A/N: Hello readers! As you will read, this chapter's title is 'Bayley' as the chapter is centered heavily around her (spoilers?); I felt it was necessary to give her this chapter so we can all see her perspective. We will get back to Finn's side in the next chapter, but as Bayley becomes increasingly important to this story, it's imperative she gets explored a little as well (who doesn't love her, anyway?). Enjoy, and please review!
The Demon Inside Me
Chapter Nine: Bayley
It was Bayley, the NXT Women's Champion, finally making her long awaited debut to the main roster after four grueling years down in NXT. The feeling in the arena, as Michael Cole would put it, was "electric." She stayed by the titantron, the spotlight shining down on her as she soaked in her new environment with the crowd screaming for her. How will she ever forget this moment, how the cheers pierced right in her heart? She had to hold back every tear that crept up in her eyes, and that task proved to be difficult. She bobbed her head to her theme before quickly remembering to raise her inflatable tube men army. With her arms widely stretched past her sides, the six colorful tube men proudly stood by her side, waving their wacky arms as she slowly started to walk to the ring. She couldn't stop smiling as she tried to look at every face in the all of the seats to her left and right, the ones closest to her. People were legitimately crying, grown men and women and children alike, and this was all for her. Taking it all in… this was giving her chills. As she approached the ring, she reached out to give a fan or two a hug, some others her snap bracelets. Now her brown eyes were locked momentarily with the leader of Phoenix, Nikki Bella herself, who responded with a distinct glare. With a bounce in her step, Bayley hopped up the steel steps and then slipped between the ropes to enter the ring. She had to keep telling herself to 'keep it together,' otherwise she'd be in tears and a mess in the middle of the ring. She stood in between Sasha and Becky, the three of them exchanging smiles as she and Charlotte nodded to each other - an understanding.
"Say hello to the Four Horsewomen," Sasha said, smiling confidently. The odds were much more even now. The women let the air breathe as the audience went through a variety of chants, starting with 'NXT! NXT! NXT!' before proceeding to 'This is awesome!' and 'Hey, we want some Bayley!' The NXT Women's Champion brought her mic to her mouth but the crowd couldn't resist serenading, 'Hey Bayley, I want to know if you'll be my girl?' That one was possibly her favorite; the cheesiest of all grins appeared on her face as she looked out to the crowd. For the briefest second, her lip quivered and her eyes sparkled, but she quickly composed herself; she was not going to allow her emotions to get her on the most important day of her career thus far.
Bayley took a breath, her lips curling into a smile as she finally said her first words on the main roster. All eyes were on her in this moment.
"Hello, Nikki," she said, an intro reminiscent of when Kevin Owens first came out to meet John Cena back in May of 2015. "I don't think I need to introduce myself cuz you probably know who I am already but… in case you don't, my name's Bayley." The crowd popped and chanted her name. Sasha couldn't hold back a smile - she was so proud of her best friend - as Becky held up four fingers, a sign of the Four Horsewomen. Even Charlotte let herself smile the tiniest bit.
"Okay, cute; you brought your old NXT buddy to help you," Nikki said blankly, looking over at Sasha and ignoring the Huggable One in front of her, rolling her eyes. This was a joke, right? "You know what's making me laugh right now? None of you thought to even ask any other Divas in that locker room to help you. What about Summer Rae? Or Natalya? Aren't they up to your standards? No? You know what I think, it's really pathetic of you, Sasha. Since you're the leader of your little group, I'll hold you accountable. This is really revealing of how you stand as Divas Champion. Figures you'd look past the locker room and go right to NXT where you could grab the most popular Diva in order to get the crowd on your side. At least when Team Bella was still around - even now as Phoenix - we only needed the women that were already here. You asking someone from developmental of all places who has absolutely no idea what's happening up here or how anything works here for help is pretty damn weak of you. Especially when it's someone like her."
"You better step your ass down, Nikki—" Sasha said, her eyes blazing with intensity as she took a step forward. How dare Nikki try to judge her as a leader as well as her best friend in the same breath?
Bayley put her arm in front of Sasha to stop her. "Hey!" she started, turning back to Nikki. "Someone like me? Are you kidding me? With all due respect, I am the one holding the Women's Championship here, and have for three-hundred and three days and counting! Might I remind you that that's longer than your Divas Championship reign?" Nikki's eyes flared up with rage - this child did not just go there. "Call me whatever you'd like, but don't disrespect Sasha like that or where I've come from."
