a/n: this is based off of a manip on tumblr featuring paige and seth, where after losing her title to aj, she joins the authority and forms an alliance with him. the manip creator was kingajstylesambrose.
~*~your fire would burn the rain~*~
With shaking hands, Paige, splashed water on her face, as she struggled to regain a normal breathing pattern after what had just happened in the ring. Her throat was as tight as a vice, like a hand was wrapped around her neck and just kept squeezing and squeezing, unrelenting until her lungs burned from the lack of air.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt disgusted. Staring back at her, with smudged eyeliner and tear tracks on her pale skin, wasn't someone who was worthy of being Diva's Champion. She looked like a teenage girl sobbing over a boy.
Pathetic.
She wanted to scream, and because she was alone, she did. She screamed as loud as she could, a gut-wrenching screech of anger and frustration and sadness. Nothing like the confident roar she would let out, as she threw her head back and positioned herself on the apron of the ring, hanging off the rope.
This is my house now!
Her vision blurred at the edges, remembering how she had stood over AJ and screamed those very words. Her stomach churned and her hands balled into fists, nails digging into the skin of her palms. Her heart pounded violently against her ribcage, as another memory hit her; the sound of AJ's disgustingly sweet mocking tone as she played her for the fool.
Paige, my sweet little crumpet.
Another scream escaped her and before she could stop herself, she grabbed the trash can and hurled it at the door, busting it wide open. Blinded by anger and humiliation, she didn't hear the low whistle or see the lean but muscular form of Seth Rollins, casually, leaning against the door's jam, still dressed in his gear but without the briefcase that had been his companion for the past twenty four hours.
"Impressive." He drawled, catching her attention.
The two-toned Superstar wasn't surprised by the skeptical arch of her brow or the defensive stance her lithe frame took, as she realized he was standing there. He could see the wheels turning in her head, confusion coming to reign in her dark eyes, which quickly hardened into a harsh glare.
She stalked toward the door, declaring in a biting tone, "I don't have time for your games, Rollins. You want a plaything go ask your Mummy or Daddy to find you one. Just because Summer's all over Dolph now, doesn't mean Eva Marie isn't bored."
Seth supposed he should be insulted, but her jab didn't faze him. He just slid to his left, effectively blocking her path to the door and suddenly they were pressed chest to chest. The top of her silken raven hair tucked right underneath his chin. He wasn't surprised when she stepped back and then with all of her might, shoved at his chest, nearly knocking him off balance.
"Move." She grit out through clenched teeth, shoving at him once more, but he wouldn't budge.
"Not until you hear me out, and believe me, you'll want to listen."
"I told you, I don't have time for your games. I just want to get out of here. Now, move, before you end up like that trash can, and if you think being Triple H and Stephanie's prized pony is going to stop me from putting my hands on you, you don't know a damn thing about me. Move or I'll move you."
"I'm not playing any game, Paige," She wouldn't admit it, but the way her name fell off his lips, caused a shiver to unfurl along her spine. "I'm giving you the chance to take back what you lost." He stared straight at her with those chocolate eyes of his, eyes she was sure could get him anything he wanted and her confidence started to waver slightly.
Paige bit down on her lip, drawing in the flesh with her teeth and twisting it. She could feel a fog of seduction settling over her brain. Between the heady smell of sweat drying on his impossibly tan skin, the way his ridiculous pants [and they were ridiculous, like straight out of a comic book flick ridiculous] clung to the definition of his legs and were slung low on his hips and his bare chest just inches from her, made it hard to remember why she was supposed to push him away.
Listening to whatever he had to say was a bad idea. This wasn't Seth Rollins, the Architect of The Shield, no; this was Seth Rollins The Authority's golden boy. The man who had betrayed his brothers… No, former business partners, and did it with such cruelty and no ounce of remorse.
And why would he even care that she had lost her title to AJ, anyway? It's not like they were friends. Hell, they were barely acquaintances. They didn't know each other. So why was he doing this? Seeking her out and telling her he was giving her the chance to take back the butterfly?
