DOMINIK
I looked across the gorilla to where Flo had her little boy Ryan in her arms, doing her best to calm his high pitched cries down. She was stressed and worrying her head off, considering Raw was beginning soon.
Everything she did wasn't working though. Her forced laughs and baby voices. Jokes and tickles, weren't working.
Ryan was only a few months old, but he was growing more and more difficult by the day. The words of Flo. He had an attitude just like his mami did. Or... well Rhea did. I'm not allowed to call her that outside of the ring.
I honestly had an attitude too around him. Because apparently Finn was his favourite uncle... some bullshit that was.
Rhea went over to meet Flo, taking Ryan into her large arms and he immediately calmed down against her chest. She was in her complete outfit ready for her promo shortly, makeup and hair all done. But she always had time for him and Flo.
Always.
They were a family. A beautiful, pretty fucking incredible family. As much as I adored and appreciated them all, I envied them too. I really, really did.
Calling off my engagement was... everything was instantly crushed. I dreamt of a future like theirs. A proposal. A wedding. Pregnancy. A son. Raising a son with the love of my life. But now, my wife's face was blank.
I bounced on my toes, attempting to keep warm for my match with Gunther soon. It was gonna be hard hitting. I've heard he's brutal to work with in the ring so, I was trying to really stay warm and ready.
"Hey, Dom. You ok?" That was Flo suddenly coming up, asking me softly if I was alright. Ryan now back in her arms and all happy again. Rhea definitely did not have that affect on many people...
"Hey, Flo. Yeah, just getting ready." I couldn't help myself and leaned in to a content Ryan, softly swiping at his cheek. "Hey, little guy."
His face quickly began to turn sour...
"Dom..." Flo moaned and stared at me. "He had just calmed down." She complained. It's not my fault he's a little b- "Rhea!" Flo quickly shouted, fast walking across the gorilla to Rhea who was already worrying and on her way to Flo, thinking something was wrong. When he seen he was just upset again, she let out a breath and calmed him down again, swiping over Flos hair softly and lovingly as she did it.
Suddenly, I was shouldered and had to stumble back on my feet. Braun Strowman glanced at me, grumbling something which didn't sound like an apology. I brushed myself off and watched him walk over to Rosa, who I was only just now realising she had walked into the room.
I don't know how because I always spotted her when she came into the same room as me. She was- she always stood out to me. The long brown hair. The Latino glowing skin. Her freckles. The innocence to her...
She was fucking beautiful, and I had to stop myself from drooling over her everytime.
I shook it off and her out of my head, getting ready for the match that was starting soon.
FLORENCE
Boos erupted in the ring as Doms entrance music began playing. I was still getting used to how loud they were. I needed to gather myself before introducing him. "The following contest is scheduled for one fall..." I announced Dom, accompanied by Jd to the ring for his title match against Gunther.
I was worried for him.
Gunther was insane in the ring. I reckon you could hear his chops from outside the stadium. He was incredible to watch, even though whoever he faces always left with bruises and marks.
Though Dom was strong. He could handle it. Right?
Yeah, I had faith in him. He's been improving so much. He can handle it.
I quickly realised maybe he can't. He started off incredible, but there was a point in the match he grabbed at his ribs, and I couldn't help but worry because he kept grabbing his stomach, groaning. Sometimes it was hard to see the difference between a fake and real injury, but this looked real. He looked in a lot of pain, and the ref looked concerned as they went ahead and finished the match with Dom taking a powerbomb that definitely won't help his ribs.
After Gunther celebrated, I felt hopeless watching as JD went over to a broken and in pain Dom, checking on him. I felt horrible just sitting here and having to watch it. Even the ref started to come over and tend to him.
I wanted to follow them really bad as they helped Dom from the ring, guiding him all the way backstage. I just prayed Damien and the other guys were there for him.
Raw continued with a segment from Drew and Seth, following by a match with Becky and Liv. They tore the house down together and put on an incredible and physical match. With Becky eventually getting the win, and Liv beginning to leave the ring in pain.
"THIS IS MY BRUTALITY!" Screamed through the stadium and everyone's attention and cheers went to the stage where Rhea began walking out. Confidently and arrogantly in her high boots and perfect waved hair.
I can't believe she was my wife... Who am I kidding? Of course I can.
She did her stomp and then my focus went back to Liv as she slowly walked towards Rhea too. I watched a little uncomfortably as Liv started yelling mean words to Rhea, who just smirked at her. Then blew her a little kiss to add to it.
Since when did in ring stuff get me feeling so jealous... Maybe because she fingered her in a bar bathroom once...
Flo... come on, get it together.
Rhea made her way up the stairs and eventually into the ring. Grabbing a microphone, she gave me one look and then a little flirty finger wave. To which I looked away at.