"Oh, I get it, you think you're better than me because you hug people all damn day and ALL of these people love and adore you, right, Bayley? Is that what you're saying? How about you go running back to NXT where you belong and stay out of business that doesn't concern you, little girl." She leaned forward so she got every word. "Because you know what? I am what a real woman looks like; little girls aspire to be me, not you, and Bayley, you will never be able to touch me. Nothing you've done will ever match up to what I've done, and you wanna know why? Because you are a joke that no one will ever take seriously."
"What exactly have you done, Nikki," Charlotte said, stepping forward to stand up for her ally. "besides act out of cowardice? One out of two times you've ever walked on your own two feet, I beat you for your Divas title and held it for a hundred and ninety-six days. Not only that, but I beat you clean. Twice. Back-to-back. I even beat your teammate Paige and twin sister Brie over there by myself! Oh, and one more thing, if you have to refer to yourself as a 'real' woman, chances are, you're not as real as you think you are."
"You come at me spewing that hunk of junk when you're such a hypocrite! Don't you dare come at me like that, you compulsive lying, two-timing bi—" The two former champions stepped up to one another were seconds away from knocking out the other's teeth; all of these women were feeling quite combative on this night.
"Whoa!" Bayley shushed them and got in between them, using her hands to signal 'calm down' by waving them a little. "Let's break some of this tension here…" She looked at Nikki, her eyes almost worried-like. She got that look whenever she sensed some kind of danger imminent. "You think I'm a joke, is that right? How about this then - how about you and me face off tonight? Former champion and current champion…" She let the air breathe again, raising her eyebrows as if to further ask her opponent. The two locked eyes, and Bayley knew Nikki didn't trust her in the least bit. Not that that surprised her. "…but I don't want you at just any time; I want to face you in the main event. Just like in NXT with everyone who's ever doubted me, I'll prove to you that I'm not in fact a joke, and that I'm proud to be from NXT, and that I'm proud to be carrying this Women's Championship!" She huffed a little at the end, unable to hold back some of the quivers that started that caused her to twitch. The more she talked the angrier she became in speech. She raised her championship high in the air with pride, a symbol of the culmination of her success. "I have faced some of the best competitors and female wrestlers this world has ever seen, in Brooklyn, in London, in Florida, and in Texas, and all for the sake of this championship right here, so tell me to my face, Nikki—" Bayley stepped up to the Longest Reigning Divas Champion, who refused to look her in the eyes. "—am I a joke?"
The leader of Phoenix bit the insides of her cheeks as she looked to the ground, snorting and smirking to herself. Her fellow teammates were whispering in her ears, telling her how much of a bad idea this match was.
"You don't want to humiliate the top of the NXT Divas Division on her first night here, do you, Nikki?" Foxy asked. "No, Nikki; don't do this to her. She's not worth it."
"Actually, you know what? I think I will. Game on, Bayley. I'll meet you in the main event." Bayley smiled but was immediately confronted with her opponent, her microphone millimeters from the Women's Champion's face. "I defended my Divas title in Japan. Worked all over the world representing that title for three-hundred and one days. You're not the only 'world-class' champion here. Just realize that if you step in the ring with me tonight, then I am going to break you and make a joke out of you. You're going to regret this, bitch." The crowd gasped audibly, some covering their mouths and widening their eyes in horror as Charlotte and Bayley had to hold Becky and Sasha back from beating the holy hell out of the former Divas Champion. That word could never be used to described the Hugger; she was one of the purest human beings on the planet, like a personified baby animal. Nikki laughed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Let's just see how helpful you really will be to your precious little ponies when I'm done with you." She snorted as she and her team left the ring, leaving the Four Horsewomen alone; the last time this happened was back at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn when Bayley first won the title.
The Huggable One, along with her three allies, found their way backstage after the segment was over, discussing some strategies for her main event match.
"Since there's four of us and four of them now," said Becky, "you won't have to worry about interference."
"We got your back, girl," said Charlotte.
"You do you out there, and we'll handle the rest. You can do it," said Sasha, giving her best friend a reassuring expression. "You want to know why? Cuz you're the best, champ."
"It's true." Becky winked, holding up four fingers; Bayley responded with the same sign. She felt her confidence level rise as she mentally prepared herself for the match.
"Thanks, friends."
A match and main-eventing Raw, something the women haven't done since Lita versus Trish Stratus for the coveted WWE Women's Championship. No pressure, right? Thankfully Bayley had been comfortable main-eventing NXT TV on a regular basis, along with Takeover: Respect back in October against The Sasha Banks, of course. Bayley was writing history on this night, but it was something that she was always destined to do; if anyone could handle the task at hand, it was her. People were going to remember her name tonight.
