a/n: this happened when twitter user SETHSEMPIRE posted several pics of nattie and aj styles together, and i thought they were really cute, because i have no self control and was like "bam! ship it!" my inspiration came from a photoset on tumblr featuring the pairing of jyn erso and cassian andor from rogue one: a star wars story, and also the song "even angels fall" by jessica riddle from 10 things i hate about you. this is not kayfabe compliant meaning nattie and aj are not in their heel personas in this fic. DO NOT FAVORITE THIS STORY WITHOUT LEAVING A REVIEW.
~*~you found hope, you found faith~*~
(found how fast she could take it away)
pairing: aj styles/natayla (featuring roman reigns)
summary: you have 90 minutes to complete ~ or true or false aj styles is in love with natayla hart
rating: t
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i
you love her
true [x] false []
It's hard not to be, enthralled [in love with], by her.
At the Rumble, she greeted him with a bright, toothy smile and hazel eyes dazzling. She had a pink flush to her high cheekbones, confessing, "I've watched your stuff in New Japan and TNA. You're amazing."
His chest swells with pride. Hart is as legendary as Flair or McMahon or Reigns in this business. The ladies weren't always given their due in WWE, but he knows a damn good in-ring worker when he sees one, and to be honest she could wrestle circles around half the men in the locker room.
He smiles, pushing his hair from his eyes and says, "Well, thank you Ms. Hart. That's mighty fine praise comin' from someone such as yourself."
The pink flush deepens and his heart trips like it hasn't in years.
X
They have their routines.
Sort of, kind of, maybe [definitely].
He shouldn't be aware of her [cornflower silk] hair flowing around her [warm honeyed] shoulders and that bright, toothy smile on her [pink petal] lips as she waves enthusiastically at the fans gathered outside the arenas. She stops, polite as anyone, for pictures and autographs. She even drags him over, without preamble, just grabbing for his hand when the chants of AJ [clap clap] Styles [clap clap] break out. He does his best to ignore how his stomach tumbles from her delicate fingers curling around his own.
He doesn't know how it happened, how they always seemed to end up working through moves together.
He was used to Karl and Luke, but like he's going to turn down the chance to work with a Hart.
She's better than she gets a chance to show. She's quick and powerful, able to keep up with his strikes and she doesn't back down, getting him in the 'Sharpshooter' more than a few times.
One time, as she puts him in position, he feels metal sliding against his skin; her wedding ring. His has been gone for a year now, and he swallows thickly, the sober truth that she is married hitting him like a punch he never saw coming.
That doesn't mean, when their impromptu training sessions are over, that he doesn't watch her go. The spandex of her leggings or whatever hug every ample curve to perfection. The sweat clings to her honeyed skin, her scent of jasmine and vanilla amplified and there's that bright, toothy smile before she slips through the ropes.
X
ii
it was her fault
true [] false [x]
Blaming Nattie would be the easy thing to do, but it's not her fault he fell so hard so fast.
It was her natural disposition to be warm and kind, to welcome new talent with open arms and that dag gum [beautiful] toothy grin. He didn't expect himself to take to her the way he did. He figured he'd stick with Karl and Luke, as he wasn't necessarily looking to make friends, but to provide for his kids. He never thought a bubbly, friendly and [drop dead] gorgeous cornflower blonde would bound into his world, grabbing his hand and not let go.
Post divorce, he didn't think he'd ever look at another woman.
Wendy had been his entire world for so long, and that's not to say he didn't notice beautiful women, but none compared to her. None of the women throwing themselves at him over the years, were worth giving up the life he longed for as a little boy in a trailer park.
He also wasn't an idiot. What woman would look twice at a nearly forty year old man with four kids?
But she snuck under his skin with her brilliant grin, dazzling hazel eyes, pink petal lips and honeyed skin. He thought about what those lips would taste like, vanilla maybe? Their shape was so alluring, it was hard not to let his eyes drift from hers as she spoke.
Her gear didn't help matters; lyrca and tight, stretching over ample curves and accentuating her buxom frame. Her hair was tied up in some bun at the top of her head, which let the strands of cornflower silk frame her beautiful high cheekbones.
