Okay, but in the light of the recents events can you write some angst? Rhea and reader are close friends for years and had always been affectionate and caring towards each other.
After Rheaâs boyfriend proposed to her thereâs a party to celebrate the occasion and accidentally Rhea hears a conversation between reader and another wrestler (who only knows about readers feelings for Rhea). The wrestler is asking how is the reader coping and does she regret never telling Rhea about her true feelings to which the R answers that she was never Rheaâs choice and all she wants is to see her happy even if that means never knowing what could have been between them. When Rhea hears that sheâs completely shocked and broken because she too was hiding her feelings because she never thought that anything between her and her friend can ever happen.
You can continue it however you feel like, but with happy ending between the two of them please
HAPPILY (N)EVER AFTER - PART 1
SUMMARY: WHEN RHEA TELLS YOU SHEâS GETTING MARRIED, YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE ARMS OF A FRIEND AND FALLING APART AT THE SEAMS DURING HER ENGAGEMENT PARTY. BUT WILL IT END WITH A HAPPY EVER AFTER?
You couldnât take your eyes off the text message as it sat in the center of your phone screen, a sharp pain driving into your chest as your breath held itself tightly in your throat. Rhea was getting married.
It had come as no surprise to you. You knew the day would come that Rheaâs boyfriend would finally propose, taking the one person you cared about the most in the world away from you and yet you still couldnât convince yourself to breathe.
You almost whispered over to Sonya as you both bent forward into downward dog, the dagger in your chest tightening as those two words played over and over in your subconscious. You didnât want to say the words out loud but you couldnât stop them, your form faltering as you heard the female beside you gasp.
Sonya dropped out of position instantly and sat cross legged on her yoga mat with a grin from ear to ear, the words coming from between her lips in a high pitched tone.
You didnât want to have to repeat yourself, the words tasted like copper in your mouth and saying them again out loud would hurt you even more the second time.
Lowering your position back down onto your knees, you sit back and exhale a shallow breath. Sonya knew all about how youâd spent the last few years pining after Rhea, ever since youâd been pulled up to the big leagues from NXT. She knew how youâd left every event Rhea had attended with her boyfriend miserable because sheâd been too busy with him to pay attention to you.
Itâs not like youâd expected her to ignore him, but you hadnât expected her to ignore you either.
Slowly bringing your posture round to sit cross legged in front of Sonya, you tilt your head up to meet her gaze and plaster your best âIâm so happy for herâ grin upon your lips.
âSheâs engaged. Rheaâs getting married.â
Sonya could see the pain on your face; even though you tried your hardest to hide it from her. Rhea was such a big part of your life, how could you not be hurting.
Shuffling a little closer to your closed off posture, the dark haired female took your hand in hers without a word. She didnât want to force you to talk about it; at least not yet, instead the two of you sat in the empty gym in silence.
You could faintly hear the music from inside the bar as you sat outside in the empty parking lot, surrounded by nothing but your own thoughts. It had been a rough few days for you, battling with the fact that Rhea was getting married was harder than youâd expected it to be and if you were being completely honest with yourself; it still hadnât quite sunk in.
Youâd chosen to give Rhea some distance. She needed time to get used to being a fiancĂ© and you; well you werenât entirely sure you could face her without giving away the fact you were disappointed that she was marrying someone else.
Tracing your finger over the rim of your empty champagne glass, you exhale a long sigh. It had taken everything in you to attend Rheaâs engagement party. Being around her and your friends whilst struggling with your feelings about the whole situation was hard; it was the main reason youâd slunk off to have some alone time, you needed a moment to let out your emotions and the extensive guest list for the party had left you with limited options.
Placing the empty glass down at your feet, you hunched your back and lowered your head into your awaiting hands. The sharp pain in your lungs from days before had yet to subside; the constant thought of Rheaâs text flashing across your screen reigniting the fire in your chest that burned stronger than any other heartache youâd felt before and it showed no sign of stopping.
Closing your eyes tightly as the sound of approaching heels rang in your eardrums, you prayed it was just a stranger coming for a cigarette or maybe to throw up in a bush.
You werenât in the right headspace to talk with anyone right now, but knowing your luck it would be the one person you werenât quite ready to face. Other than when youâd arrived alongside Sonya and Bianca, you hadnât said two words to Rhea. She had been far too busy with the line of people desperate to congratulate her and youâ well youâd actually been avoiding her.
