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SMACKDOWN - Brooklyn, NY - October 26th, 2024
“Rhea! Breakfast!”
Rhea groaned as she pulled the blanket over her head. She had finally gotten to sleep and now Jey was waking her up? He knew she didn’t sleep much last night. Though it was her own fault. She was the one who suggested they have a second round.
She heard Jey chuckling and the sound of dishes. She pushed the blanket off of her and sat out, blinking blurry eyes at the handsome Samoan man setting up the table with breakfast.
“Is it Waffle House?”
“Sadly, no,” Jey sighed, “It’s room service. No Waffle House nearby, uce. I checked.”
Jey finished up setting the table as Rhea grabbed a shirt from the floor (Jey’s shirt specifically) and pulled it on. It covered her lower half just enough. She liked wearing Jey’s shirts. She always liked wearing larger shirts.
She made her way over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself against his back. She stood on her tiptoes to look over his shoulder and hummed happily at the sight of food, “Looks good though. Egg whites?”
“Of course. All your faves. Even got vegemite,” Jey pointed at the jar. Rhea leaned and kissed Jey’s cheek, “You spoil me.”
The man laughed, turning to wrap an arm around her. She instantly moved into his arms and pressed her cheek against his chest, “I don’t spoil you enough.”
Even though he had just lost his title and he had been so sad, he was smiling at her again. This was the Jey she liked to see. It wasn’t the end for him. He’d get his title back. Or maybe he could go for the Heavyweight Championship again. She’d love to see that for him.
They shared a sweet kiss before taking a seat at the table. They started eating and chatting about random things as they ate. Once they had their fill, they were on the couch. Jey had Rhea’s feet in his lap, gently massaging them as she leaned back and watched him with a smile.
Rhea watched as Jey’s hands traveled up her ankles and started tracing the tattoos on her legs with his fingers. He seemed to enjoy that.
“What are you thinking about?” Rhea asked, curious. Jey had a look on his face like he was deep in thought. Jey seemed surprised at the question and glanced at her. She smiled at him, “You have a crease on your forehead, uce.”
She reached out and poked the center of his forehead. He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles, intertwining their fingers. He looked at her with a serious look. Rhea sat up slowly, frowning now. She felt uncomfortable at the look he was giving her.
“What?”
“… I’m thinking about rejoining the Bloodline.”
They stared at each other for a long time. Rhea wasn’t sure why hearing that broke her heart. It wasn’t like they had to break up for that to happen. He was still on the RAW roster and he’d come back, but there was a chance that in the new year, he’d be drafted back to SMACKDOWN. Rhea would be left on RAW. Of course, she could be drafted too. Regardless, this didn’t mean the end.
But there were also all the things she knew about Jey’s time in the Bloodline. When their relationship grew deeper, there was a night that she and Jey were cuddled up in bed and Jey told her from his perspective about all those awful days with Roman and Jimmy. How it broke him when Sami turned on him. How Jimmy betrayed him. How Roman changed. She didn’t want to see him go back to that.
It was his family though. It was different from how she felt about the Judgement Day. She called them her family, but they weren’t blood. She didn’t grow up with them. Jey did. It was his twin and his cousin and his little brother and other cousins were the villains now.
“Say something, Rhea.”
She raised her eyes to look at him. She squeezed his hand. “If you think that’s what you want to do, then I support you.”
She offered him a small smile in encouragement, but he didn’t smile back. He seemed… annoyed.
“That’s it?”
Rhea tilted her head to the side in confusion, “Yes?”
Jey stared at her for a long moment. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. What did she say wrong?
He pulled his hand away from her and made a move to get up, but Rhea pushed herself up and kneeled down on the couch, holding his arm, “Jey, hold on. What’s up? What did I say wrong?”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Jey pulled his arm away. It wasn’t aggressive and he didn’t push her away as he stood up, but it still hurt. She settled back on her legs and watched as he moved back towards the bed to collect his clothes and Rhea’s that remained on the floor from last night.