Crossing her arms over her chest, she fought back against the seductive fog, willing herself to look at his face and not his arms, as he crossed them over his own chest, emphasizing his well-developed muscles.
"Why do you even care? We're not…" She stopped herself from saying friends; did he even have friends, anymore? "You don't know me, so what business is it of yours to give me a chance at taking the title back? And for the record, I can do that without your help. What are you going to do, anyway? Pout and throw a tantrum until Mummy and Daddy give you your way?"
Seth laughed under his breath as he shook his head. "Does it really matter if I know you or not? You want the title back, and I can give you a chance at getting it back, a better chance than you would have on your own."
He watched as her pretty features contorted into a scowl. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Are you saying I can't get it back on my own? That I need you to do it for me? To what, play white knight and ride in on your horse and save the day?" She scoffed and shoved him, hard, in the chest once more. "I don't need your help, Rollins. I'm not some flash in the pan who's only here to look pretty and be used as some prop for the likes of AJ Lee. I'm more than capable of holding my own, and I'm getting that butterfly back, so you can take your chance and shove it up your arse!"
Before she could storm off, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. Her lithe frame slammed into his hard one, and instead of being just pressed chest to chest, their entire bodies were in perfect alignment.
Once again, that fog of seduction was slowly settling over the young Diva's brain. It was impossible to ignore the heat that came off of him in waves. Or the heady scent of sweat that clung to his skin. Or how she could feel every inch of the hard planes of his muscles from being practically melded against him.
She could feel her pulse thrumming and a shot of arousal striking her like lightening, as she fought the urge to squirm against him, her body all too aware of his.
"I know you don't want to hear this," He bent forward, their noses just centimeters away, and she struggled to remember that no matter how good he looked, how long his lashes were, and how his smell was intoxicating, she couldn't trust him. "But I'm willing to help you out. Just like I know you don't want to hear that Hunter and Stephanie would be willing to do the same. They could really shake up the division like they did down at NXT, remember? All those this 'is awesome chants' your matches with Emma got? How great Arrival and Takeover were? That was all them. They want the division to be the best it can be, and I know that's what you want. You're not out there to prance around in little shorts and go around valeting and kissing Superstars, you want to wrestle, and you're damned good at it, too, so just trust me when I say I can make that happen for you."
"And what do I have to do? Triple H… Oh, I'm sorry, excuse me Hunter," She spat out the COO's name bitterly. "And Stephanie will expect something in return, will they not? You of all people should know that. So what's the price I'm going to pay for aligning myself with The Authority?"
Paige felt like a lamb going to slaughter as she walked the long hallway to Hunter's office with Seth by her side. She glanced at the two-toned Superstar, briefly, thinking that it was a pity he had to put on a shirt and change out of those pants, as ridiculous as they were, they did emphasize his butt perfectly, something she could admit, to herself, and that she appreciated.
Not that he wasn't equally – what was it that all the fangirls squealed about him being, lickable? – in the slate grey suit he had changed into. At least he wasn't wearing a tie. So maybe the pants and putting on a shirt didn't amount to a total loss. Especially since this button down was open collared, revealing the strong slant of his neck and the toned planes of his chest.
Swallowing thickly, she reached out for his hand, stopping him just as they reached the door marking Hunter's office.
"You're not backing out, are you?" His chocolate eyes sparkled with humor and his lips curled at the edges, looking so smooth and inviting it was criminal. "I never took you for a coward, Paige."
He watched as her back stiffened, arching like a cat, ready to retract its claws. Her shoulders straightened and without sparing him another glance, she didn't even bother knocking on the door, she just turned the knob and walked in. He lingered for a moment, taking the time to appreciate what the tight fitting black skirt of her dress did for her firm backside and its short, but not indecently so hemline did for the length of her shapely legs.
