Chapter Text
“What’s this? Do you see this?!”
Liv Morgan was standing at her locker, packing up her bag when she heard a loud, chipper voice behind her followed by mean giggling. She frowned and turned her head.
“Would you look at that!” shouted Peyton Royce after a shrill laugh.
“Looks like a Riott without a squad!” chimed in Billie Kay.
The tall women looked at each other and giggled obnoxiously again, the gold tag team title belts around their waists vibrated with their heaves of laughter, the mirror-like belts reflecting the light of the locker room vibrantly. Liv sighed, if Ruby Riott and Sarah Logan flanked her, she would have interrupted the IIconics with a fist, but instead she crossed her arms and looked away. Her confidence was shaken tonight. Well, more than just tonight. She felt this way for months.
“What’s wrong? Cat got your blue tongue?” Peyton joked in the midst of more chuckling, smacking Billie’s shoulder.
Liv stared at them, still frowning silently with her arms crossed.
Billie shifted her face into a mock serious expression, leaning closer to Liv. “Well, spit it out—”
“Hey. Leave her alone.”
The taller women turned around to face the brave voice that cut through the chatter of the locker room. Several other wrestlers who were at their lockers also stopped to watch the approach of the Smackdown Women’s Champion. Bayley’s long brown hair was down, the hair tie that usually held her signature side ponytail in place was on her right wrist, she wore colorful wrestling tights and a purple shirt with yellow lettering. Liv looked from the IIconics to Bayley, as the few other women in the locker room watched as well.
Peyton swept some of her blonde hair out of her eyes and tilted her head at Bayley. “We’re just having some fun, Champ. Don’t be so serious.”
“Well, you’re Raw superstars and I keep seeing you in our locker room annoying everyone,” Bayley said flatly.
“We can be in any locker room at any time, at any show. The perks of being the tag champs!” exclaimed Billie, her fingers tapped along the edge of the shiny belt on her waist.
Bayley rolled her eyes. “Thanks for reminding all of us for like the millionth time. Maybe you champs should find another locker room to bother.”
“Look at our little Hugger getting serious. You’ve been in a bad mood ever since Sasha left you—” Billie began.
“Hey! Don’t go there…” Bayley said abruptly, her usual smiling face was now glowering. Anger bubbling within her warm brown eyes and her body stiffened.
The entire room was disturbed. Peyton and Billie, shocked into silence, exchanged open-mouthed looks and then they glanced over at Liv.
“You really should leave,” Liv suggested in a quiet voice, her arms still crossed, her body language serious.
“Everyone here needs to lighten up,” Peyton said with a small laugh as she and Billie made their way to the exit, they were still eyeing Bayley on the way out.
On their departure, the women of the locker room seemed to return to what they were doing, light chatter filled the room again. Liv shook her head and sighed, she caught Bayley approaching her out of the corner of her eye, but she returned to organizing her travel bag.
“Doing OK, Liv?” Bayley asked kindly.
Liv looked up at the Hugger. Bayley, who was usually peppy, optimistic and eternally sweet seemed to be revealing an aggressive nature. The bullying she experienced recently from Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and even Sasha Banks was possibly marring her psyche. Or so Liv had heard from the locker room rumor mill. And what Billie Kay and Peyton Royce attempted to bring up tonight was likely playing a role as well: Bayley hasn’t been the same since Sasha left the WWE. Liv noted that Bayley’s brown eyes appeared fatigued, but the pleasant warmth of the Hugger had reappeared after the IIconics were booted out.
“Thanks, I’m… OK, I guess. What about you?” Liv asked her shyly.
Bayley smiled, adorable dimples framing her lips. “I’m OK too, I guess.”
They shared a slight chuckle.
“You still looked good out there against Charlotte. Looks like you’ve been training hard,” Bayley remarked.
Liv gazed at the floor as she spoke: “I still tapped out though.”
There was a Smackdown Town Hall this evening and Liv interrupted Charlotte’s familiar egotistical ramblings. She called Charlotte “phony” but the Queen was still the real deal in the ring. Too real for Liv to overcome even after a flurry of effort. Liv wanted to show the world that she was something without the Riott Squad, that she could make it on her own, but she failed tonight. She missed her friends, especially Ruby, but Charlotte confirmed her fear, that she wasn’t good enough. And this stung worse than anything else.
Bayley placed a hand on Liv’s shoulder. “Dude… she’s made so many people tap. But you stepped up to challenge her, and you’re working hard. Focus on the positives.”
