I Know You Care
AN. I will always ship these two and they'll forever be my OTP. Just a short little something to release some emotions.
Still in her ring attire from her match earlier on this evening, Eve Torres leans gently against a stack of crates, staring down at the floor and telling herself to breathe. It's finally over, her last moment in the WWE has come and gone, and now she gets to relax.
The words repeat over and over again in her mind but she's not taking them in. It hasn't sunk in yet that her time here is done, even if she knew it would be sooner or later. Out there with Kaitlyn was the last time she would proudly hold that title... the last time she would be called a Diva in this company. The brunette had left that ring bruised and battered from an ugly spear, but knowing that the worst was yet to come.
Breathe. You're free.
Yet the words bring her little comfort and she can feel the tears forming in her eyes again, threatening to break loose and show off her real side. Her hands on her hips, she pinches her exposed skin; it's a little trick she's learned over the years that stops her from losing control of herself. She can't afford to cry, not now, not in this moment.
"I hope you weren't including me in that little speech of yours." She looks up at that familiar tone of voice, sees those eyes of his staring back at her. There's a hint of something new in his gaze this time and if she's not mistaken, it's something akin to sadness. A certain sort of defeat that reflects from within her to within him, and she briefly marvels at how her actions affect others - how they affect him.
Preparing to say a few words, wondering if she can given her state, she thinks to herself. Am I abandoning this person? When I thought about leaving this place and everything behind, was I thinking of him too? And then she thinks, without the slightest hesitation, that surely he was part of the heartbreak involved in making this decision.
"Which part?" She decides on a safe response.
"You know what I'm talking about."
Of course she does. She's known him for five years now - knows everything there is to know about him. What makes him laugh, what makes him cry, what makes him... him. So she answers, "You weren't the 'them' I was talking about," and as if to confirm it, adds, "Never you, Miz."
Eve remembers what she said. She remembers feeling choked up, but desperately trying to reign that emotion in as to preserve her character while she gave her 'I Quit' moment on the live episode of Monday Night Raw that finished just mere minutes ago. She remembers how she stared straight into the camera, although certain that she was close to tears, and shouting out that she was quitting because of people like Matt Striker... of 'them'.
She'd been talking about the crowd in that last little bit - the fans - but she supposed she meant some of her colleagues too. Some people she wouldn't think twice about once she was out of that door for good.
"So, you're going huh?" He asks. Taking an uninvited seat next to her on the crate, The Miz nudges her softly on the shoulder. "You didn't think to tell me about it before you announced it to the world?"
"I'm sorry. It was something I'd been thinking about for awhile. Truth be told, I didn't know tonight would be the night I would quit. It all just boiled up... being on the losing side of Kaitlyn for weeks, finally getting stripped of that title... it came to a head this evening. I don't want to deal with this anymore."
The woman averts her gaze elsewhere. Somehow she just can't face looking at him right now, and it seems like a distraction in the form of Layla El and Alicia Fox passing by is a welcome one. They're unsure of how to confront her, and decide not to in the end, but Eve is sure she sees a twinge of something on Layla's face before they disappear.
Will she be missed? There's another thought to consider.
"I can't believe it." His voice brings her back into the moment. "Who am I going to go to all these press events with? You know why we were paired together, right?"
"Because we have an awesome connection. That's what you used to say." In a playful moment, she rolls her eyes and a hint of a smile appears on her glossed lips. The first one this evening since her announcement.
She believes his words. They get along well, always have done and always will she suspects, and it's hard not to think back on some of their greater times with a fondness in her heart. They level each other out: where she's serious, he's playful, and when he's in need of winding down she's there to comfort him. They know what makes the other tick and what makes them happier than anything. A beautiful friendship has grown in these five years and she's proud of it.
"But it's not like we won't see each other again." She continues, picking up the conversation again. "You can come and hang out whenever you like."
It will be difficult and they both know that. She'll be spending time with her fiance and going on a well-deserved holiday or two while planning out the wedding, and whenever he's not on the road, he'll be spending time with his girlfriend, Maryse.
"It still won't be the same without you."
