A/N: Alright, am I the only one who's mad as hell that Triple H won the title at the Royal Rumble? I really hope Roman kicks his ass and wins it back at Wrestlemania. Aside from that, I'm so excited that AJ Styles is now in WWE and that Sasha's returned! I'm really hoping there'll be triple threat match between her, Becky, and Charlotte at Wrestlemania for the title. *crosses fingers*
lunaticprincess7085 – Thanks! With the two-toned hair, yeah, he definitely looks like Two Face XD
Seth rollins babe – Thanks! :)
Bajor10 – Thank you! And while I don't wanna spoil anything, let's just say that when that time comes… shit's gonna hit the fan.
wwetickler30 – Love your username by the way! Yeah, I definitely wanted to show everyone how deep their friendship is and all those memorable moments between them before they take that next step ;)
MsConCon – Thanks, hun! Reading your reviews always makes my day :D I'm so happy you enjoyed the flashbacks, and trust me, there's more where those came from. Valentina certainly wasn't lying when she said she wanted to change the Divas division and AJ was the first one to feel her wrath. The reason why I was worried was because writing smut isn't my strong suit, but I just said, "to hell with it" because I had it in my head for a while now and I'm so relieved and ecstatic that it turned out a lot hotter than I thought it would. I also couldn't help but show Valentina's sassiness on social media too… even if it does land her in hot water sometimes. I knew that Valentina was gonna be far from calm when Ryback shoved Seth through those tables, especially since that's not the first time she's broken down because he got hurt. Trust me, I wouldn't dream of messing up Valentina's body for life, but at the same time, she's not afraid to take on the guys. Unless it's guys like Brock Lesnar or Big Show, then she'll be like, "Fuck this, I'm out!" XD I was fangirling myself when I wrote the ending. Then there's Valentina and Dean. He's like that annoying big brother you constantly have the urge to punt, or in Valentina's case, knock him into next week with a Sin City ;)
Lill2350 – Thanks! I was definitely channeling Team Extreme when I wrote her involvement in it. And Seth getting pushed through tables = Valentina losing her shit. Heart breaking was definitely what I was going for because let's face it, there was no way in hell Valentina wasn't gonna freak out in that situation. That's good ol' Dean for ya. No filter and he loves driving Valentina up the wall XD I definitely have plans for Valentina and Seth when it comes to them finally admitting their feelings and believe me when I say it's going to happen very soon ;)
Chapter Nine - Resolutions
"On my own
Pretending he's beside me
All alone
I walk with him till morning
Without him
I feel his arms around me
And when I lose my way I close my eyes
And he has found me
In the rain the pavement shines like silver
All the lights are misty in the river
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight
And all I see is him and me forever and forever
And I know it's only in my mind
That I'm talking to myself and not to him
And although I know that he is blind
Still I say, there's a way for us
I love him
But when the night is over
He is gone
The river's just a river
Without him
The world around me changes
The trees are bare and everywhere
The streets are full of strangers." On My Own by Samantha Barks
I woke up bright and early the following morning. Seth was still asleep –with his arms around my waist- so I quietly slipped out of his arms and out of bed. Tacitly shutting the door behind me as I exited the bedroom, I yawned and stretched my arms over my head as I ambled into the living room. Dean and Roman were also still asleep, and I couldn't say I blamed them. That match had taken a lot out of all of us. I knew they'd most likely be hungry when they woke up, not to mention I already had the hunger of a beast, so I decided to make us all breakfast. Considering the kitchen connected to the living room, I secretly hoped the boys were heavy sleepers.
Before long I was cooking up a storm. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes were currently being cooked on the stove and I'd already poured the waffle batter into my waffle maker. The bread sat atop the fridge and I was certain the boys probably wanted toast as well. So, standing on my tiptoes, I reached up to grab it, causing my shirt to ride up more than I expected it to.
"Nice view, Monroe. Great to know all those squat workouts have given you such fantastic results."
I yelped after hearing Dean's crude comment and promptly pulled my shirt down as I felt my cheeks grow hot. Then I turned around to see him and Roman sitting on the stools next to the counter, both grinning from ear to ear.
"For what it's worth, he's got a point, baby girl," Roman said with a chuckle.
