Chapter 12: Your New WWE Universal Champion

"You really don't have to do this." His face was defeated as he watched her from the other side of the kitchen table.

"What are you supposed to pick them up with?" she nodded towards the sling his arm sat in as she went down the list of his prescriptions for each day. "Besides the pill sorter makes you seem like a little ol' man and that's a riot."

"Glad you're amused."

"And it's not like we've made friends with the neighbors, or your parents can just pop by to make sure you're doin' okay. Someone has to take care of ya."

She returned to meticulously double checking each day's pills, but she could feel his eyes on her.

"Hey Bex…"

"Mhmm?"

"I'm sorry. 'Bout what I said in hospital?"

"'Bout my ring being cheap? Good I was mad 'bout that."

"No I mean, about you and The Demon chattin' it up, I… I dunno. It was dumb."

She stopped for a moment, "that's aiight."

"No I was just…lashin' out for some reason. It's not your fault he's been comin' out so much."

"O' course not…you didn't upset me. Really." She looked up and smiled at him, his face remained unconvinced.

"Okay." A small smile appeared on his face as he looked her over. "He does seem to like ya though."

"What? You're crazy."

"Nah it's true. Can't seem to keep 'im away from ya."

She forced a laugh and he grinned, but she felt the nervousness return. It must've crossed her mind before that he'd be too smart for this to last long. He was joking right? He thought he was being cute? He was off the scent, at least for now. Isn't he?

He slumped over to the couch, pulling a tube of ointment out of his backpack.

"You gonna let me 'elp with that?"

"Bex…" he protested, but didn't fight when she took it from his hands an knelt beside the couch. "Why do ya feel the need to take care o' me so much, huh?

She dabbed a bit onto his blackened eye and he winced.

"I shouldn't have let The Demon go out there."

"Now that's ridiculous."

"It's really not. I'm the only one who knows how out o' control you are like that." She dabbed more of the ointment onto her fingers, simply saying "Shirt."

He rolled it up to the top of his chest, and she realized she hadn't actually seen him like this since the bruises had developed. They dotted his body like angry spots across his rib cage, his abs, down to the waistband of his sweatpants.

"God you look terrible," she said, rubbing the last bruise on his lower abdomen.

"I don't think that's fair, I've been workin' out, see," he tucked in his stomach, flexing the muscles underneath her fingertips.

Her hand quivered for a moment but she managed to shoot him an angry look and he relaxed, beaming.

When she made it up to the bruise high on his chest, he whispered softly, "Bex..."

His face was only a few inches from hers. She looked into his eyes and he smiled slightly, "this isn't your fault. Don' ya know by now I never listen to a word ya say?"

She laughed a little and looked down at her hands, spinning the top back on the tube. His fingertips brushed the ends of her hair gently.

"I shoulda tried."

"It's okay." He rolled his shirt down and propped himself up on his left arm. "Go wash your hands, you don' want that stuff gettin' in your food."

She rolled her eyes but made her way to the bathroom regardless. Looking at herself in the mirror she realized how big the bags under her eyes were. Finn had been released late last night and she'd barely slept at all just thinking about him. Talk about lookin' like hell.

The TV clicked on from the living room and she heard him flip through channels before the RAW theme started playing.

"No way!" she shouted, emerging from the hallway. Finn hid the remote behind his back with his good hand the moment he saw her. "You're not watchin' this."

"Only for a moment…" he protested.

"Ladies and gentlemen we have some unfortunate news fallowing last night's Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Universal Championship," came Michael Cole's voice from the speakers.

"Gimme it," she stepped closer as he dodged her.

"I jus' wanna see who wins it."

"You're a liar," she made a sudden lunge for it, but he stood up and held it high above his head. "Oh really? You're not that tall mate."

He only had about 5 inches on her, but that didn't stop him from mocking her when he got the chance.

"Tall enough," he lengthened his body and beamed as she started jumping for it. She caught his eyes grazing over the neckline of her top but they quickly returned to her face.

"It's two hands again one, give it up." She grumbled, trying to catch him off guard.

