It was always tough for Sasha to resume work right after the holidays—she hated leaving her mom on her own, despite assuring her that she would be okay. After losing her brother a few years ago, it had been just the two of them taking care of each other. Her mom worked as a nurse at their local hospital, and had good friends who always kept her company, but still—the thought of her living alone in the small house Sasha bought for her just a few months after she got called up to the main roster ripped her heart a bit. This was life on the road, and they both knew and accepted that.
With a sigh, she made her way towards the women's locker room. It was the Monday after Christmas, and people were still in cheerful spirits. She was a bit early, and had more than enough time to settle her things and grab dinner.
As expected, she was the only Superstar at catering along with a couple of members from the production crew. Taking a plate, she scanned the buffet and helped herself to some chicken and lasagna.
"Someone's early," she heard Seth's voice from behind.
"Hey, Seth," Sasha forced a smile, waiting as he took his own plate and filled it up with chicken wings, baked potatoes, and macaroni salad.
"How was your Christmas?" Seth asked her, leading the way to a table.
"It was good. My mom and I got to spend some quality time," she recalled the dinner they both cooked and spent eating in front of the TV, watching the latest season of Gilmore Girls.
"Same," Seth chuckled. "Kept beating Brandon and my step-dad at Mario."
"So competitive," Sasha chuckled.
"You okay?" he asked her. "You seem a little off tonight."
"Yeah, just tired I guess. What time did you get in?"
"I just drove here from Davenport. Arrived about twenty minutes ago. Are you sure you're alright?" he pressed, noticing that the usual gleam in her eyes wasn't quite there, and it bothered him.
"Yeah," she sighed again, before suddenly breaking down into tears. "I just miss my mom," she cried into her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Oh shit!" Seth stood up and rushed around the table towards her. "Uh," he scratched the back of his ear, before crouching down and rubbing Sasha's back gently.
"Sorry," she sniffed, wiping the tears with her hand and taking a napkin from the table to blow her nose. "Coming back from the holidays is always the hardest for me. I hate having to leave her on her own."
Seth smiled sympathetically. He knew about Sasha's family—how her mom raised them as a single mother, before her older brother got diagnosed with liver cancer and died just before he turned 20.
"How about a vanilla milkshake later tonight?" he offered, watching as her sobs lessened. "My treat."
"Sure," Sasha smiled through the tears. "Thank you."
He placed a hand on the back of her head, pushing it forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll meet you here after the show."
Later, when Sasha had changed out of her blue and pink wrestling gear and into leggings and a Dean Ambrose 'ugly' Christmas sweatshirt, Bayley and Charlotte entered the women's locker room looking for her.
"Hey, Sash. We're going out with New Day and some of the other guys tonight. You coming?"
"It's okay. Rollins owes me a milkshake."
"So you guys are going out?" Charlotte asked, fighting the smirk.
"Uh, yeah?"
"Just you two?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Is it like a date?"
"No!" Sasha glared at them, packing the rest of her stuff and zipping her bag close. "We're just hanging out. That's what friends do," she said with a huff before slinging her bag onto her shoulder and storming off to catering.
"What do you think is going on between those two?" Charlotte asked Bayley once Sasha left.
"I think they're both in serious denial."
"I would kill to be at wherever they'll be in tonight."
"Don't even think about it, Charlotte."
...
"What is it with you and putting over the weirdest merch?" Seth raised an eyebrow, eyeing her ugly sweatshirt.
She giggled. "What? It's comfy."
"How come you never put me over?"
"Then give me one."
"What? You mean to tell me the only reason you wear that shit is because Cena and Ambrose gave them to you?"
"Yeah," Sasha shrugged. "Hasn't anyone ever given you?"
"Uh, only Roman. But that's not counted. Why would they even give you their merch?!"
"Believe it or not Seth, but I'm actually a sweetheart."
Seth grumbled. Sasha had that kind of effect on all the male superstars—he wasn't sure if it was her hundred-watt smile, the sense of naivety she gave off, or how grounded she was despite living her dreams, but there was something about her that softened hearts and turned even the Lunatic Fringe into a generous, sweatshirt-giving person. Seth needed to fix the situation fast. Making a mental note, he would give her ALL of his merch; Black and Brave's included.
It took them a while, but they eventually found a place in Chicago that served milkshakes that late in the night.
"I'll have a strawberry smoothie and a tray of beef and cheese nachos," he told the waiter before looking at Sasha.
"I'll get a vanilla milkshake—extra thick, please."
"You're going to need an extra 30 minutes on the treadmill tomorrow."
"Whatever, it's worth it."
He chuckled before leaning back against his chair. "So."
"So," she repeated.
"Got anything else you want to get off your chest?"
"Actually," Sasha pulled up her bag. "I got you something. Consider it a late Christmas gift."
Seth laughed. "You did?" he asked, leaning forward as he watched her take out a small box wrapped in silver and gold.