I rolled my eyes and shut the burners off along with the waffle maker. "So much for surprising you guys. I wasn't sure how you guys liked your eggs so I just made scrambled ones. There's also toast, waffles, pancakes, bacon, and waffles. Help yourselves."
"Awww honey, you shouldn't have," Dean said cheekily, walking into the kitchen and giving me a hug, with Roman doing the same after Dean released me.
"What? No hug for me?" I turned to see Seth innocently pouting, and I'd be lying through my teeth if I said it wasn't the least bit adorable.
"Get in here then, Sethie," I said teasingly. He eagerly obliged and swooped me up in his arms, spinning me around as he hugged me, causing me to squeal in surprise.
"Seth! Put me down!" I said in between giggled. He laughed and set me down before walking into the kitchen.
While the boys ate, I sat down on the couch and logged on to Twitter, and I immediately regretted doing so. A photo of me breaking down and cupping Seth's face had been uploaded and fans were going crazy over it.
My Monrollins feels are through the roof right now! #TLC
Seth deserved it #TLC #ThankYouRyback
She's so in love with him #TLC
Valentina better back off! He's mine! #TLC
Cutest WWE couple ever! #TLC #MonrollinsForever
Shaking my head, I promptly hit the 'log off' button before grabbing myself a plate and joining the boys for breakfast. Then I showered and threw on a gray off shoulder top that read Raw Is War, black skinny jeans with a distressed foil finish on them, a black jacket, a pendant that read Rated R Superstar, and black suede knee high platform boots. Once the guys were showered and dressed, we tossed our bags in my car and took off.
Raw
December 17th, 2012
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wells Fargo Center
As usual, we made sure to arrive early so we had enough time to get ready and come up with a post-TLC plan. Once inside, I made my way to hair and makeup. After an hour went by my hair had been styled in voluminous curls and my makeup was a black and silver and smokey eye while a dark mauve lipstick had been applied to my lips.
Entering the Divas locker room, I pulled open the Valentina labeled drawer section of the trunk and took out the bag labeled Raw. Inside the bag was a black cutout crop top with sheer sleeves, black PVC hotpants with three buckles on both sides, black fishnets, black combat boots, black leather fingerless gloves, and a black velvet choker with a hanging heart charm embellished with crystals in the center.
When the show started, we sat back in the locker room and kept a sharp eye on the monitor. Just because tonight was the Slammy Awards –and we weren't nominated nor were we scheduled to compete- didn't mean we didn't intend on making an appearance.
"Think Punk will win?" I asked as Ric Flair announced the nominees for Superstar of the Year.
"He should," Dean replied, crossing his arms. "If he does and someone tries to fuck it up there's gonna be hell to pay."
"Hey, speaking of winning, we should go out and celebrate our TLC after the show, seeing as we were all too sore to do so last night," I suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Roman agreed before looking at Dean. "Know any good clubs in Philly, bro?"
"Rumor," Dean replied. "Best club in town. In my CZW days, that was the spot my buddies and I loved to get shitfaced at."
"In other words, it's full of horndogs like you and sluts," I retorted.
"Again, I resent that!" Dean riposted. "Besides Monroe, you've been pretty tense lately, and you're probably sexually frustrated too. When's the last time you got laid, six months ago? A year?"
"Try three years," I mumbled, a blush creeping across my cheeks.
"WHAT?!" Dean shouted, before bursting into a fit of laughter. "Three fucking years?! How the fuck have you not gone crazy by now?! Unless you really are saving yourself for a certain someone…" He nodded his head towards Seth.
"There's this thing called a vibrator, maybe you've heard of it, Deano!" I snapped, before quickly covering my mouth. Wonderful. I just gave him another thing to tease me about.
"I certainly have, and maybe one day Sethie will be lucky enough to use it on you," Dean smirked.
"Shut the fuck up, Ambrose!" Seth yelled, his cheeks turning beet red. Roman cleared his throat and quickly pointed to the monitor. John Cena had been announced Superstar of the Year –which caused us all to scream out in rage and kick some chairs over- but thankfully he kept his acceptance speech short and sweet and wound up giving his award to Ric out of respect.
"What a fucking saint," Dean muttered sarcastically.
