The Deville You Know Ch27
"Stop." Paige said, grabbing Sonya's arm just before it could knock on Triple H's office door. It was shortly before Smackdown, and things were almost set for the show.
"What's wrong?" Sonya asked, like she didn't know.
Paige didn't want to answer. "Nothing, I guess."
"Do you want me to do the talking?" Sonya asked.
"No, I have to, I'm the one who's making the revelation." Paige sighed. "I wish it wasn't such a big deal."
"It's not…ok it is, but think of it as all you are doing is telling someone the truth. That shouldn't ever be hard. Just rip off the band aid, and it's over in a second."
"It's not telling him that's my issue, it's how he will take it."
"You've seen what happened when I told him, and he didn't know me. He was fine about it, it barely phased him. And you said it yourself, he has a pretty good idea that we're together anyway. But if you want to walk away, it's fine."
Paige looked at Sonya. She could tell that Sonya absolutely did not mean that. "No it isn't. Please don't lie to me to make me feel better. You've been patient enough, and it's just one man." Paige knocked on the door before Sonya could say anything else. Hunter called them in from the other side of the door, and they went in.
"Sonya, Paige, take a seat." Hunter gestured to the empty chairs on the room, and they sat down. "So, what's up? Do you have an issue with your creative for tonight?"
"Oh no, it's fine, it's all to set up the elimination match at the PPV anyway, Asuka and I work well together, I think we will have a good match." Sonya replied.
"Then what is it I can do for you?" Hunter asked.
"Well, sir, we thought it was important to let you know something, out of respect for you and, well, it's not a big deal, but it's sensitive, er, you see, I, um…"
"Paige, we're on air in 45 minutes, I need you to spit it out." Hunter said, lightly.
"Sonya and I are dating." Paige blurted out at speed, before time stood still as Hunter sat there, not responding. She couldn't take the silence. "Uh, you know I mean, each other, right?"
Hunter laughed. "Yes, I got what you meant. And you know I asked you about it once before Paige. You didn't do a good job in convincing me you weren't together if I'm honest. Why didn't you just tell me then?"
Paige didn't feel nervous about opening up anymore. "Because of everything I have been through, all I put you and WWE through. When we go public, it's going to bring a lot of publicity that neither of us want, and that still frightens me after everything. To come out as a lesbian will be reopening that dam, and a tsunami is on the other side."
Hunter hadn't changed his expression or demeanour. "How have people reacted to you since you came back this last year nearly?"
"Most have been great, but they don't know this about me."
"Exactly. I think you underestimate our audience. Yes there will be some negativity, but there always is. But it's not going to get you down again, you fought too hard, for too long to get to this point. We were afraid you were going to turn up dead, instead you won the Royal Rumble and had another title run. That's the power you have. My advice is to go public as soon as you are ready, and to find a way to get yourself ready. Whatever you think you need to help you with that, you'll have it, both of you. I think you need to see this as an opportunity."
"An opportunity?" Paige asked. Sonya was happy with the encouragement, but she wasn't expecting this part at all.
"Yes. Your story just got even more remarkable. After everything, you still had a self discovery left to make. That you have gone on to find your, well I don't want to over-characterise things. Answer me one question, both of you, please. How serious is this?"
Paige looked into Sonya's eyes, reached over and took her hand. "Doesn't get more serious. I really think I've found the one for me."
"Same." Sonya said. "I didn't believe in a soul mate until I met her. I want this to last forever."
"It will babe." Paige squeezed her hand and the two leaned over for a quick kiss, remembering where they were.
"That's sweet." Hunter told them. "And just reinforces the role models and ambassadors you could be for WWE."
"Sorry?"
"What?"
Both women were caught off guard.
"That's what I meant as an opportunity. All the stories you have told on tv, but now you have another one to tell, this one from your real life. Before you say anything, I'm not talking about a show on the Network, or more Total Divas, although if you ever felt comfortable, I think a reality show with you two would be money. I'm talking about things like our Be A Star rallies. Nobody in WWE knows the impact of online bullying like you do, and you can share that with them, while at the same time show them that they can be themselves in any way they want. You preached that in your career, and this is just another way you can demonstrate this to people. And then there is Pride month."
"Er, what?" Paige asked.
"Honey, you know Pride month?" Sonya said, seeing Paige look away, realising she hadn't called her that name in front of anyone before. "Just a celebration for people across the community."