He didn't need to be thinking about things like that; her lips, her hair, the curves.
She was married. Well, she was married... Until she wasn't.
His heart thudded in his chest as he watched her be folded into the brawny arms of Roman Reigns, her black lacquered nails digging into the other man's shirt, using him like an anchor. He could hear her sobs from the other end of the hallway. He swallowed thickly as the Samoan kept her close to his chest, his arms only wrapping tighter around her tight waist.
The other dropped a kiss to her silken locks, and when she pulled back he swiped his thumb across her cheek, catching her tears.
It was all so natural, like... He felt his stomach twist into knots, but why wouldn't they be friends? They grew up in this business, both of them from legendary families.
There was a lift, not that there should have been, of his heart when he caught sight of her bare ring finger. He cursed under his breath, when she pulled away from Reigns, and her hazel eyes met his own as she turned in the other direction. He felt his heart constrict at the sight of her puffy eyes and red nose, her skin pale and her lips still trembling as she struggled to catch her breath.
He had never met Tyson Kydd, but the overwhelming need to punch him in the face, was suddenly coursing through his veins.
"Hey, Allen," Doing her best to smile and this was all wrong. He would have rather her called him AJ [she was the only one who called him by his full name] because this wasn't her. This was a poor imitation. This wasn't Nattie. Nattie was bright and full of life; her phone at the ready to get him to pose for a picture [pouting, c'mon alleeeeeen, please] or to show him 2 Pawz or Louis and their latest adventures. Her smile brighter than a Christmas tree. Her hazel eyes warm and lovely.
"Darlin'..." His voice hoarse, reaching out for her hand to pull her into his sturdy frame.
"I thought... I, um... I..." Hiccups coming in between sobs. "I was a good wife, wasn't I? I took care of him. He was the only one, ever... There was never anyone else..."
"He's a fool." Bit out through gritted teeth as he rubs her back in small circles like he would do for Annie when she woke from a nightmare. "A dag gum fool. I'd never be stupid enough to give up a good woman like you."
It's out before he can stop himself, his cheeks burning from the confession, and he's glad her head's buried in his chest so she can't see.
X
iii
if you were given a second chance, you'd turn right and never meet her
true [] false [x]
The Wrestlemania loss to Chris stings. He doesn't agree with it, doesn't think it makes sense... He threads his fingers through his sweaty hair and feels like he's at a stand still. He knows Vince isn't a big fan of guys like him – small in stature, quick and fast, a striker vs the big muscular brawlers – but Hunter went to bat for him, something he appreciates... A heavy sigh escapes and on tired legs he slumps against a crate.
He has to hurry and put on a happy face, Wendy will be bringing the kids to his locker any second, but his mind is spiraling down as he bites down on his lip, wondering if signing on the dotted line was even a good idea.
Maybe he was nothing but a big fish in a small pond. Maybe he wasn't meant for a stage like this. Maybe he was never supposed to get this far, to be performing in front of 100,000+.
"Fuck," He growled angrily kicking the crate next to the one he was slumped against.
"Whoa..." A surprised yelp and his eyes darted upwards finding those dazzling hazel eyes in his field of vision. He felt like an ass; he could have knocked a large crate into the first third generation women's wrestler and done some serious damage. Scrambling to his feet, he was about to reach for her but her petal pink lips bloomed into that toothy grin and a burst of bubbling laughter came forth, stopping him while his brows burrowed in confusion.
"No harm, no foul," She held up her hands in peace, lilting laughter in her warm tone. "But for someone who's at their first Wrestlemania and put on a hell of a match, you don't look happy; how come?"
AJ bit the inside of his cheek as he studied the lovely angles that made up her beautiful face. It had been about two months since she had broken down in his arms in the early days after Tyson had left her. The only time she had been happy was inside the ring or working on moves with the girls. Until... Recently. He was too head over heels to not notice even the slightest change in her and who [seemed to be] responsible for that change.
His fingers clenched into a fist at his side and he felt green tinge his vision.
Shaking it off, he unclenched his fist and threaded them through his hair as he let out a gruff sigh, "My poutin' ain't nothin' for ya to worry your pretty head about."
