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Jetlag was a blessing and a curse, Zaria decided.
A curse, because as the bright LED clock on the hotel nightstand so helpfully informed her, it was just past 3AM, but Zaria was now wide awake because back in Florida it would be Zaria’s more customary waking time of 6AM.
It was difficult for her to not also consider it a blessing, though, as she took in the features of the woman currently asleep in her arms. Her partner–tag team partner, that is–Sol Ruca. Sol was completely draped over Zaria, head pillowed on her chest as she peacefully slept. While it was an unspoken understanding between the two that they seemed to wake up cuddling more often than not when they were on the road, Zaria had never been awake to experience it.
The first time it happened, both women were too exhausted to even think twice about it. It had been a long show day, the newly-formed tag team had fought a gruelling match, and with plenty of travel needed to be done early the next day, they simply found the nearest hotel they could. When they walked into the room and saw one bed, neither thought to do a thing but lie down and sleep. All they needed was a pillow to rest their head on, the rest was just details.
For one reason or another, though, it kept happening. Upon seeing Zaria and Sol walk into the lobby, most hotel workers didn’t even ask if they would be needing one bed or two, they just stuck them in a single.
Zaria could probably count on one hand the amount of times she was asked. She told herself the only reason she would say “one is fine,” is it was cheaper, and made it easier to get a room on such short notice.
Sol didn’t seem to mind. “You’re the Aussie, but I’m the Koala,” the very tactile woman had joked once as she pulled Zaria into yet another hug.
She knew, of course, that Sol was beautiful, but in the barely-there twilight light of this crummy hotel room, completely at peace as she slept, Zaria thought she truly looked like an angel.
She couldn’t help but brush some of the stray hairs out of her face.
“Mmmm, Zar?” Sol stirred.
“Shh, go back to sleep, baby,” Zaria breathed, wincing at the pet name she let slip.
“Kay.”
And Sol did. Zaria, as she found herself always wanting to do these days, followed right behind her.
The pair’s next bout with sleep lasted all of ninety minutes or so, “it’s 4:30,” Sol informed her when she came to.
“Neither of us are going back to sleep this time, are we?” Zaria asked.
Sol shook her head, no.
“Wanna see if this town has a Waffle House?”
Sol nodded her head, yes.
The pair got up and slowly got ready to head out, having all the time in the world before they needed to be anywhere, when Zaria asked, “Hey, maybe after we’ve eaten we can try and find a gym that’d be open this early?”
“Sure thing… Baby.” Sol winked.
Zaria’s face went nearly as red as the dye in her hair.
Zaria was just beginning to slip into her zone when the excited squeal pierced through the air.
Before her matches, she always liked to have a few minutes to herself to get herself in the right mindset. Away from Sol, away from everybody.
She had found early on that the best space to get some peace and quiet in the hectic NXT backstage was in the general vicinity of one Tatum Paxley. For whatever reason people tended to avoid the woman as she played with her dolls. Which worked just fine for Zaria’s purposes. She’d find where the slightly strange Tatum was, and park herself a few feet away behind a corner and out of sight. If a small, small part of her had a soft spot for the girl and she was always ready to step out of her shadows and defend Tatum if anyone came to give her shit, well, the good thing about being alone is she didn’t have to voice that to anyone.
She was ready to do just that when she first heard the shriek, at first it sounded like someone was being murdered, but as Zaria peeked around the shelf she was hiding behind, it was very clear why Tatum was so excited.
“Oh my god, Dove, you’re here!” Tatum said excitedly into Lyra Valkyria’s neck as the pair hugged.
“I am,” Lyra sighed contentedly.
“But you were on Raw last night,” Tatum despaired, “and–and you have a live event on Thursday!”
Lyra cut her off with a kiss, “I was, and I do,” she said.
“But that just feels like too much trouble to go through to see me.” Tatum pouted.
“Not at all,” Lyra said earnestly, “I wanted to surprise my Tater.”
Lyra expertly wiggled out of Tatum’s embrace and sat down, “Now come on,” she gestured to the collection of dolls Tatum had been playing with, “what are we playing?”
“Oh! I’m glad you asked, you see…”
It was then Zaria decided she had eavesdropped long enough. She quietly slipped away to find another quiet corner to meditate.
If anyone asked, Zaria would describe herself as a fighter, not a lover. But what those two had going on? Well something like that didn’t seem so awful.
Zaria was spaced out listening to the hotel worker list their room options for the night, knowing she was just going to say whatever was cheapest and available would be fine.