Keeping your hands buried in your palms, you slowly parted your fingers to peek at the shoes that stood before you. Relief instantly washed over you as they fell upon the unnecessary high pair of stilettos youâd lent to Sonya for the special occasion. You thought youâd been quite successful when youâd managed to slip away from the group; but not quite successful enough it seemed.
Sonya uttered. Her slender frame towering over you as you remained face in hands.
âWhat are you doing out here?â
She didnât really need an answer. Sonya knew exactly why youâd hidden yourself away, but that hadnât stopped her from coming to find you non the less. Taking a seat beside you on the old wooden bench, her slender fingers pulled a single palm from your face to hold tightly in her own grasp.
âYou should be inside with everyone else, Son. We donât want the bride-to-be noticing youâre missing.â
âI could say the same to you.â
âShe hasnât noticed Iâm missing.â
You almost bark; a throaty scoff parting your lips as your second palm dropped to your lap. Your neck craning so you can look over in Sonyaâs direction with sullen eyes.
âIf I hadnât said hi, she wouldnât even know I was here.â
The words tore at your chest as you spoke, but it was reality and you had to face that. You werenât on Rheaâs radar, you never had been and her future was with the man whoâd asked her to marry him.
Sonya muttered as her hold upon your palm tightened slightly.
âYou're her best friend, of course she would know if you werenât here. Youâre connected.â
A shallow sigh burst free from your lungs as you swallowed back the tight lump that began to form in your throat, words leaving your lips laced with sarcasm.
âNot in any way that counts.â
You hoped Sonya wouldnât push it any further. You hadnât talked to anyone about how Rheaâs engagement was making you feel and you planned to keep it that way. It wasnât anyone elseâs burden to bare but your own.
Exhaling another shallow breath, you lean back against the bench and tilt your head up to face the heavens. The sky was so clear, you could see every star as they shone across the midnight sky and the beauty of it all tugged at the corners of your lips.
âIâm fine, Sonya. Please donât let me ruin your night. Go, enjoy the party.â
A few moments passed before Sonya said anything, her voice soft and heartwarming as she gave your palm another squeeze. You were always too concerned for the well-being of others and never took care of yourself. It was something youâd always done.
âIâm not leaving until you talk to me, Y/N. You canât keep hiding your feelings about this from everyone. Itâs going to eat you alive until you break and you shouldnât be alone when that happens.â
You could feel the lump in your throat cutting off your airways as it began to grow larger. Of course Sonya was right. The more you pushed down your emotions, the harder you would break when your body finally had enough.
You choked out through labored breath, your bottom lip beginning to tremble as you held on tightly to Sonyaâs hand.
âI canât face it. I canât let myself feel it. I just canât.â
Sonya leant forward so she could look upon you with concern in her gaze, her dark hues catching the tremble in your lip and the tightness of your chest as she took both your palms in hers.
There was only so much heartbreak a person could take and watching the woman you loved marry someone else broke that barrier and then some.
Smoothing the pads of her thumbs against the top of your hands and tracing each knuckle at a time, Sonya exhaled a muted breath. She wanted to help you, to be your shoulder to cry on as you let out all the bottled up feelings you had pushed deep down, but she didnât know how to help you when you wouldnât help yourself.
âListen to me, babe. Rhea is your best friend, sheâs the love of your life and you need to process this now or at the end of the day, you're gonna lose her completely. Do you want that?â
Of course you didnât want that. Yes Rhea was getting married, but thatâs all she was doing. She wasnât moving away, she wasnât leaving you. She would still come over to your apartment at midnight if you needed her, she would still spend girls night getting drunk and dancing till your feet hurt. She was your best friend and she wouldnât abandon you because of a guy.
Slowly lowering your gaze from the sparkling sky and down to meet the chocolate pools of Sonyaâs hues, you swallow harshly in hopes to keep your tears at bay.
Was all you could manage as you pulled in a stammered breath, the prickle of a threatening break burning at your eyes.
Sonyaâs voice was always so soothing. Her tone was sweet as honey, but still firm.
Letting your lids flutter closed for a brief moment, you inhale a deep breath to fill your lungs. The tightness in your chest sent a pain down your spine as you gave Sonyaâs hands a soft squeeze, your exhale coming out in stammered bursts.
