A/N: Thanks to my amazing readers, and also, my guest reviews. So did anyone watch Survivor Series? Because I was soooo pissed at pretty much the outcome of every single match. Very disappointed. Also, I refuse to watch any main events that include Sheamus. If you like him, fine, but I don't see how using Sheamus in such a prestigious way is going to help create a future for the WWE. All they are is burying great talents, like Rusev and the Wyatts. It's too bad. But enough rambling. I'm glad we all agree on the pairing now. It's kinda outside the box, but I'm bored of writing OC stories right now.

"I don't know. I don't see myself falling in love with anyone," AJ was sitting cross-legged on Seth's bed, answering the question he'd asked about whether or not she saw herself getting into a relationship again.

Seth rolled his eyes at her, shoving a slice of their shared cheese pizza into his mouth. So what if it wasn't exactly part of their diet? For the next week or so, they'd both be in they gym and in the ring non-stop; they'd agreed on a cheat-day.

"So...you're just looking for a quick dick?" he poked fun at her, smirking as she cringed at his statement.

AJ almost spat out the last swig left that she had of her sugar-free Red Bull when he winked at her. Seth enjoyed making her squirm; although at this point, he knew there was no chance of anything like that happening between them. They got along too well...and he was Seth Rollins, master manipulator and relationship ruiner. And since he'd taken a dancer from a strip joint to his room a few weeks back, he definitely had the urge to sleep with someone who wasn't on coke. Sure, AJ was attractive, and his brain wondered about her in the sack...but now that he'd spent the past couple days with her, he'd started to see her in an entirely new light.

There was something about her. He respected her too much to even try anything. Besides, knowing his own track record, anything between them would be a certain inevitable heartbreak.

And that was the last thing either of them needed.

He would never admit out loud that the past couple days with her had been a few of the best days he'd had in awhile. AJ brought out a more fun, sunny side to him, something he lost throughout the bullshit he'd drawn himself to. She had even seemed to be much lighter, not mentioning her failed marriage once while they were together. He knew she was still upset, but he figured if she ever wanted to talk to him about what was on her mind, then she probably would. But, at the same time, he hardly was an expert in such a department.

"No, you asshat. I'm a mess, and I know it. I don't trust a single soul further than I could throw them, with the exception of Paige," she set her empty can on the nightstand, running her hand through her dark hair. She wore a plain black t-shirt and yoga pants, her dirty Chuck Taylor shoes tossed against the furthest wall along with a sweatshirt.

Seth put a hand over his heart, a pained expression on his face. "I'm really hurt!" he exclaimed, standing up from the spot on the floor he'd been sitting. He playfully shoved her, and she tipped over easily, her hair tumbling against the puke green quilt. She laughed, and Seth had to calm himself; as beautiful as she looked in that moment, she was off-limits.

"I bet you one day you'll find someone who's worth it," he shuffled towards the bathroom.

"I thought I had. But even so, I think for now, I'm just going to fall back in love with myself. Being cheated on literally shreds every bit of self-worth a person has," AJ jabbed at him, and Seth couldn't help but wince. Yet another reminder of why he didn't deserve a good girl or a good relationship.

"The right person builds you back up, though," he pointed out before shutting the bathroom door behind him.

"He did. The first person I fell in love with, Jay? He cheated on me, too. Fucking around with Dixie Carter behind my back, from TNA. And it took forever to get over it. Then, enter CM Punk, a handsome fella I'm thrown into a storyline with. We have a million things in common, and even though his past is splotchy at best, I was willing to look past it. What a fucking mistake!" AJ continued talking while he took a leak, and Seth kind of understood her reluctance now. How shitty that she couldn't keep a guy looking her way. If he'd found her before they were two damaged people, he'd treat her like a queen...

Quit fucking thinking like that.

When he re-emerged, she sat on the bed yet, now in thought. She didn't bring her pretty eyes to his, instead focusing on her thumbnail.

"There is a huge amount of freedom that comes to you when you don't take things personally," he spoke finally. She looked towards him, quirking her eyebrow. She wanted him to keep talking. "Seriously, AJ. I don't think him screwing you over has a thing in the world to do with you. It's all in his own mind. He didn't make you as happy as you deserve to be, so he made the choice to ruin what you had."

AJ bit her lip, trying not to show emotion. "He put me through hell. And I called it love," she said quietly, looking at her thumbnail again. She was clearly uncomfortable, so Seth quickly searched his brain to change the bitter mood.