“Jey,” her voice was soft as she looked at him, “I’m not sure what I said that made you upset.”
Jey tossed the clothes in his hand on the bed and rested his hands on his hips. He had his back to Rhea, but she saw how tense his shoulders were. He was upset and she just didn’t understand.
“Jey, I can’t read your mind,” she continued, growing frustrated, “Why are you picking a fight with me right now? What did you want me to say?”
“I want you to tell me to stay!” He turned to her and raised his arm, his voice rising in anger. “I want you to tell me not to do it!”
She was startled by how angry he seemed. This was a side of Jey thrown her way. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn’t like this side of Jey when it was directed at her, “Jey…, I’m sorry, but I didn’t think it was my place to say that.”
“You’re my girlfriend! You have every right to tell me to stay. I’m going to have to be on SMACKDOWN for a while. I might not be on RAW and when the draft happens, you know I’m more likely to stay there,,” Jey pointed out. He rubbed his face with his hands, frustrated and annoyed.
Rhea rubbed her arm, looking away from Jey. She felt like a child being scolded. She didn’t know what to say to that. She didn’t want him to go, but she really didn’t think it was her place to say. He told her not to intervene when it came to the Bloodline. She thought that would mean in this situation too.
Their job was always a mystery. One day they were doing one thing and the following week, it’s completely different. All the ideas they had could be thrown away. The two of them were mostly private about their relationship. Rhea learned she preferred it this way. She didn’t think this had to be a fight.
He dropped his hands and looked at her, “If Dom said he was going back to Rey, would you have told him to stay?”
Rhea’s stomach felt like it plummeted to the floor. Her eyes were wide as she slowly looked up at Jey. Of anything he could have said, he said that? He brought up Dom? She never knew he could be so cruel.
She stood up from the couch and held her hand up to him, “He has nothing to do with this.”
Her eyes started to prickle, tears threatening to fall. She wouldn’t let them. She’s not sure why she wanted to cry. Because Jey threw Dom in her face because he was mad?
“Answer the question, Rhea.”
“No. That’s so… I can’t believe you’d throw Dom’s name out like that,” Rhea’s voice was low, but it shook slightly giving away how the mention of her ex shook her. She walked over to the bed and snatched her clothes off the bed, “I can’t fucking believe you.”
She moved to go past him, but he grabbed her wrist. She glared at him, but he was glaring back, “You would tell him to stay, wouldn’t you? Why him and not me?”
Rhea snatched her arm away, the tears winning out, “Because it was different!”
“Why is it different? It’s family!” Jey threw back.
“Because it was my fault he left Rey!”
The room went quiet. Jey stared at her, anger gone. It was replaced by surprise and confusion. Rhea, however, was furious. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked at Jey.
“It was my fault,” she repeated, her voice shaking, “Damian, Finn and I. We wanted to hurt Rey. We wanted him to hurt because he joined sides with Edge. Our leader. Rey had to suffer and that meant taking his son away.”
“Rhea, what-“
“No,” she pushed a finger into his chest, forcing him to shut up in surprise. She shook her head, the tears continuing. Her lips quivered as she sniffled, “No. You wanted this fight, so you’re going to fucking listen to me.”
She dropped her hand and wiped aggressively at her face to brush the tears away, but they kept coming, “We manipulated him. I manipulated him. I used his past with Eddie to turn him against his father. I convinced him that Rey was a deadbeat and only cared about him to get back at Eddie. And I liked Dom. The more I fucked with him, the more I wanted him by my side.”
Jey just looked at her. She stood in front of him, her hands in fists as she cried in front of him. She was furious. She shook her head, “I would have done everything to stop him from ever going back to Rey Mysterio. He wasn’t allowed to leave me.”