"More like kiss ass," I snorted.
Punk's theme suddenly hit and he hobbled out on crutches while Heyman followed him and held the title above his head.
"This is completely ridiculous on multiple, multiple levels!" he ranted. "I mean, there's so many things going through my head right now." He picked up the Slammy and glared at Ric. "This doesn't belong to you! You haven't even been here in the past calendar year, and the fact that anybody even voted for John Cena to be Superstar of the Year is absolutely atrocious! This is possibly the worst year of John Cena's life! He got beat by a guy that I'm gonna decimate at the Royal Rumble! I beat him at SummerSlam! He lost last night! He's the first Superstar to cash in his Money In The Bank contract and lose! He's a loser like everybody in Philadelphia!" He poked Ric's shoulder. "And he's a loser like you! You know, I used to sit in the locker room and listen to Shawn Michaels talk how all he ever wanted to do was grow up and be Ric Flair! Look at me, Flair! I never wanted to be you! I never wanted to be anybody but me, and I did it!"
I was beyond annoyed at Punk's tirade and clamped my hands over my ears to block out his whining. Yeah, you lost. Boo fucking who for you. You're still the champ, so get the fuck over it.
When Punk was finally done ranting, Ric smiled at him and looked down at his watch. "Did you wanna know what time it is? The diamonds on this Rolex make it kinda blocky for me," he quipped.
"It's clobbering time!" Punk spat. "That's what time it is!"
"I don't think so, "Rick shook his head. "I think it's time for you to go, brother. This is Philadelphia, we're gonna rock and roll, man."
At this, the crowd started cheering and the boys cracked their knuckles.
"Don't do it, old man," Dean warned.
"We're not seriously considering attacking him are we?!" I exclaimed. I liked and respected Ric Flair and I honestly didn't want to attack him. Not to mention Punk was really getting on my nerves and I was in no mood to defend his honor.
"If he goes after Punk, then yeah, we are, baby girl," Roman said.
"Right," Seth agreed, before patting my shoulder. "Look, I know you respect him and all, but it's gotta be done, sweetheart. Attacking the champ is an injustice."
Blowing out a sigh, I reluctantly nodded my head in response and looked at the monitor. Despite his knee injury, Punk still challenged Ric to a match and now they were both in the ring and Heyman was in Punk's corner.
Punk wobbled towards Ric and jabbed him in the stomach with his crutch before he struck him over the back with it. Then he taunted Ric by doing a limping Flair strut. He picked up his other crutch and limped towards Ric again, but Ric poked him in the eye and knocked him down. Then he grabbed Heyman and locked him in the Figure Four.
"Go, go, go!" Seth commanded, holding the door open for us.
I ignored the guilt that flooded my body as I followed them down the corridor. Dean yelled for the tech guy to play our music and Seth pushed the door open.
Ten minutes later we were all in an all-out brawl with Ric and Team Hell No. Seth and I were taking on Daniel, Dean was taking on Ric, and Roman was taking on Kane. Daniel clotheslined us over the barricade, with me landing on top of Seth. Groaning, I rolled off him and he abruptly got up. He helped me up, hopped over the barricade again, and started brawling with Daniel alongside Dean. Rubbing by back, I stepped over the barricade and began pummeling Daniel. Dean -seeing that Seth and I had this under control- turned on his heel and drove Kane into the canvas before he and Roman started stomping him.
I coiled my arm around Daniel's neck and executed Femme Fatale and he dropped to the floor with a thud. Seth suddenly turned around and ran towards Dean, Kane, and Roman. The three of them chucked Kane into the barricade.
Seth and Dean climbed into the ring and circled Ric while Roman glared at Cole, JBL, and King. "THIS IS OUR TABLE NOW!" he roared.
"You heard him! Get the hell up!" I demanded, ripping the Raw board off the table and tossing it aside.
"Okay, whatever you say!" Cole exclaimed, scrambling out of his chair. "Valentina and Roman telling us to get out of the way and I'm not arguing!"
"Get him up!" Roman ordered. Dean and Seth quickly obliged and hauled Ric up.