AJ beat him to the punch, though. "It's sad how someone can go from the reason you wake up in the morning to the reason you cry yourself to sleep at night," she muttered, getting up from the bed. He didn't know how to react; she looked like she was about to cry. Putting his hand on her shoulder, she looked him in the eye.

"You're not any different," she stated coldly, something she kept throwing in his face when she got worked up over her situation. Seth mentally kicked himself for even letting it get this far. After the fun they'd had the previous day, of course he'd say something stupid to offset all of that.

"Right. And are you trying to keep convincing yourself that I can't change? Or are you trying to convince me?" he shot back, sounding angrier than he intended.

Her jaw began to grind, ready to say something in defense.

"AJ, you don't have to remind me badly I fucked up. We all do the things we swore we never would. It is what it is, and it was what it was. Fuck the past. Life is in front of you. In front of us. We should own it."

Something must have connected in his words as she flung herself into his chest, letting a deep sob come right from her heart. He wrapped his arms around her, trying not to notice her ever-present scent of honey and apples. They stood there, embraced, for a long while; he let her cry into his shirt until she couldn't cry anymore.

"I'm glad we're friends," she said as she stepped away from him, wiping her eyes. "I appreciate you. Even though this partnership is fucked up, Seth, and super unlikely, being with you makes me feel like all the pain he put me through is something I can get through."

"AJ, that's because you can. And I'm happy to spend my time with you."

AJ hated that in just a night's sleep away, she'd have to part ways with Seth. Not that she'd ever admit it out loud, but he turned out to be a really decent friend, offering solid advice and a nice-smelling shirt to cry her eyes out into.

The last couple days together were wonderful, with the exception of a showdown earlier back at the hotel room. Like always, she started to get all girly and sad over Punk, even though she knew the ending result was something she couldn't control. While AJ figured the road to recovery was going to be very hard to walk, she had to get a hold of herself. This was ridiculous.

Even though she wasn't thrilled to begin her process of jobbing to Eva Marie, at least throwing her focus back into work would help her to forget about the pain...not to mention the mental anguish of allowing Seth Rollins to begin crumbling the wall she was furiously building. She wasn't prepared to connect with him in such a great way. Turned out, he was exactly the kind of person she needed right now.

She watched him as he flipped through a book at a local used bookstore downtown. He admitted he knew quite a bit about Greek philosophy, even trying to explain the ideas he'd learned about in the past. When he began comparing those ideas to modern religious beliefs, though, AJ tuned him out. It was kind of cute in a dorky way. She wandered towards the manga section, distancing herself from him as she looked through the collection on the shelves.

The place was deserted; the weather outside rainy and chilly. The shopkeep was a quiet old woman who stocked books wordlessly, the old-fashioned register within eye's distance. Grabbing a book from a series she read regularly but hadn't found yet, she made her way back towards Seth, who now held his stupid phone in his hand instead, thumbing through pictures.

Sneaking up on him, she stood on her tip-toes to get a better view, clear over his shoulder. The Instagram's owner was undeniable; her black hair and neck tattoos fierce, clad in a bikini and posing in a shameless, promiscuous way. Zahra's eyes were intense, a sultry look to whoever the photographer was.

"She is pretty. In a psycho, Nazi, trashy sort of way," AJ said aloud, startling the man.

"AJ! What the-I didn't know you were behind me."

AJ shrugged. "It's no big deal. Guys like to look at boobs. I get it, kind of."

"She'd asked for my opinion...it's a shoot for some magazine. She knew that I...well, nevermind."

"She knew it was hot, and wanted to remind you of the hot woman you're missing out on," AJ guessed, and he didn't have to confirm or deny her statement. She wasn't born yesterday, and knew it was a mind game played by Zahra's type.

"Probably. But y'know, they always say you can have a beautiful face, but if your heart's ugly, the outer beauty means nothing."

"Didn't stop you," AJ bitterly tossed back at him, not thinking twice. "Anyways, are you ready to get out of here? I saw a coffee shop down the road a little, I could use a little pick-me-up."

Seth grabbed the book on philosophy he'd set down while oggling Zahra's goodies, making way to the register. AJ fell in step behind him, trying to ignore the nagging jealous feeling she had in the pit of her stomach. Why was it bothering her that he still checked out his old booty call? They were literally nothing but good friends, but she thought Seth was over that chapter of his life. And seeing that kind of made her think otherwise.