Liv mostly focused on the negatives in the past few months: the dismantling of the Riott Squad, her removal from Raw to be on Smackdown, and Ruby’s injury. Especially Ruby.
Rue.
Ruby was gone, and here was Liv on Smackdown, in unfamiliar territory with a few acquaintances and no friends. Trying to make a name for herself with electric pink hair and a blue tongue. Trying to get a cheap pop from the fickle audience with some athletic moves. Brave enough to publicly tell Charlotte to “shut up” on a microphone but not good enough to silence Charlotte in the ring.
“It’s… it’s just hard,” said Liv quietly, her eyes shiny as she finally gazed back at Bayley.
“I’m always around if you need anything,” offered Bayley with another smile.
Bayley patted her shoulder before she turned to saunter towards the shower area. Liv opened her mouth and the words caught in her vocal cords. She wasn’t sure what it was, maybe it was loneliness, maybe it was desperation but she finally found her voice before Bayley was too far away.
Her tone was strong but uncertain: “Hey… Um, hey Bayley!”
Liv never would have fathomed that this is where the night would take her. But she took up Bayley’s offer to “talk” and now they sat across from each other in an eccentric frozen yogurt shop. Liv smiled, fighting to keep her face from blushing, and she looked down at her colorful bowl of yogurt with various toppings. Bayley was so cute. But honestly, when was she not cute? Bayley was smiling and chuckling as well at a joke Liv had managed to sputter out. Her brown hair was clean, shiny, long and draped over her shoulders. Bayley wore a black tank top, an unbuttoned blue flannel long sleeve shirt and the sleeves stylishly rolled up to her elbows, as well as dark blue jeans and black skate shoes. In comparison, Liv wore a colorful tie-dye sleeveless top and pale, frayed jean shorts with red Nike high top sneakers. Liv also wore circular glasses with a large, metal frame and her long pink hair was a bit untidy, but that’s how she liked it.
“So, how’s it been adjusting to Smackdown?” Bayley asked casually, still smiling.
Liv paused, tilting her head as she munched on some yogurt with crumbled cookie topping.
“I dunno,” Liv sighed, “I dunno if singles competition is for me.”
“It’s challenging. Singles, and… tag teams,” Bayley said the last two words rather quietly, and she preoccupied herself by spooning up a bit of yogurt.
Liv paused again, watching Bayley’s movements but avoiding her eyes. She knew who Bayley was thinking about and she wanted to give her that privacy to feel sorrow. Sasha. Who was likely always on her mind. Liv felt the same way about Ruby. And Liv found it incredulous that after all the problems between the Boss ’N’ Hug Connection and the Riott Squad, she would be sitting and eating frozen yogurt with Bayley as they both mourn the loss of their friends. But that’s often what loneliness does to a person, you find strength and friendship in unlikely places.
“Yeah, um… how have you managed all of this?” Liv asked vaguely, shyly. She wished to ask a more pointed question but she was not that close to Bayley, she didn’t want to upset the Hugger.
Interestingly, Bayley grinned. “I know how you feel. It’s tough to be in a new situation without friends. But I knew I couldn’t give up on myself. This was my dream, to be the best that I could be in this sport. I fought hard to make a place for myself on Smackdown, and I think you could do the same, Liv.”
Liv gazed at Bayley intently. The bright, colorful lights of the shop seemed to dance within the warm brown hues of Bayley’s eyes. Her words were so genuine and sincere. And her smile. Oh, her smile. Comforting… and very sexy.
Liv found herself getting lost within the trance of Bayley’s alluring expression, and she caught herself before things became too awkward. She returned Bayley’s smile. “Thank you. I’m working on it. And I love watching you in the ring, lots of the girls said you’re a great role model to them. You’re the locker room leader, that’s what they say.”
Liv looked away again, embarrassed at her own words and nervous tone. She felt like a fan, but this was the Smackdown Women’s Champion whom she was spending time with.
“Thanks Liv, I appreciate your support. We have a good locker room, we should all try to help each other,” responded Bayley in a humble voice.
There was an awkward break in conversation. Liv wasn’t sure what to say next, she could continue her vocal adoration of the Hugger but instead chose to eat more yogurt. Bayley did the same in the silence, musing thoughtfully.
“So, what are you doing after this?” Bayley asked with another cute grin.
Liv’s heart screeched to a halt.
What?