The clock struck 10:35 that night, and she knew it was game time. Dressed in her wrestling gear with her orange jacket over her shoulders and her championship around her waist, she was ready for battle. With Becky, Charlotte, and Sasha by her side, Bayley made her way to the Gorilla Position. She was to be the first one to go out, and she would do so alone.
"Look, you girls know that I love you to the moon and back," Bayley told them, "but this match I have to go at it alone. I'm gonna prove to her that she was wrong to take me lightly, and that I can do this match on my own, like I always do in NXT." She smiled confidently at her allies, and they understood, though they still felt a little uneasy about it. "Now, if you see any shenanigans going on, then yeah, by all means, jump in!"
That settled the nerves.
So on her own two feet, the NXT Women's Champion walked down the ramps for the second time that night, and the crowd was still electrified and excited to see her; the warm fuzzies she felt were blossoming deep in her heart. Bayley held the silver championship in her hands after taking off her jacket; fragments of every battle she ever faced flashed through her mind, reminding her where she came from to both get to the WWE and to get this blessed title. She was fiercely proud of where this path had led her, and she would be damned if she allowed anyone to try and hinder her progress. With a look of determination, she put the championship in the corner of the ring, stretching her arms as she eagerly awaited her opponent.
'You can look, but you can't touch…' the theme of both Bella Twins began to play as the Longest Reigning Divas Champion made her appearance, shaking her hips in a circle like she did every time. By her side, she had her teammates, all sporting a "Team Phoenix" shirt - which looked exactly the same as their "Team Bella" shirt. Seeing as Bayley brought out her own jacket, the former champion decided to wear her letter jacket of the past, with her pale blue wrestling gear underneath and the word 'FEARLESS' spread across the length of her top piece. Nikki had a walk of confidence as she walked to the ring, swinging her hips as she did with her red lips curled in a confident smile. Something about the look in her eyes reminded Bayley vaguely of Nia Jax, but she wasn't quite sure what it was. Nikki entered the ring along with her friends and immediately got in the Hugger's face, Paige hovering from behind while Brie and Foxy got the sides. Bayley was trapped.
"Rookie mistake leaving your friends behind," Nikki hissed, immediately slapping her across the face hard; Bayley could feel a handprint appear on her cheek.
Nevertheless, she stood her ground, even after hearing the crowd gasp in shock. She pressed the palm of her hand against her cheek, and in her own way of defiance, she straightened her back and looked Bella right in the eye. "Well, Nikki, unlike you, I can fight my own battles," she retaliated. It wasn't the first time she had to beat the odds, and certainly not the last.
"You really think this is YOUR battle?" Nikki pushed her - shoved, really - back into Paige who also pushed back against her; soon, Phoenix had her down on the ring, beating her down in a fit of rage. All Bayley could do for the moment was keep her hands and arms up to protect her face.
"Go back to NXT!"
"You're not welcome here!"
"Who do you think you are?!"
The bell didn't even ring yet, and Bayley was getting beaten down; the referees were powerless against this team.
The electronic beats to the current Divas Champion's theme - Sasha's theme - sounded off as the NXT Three dashed to the ring, wasting very little time. The women - aside from Nikki who had a fist full of Bayley's hair - all backed off and prepared for battle, standing in front of the two combatants. Charlotte was the first in the ring and, without stopping her momentum, speared right through Foxy and Brie. Becky came in next and zoomed behind Paige, grabbing her and tossing her emphatically over her head in a German Suplex that the raven-haired wrestler would surely feel for days. Nikki glared at all three of her teammates and three of the Four Horsewomen; they were all disposed of so easily! The thought distracted her long enough for Sasha to snatch Nikki by her own hair, getting her off of Bayley. The current Divas Champion took Bella's hands from behind and jumped up so that her knees would hit her in the spine, the two ladies falling backward as Sasha trapped her in a Straight Jacket, her foot resting up against her backbone and stretching her out. And for good measure, the Boss shook the former champion so that her spine would collide with her foot, bruising it even a little; this was payback for the dirty words said against the Women's Champion. Bayley had enough time to recuperate now that nobody was keeping her down. The other five women had slipped out of the ring and the action was still happening; Charlotte and Becky were able to neutralize and take control of the situation. The Lass Kicker focused her attention on Paige, and threw her over the announce table as if she were as light as a feather, her body flying at Byron Saxton, JBL, and Michael Cole - the three of them all screaming and trying to get out of the way. Charlotte on the other hand shoved both Brie and Foxy into the steel steps, their backs all cracking against the hard metal and filling the arena with the noise; the looks on their faces expressed a silent pain as the Dirtiest Diva in the Game showed off her incredible amount of strength. She stood over her victims like a warrior, her chilling eyes expressing no sympathy.