"Pouting? For what? You were amazing! You and Chris put on an amazing match! You should be proud of what you did out there!"
"Ain't feelin' too proud right now... It's just... C'mon, Nattie, you've been here for a long time. You know Vince ain't fond of guys like me. We're only around to get pounded into the ground by the Cenas and Reignses of the world. This Chris feud is over, so it's like what now?"
"I know exactly how you feel, Allen. My best match in years was with Charlotte down in NXT for their Women's Championship, and then when I was back on the main roster, it was crickets. I was left out of the Diva's Revolution. But look at what's happening now; I'm getting TV time, I had a title match at the Roadblock special, there was this ten Divas tag match, even if it was the pre-show. I never thought I would have a push like this again."
He felt his lips twitch at her optimism and the brightness of her hazel eyes. He couldn't fight the smile for long as she gave him a punch to the shoulder. "Buck up, Mr. Styles. You might not be a typical "Vince Guy," Her use of air quotes made him laugh. "But you're damn good at what you do; no one can deny that. You're not just going to fall to the wayside. You've proven you belong here, that this is where you were always meant to be. You're nothing if not..." A soft giggle as a pink flush stains those gorgeous cheekbones. "Phenomenal."
His heart feels lighter in his chest and he doesn't feel nearly as down. "Gonna have to ad motivational speaker to that already impressive resume, darlin'. I'm about to run through a wall after that speech."
"A metaphorical wall, right?" The worry in her hazel eyes made him laugh, louder and harder than he had in what felt like years.
As he was about to answer, he could hear footfalls approaching. Over the messy knot her hair was tied into he could see Reigns approaching. On instinct, he could feel his spine stiffen and his fingers clench into a fist again. Like it was the most natural thing in the world, without preamble, the Samoan wrapped a thickly muscled arm around Nattie's tight waist, making her jump. She whirled around but almost instantly her face softened and she swatted at the younger man's chest.
"Oh my Gosh, Roman!" She scolded, swatting him again as he chuckled deeply, taking her hand in his before she could hit him a third time. "You know I'm not patient," There was a teasing in his baritone voice, brown eyes filled with heat. "You said you were gonna be a few mintues with Brie and the girls."
"Because you weren't being hogged by your family," There was a playful roll of her eyes and her little dimple peeked out. "So I doubt you missed me."
"I always miss you," Low and throaty, his head bent to rest against her forehead. "Besides, you're a lot better to look at than Matty's ugly ass mug."
"Ro..." Soft and bashful and AJ feels his stomach twist itself into knots. He feels the sharp sting of bile coating his tongue; this is too much, this moment between them. He turns on his heel, making his way toward his locker, not wanting to spare another glance.
He gets halfway and he told himself he wouldn't, but his head's already turning and he's looking over his shoulder. The kiss she's engaged in with the Samoan is warm and steamy, he can tell even from five feet away. His stomach plummets, but the truth is – even after seeing this – he wouldn't have turned down the chance to sign at WWE.
iv
you don't regret a single moment you had her
true [x] false []
"Congratulations," Nattie had thrown herself at him before he even saw the flash of her cornflower hair across his pale blue eyes. Her arms were around his neck and every inch of her curves were pressed against his frame. He could smell the jasmine and vanilla that clung to her honeyed skin, and couldn't stop himself from breathing it in.
That had been a grueling match for the number one contendership. Chris, Antonio and Kevin had brougt their A games, and now he was facing Reigns at Payback. He still couldn't believe this was actually happening, that he was the number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
When he felt her pulling away from their embrace, he wanted to pull her back, but he knew he couldn't. She wasn't his to hold or to kiss, but he wanted her to be. fuck... He cursed, his eyes drifting to the alluring shape of her painted petal lips. He couldn't help but wonder how they tasted. He wanted to know the feeling of those curves [oh so dangerous] under the calloused pads of his fingertips, to hear her moaning his name [aaaaallllleeeen].
jesus christ, styles... He berated himself and then he heard, "I told you so," coming from her sweet voice, breaking him out of his fantasies.
"You thought you were going to fade away, but I told you so." She teased, her tone sing-song and he felt his cheeks heat up. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, he couldn't stop the smile curling at his lips, "Ya sure told me, didn't ya, Nat?"