As Rhea said her piece, so did Becky. A line from her actually had my eyes widen. "No matter much you walk around like you own the place, no matter how many times you flex your championship, how many times you hold Doms hand or flirt with the ring announcer here-" she motioned to me and the crowd whistled. Rhea just shrugged her shoulders, smirking a little as she licked her lips. As if to say "yeah and what?"
Becky continued. "No matter how many people you end up on top of, Rhea... At Wrestlemania, Mami's gonna learn what it's like to be a bottom."
Oh yeah, that line had me holding back every laugh and every smile.
Rheas face fell and she got up into Becky's face as her music began to play. The two women exchanged some more horrid words before separating, and both getting backstage.
As the show went on and concluded, people were slowly filtering out. Main event was on so there was still a fair few people here. I was on my way backstage down the aisle when Jey Uso's music began to play. I worried I came down at the wrong time, but when he came out I immediately covered my mouth in surprise.
The crowd erupted in cheers and awes as Jey came out, dancing to his song with my son in his arms.
What the heck was he doing.
Oh my god... Ryan was laughing... For the first time ever. He was giggling and loved it. Jey had him dancing with him.
Jey joined me and smiled at me, passing me Ryan, but he just missed dancing with Jey. He waved his arms, wanting to go back. I had no idea how he ended up with Jey, since he was with Finn the whole night. But I didn't care because the look on Ryan's face was too adorable. His laugh was too sweet.
Oh my god I could cry holding him.
Way to break kayfabe-
Oh wait, this'll for sure do it-
Rhea came out, looking really annoyed, and the crowd erupted even more. She pulled Ryan from my arms and started walking backstage. And boos followed, it was sweet that they loved him and missed him. But I slowly made my way backstage too, passing by Ludwig as he went out to face Jey.
When I got backstage, I saw Rhea screaming her head off at Finn. Ryan still in his arms, looking very annoyed at his mothers voice being so loud. I walked over so quickly, and could make out what she was saying. "I leave him with you because I trust you. But then I see my son in the arms of fucking Jey, out in front of everyone! Are you fucking kidding-"
"Rhea..." I came up beside her. "Language around him, please." Rheas eyes settled on me and she closed them a second, trying to gather herself together. "It's fine, Finn. Don't worry about it." I assured him, because I was fine with it. He looked kinda scared though, so I wanted to make sure he didn't feel bad. "Ryan was so happy." I tell him, which made him smile.
"I don't give a fuck, Flo. He just took him out there in front of thousands of-"
"And?" I cut her off. "They adored him, Rhea. He had the time of his life. He laughed, did you hear it?" I looked at my boy. "Didn't you?" I asked him in my high pitched mommy voice. He smiled at me, and I hoped he would laugh again.
"He laughed?" Rheas mood suddenly turned softer as she looked at him. "What did it sound like?" She asked gently, her eyes settling down. Her body physically relaxing.
"Like happiness." I answer, trying to tickle him but his face turned sour. Which made mine fall.
"You better laugh again, mister." Rhea pulled him against her. "Now I need to hear it. Where's Jey?"
I tilted my head. "Oh so now it's not an issue?"
Rhea glared at me. "Sorry, Flo? Is this attitude you're giving me right now?"
I smiled. "No." She went to focus back on Ryan, but I added. "You egomaniac."
Which had her staring back at me. "I'm going to fucking-"
"Language, Rhea." I reminded her.
She closed her mouth and rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to say I'm going to make love to you so hard you'll start to cry?"
"Rhea... You can't say that with Ryan right here." I whisper.
Rhea puffed her bottom lip and looked at him. "Oh, he'll be fine..." She talked to him softly. "He hears mommies screams all the time, doesn't he?"
"Rhea!"
Rhea smirked and looked at me, her eyes moving to behind me as concern took over her features. Then she grabbed my arm and pulled me near her, pulling Ryan in closer against her too.
I turned and watched as a very angry Braun Strowman walked through the gorilla, yelling something and kicking a plastic chair into the wall, which had me automatically flinching and Ryan whimpering at. "What's his problem?" I asked.
"No idea, baby. Stay away from him, alright? I don't know him." Rhea warned me, eyes eventually coming back to focus on me and Ryan.
DOMINIK
My ribs were on fucking fire. Something high in my stomach was- it was fucked and I was struggling to breathe, even as Jd led me to the medics room to be checked out. He helped me on the bed. "Up." He guided me to lie down. "I'll go find someone to-"
"I'm here." Her sweet voice cut every and all painful thought I had. Rosa walked in the room, smiling at Jd and then settling on me.
Fuck. Am I meant to smile or cry?
"Hey, Dominik. Your ribs hurt?" She asked, standing beside me on the be bed. "Did you hear any popping or cracking when the pain started out there?" She was asking so many questions and being so fast.
