Right, this was a request from SkyTwilightAngel (So, if you hate the pairing...send the blame that way! Haha, just kidding!)
I actually really enjoyed writing this, so be sure to tell me what you think!
I hope you enjoy reading it :)
HEAD OVER HART
Feeling the morning sunshine hit my closed eyelids as it shone through the curtains, I grumbled slightly. I didn't know the time, and in some ways, I didn't want to; morning was never my favourite time of the day. The light was painful in its brightness, so I buried my head into my sleeping lover's shoulder, as his strong arm rested around my frame.
"What time is it?" I heard him murmur, his voice croaky from sleep. I had no idea he was awake. Sitting upright, he ran a hand through my sleep-messed hair, combing out all my tangles. "Morning baby," He leaned over and pressed a kiss against my lips, which I mockingly wiped away.
"Good morning to you, too." I watched as he got out of bed and pulled on his clothes; first a pair of boxers, then some jeans, then a blue plaid shirt. Of course, I'd rather he kept the clothes off, but I wasn't going to complain. "You know, normally it's the girls hotel room you have to leave, not your own."
"We've got an autograph signing to get to," He told me, taking out a pot of hair gel and going to work.
"You probably care about that hair gel more than me," I wrapped the bed sheet around my bare frame and stood behind him in the mirror, a smile on my face.
"You think you know me so well, don't you Natalya Neidhart?" Turning around with his back to the mirror, he wrapped his arms around my waist, so I could feel his frame press against mine.
I stood on my tiptoes to press a delicate kiss against his lips. "I think I know you better than you know yourself, Mike Mizanin."
Didn't see that coming, did you?
At that point, we'd probably been dating for about a month. It wasn't like I planned to fall for him. Mike was everything I hated about society; he was from reality television, he wore sweater vests, plus he spent way too much time preening over his hair (people thought I approved of Tyson's hair, but I didn't. It looked ridiculous). Anyway, there were qualities about Mike that I fell for; he was exciting, and funny, not to mention he knew how to make my toes curl and my knuckles go white. In a very good way.
Maybe we were the odd couple. The focused, hard-nosed diva and the arrogant superstar managed to successfully function a relationship, albeit a secret one. Don't ask me how, but we did.
"I should get going. Tyson will be wondering where I am."
There was just one problem, and that was my boyfriend, Tyson Kidd. It wasn't a case of me not caring about Tyson, because I did, but there was something about Mike I found difficult to stay away from.
"When are you gonna realise it's not gonna get much better than the guy stood in front of you," Tucking my hair behind my ears, Mike's fingers brushed my cheeks. "Tyson's just a cruiserweight with stupid hair."
"This coming from the guy that once had a green Mohawk." I grinned, adding, "I mean, it could've at least been pink."
"You think I'd look sexy with pink hair?"
Running a hand through his crispy gelled hair, I joked, "I think anyone can look sexy with pink hair. Even you."
"Cheeky bitch." He returned my smile. I could've stayed there all day, trading back and forth insults with him, all the while feeling his strong arms holding me, but it was time to go. I left his embrace, and pulled on my underwear, jeans and t-shirt, as the two of us got ready in a companionable silence. We didn't get a lot of time alone together, and sometimes, we didn't need to say anything.
"So I guess I'll see you at the autograph signing," I pecked my lips against his once more, and felt him smile onto my mouth, before I quickly pulled away. Otherwise, we would have been there all day. When I reached the doorway, I paused, "Mike?"
"Yeah?"
Honestly, I didn't know what I wanted to tell him. I guess I just wanted to be in the room with him a little longer.
"Hey, whatever your name is," I turned around and noticed that I was not alone in catering anymore, as 'The Miz' had come in the door, holding a copy of that week's script. "Natalie."
"Natalya. But that's fine, I mean, it's not like we've been in the same company for three years." I rolled my eyes, putting down my plate of food but keeping my back turned to him. "And what do you want?"
"We have a scene together tonight," He sat down on a chair back to front, his wrists rested on the top of it with his script in his hands. "We need to run lines together."
"Oh, joy."
Digging into the bottom of my handbag, I pulled out my own script, and we began to read with each other. Sure, we didn't get along, but we had a job to do. The storyline was pretty much him approaching me backstage, trying to flirt with me, despite my allegiance with the Hart Dynasty, then I turned him down and he gets angry and says he's going to kick David and Tyson's asses because of it.
I smirked to myself; yeah, like that was ever going to happen.
We'd read through the script until it was practically drilled into our heads before Mike threw his script down on the table, and pulled out his cell phone and began texting. This was the first time we'd spent any time together, just the two of us, so it was reasonably awkward. "I'm bored," He commented.