"I know, but I'm worried what you want me, I mean us, to do?" Paige looked at Hunter."
"Ok, it might be a little far fetched, but remember that it's not for eight months or so. We get you in one of the main Pride events. Or more. New York, LA, even beyond the US. We get you out there as spokeswomen for the LGBTQ portion of the WWE universe. From there you both could skyrocket. Talk shows, movie premieres, you name it. The company would gain huge publicity, all of it good, and you two could become megastars. I can't see a downside."
"I can." Paige said quietly. She looked up and saw both Sonya and Hunter were looking at her, waiting for her to elaborate. "I'm not out of the closet yet, and I'm not in a hurry to be. I know how I feel about Sonya, but I was terrified to tell you, and who knows how the locker room will take it. I'm not ready for my personal life to be a spectacle again. I don't know when I will be, and you want to hang a big sign on me advertising my sexuality. I'm not sure you will get the positivity you think will come."
Sonya was ready to be reassuring once more. She never got frustrated by it, as she had been there for others, and wanted to keep her promise never to rush Paige. Hunter however, started talking first and came around the desk, to stand in front of Paige, who couldn't look up.
"Paige, look at me." She did as asked. "I've never called you a spectacle, and WWE will never factor in that horrible thing that happened to you in our opinion of you. No matter what you do in life, some people will want to criticise, or attack. What you won't do is let them win. I'm in no doubt that you have fallen in love. I have a feeling you two are going the distance, and I'm prepared to bet big on you both. I want you to be ambassadors for WWE, but only once you're ready. You will get nothing but the full backing of this company, it's board, executives, writers, talent, everyone. Anyone who gives you less than that will answer to me. My door is forever open to you if you get any kind of bullying from a co worker. I don't have that power over the fans or the internet, but our support will be constant and loud, once you go public that is. Do you need more?"
Paige shook her head, feeling a bit stupid.
"Now from a business standpoint, it will raise issues." Hunter continued. "Nobody will buy either of you turning on the other, even if we did it before you went public. Our long term plans to break up Absolution will have to be rethought, along with our booking for you both at Wrestlemania."
"We don't want to mess up creative. We will do whatever's needed, no matter our status, if it's public knowledge or not." Paige was sincere in her words, but Hunter just smiled.
"I know. But take it from me. People stopped buying anything I did against Stephanie after a while, because they all knew we were married. People buy it if it's family, but not couples. Eventually we just had to go with it."
"I remember. Didn't you two make out in the ring in front of Vince?" Paige asked, smirking.
"Good memory. Wasn't my best idea though, I don't think you'll be doing that anytime soon, it's not 2002 anymore, sadly for me, I had a good year." Hunter mused, getting slightly off topic.
"What do you mean?" Sonya asked.
"Right, you were probably too young, you'd have been how old?" Hunter asked.
"Nine." Sonya confirmed.
"Ten, though I still don't feel like I'm older than you." Paige said.
"Well I'm a lot older than both of you, so we'll leave that there, it was just a bad idea that will never be repeated. Check back in with me if you have any concerns. Now I'm afraid I must get to Gorilla. You get off to the locker room, you've got a little time, but not a lot."
"Off to go through this again, I hope they make it easy as you have." Paige said as Hunter was heading to the door, he was clearly in a rush, but stopped in his tracks.
"They don't know?"
"No, they're next, the women at least. Why?"
"Well, I don't think it's going to be the big bombshell you think." Hunter then walked away, smirking to himself.
"What did he mean by that?" Paige asked Sonya, slightly panicked. "They know?"
"That was how I took it." Sonya started, it she stopped as Paige had her phone out.
"Renee? Hi, listen, have you told anyone about Sonya and I? In the locker room I mean?" You sure? Ok, thanks." Paige hung up the phone, but immediately redialled, and had the same conversation with Mandy. "She hasn't said anything either."
"Of course they haven't. If we can't trust either of them then we can't trust anyone. Maybe Hunter was having fun with us, or trying to make it easier on us coming out to them."
Paige thought for a second. "That could be it. Thanks, let's go." They headed straight to the locker room, where they were the last to arrive.
"Sorry girls, can I have your attention a minute." Paige felt her heart going faster, but she knew she should take the lead on this, as the verge ran of the two. She got her quiet pretty quick, all eyes on her. "I, er, I have something to tell you all. Sonya and I want you to know that we are…."