She released a shaky breath, centering herself, “That’s why it’s different. I ruined Dom’s life. I poked at his hurt until it blew up. That’s why I won’t tell you to stay. I don’t want to be that person anymore. If I could… if I thought for a second it would fix anything - that I could get someone who was my best friend back into my life, I would. I wouldn’t date him again because I fucking love you, you idiot, but I had two years with Dom. He was just as much my friend as Damian or Finn. He was my lifeline and the fact you’d throw him in my face is cruel.”
Jey looked quilty now. He probably didn’t think too much about what he said and how it would affect Rhea. Or maybe he did, but he thought he’d win this argument, “Of course I don’t want you to fucking go back. I held you as you told me how it made you feel - how Roman made you feel. God, I would give anything to punch him for you, but it is not my place. I might be your girlfriend, but Roman and Jimmy? They are your blood, Jey. That’s why I won’t tell you to stay because you need to make this choice.”
She turned to head to the bathroom and he reached for her, “Rhea, wait-“
She pulled away from him and turned to look at him, “Just… stop, Jey.”
*
He watched as she went to the bathroom and slammed the door. He heard it lock and then came the sound of the water running. He walked up to the door and leaned his head against it. Even with the sound of the water, he heard her sobbing.
He closed his eyes tightly and sank to his knees outside the door. His own eyes started to well up. He felt like shot. He had been so hurt she didn’t tell him to stay that he knew bringing up Dom would hurt. He wanted to know if she loved him as much as she loved Dom. He got his answer and to get it, he had to hurt her.
Jey wasn’t proud of himself. He felt like garbage. He hated that he made her cry. She held herself together even during moments where she relived the last few months where she lost her family and her lover in the span of several weeks. She didn’t even have Damian. He was busy doing his own thing. Jey was her lifeline now and look what he’s done.
He moved to lean his back against the bathroom door. His fingers moved through his hair as he gave a frustrated sigh. How could he fix this?
“Rhea…, I’m sorry,” he spoke, raising his voice slightly higher so she could hear him over the water. “Bringing up Dom was fucked. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it. I just… it was petty. I wanted to know if you really loved me. It’s my own insecurity. You and Dom were a unit and so alike, but you and I are so different. I’m pathetic. I’m sorry.”
He heard the water turn off, but he didn’t move. Rhea wasn’t sobbing anymore. He did hear her move around before it went mostly quiet. The only noise he heard was the ruffling of clothes.
When the door opened, Jey was up to his feet quickly. He looked at Rhea. Her hair was washed and her eyes were puffy from crying, but she was on his shirt again. It was a small sign of an olive branch. She was still mad and she had every right to be, but it was enough for Jey.
He hesitated for a moment before he lifted his hand and touched her cheek. She leaned into his hand, nuzzling it. He took a step forward and kissed the top of her head, “I love you, Rhea. I don’t want to leave you.”
She moved to rest against him again, her arms wrapping around his waist. His arms went around her shoulders, holding her to him. His cheek rested against her head. She didn’t say anything for a long time.
“I love you too, Jey,” she muttered softly. He felt her pull back and she looked up at him, her expression serious, “I don’t love you more or less than I loved Dom. It’s different. You’re two different people. It doesn’t invalidate how I feel about you. I care so much about you and the thought of you going back to all that hurt you…? It kills me, but I can’t make this choice for you.”
Jey nodded, “I’m so sorry. You’re right. You’re 100% right.”
She nodded her head. Standing on her tiptoes, she leaned up and kissed him gently. He kissed her back and looked at her as she settled back on her feet. She smiled lightly, “I’ll be waiting for you to come back to me. I’ll be there if you need me.”
He leaned in and kissed her forehead, “Thank you for not giving up on us. On me.”
She shrugged, smiling softly, “You don’t have to thank me. At least, not for this. Be thankful I don’t punch you for making me cry.”
“I wouldn’t judge you if you did,” he chuckled lightly, cringing slightly, “I also know you pack a mean punch.”
She nodded confidently, “Smart man.”
He smiled and kissed her nose, “I love you, Rhea.”
“I love you too, Jey.”
