Yes to the World

"C'est à partir de toi que j'ai dit oui au monde." – Paul Éluard

It's with you that I started to say yes to the world.

Cecily decided she was better off ignoring her feelings for Sami Zayn.

There was something about him she was drawn to from the get-go. She'd only started at NXT about a year ago, and she knew from her very first day that she'd be in trouble if she spent too much time around the charismatic superstar.

She'd been so incredibly nervous on that first day. Her cosmetology license had only arrived in the mail the week before, but her portfolio was impressive enough that they'd hired her as an assistant on the spot. She'd done makeup for years before, sure – back home, she had no problem being booked for proms or weddings – but Orlando was so much bigger than her tiny hometown in Kentucky. She hadn't known anyone then, and being surrounded by so many of NXT's flawless bodies had been intimidating.

Cecily would never forget the moment she first met Sami, though. She was on break and decided to grab a snack. As she navigated the halls at Full Sail in search of catering, she collided with the tall Canadian.

"Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry," she stammered, unable to look him in the eye. "Are you ok?"

"Hey, no worries." he replied. "You must be new; I've never seen you around before. I'm Sami."

"Cecily. Nice to meet you," she drawled, cringing at her own thick accent. At that moment, her stomach had let out an embarrassingly loud growl. "Can you point me to catering? I haven't eaten today and I'm starving."

"I was just headed there, myself. We can eat together."

Sami quickly became one of her favorite people to spend time with. He helped her remember all the French she learned in high school and taught her a little Arabic, too. She judiciously compiled mix tapes for him to listen to when traveling with the main roster. He was charming and easy to trust and they always had fun together. Of course she adored him.

He was so different from any man she'd ever known. Most of the guys she knew back home had been scruffy country boys, too content with their guns and big trucks to realize that there was so much to experience beyond the limited scope of their little hometown. Cecily loved when Sami spoke of his many travels. Because he had seen so much of the world, it seemed like he had a much greater understanding of how it worked. It wasn't all dirt roads and bonfires and small-town politics with him – and he never made her feel ignorant because she came from that.

She loved that Sami was so animated, and she fought to ignore his sinewy build while he was in the middle of an intense match or the appealing warmth in his eyes when it was just the two of them talking about music.

Since Cecily valued his friendship above all others, she decided that confessing her feelings to him would ruin everything. And it simply wasn't worth the risk.

"You should just tell him." Bayley attempted to reason with her. "Everyone can see that you're crazy for Sami – except him. And you're running out of time."

WrestleMania weekend was coming – and with it, the Takeover: Dallas event. It would be Sami's last NXT event. Once he started traveling with the main roster full time, Cecily knew it would be more difficult to get time with him. And she'd certainly never tell him how she felt.

"It's not that easy," she replied. "I don't want to lose him."

"You're not being fair to yourself," Bayley said. "You should go for it. Maybe you'll be surprised by what happens."

"I'll think about it," Cecily responded, though she knew she couldn't do it. There just wasn't a way to cushion the blow if he rejected her.

Cecily sighed as she finished packing up her kit. Takeover: Dallas was in full swing, so her job was done. She didn't think she would ever get used to all the backstage commotion. She'd spent hours standing in front of a chair as she painstakingly applied and re-applied makeup to Superstars and Divas alike. The hair and makeup room hadn't been empty all day, which she was kind of grateful for. She yearned to lie down, rest her aching body, and get her mind off Sami. She glanced over her workspace one more time to ensure nothing was forgotten before heading to her car.

"There you are," came Sami's voice. She turned and saw him striding towards her, dressed and ready for his match. Despite the heaviness in her heart, a smile curved her lips as he approached. "Walk with me?"

"Of course," she said. He offered his arm to her and she linked hers through. "Are you ok? I know this is a big night for you."

"I'll be ok," he said. "It's bittersweet, you know? It's the end of my time in NXT, and I'll miss it a lot. But it means moving on to bigger things."

"Well, everyone knows you're going to kill it. Here and at 'Mania, too." Cecily patted his hand reassuringly, savoring his closeness as they found an empty stairwell to talk in.

"Bayley told me something interesting today," he said. There was a teasing note in his voice that made her uneasy. He knew, for sure.

Cecily leaned against the wall. A corner of her mouth quirked up as her brows rose in surprise, a desperate attempt to play it cool. "Did she?"

"She did. Something about you."

Her heart skipped. "A-about me?"

"She said you have a thing for me." He chuckled as he removed his hat and ran a large hand through his auburn hair.

Cecily felt the blood rushing to her face and she exhaled deeply, turning her eyes to the ground. She murmured, "She promised she wouldn't tell anyone."

He hooked a finger under her chin and gently nudged her face upwards, forcing her to meet his eyes. To her surprise, he was grinning broadly.

"I'm glad she did," he said. Then he kissed her.

Cecily came undone the moment his lips touched hers. He was gentle and careful, but she trembled anyway. Her hands came to rest on his biceps as he deepened their kiss, his tongue gently sweeping into her mouth. She was swept up in him, the desire she'd struggled to ignore for months resurfacing. Warmth flooded through her, pooling deep in her stomach as he drew her closer and held her tightly against him. He broke away and rested his forehead against hers.

"I've wanted to do that for a while," he whispered. His dark eyes held an intensity she'd never seen before. "Since the first time I heard you speak to me in that sweet accent. Why didn't you just tell me?"

Cecily leaned back and brought a hand down to caress his whiskered face. He leaned into her touch and she gasped, not wanting to believe she could affect him so.

"Sami, I care about you a lot. I couldn't bear it if our friendship was ruined because of my feelings."

He pulled her close again, wrapping her in a hug. Cecily blinked and felt warm tears running down her face. They swayed together for a moment before he spoke again.

"Do you trust me?" His voice was low and warm in her ear. She wound her arms around his neck, fisting her hands in his hair like he was the only thing keeping her alive.

"More than anyone," she said.

"Then why don't we give this a try? You and me."

"I'm so scared," she said. More tears. "I've hidden the way I feel about you for so long, and now everything's on the table. What if we don't work out? I need you in my life, Sami. Even if it means just being your friend."

"Maybe I'm not being clear enough. Cecily, I'm telling you that I'm in love with you." With a delicate hand, he wiped the tears from her face. "I will wrestle the best match of my life tonight if you'll just say you're mine."

"I've been yours all along," she murmured.

When he drew her in for another kiss, Cecily decided she owed Bayley. Big time.

Author's note: So this is the first time I've ever been brave enough to share fan fiction online…or ever, pretty much. Please be gentle with your criticism; I'm just having fun over here!

Here's some music that helped inspire me to write this story: "Scott Pilgrim" by Plumtree, "Walking Away" by Catch 22, "A Very Pretty Song for a Very Special Young Lady, Part 2" by The Ergs!, and "Sweet Thing" by Van Morrison. Highly recommended!