"BELIEVE IN THE SHIELD, PHILLY!" I screamed at the audience –and I was booed yet again- before turning to the boys. Seth and Dean draped Ric's arms over their shoulders and Roman knelt down to lift him up.
FEED. ME. MORE!
"FUCK!" I shouted, not giving a damn that I just dropped the f-bomb on live TV. Ryback darted down the ramp and the boys dropped Ric. Wasting little time, Dean made a beeline for Ryback. Ryback lifted him up and tossed him into the barricade. Roman, Seth, and I countered by triple teaming him. With a growl, he effortlessly picked me up and threw me into the barricade next to Dean before turning his attention back to Seth and Roman.
"How ya holding up there, toots?" Dean rasped, rubbing the back of his neck.
"If I have no health problems whatsoever by the time I'm thirty, I'll be fucking surprised," I huffed.
"You're only twenty-three, darlin', I wouldn't worry about that right no- FUCK OFF, GOATFACE!" he snarled as Daniel came barreling towards us.
Still weak from Ryback tossing us like ragdolls, we tried to fight him off but our efforts went in vain and we were forced to retreat as he tossed us over the barricade. Kane and Ryback did the same with Roman and Seth.
"DAMMIT!" Dean shouted, kicking over another chair as we stormed backstage, a few stage hands fearfully getting out of our way.
"So much for teaching Nature Boy a fucking lesson," Roman growled.
"Wait," Seth put an arm out in front of us, stopping us in our tracks as Tommy Dreamer came out of his dressing room. He turned to us with a smirk. "We may not have been able to teach Flair a lesson, but that doesn't mean we should let him spoil our night. Why not send a message to him, Ryback, and Team Hell No?"
"I'd be glad to," Dean drawled, licking his lips. "HEY, DREAMER!"
Tommy turned around, only to get speared by Roman. Dean and Seth ran towards them and pounced on Tommy.
I knew Seth wanted this to be seen, so I looked around for a cameraman. Lucky for me, there was one standing nearby, frozen in shock as he watched the scene before him.
"Don't just stand there! Film this NOW!" I screeched. He gulped and shakily held the camera up before turning it on.
Roman pressed Tommy's face against the wall and let out a roar before seizing him by the back of his shirt and throwing him into a pile of equipment.
"This is The Shield's house, Tommy!" Seth shouted as we unleashed a melee of blows and kicks to him while he tried to shield his face.
"What are you guys doing?!" Get out of here!" Ricardo Rodriguez ran towards us. Seth and I got off Tommy and tackled him. We continued knocking the crap out of him and Tommy until the refs showed up and kicked us out of the building. We weren't pissed about it because we'd done all we could for the night. One thing was certain though: Ryback, Team Hell No, Ric Flair, the WWE Universe, and even Ricardo and Tommy, had gotten the message loud and clear.
As promised, we still planned on celebrating tonight and drove back to the hotel so we could shower and get ready.
I spent about fifteen minutes alone trying to decide on what to wear. I'd been to plenty of clubs in New York, but I'd never to one in Philadelphia so I had no idea what the dress code at Rumor was like, or the atmosphere. I conclusively relented and settled on a black leather jacket with spikes along the lapels, arms, and collar, silver sequin embellished pants, a white slim fitting t-shirt that read The Pretty Reckless in black lettering with a pair of black criss-crossed platforms below the lettering, black leather Jeffrey Campbell Lita platform boots with black studs covering the heel, and a heart necklace adorned with ornamental designs and a key hole in the center. I teased and re-curled my hair and re-did my makeup. My eyes were sultry and smokey and I'd applied nude lip gloss to my lips. Next I took a selfie and posted it.
TheKillerQueenOfWWE: Off to celebrate last night's events! Just because tonight didn't go as planned doesn't mean we're gonna let it ruin our fun. Oh, and my "sincerest" regards to Tommy Dreamer. #SorryNotSorry #BelieveInTheShield
I stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the living room. The boys were ready and deiced to watch some TV while they waited for me. I cleared my throat at they all looked up at me. Seth's mouth dropped open, Dean licked his lips, and Roman nodded his head in approval.
"Well, what do you think?" I asked bashfully, doing a little twirl. "And be brutal."
"I'm think I wanna take you in that bedroom and show you instead," Dean drawled, before Roman sharply slapped him upside the head.
