Pair: Damien Priest X Rhea Ripley X Finn BalorÂ
Plot: When an unexpected announcement shakes SmackDown, Finn BĂĄlor and Damian Priest rush through the chaos of the night to get home to the one person who needs them most. Injured, frustrated, and overwhelmed by the noise of the outside world, Rhea Ripley finds herself breaking in ways she never lets anyone see â except them. As the three navigate hurt, comfort, and the quiet safety of their shared secrecy, theyâre reminded that some battles arenât fought in the ring, but in the moments where love becomes the only thing strong enough to hold someone together.
Song: Shatter Me â Lindsey Stirling ft. Lzzy Hale
This story explores the quiet, vulnerable moments that happen far away from the arena lights â the ones where strength falters and the people closest to you become the only anchor left. After a chaotic night on SmackDown, Finn BĂĄlor and Damian Priest return home to find Rhea Ripley hurting in ways she never lets the world see. What follows is a blend of comfort, frustration, and the fierce loyalty that binds the three of them together.
Inspired by the emotional intensity of Shatter Me, this fic focuses on healing, connection, and the battles fought behind closed doors â the ones that matter most. â¤ď¸đđĽş
The show opened cold with Adam Pearce standing in the ring, the crowd buzzing under the lights.
âLadies and gentlemen, I have an update regarding the Womenâs Champion, Rhea Ripley.â
The arena quieted instantly.
âRhea has been recovering from a torn meniscus for several weeks. Sheâs been working nonstop with WWE Medical, and sheâs close â but not close enough. She will not be cleared to compete at SummerSlam.â
A wave of shock rolled through the audience.
âWith her return date still uncertain, WWE will crown an interim Womenâs Champion. Starting tonight, five women will compete for spots in a ladder match at SummerSlam. The winner will hold the interim title until Rhea returns⌠and when she does, weâll find out who the true, undisputed Womenâs World Champion is.â
âThat decision is official.â
The crowd erupted as the opening music hit.
Backstage, the monitor flickered with Pearceâs announcement
Finn BĂĄlor stood in front of it, already in his gear for his match with Talla Tonga â wrist tape halfâfinished, boots laced, jaw tight. He didnât move. Didnât blink. Just stared at the screen like the words hadnât fully hit him yet.
A few feet away, Damian Priest stood with RâTruth, going over cues for his solo segment with CM Punk later in the show. Truth was talking, animated as always, but Damian wasnât hearing a word.
His eyes were locked on the monitor.
Damian didnât answer. His jaw flexed once, slow.
Finn muttered under his breath, low and sharp:
ââŚInterim champion. Theyâre really doing it.â
Damian exhaled hard through his nose.
âShe didnât relinquish the title. She didnât.â
Finn shook his head, still staring at the screen.
âTheyâre acting like she did.â
Truth looked between them, confused but concerned.
âYâall look like somebody just told you Santa ainât real.â
âSheâs gonna lose her mind.â
Finn finally tore his eyes from the monitor and looked at Damian â that quiet, loaded look only people who love the same woman understand.
Finn: âWe need to get to her.â
Damian: âAfter your match. After my segment. We go straight home.â
âHome? I thought yâall were justââ
Damian cut him a look that shut him up instantly.
Finn finished taping his wrist, movements sharp and angry.
Damian grabbed his gear bag, shoulders tense.
They didnât stand close.
They didnât speak again.
They didnât make it obvious.
But both men were already planning the same thing:
Before either man could say another word, a stagehand called out that Finnâs entrance was in thirty seconds â forcing him to tear his eyes from the monitor, shake off the anger, and head toward gorilla for his match with Talla Tonga.
Finn didnât even get a full minute to breathe after Pearceâs announcement. He was already in his gear, already taped up, already pacing, trying to shake off the anger before heading to the ring.
The moment he stepped through the curtain, the Tongans were waiting.
Talla Tonga stood in the ring like a wall â seven feet of fury, power, and bad intentions.
Tama Tonga circled at ringside, eyes locked on Finn, still seething from last weekâs embarrassment.