Jd left the room.
Did she not realise how beautiful she was and how much time I apparently needed to gather a reply? "Um- I- Nah didn't hear anything."
"That's a good thing. Mind if I help you take this off?" She asked and went to reach for my black, half undone wrestling shirt. Her hands floated just above my chest, and she looked at me with light eyes waiting for my permission.
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the soft skin on her hands and the dainty gold jewellery there. Her clean and perfectly polished nails-
Rosa laughed quietly and she spoke again. "tierra a Dominik." Earth to Dominik. "You're not concussed are you? Are you seeing spots or blackness anywhere?" And the back of her warm hand came to rest on my sweated forehead, feeling at my definitely too hot temperature.
Oh my god, her Spanish was...
I cleared my throat. "No, no, sorry- just the ribs." I groaned when I shifted on the bed, trying to get in a different position. Then I zipped open my shirt for her instead, and pulled it off my arms.
Rosa softly sat beside me, her hips sitting close to my thigh and I couldn't handle this right now. She made me so-
"Take a big breath in, Dominik, and back out. Tell me if it hurts in your chest." She said.
"Just Dom is fine." I tell her quickly, and she smiled and watched me take a big breathe in, where the pain intensified in my ribs and I struggled to let the breathe go smoothly. "Yep, sure does." I cough.
"Good, good, I'm just gonna feel over your ribs alright?"
"Good, good? Definitely doesn't feel good, good." I attempt to joke around, and thought it failed. Because it was lame. But Rosa smiled as she brought her perfect fucking hands to my stomach, where I was holding it and focused as she felt around, looking at my skin too.
I couldn't help but stare at her face. How could you not when you looked like that? Her lips were so smooth and defined. Her eyebrows thin and straight.
She pressed toughly on my ribs and I flinched against her, making her hide her smile. "Sorry, Dom. They're starting to turn a little purple here."
I looked down, trying to see but couldn't. "And is that good or bad?"
Rosa glanced at me. "I would say good. I think you've just bruised the ribs here, I don't think it's anything worse than that. But if you want to go get an x-ray, you can-"
"I trust you." I immediately said, and she looked at me, meeting my eyes. I cleared my throat. "Well if you think I should to be safe, then i can go."
Rosa softly brought her hands back to herself and stood up. "You shouldn't wrestle until they're 100% better." She then turned to the freezer nearby, bending down to-
Woah, I couldn't stare at her like that.
She wrapped an ice pack in some papertowel, and guided me back to lie down more. "Ice it every now and then for a few days until the swelling goes down. Try avoid laughing and coughing because that's gonna really hurt."
I held the ice pack in place, taking a deep breath. "Thank you."
Rosa gave me a content smile. "For what it's worth, I was watching the match and it was an improvement."
"An improvement?" I ask.
Rosa shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. I just mean, I know you practice a lot, I've seen you out there and working on moves and things." She was adorable when she rambled on. "Just in comparison to what I've seen overtime, you did good."
"Didn't know you watched me so much." I avoided her eyes.
"I don't, I'm just very observant." She replied quickly, and I could hear her smiling.
That made me look at her face. "Don't worry, Rosa. I'm just playing around."
Rosa grinned and crossed her arms. "Well, avoid lifting anything heavy. Don't wrestle or do anything you know, strenuous and intense." She put her hands out for emphasis. "Don't smoke or anything. Try not to sleep on that side. Still try and move around a little, walk throughout the day but nothing crazy." Rosa crossed her arms. "But seriously don't wrestle for a month to be safe. If I see you wrestling, I'll be upset." Her she goes again. "Chad bruised his ribs a couple weeks ago, just like you, but he didn't listen to me and he's already back in the ring." She shook her head. "It's not gonna help him in the future."
I chuckled, ignoring the pain that come with it. "I won't wrestle."
"Promise?" She tilted her head, raising her eyebrows slightly.
"Pinky." I finished and thought it was over, but she held her pinky out to me, waiting.
I pinky promised her.
Watching her smile grow. Then she suddenly flinched and let me go as a voice boomed behind her in the doorway. "Rosa."
Braun was in the doorway, hands on the frame dominantly, staring at us. Rosa brushed her shirt down, clearing her throat. "Yeah?"
Brauns jaw twitched. "We're going to the Steakhouse tonight."
I watched Rosas face fall a little. "I have work, I told you last night."
Braun rolled his eyes, staring at the roof then. His attitude was terrible right now. He looked way too angry...
"Of course." He grumbled. "It's your birthday, and you're at that dingy fucking place again?"
