"Who's next on your list?"
"Tonight," AJ scanned her finger down the roster list, "I think I'll go after Aksana. She seems like she'd be an easy win, don't you think?"
"Against you, I think they'd all be easy wins."
She laughed, feeling flattered, trying not to blush. She wanted to remain professional around Dolph, but he always seemed to make her blush, and it was unnerving, and she wanted to be his equal, not someone who couldn't take a compliment. He was always doling them out too, even when she didn't warrant one. They were never big, flowery things, just positive reinforcement that did more for her than he could ever imagine.
When you spend a year being beaten down by men emotionally, even the smallest compliment can mean the world to you, and that's what this was. Daniel pushed her down so hard, ground her into a pulp, and left her for dead emotionally. Punk didn't help. Oh, he probably thought he was at first, but hearing, "I kind of dig crazy chicks" wasn't exactly a bolster to her self-esteem. Then Kane, Kane, telling her she was too unstable for him, it was just blow after blow after blow. So Dolph was like the light at the end of that emotionally abusive tunnel.
"Maybe not Nattie, she's going to be tough, I may save her for when I really need that title shot. It would be the crown jewel in this thing."
"I'm now picturing you with a tiara with every diva's picture in it, each one crossed out after you beat them," he told her, looking off into the distance somewhere. She giggled as she pictured it herself. "We should make you one after you win the title."
"The title will be all I need."
"You should design a new one when you get it," he told her, and it was only partially meant as a joke, but it did get the wheels turning in her head. She didn't answer him, and so he looked over at her. "What's up?"
"I was just thinking about that. Is that something I can actually do? Do you think they would let me?"
"You might just have to dump the title in a garbage can on live television," he suggested, "but honestly, what would be stopping you? You winning that title should mean something more. How cool would that be if you were to make the belt your own design."
"Anything would be better than that stupid butterfly," AJ cringed just thinking about it. The belt looked like something you would buy at a party novelty store, something you'd give a bride-to-be at her bachelorette party so she could wear it and it would say she was the bride so come hump her at the male strip show.
"You could make it really cool, personalize it even," Dolph said, "something that would look really good with the title when I get it."
"You should change the WWE title after you win the Rumble and win the WWE title. I mean, that belt was made by John, and while thankfully it doesn't spin anymore, it's still ugly as sin and too reminiscent of John."
"His and hers titles, I like the way you think," he laughed. "When we're champions though, like…we'll still be together or…I mean, I know the end game here is to make sure that we take out John and all the other idiots who didn't treat you right, but like, later on, the long run…"
"I think as long as we're in this together and equals," she had to emphasize it because she never wanted to feel inferior again, "I don't see why we shouldn't continue. I mean, the two of us having the titles would mean domination on both sides."
"True, good, good," he said, muttering to himself, but then he looked up at her brightly, "So Aksana, huh?'
"You do want to stay with me after, right? I mean, it's not set in stone or anything, and if you don't—"
"I do, really, trust me, I do," he smiled at her, easing her worries, "so back to Aksana?"
"I don't even have to think about Aksana that's how much I don't respect her wrestling skills. She can barely wrestle, if she can call what she does wrestling. She was better as arm candy. What about you?"
"My opponent tonight is the clock, not the person in the ring. I know I can beat anyone here, but it's a matter of beating them within the right time frame. Then I'm going to choose 30 or maybe 27, something near the end of course, but then if you're the last person, everyone is going to want to target you because they know you're the last person."
"You think way too much," she told him, "just pick a good number and you'll win. You'll win whatever number you are."
"Yes, because being number one or two and winning is so easy."
"People have done it, multiple times, but why would you pick number one unless you have something to prove? Only the people with something to prove pick number one," she shrugged. "Come on, your match is first and I have to demand mine."
Dolph's match ended with him beating the previous time by a huge 40 seconds. It made Randy's time look pathetic in comparison. He didn't want to crow, oh, who was he kidding, he crowed about it. He knew it would be difficult for Sheamus or Barrett to beat that time, but that didn't mean they couldn't. He sat there thinking about the match when AJ sidled up next to him.
"I have an idea," she said, "what if we go down there and distract Sheamus. I can do it because if I do it, he can't touch me. I can just distract them until the time is too low to do anything."
"I don't want you in the ring with them," Dolph shook his head.
"You forget, Dolph Ziggler," she told him sternly, "that I've been in matches with guys before—"
"Mixed tag matches."
