By the time Seth got to the arena, he was in a mood. His head was just starting to stop pounding, but his body still ached from some of the moves he took last night. He knew he'd eventually have to face Charly and his multiple party-fouls from the night before, but he had bigger fish to fry. Knocking on the door labeled Stephanie McMahon, he took a deep breath and tried to ignore it all.

"Come in," she called, and as he opened the door she snickered, "Seth, what a surprise. Uh, leave that open."

Annoyed, he pushed the door open and it took everything in his power not to roll his eyes. Sitting down on the chair opposite where she was sitting, he scoffed, "he even here tonight?"

"That's not the point."

"Whatever, I don't care. Do I have my match tonight or what?"

"Your match," she said, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair, "well, Team Raw was unsuccessful last night."

"That was a group failure"

"But you took the final pin. You cost us that match."

"Oh don't bullshit me Steph," he leaped to his feet, "we had an agreement, Hunter said if my ego cost the match it was off. Well, it didn't, your former golden boy Randy Orton cost us it."

"You failed us."

"That's fucking great, but I'm still owed what I'm owed."

"Don't shout Seth, haven't you learned that by now?"

"Give me my match, Steph."

"I'm just questioning if you've really earned it."

"You think I don't know what this is about? I get it, you're upset, I'm…" he sighed looking at her straight with softened eyes. Quietly he said, "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. You're welcome to tell everyone I came on to you."

"But you did come on to me," she said with a quiet laugh.

"You can say I pushed you into it if it makes it easier on you."

She half laughed, half scoffed at him. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"I just…I think it's the right thing to do. You have more to lose."

"We should deny it."

"That's fine too, whatever you want, Steph."

She looked at him for a second, her eyes narrowed. "I'll tell Mick to book your match, but it's no DQ."

"Deal," he headed for the door without another glance back towards her.

"Close the door on your way out," she called after him and he pulled it shut, looking straight ahead.

Mick announced the match early in the show, banning both Chris and Roman from ringside. Seth breathed easier, seeing his opportunity within his grasp. Watching a monitor, Charly was interviewing Kevin, who was confused by the fact that she was not Renee Young. She looked mystified, those two had been giving her a hard time since she had gotten to Raw. The segment cut away and he sighed, he knew she around the corner by the locker rooms and debated finding her. It turned out to be a moot point, though, as he heard the click of high heels coming down the way. When she rounded the corner, he couldn't help but redden.

"Those two giving you crap?" he asked, trying to keep it cool.

She took a seat next to him, crossing her legs gracefully, "I can take it."

"Yeah well, you shouldn't have to,"

"Yeah well," she laughed.

"Um I-I'm not totally clear on the specifics, but I think I probably owe ya an apology."

Charly chuckled softly and she looked up into his eyes, "It's okay. You didn't barf."

"Oh! That's good. Everything is a bit of a blur and then I had really trippy dreams,"

"Scotch'll do that," she teased, her eyes glimmering.

"I'm sorry if I said anything…inappropriate."

"You were actually pretty well behaved."

He sighed, "that's a relief"

"Until you took off your pants."

"Oh," he felt his face flushing again from the pieces of memory from the past night. "Was it bad?"

"Just something about my mere existence," she giggled deviously as he buried his face in his hands.

"Oh god, that was real?"

"Yup," she grinned, "you were a mess."

"I am very, very sorry."

"At least you have the decency to be embarrassed."

"Trust me, I am. So um, I babbled about wanting tater tots?"

"That you did,"

"I get so hungry when I drink. And uh, I tried to get you to stay?"

"Almost worked too, but not quite."

"And then Seth Green was there and he was cutting a promo on me for having the same name?"

"Okay, that was a dream."

"Good, it was humiliating," he laughed with her, his heart racing knowing what he had to ask her next. He dropped his voice low, "and me telling you I wanted to be more than friends?"

She smiled softly, "really happened."