"Here," she handed it to him with a shy smile. "Open it."
Seth carefully opened the gift to reveal the latest Apple Watch Nike+. "Hey!" his eyes lit up, taking the watch out and wearing it on his wrist. "This is awesome!"
Sasha grinned, watching him tinker around with it. "I mean you got an iPhone and an iPad—figured you'd like that."
"I do!" Seth looked at her. She was still grinning, and he wanted nothing more than to pull her close and plant a kiss on her lips.
"Yay! Glad you like it," she beamed.
Their orders arrived a few minutes later as they both sipped on their drinks and helped themselves to some nachos. "Where are you spending New Year's?" he asked her.
"I'm actually going to be with Bayley. I got Maid of Honor duties."
"Oh yeah, wedding's in February, right?"
"Yeah. And there's so much to do," Sasha groaned. "Planning a wedding in two months while you're on the road is not easy. I don't know how she stays chill."
"Because it's Bayley."
"Yeah, well. As her best friend, I want the perfect wedding for her. I even recruited TJ to be my runner."
"TJ? Perkins?"
"Yeah, he's Aaron's Best Man. We've been helping each other out with all the stuff that's still needed."
"Oh," Seth nodded, unable to fight the tinge of jealousy. So TJ and Sasha had been hanging out? Well, it wasn't because she wanted to. It was because they needed to. Whatever, TJ wasn't really her type, right? No, that wasn't true. He'd seen her Tweets a few times—they even had photos together posted on his Instagram. "Hey, you know. If you need help with anything, I can be your runner, too."
Sasha snickered. "Thanks, Seth. I might just take you up on that."
The following Monday after New Year, RAW aired live in Tampa, Florida as Seth walked the halls of the arena in search of Sasha. He found her seated on one of the production crates, a notebook in her hand as she scanned a list of things still needed for Bayley's wedding. Beside her was TJ Perkins, scanning the list as well, and was sitting a little too close for Seth's liking.
"Hey, Sash," he smiled at her before nodding at TJ.
"Hi, Seth," she gestured for him to sit on the crate without looking up from the list. "TJ, you need to host. There's really no other option," she continued.
"I'll only host if you host with me," the half-Filipino said.
"Dude, you know I can't do it. I'll end up stuttering in front of everyone."
"Just think of it as a promo," he chuckled.
"No," Sasha pursed her lips, making TJ laugh, which annoyed Seth though he tried to hide it.
"Fine. I'll host," TJ agreed, taking the pen from Sasha's hand and crossing out the word "host" on the list. "What's next?"
"Neckties. That should be your job," Sasha took the pen back, scribbling TJ's name.
"Food tasting—how do we go about that?" TJ leaned in again, his chin almost resting on Sasha's shoulder, and Seth almost scowled.
"Ugh, that's going to be hard," Sasha rubbed her temple. "Bayley doesn't care—she'd probably send me to do it."
"I'll come with you," TJ shrugged. "We have a window tomorrow until Thursday. We can fly to Stamford tomorrow, and then fly to Georgia in time for the live show."
Sasha thought about it. It was a good window to take. "Yeah, that works."
"Can I come?" Seth suddenly interrupted. "I think I have a pretty reliable palate."
"Sure," TJ said before looking at Sasha. "We can use all the help we can get. Let's try to check off a few other things while we're there."
"Good idea," Sasha nodded, smiling up at Seth. "Welcome to the club."
...
Seth, TJ and Sasha arrived in Stamford the following afternoon. Booking an Uber, they headed towards the most convenient hotel, which was strategically located near all the places they needed to visit.
"What? You guys are in Stamford right now?" Bayley laughed. She was still back in Tampa having breakfast with Charlotte.
"Uh, yeah? Because you're not going to do any of this, dude. So you're welcome."
Bayley laughed. "Dude, just pick the safe ones."
"It's a wedding, Bayley. We can't have crap chicken as your food for the guests."
"You are way too invested in this."
"That's my job as your Maid of Honor!"
"I can't believe you even got Seth to come with you."
"Seth volunteered," Sasha handed him the phone. "Tell her you asked to come with us."
"Help me, Bestie," Seth pressed the phone to his ear. "Sasha's a slave driver," he said, causing Sasha to smack his shoulder while TJ laughed out loud.
"He's lying," Sasha took the phone back. "Anyway, I'll call you again. We're about to check in."
Rolling her suitcase towards the concierge, Sasha smiled at the lady behind the counter. "Hi. Can we get three rooms, please?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Ma'am. We're quite booked for the next few days," the lady told her. "There's a huge business conference happening nearby and we're down to our last room."
"Fuck," Seth muttered.
"What we can do," the lady continued, "is upgrade the room to two queens."
Sasha looked to Seth and TJ. "Uh..."
"Just take it," Seth told her. "We're only here for a night anyway. Let's just figure out the sleeping arrangements later."
