Ding ding ding.
The sound of the bell. Signalling that the match is over.
Liv Morgan has managed to retain her women’s world championship. Dom quick to her side to enact their ‘extra’ little segment. A kiss, which honestly makes Liv wanna throw up but he was ‘Dirty Dom’ and there was a whole love triangle story line thing happening - so it kinda made sense that he would do something like that.
The audience is in a frenzy as Liv and Dom back away slowly. Dom making a huge scene and honestly, thank god. It means that Liv doesn’t have to act as much. She is far too preoccupied Anyway.
She looks around frantically in search for her opponent. It’s not because they have history. It’s not because she is worried that said opponent will try and attack her while her back is turned. It’s not even because she wants to rub her win in the other woman’s face. No. Liv Morgan searches the arena frantically because she knows what she had heard during the match. The distinct sound of something breaking. It’s not a sound that happens often in the ring, but when it happens - it’s unmistakable.
Liv’s heart had dropped into her stomach when she had heard the sound. Heard her (not so secret) lover grunt louder than when they had fought previously. And they have fought many times. She knows the sounds Rhea Bloody Ripley makes. Plus the referee had dragged her away from her opponent just after it happened. That was never a good sign.
The script had said for Liv to win. For her to target Rhea’s shoulder but not like this. The brake or fracture had happened and Liv couldn’t decide which was worse. The recently recovered or the recently fractured. Both were lost causes in Liv’s book.
Blue eyes had found crystal when Rhea had popped her shoulder back in place. Liv’s eyes asking the question.
Are you okay?
She could see that her lover wasn’t. The flush on her face and tears in her eyes gave it away. But Rhea was Rhea. She wouldn’t let an injury stop her from dominating. She just wasn’t wired that way. So she had kept coming at Liv.
Unfortunately for Liv. She couldn’t back out of this fight. Even if she wanted to.
To add salt to the wound. The scripted kiss with Dom right after.
It was a move that neither Liv, Dom or Rhea were too pleased about. The three of them had extensive conversations about how this was going to work. The fact that the creatives had gotten away with Liv or Dom falling on top of each other to create chemistry… they were absolutely taking the piss because they could. But now, Rhea was back from injury. The creatives wouldn’t have the same ‘freedom’ anymore.
Now, Rhea was not a jealous person, she just knows her boundaries. She understood that this was work… however watching Dom stick his tongue down her partner’s throat was not going to happen. Not if Dom wanted to continue breathing. Or the creatives for that matter.
Rhea is in the centre of the ring. She looks completely gobsmacked by what has just gone down. At this moment you would never have known that Rhea had spent the better half of a week practicing her shook face in the mirror. Would ask Liv for tips on how to look shocked and then complain when Liv would give her shit for practicing in the first place.
She looked as though she had just seen a ghost as she watches Liv and Dom slowly move backwards up the ramp. It’s unmistakable to Liv with the way that Rhea holds herself that she is in agony.
Liv moves her face into Dom’s neck. It looks cute and she knows the crowd will eat it up.
“Did you see her shoulder? Dom?”
Dom does a great job of pretending that Liv is whispering inappropriate things in his ear. Can’t wipe the smirk off his face as he nods. He turns his head so that only Liv can hear his response.
“It’s definitely… dislocated.”
He doesn’t mean to sound uncomfortable, but honestly it was disgusting. Her bone was sticking out. It was gnarly and he really didn’t get paid enough for this shit. Plus, the way she put it back in… the crowd are lucky Dom didn’t vomit all over the announcers table.
Liv can’t hide the sob that rushes through her body. Rhea has only just come back from injury. She absolutely does not need this. Not now.
Dom goes to kiss her cheek in some kind of attempt to hide or to try and comfort her but he knows that no matter what he does, Liv won’t be satisfied until she’s back with her Mami.
———————
Rhea Bloody Ripley sits patiently waiting for the teams medical staff to come back in with the results.
The camera crew has just been in her face making sure they get the image of her being both tormented by the ‘huge betrayal’ with Dom and Liv and the pain in her shoulder post medical doing a movability test. Which sucked. She knows she shouldn’t have reset the damn shoulder herself but she also knew she couldn’t keep going with the fight if she didn’t and the crowd fucking loved it. If she was going to lose the fight via cheating, she was going to make it a memorable one. She wasn’t going to be a victim. That just wasn’t her style. The crew knew it. The creatives. And now, the crowd knew it.
Rhea Bloody Ripley was not going to leave any match without putting everything into the ring.
Her shoulder be damned.