"Paige," Hunter's gravely tone was fond, as he stood up from his desk, welcoming the young Diva. "Are you here to talk about the details for Battleground regarding your rematch against AJ? Or are you here to tell me you want to take your shot at her a little sooner? Say," His lips curled into a smirk. "Next week on RAW in Ontario? You are teaming with Emma and AJ with…" He stroked his chin, momentarily before saying, "Nikki Bella."
Paige was sure her mouth was hanging open. Just like she was sure her brain had completely shut down. It was no secret that AJ and the Bellas did not like each other. The Bellas, to the self-proclaimed 'Black Widow' represented everything that was wrong with the Diva's Division, everything she had to save it from. Girls who wore too much makeup and had fake tans and pranced around the ring in their little short shorts and cleavage baring tops. Not girls who were there to wrestle.
There was no way AJ and Nikki could work together at all and not nearly as well as she and Emma could.
She could feel her heart rise in her chest, the thought nearly too much to bare that she felt like she was standing on wobbling knees that would give out at any moment.
But in an instant she was brought back to reality. Hunter wasn't just going to give her this tag team match. He would want something. He always did. But what?
Seth, who had been standing in the doorway, chose that exact moment to finally walk into the room. He came to stand next to Paige and Hunter, who could clearly see the unanswered question in her eyes, said, "I know what you're asking yourself, Paige, why is Triple H giving me this advantage in a tag team match against the Diva's Champion, the Diva's Champion who isn't teaming up with her former bodyguard Tamnia Snuka but Nikki Bella who she obviously can't stand? And do you know what the answer is? I see unlimited potential in you. The sky's the limit for you. It's your time; not AJ's. She's had her run, and while some decisions, sadly, are out of my hands others aren't. Making matches, considering there is no general manager for RAW, is one of those decisions that I'm able to make. And I'll give you the match, but you're going to give me something back."
The feeling of being a lamb sent to slaughter was suddenly back. Paige swallowed, as her mind raced with all the possibilities of just what Hunter could possibly want from her. She didn't realize it, far more aware of her palms becoming sweaty and her knees buckling, but Seth had placed his hand on her back.
"Dean Ambrose will just not go away. He does not seem to understand that he's had his moment, back when he was part of The Shield, but that's gone now and it's not coming back. He needs to be reminded that it's not his time, but Seth Rollins' time, and you're going to help him do that."
"I am?"
"Yes, you are. On Smackdown this Friday Randy and Seth will be fighting Dean and Roman. You'll be ringside after valeting for Seth when he makes his way into the ring and by your side is going to be a steel chair that you will all too happily hand to Seth so he can pummel Ambrose into submission and put him down, once and for all, like the animal he is."
Sweat broke out along Paige's skin and her stomach churned while the bitter taste of bile coated her tongue. She didn't know if she could do this. If she could actually hand Seth a steel chair knowing he was going to use it to beat up his former teammate, the man he once called a brother. She didn't know if she could handle being responsible for something so brutal.
"And before I forget, you'll also be guest refereeing the match. I don't think I have to explain to you what I expect of you in that situation. You're a smart girl, after all."
"Can I…" She cleared her throat, which felt as dry as a desert all of the sudden. "Can I have a few days to think about this, please?"
"You have till the taping on Wednesday to decide. The referee gear will be in your locker, waiting. Either you put it on and walk down the ramp with Seth or you face the consequences."
Underneath her normal ring gear was the referee gear. She felt like a zombie, the decision and its potential aftermath keeping her up at night, but she knew what she had to do. AJ thought she had gotten the upper hand, she was skipping around with the belt, stroking the metal and cooing that "baby's back with mama," and it made her sick.
Sick with rage and anger.
AJ was going to be in for a very rude awakening, long before Battleground ever took place.
She wasn't just going to fade into the background and let the petite Diva skip around with the butterfly. No, she was going to take back what was hers. What she earned and what she felt she had deserved.