Talla came at Finn immediately, using his size to bully him into the corner, crushing him with heavy body shots that echoed through the arena. Finn tried to slip out, tried to use his speed, but every escape just made Talla angrier.
On the outside, Tama paced like a shark.
At one point, Talla lifted Finn and dropped him jawâfirst onto the edge of the announce desk. The crowd groaned. Finnâs head snapped back violently, and he staggered, dazed, barely able to stay upright.
The referee was distracted for half a second â and Tama took it.
He grabbed Finn by the skull and drove a forearm into him, vengeance for last weekâs loss. Finnâs leg got caught awkwardly on the barricade, twisting, leaving him vulnerable.
Talla dragged Finn back into the ring and dominated him â slamming him, tossing him, crushing him with sheer power. Every time Finn tried to fight back, Talla shut him down.
He slipped out of a chokeslam attempt, sent Talla crashing into the turnbuckle, then sprinted outside and hit a Slingblade on Tama that took the ringside threat out completely.
Finn rolled back in, hit a shotgun dropkick that launched Talla into the corner, then climbed the ropes.
The big man didnât stay down.
And commentary called it exactly what it was â a brutal, chaotic win over both Tongans, and a massive statement for Finnâs SmackDown run.
Finn slipped out of the ring the second his music hit, adrenaline still buzzing under his skin as he made his way through the curtain. The moment he stepped backstage, the noise of the arena faded into the hum of production crews and rushing stagehands. He didnât stop to talk, didnât celebrate, didnât even grab a bottle of waterâhe just found an empty spot off to the side near the monitor wall, dropped onto a crate, and fixed his eyes on the screen. Damianâs segment with Punk was coming up next, and Finn needed to see it. Needed to know how Damian was holding himself together after Pearceâs announcement. Needed to be close, even if nobody else understood why.
The monitor flickered, switching from commercials to a live backstage shot.
Punk had just got done talking to Adam Pearce, and Damian Priest was standing there waiting.
âWhatâs up big man, we good?â
âOh, weâre good. Honestly appreciate the shoutout last week. I hope you understand â if youâre still champ after SummerSlam, Iâm gonna be standing right here waiting for you.â
âI hope you are. And you know what? I hope youâre still champ, because me and Cody are gonna go on a tear. Weâre gonna beat Gunther and Sami tomorrow⌠and then whoâs to say we wonât come after you? Double champ CM Punk sounds good to me.â
âAlright. Sounds good to me, broâŚâ
They fistâbumped, the segment ending on that respectful, dangerous promise.
Finn exhaled slowly, shoulders dropping as the screen faded out. Damian looked calm, collected, professional â but Finn knew better. He knew exactly what was boiling under Damianâs skin after Pearceâs announcement. And he knew they both needed to get home to Rhea as soon as the show was over.
The second the segment with Punk faded off the monitor, Finn pushed himself up from the crate, rolling his sore shoulder once before grabbing his bag. He didnât need to say anythingâDamian was already heading toward him from down the hall, gear bag slung over his shoulder, expression tight but focused.
They didnât make a scene.
They just walked with purpose, sideâbyâside but not too close, slipping through the backstage traffic like two men who had somewhere important to be.
Truth called something after Damian, but Damian only lifted a hand in acknowledgment. Finn didnât even look back.
By the time they reached the parking lot, the adrenaline from the night had worn off, replaced by the same quiet urgency theyâd both felt since Pearceâs announcement. Damian unlocked the car, tossed his bag in the back, and Finn slid into the passenger seat without a word.
They knew exactly where they were going.
SmackDown played softly on the TV in Damianâs living room, the volume low enough that the commentary blended into the background hum. Rhea sat curled on the couch, her injured knee wrapped neatly in fresh bandaging. She had on Finnâs Balor Club sweatpantsâtoo big on her, hanging loose at the hipsâand one of Damianâs hoodies, sleeves pushed up to her elbows.
Her title sat on the coffee table in front of her, close enough to touch, far enough away that she didnât have to look at it.
She wasnât breaking down.
Watching every match, every segment, every moment like she was studying a battlefield she couldnât step onto.
When Pearceâs announcement replayed during the recap package, she exhaled slowly, jaw tightening, fingers curling into the fabric of Damianâs hoodie.
