Chapter 1: A Proposition

"Is my hair aiight?" she asked, twisting two sides with her hands and letting them fall over her shoulders. She had been fidgeting the entire time the crew was setting up, and felt a twinge of frustration from it. Stop being nervous, you're not going to say anything dumb.

"You look lovely, Becky." Michael Cole settled into the fold-up chair across from her, notecards in hand. She knew what those cards would say, and her stomach dropped as he said, "everyone ready?"

"Let's go," she breathed in deeply.

"You've known Finn Balor a long time"

"I 'ave, we met at his wrestlin' school in Ireland, I was…uh… about 15," Becky felt a small smile creep onto her face, remembering that first day in a dingy gym. It smelled like sweat and everyone was shouting. Finn was mid workout but came over to introduce himself and he sheepishly apologized for not wearing a shirt as he shook her hand. Becky tried to push away that thought and focus. "That day really began my wrestlin' career."

"So you've seen him all the way through his journey to become a WWE champion, what's that be like?"

The smile returned. She couldn't help it.

"From the moment I met Finn, I could tell he was, well he was special. He is, without a doubt, the 'ardest worker in the room, no matter where he is. He believes in respect, in discipline, he wants to do everythin' the right way."

"What's your relationship with him been like over the past 15 years?"

"Finn is…" Watch yourself Bex, she told herself, "see, he took me under his wing when I was really young. None o' the other trainers at the gym wanted the job o' trainin' a girl, but Fergal, I mean Finn, he wasn't afraid he would break me or somthin'. "

"He must've done a very good job, you've been vying for gold yourself here in WWE."

"That's very sweet Michael." It wasn't. She found her hands fumbling with the ends of her orange extensions again.

"So as a result," she continued the story, "he became, and continues to be, the absolute best friend I've ever 'ad." The smile was back, and it was widening.

"Could you elaborate?" Of course, they love to get me gushing over him.

"We spent a lot o' time together, workin' all over the world, Ireland, Japan. You get to know someone, like, on a whole 'nother level when you watch them work and train and compete, day after day. You see someone differently when you see 'im get beaten down, and get back up. Finn is pro'ally the greatest competitor and also the greatest man I've ever known. There's no one more deservin' of the WWE Universal Championship, no one."

Michael Cole was nodding his head, looking down at his notes. He glanced up when she stopped speaking, "I think that covers just about everything. Thank you Becky."

"Was that aiight? Did I ramble there at the end?"

"We might edit, but it was good emotion, the video producers have a lot to go on there. See, promised you it would be fast."

"Right, I get it, won't exactly be hanging around backstage at RAW very much." She removed the mic from the top of her blouse and handed it to the crew.

Outside the halls were buzzing, Sasha Banks stood outside of catering with the Women's Championship over her shoulder, and a mob of wrestlers, crew, and suits surrounding her. She waved as Becky walked past, and nodded towards the exit of the arena. Becky grinned at her friend, it was a s unnecessary gesture. She knew where to find Finn.

Stepping out to the humid night, he was exactly where she knew he'd be, sitting with his back towards her on some production crate. Dressed in black sweatpants, he was trying to hold ice to a bruise in an awkward place on his bare back. For most people, Finn wouldn't let his quiet moment of contemplation be interrupted, but Becky was a rare exception.

"Who do ya think ya are?" She said, approaching him, "first night in the big leagues and you're a number one contender?"

He looked away from the spot in the sky he'd fixated on, a wide, toothy grin across his face. Removing the ice from his back he said, "Didn't think I could do it? Is that why ya disappeared?"

"They pulled me into an interview about you the moment they rang the bell." She lifted herself onto the crate and scooted next to him, "Crews are separate now, needed the footage before I got to SmackDown."

"Did ya say horrible things?" His eyes always shone when he teased her, "That time in Brogue?"

"Oh god Brogue!" She tipped her head back and laughed, "I almost forgot about Brogue."

"The greatest after-party disaster of my career." He picked the ice pack back up and stretched his arm behind his back, trying to find the bruise again. His face twisted up the way it did when he was in pain, but wouldn't admit it.

"That looks nasty."

"It's like, you know when ya get an itch but you can't reach it. It's there."

"Here." She took the ice pack from his hand and moved it to the bruise on small of his back "Better?"

"Yeah…thank you."

With him facing away, she realized how close to each other they were. Her hips just barely touched his backside, and she could see the tiny hairs sticking up on his neck. They were always doing that, finding themselves closer than they had realized. She moved her hair to one side, and it brushed up against the back of his arm. He shivered a moment, but didn't say anything. They sat there, in silence for a minute, Becky feeling the heat from his body and trying to will her heart beat down to normal.

"I'm glad you came tonight," he turned his head slightly to meet her eyes. "It's hard knowin' you won't be there e'ery night."

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world, or the extra sleep tomorrow mornin'. Besides, I wanted to see Sasha's title match in person. It's not alllll 'bout you."

He smirked, "Course not." He turned his head back again, "hey."

"Hey?"

"How's your apartment search going? Portland, that is?"

"On hold," she switched the hand holding the ice pack to his back, and shook it out, "with training for last night and the new schedule, I've just been too busy."

"Well… I was just thinking…" he bit his lip ever so slightly.

"What?"

"If you're on SmackDown and you move to Oregon, I'm never gon' see ya."

"Yeah… I've been tryin' not to think about it honestly."

"You really talked the city up, all those parks and microbreweries, whatever that is, you must think it's damn near magical."

"I'm excited," she said, hesitantly,

"And I miss autumn."

"Autumn?" Why did he always spend forever on the set up? She tilted her body away from his, sure he could feel her heart pounding now.

"Don't you hate that 'bout Florida? No autumn."

"I suppose. Finn, what are you tryin' say?"

"Let's go together. We could save some money by splittin' a place, and we'd actually get to see each other when we're not on the road. "

"Yeah, okay." The words came out of her mouth quickly, too quickly.

"It'll be fun, right? Like the good ol' days, just without all the others sharing that one bathroom." That made her laugh, and yes, she missed those days. "I got a broker up there, I can have him start sending over some two-bedrooms."

"Right…Two bedrooms," her stomach dropped a little bit, of course that's what he had meant, she'd known that. "Sounds like a great idea."