He nodded, "and you saying you wanted that too?"

"Also real." She held his gaze, fixated for a moment. The heat between them was so thick he felt like he could've cut it with a knife. Her eyes glimmered flirtatiously, like she was enjoying it deeply. Eventually, she looked up at the monitor and softly said, "you should probably go get ready."

Following her eyes, he saw they were 2 segments ahead of his main event.

"Yeah…"

"Good luck,"

He looked back at her and couldn't help but smile, "thank you."

XXX

Back in his hotel room that night, he kicked the side of his suitcase. Goddamn Chris Jericho. He just couldn't let it be, could he? He had to stick his stupid nose where it didn't belong and get involved with Kevin's match, again. And the coward didn't even have the courage to run down to the ring out in the open. It was a no DQ, Steph and placed that in there specifically for him to abuse. She didn't want to see the belt back on Seth anymore than Chris did. But no, he had to put on a stupid Sin Cara mask and come in through the crowd. What a jerk.

He had that too, that was his match. Kevin had gone soft since allying himself with Chris and the Authority. Seth had seen it before, the same thing had happened to Randy and to him. It was so easy, you didn't have to be at the top of your game every night, you just had to do well enough for yourself. Those days were behind Seth. He'd made sure once Hunter turned on him that he'd prove he never needed them in the first place. He worked harder, he stayed in the gym longer, he planned and he plotted out every single match he had. It paid off, the past few months of training like that, tonight showed him he could still be that guy. The Architect of the Shield, smart and crafty, fearless and unstoppable.

When he stood up in the stands looking down at Kevin, he felt like that guy again. Adrenaline rushed through his veins. He was terrified all the way up there, and he didn't care. When he jumped off, he remembered how spots like this made him feel, what he imagined flying must feel like. Time slowed and he felt almost weightless.

Then up on the barricade, he could feel it. Kevin's days were numbered. All he had to do was hit this splash and pull Kevin into the ring. He'd walk out as Universal Champion. But just as he got his balance, he felt himself tumbling to the floor. Something in his gut knew exactly what had happened before it was even apparent. Goddamn Chris Jerricho.

Seth was so caught up in his ranting thoughts that he didn't even realize he had been staring at his stubbed toe for so long until a knock came at his door. Snapping out of it, he opened the door and chuckled. Charly was standing in front of him, jeans and a v-neck, holding a large paper bag.

"Hi," he said smoothly, though he could hear the strain in his voice. She didn't even say anything, just pulled out a bottle of scotch from the bag and tilted her head. "Well then. Come on in,"

She giggled and followed him in, placing the scotch down and looking for glasses from the mini bar.

"I figured you'd be a little down after tonight."

"Yeah, you figured right," he watched her pour them each a glass of scotch, memorizing her every movement. He felt a pang deep in his stomach that was getting harder and harder to ignore.

"So I thought you might want some company,"

She placed the scotch bottle down, and suddenly his legs were carrying him faster than his brain could process. He was right up against her, she turned around feeling his body and he laced his fingers in her hair, pulling her into a kiss. Her hand found his cheek, pressing back on his lips. They were soft but demanding, they knew what they wanted. It felt so good to finally know what this was like. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and she parted them, letting him deepen the kiss. She coyly pulled back and reposition her lips every so often, coming up for air just to intensify it. After a long, incredible kiss, he broke apart and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and pressed his lips to the crook of her neck.

"Seth, Seth," she giggled, arching her back and pushing him back by his chest. "Just a kiss."

He sighed, it was never going to be that simple. But he smiled and nodded, "just a kiss."

Stealing another quick one, he chuckled as she jumped slightly and picked up the scotch glasses.

"That was just a kiss too," Seth smirked.

He handed one to Charly and plopped down on the couch. She followed, her cheeks still flushed from their kiss, and took a big swig of her drink. Seth chuckled and she rolled her eyes.

"I didn't come here for that."