This time she looks at him. She catches his eye, and realises that he's been looking at her for a long time now. She searches his eyes for something... and there it is, that hint of emotion she's always been able to recognise but never been brave enough to identify. She feels it too, and wonders if it shows on her face.
It feels a lot like love. Pure, unconditional love.
Except now it's a lot more conditional, isn't it? Eve shies away from his look and returns to her trained spot on the floor. The truth of the matter is this: there has always been something there between them. Their friendship was built on attraction towards one another; they grew closer as a result of discovering mutual interests between them. They had flirted, they had laughed, they had hugged when either was granted an amazing opportunity that could push them further in their careers.
There had been something.
Eve wasn't sure when that something had been disregarded. Maybe it was when her relationship with Rener Gracie became more serious, or maybe it was when her friend Maryse Ouellet took a deeper interest in Miz, abandoning her friends with benefits rule especially for The Miz when she discovered she seriously liked him. Their independent relationships took on a new form and with it, so did their friendship.
It grew more comfortable... more accepted that that was all it was ever going to be.
Of course they had their moments. A particular segment between her, The Miz, Alex Riley and Truth was her favourite. Not only did she get to slap Alex Riley, but she got to call him out on how he had no business knowing about her relationships. Funny to think about how that had been a few years ago now - back when she was a crowd favourite and he certainly was not. How time changed.
"Yeah, well my life won't be the same without you." She nudges his shoulder, much like he'd done two minutes ago, still looking down. "But we all have to move on in the end, don't we?"
Perhaps it's the way she says it that has him looking at her in a different way. All she knows is that when she looks up again, Miz has a stare about him that makes her question his motives. For a crazy second, she thinks he might lean in and kiss her... and maybe that's what he would have done had it not been for passers-by disrupting the moment.
When they're gone, he clears his throat. "You're right, we do have to move on." He stands properly and offers out his hand. "Me, you and a bunch of others - a farewell dinner tonight. What do you say?"
Whatever the moment had been it is gone now. Accepting it, the former champion returns to normality and takes his hand. "It's a bit late to grab food but sure, we'll try and find somewhere that's open."
"Great. We'll make this night memorable."
Eve feels it already is, but hesitates to say so, instead enjoying their quiet moment as they walk hand-in-hand down the corridor towards the locker rooms. As they approach people in a more public area, she finds herself twisting out of his grip and softly patting his shoulder before returning her hand to her side.
She knows it's time to let go.
Back in the locker room, she's greeted with relative silence. It isn't until Tamina Snuka and Rosa Mendes leave the room to give her some privacy that she finishes packing up her things. A box of her personal belongings is taken from a zipped pocket. She puts her jewellery away, followed by those gold boots she'll miss wearing so much, but picks up a special ring. Her engagement ring. Slipping it on, she reminds herself that this is who she is right here, right now. Eve Torres, soon to be married with a new life ahead of her.
The end of a chapter. The brunette thinks to herself as she exits the locker room for the final time. She thinks about the milestones in her career: winning the Diva Search, training to be a wrestler, winning her first title... going on to win another two big matches to become champion once again. There are so many memories here to be cherished in the years to come.
Miz is waiting for her when she arrives at her rental car. "You've been crying." He informs her, as if she already doesn't know.
"Hey, you try walking away from this company and see how it feels. Knowing you, you'd end up worse than me." She hits him playfully.
"What have you been thinking about?"
"Everything. My whole career... me winning titles, travelling worldwide, meeting you."
"I'm privileged to be included in the list." The smirk she knows all too well and he has perfected over the years creeps up. "Whenever I leave this place - if I ever do - you'll be in my list too. Actually, I don't think I'll ever forget you. There's no-one I've been on more of an adventure with than you."
Eve thinks about his words long after they part ways for the night. She does all the usual things she would do after a show in her hotel room: showers, calls her loved ones, browses the internet, gets ready for bed. Only it seems that when it's time to actually get some shut-eye, she realises sleep is a long way off. There'll be one thought on her mind tonight that will keep her awake and clouded in mystery.
If only things were different...
the end