A/N: So I know I said I was going to make it a one-shot, but I didn't want to not write about their date. Plus yesterday's episode of Monday Night RAW gave me more material to work on so yeah. Hahaha! Maybe I'll make this a full story eventually? I'm not so sure yet. Let me know what you guys think!
…
Sasha stared at the menu for a solid ten minutes, subconsciously tapping her foot on the marbled floor and glancing at Seth once in a while. She didn't know why, but she was nervous—so nervous that she could feel her heart in her throat, and her insides made her want to throw up. It was just dinner—they've had plenty of dinners together before.
But not like this, Sasha reminded herself. Not with him dressed up in slacks and a black polo, while she looked perfectly pristine in a royal blue halter dress that ended just below her thighs. Seth cleared his throat and looked at her from his menu, causing her to quickly cover her face with her own.
"Blue marlin, blue marlin, blue marlin," she kept reading the same line in her head over and over
"Sash," Seth snapped her out of her thoughts, snickering a bit. "Are you good? Waiter's been standing there for like ten minutes."
"Oh," she realized, looking up to find their waiter smiling politely at her. "I'll just get a salad and the Blue Marlin with Lemon Butter."
"Good choice," Seth commented, handing the menu back to their waiter.
They were at a quiet but trendy joint not too far from their hotel. They were scheduled to leave for Monday Night RAW the following day, so none of the Superstars were in a hurry to head out and most decided to stay the night, including them.
"Are you okay? You've been awfully quiet," he said.
"Yeah, I'm good!" Sasha flipped her hair to the side and tried to push the nerves away, hoping it didn't show in her voice. Seth chuckled and took her hand, causing her to jump a bit.
"Relax, Banks. I'm not going to bite you."
"Sorry, I know. I guess this will just take some getting used to."
Seth gently rubbed his thumb against the side of her hand. "I thought you wanted this?" he asked softly.
"I do! Don't get me wrong. I've wanted this for so long," she looked down to hide her blush. "I guess a part of me is still in disbelief," she almost whispered to herself.
Seth smiled one of his rare genuine smiles—the one that wasn't a smirk or a smug look. Pulling her hand towards him, he pressed a light kiss and let his lips linger a little longer.
"You excited for tomorrow night?" he asked, referring to her championship match against Charlotte. It was set to be a no count out, no disqualification, falls count anywhere match—and it was sure to be as brutal, if not even more brutal, than their Hell In A Cell match.
"Nervous excited," Sasha squeezed his hand and exhaled deeply. "You know how I get sometimes. I probably need a good cry before the match."
Seth chuckled. "Just try not to give me a heart attack."
"I can't promise that," Sasha said in a singsong voice, making Seth playfully roll his eyes. "What about you? What do they have planned for you?"
"Jericho and I will probably go at it until Roadblock," he said, though his tone was a little disappointed. "Don't get me wrong. I love working with Chris. He's a pro. But I've lost nine title matches since I got back, and I'm starting to feel like they're just setting me up for something that isn't as big of a deal as I'd hoped."
"Don't say that," Sasha shook her head. "There's a reason you were first pick," she reminded him. "I'm pretty sure they're setting you up for something grand—especially with the pop you get these days. It's deafening," she laughed softly.
"Thanks."
Sasha smiled at him, before looking down at the notification of her phone to find an e-mail from the Instagram team themselves, assuring her that they were already looking into the issue and would resolve it as soon as possible. "Hey, how about that?" Sasha showed Seth the e-mail, feeling even more relieved.
"Hey, looks like you'll be getting it back after all."
Their food was served shortly, and they continued to talk comfortably the way they always did. Seth always made sure she felt at home with him. They plotted their schedules for the rest of the month, and agreed to travel and work out together. Once in a while, she caught him just watching her.
"So what are you doing for the holidays?" he asked while cutting through his steak.
"Well, we've got a few days off after RAW in Columbus, so I'm flying home to Boston and spend Christmas Eve with my mom. Then I fly to Chicago on Christmas Day," she sighed, remembering her schedule. "That'll be a nightmare. For sure the airport will be crowded."
"Let me know your flight details. Maybe we can meet up at the airport—I fly from Davenport to Chicago on Christmas Day, too."
Sasha nodded and continued to pick on her food. "What about after the 26th?" Seth continued to ask.
