A shudder passed over her spine. "You should be."

Eva just gave him a sly smile, unsure of what to say next. However, what Randy said next truly shocked her to the point of stunned silence.

"I've always had a bad temper," he said, so softly that it was amazing that it was coming from him at all. "But...even though I should have been mad at you for butting your pretty little head in my business...I couldn't. I couldn't even imagine it."

She dreamed of stumbling upon a viper in a field. She reached down to touch its head, unaware - or uncaring - of the venom in its fangs, the potential deadly reaction that it would bring, and woke up with a name on her lips - the name of the man she could not shake.

"Come on, Eva! Run those ropes! What are you doing?! Pick up those feet! Now get down! Twenty push ups. No complaining, Maxim!"

Panting, Eva replied, "I think you enjoy this too much, Lee."

AJ's responding grin was Joker-esque, and terrifying.

Later, when telling Randy about the situation, he would quip, "Punk has always enjoyed the crazier things in life."

Another morning run, another playlist full of songs that just screamed Randy.

Especially since, with a smile on his face, he told her, "Red, you should try listening to some Metallica. Or Killswitch Engage. Great running music."

So she had. At first, she questioned the choices, but then found the rapid-fire music to be more motivating than it had any right to be.

As her strong legs propelled her forward, she closed her eyes, feeling oddly weightless, as he invaded yet another facet of her life.

"Good match, Randy."

A touch, just subtle enough to make him turn his head.

A smile, just pointed enough to mean something deeper.

A heartbeat, skipping.

They had been featuring her on the main roster more as of late; whether it was because she'd actually improved or the fact that she was eye candy was neither here nor there. She wanted to give them a show, wanted to make everyone respect her. She was more than a pretty face, more than what they make of her on the blogs and websites, more than anyone else...

Nonetheless, a few minutes into her match with AJ, a stiff elbow - an elbow that she should have dodged - to the temple was enough to send her falling backward to the mat, dizziness surrounding her.

The last things she heard before everything turned black were JBL shouting and AJ kneeling next to her, whispering, "Are you alright?"

How long she was out, she had no idea. She faded in and out of consciousness, unaware of what was taking place. Really, she didn't want to know, not yet. All she could hear in the back of her head were the ghostly thoughts of retired wrestlers' past.

The worst thing she can think of is not being able to wrestle anymore.

Eventually, she opened her eyes, her vision bleary and focusing on nothing in particular.

"Just a concussion," a professional-sounding voice was telling someone. A nurse? Eva could not make out who he was speaking to, but the voice responding was as familiar as the chill on a cold winter day.

"Just a concussion?" he snarled. "She's been out for hours."

"Some concussions are more serious than others, Mr. Orton. The MRI looked fine. Every test we ran showed no brain damage," the nurse continued. "She'll be around - "

"Now..." Eva croaked though a scratchy throat. Water would be nice. Yes, water...

The tattooed blur that had been Randy suddenly sprung into her vision. His eyes were intense, glaring at her almost with a concern that was so unlike him it almost stole her breath. There was a brief, muttered, "I'll give you two a moment," from the nurse and the closing of the door before silence engulfed the two of them.

Eva's blurred vision gradually became clearer, but her thoughts were still muddled. "Hey, you..." she trailed off.

"How...dare you do that..."

"Do...what?"

Randy didn't speak, but Eva could see the tendons sticking out in his hands, fists curled tightly around the bright white sheet that covered her.

"Worry me," he continued, quietly. "Worry me like that...how dare you..."

Eva felt a lazy smile cross her face. She could see relatively normally now, taking in her surroundings. This was definitely not the locker room, or the small doctor's office backstage. "Am I in...the hospital?"

Randy grunted. She took that as a yes.

"They got you out of there as soon as they could," Randy continued. "Admitted you to the hospital. Concussions with a loss of consciousness can be serious..."

"Ah..." was all she could say.

Randy moved back to the chair set up in the corner of the room. Eva noticed the extra blanket and pillow draped over it. "You're..."

"I know what you're going to say," he said, harsher than he'd intended. But that was what Randy was. Harsh and unpredictable, but with moments of surprising calm, of surprising tenderness. "And I don't want to hear it. I'm staying, and that's the end of it."

Eva leaned back against her pillows and closed her eyes, the edges of her lips slightly upturned in a smile. "Thanks."

It took a while for his reply, but when it came, it was the last thing Eva heard before she drifted off yet again.

"Always."

"How are you feeling?" came AJ's question on her first day back.

Eva smiled. "Good. My head still feels like I was hit by a truck, but I'm fine."

AJ looked down at her converse-clad feet. For a moment, she looked genuinely remorseful. She had apologized countless times for injuring her, said that no matter the experience level between the two, Eva did not deserve to be put in the hospital, especially not like that, and AJ was now more determined than ever to help her - to both better herself and to keep her safe from incidents like that.

Somehow, the smile widened. It was good to have friends, especially ones who you earned.

AJ's little laugh broke the awkward silence. Good, Eva thought, relieved that she wasn't going to apologize again. Somehow, her remorse made Eva feel worse. "And your boy, Randal." At the name, the red-haired Diva stiffened. "Just barged out there, like some white knight or something, barking orders at the medics. No one knew what to make of it."

Eva blinked, slowly, her heart racing. "I don't, either..."

Eva leaned back against the springy support of the ropes, running a hand over her forehead. She felt sweaty but wonderful. Every muscle in her body sang painfully, but that was the price that was paid for being on medical leave for countless weeks. AJ smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up, saying that she hadn't seemed to have let her time off affect her performance. She wasn't sure if that was meant as an insult or not, but Eva went with it.

The small brunette glanced off to the side, a smirk forming on her pretty features. "Ten minute break, E. No more, no less."

Before Eva could say anything else - probably about what a relentless trainer AJ Lee was - The Black Widow's petite body slid beneath the bottom rope and she was gone, skipping away without a care in the world.

The flame-haired Diva turned and connected eyes with Randy Orton.

Again.

Her heart, while thrumming from exertion just minutes before, was now beating frantically for a very different reason.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she breathed.

Silence - silence filled with a poignancy that Eva could not place.

"You're doing good," Randy voiced, but he looked troubled.

"But..." she trailed off, waiting for the exception to the fact.

"You just jumped back in the ring," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I know you were medically cleared, but...a lot of guys - big guys whose arms look like hams - would be scared to get back in there." He nodded to the ring, and Eva looked reflexively behind her. "But you..."

"I," she started, before moving her gaze back to The Viper in front of her. "I can't be scared. I won't let myself be scared..."

She trailed off, not because she lost her words, but because Randy was looking at her so intently it shocked her. His large hands reached forward cupping her cheecks and bringing her face close to his. Her fingers wound around the ropes that separated them as their lips touched in a tender kiss, one that seemed to release all the previous tension between them, and yet add another type - a different, more animalistic type.

After what seemed far too short a time, Randy parted from her, looking at her levelly in the eye, and pressed his forehead to hers.

"You're amazing, Red," he breathed. "You're amazing."

Darting out of her front door the next day, Eva Marie smiled and began her morning run, the crisp air sharp in her lungs, the music blaring in her ears.

And Randy Orton, running beside her.

End.