"So what, I've been there and held my own, and I seem to remember once when someone tried to intimidate me and I slapped them. I can do this. They won't touch me, and it'll mean you win and get to choose your number. This is about us, this is about us becoming the power couple we want, and by any means necessary. You keep going after the guys I want revenge on, but I have to do stuff for you too."
"Stuff?"
"Mind out of the gutter, Ziggler," she shook her head, but she secretly liked it. She thought back to her sister's words about being careful around Dolph, and she quickly brushed off the feelings that Dolph sometimes incited in her. They were partners, that was it. Romantic liaisons were a thing of her past. She needed to focus on important things, not men. Men had never served her right.
"It's going to be hard, it's way down deep in there."
"Gross," she said, "come on, we should be there for that match so we can interfere," she told him, pulling him up. They found E and waited around the gorilla until Sheamus and Wade both left. Then they made their way to a monitor right by the entrance.
When there was about a minute left, they ran down the ramp, AJ lithely sliding into the ring and slowly skipping through it. The referee looked confused, but he couldn't do anything about it because she wasn't doing any interfering. There was no rule about just being in the ring. She slid out when she knew there wasn't much time left, and watched impatiently until Sheamus hit the brogue kick, but it was too late to get a three count.
Dolph jumped up and down, lifting AJ unexpectedly into a hug and spinning her around. She giggled and kissed his cheek. "We did it!" he hollered. "We did it!"
"I know!" she couldn't help this feeling of satisfaction that she was helping him, she was the one who was helping him achieve what he wanted. She wrapped herself around him tighter, burying her face into his neck. He started to walk up the ramp with her still in his arms. He had the briefcase in his right hand and his left arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her to him.
They got backstage, and she still didn't want to let go, "Hey there, are you going to wrestle like this?" he asked gently. She pulled away and his blue eyes caught hers, and impulsively, she kissed his cheek. "What was that for?"
"You beat the clock, you get to choose your number," she told him. She got off him, and stood in front of him. "Come on, let's go gloat to Vickie, it'll be great!"
They ran off to find her office, and once inside, gloated just like they said they were going to, including a mind-blowing kiss. Their bubble was burst soon afterwards when Vickie informed him that his choice of numbers was between one and two. Vickie left, cackling, and AJ had to restrain herself from jumping on Vickie's back and wailing into her with her tiny fists.
"It's fine, it's fine," Dolph said, putting his hands on AJ's shoulders, feeling her shaking with anger. "AJ, it's cool, look, me winning being number one will be even more life-changing. So few people have ever done it, to add my name to that would be great."
She knew he was trying to look for the positive, but was still angry over it, and so was she. Vickie just couldn't deal with losing Dolph even though she did nothing for him. Would she have climbed into the ring for him? Would she do anything to ensure he would get the title? It was years they'd been together, and the only World Title he'd ever held was handed to him, and he didn't even get to keep it for a whole show.
"You will be, you're going to show them all. You will show Vickie, and you're right, if you're number one and you win, that just adds to your legacy and that for sure makes you one of the main guys."
"Yeah, we can make this work." She smiled when he referred to them as a unit.
"You guys, I'm heading out," Big E said, but they didn't even hear him because they were looking at each other. E just rolled his eyes at the two of them. Sometimes they got like that, lost in their world of grandeur. He liked them both, but they were so like-minded sometimes.
"I'm still mad though."
"Me too," she admitted.
She used that anger to dismantle Aksana. It was barely even a match. Aksana stepped into the ring, and AJ tackled her to the mat, mounting her and raining blows on her. She could just hear the announcers now, talking about how Dolph lost and drove AJ crazier, and her fists became a little bit tighter. Aksana was trying to roll her over, but it was no use. AJ grabbed Aksana by the hair and kneed her in the face. Then, while Aksana was bent over, AJ locked on the Black Widow and Aksana didn't even put up a fight. She simply tapped.
AJ let go and screamed in victory. Dolph came into the ring and he picked her up again, kissing her sloppily. She kissed him back as they pulled away. She looked to the Titantron, glaring at it, hoping Vickie was watching. She smoothly wiped the bottom of her mouth with the back of her hand, licking her lips, and making a display of it all. Dolph kissed her temple again, knowing what she was doing.
She looked up at him and she held up his hand in victory as well, screaming at everyone, "Your Royal Rumble winner!" she yelled at everyone, hoping that a microphone would pick it up so everyone would know who they were looking at.
"Future Diva's champion!" Dolph yelled too, nodding his head when she looked up at him.
They were going to rule the world.