After they'd both purchased their books, they traipsed down the pavement to the coffee shop. AJ was happy to see that they also served bakery items and fresh fruit, opting for a cup of blueberries to compliment her plain jane black coffee.

"Yuck," Seth commented after she ordered. "That's like drinking ass."

AJ snorted, tossing a blueberry at his nose. "You'd know all about what ass tastes like, with your lips super lued to Hunter's and all," she teased. He rolled his eyes, poking her in the ribcage as they settled in a corner booth. That began all sorts of talk about some of the superstars, past and present, who made literal deals with the devil in order to gain momentum in the company.

"Okay, okay. True or false, then. Nikki Bella broke your record because Vince is all over John Cena, and that's her play thing," Seth finally asked the question that everyone wondered about, but nobody was certain of the real answer.

"I'm inclined to say it's true...but I think more or less they were interested in erasing Phil from the company. And me, by default...well, you know," AJ popped one of her few remaining blueberries into her mouth, pretending like she wasn't hurt in the slightest that the place she loved as her home would try to rid of her completely. In truth, it sucked; knowing the real-life beef she had with the Bellas, even way back then. Knowing that she had worked hard as hell to shatter glass ceilings for the divas division. Knowing where she came from.

Seth gave a nod. "I think that once they finally hand the belt off to Roman, they're going to allow him to surpass the longest reigning WWE champion record," he stated, opting not to use the name.

"Why not you?" she asked.

"Because it was always about Roman."

AJ shrugged in response. Though her prior interactions with Roman Reigns were certainly less than spectacular, he had improved greatly. She personally wouldn't put him above Seth's talent, but that wasn't her call. Then again, many people would say the same for her and Kaitlyn. Looking back at Seth as he took a sip from his green tea, she noticed he was still pained about his broken friendship. If anyone could recognize sadness, it was definitely her.

"Have you tried offering Roman or Dean that good old olive branch?" she asked. Seth made a face.

AJ offered him the last of her blueberries, and he took one from the container, shoving it back her way. Shoving it in his mouth, he chewed slowly. "I know it's not going to happen. We're all in different points in our lives now. You know...Dean, still acting like a teenager, dating a few women and pretending he doesn't give a rat's ass about Renee Young even though the whole world already knows better. She doesn't like his antics, though; he still drinks more than he should and spends way too much time flirting with other women to stay faithful to just one. Roman...well, his relationship with his wife was rocky, but they were going through therapy. They didn't want to do damage to their daughter by separating, even though neither of them was happy. Not sure how any of that turned out."

"You know, Seth, it actually sounds like you are all on the same paths right now. More than you'd think," she pointed towards him. "You're all in possible life-altering chapters of your lives. And if you want to know what I think, I'll tell you the truth."

"Okay, shoot."

AJ took a quick breath. "You guys should just hash out whatever bad blood and tension there still is between you. Sure, you've become such good friends with Kevin and Cesaro, but you made it here together, you and your former Shield mates. So I think you should try settling it. At the very least, I bet all of you would be a slight bit happier."

"I'm happy," Seth said with monotone, a dull look in his eyes.

"Lies," AJ smirked. "Watch out, or Professor Umbridge will get her big, bad magical pen out on you. Your hand will be scarred up for life."

"Huh?" Seth was confused, and AJ quickly realized she was way too far in over her head to back out with that joke.

"It's um...Harry Potter. Nevermind," she looked away, trying not to look as embarrassed as she felt. Why did he always make her feel so shy?

Because his ex-girlfriends were more interested in the new Burberry bags for the season, not Hogwarts!

But why did it even matter to her? She never, ever let a person make her feel less than herself. Let alone this guy. Suddenly, she got the overwhelming urge to get the hell out of here, anxiety settling in. She hated feeling like she was inferior.

"You ready? I'm tired. I think I'll just get a room by myself tonight," she stood up urgently, tossing her empty paper cup into a nearby garbage. Seth's surprised look caught her eye as she whipped towards the door, her pace quickening as she hit the outside. Much to her dismay, the rain had picked up.

And, even worse, she couldn't remember which way she was supposed to go to get back to the hotel.

"AJ, what's wrong?" Seth asked as the heavy drops beat on their heads. She shivered, pulling her sweatshirt closer to her body. Being so small had downsides, all right.