âSheâs getting married, Son. There is nothing I can do, nothing I can say thatâs going to change that. What does telling you my feelings do except hurt me more?â
Sonya wasnât entirely sure what to say. She couldnât put the words in your mouth, you needed to figure them out on your own but it had been six days since youâd found out about Rheaâs engagement and youâd not said two words about it to anyone. It had to be killing you and all she wanted to do was help.
Exhaling a shallow breath as she mulled things over in silence, Sonya kept her watchful gaze upon you. The tremor in your lip was still very present and she could see the tears as they began to glistened across your lense, not yet ready to break the waterline.
âShe needs to know how you feel, babe. You have to tell her the truth.â
Rheaâs fingers spread out on the wooden door frame ahead of her as she pushed out into the cool night air, her plush lips curving into a warm smile as her ring glistened in the moonlight.
She couldnât believe how many people had shown up to celebrate her engagement, her fiancĂ© had even flown out her parents as a surprise; but she was desperate for a second alone. Ever since the party had started, she hadnât had a second to breathe, the constant flood of people congratulating her never seemed to end. There were only so many times she could say thank you before it started to drive her insane, eventually things had finally calmed down enough for her to sneak outside for a breath of air and she couldnât be more grateful.
Stepping out into the empty parking lot, she let her lids fall and inhaled the largest breath. Flooding every inch of her lungs with the crisp midnight breeze, she raised her lids only to fall upon the back of your head in the distance.
Sonyaâs gaze grew wide as she spotted Rhea standing by the bar entrance, her actions to stop your sudden outburst not quite fast enough as you opened your mouth to speak loud enough that Rhea would definitely hear.
Sonya shook her head gently in hopes youâd stop talking but you ignored it and kept going in a slightly breathless tone. Your words were thick in your throat which made it harder for you to breathe, but you persevered.
âWhat am I supposed to do Sonya, just walk up to her in the middle of her perfect fucking engagement party and tell her Iâm in love with her? Tell her she shouldnât be marrying him, she should be marrying me?â
Sonyaâs lips parted; unable to speak words as she simply watched you falling apart before her. The well in your eyes deepened as tears threatened to break your waterline, the thickness in your voice casted in emotion as you tried to swallow.
âShe loves him, Sonya. She doesnât love me. Sheâs never loved me. She will never love me. So whyâ why would I punish myself and tell her Iâve loved her since the day we met, when Iâll get nothing in return but a broken heart? Huh. WHY?!â
Your breathing was getting harder and the knife in your chest was tightening, twisting and twisting like a vice as it pushed all the air from your lungs. Sonya had pushed you to this, sheâd told you to let go and feel. But had she been prepared for this?
Sonya kept a watchful eye on Rhea over your shoulder, unable to stop the crumbling wall sheâd detonated as you blurted out the things you hadnât planned on Rhea ever hearing.
Sonya was lost for words. She didnât want to stop you from finally giving in to all the pain Rheaâs engagement was causing you, but at the same time she didnât want to add to the awkward situation Rhea had found herself in. She had no idea how you felt about her getting married; how could she? Youâd avoided every text message and ever phone call from her over the last few days, desperate to keep your emotions at bay.
âI canât burden her with this, Sonya. Rhea deserves to get married and be happy, she deserves to walk down that aisle with nothing but joy. If I tell her that I love her.. that Iâve always loved her..â
You pause to inhale a shaky breath as the first few tears break free from your waterline, trickling down your cheek and dripping onto the emerald satin of your dress.
âI have to let her go, Son.â
Was all you could utter as your throat grew tight and your demeanor fell lax as you slumped in your seat.
You knew Sonya was trying to make things better, getting you to admit to your feelings for Rhea was only the first step in what was going to be a long night for you and as much as it was hurting you; you had to admit it was helping.
âGo back inside, Sonya. Iâll come in soon, I promise.â
Exhaling a long sign, Sonya extended her palm to swipe away the stray tear that clung to your cheek. Her fingertip sliding beneath your chin and tilting your head back up so she could address you head on with her words.
âDonât stay out here punishing yourself Y/N, if you're not back inside in twenty minutes I'm coming back out here to get you.â
Getting up without another word, Sonya leant down to press her lips against the top of your head and turned to head back inside. You needed a little alone time and as much as she wanted to stay with you, keep you safe while you broke down over losing the most important girl in your life, but she had more important things to deal with. She needed to get Rhea back inside and away from you, sheâd heard more than she needed too and Sonya wasn't willing to let her address the situation until you were ready.