What really pissed her off was the relentlessness of Cathy Kelley. Usually Cathy was okay to work with. Fun even. But tonight her fangs were out. Liv this. Dom that. And because she was injured, her tolerance level was beyond low. Rhea did her best to fake the smiles. To fake the hurt of being absolutely blindsided by her Latino Heat; but really she just needed the microphone out of her face. She managed to pull something out of her ass about how she needed time to mull things over, that she needed to focus on her shoulder for the moment but that she would be back with a bloody vengeance and that seemed to have been enough.
She knows she shouldn’t have been so harsh on Liv tonight. Liv was already in a shitty position.
Liv had called her several times over the last few months in tears because she hates this story line. She hates pretending she is attracted to Dom. Hates pretending that she is straight. Most of all, she hates feeling like she is cheating. Liv is not a cheater. In or out of the ring. It’s just so not who she is and with tonight playing out the way it did… Plus the whole ‘I wanna destroy Rhea Ripley’ thing… only for the shoulder thing to happen… yeah. Liv is having a hard time of it as it is.
She pulls out her phone and types out a quick message.
Hits send just as the medical team come back into the room.
They look unimpressed.
Rhea signs.
She’s in for an earful.
—————
Sometimes Liv Morgan hated her job.
Well, no. That’s not true. She loved her job. She just hates some elements of her job. This whole waiting for the camera crew to leave the medical bay for example. Complete and utter torture. All she wants to do is go in there and make sure that Rhea is okay but no. Heaven forbid the camera catches her out. Sometimes she wishes that her and Rhea could just go to the creatives and pitch some awesome idea of them being together. They don’t even need to be a tag team; though Liv would be lying if she said she doesn’t miss being Rhea’s tag team partner. She just sometimes wishes that the writers would mix in a little more real life for her. Might be nice. But no, sadly that wasn’t how things were shaping up.
Instead she finds herself leaning up against a brick wall staring at her phone. She won’t call Rhea just yet. She wants too. But she won’t. She knows how long everything takes and because there is a legitimate injury - it’s only going to take longer.
Knowing she wouldn’t get near the medical bay meant she needed to send someone else to stand outside to be lookout. Tonight, that someone was Damien. It made sense with him and Rhea’s storyline. She had begged the Cuban menace to keep her updated and him being the guy he was had agreed because he felt guilty for not being allowed to get in there and help his friend.
Dom had left already. Wanting to get out of there before the show was finished as he knew the fans would be brutal towards him after tonight. This story line, in fact all of his major storyline’s had been brutal for him. He really was stuck playing a permanent Heel. Which was kind of sad. Dom was a really lovely guy. But Liv understood and would never ask him to stick around. He had already done enough tonight.
Boop.
The sound of Liv’s phone. A message and Liv’s heart skips a beat when she sees her lovers nickname light up her screen. The tiny champion is quick to open it.
- Baby, I’m sorry it’s taking so long! Just waiting for the scans to come back.
Boop.
- Ohh med team looks pissed. Yikes!
Liv can’t help but giggle. At least Rhea seems to be in a cheeky mode. That was a good sign. It helps sooth Liv’s anxiety for the time being.
Boop.
- Coast is clear. Go get your girl ;) - Damien
Liv almost drops her phone with all her excitement. She quickly types out a thank you message to Damien before collecting her bag and making her way towards the med bay.
———————
Any hope in Liv Morgan’s body is quickly dashed when she rounds the corner.
She can already hear Chris (the ringside physician) ranting. Every wrestler knows that when Chris rants it means two things. 1. You’ve done something you shouldn’t have. 2. You’re not acting the way he needs you to act when he’s told you something important. And if Liv puts 2 and 2 together - assuming Rhea has dislocated her shoulder, she’s probably on some type of painkiller.
Fun fact: Rhea Bloody Ripley cannot handle painkillers.
Even a whiff of heavy painkillers and it’s over. She turns into a loopy puddle with no chance of her retaining any important information.
The tiny champion moves closer to the door. Hears Rhea’s goofy little giggle - the telltale sign that she’s high as a kite.
“Rhea, you need to listen to me. If you keep this up you are going to do permanent damage.”
Chris’ unmistakable annoyance floating through the door leading to the med bay. The rage in his voice is almost enough to make Liv run for the hills because she know that as soon as he sees her she’s done for. Rhea’s injury was technically her fault and she didn’t stop the fight like she should have. It’s only fair that she gets a mouthful too.