Straightening her spine, Paige left the locker room, her head held high, no longer fearing what she had to do. Her chin was tilted confidently and she was strutting as if the Diva's Championship still belonged to her. Something she knew didn't go unnoticed by the other women in the locker room, but she didn't care what they thought or what they were whispering behind her back. She was going to show them that she wasn't a fluke, a flash in the pan, the proverbial comet streaking across the sky.
She was here to stay.
Squeezing herself, without any announcement, between Seth and Randy who were waiting to be announced by Lillian Garcia, she stared straight ahead. "Well, well," Randy chuckled. "Look whose left the kiddies table to play with the big dogs."
She ignored his remark just like she ignored his low whistle and mumbling of, "Frigid bitch."
Seth didn't, however, and he glared harshly at Randy. "I doubt you'll be calling her a frigid bitch after the match, considering her being her guarantees you the win against Roman, so I suggest you shut your mouth."
Now Randy was glaring. "You want to run that buy me one more time, Rollins?"
"You heard me…."
"Both of you shut up." Paige bit out. "Don't turn this into a pissing contest. Keep your focus on the match. Just because I'm guest referee doesn't mean I'm going to hand you the win on a silver platter. You'll still have to work for it. I don't do handouts. Now, get your heads in the game."
"Well, now, this is interesting." Michael Cole announced as Paige came strutting down the ramp with Seth. "It looks like Mr. Money In The Bank; Seth Rollins has company in the former Diva's Champion, Paige who is right there with him as he makes his way to the ring for the match that has him teaming up with The Viper, Randy Orton against Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns."
"Looks like that contract to challenge for the WWE Heavyweight World Championship isn't the only thing that came from winning the briefcase at the TD Garden in Boston last Sunday, Michael." JBL crowed waggling his eyebrows.
"And oh… Wait a second, wait a second… Paige is, Paige is taking off her gear and is that a referee's uniform underneath?"
Strutting toward the announce table, Paige grabbed Michael's headset for herself and with a smile said, "That's right, WWE Universe I will be the guest referee for tonight's Main Event on Smackdown , Seth Rollins and Randy Orton vs Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. And before I ring the bell, let me make it perfectly clear, by the order of The Authority, chairs are legal in this match."
Dropping the headset back on the announce table, she rang the bell, signaling the start of the match before stepping into the ring.
Paige was true to her word, when she told Randy that she didn't do handouts. Just like she did what Hunter expected of her. After Seth had performed a 'peace of mind' on Ambrose, she climbed out of the ring and grabbed a chair. With a smile, she handed it to him and watched as he proceeded to deliver chair shot after chair shot while Randy had taken care of Roman outside the ring. Then Seth tossed the chair away and grappled with Ambrose for a few moments before pinning him, and that's when she slid across the mat, and began to count.
Getting to three, she grabbed Rollins' hand and lifted his arm in the air just as Lillian Garcia announced, "Your winners in the tag team Main Event match, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton."
Knowing she had to make this look good and sell this whole thing, she grabbed for Rollins' face and before she could think twice, she smashed her lips against his, initiating a kiss. She thought it would be quick, but instead it escalated quickly. His fingers sank into her hair and hers gripped at the back of his neck while his tongue slipped into her mouth, tangling with hers.
She was completely breathless by the time they separated, her lungs burning from the lack of oxygen he had stolen from her. She felt dazed and her heart was pounding twice as hard as it ever had.
Grabbing the mic from Lillian, she let Rollins wrap his arm around her, pulling her into the hardness of his lean frame and cut her promo. "AJ thinks she's won, that her baby is back with mama, but I'm here to tell her that she's wrong! I may have lost the battle, but this war is far from over! I am not going to go away quietly and she may have bested me on RAW, but at Battleground I'll be the one holding the Diva's Championship. So right here, right now with the permission of The Authority, I'm announcing that I challenge, AJ to a tag team match next week on RAW; me and Emma vs. her and," A smirk came to Paige's lips as she dealt the proverbial blow. "Nikki Bella."