*
She sat on the hotel bed, her legs crossed. She had on another one of Jey’s shirts as she watched SMACKDOWN. She held a pint of ice cream in her hand and was munching on it as it went on.
When she saw Jimmy and Roman come out, she actually cheered as it meant MCMG got an upper hand in the Tonga brothers. She cheered on the new tag team, excited at the thought of karma coming back for the Tongas for what they had done to Jey earlier that week.
When she saw another figure in black, she smirked. She knew it was Jey. It was obvious. Plus he told her his plan. He probably didn’t plan on Roman and Jimmy showing up first.
She clapped when MCMG were named the new tag team champions. She chuckled, watching the playbacks. She sat the pint on the dresser beside the tv as she watched, smiling.
When the cameras were back, Jey was in the center of the ring. She wanted to question his choice in not wearing a shirt underneath, though she didn’t mind it. She liked seeing his tattoos. She was sure his fans liked it too.
Then Jimmy came out. She froze, watching as Jimmy came down and got in the ring. The twins stared at each other for such a long time before they hugged. She cheered as if she was there.
When the camera panned to Roman watching them, she watched the OTC curiously. What did this mean for the new Bloodline and the OG Bloodline? What did this mean for Jey?
SMACKDOWN came to an end and she sat there, staring at the TV. It was playing something else now, but she wasn’t watching it. She just stared blankly.
After what felt like forever, her phone pinged to a new message. She picked it up and read the message.
Uce 🩵🩷: gttn drnks w jim dun wait up ❤️
She smiled, happy for Jey to have his brother back. He didn’t mention Roman. That would be something else he’d have to deal with, but for now, he had his twin.
She sent him a goodnight message and moved to get ready for bed. She settled under the blankets and scrolled through twitter, reading what everyone was saying. Some even sent her messages asking if she was okay. She thought that was sweet, but now that she was witnessing this change in Jey, the worry she didn’t have before was there.
Now she really thought about what all this meant. She wouldn’t be able to do this as often. They had their own things to deal with. If she had a dark match, it would be fine. Her joining Jey was a spur of the moment thing. He said all that to her just days ago when they had finished filming RAW and went back to their room. He asked her to join him in Brooklyn. He wanted her there when he got back to the room, but who knew when that was going to be.
Hours passed and when she finally heard the door open, her eyes found the clock beside the bed on the nightstand and in bright red numbers, it said: 3:37AM.
She couldn’t see him with the lights off. She tried sleeping, but it didn’t work out, so she just laid there in the dark. He was stumbling a bit. Maybe a bit drunk.
Rhea sat up and reached out to turn the light on. The way Jey froze like a deer stuck in headlights was honestly adorable. He slowly looked at her and offered a goofy, but apologetic smile, “Sorry.”
He was whispering: she wanted to giggle, but she just smiled, “How many drinks, uce?”
Jey cringed, “Lost count after four.”
She rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. She watched as he pulled off his shirt and his pants, nearly falling on his ass in the process. His socks went last and then he stumbled his way over to the bed. He was gentle as he crawled onto the bed and towards her. Rhea leaned back against the pillows and held open her arms. He settled on top of her, his head on his chest and his arms around her waist. His legs were between her’s. She was completely under the blanket and he wasn’t. He seemed to shiver slightly. Rhea did like the room cold.
“Jey, get under the covers,” she muttered.
His eyes were closed and he shook his head, mumbling something she couldn’t quite catch. She chuckled lightly, her fingers moving to curl in the hair on the back of his head, rubbing against his scalp. He groaned in pleasure and squeezed Rhea slightly in his arms, “Love you…”
She kept that up as she soon heard him snoring. Her fingers rested against the back of his head as she looked down at him. Her smile faltered slightly. Rhea felt like she might cry suddenly, but she held them back. There was no reason to cry. Jey was here. He loved her.
She took a deep breath and leaned down, kissing Jey in the top of his head, “I love you too…”