"Yeah, well it's hardly fun for me, either." I responded, leaning back in my chair. He was so enthralled in his cell phone that I took the opportunity to look at him properly; other than the stupid hair, he was really quite attractive. His face was pretty easy on the eyes, and he was muscular, but not too much so. And he dressed well too; quite sharp really-
"What?" It took me a couple of minutes to see he was staring straight back at me, as if I were a 'special' child.
"Just wondered who you're texting," I lied, getting up to throw my paper plate in the bin, before returning to my seat.
He nodded slowly, taking in what I'd said. "Brianna," Putting his phone into his pocket, he sighed. He was talking about Brianna Garcia, better known to the WWE Universe as Brie Bella, one half of the Bella twins. "We went on a date the other night, and she keeps texting me, but I don't know if I want to go out with her again."
"Why's that?"
"Honestly?" Mike looked at me in a 'What do you care?' way, but he answered the question even so. "She's kinda boring. I mean, she's hot and everything, but there's not a lot going on in her head."
"So you're looking for someone more intellectual?" I queried, suddenly very interested. Of course I knew of Mike's 'reputation' so I always assumed he was just after a piece of ass he could screw.
"It's not that," He paused. "I'm twenty-nine now, and I can't do the player thing forever. Obviously I'm not looking for a wife and kids, but just..." His expression softened. "Something a little more than just pointless dates, y'know?"
"Absolutely," I smile back at him, feeling somewhat honoured that he's showing me this side of him.
"So, are you seeing anyone?"
I opened my mouth so answer him, even though he wouldn't want to hear the answer, but I never got the chance to say anything, as the doors of catering opened, and my cousin and Hart Dynasty cohort David Hart Smith stood in the entrance.
"Nattie," He called me by my nickname. "Did you want a ride back to the hotel?"
Continuing to look at David, I didn't want my answer to be yes. Something took over me – as if Tyson suddenly didn't exist - and I wasn't sure what, but I didn't want to leave Mike. I tore my gaze away from my cousin to look over at Mike, who gave me a small shrug.
"I think I'm gonna hang around here for a while," I smiled up at my cousin as innocently as possible. "But I'll catch up with you later?"
"Alright," David smiled back, before leaving catering.
"Why're you still here?" The way Mike said it, it should've sounded rude, but it didn't.
"I dunno," I replied. "Why don't you show me what I stuck around for?"
"Nattie?"
Realising I'd been staring at my plate of food for about two minutes, I looked up to see Uncle Bret waving a hand in front of me with a smile. Moments where you fall into daydreams are stupid; you fall into your own little world, and then when you return to reality, everyone's looking at you like your insane. I had a lot on my mind during that meal, and it was easy to drift off.
"Sorry," I apologized, tucking my hair behind my ears, and looking around the table. Yep, everyone from the Hart family was here; it was very rare we had family get-togethers, but when we did, we always had a good time together, but there was something different about tonight; everyone seemed kind of...on edge. As if they were waiting for something to happen.
"Did you want the last roll?" Bret waved the bread basket under my nose, but I stood my head politely, suddenly losing my appetite. I put down my fork and got up, making my excuses about needing to use the bathroom.
I found myself just staring into my reflection in the bathroom mirror. "What have you done, Nattie?" I whispered to myself, instantly feeling the weight of my secrets falling onto my shoulders. Up until now, I'd done pretty well in keeping it hidden in the back of my mind, but now, it was beginning to take its toll. The sneaking around, telling Tyson I was 'out with the girls', having to listen to Mike tell me he wasn't going to be the 'other guy' forever; it wasn't worth it anymore. Sooner or later, I had to end it with one of them, but I just didn't know who.
There was Tyson; sweet, reliable, wonderful Tyson who'd been there through everything. Even when we were travelling in separate organisations on the indie circuit, making almost no money, we stuck together. We weren't physically together, but we had each other at the other end of the phone, and something told me he'd always be there for me if I needed him. I could see myself having a stable life with Tyson; we'd retire from the WWE and live in Calgary, maybe have a couple of kids, then grandkids, and live a normal life.
But Mike changed everything. There was an excitement he brought to my life that Tyson and I hadn't had since we got together; when I was with Mike, I got these butterflies in my stomach that put a stupid grin on my face. When I was with Mike, everything else seemed an afterthought, because it was better to be with him than without; it was difficult to put into words. Did I see a future with Mike? It was hard to imagine, considering our circumstances at that point, but was I ruling it out? Definitely not.
Knowing I couldn't hide out forever, I applied a coat of lipstick and ran my fingers through my hair to neaten it up, before going back outside to join the table.