"Why would you want to be friends with me? I'm a girl that knows about video games. I read all the Harry Potter books. I bought this manga just a few hours ago!" she held out the plastic bag, being sure to shield the contents from the downpour. "You...you are only interested in the women with the tattoos, and the pretty faces. The women who are rowdy and wild. Who know things about department stores, and the most entertaining thing they read is their monthly subscription to Cosmo."

Seth threw up his hands. "Seriously? First off, AJ, I'm friends with you because you're not like most girls. I respect that and I like that. You're completely different than either Zahra or Leighla, and it's a relief, because if you recall, those two women hate me. I can actually talk to you about things that are interesting to both of us. Do you have any idea how much I've heard about new shades of MAC lipsticks? Or that Jimmy Choo's newest shoes were sold out everywhere? So what if I didn't catch your joke about Harry Potter? You don't know a damn thing about philosophy or Homer's Iliad, but I don't expect you to. And rowdy and wild? Not really. I like a good time, but I like someone that I feel like I can talk to about anything. And that's where you come in," Seth held out his arm, offering her to lace her arm through. "You don't need to run away from me just because I care about your thoughts and feelings. Let's get back to the hotel room and finish the night off, hanging out like we have been. I think I saw Iron Man playing on one of those channels later tonight.

OMG, youll nvr guess who i just saw 2gether! -B

Nikki Bella rolled her eyes as she read the text from her sister, who decided to leave her sit in her room all by her lonesome and check out the downtown scene. Nikki didn't recognize a single boutique, so it was fair to assume that most the shops were ma and pa places. And that was hardly cool. No, thank you.

Idk, and idc.

Okay, so she was still being salty. They had one photo shoot to do together tonight for Pro Wrestling Insider magazine, then they'd be off on their next journey. Nikki couldn't remember which city they were headed to next, she normally left Brie in charge of that schedule. Or John, whoever she was with.

But John, as usual, had been so distant lately. Even though he was super busy with the Make-A-Wish program and signings and guest appearances, he also agreed to be part of a new fitness television show. That meant their time together was rare, and she hadn't been to their home they shared in awhile. What was the point? To sleep in his big, empty bed? How lonely.

Her phone buzzed again, and even though she hoped it was John, she knew better. He normally only texted her late at night. If she was really lucky, he'd speak to her on the phone for a few minutes before he would turn in for the night.

W/e, N. AJ and Rollins, chummy as can b at the coffee place downtown. -B

Hmmm. Now that was something of interest.

After their showdown on Monday night, Nikki and Brie were both slapped with fairly large fines from Stephanie. And even though both the twins were amazed to find out AJ even still had a spot on the roster, they figured she was pulling the sympathy card on the McMahon family, just like she had when she wanted to be the Diva's champion. Poor, nerdy little AJ. Eating leftovers with her ten brothers from two nights ago. Picked on at school for my ratty clothes. Blah, blah blah.

What was really odd was that she was hanging around Seth Rollins, the pariah of the superstars. After the news broke of CM Punk's new relationship on TMZ, though, maybe AJ was fast to attach herself to anyone who gave a shit. And from what she'd heard, Seth was a straight-up player. He'd probably listen to her cry about all that drama, get her in bed, and drop her on her ass by Sunday.

But if that were true, it was hard picturing him taking a woman to a coffee shop before sleeping with her. If she recalled correctly, she'd heard from Nattie that his fling with the former NXT chick, Zahra, literally stuck in the walls of his hotel room. They had never been on a real date, despite playing off their pairing as a real relationship. She'd also heard that he was sleeping with a porn star on the side.

To each their own, right?

And as much as she truly loathed AJ Lee for all that she was, she still felt like someone should tell her to just watch herself. If AJ hadn't been all over John just a few weeks back, she'd tell John to shoot her a note about Seth's intentions. It was likely Seth was just interested in a new conquest...and AJ was so out of it right now that in Rollins' fucked-up mind, he probably saw her as a long-term project. No doubt he'd hurt her eventually. And probably sooner, rather than later.

So, she did the next best thing. She texted Dolph, and asked him kindly to talk to AJ about Seth. They'd been in a hot storyline a few years ago, and even though Dolph had told Nikki that AJ was awful to work with, he still respected her. AJ had gotten the reputation for being snobby and selfish, using well-developed storylines to propel herself and not offering them to other divas waiting in the wings. That being said, the storyline with Dolph and Big E was a huge success, and maybe she'd listen to what he had to say.