The Huggable One heard the destruction occur around her as she snapped back into reality and got back to her feet. She grabbed Nikki by the ankles and pulled her to freedom in a swift motion so when she landed, she landed on her feet. Sasha looked up at her ponytailed friend with confusion as she stood as well.
"I can handle her now," Bayley said; the pink haired champion nodded her head and left the scene, letting Charlotte and Becky know it was time to back off and make sure no more shenanigans could be pulled.
Nikki was hunched over, her hand pressed up against her back as the NXT Women's Champion had her hands gingerly on her forearms. "You alright?" she asked her 'Fearless' competitor. She nodded in response, her eyes glowing and tearing up with a sympathetic expression; it was all a ruse, of course, as Nikki forced Bayley back off of her and landed a cruel elbow - the so-called 'Bellahammer' - in her face. She took a few steps away as the referee signaled for the bell to ring, starting the match. Bayley made the mistake of turning her back to her opponent as Bella decided to send punches to the back of her neck, making her go down to her knees as she wrapped her arm around her neck in a chokehold, the inside of her elbow snug against Bayley's throat.
"You like that champ, huh? You like that?" Fearless Nikki yelled, restraining her opponent to the best of her ability. The other three of the Four Horsewomen hung around the outside of the ring, watching the match unfold and willing their ally to fight through it. It took a moment, but with the help from the crowd chanting her name, the Hugger was able to stand up firmly and elbow Phoenix's leader in her abs a few times, each time loosening the tight, vice-like grip until she finally let go. With Nikki hunched over and holding her stomach, Bayley hit the ropes, gaining some momentum to bash into her opponent, making her fall to the ground. The Hugger repeated this action a few times, using her shoulder to force her down. However this surge of control didn't last long in her favor as the dirty blond wrestler stayed at one point, forcing Bayley past her and giving her the time to get back up and snap her over her shoulders in a Fireman's Carry. The center of Bayley's back slammed hard against the unforgiving wooden ring, causing her to squeal in pain, her legs twitching. Nikki laughed and in front of her started to antagonize her by doing a couple of push ups.
"Aww, you in pain, Bayley? You gonna cry?" She hissed, grinning and revealing her perfect, pearly white teeth. With the speed of a viper, she grabbed Bayley's arm, pressed her knee up against the side of her head to shove her face into the ring, and held her in an armbar. "Come on, champ! Don't you want to help your little friends?" She continued working on her left arm, increasing the pressure and twisting it to force the champion to cry out. Nikki held her there for about fifteen long seconds before the Huggable One moved her head out from under her knee and tried to regain a stance.
Every time the NXT Women's Champion tried to create some distance, Nikki had an answer for her. As Bayley got back to her feet, she pushed she who called herself Fearless away only to be slapped on the chest with the back of Nikki's hand. She fell against the ropes as Nikki grabbed her from behind and tossed her over her head in an emphatic German Suplex, the California-native landing on her shoulders. She went in for the pin, hooking her leg and with the ref counting until two - a kick out. Nikki rolled her eyes as she grabbed the brunette's ponytail - messing it up in the process - and continued her punishment.
Nikki trapped Bayley with her thighs around her head and holding her steady in place on the ring with her shins crossed over her stomach.
"Feels good, Hugger?" Bella had a knack of talking to her opponents in the ring. Her thighs tightened in a pulsing motion before swiftly turning over, and adding insult to injury, starting to do some push ups with Bayley still entrapped in her adversary's legs. "Yeah, that's right!"
With a sudden burst of energy - with her friends at ringside encouraging her as well - Bayley dug deep inside her to grab onto Nikki's thighs firmly, carefully bringing her knees up one by one and getting back to her feet. She yelled as she used her strength to pull her adversary up into an Electric Chair position.
"No, no—!" Nikki flailed her arms a bit before being slammed backward onto her weak spot, finally giving her opponent the few seconds of separation that she so desperately needed. Bella was laid out with her arms outstretched by her sides; Bayley was the first one up out of the two. She was walking into the proverbial lion's den when she accepted this match, but fighting for what was right, that was kind of her thing.
