#wwesmackdown

Cody Rhodes stood in front of the mirror in his locker room, rolling his shoulders and wincing slightly. His back was a patchwork of faint red marks, standing out against the usual bruises from training and matches. He smirked to himself. If only the WWE Universe knew the real reason behind them.

"Yo, Cody, you ready?" a voice called from the hallway.

"Yeah, be right there!" he replied, shaking his head as he grabbed his ring jacket.

Just then, YN peeked into the room, her eyes immediately locking onto his back. Her face turned pink. "Oh my gosh… Cody."

He turned with an amused expression. "What?"

She rushed in, grabbing his arm and turning him toward her. "What? Look at you! Your back looks like you wrestled a wild animal!"

Cody chuckled. "Technically, I did—and I lost." He winked, making her groan and bury her face in her hands.

"This is so embarrassing," she muttered.

Cody gently pulled her hands away, grinning. "Hey, don’t be shy now. You weren’t exactly holding back last night."

YN swatted at his chest. "Stop!"

He laughed, leaning in. "I kinda like it, you know."

She blinked. "The marks?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. They’re proof that you’re my toughest opponent." His voice was teasing but warm.

YN groaned, hiding her face again. "You’re gonna be the end of me."

Cody pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. "Nah. But you are gonna be the reason I wrestle tonight with some extra battle scars."

Before she could protest, the PA system blared: "Cody Rhodes, to gorilla position. You're up next!"

Cody slung his weight belt over his shoulder, starting toward the door but pausing to glance back at her. She was still standing there, chewing her lip, looking equal parts flustered and guilty.

He smirked. "Don’t worry, babe. I’ll handle my opponent… and later, you can help me recover."

And with that, he walked out, leaving YN standing there, heart racing and face burning.

Yeah… she was definitely in trouble.

YN paced Cody's locker room, nervously biting her nail as the Monday Night Raw main event played on the monitor. Every slap, every suplex, every brutal landing made her wince.

Especially when Seth Rollins, ever the opportunist, noticed Cody’s back.

"Ohhh, what happened there?" Corey Graves' voice rang out on commentary. "Looks like Cody went through a war before he even stepped in the ring!"

YN nearly died on the spot.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered.

As if things couldn’t get worse, Seth pointed at Cody’s back mid-match and smirked. Then, in classic Rollins fashion, he dramatically ran his fingers across the scratches.

Cody let out a grunt of pain but powered through, eventually hitting Cross Rhodes for the win. The second the bell rang, YN rushed toward the curtain, ready to check on him.

When he finally stepped through, sweaty and exhausted, she was already fussing. "Are you okay?! Did that hurt?!"

Cody blinked at her, then laughed. "That? Babe, I get hit with steel steps for a living. A few love taps aren’t gonna break me."

She groaned. "Cody, they talked about your back on commentary."

He smirked. "Oh, I heard."

YN’s face burned. "I hate you."

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist. "No, you don’t. But I do need a shower. Care to keep me company?"

She gasped, shoving him playfully. "You just wrestled a whole match. I’m not coming near you until you wash off all that sweat."

He smirked, leaning in. "That’s fine… but just so you know, once I do get cleaned up, I might just have to return the favor."

YN’s heart nearly stopped.

Cody winked, grabbed his towel, and headed toward the showers, leaving her standing there, flustered beyond belief.

She was so in trouble.

YN sat on the hotel bed, hugging a pillow to her chest as she replayed the events of the night over and over.

Cody’s scratched-up back on full display. Seth Rollins mocking him in the ring. The commentary team making it worse for millions to hear.

She groaned, burying her face in the pillow. "So embarrassing…"

Just then, the bathroom door swung open, and there stood Cody Rhodes—fresh out of the shower, towel slung low on his hips, steam rolling behind him. His damp blond hair curled slightly, and a knowing smirk played at his lips as he rubbed his neck.

"So, wanna tell me why you’re pouting?"

YN peeked at him, still mortified. "Because I basically exposed you to the entire WWE Universe!"

Cody chuckled, crossing his arms. "Babe, it’s not that deep." He took a step closer, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "If anything, I think it’s kinda funny."

YN groaned. "Cody, Seth Rollins saw them. Corey Graves saw them! The entire world saw them!"

Cody sat down beside her, leaning in. "And? Now everyone knows I have the toughest manager around."

YN’s breath caught in her throat.

Before she could respond, Cody gently took the pillow from her hands and tossed it aside. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he tilted her chin up.

"Though," he murmured, lips just inches from hers, "I think it’s only fair I win this round."

Her stomach flipped. "Cody…"

"What’s wrong, sweetheart?" he teased, brushing his nose against hers. "Shy now?"

Her heart pounded as he lightly tapped her nose with his finger, smirking.

"You left scratches," he whispered. "So maybe I should leave a little reminder, too."

YN let out a shaky breath, knowing full well she was so in for it.