"Subtle, bro," he teased. "You look nice, baby girl." Seth was still speechless, so Roman playfully elbowed him in the ribs. "Say something, man, you're getting drool all over the carpet."
Seth cleared his throat and a tinge of pink covering his cheeks. "You look… incredible, sweetheart."
Placing my hands on my hips, I eyed him up and down. He wore a black blazer, one of his A Day To Remember shirts, skinny jeans, and a black and white Glamour Kills snapback.
"You clean up nice yourself, Mr. Rollins," I grinned. "And oddly we're both wearing shirts with our favorite bands on them."
"Guess great minds think alike," he said, offering me his arm. "Though I still think A Day To Remember is so much better."
"Don't push it, Rollins," I sassed back, looping my arm around his.
We arrived at Rumor twenty minutes later, and yeah, Dean definitely downplayed his description of this place. I was expecting a dirty run-down club, but the ambience was very modern and upscale, with four bar areas total, two dance floors, a private VIP lounge and a cocktail lounge.
"This place is fucking insane!" I shouted over the booming music, excitement fluttering in my chest.
"Told ya!" Dean yelled back as he led us over to one of the bars and smirked at the barista. "Hey toots, I'll take three beers and a shot of tequila."
"Coming right up, handsome." She winked at Dean and went to fix our drinks.
"I take it that shot's for me?" I snorted as I took a seat one of the bar stools.
"Yup," Dean nodded. "You need to loosen up and have a little fun for once."
"Dean, we're not here to get hammered," Seth said sternly. "We still have to do Smackdown tomorrow."
"Relax, a little Alka-Seltzer and some sports drinks will take care of it," Dean said dismissively as the barista set our drinks down. "What could possibly go wrong?"
It didn't take long for Dean and Roman to find some girls to dance with. Then again, they were both very good looking so it didn't come as a total shock. Seth and I had found a table (a fucking miracle if you ask me because this place was really busy tonight) and were both chatting it up. Seth was still on his first beer whilst I was on my second shot. Being a lightweight, I was slightly tipsy, but nowhere near as wasted as Dean was. Seth then told me he had to use the bathroom and excused himself. Leaning back on the sofa, I took out my phone and got on Twitter for the time being, smirking once I saw that the fans were still praising my match with the boys at TLC and my Last Diva Standing match against AJ.
"Hey hottie, want some company?"
"Not interested," I said bluntly, not looking up.
He laughed and sat next to me, putting his hand on my knee and lightly seizing my chin so I was forced to look at him. He wasn't bad looking, he had short black hair, dark brown eyes, strong jawline and a lean, toned build, but his attitude screamed massive dickhead.
"So, sweet thing," he purred, leaning in closer, almost making me gag when I caught the strong stench of whiskey and vodka on his breath. "What do you say we get out of here and get to know each other a little better?"
"I said I'm not fucking interested, now fuck off!" I growled, placing my hand on his chest and shoving him away from me. To my annoyance and dismay, he didn't budge.
He tucked some hair behind my ear and hungrily kissed my throat while his hand wandered up my thigh. The last thing I wanted or needed was to cause a scene in public and damage my reputation, but I sure as hell wasn't about to allow this tool sexually harass me, so I slapped him across the face and dumped the remains of my tequila on him.
His eyes narrowed into slits and he shoved me back, pinning me to the couch with his body weight.
"You shouldn't have done that, sweetheart." I cringed when he called me that. When Seth called me sweetheart it was a term of endearment, at least, to me anyway, but when this guy used it, I wanted to knock his head off with a Sin City.
"We could've done this the easy way," he continued, trailing his index finger down my cheek. "We still can, I'd hate to have to hurt a pretty thing like you."
"Is there a fucking problem here?"
I turned my head to the side to see Dean and Roman standing there with their arms crossed and their jaws tense, both ready to rip this douche's head off. Dean had that maniacal look in his eyes, but it was far worse than what I'd seen in the ring. This look was the same one he wore when he was Jon Moxley.
"I believe the lady said no," Dean said darkly. "And we don't take kindly to little punks like you harassing women, especially when said woman is with us."