"Don't we get a few days off after that?" Sasha cocked her head to the side. "I don't know. Maybe hang with Bayley and meet up with her fiancé," she shrugged. "I haven't planned that far yet. Why?"
"Want to come home to Davenport and spend New Year's with me?" the question was forward, and it made him anxious—it wasn't as if this was her first time though. She'd been in his house before, but with Bayley and Roman, and it was only to spend the night so they could save up on hotel costs. This time, it was different.
"Oh," Sasha was surprised at the offer. She thought about it for a while, and Seth half-expected her to decline—but to his delight, she agreed. "Sure, why not?"
"Awesome. My step-dad can cook up a mean feast," he boasted, finishing the rest of his steak. When she didn't answer, he looked up to find her blushing quietly while biting her lower lip. "What?"
"Nothing," Sasha laughed it off. "It's nothing."
He put his fork down and cocked an eyebrow. "What's on your mind, Sash?"
"Nothing, just meeting your parents and all—it makes me a little jittery," she blushed again. God, she was so obvious. "Jittery in a good way though," she finished.
"Hey," Seth took her hand, a small grin on his face. "You've met them before. Nothing to be nervous about."
"I met them when we were just friends," Sasha pointed out.
"Oh yeah?" Seth gave her a smug look, and she had to look away. "So what are we now?"
"I don't know," she shrugged, though her tone was playful and she was fighting the urge to smile. Seth continued to watch her with a grin—he loved making her blush the way she did. It was too endearing.
After dinner, Seth drove them back to their hotel and walked Sasha up to her room. "Do you want to have breakfast before we leave for Charlotte tomorrow morning?"
"Sure, I'd love that," Sasha smiled at him while tucking some of her hair behind her ear.
"Good," Seth winked at her, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "Goodnight, Sash."
She blushed for the umpteenth time that night as she watched him walk back to the elevator, surprised at the conservativeness of his gesture but feeling giddy all the same. "Goodnight, Seth!" she called out just before he entered.
Contrary to what she had witnessed or heard about him before, maybe dating Seth Rollins wasn't so bad after all—if it meant he had changed his ways for her.
…
Sasha locked in a unique Bank Statement on Charlotte, forcing her to tap literally in front of her home crowd. The bell rang, and she let go—exhausted from the intensity of their match, as she held the belt up high and fought back the tears. It may have been the third time, but she still got emotional anyway. Nothing felt as good as knowing your hard work was paying off, especially now that she had made such a huge name for herself in the business after being just a mere a fan some years ago. This was special. Every historical opportunity she earned was special.
In the middle of the ring, she continued her celebration as Ric Flair's music hit and she looked on, still holding the tears back. He smiled and held her hand up, giving her a fatherly hug while whispering, "You deserve it."
When she headed backstage, Charlotte was the first one to hug her and they stayed that way for a while, silently sobbing at another classic moment that they had shared. "You were amazing," Charlotte finally broke the hug, placing a hand on Sasha's shoulder.
"You were amazing," Sasha smiled at her, wiping the mascara that had streamed down on her face.
The rest of the locker room followed suit in congratulating both women, as Sasha smiled and thanked each one. She looked around to find Seth, but he wasn't anywhere to be found so disappointed, she walked back to the women's locker room, where she found him waiting outside.
"Hey," he smiled at her, walking towards her to close the gap. "My heart was literally pounding against my chest the whole time," he took his hand and lightly pounded it a few times against his chest to emphasize how nervous he was. "That was one hell of a match, Banks," he pulled her in and gave her a hug while kissing the side of her head.
"Thanks, Seth," her cheeks were red, as she looked down on the belt on her shoulder.
"How about that? You're Women's Champ AND you got your Instagram back. You really are the legit boss, aren't you?"
"Damn straight," Sasha grinned. Before she knew it, Seth had leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her lips. She was caught off guard at first, but her arms found their way around his neck and she kissed back. He made the kiss a little deeper, tangling his hands in her hair before they heard someone clear their throat.
They turned around to find Bayley, Charlotte, The New Day and Sami Zayn either smirking or watching them in amusement.
"Well, it's about time that happened," Sami pointed out, scratching the back of his head.
The rest of the group laughed as Seth looked down and grinned at Sasha, before pulling her in for another kiss.