"Well I guess I will just havta be a bit more clever then huh?" With that he tossed the remote towards the cushions and caught her with his one arm as she dove for it.

They both crashed into the corner of the couch, Becky found their legs entwined and his arm around her shoulder. He winced from the impact.

"Did that hurt you?"

"I'm aiight," he said, shifting his body to cover the remote.

"Good cause ya brought it on yourself."

He laughed, "worth it," and his eyes scanned her up and down again. He'd been doing that more often recently. She'd catch him looking as she got out of the shower, or as she stretched in the gym. Was The Demon onto something about it seeping into his subconscious? Was he aware, somewhere in the back of his mind, what it felt like to be with her?

He met her eyes again and blushed. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"Happens," she said quietly.

Part of her wondered what would happen if she'd just leaned in and kissed him in this moment. Her heart sunk a little bit remembering what had happened the last time she thought to make the first move. He pulled away quickly, reminding her he was 23, the owner, and her trainer. That trust was fragile, he told her, and it was important. He apologized up and down for weeks, making her feel mortified her every time he brought it up again, but never told anyone what had happened. Finn was nothing if not a man of honor, even back then. Could she every let herself believe it might be different now?

"Can we please jus' watch the bloody show Bex?" he said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Fine," she shifted her weight onto her side so she wouldn't crush him anymore. The couch was wide enough for both of them, but just barely. "But I don't approve of it."

xxxxxxxxx

The main event was what she'd expected it to be, the finals in a tournament to crown a new WWE Universal Champion. She'd glanced over at him every time they mentioned it for three hours, and throughout the two qualifiers earlier that night. His face was stone, but she knew the look in his eyes.

Kevin Owens and Cesaro made their entrances and the screen ran a video package of Finn's ill-conceived move from the night before. Byron Saxton commented that Roman wouldn't return until next week, and that Finn Balor would be out 6-8 weeks with a wrist injury.

"We really don't have to watch this," Becky whispered.

"I do."

She fell silent and watched as the match began. She could feel that Finnn's heart was beating quickly, but he didn't say a word for the duration of the 20-plus minutes. Cesaro locked in the sharpshooter a few minutes after 11pm and Michael Cole started shouting about how Kevin Owens was about to tap out to the most Canadian move in wrestling. That he did, and Cesaro lifted the belt, Finn's belt, over his head.

They sat in silence, Becky didn't know what she could do or say to possibly make this better on him. Then she felt something at the side of her neck just bellow her ear, and his lips fully came into contact with her skin.

"Finn…" she made out through half a moan.

"He needs you," The Demon said softly in his thickened voice. "He's just too proud to admit it."

"I'm cross with you, don' even."

"Becky," he nuzzled against her ear, "don't make me plead."

"Ya broke his wrist and nearly cost him his career!" she glared at him, feeling a knot in her throat. "I shoulda stopped you. I knew you'd hurt 'im."

"Well that's not exactly fair now is it? Anything I do is because it's what Finn...craves." His face scrunched up as he pulled away from her. "Finn chooses to hit his opponent harder than he should. I do the dirty work. Finn decides to jump off a steel cage at ten feet and try to knock Roman off his feet. I'm the one who has to follow through."

She crossed her arms looking down at his sling, but his eyes stayed on her.

"And for that matter, Finn wants you. He thinks about ya all the time. He closes his eyes at night and he fantasizes about you. Your eyes, your smile, your body. But who's the one who made it happen? That'd be me."

"If he wants me so badly, why hasn't he gone for it in 15 bloody years? Knowing I'd say yes?" She turned sharply to him, his face was stoic beneath the black eye. "Knowing that this is what I want? That he's the only one I want?"

That last line came out all choked up in her throat. His face softened and he moved a piece of hair behind her ear. It was the first time she'd ever seen The Demon look…sorry.

"You'll have to ask him that yourself, love." He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I'll see you in the morinin'."

She nodded, looking down with tears forming in her eyes. He stood up from the couch, but paused at the doorway.

"He's lucky to have you, that's for sure."