Rosa shrugged softly and glanced my way, looking and sounding uncomfortable. "Im sorry." She said quietly. "I can't get out of it. I can pick up something and come over on my way home-"
"Forget it. Im going to the steakhouse." He said and turned away, not giving her anything else. Just leaving her staring at the doorway.
Talking to her, anyone like that wasn't right. Then on her fucking birthday?
For nearly ten seconds she stood there emotionless, in her head and not moving. Not speaking. "Rosa?" I started.
Rosa shook her head, coming back into the present. "Sorry." She coughed. "Im really sorry, um- what was I saying about healing?"
"Don't worry about it, I'll figure it out-" I focused on her, groaning as I sat up and lent on the wall. She watched me a little concerned I could hurt myself. "Feliz cumpleaños." Happy birthday.
Her face softened. "Gracias, Dom." Thank you, Dom.
I looked back at the doorway a second, then back to her. "He's your boyfriend? He's not gonna-" I wondered if I should say this, but I decided I was going to. She deserved something better than that on her birthday. Even if she did have to work, she still tried to see him. "Not gonna see you on your birthday?"
Rosa gave me a disappointed look. "I'm working, so, I can't blame him. It's my fault for taking the shift."
I couldn't help my curiosity. "You work somewhere else?"
I could see Rosa debating if she should continue the informal conversation. She rubbed her soft lips together, and took the ice pack from my hands, unwrapping the paper towel. "Yeah, this isn't quite enough work."
"You do Smackdown and live shows though don't you?" I ask.
Rosas smile grew on one side and she put the wet paper towel in the bin. "I'm not the only observant one here then."
Damnit. "It's hard not to spot you back here."
Rosa seemed to brush past my comment, and I think I regretted saying that. "I can't say I enjoy the steakhouse he likes though, we always go there."
"What are you a vegetarian or something?"
Rosa bent to put the ice pack back into the freezer and-
Yep, the roof looks pretty rough right now. It could use some fresh paint.
Rosa straightened back up, and she answered me. "No, I just- I want to try some newer places, or, I've been craving some authentic gazpacho and churros for- for like years." She hummed the most softest sound, like she was seriously craving them.
"You don't have a kitchen?" I asked. "Or you can't cook?"
Rosa smiled. "No, i have a kitchen and I can cook. I'd rather just have it cooked for me, you know? It's not the same when you have to make it yourself."
I nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean. My mama makes the the best sangria, and I haven't been able to recreate it myself. I use the same recipe and everything, but it's just different when she makes it."
Rosas smile was angelic as she listened to me. "Your mama? You don't mean your mami?" She widened her eyes, leaning on the counter.
I chuckled. "Rhea? She wouldn't even know how to pour milk in coffee. Her taste buds are very boring and too healthy."
Rosa nodded. "Her little boy is really sweet, what's his name?"
"Ryan." I answer.
"Ryan." She repeated. "She seems to really adore him. She doesn't give anyone the amount of attention and affection she gives him and her wife."
I nod. "She's crazy about them. I don't know how many times she slapped me up the back of the head because I got too close to them." She looked a little weirdly at me. "She's crazy protective." I added.
"Really, I-" Rosa was cut off once again and flinched when someone was at the doorway again.
Speak of the devil, it was Rhea. I glanced behind her for Flo, because she's usually nearby, but she wasn't.
Rhea took us in, and raised her eyebrow. She knew I liked this woman a lot... If she says anything I swear I'll...
"Flo told me to come check on you." She said boredly, then looked Rosa and a faint smile grew on her lip. "But I see you're in great hands." And she went to leave.
"So caring of you, Rhea!" I shouted back, shaking my head.
Rosa laughed. "I see what you mean."
"Yeah, she can be pretty intimidating. If you ever talk with her, just don't think she hates you. Well, I mean, she might dislike you, but, she's just like that with everyone." I warned her. "Flo on the other hand is amazing. She's kind and like the polar opposite of Rhea."
"She looks it. She looks really sweet." Rosa replied and cleared her throat. "Can i ask you to do something for me?" She said quietly, and I sensed her mood shift to something more serious.
With a whimper I pushed my sweated hair back. "Yeah, what's up?" I lent in to watch her, wondering what she could ask me to do.
"Go home and rest, Dom." She concludes my visit just like that with a playful small smile. At first I was taken a back and wondered if she was over talking to me. But when she added. "It's late." And I checked the clock on the wall, I realised it was extremely late and the show was over. Past over, the crew would nearby be done packing up for the night.
Holy shit, I didn't know I was in here for so long. "Sorry, Rosa." I groaned as I got up off the bed. Stretching a little to see my mobility. I could walk but had a small limp. "Thanks again." I turned to go but backtracked. "Have a good birthday. Really, get some churros from a restaurant or something on your way back from work."
Rosa smiled. "Gracias."
With another warm look, I turned away and left.