Near the back of the lobby, Sol was sitting comfortably in an armchair surrounded by their luggage. Those were their designated roles; Zaria booked the rooms, while Sol “watched their bags”. Sol said it was so that Zaria could “practice talking to people without threatening violence”, but Zaria had a suspicion it was really just so she could scroll on TikTok for a few minutes while Zaria handled the boring stuff.
“Now unfortunately we don’t have any twin rooms available for tonight, would you be needing to book two rooms tonight? Or will the single bed suffice for yourself and your colleague?”
“Hm?” Zaria was pulled out of her thoughts, “Oh, no. A single room will be more than fine for my partner and I.”
She decided she could at least have a bit of fun with it.
The worker’s face flushed ever so slightly, “of course, ma’am. Here are your keys. Room 105.”
Zaria thanked the man for his time, and made her way back to Sol.
“Are we in luck?” Sol asked.
“We got a room.” Zaria confirmed, “you been going through my stuff?”
Sol grinned shamelessly and returned Zaria’s now unzipped backpack to her, still in her hands, however, was a doll of... herself?
“Where’d you get this thing?” Sol asked, “It looks just like me.”
Zaria had no idea where the doll came from. Until it started to make sense to her, “Tatum…” she muttered.
“Tatum Paxley?” Sol tilted her head, “I didn’t know you guys hung out.”
Zaria coughed, “Uh, yeah. I wanted to get a gift for you, I remember you saying once you thought her dolls were kinda cute.”
“Sorry if I spoiled the surprise.” Sol said sheepishly.
“No you’re not, you big snoop.” Zaria chuckled, “c’mon, our castle awaits.”
As the team made their way to their room, Zaria felt her phone buzz a few times.
@TatumPaxley: Did you like the gift I left for ya?
@TatumPaxley: Stalking people isn’t cool, you know :p
“Room 218”, the front desk attendant droned, sliding an envelope of key cards to Zaria, “level two on the elevator and turn left.”
“Thanks,” Zaria said, turning around to her tag team partner who was carrying the pair’s bags, they wordlessly got on the elevator to find their room.
The pair hadn’t said a word since they found each other backstage after the match. Logically Zaria knew that the two of them competing in a ladder match for the North American title meant they might find themselves having to fight each other, but knowing that and actually being on the receiving end of a Sol Snatcher were two very different things.
Zaria wasn’t mad, she didn’t think, but she didn’t know what to say to make things better. Neither did Sol, it seemed.
Stand and Deliver. The opportunity to win a championship. Biggest match of Zaria’s career. Just a few months ago, the very thought of that would have excited Zaria to no end, she wouldn’t let anything get in her way.
Until Sol.
The entire match, the thought lingered in the back of her mind that she really, really didn’t want to have to fight her partner and potentially ruin whatever it was they were these days. Even still, Sol came out of nowhere to hit her with a Sol Snatcher during the match, and at one point Zaria had her lined up for a spear she was almost certain she would have hit had she not been decked with a Big Boot before she could try it.
It was all for naught, in the end. Paxley was the one walking out of Vegas with that championship. Zaria wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.
When the duo got to their room and Zaria opened the door, they walked into the threshold and were greeted with the sight of two hotel beds.
Immediately Sol let out a sob, the bags in her arms falling to the floor.
“Hey,” Zaria instinctively gathered Sol into her arms, “what is it?”
“I’m sorry, Zar, I–” Sol sputtered through tears, “two beds, I don’t want… please don’t…”
“Shh,” Zaria cooed, rubbing circles on the small of Sol’s back the way she knew her partner liked.
“I don’t want to sleep apart from you,” Sol said, “I’m sorry that I hit you.”
“None of that,” Zaria said as she lifted Sol into a bridal carry, “I’m sorry too. I knew what I was signing up for,” she carried them over to one of the beds and flung herself on top of it, carrying Sol with her.
“Are we good?” Sol asked as she cuddled closer.
“Yeah,” Zaria said, “we’re good, baby.”
In the aftermath of a ladder match, Zaria felt like she had been hit by a truck. It was still bright and sunny outside. The pair were still fully dressed and lying on top of the sheets and duvet, with their bags carelessly dumped right at the door, and there was a very real chance they might get called down in a few hours to do some company function during Night 1 of WrestleMania, but as Zaria began to drift to sleep with Sol in her arms, she knew it was true.
They were going to be just fine.