For someone who was dressed in an outfit that really could've been considered too hot for television, she had never looked more angelic. Her simple black bra and panties stood out from underneath her turtle-necked, long sleeved, semi-sheer, lace bell-bottomed jumpsuit. However, her usual long extension and bright makeup was nowhere to be found. She had decided to wear her natural brunette locks cut in layers and very light highlighting on her face. It almost seemed like a different person had shown up tonight.
Nikki crouched down on the ground backstage, laughing at the gold statue in her hands. She still couldn't believe it. After everyone told her she couldn't wrestle and that she was given every opportunity, she blasted through all of the criticism and carved her own path and for that, she was damn proud of herself. Of course she hadn't put on five star matches like the NXT girls or gotten the respect that she wanted, but now she felt like she could if given the proper tools. Now, she could honestly say that she was one of the best female wrestlers in the deepest women's division in WWE history and people acknowledged that.
Black shoes and crutches came into her line of sight and she looked up into the familiar eyes of a friend. Nikki kissed the head of her Slammy one more time before standing on her feet in front of the man.
Seth wanted to throw down his crutches and lift her in the air, hugging her until his arms fell off but he remembered his injury and settled for kissing her on the tip of her nose, causing her to giggle. She'd be lying if she said the man wasn't single handedly one of the most important people in her life. His Slammy rested in his hand as well and while he was extremely humbled by the support of the fans, he was a million times more excited that the woman in front of them won.
"Hello, gorgeous," Seth smirked and Nikki rolled her eyes before pinching his cheek.
"I missed you too, Sethie Wethie," Nikki joked and he pulled away immediately.
"Damn it, Nicole. What did I say about calling me that in public?" He snapped and Nikki laughed. She took one of his crutches and leaned it against the wall. Then, she locked her elbow with his, looking up at him with sincerity in her eyes.
"If it's alright with you, champ, I think I'd like to be your crutch for the night. Isn't that what friends are for?" She questioned. Seth's heart was melting for this girl. He had told her plenty of times that if she ever wanted to leave Cena, he'd make her the queen of Iowa or something with 47 kids and 100 rings if she wanted them but she always laughed him off, assuming he was just joking. She still called him champ even though he was hobbling around and had no gold around his waist. Little things like that gave him that extra motivation to keep pushing forward.
If he was honest with himself, she was the reason he'd turned into a manwhore as of late. She was what he truly wanted and what he truly couldn't have. Usually, he could care less if a girl he wanted was in a relationship. He was always the type of guy to go after everything he wanted except for her. He respected her way too much to let her live with the guilt of cheating on who she felt was the love of her life, even if he disagreed. They were very close but she was very clear that she had limits and he was careful not to surpass them. However, after two failed relationships in the past two years, it was becoming more and more obvious that he was settling and he hated it.
They were both on the shelf due to injury, him the more damaged of the two and despite her own physical hangups, she had flown out to Iowa repeatedly to check on him and help take care for him when he was less mobile. Granted, she always arrived with enough designer suitcases to start her own boutique but she never let him down.
"You really are the best, Nick," Seth grimaced due to discomfort. He was still putting more pressure on his leg because he didn't want to lean on her too heavily. Nikki rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side, forcing him to let her carry some of his weight. Damn, he loved that girl.
"Stop being such a hard ass," Nikki said.
A stage hand approached them at that moment, "Would you two mind taking some pictures for the WWE website?"
Nikki, usually always down for a photo op, was about to protest but Seth being Seth had to open his big mouth.
"Absolutely! It's about time you asked," Seth grinned in his cocky way and Nikki rolled her eyes once more. She remembered when they first spoke. He was still in The Shield and was having a major hair malfunction one night before a show. Unable to find any other woman that wasn't preoccupied, he spotted her in catering and didn't hesitate to hound her about her knowledge on blonde hair dye. The rest was history.
They slowly made their way over to the backdrop where they'd take pictures. Seth volunteered to go first so she helped him get to one spot and held his crutch for him as he posed. Nikki couldn't help but laugh. Seth could never smile like a normal person. He always had to smirk or look like he was in the middle of an evil cackle. Seeing her laugh, he winked at her and she blushed and waved. Even though he felt like a few more shots of himself were necessary, it was time for Nikki to be photographed. She helped him out of the way and handed him his crutch back.
Seth looked at her as she smiled for the camera. She was more than hot, she was a genuinely beautiful human being. He pulled out his phone and looked on Twitter to see how the fans had reacted to his temporary return. Instead, he saw what Nikki had tweeted 20 minutes earlier. She was talking about her banner year and how to top it off she'd love an engagement ring from her boyfriend John Cena. She added a "just kidding" at the end but Seth knew Nikki. Marriage was truly her heart's desire. He frowned and put his phone back in his pocket. Nikki really did deserve better than what she was getting. He told her all the time even though it often caused her to shut down and walk out.
"Would you two like a picture together?" the photographer asked. Seth knew the internet would explode if he said yes but that's kind of what he wanted. Rollins 1, Cena 0.
"Of course I want a picture with the Nickster," Seth said and made it over beside her on his own, dropping the crutch when he got there. He was gonna assume this was going to be a mostly head and shoulders shot.
Nikki looked up at him and smiled until she looked in his eyes. She could tell that he had seen what she said. Her bottom lip started trembling and he put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently, effectively calming her down. He put his other hand under the Slammy in her hand to support it. His trademark evil smirk was on his face and Nikki was smiling sweetly for the camera. In a surprise turn of events before an actual picture was taken, she reached up with her free hand and placed it over his that was on her shoulder, linking their fingers. Seth was so shocked that he had to mentally scream at himself to stay in character.
The photographer quickly snapped a few shots before running off to find the other Slammy winners in attendance. Seth and Nikki were alone with no other human beings in sight. He pulled her in closer to him and wrapped both arms around her. She dropped the Slammy, not caring if it broke or not, and hugged him back.
"I love you Seth," she mumbled into his chest and he sighed. There were no three words in the world that he wanted to hear more but they both knew that right now, she didn't mean them in the way that he wanted her too.
"I love you more, Nick. I promise you, I love you more," he responded, kissing the top of her head and they both knew that he'd never stop hoping that one day she'd fall in love with him too.
I have turned into a believer in Nikki Bella. She has improved tremendously as a wrestler and can truly hold her own against the rest. That being said, I still go hard for the NXT-bred girls but I have to give credit where credit is due. Also, if you're reading my other story Serendipity, you know I ship Ballins but Neth Bellins is so legit, I love it and that picture after the Slammy Awards inspired this fic. This is going to be a two or three-shot most likely even though it can stand on it's own. For those waiting on Serendipity, trust me another chapter is on the way. Merry Christmas everyone!