You wanted to make sure Sonya actually left, that you were finally alone to release the emotion she had pulled from you but as you stared down at your palm and inhaled a labored breath, you couldnât help the unstoppable tears that broke free from behind your lids. Your cheeks instantly moistening as the waterfall of emotions finally hits the surface.
Smoothing away the smudges of black from under your eyes as you inspected your reflection in the bathroom mirror, you exhaled a small huff and pushed back off the sink ledge. You just had to make it through the night. Rhea didnât know a thing and as long as you could keep it together, everything would be fine.
Crossing the bathroom floor as you smoothed out your emerald dress, you stop abruptly when a pair of heels appear before you. They weren't the shoes youâd leant Sonya, they werenât Biancaâs or Livâs. Swallowing a large lump that formed in your throat, you slowly raised your gaze to meet Rheaâs glimmering sapphire hues.
You scoffed under your breath, forcing your plush lips into a warm smile as you contemplated what you should say to her. You knew sheâd be mad at you, youâd been avoiding her for days but you had to say something. Pulling your palm through curled locks, you inhaled yet another breath.
âHaving a good night?â
âHaving a good night?â Your subconscious screamed. Could you not have come up with something else? Rheaâs gaze was fixed on you, locked in like she had something to say and yet she said nothing. The two of you stood in silence simply looking at each other and waiting for the other to speak. Your palms began to sweat as you finally broke eye contact, a soft smile pulling at the corner of your lips as you scoffed a small chuckle. Even after all the years of knowing Rhea, she still made you nervous.
You uttered, your entire form moving forward and in her direction.
âYou look like you just got bad news, babe what's going on?â
Your worry about saying the wrong thing to Rhea disappeared as she remained motionless in front of you. Why wasnât she speaking? What had happened?
Stretching out your palm towards Rheaâs, you flinch slightly as she yanks her hand away. The expression on her face falling even more sullen as she inhales a breath and takes a small step away from you.
âWhy didnât you tell me?â
Rhea finally broke her silence. Her palms remaining at her sides as she kept her gaze upon you. You felt your heart as it dropped in your cheat, your windpipe closing around the air as it tried to escape your lungs. You couldnât breathe and you didnât know what to do.
You choked out, trying your best to remain calm.
âWhat are you talking about?â
Had Sonya said something? She was the only one who knew about your feelings for Rhea and she was known for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. Swallowing the nerves that began to return, you froze as Rhea finally closed the distance once more and took your palm within her own.
âI heard you.. I was outside and.. You love me?â
Each sentence was stammered and incomplete but you quickly pieced together what had happened, your fingers winding with Rheaâs as she held onto your palm tightly. She wasnât going to let you go until she got the answers she needed and as much as you regretted everything sheâd heard, you didnât really want her to let go.
âYou expect me to tell you Iâm in love with you when six days ago you told me you're getting married. Are you crazy?â
A small chortle parted your lips as you shook your head gently, the nerves that boiled beneath your skin dying down as you watched Rheaâs lips curve into an impish grin. Her fingers tightening even more with your own as she pulled you a little closer towards her.
âYou could have told me seven days ago.â
âAnd what difference would that have made, Rhea?â
You scoffed, pulling your palm free from hers and turning your back as you crossed the bathroom, spinning on heeled feet as you continued.
âAre you seriously telling me that if seven days ago I had come to you and said I love you, that you should be with me, that we should be as happy as you are with him, that it would have made a difference on how things would be right now?â
You didnât want to raise your voice at Rhea, partly because she scared you, but mainly because you couldnât face the emotions it would undoubtedly pull back up and youâd just managed to calm yourself after the first time. Rhea hadnât moved but neither had her features, the impish grin still plastered on her lips as she watched you vent. Why was she so calm about all of this?
She finally spoke. Her form closing the distance between you until she was able to scrape your hair behind your ear. The softness of her thumb against your jawline causing you to tremble.
You scoffed once more as your throat tightened again, the closeness between you and Rhea causing your entire form to shift. You could feel the warmth of her breath against your skin, the sweet smell of her perfume flooding your nostrils. She wasnât being serious, your confession of love wouldnât have meant a thing. She loved someone else and no matter what you said to her, nothing would change that. Right?