She hated being sidelined.
She hated being replaced.
But she hated being alone even more.
And she knew they were coming home
The drive to Damianâs house was quiet, the kind of quiet that wasnât awkwardâjust heavy. Heavy with Pearceâs announcement. Heavy with everything they couldnât say out loud in public. Heavy with the need to get home to her.
Damian unlocked the front door, Finn right behind him, both stepping inside like theyâd done it a hundred times.
Rhea looked up the second she heard them.
She didnât pretend to be fine.
She didnât try to act tough.
She just held her arms out toward Finn.
Because according to her, Finn gives the best cuddles, and tonight she needed that more than anything.
Finn dropped his bag instantly and crossed the room in three steps. He slid onto the couch beside her, letting her fold herself into himâher head tucked under his chin, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, her knee carefully resting across his lap so he wouldnât bump it.
He wrapped his arms around her like heâd been waiting all night to do it.
Damian watched them for a momentâsoft, fond, protectiveâbefore heading straight to the kitchen.
Salt & Vinegar Chips rheas favoriteÂ
So Damian grabbed the bag from the pantry, popped it open, and brought it over without saying anythingâjust setting it on the coffee table beside her title.
Rhea didnât reach for it yet.
She just tightened her hold on Finn, breathing him in, grounding herself.
Damian sat on her other side, close but not crowding, one hand resting gently on her wrapped knee.
The three of them sat there like thatâquiet, warm, togetherâwhile SmackDown continued playing softly in the background.
Rhea didnât let go of Finn for a long moment. She just stayed tucked against him, breathing slow, steady, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Damian set the salt & vinegar chips on the table, then sat beside her, one hand resting gently on her wrapped knee.
Finn rubbed slow circles on her back.
Damian waited, patient, quiet.
Finally, Rhea exhaled â a shaky, frustrated breath.
â...Iâm upset at myself,â she whispered.
Finnâs arms tightened around her automatically.
âI shouldnât have gotten hurt. I shouldnât have let it happen. And I should be healing faster. I should be back already. I should be out there. Not sitting here watching someone else fight for my title.â
Damian leaned in a little, voice low and steady.
âRhea⌠you didnât choose this.â
She shook her head, eyes stinging, fingers curling tighter into Finnâs shirt.
âIâm supposed to be unstoppable. Iâm supposed to be the one carrying the division. And instead Iâm sitting here with my knee wrapped like some rookie who didnât know how to land right.â
Finn rested his forehead against the top of her head.
âHey. No. Youâre allowed to be human.â
âI donât want to be human. I want to be champion. And I feel like Iâm letting everyone down â you two, the fans, myselfâŚâ
Damian reached over, gently cupping the side of her face so sheâd look at him.
âYou didnât let anyone down,â he said softly. âYou got hurt doing your job better than anyone else. And youâre healing as fast as your body can. Thatâs not failure. Thatâs reality.â
Finn nodded, his thumb brushing her shoulder.
âAnd weâre not going anywhere. Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Not when they crown an interim champion. Weâre here. With you.â
Rheaâs eyes finally softened, her body relaxing between them â held, supported, safe.
Rhea stayed tucked against Finnâs chest, breathing slow and shaky, Damianâs hand warm on her knee. For a moment, it felt like she might settle â like the worst of the storm had passed.
But then her breath hitched.
Finn felt it immediately.
Damian saw her shoulders tense.
Rhea pulled back just enough to look at them, eyes glassy, lashes wet. She swallowed hard, trying to speak, but the words caught in her throat. Her fingers trembled as she reached for her phone on the coffee table.
â...I didnât want to show you this,â she whispered.
Finnâs brows knit with concern.
Damian leaned in, quiet, steady.
Rhea unlocked her phone with shaking hands and turned the screen toward them.
Scrolling fast, ugly, relentless.