"Nat?" Her tone sounded breathless, but only to his ears, he was sure. "You've never called me Nat. No one calls me," A soft little giggle that lifts his heart. "That."
"Nobody round here calls me Allen." A shrug of his shoulders as he tries to act nonchalant.
"Nat and Allen..." Like she's testing the two words on her tongue and then her lips bloom into the bliding grin that haunts his nights and plagues his days. "I like it!" She declares, and he likes it too... Nat and Allen, Allen and Nat... He likes it too much.
v
it ended long before you ever said anything
true [] false []
The number two overall pick of Smackdown Live... AJ soaked in the feeling. There was nothing like the way Bryan and Shane had gone to bat for him. He knew why Ambrose was picked first, he was the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion and storyline wise they weren't going to let the title slip through their fingers.
He had put on two classic matches with Reigns at Payback and Extreme Rules, despite losing both, and then he had a hell of a heel turn against Cena. He was anxious to see what was in store for him now, on this new brand... in a new era of WWE.
He knew he and Karl and Luke were going to be split up, that the Club would be no more and there was a wry smile on his lips when he heard Finn Balor's name be called as a draft pick for RAW. He was the original leader of The Bullet Club and he knew Karl and Luke would be happy if they had a storyline with him as they were still goodfriends.
A few of the draft picks raised eyebrows and a couple of the interviews after the draftees were picked were going to cause a buzz on social media, but he wasn't really paying attention until...
With the 11th overall pick for Monday Night RAW, Mick Foley and I select the first and only Third Generation Female Superstar, the only female to ever graduate from the Hart Dungeon, NAAAAAAATALYAAAAAAAAAA.
Reigns had been drafted to RAW and AJ had heard – gossip travels fast – that the higher ups were going to be considerate to the couples who were married, but they seemed to imply that everyone else was fair game. Not that he wanted them to be separated. He'd never try to move in on another man's woman no matter how much he wanted her.
He heard the familiar hollers of Karl and Luke and as he was about to turn toward them, the scent of jasmine and vanilla caught his nose. Hazel eyes were suddenly in his field of vision and there was a pretty flush to her high cheekbones and something, he couldn't recognize it, was there amongst the warm toffee, the forest green and caramel tones of her eyes.
It looked like her curvaceous frame was vibrating as she bounced on her toes.
"Besides, Stephanie and Hunter and I mean, duh, Vince... You're, um, the first person I've told. Or well, I guess I haven't told you, since I came over to tell you now, but whatever that's semantics..."
"Nat," He interrupted. "You're babbling." It was cute how her mouth was running a mile a minute, but he needed her to slow down.
"Right, um, yeah... Sorry, I'm just... Like..." She breathed in deeply, like she was trying to organize her thoughts and after another deep breath, she said softly, "Roman proposed."
That was the last thing he expected her to say. This was like a punch to the gut he never saw coming. He never thought anything was going to happen. He knew – he could tell just by the way she looked at him – that she was in love with Reigns. He just never... He didn't... He was suddenly standing on shaky ground, his knees weak and wobbling. He swallowed thickly, his fingers pushing through his hair as he felt his chest constrict and stomach drop.
"Congratulations," Tight through clenched teeth and suddenly his arms were filled with her. "I didn't think... He was just... We're going to Orlando to see your parents on our one day off and then in front of me he asked my Mom and Dad for their permission," She murmured, and he wanted to push her way, but he couldn't. "They said yes and then he got down on one knee. I never thought I would be this happy again."
"You deserve it..." He wanted to call her Nattie or Natayla but "Nat," still spilled forward, as if he could call her anything else.
"You'll be happy again, too. A handsome fella like you won't stay single for long, I'm sure of it. Don't be afraid to open your heart, Allen."
He wanted to tell her his heart opened up again the second she bounded up to him backstage at The Rumble, because that was the truth, but it was too late for that.
It was too late for anything and everything he wanted. For them to be anything else than this.
friends
you found hope, you found faith
found how fast she could take it away
found true love, but lost your heart
now you don't know who you are
- "even angels fall" - by jessica riddle