She goes to open the door, bracing herself for what is to come but Chris beats her to it. His piercing eyes widening with recognition of who was about to enter. His face is red with a vein bulging. Liv internally groans but feigns a smile because technically she doesn’t know what is wrong with her partner. What she doesn’t expect is for Chris to shove a file into her hands. Rhea’s rehab plan (to be precise). She makes a note to look over the file properly later on but right now she understands that Chris needs her full attention. He’s worked up and Rhea has definitely set him off. He lists off things like ‘deformed shoulder’, spasms, ligament and tendon damage and it’s enough for Liv to start panicking all over again. (Too be clear. Chris did not say that Rhea had any of those things. Just that if she didn’t follow her rehab plan - It could lead to these things and more). Then he was off… leaving Liv to handle whatever state Rhea was now in.
She takes a deep breath before entering.
It’s almost unsettling just how quiet the room is when she enters.
Usually the med bay was bustling with other professionals as well as wrestlers. Chris must have scared them all off.
She looks towards her lover who sits on the examination table. Her legs swinging back and forth happily while she waits for her okay to leave. God she looks so young - Liv thinks as she puts the rehab schedule into her bag and places it gently on the floor.
“Hey you.”
She says softly as to not startle the unyielding Aussie. Rhea’s head quickly turns to face her. A smile lights up her face when she recognises her love and god damn how is she so freaking adorable!? Liv can’t help but smile back as she makes her way over to her ridiculously high lover. Giggles when Rhea holds her good arm out - clearly in a cuddly mood. She will never be able to stay mad at this goofball, no matter how hard she tries.
“You fought so good tonight baby. So, so good.”
Rhea whispers into her neck when the tiny champion finally makes it over to her love, standing between open legs that stop swinging when Liv comes into kicking range. Adorable. Liv would absolutely have her way with the unyielding Aussie. She really would. When Rhea is this affectionate - she can’t resist. Alas. There is a sling and Rhea’s clearly not in any position to perform or receive for that matter. She settles down on the examination table and lets Rhea pull her close. Her lover smells of sweat and tears but that doesn’t stop her from nuzzling into her lover’s neck because she knows she likes it. Plus she also has to try and have a conversation for her sake, Rhea’s and Chris’. It’s the right thing to do.
She pulls back and looks into glazed crystal eyes. Jesus this woman needs to learn how to handle painkillers better! Kisses her tenderly but pulls away before Rhea gets carried away.
She giggles when Rhea can’t fight the pout at the loss of contact.
“You hurt yourself, dummy. It wasn’t a fair fight.”
Immediately, Liv raises a thumb to Rhea’s lips, framing her lover’s face when she tries to make a rebuttal but Liv is not done. She is both furious and in awe of this woman and it will take her days to process everything that happened tonight.
“You scared me out there…”
Liv whispers. She has no intention of guilt tripping Rhea but they had always agreed to be honest with each other. It was the only way that they would survive the circus that was the WWE universe. She smiles sadly when Rhea pulls back, searching sapphire eyes and realising that the tiny champion was being serious.
“I-I didn’t mean too…”
Rhea Bloody Ripley sounds liked a kicked puppy. It is absolutely unfair that she can pull that out of her bag of tricks. Liv makes a mental note to scold her about it in the future. She smooths the crease in the unyielding Aussie’s brow before kissing her again.
“I know babe. I know you didn’t… you feeling okay?”
Rhea just hums and continues to kiss Liv perhaps slightly too enthusiastically for being in the workplace. Liv allows it. If anything, it’s a sign that Rhea is in fact okay enough. Plus, kissing Rhea is definitely not a hardship on Liv’s part. She rather enjoys it… funnily enough.
It’s only when they are both desperate for air that the two part. Liv quickly pecks lips that have long lost the black lipstick previously warn.
“Come on Mami. We should get out of here.”
Rhea shivers. She loves it when Liv calls her that. It always hits differently when her lover says it. (Thank you marketing for coming up with it). Liv quickly moves to pick up her bag and Rhea’s.
Then gently threads her fingers into her partner’s free hand.
They make their way towards the parking lot slowly. Mainly because Liv doesn’t want to rush her lover but also because it was quite nice leaving a venue when no one else was around. The quiet is nice. Calming in a strange kind of way.
Rhea gently puts an arm around Liv as their car comes into view. Kisses the side of Liv’s head. The moment is almost cute.
“By the way… did you recognise the spray Dom uses when he was all up in your biz?… it’s totally Lynx Africa. HAHAAAA”
Rhea Bloody Ripley ladies and gentlemen.