"You alright, babe?" As I sat down, Tyson, who was sat the other side of me, leaned over to place a kiss on my cheek.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I responded with a smile. Tyson turned away to look across the table at David, and as he did so, I noticed him wink. "Ty, what's going on?" I asked suspiciously.
"You ready?" Bret asked Tyson.
"Will someone please tell me what's going on?"
My question was answered, as Tyson got up and pulled his chair out of the way so he could bend down on one knee.
"Oh my God," I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
"Nattie, when we were travelling around the world separately, doing our own thing, I didn't know if we'd get through it as a couple." Tyson began. "We both know it was tough, but we're still together today, proving that we can get through anything. Now, we're together in the WWE, and I believe we're stronger than ever. You know I'm not that good with words, so this is real hard for me, and I'm just gonna get to the point." He pulled a small black box out of his pocket and popped it open, revealing a diamond ring. "We've spent time apart before, Nattie, and I don't want us to spend time apart again."
"Oh my God," I repeated. Apparently I was incapable of saying anything else.
"Natalya Katherine Neidhart, will you marry me?"
It was moments like those I'd only ever seen in movies, but it didn't go down quite the way I expected it to. There was a heavy feeling in my stomach, as if someone had lined my insides with rocks, and there was a lump in my throat. I felt light-headed and dizzy at the decision I was going to have to make. I knew I had to make a choice, but right there in the restaurant, in front of my whole family? What was I supposed to say? 'Sorry Tyson, but I've been sleeping with Mike, so I can't accept yet, however I may choose you in the long run! Hold out for me, yeah?' Somehow, I didn't see him playing along.
"Nattie?" I hadn't spoken for about twenty five seconds, and there was a look of worry of Tyson's face. He couldn't read thoughts, could he? Oh God, I had to say something...
"Yes," I blurted out. "Yeah, I'll marry you."
"I can't believe you're getting married!" Eve Torres analysed the large diamond that sat on my ring finger, as we sat backstage after our tag team victory over Maryse and Alicia Fox. Word of my engagement spread quickly and according to Eve, everyone was talking about it. All the divas wanted to look at my ring, and everyone was wishing my congratulations. People kept telling me how happy I was going to be.
So why did I not feel happy?
If anything, I felt like I'd made a bad choice.
"-and you're going to be such a beautiful bride," Eve beamed, looking up from the ring. "Have you had any ideas about what kind of wedding you want?"
"Not really," I admitted.
"Really?" Eve looked surprised; you could tell she was the kind of girl that had been planning her wedding since she was a kid. "Not even about what season you might want it in? You must've thought about your dress!"
"It's all been such a whirlwind; I haven't really had time to plan," It had only been three days since Tyson proposed, and in some ways, I wasn't lying. I'd definitely been putting the prospect of a wedding at the back of my mind; thinking about it and hearing other people talk about it made it seem so much more real.
"Well, as long as you give me some warning so I have time to buy a cute dress," Eve teased, before grabbing a fluffy white towel and heading towards the showers. "Are you coming?"
"In a second, I need to go find someone," I got up, and left the locker room. The prospect of more wedding chat was daunting, so I looked for any escape.
Wandering around the backstage area, I could hear people hollering their congratulations at me. I'd respond to each one with a smile, and a quick 'Thank you'. How did news spread so quickly? I hadn't personally made the effort to tell anyone; obviously Tyson was a town crier in a past life.
"So you really didn't get any of my calls?" I could hear Brie Bella's, and I turned around to see her and Mike stood together in a corner of the hallway. He was leaning in close, and she didn't look happy; her arms folded across her chest and a pout on her lips.
"Come on, Brie, my phone's been having some problems, and it's been rejecting a bunch of calls." He said huskily in her ear. From what he told me, he hadn't taken an interest in Brie since we got together, but apparently, he'd had a change of heart. "Why would I ignore a beautiful girl like you?"
She giggled and blushed, "Well, you'd be an idiot if you did."
"So you'll come out with me tonight?" Mike continued, placing an arm around her shoulders. If my blood wasn't boiling before, it was on overdrive now.
"Yeah, alright." She nodded a couple of times. "I'll go out with you. Meet me in the parking lot after the show?"
"Absolutely." It was through squinted eyes I watched as he placed a kiss on her, before she walked away.
Of course, I could've been rational about it. I could've ignored what I just saw – I was an engaged lady after all – and gone back to the locker room, taken a shower and met my fiancée after the show. But at that point in time, rational just wouldn't cut the mustard.
"Hey," I approached Mike, who looked shocked to see me. "So I didn't know you and Brie were getting back together. A little heads up would've been nice."
"Right," He scoffed. "Because you're one to talk."
"What're you talking about?" I lowered my voice, aware of the people walking by us. It wasn't like they were going to suspect anything, but I wanted to be careful.