"Of course not," he raised an eyebrow, "called spontaneity."

"Yeah, yeah." She leaned back against the cushions. "Are you okay?"

"Gotta tell you, Char, I'm doing much better now."

"I'm serious."

He chuckled, she was sweet, if not a little pushy.

"I'm furious. I am so damn furious at Chris, and Kevin, and Stephanie," he ran his fingers through his hair, "But I am better now that you're here with me."

"And scotch."

"And scotch!" he took a long swig. She was eyeing him for a moment and he bit his lip before asking, "what?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, you and everyone else."

"We don't have to-"

"No, no, you wanna know. It's gonna cost you another kiss."

Charly met his eye and laughed, she placed her scotch down on the table and crawled across the couch. With a hand on his knee, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his softly. Pulling back she looked him in the eye.

"Go on," he whispered

She looked down nervously but eventually spoke up, "is it true about you and Stephanie?"

"Yes."

He saw her breath catch.

"Oh."

"Sorry to disappoint you,"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to," he tipped back his head again, finishing off his glass and placing it down on the table. "I slept with Stephanie McMahon, you're allowed to be disappointed in me."

She sighed, "why?"

"Why?"

"Why'd you do it?"

There it was again. He was about to give her the same bullshit he gave Sasha when he paused. She was looking at him with those kind eyes again, the look that made him feel like he could tell her anything and somehow, someway, she would understand.

"I loved her."

"Oh."

"I uh," he pulled his shirt up to his nose like he did when he was nervous and then let it go, "I've never told anyone that. Anyone but her."

"What'd she say?"

He chuckled, " 'Rollins get out of my office' and I said no, and she said 'how dare you disobey me?' and well, the affair restarted...on the couch."

"You really don't take no for an answer huh?"

"I am really, really stubborn."

"And you want what you can't have. That's what it was about, wasn't it? She was unattainable and so you needed her."

"Yeah," he sighed, leaning against the back of the couch. "I guess you could say that. And it felt so good that she wanted me too. Someone so brilliant and beautiful with the perfect life and what she wanted was me? It was unreal."

Charly nodded but didn't say anything, letting him spill his guts before he could even stop himself.

"I know it was wrong."

"It was. But you loved her."

"Yeah…and nothing else mattered."

"Are you…are you still hung up on her?"

"No. I swear I'm not Charly. How can I be? She's not mine. And she shouldn't be. I don't want her to pack a bag and leave Hunter and the kids. It would've destroyed her life, I don't want that for her. I don't want that for me."

"So then what was your end game?"

"There was no end game. There was just the moment…and her.

"I take it she ended things?"

"Yeah," he sighed, reliving that conversation in the hotel bed. "She came to her senses and dumped me."

"Sorry."

"That my affair ended?" he chuckled.

"Still. It must've hurt."

He met her eye. She was endlessly thoughtful, how did she do that?

"It was killer. But we got away with it and she was safe. Until…"

"Night of Champions."

"Yep," he nodded, "he found evidence and made sure I paid for it."

"I'm sorry," she said okay.

"You probably think I got what was coming to me, huh?"

"A little. But I also think you lost your mentor after already losing the woman you loved."

"Jeez, Char, you're way too easy on me."

"Oh don't get me wrong, I think it was a terrible thing to do. And you obviously have some fidelity problems."

"Well, you can put that on the con list."

"But you've got a big heart, Seth, any fool should be able to see that."

"Not any fool," he said softly, "but I know one."

She smiled and blushed, looking down and playing with a ring on her index finger.

"C'mere," he opened his arms and smiling, she curled up against his body, resting her head on his chest. "I'm sorry," he said after a moment, "if I let you down here."

Charly shook her head, "you don't owe me anything."

"I can do better."

"I know."

"I can be better."

"I know, Seth, I know," she tilted her head up and kissed him again.

"Let me guess, just a kiss?"

"Just a kiss."