She spooned more yogurt hurriedly into her mouth as she pondered Bayley’s words anxiously. Is she flirting? She can’t be…
Bayley sensed the uneasiness drifting between them. “I, uh— might just read in my room. Some of the other girls said they’re going to the hotel swimming pool but I’m feeling kinda lazy tonight.”
Oh.
Just innocent small talk. Maybe.
“I was thinking of watching a nature documentary, did you want to come to my room and watch with me?” Liv blurted out, some of her words mashing together in her anxiety but Bayley could clearly discern what she was saying.
“I’d love to.”
The night was getting more and more strange as the hours went by. Liv Morgan, former Riott Squad Wild Child, interrupted and embarrassed Charlotte Flair in front of their co-workers and a raucous crowd, she would unfortunately succumb to a Figure 8 Leg Lock later in the night though. Then, she was bullied maliciously by the irritating tag team champions, and her unlikely savior was the leader of the locker room, the Hugger. Subsequently, she and the Hugger decided to have frozen yogurt together and chat about Smackdown. Now, they sat together on a king size bed in Liv’s hotel room, pillows and blankets surrounding them, watching a peaceful nature documentary on a big screen TV. This was Liv’s life now: unpredictable, and finding ways to subdue her own loneliness. Finding ways to live without her Ruby.
It was difficult to be alone, to travel alone and to traverse different cities alone. Her life was hard without Ruby, but she wondered if Bayley understood this, if she felt this loneliness too. She must have, she must feel the same and that’s why she accepted Liv’s invitation tonight.
Bayley chuckled lightly when penguins appeared on the screen, waddling in a group over an expanse of ice. Liv grinned and looked over at her. Bayley had removed her flannel long sleeve and now only wore a black tank top and jeans. While they watched the documentary, Liv peeked over at her occasionally, she was surprised how muscular Bayley had become in the past year. Her arms were definitely bigger, and now on full display sans the flannel shirt. Liv watched her, respectfully.
“Y’know, Sasha and I traveled together, and we’d hang out at night and do things like this. I missed those times. Thanks for hanging out with me, dude,” Bayley said gratefully.
“Well, thank you, Bayley, for joining me. It was the same with Sarah and Ruby. Especially Ruby. We were inseparable…” Liv’s voice trailed off. It was painful to think about Ruby. Ruby supported her unconditionally. Ruby was the one who always held her and told her that everything would be alright. Now Ruby was gone, injured and the medical staff said she would be out indefinitely even after surgery.
Bayley noted the sadness in Liv’s eyes, the sorrow in her tone. Slowly, gently, Bayley moved closer to her in the bed. She placed an arm around Liv’s shoulders. Liv’s heart skipped a few beats when she felt Bayley’s heat and warmth.
“Hey… I know how you feel. Trust me. I know,” whispered Bayley with a smile.
Automatically, Liv wrapped an arm around Bayley’s lower back and her head fell on Bayley’s chest. She could no longer hide the pain. It was overwhelming. Ruby had a tough exterior but this melted away in front of Liv, they shared their vulnerabilities with each other. Hopes and dreams, they matched in every way. It was too much to be without her. Liv broke down often when she was alone at night, her tears were her only friends as she drowned within her own sadness. Maybe tonight, just this night, she would not cry herself to sleep.
“Do you miss her?” Liv murmured as she snuggled into Bayley’s chest.
Liv felt Bayley’s body tense up and she feared she made a critical mistake. She started to loosen her grip around Bayley’s body but interestingly, Bayley proceeded to hold her tightly.
“Yes. Every second of every day. I miss Sasha but I respect her choice, she’s my friend and I’ll always be with her… even if we can’t see each other,” Bayley responded quietly, sadly.
These words almost broke Liv. She resonated so deeply with Bayley’s heart. Liv sniffed loudly and brushed away her tears, keeping the flood of sobs at bay.
“I’m sorry—”
Using the arm she draped over Liv’s shoulders, Bayley reached down and held Liv’s hand. If it were physically possible, Bayley held her even closer. Holding Liv, shielding her the way that Ruby used to. The Hugger’s arms acted as her shelter from the world, a small bit of peace among the fear and uncertainty. And when she touched Bayley’s smooth skin, she felt so hot and inviting, the warmth transferred to Liv’s cold fingertips. She missed that feeling and she longed for it on lonely nights.
“Don’t apologize. I got you. I’m right here for you,” Bayley whispered in her ear.
Liv spoke in a fearful voice, desperate and yearning. “Could you stay with me tonight, Bayley? Please… please stay with me.”