"Fine," she looked back at the lady. "We'll take it."
Bringing their bags up to the room, it was spacious enough for the three of them—except for the two queen beds issue.
"Okay, so you guys can take one bed and I'll take the other," Sasha took charge right away but Seth and TJ looked at each other awkwardly. If it was Roman, Dean or Cesaro, Seth would have been cool with it. But this was TJ—they barely knew each other. Even TJ looked like he felt uncomfortable with the idea.
"Why don't you just bunk in with me?" Seth suggested. "I'll give you enough space, I promise."
Sasha paused and thought about it, looking to TJ who seemed to like the idea better. At least he got a bed to himself. "Fine," Sasha said in defeat. "Let's go," she motioned, as they left the hotel again to visit the caterer Bayley had chosen.
The trip to the caterer was almost a disaster—the three of them couldn't agree on anything. After multiple phone calls with Bayley, with Sasha almost losing her mind, they finally finished two hours later and finalized the menu for the wedding. "What's the next stop?" Seth asked impatiently.
"We pick up the invites, buy the ties, and decide on the cake," Sasha double checked her list.
Seth chuckled. "Geez, is this your wedding or Bayley's?"
"I told you. Bayley doesn't care. She and Aaron have been together since forever. They just want this wedding to be over and done with."
"Hey, at least when it's your turn, you've got it all down, right?" TJ smiled at her.
"Ha. Right," she muttered under her breath.
"Come on, Sash. You're a beautiful girl. Bet you half the guys in the entire locker room would kill to marry a girl like you," TJ continued.
Seth tried not to scowl again. He'd have to kill half the guys in the locker room first before they even thought about getting together with her.
It was past dinner by the time they finished, and after grabbing a quick bite from McDonald's, they headed back to the hotel exhausted. Sasha called dibs on the shower first—she was thankful she had packed full pajamas instead of her usual shorts and a tank top. She closed the door to the bathroom, eyeing Seth as he leaned back on their bed and watched whatever TJ was watching.
"You okay with London Has Fallen?" TJ asked him, settling on the channel.
"Yeah, sure," Seth shrugged.
She emerged ten minutes later in her baby pink, Spirited Away pajamas as Seth stood and used the shower next. Taking a seat on her side of the bed, she looked to TJ who was leaning on the headboard of his.
"I'm so happy we finished everything," she spoke, pulling her hair into a ponytail.
"I know. Now all we've got to do is watch them get married," he snickered.
"Thanks for helping, TJ," she smiled at him. "I don't think I could have done this alone."
"I'm sure you would have managed," he assured. "Besides, you've got Seth."
She blushed a bit, and he couldn't help but smirk. "Wait a minute—is there something going on?"
"No!" She shook her head. "We just hang out a lot."
"Really? Because he looks at you like...I don't know," he shrugged.
"Like what?"
"Like he's in love with you."
"That's crazy," Sasha laughed and shook her head.
"Why?"
"I don't know. Seth doesn't seem like the type to do relationships, and honestly, I'm not sure I'm ready for one either."
"Can I give you an outsider's honest opinion?" TJ sat up. "Don't wait around too long. These are the kinds of life-changing moments you shouldn't miss out on."
TJ leaned back again when the bathroom door opened as Seth watched them curiously, dressed in athletic shorts and a worn out Black and Brave shirt.
Later that night, while TJ was snoring lightly, Sasha tossed and turned around in bed, finding it hard to fall asleep.
"Banks, I swear to god, I will push you off if you don't stop moving," Seth muttered to his pillow as he turned around and faced her.
"Sorry," Sasha whispered, turning to face him. "I think I might be overthinking the list."
"Relax," he grumbled with eyes closed. "You're doing an awesome job."
Sasha sighed, closing her eyes for the umpteenth time. It was useless. She was wide awake, as she hugged the extra pillow in between her and Seth. She opened her eyes to watch him, his eyebrows furrowed and chin tucked, snoozing peacefully.
"Seth," she whispered again, poking his cheek as he opened his eyes.
"What?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, nothing," she shook her head. "Forget it."
He sighed. "Spit it out. What's bothering you?"
Sasha was thankful it was dark otherwise he would have seen her as red as a tomato. "So, Bayley's wedding is on the 9th."
"Uhuh."
"And Charlotte's got a date, and Becky's bringing Luke."
She could feel the smirk forming on his face. "Uhuh, and?"
"So I was wondering," she paused, biting her lower lip. "I mean if you're up to it, and if you're not doing anything then, would you like to be my +1?"
His smirk turned into a genuine smile, and he pulled her close all of a sudden, wrapping an arm around her waist and placing a kiss on her forehead. "I'd love that, Sash."
"Yeah?" she smiled up at him.
"Of course," he kissed the top of her head this time.
She sighed in relief and closed her eyes, resting her head on the crook of his neck. Seth hugged her tighter, as she finally fell fast asleep.