"L-Look I-I," he stuttered, his eyes widening in fear as he got off me and raised his hands in surrender. "I-I d-don't w-want a-any t-trouble."
"You should've fucking thought of that before you put your hands on her." Seth was standing right behind him. If looks could kill, this guy would've been lying in a blood coated, lifeless heap in the middle of the street.
"Now I suggest you get out of our sight right now," Roman sneered, roughly grabbing him by the scruff of his collar. "And if we catch you bothering her again you'll be eating through a straw for the rest of your life."
With widened eyes, he nodded his head in response and Roman dropped him. He ran out of the club and Seth helped me up, the three of them asking if I was okay and I thanked them and told them I was. They sat down and we all talked for another ten minutes before Dean and Roman went to go find the girls they'd been dancing to. Seth and I ordered more drinks and went back to chatting. Then my eyes lingered on the dancefloor, and I guess that tequila came with a confidence boost because before I knew it I turned to Seth with a flirty smile and whispered, "Wanna dance?" in his ear.
"I'm not a very good dancer," he admitted shyly, shaking his head.
"You're not alone on that," I chortled, standing up and holding out my hand as "I Get Off" by Halestorm came on. "Come on, it's not like we're fucking auditioning for the next Step Up movie."
"... Okay."
"You don't know that I know
You watch me every night
And I just can't resist the urge
To stand here in the light
Your greedy eyes upon me
And then I come undone
I could close the curtain
But this is too much fun.
I get off on you
Getting off on me
Give you what you want
But nothing is for free."
As the chorus kicked in, I turned around so I was flush against his chest. My hips swayed to the music and I placed his hands on them, giggling softly when he held them in a firm grip.
"There's so much left unspoken
Between the two of us
It's so much more exciting
To look when you can't touch
You could say I'm different
Maybe I'm a freak
But I know how to twist you
To bring you to your knees."
My ass was against his crotch and he was alluringly gyrating against me. He still kept his hands on my hips, but I moved them up so they were resting underneath my breasts. Even with the music on full blast I could've sworn I heard his breath hitch. However, he wasn't complaining either, that was a given when he didn't lower his hands.
He swept my hair aside and pressed his lips against the shell of my ear. "Naughty girl."
"Only when I'm around you," I replied seductively, arching into him as the tequila began to manipulate my actions. I was gonna regret this in the morning, and yet, I couldn't ignore the surge of emotions that coursed through my body. I wanted him to kiss me, touch me, taste me, make me scream his name until I blacked out from unadulterated ecstasy...
We continued to dance until the song came to an end, and that's when everything went downhill. Another hour went by and during that time I'd gotten more and shots of tequila in my system, and as a result, I was even more plastered than Dean was. Roman and Seth were the most sober and had dragged us out of the club, with Roman dragging Dean and Dean yelling in protest because, "he was about to get lucky with that blonde with the big tits" and me over Seth's shoulder.
"I'm gonna get you one of my shirts to sleep in," Seth said, gently setting me down on the bed. "I'll be right back, stay put," he ordered firmly, and left the room.
In my inebriated state I still found myself wanting him, and the amount tequila I'd downed in the past hour only added more fuel to that fire. Seth had already taken my heels off for me, which meant all I had to do was get out of my shirt and pants before he got back, and I had to be quick.
Drunkenly, I shimmied out of my pants –and almost stumbled over and hit my head on the bedside table in the process- before grabbing the hem of my shirt and pulling it over my head, leaving me in my leopard print push-up bra with lace detailing and matching panties. Climbing onto the bed, I laid on my side and got in the sexiest pose I could muster.
The door opened and Seth walked in, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he took in the sight of my half-naked form. Giggling, I bit my lip and raised my index finger, beckoning him to me.
"Arms above your head," he said, clearing his throat and stalking over to me. Pouting, I sat up and did as he asked, but once he was in reach, I wrapped my arms around his neck and ravished his jaw and neck with kisses.
He let out a throaty groan, but pulled away and shook his head. "Valentina stop. You're drunk, you don't know what you're doing or saying."