It was time for some offense. Once Bella was upright, the Hugger ran at her with Double Axe Handles, sending her back down each and every time. Bayley hopped up on to the corner turnbuckle as Nikki was getting back to her feet, tightened her ponytail to the glee of everybody watching, and jumped off, twisting her body in a corkscrew, grabbing Bella, and tossing her across the ring in an arm drag. The audience popped in that moment as their beloved was finally taking some control over the match. She walked over to her, wrapping her arms around her torso for a Bayley-to-Belly, but Bella was acting like dead weight, trying to not let the momentum change against her. Bayley did her best to lift the former champion but to no avail; she had to think fast, so she grabbed Nikki's wrist and threw her chest-first into the corner - Nikki bouncing off and letting out a loud grunt - following up with a elbow to shove her back again. She rolled back and as she stood, whirling around the way she always did before raining one more elbow down on her opponent, grabbing her blond hair and throwing her face down in the center of the ring for a Running Bull Dog. Bayley went for her first pin, but the referee only counted two.
Back and forth these two went, delivering suplexes, spinebusters, and Alabama Slams to each other. It was a competition to see who was the stiffer one of the two; both of these ladies were leaving the match with bruises all over their skins.
Eleven o'clock drew nearer, and who knew how much these two had left? Their wills to win were strong, too strong; who would outlast the other at this point? The two ladies were on the mats in the ring, struggling to get up. Nikki used the white ropes to try and pull herself up, a look of exhaustion beginning to show on her face. She looked over at her adversary and saw something she hadn't seen in any other person she's ever fought to the extent that was in her eyes. Bayley was having a hard time getting up, but when their eyes locked, Nikki saw it: Willpower. Her spirit was shining through those determined brown eyes of hers; her hair was a mess and spilling out from her ponytail, there were bruises already all over her arms, and yet nothing was stopping her in this moment. Her face was scrunched up in a strange madness, using the sides of her arms to physically crawl to the center of the ring. They got up simultaneously, Nikki having a moment of realization that the person front of her was no joke, that she was about to become the respective Longest Reigning Women's Champion of her brand for a reason. Finding the strength in her to keep going, Bella launched herself at Bayley, aiming for a Bellahammer that missed cleanly; not only was Bayley not a joke, she was quick as a fox, ducking underneath the offense. She hit the ropes, gaining the momentum needed in order to leap forward and hit Nikki with the inside of her forearm.
The end was near! Bayley threw off some of her wrist bands in a fit of adrenaline and sized Bella up for a Bayley-to-Belly. The Huggable One started to run forward but Foxy jumped up onto the ring apron, distracting the ref. She was jumping up and down, pointing and screaming at Bayley for whatever reason if not to just hinder her enemy, and it worked; she stopped immediately and stared at Foxy in confusion. Sasha ran over to Alicia, taking her leg and pulling it out from underneath her to cause her to fall and hit her head. Without making a single sound, the raven-haired misfit - Paige - also jumped up on the ring apron, but behind Bayley, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her down hard. This time, Paige was met with Charlotte who snaked her arms around her pale waist and threw her into the barricade without a hint of forgiveness. Brie snuck onto the top of the turnbuckles and utilized a successful missile drop kick - out of the view of the referee who was still staring at Foxy and Sasha going at it - before being dragged away by the arm by Becky. Bayley was flattened while Nikki was not, thanks to her teammates; they were redeemed in her eyes. Nikki turned her around and held her over her shoulders, Bayley's arms and legs dangling beside her as the former champion dropped to her knees in a Rack Attack. People were screaming out in negativity, booing and yelling "no!" repeatedly as Bella went for the pin. The referee went back to doing his job as Nikki hooked her leg, her lips curled in a confident smile.
'One! Two! Thr—'
Kickout. At two and seven-eighths, the NXT Women's Champion had enough spirit left to lift her shoulder, much to the surprise of everyone; surely, that had been the end?
"What?" Nikki questioned, a look of horror across her eyes. Maybe again. She went for the pin once more, and she stilled kicked out at two; the leader of Phoenix banged her fists against the ring one, two, three times in a fit of rage. This was simply not happening; no one had kicked out of her finisher in months, if not years; it was one of the few finishers left that still signified the end of a match.
"That was not two!" she yelled, getting in the referee's face and holding up three fingers. "It was three! Learn to count!"