"Dating?"
"Screwing?"
"The worst kept secret in the history of this locker room?"
Came three answers, cutting Paige off, and draining all the colour from her face." "You all knew?" She asked quietly.
"We do now, but we had put the pieces together ages ago." Bayley spoke up for the other women.
"And you're ok?" Paige then asked. There were various murmurs, all of them positive in tone, and Paige felt like she was going to cry. She held Sonya's hand for a second, but was quickly caught up in a hug from Becky Lynch.
"Listen girl, I've known you longer than anyone, you've never seemed so happy than you have this run. I thought the Rumble, the title probably helped, but now I know the real reason. As long as you're happy, I'm happy for you. Both of you." Becky told them both.
"Yeah, but no funny business in the showers, we all have to use them!"Sasha Banks called out, getting a laugh, and ending all the tension. Paige found herself pulled off in one direction by Becky, while Bayley did the same to Sonya, each facing a firing line of questions from several people.
"So how did you figure us out?" Paige asked, after answering hers.
"I was the one who caught on." Alexa admitted. You know we met in the corridor in that hotel in Columbus last month, the three of us went for breakfast?"
"Yeah, but we weren't exactly advertising anything." Paige answered.
"No, but I had that room before, and I distinctly remembered that it was a one bed room. I mentioned it to Becky as a joke that you must be sleeping together."
"And I looked at you, and saw something different in the way you looked at her. Remember how long I've known you. I've seen you in the grip of a crush before, more than once. But you kept sharing rooms, travelling together. We kept talking about it, then Bayley overheard, and asked others what they thought. Renee and Mandy denied it strongly, but if anything made it more obvious something was going on."
"They swore they knew nothing?" Sonya swung round to stare at her friend.
"You asked if I'd blabbed, not if anyone asked. And I thought I'd done better at putting them off. Sorry Paige, Sonya." Mandy genuinely felt bad.
"I guess it's ok, when Becky gets convinced of something, it's hard to persuade her otherwise."
"True." The Irish woman shrugged. "I wanted to confront you so bad, but I decided to let you come to us. I knew you'd be shy about it, but you can trust us." Becky gave her old friend another hug, and Paige returned it.
"Fine, I guess you can share with your partners too, I know that means the guys will find out but please, keep it off the internet, socials, TMZ and all that?" There was a murmuring of agreement. Paige sighed, relieved, but still nervous of how things might be. She took the empty locker next to Sonya.
"See, it's going to be ok." Sonya told her, and Paige gave her a kiss.
"Hey! I said none of that!" Sasha called out again, clearly in jest, and the rest laughed.
Slowly the conversations turned from the first couple in their locker room to the job at hand for the evening. With the year coming close to the end, thoughts were with the upcoming big shows. Paige, Sonya and Mandy were booked to be part of a Survivor Series team, unless the days revelations had altered plans that much. They filmed some backstage segments related to that match, and Paige's match with Asuka turned into a mass brawl with some of the other participants before they were done for the night. Like most superstars, they were out of the building quick and off to the nearby hotel for the evening. They parked down a side street, that probably was usually quiet, but this evening it was swarming with rental cars.
"Do you want to get some dinner before we turn in?" Sonya asked, getting no response from the other side of the car. She went round to find Paige staring up at the night sky. "You ok?"
Paige took a few seconds before speaking. "Yeah, I just think that all went so well. Far more than I expected. Do you think someone got to them, made sure they didn't disapprove of us to our faces?"
"I don't care." Sonya said bluntly. "If someone really has an issue, we will find out in time. And I don't care if they do. Tonight went well, better than hoped, so why don't we take the win, go up to our room, order room service, find some bad movie an tv, and not watch it?"
Paige laughed. "Perfect. I love you." She slid her hand over Sonya's cheek to bring her in for a kiss, completely oblivious to anything going on in the world around her, including the camera flash. She finished unloading what they needed for the night, heading in, both of them looking forward to a pleasant evening.
But at the same time, a young fan, showing off the fact that he got to take a picture with Randy Orton by posting it on social media, was about to have his photo go viral, but not for the reason he wanted, as someone retweeted it with his own words.
"Pleased for the kid, but has anyone else noticed that Paige and Sonya Deville are kissing right behind them?"
A.N.: Uh oh.
The power of the internet is about to hit them full on. How do you think they are they going to react?
Thanks for reading.