"No I'm not," I slurred/argued, shaking my head. "I want you so bad..." I pressed another kiss to his stubbled jaw and then his cheek. "I've wanted you for years, ever since I met you…" A kiss to the side of his mouth. "Touch me, kiss me, take me…"
He took my face in his hands and rested his forehead against mine. "No. You're drunk and I'm not gonna take advantage of you. Maybe if you weren't-"
"Don't, I-I get it," I cut him off, my voice cracking. "J-Just f-forget i-it."
"Valentina…."
"Put the shirt on me."
"Do you want me to leave afterwards? Because I can go sleep on the couch-"
"N-No. Just lay with me, p-please."
"As you wish, sweetheart."
I woke up that morning feeling like utter shit. The first thing I did was vomit like my life depended on it for nearly an hour in the bathroom. By noon, I felt somewhat better thanks to Dean's Alka-Seltzer/sport drink remedy. Last night was all a blur, and I was prepared to leave it at that, until Dean pulled me aside and told me what I'd done before passing out. He reassured me that Seth wasn't mad at me for it, which I was glad to hear.
Prior to leaving the hotel, Dean and Roman decided to give me my Christmas presents early since Smackdown was our last appearance before Christmas. Roman had gotten me a Poison Ivy themed duvet with two matching throw pillows and Dean got me three Pretty Reckless posters. My instant reaction to both gifts was to scream and tackle-hug both of them onto the couch.
Seth told me he had something special for me and wanted to wait until after the show to give it to me. I was disappointed at first, but that changed to eagerness when he assured me it'd be worth the wait. My gifts to the boys were custom made silver bracelets with Believe In The Shield engraved on them. They were thrilled when they saw them and enveloped me in a hug.
Super Smackdown Live
December 18th, 2012
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Consol Energy Center
Seth and I hid behind the corner as Rey Mysterio made his way down the corridor. He was supposed to be accompanying Sin Cara to his match against Damien Sandow tonight, but we weren't about to let that happen.
"Work your magic, Vee," Seth mumbled in my ear, once Mysterio was in range.
"With pleasure," I said deviously, before putting my hands over my mouth and obnoxiously yelling, "HEY, YOU!" after Mysterio. He turned around and looked at me, his head cocking to the side in confusion as I waved at him.
On cue, Roman and Dean tackled him from behind and began pummeling him with punches and kicks.
"Get him up!" I commanded. Roman and Dean grabbed his arms and hoisted him up before I struck him with a Sin City. He toppled over, unconscious.
Seth threw his head back and laughed before placing his foot on the side of Mysterio's stomach, flipping him over on his back. He kneeled down and unlaced his mask before holding it up. He handed the mask to Roman –who put it in his pocket- and Dean kicked Mysterio one last time before we turned around and headed towards the ring.
We split up in pairs again as we stalked down the steps. Seth followed Dean and I followed Roman. Roman lifted me over the barricade before vaulting over himself. Sin Cara turned to us and Roman took Mysterio's mask out of his pocket and tossed it in the ring.
Sandow took advantage of this and turned Sin Cara around and hit him with a neckbreaker. He dropped to the mat and got the win. We waited for Sandow to leave the ring, and then we stepped through the ropes slowly advanced on Sin Cara.
Fists and kicks were thrown at Sin Cara before Roman yelled for Seth and Dean to hold him up. Roman roared in Sin Cara's face before he mercilessly headbutt him. He doubled over and Dean grabbed his ankle. He struggled against us as Dean pinned his arms down while Roman and I did the same with both of his legs. Roman held Sin Cara's right leg up as Seth climbed to the top turnbuckle and jumped off, taking out his knee with his foot.
He writhed on the mat and clutched his knee and we stood over him. The crowd giving us a mix of boos and cheers as we relished our moment of triumph.
Brodus Clay faced the same fate later that night because Brad Maddox was still trying to get a contract and unsuccessfully challenged him. The boys thought it was an injustice that yet another Superstar "took advantage of a poor, defenseless Brad Maddox" and made sure Brodus didn't get away with it. They triple powerbombed him for his actions.
I stood outside the boys' locker room and waited for them, now having showered and changed my clothes. Seth was the first to emerge and hand one hand behind his back.
"Roman and Dean almost ready?" I asked.