Bayley was truly struggling to make it back up; she needed the assistance of the ropes in order to get upright and even then, she gripped them for dear life. This had truly been one of the biggest matches of her life, and she still had so much left to prove. Nikki stared at her, the frustrations finally getting to her, huffing and puffing as she dashed ahead in order to hit just one more Bellahammer - that was what was needed to finish the job, surely - but Bayley went straight for her as well. These two women were going to collide at this rate, however, the Hugger decided to pull out one more stop. She jumped into Nikki's arms, her legs cinched around her waist and her arm wrapped around her neck - the Guillotine Choke, a submission maneuver she had been starting to use as a last resort. The audience was on their feet, cheering for a tapout. Sasha, Becky, and Charlotte made sure that the rest of Phoenix had no means of interfering in this end; Nikki was all alone. The leader tried to reach out to somebody for help or gain leverage but no one was there for an answer. The lights of her vision were fading, Bayley was screaming for her to tap, the referee was asking her questions, and she was on her own. She dropped to her knees but Bayley's grip only tightened; there was no escape. Seconds later, she couldn't stop herself from panically tapping on the Hugger's back, submitting to the soon-to-be Longest Reigning NXT Women's Champion. Her music began to play as she let go of her adversary, the two competitors dropping onto their backs exhausted.
"The winner of this match, the NXT Women's Champion, it's Bayley!" said ring announcer Lillian Garcia. The Four Horsewomen slid in the ring as Nikki receded in shame. For the first time since their creation, Phoenix had been laid out; turns out, the four of the Horsewomen truly did have something special, and Phoenix was officially put on notice the same way they always had done to those in the locker room.
Bayley's friends got her backstage with her title back in her possession. She was spent, her body ached, and yet the adrenaline flowing through her veins kept her wide awake and moving.
"We have to celebrate this amazing win," said Becky, an everlasting grin spread on her face. "You were outstanding out there; I'm telling you, you've grown so much since the first time we've fought. You're a force to be reckon with!"
The Women's Champion blushed shyly. "You're making me turn red…"
"Now that we got our Bayls back, the four of us will be unstoppable," Charlotte chimed in with that typical, toothless smile on her face. "To the future. And to the end of Phoenix."
"Hallelujah."
The champion was here to stay.
The Four Horsewomen changed into their street clothes, signifying the end of their night, and a celebration was now in order, though the champion had something else on her mind.
"Hey, you comin'?" asked Becky as the three were headed out the door.
"Actually, there's somebody I want to see… you gals go on without me."
"You sure?"
"Yeah! Have fun, okay?" And with that, she twisted on her feet and ran back into the locker room areas. There was one person she wanted to see, and that was none other than Finn. She had to see his face in reaction to this crazy night. But something in her heart made her want to seek out her friend. She felt this pull toward him, and the mere thought of seeing him smile was enough to make her peachy complexion redden. The two of them had a mutual respect and admiration for each other, and at this point, she wasn't going to deny how he gave her a different kind of warm fuzzy. She wasn't going to deny that her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. She needed to see him; she needed him in general. The Hugger searched for him, even called out his name to see if he would respond — he did not. Did he leave already? She pursed her lips and sighed, assuming she wasn't going to be successful in this endeavor — oh well. She turned on her heels and immediately bumped into a warm body; gazing up at the figure, it had been the man she had been looking for, oddly enough.
"Finn, there you are!" Bayley said, bursting out into a wide smile. There went her heart. "I was looking everywhere for you."
"Well, I was looking for you!" He smiled at her; as cliché as the expression was, she felt like she could get lost in his eyes. "I can't even put into words… you… you were something else tonight." He struggled to find any sort of sentence structure that would explain the level of amazement, pride, and happiness he felt for this woman; it simply could not be done. "You keep us all on our toes, Bayley; you never disappoint. You're always doing something different; there isn't anything that you can't do, is there?" He threw his arms around her and the two embraced; even as they leaned back, their arms were entangled in each other's.
"I don't know about that, per se…" She blushed as she brushed back some of her hair. "I still have my moments…"
"You're human after all. That's okay. I still think you're wonderful."
"Finn, I like you," she declared suddenly, the adrenaline so strong in her body that she couldn't hold it back anymore. She was admitting it to herself and to him all at the same time and in this moment, catching both him and her off guard. There was no turning back now. "I can't explain it… we had our cute little dates, and we were friends first obviously so we had this…connection… but tonight, I just can't help in saying it; I got such a high off that match, my first match here, and I'm in such a happy place now since things have been absolutely perfect and honestly I just want to kiss you right now…"
The moment he heard the words 'kiss you,' Finn leaned in without hesitation, capturing those light lips of hers in his own and delicately placing his fingertips in the curve of her waist. Flash.