"Let's just say I wasn't too thrilled to hear about your engagement. Especially not from one of the guys in the locker room; I think I'd rather have heard it straight from the horse's mouth." He hissed. "Don't you think you owe me that at least, Nat?"
I sighed, rubbing at my forehead. "He caught me off guard," I whispered back. "I wasn't going to say yes; it just...came out. Do you realise how hard this has been on me?"
"No, you're right." Mike's voice oozed with fake sympathy. "There are three people involved in this relationship; you, Tyson and I, and none of us are benefiting from it."
"So what're we gonna do about it?"
"I'm gonna make this real easy for you." He didn't say anything else; instead, he left me, standing alone in the corridor.
"Are you reading a bridal magazine?"
Entering the men's locker room, there was no-one in there besides Tyson, who was flipping through a copy of Bridal Weekly, something I never imagined seeing my boyf...fiancée do.
"I didn't realise how much a wedding costs," Tyson chuckled, as he placed the magazine down. "There's so much to think about; catering, decoration, transport, clothing-"
"We can always postpone it." I probably sounded a little too eager, but I don't think Tyson was suspicious. "If the timing's not right, maybe it's better to just...wait a while. We're both busy with work at the moment, and hassle isn't really-"
"Nattie," Tyson chuckled, standing up and taking my hands in his with a smile. He obviously put my jittery behaviour down to concern. "I wasn't complaining; just commenting. I think we've both worked to earn enough money for your dream wedding, whatever that is and however much it costs."
"That's sweet, but I'm not exactly looking for some big, extravagant affair-"
"Then we'll have a small wedding." He was so excited; it broke my heart. "We could do it in someone's backyard, and just have our family and close friends there. It's not the wedding itself that matters and I don't care if I have to marry you in a Wendy's drive through, it's the bit after that that I want. The bit where we spend the rest of our lives together-"
"Stop!" It was overwhelming. Every word he said was like a dagger through me; it should've made me ecstatic, but it made me feel ill with worry. "Just stop talking!"
"What's going on?" He laughed nervously.
"I can't do this," I said under my breath, but it was loud enough for him to hear. He arched an eyebrow at me. "I can't get married to you. I just...I can't."
"It's too fast, isn't it?" He confirmed, as if he were having the same feelings. "I shouldn't have rushed into it; it's too soon-"
"No Tyson," I whispered, holding back the tears; I was about to do something I never imagined doing. "It wasn't soon enough."
"Nattie, I'm confused-"
"If you proposed a couple of years ago, I'd probably have said yes, and we'd be happy today, but I don't love you anymore." I admitted, not daring to look at Tyson as I said it. When I looked up, I saw why; he looked crushed. His face fell. "I fell out of love with you a long time ago, but I was too scared to admit it. I guess this engagement put things into perspective."
He looked at me with a blank face. "Is there someone else?"
Reluctantly, I nodded. "Yes. But that's only part of it." I took the ring off my finger, and placed it in his open palm, watching as his hand clasped around it. "I loved you, Tyson, I really did. I have feelings for you, just not the way I used to."
"Things change," He shrugged. In all our years together, I'd never seen Tyson cry, but in that moment, I saw an extra sheen in front of his eyes. It was absolutely heartbreaking. Unable to watch anymore, I went to kiss him on the cheek, but he turned his head the other way. "Please," He used my upper arms to push me away. "Don't make this any harder than it already is."
The break-up with Tyson hadn't affected me greatly; we'd been together for almost a decade, but I'd yet to shed any tears. I didn't even want to cry; I felt numb and emotionless; I had other things on my mind. My nine year relationship had ended, and I should've been acting differently; I should've been wearing sweats and crying into a tub of ice cream, but I wasn't.
And somehow, in the midst of what seemed to be an emotional breakdown, I'd got changed into a dress and heels, fixed my hair and make-up and left my hotel room. I walked down the hallway until I reached room 205, before knocking on the door.
"What're you doing here?" Mike opened the door to me, a scowl on his face. He looked as if he were going out somewhere, as he was dressed smartly in dark jeans, a black shirt and grey waistcoat. A date with Brie Bella? I decided not to think about it.
"We need to talk. Can I come inside?"
"That depends on what you have to say." He stood between the gap in the door and the wall, so I couldn't get in. Sneaky.
"I broke up with Tyson."
There was a smile on Mike's face; he tried to hide it behind his hand, but I saw it. I didn't need to say anything else; it was clear what I meant.
"Can I come inside?" I asked again, this time leaning in to give him a gentle kiss on the lips. In many people's eyes, I'd probably made the wrong choice, but for me? It was perfect.
He smirked, "It'd be rude to leave you out in the hallway."
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