âShe doesnât deserve to keep the title.â Â
âInterim champ is better than her anyway.â Â
âGood. Sheâs injured. Maybe someone worthy will take over.â Â
âSheâs faking it.â Â
âSheâs scared to defend.â Â
âShe shouldâve been stripped.â Â
âHope she never comes back.â
âI donât⌠I donât understand what I did. I gave everything. I wrestled hurt. I pushed through everything. And theyâre happy Iâm injured. Theyâre happy Iâm gone.â
Finnâs face softened with heartbreak.
Damianâs jaw clenched, fury simmering under the surface â but not at her.
Rheaâs breath broke entirely, a sob ripping out of her before she could stop it. She covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking, the phone slipping from her grip onto the couch.
Finn pulled her into him instantly, arms wrapping around her tight, protective, grounding.
Damian shifted closer, one hand on her back, the other gently brushing her hair away from her face.
âRhea⌠sweetheart⌠no,â Finn murmured, voice low and warm. âThose people donât know you. They donât know how hard you fight. They donât know how much you give.â
Damian nodded, leaning in so she could hear him through her sobs.
âTheyâre not the ones who matter. Theyâre loud because theyâre miserable. You didnât do anything wrong. You didnât fail. You got hurt â and that happens to every single wrestler alive.â
Rhea shook her head against Finnâs chest, tears soaking into his shirt.
âBut they hate me. Theyâre glad Iâm gone.â
Damianâs voice dropped to a soft, steady rumble.
âThey donât hate you. They hate that youâre strong. They hate that youâre champion. They hate that youâre everything they wish they could be. And theyâre wrong. Every single one of them.â
Finn tightened his hold, rocking her gently.
âWeâre here. Weâre not going anywhere. Cry as long as you need. Weâve got you.â
She cried â hard, messy, shaking â for a long time.
Finn held her the whole time, arms never loosening.
Damian stayed right beside her, rubbing slow circles on her back, whispering quiet reassurances whenever her sobs spiked.
Eventually, her breathing slowed.
Her fingers curled into Finnâs hoodie and Damianâs hand at the same time â holding onto both of them like anchors.
It took a long time for Rheaâs sobs to fade.
Finn held her through every single one, arms wrapped around her like he was shielding her from the whole world.
Damian stayed close, rubbing slow circles on her back, grounding her with quiet reassurances.
Eventually, her breathing steadied.
Her fingers unclenched from Finnâs shirt.
She wasnât okay â not fully â but she wasnât drowning anymore.
Damian brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb, gentle in a way only she ever saw.
âGood girl,â he murmured softly. âBreathe. Just breathe.â
Rhea nodded, wiping her face with the sleeve of Damianâs hoodie.
Finn kissed the top of her head.
âYouâre doing so good, love.â
âIâm sorry⌠I didnât mean to fall apart like that.â
âYouâre allowed to fall apart. Especially with us.â
He stood, grabbed his phone from the counter, scrolled for a moment â then tapped a song.
The soft, haunting intro of âShatter Meâ filled the living room.
Damian held out his hand.
She hesitated â knee wrapped, eyes still red â but she took his hand. Damian pulled her gently to her feet, careful of her leg, guiding her into his arms.
He rested one hand on her waist, the other on her back, swaying slowly with her in the dim light of the living room.
Rhea melted into him, forehead against his chest.
Then Finn stepped up behind her, sliding his arms around her from the back, his chin resting lightly on her shoulder.
She was held between them â safe, warm, loved â the world outside completely gone.
Damian whispered against her hair,
âYouâre not alone. Not now. Not ever.â
Finn tightened his hold, voice low and soft in her ear.
âWeâve got you. Always.â
Rheaâs eyes fluttered shut, tears slipping down her cheeks again â but this time, they werenât from pain.
Damian leaned down, kissing her temple.
Finn kissed her cheek from behind.
And then Damian said it â the truth theyâd never say outside these walls:
âThe world will never know youâre ours. And thatâs a good thing⌠because weâd have to beat everyoneâs ass who ever said a bad thing about you.â
Finn nodded, lips brushing her ear.
âEvery single one of them.â
Rhea let out a tiny, broken laugh â the first sound of joy sheâd made all night â and held onto both of them tighter.
Between them, she wasnât the injured champion.
She wasnât the target of cruel comments.
She wasnât the woman being replaced by an interim title.
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