And, if she didn't, and she got burned, well at least Nikki was being a good Samaritan.

Cuddled underneath that puke green bedding, Seth slid alongside AJ, who was turned to face away from him. After she headed to the NXT performance center tomorrow, Seth wouldn't see her for awhile. She'd be working a little bit on the NXT program, coming back to the main roster next week sometime for a little match on Smackdown, which he wasn't scheduled to appear at. It was bittersweet, and he was thankful that even though they'd be hundreds of miles apart, he still had her number saved for when he got a little lonely.

She wore a pair of black and gray striped shorts in addition to one of Paige's older style of t-shirts, which read Scream For Me on the front. She was curled up in a little ball, her hair hanging down her back in loose waves. Seth's leg brushed against hers, and it was cold as ice.

"You know, if you're so cold, I won't be that offended if you decide to put on your Ambrose Asylum sweatpants," he joked, wrapping himself in the bedsheet next to her.

She didn't respond, so Seth flipped back over, propping himself up on his elbow.

"I can, er...sleep on the floor if you hate this that much?" he guessed, thinking that maybe she was still being weird about their relationship like she had earlier. She was a firecracker, that girl. Easy to set off. He still didn't understand her little panic attack in the rain before, but for a split second, she had let him see her insecurities. She normally stood tall and proud, not fearing opinions and not afraid to voice her own. It was even more attractive, however, when she showed a hint of jealousy. Maybe it was a small stroke to his ego, but it was fascinating.

"You don't have to," she said quietly, turning to face him. He hadn't slept in the same bed as a woman since he'd been with Leighla. And even though he wouldn't let AJ know that, it was oddly comforting having the opposite bed weight next to him. He'd miss it.

She still huddled under the blanket, her knees drawn to her chest. Her face was lit by the muted television screen, the credits of Iron Man rolling.

"Thank you for everything. I mean it," she said sincerely.

"AJ, you don't have to thank me and act like we'll never see each other again," Seth clapped her on the shoulder, and she jumped a little at the sudden force.

"I know we will, but it won't be like this."

"Why not? We're friends. So what?"

"So...if people catch on, they'll talk. And Seth, you're great and all, but the last thing I want is a fucking whackjob blowing up my phone with angry Tweets. I don't want that in addition to the shit I already have to see whenever I log on to any form of social media."

"It's not like we're dating. Or even sleeping together." Seth said matter-of-fact. She averted her eyes, something he noticed she did often whenever he friend-zoned her. He figured she was doing this unintentionally, because both of them knew that they would do their damnedest to avoid catching feelings. For both Seth and AJ, a relationship was not in the cards. Not with other people, and not with each other. They'd talked briefly about it the previous night.

"But the way we are right now is kind of couple-y. People wouldn't understand this kind of friendship. And they'd assume..."

"People don't see the way we are right now, do they?" he draped his arm around her, offering her a toothy smile. "And it's not their business. Don't be afraid of trolls like Zahra, Leighla, or their 'I Hate Seth' fan clubs." What in the world was with this new, scared AJ? This was not like her at all; now avoiding her Twitter account. She must be having much harder of a time avoiding questions about her ex-husband than she was letting on.

Nothing like the world wide web asking you your deepest, most personal questions, right? He knew all about that.

"Seth?" she asked after a long, silent moment. "Can you do me a favor?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I won't sleep with you, AJ," he joked. She swatted him playfully. She buried her head in his chest, breathing in the scent for what could very well be the last time.

"Can we maybe...just be like this for a little while?"

Seth wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a hug, allowing her to get comfortable in his arms. "And you were worried about looking couple-y," he murmured.

"Shut up. I'm freezing, we're alone, and I don't care right now. I just miss feeling...a person."

"A person, or Phil?" he pressed, thinking maybe she'd give some kind of lead into her funky thought process tonight.

"No. I don't miss Phil. I just want to feel again, that's all. And this is a nice start."

Seth stroked her dark hair for a minute, watching her eyes droop further. He watched her breathing slow, and watched it even out. Giving her a chaste kiss on the top of her now sleeping head, he re-positioned his own to his pillow in a more comfortable manner. He held her still, not wanting to trade the feeling of closeness.

If things weren't so weird, and if I wasn't the sort of person I was... he was asleep before his thought even finished.