"Almost, Dean's already ready, he just stepped out for a smoke," he replied, inclining his arm forward to reveal what he'd been hiding behind his back: a black velvet box. "I said I'd give it to you after the show and I'm a man of my word."
"What is it?" I asked teasingly, taking the box from his hands.
"Open it and you'll find out, sweetheart."
Gingerly, I opened the box and a small gasp left my lips. Inside was a pair of white gold sapphire teardrop earrings with three small diamonds above each sapphire. They were stunning.
"S-Seth," I sputtered, swallowing a lump in my throat. "These are gorgeous… I couldn't possibly-"
"Don't say that, Valentina," he said softly, taking my hand and pulling me towards him. "I wanted to get you something almost as beautiful as you, and when I saw these I knew you'd love them."
"They really are beautiful," I admitted quietly, and then something caught my eye behind Seth. My cheeks flushed when I saw the mistletoe hanging there. Seth noticed my reaction and looked up also.
A chuckle left his lips and he placed both index fingers on his cheeks. "Wanna put one on the cheek?" he asked playfully.
Swallowing thickly, I slowly shook my head and bit my lip. He took another step towards me and cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing across my bottom lip. His enticing brown eyes gazed into mine and he leaned in to close the gap between our lips.
"PUCKER UP, MONROE!" I was suddenly yanked away from Seth, dipped, and forcibly kissed by none other than Dean Ambrose. Naturally, my first reaction was to scream and thrash against him, but he used that to his advantage and slipped his tongue inside my mouth.
A loud crack filled the hallway as my hand connected with Dean's cheek. He dropped me and rubbed his cheek and I could hear Seth yelling at him, but I was too busy flipping out to comprehend what he was saying.
"Oh my God, I need to get tested! I need to take a chemical bath! I fucking hate you, Dean Ambrose!" I wailed, furiously wiping my lips. "Gah, my beautiful lips! You fucking deflowered my beautiful lips! I fucking hope you get coal this year!"
"Mmm, so soft and sweet," Dean said lewdly, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. "Doesn't matter if I get coal, Monroe, because that kiss just made my year."
I cooled off in the locker room for a good twenty minutes. Seth basically dragged me away from Dean as I screamed a slew of heinous threats at him, sat me down in the locker room, and told me to take a breather and that he'd deal with Dean. It was probably for the best because I would've throttled Dean if he hadn't.
I walked into the parking garage and spotted Dean leaning up against my car rolling his eyes and nodding his head as Seth and Roman lectured him. With a heavy sigh, I unzipped my bag and looked for my water bottle, but as my hand came in contact with the velvet box, I couldn't stop myself from taking out and opening it. My fingertips lightly touched the stones and I looked over at Seth again, another sigh leaving my lips.
With 2013 right around the corner, I already had two resolutions in mind. The first being that I finally grew a pair and tell Seth how I felt about him. The second was winning the Divas Championship.
And yet, an obstacle still stood in the way of my first resolution: fear. The fear of him rejecting me. Yes we'd almost kissed twice, we'd put on a rather intimate show at the club, and I'd tried to sleep with him while I was drunk and he didn't torment me for it, but despite all those things, I still felt that our relationship was platonic, and that's what scared me the most. If I told him how I really felt, there was the possibility that he'd dismiss it and tell me I'd never be more than his best friend/little sister. Things would never be the same between us.
Two tears fell from my eyes as the thought of him not feeling the same way racked my brain, and both landed on the box. Wiping my eyes, I looked over at Seth again. He was still talking to Dean so he wouldn't know what I was about to say.
"I love you…" I whispered sorrowfully.
And I truly did, with all my heart.
A/N: So yeah, listening to 'On My Own' on repeat and trying not to cry as I wrote that last part was easier said than done. Valentina finally admitted to herself how she feels about Seth, now if only she could just tell him XD Oh, and I've made sets of the boys' gifts for Valentina and her outfits for this chapter on my Polyvore account, so if you guys are interested in seeing them, hop on over to my profile.
And I just heard the news about Daniel Bryan, and I'm honestly devastated that he's retiring. He was such an incredible performer and I love that he wasn't afraid to break the mold. #ThankYouDaniel
On a happier note, I'm seeing Smackdown next week and I'm super ecstatic about it! XD Thanks again for reading and please review!