Cradling her palm around the angle of your jaw, Rhea tilted your head to force your gaze to hers. You spent years wishing sheâd look at you the way she did in that moment, but as you stared up into her glistening baby blues you couldnât stop the color that flushed your cheeks. Rheaâs dominance at work was captivating for many, but as she stared into the depth of your gaze you completely forgot how to breathe.
âI said yes and I meant it.â
The air trapped within your lungs caused your chest to hurt as the breath remained locked within your body, Rheaâs thumb gently grazing along your jawline as she spoke.
She muttered to you, her free hand placing down against your chest over your heart. The heavy thrum drumming against her palm as her lips curved into a delicate smile.
How did she expect you to just breathe? It had been years since youâd fallen for Rhea, yet you had never done a damn thing about it for fear of her rejecting you. Only to be telling her how you felt at her engagement party and her telling you she wishes youâd told her sooner. Would this have been your engagement party if only youâd told her when it happened and not kept it a secret from her?
Finally finding your breath after what felt like hours, you swallow back the dryness that coated your esophagus. Your cheek softly leaning into Rheaâs palm as she continued to cradle your face. The problems of the world around you melting away as you forgot exactly what was happening.
It took a few moments, but eventually it all hit you. Your entire frame darting out of Rheaâs hold, you shake your head as the words fell from your lips.
âNo. No.. no no, you canât do this to me.â
Rheaâs manicured brow arched slightly as she watched you shift backwards, her first instinct to reach for you and gently hold you still within her palms.
âYou canât make me fall more in love with you Rhea, you canât. Youâre getting married.â
Rheaâs palm slowly began to slide up the length of your bare arms, her fingertips causing the hairs on your skin to stand on end as they danced back up to rest down upon your shoulders. You wanted to tell her to stop. That she shouldnât be in here with you, she should be outside with her fiancĂ©. Celebrating with her friends and family.
âIâve thought about you every day since the moment I laid eyes on you, Y/N.â
You could hear Rheaâs words as clearly as spoke them and yet somehow your brain struggled to process them. She wasnât serious. She couldnât be.
You whispered, dropping your gaze to the ground.
âI remember every word you said to me.â
You knew Rhea wasnât going to stop. She knew how you felt now and if this was the only moment she had to tell you, then god dammit she intended to let it all out.
âI remember the way you smelt. Your smile. The sound of you laugh. The way your cheeks flushed when Sonya introduced us and from that moment on itâs all I thought about. UntilâŠâ
Rhea paused. Her thumbs gently gliding over your shoulders as she inhaled a shaky breath.
You uttered softly. Your gaze finally returning to find Rheaâs sapphire hues.
She scoffed softly. Connecting your eyes once more with a disheartened smile.
âUntil I realized you could never love me.â
It tore at your chest as she spoke. The reality setting in that you could have spent every second from the day you met together but because of your stupidity and choices to keep silent, Rhea had fallen in love with someone else instead of you.
Youâd stopped thinking rationally. The words spilling from your lips like an unstoppable force and your palms cupped around the angle of Rheaâs jawline.
âI did love you. Iâ I do love you. I always have and I believe that I always will. No matter where your life takes you, I will always love you Rhea Ripley. Forever.â
The prickle of tears threatened your waterline once more as you spoke, the pads of your thumbs tracing over the apple of Rheaâs cheeks as you forced yourself to keep in place. It was killing you to tell her the truth knowing she was about to marry someone else, but Sonya was right. Rhea had the right to know the truth, even if it meant you could never see her again due to how much it hurt.
Rhea hadnât blinked, she hadnât flinched, hell you werenât even sure if she had taken a breath. Her entire form remained still in front of you as if youâd frozen her into a state of shock.
Youâd said your piece. You could easily slip out of the bathroom, out of the party and off into the night without any backlash.
Exhaling a soft sigh as you retracted your palms from around Rheaâs face, you took a small step back. Your form stumbled slightly as her palms tightened round your shoulders, the entire body tightening as one palm slid round the back of your neck and the other took hold of your waist. The air around you becomes thick as it all flashed before your eyes.
Rheaâs lips were on yours before you had the time to stop her, the distance between you completely gone as she pressed her muscular frame against your own. Your own palms winding into the small of her back as you hold her close.
It was wrong, it was all wrong but youâd waiting years for this moment and if it was the only chance youâd get to be with herâ even if it was just for a second, fuck were you going to take it.
