#lantino world order

[sydsaint]

Ahem. Let me just, HEEL SANTOS HEEL SANTOS HEEL SANTOS HEEL SANTOS HEEL-

Thank you.

Summary: The reader returns to Smackdown after 4 months off with an injury. She is welcomed by her LWO friends. But Santos doesn't appear so happy to see her. Especially when he and the reader are hiding a secret that could bring LWO to its knees.

"I'm sorry about the loss on Saturday, too, Rey." You hug your uncle when you greet him backstage at Smackdown.

"Y/N! Gracias, Carino. And how is my favorite niece?" He asks you cheerfully, despite his loss.

You flash a smile and shrug. "I'm alright. Still nursing this dumb shoulder injury." You rub your shoulder with your good hand. "But the doc did say that I should be back to 100% soon." You assure him.

"That's wonderful news." Rey matches your smile. "Are you planning on sticking around tonight for Carlito's match against Bobby Lashley?" He asks you.

"I don't see why not?" You nod. "I haven't seen Zelina in a while. It'll be good to talk to her. And Santos as well."

Rey nods and heads backstage with you. "I'm sure that they'll all be happy to see you." He smiles.

Rey leads you through the backstage area and to the LWO locker room. You step through the door and it's almost like Zelina can sense your presence. You watch her swivel around in her chair next to the vanity and lock eyes with you.

"Y/N!" Zelina jumps to her feet and charges at you, engulfing you in a hug against her small frame when she reaches you.

"Zelina." You hug her with a laugh. "It's good to see you again."

Cruz and Joaquin both smile and wave at you while Zelina is still attempting to smother you with affection. You smile back at them in a friendly manner before your eyes travel further back into the room. Your gaze comes to a stop at Santos sitting in the corner of the room with a stoic expression. His eyes knowingly meet yours before he turns away.

"Are you back for real?" Zelina asks you after she's finally done hugging you. "Does this mean we can finally tag together again?" She eagerly pelts you with questions.

"As fun as that sounds, Zelina. No. Not yet, anyway." You shake your head. "I've still got some shoulder damage to work out. I just wanted to come by and see Tio Rey." You nod to your uncle now talking with Cruz.

Zelina flashes a frown, but quickly recovers and grabs your hand. "Come on! Let's chat while I finish my makeup. I've gotta catch you up on what you've been missing." She insists.

You nod and follow Zelina over to her vanity. You sit down next to her and listen intently as she explains everything that you've missed while you've been out on injury.

As Zelins drones on with her stories, like she often does when she's excited, your gaze wanders across the room again. Santos hasn't moved from his spot since you last looked over in his direction. His gaze picks up and meets yours, only you're the one to look away this time.

"Y/N?" Zelina nudges your arm when you don't answer her. "What's wrong?" She asks when she sees the occupied look on your face.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." You shake your head and turn to Zelina. "Just thinking is all." You smile.

Zelina nods and goes back to her makeup. You glance at Santos one last time but he doesn't return the glance this time.

A little over an hour later, everyone is getting ready to head out to the ring so Rey can talk about his loss on Saturday. You've been chatting with Zelina about your recovery so you failed to notice that Santos wandered off a while ago.

"Well, I promised Dakota and Iyo that I'd stop by." You explain. "So, I'll be back in a bit, alright?"

"Okay." Zelina nods. "I'll see you in a bit, Y/N." She smiles at you.

You return Zelina's smile and head out of the locker room. You make your way down the hall and toward the women's locker rooms but you don't make it far when an arm reaches out from one of the unoccupied locker rooms and yanks you inside.

"What the fuck?" You curse the air as the door clicks shut behind you. "Santos? What are you doing?" You turn and find Santos ahold of your arm.

"I didn't want anyone to see us talking," Santos replies, his eyes on the door. "But I needed to see you. Alone." He explains.

You close your eyes for a second, knowing what this impromptu kidnapping is all about. Four months ago you were a full-time member of the LWO with your uncle Rey. You and Zelina were a tag team and about to challenge for the titles when you tore the ligament in your shoulder in a match against Shayna Basler and Zoey Starks.

In addition to being in the LWO because of Rey, you also had a secret fling going on with Santos. One that promptly ended when you had to leave because of your shoulder injury. You'd tried to explain to Santos that it couldn't go on. You could never do anything to hurt your uncle. Not after all the Dominik drama. But Santos fought to keep your fling going. And the break hit him hard.

"You look pretty." Santos smiles softly at you. "I've missed you these past four months." He reaches out and touches your arm cautiously.

"Santos." You look him in the eyes. "We can't...this can't happen again." You try and reason with him.

Santos blinks a couple of times at you. "Y/N, mi corzone." He looks at you with pleading eyes. "Please, don't say that. You came back before you needed to! Was it really just to see your tio?" He asks you.

You bite the inside of your lip as you fight with yourself internally about this. "Santos...I...I can't hurt Rey. After Dominik? I'm all he has left." You remind him.

"I love you," Santos replies plainly like he's not confessing to you right now. "And I know what we had wasn't just some fling. It was more than that." He insists. "Are you saying that you feel nothing for me? Because if that's true then please tell me now. Because I can't keep being led on like this."

"Santos, please." You're the one to plead with him this time. "You're asking me to choose between my heart and my family."

Santos looks at you knowingly and he raises a hand to your face. "You're right. I'm sorry, Mi corozone." His hand cups your cheek before he kisses your lips gently.

You close your eyes and savor the sweet sensation of his lips on yours before they suddenly disappear. When you open your eyes again you're alone in the empty locker room.

Later in the night, you are making your way back to the LWO locker room to find Zelins so the two of you can hang out. You pass by a TV monitor just in time to see her out in the ring with the rest of the LWO. But something is wrong. You come to a stop and watch in horror as Santos appears and promptly takes out Rey. Zelina makes a desperate attempt to stop him, but Santos is unrelenting. He beats Rey until the security staff have to pull him off of your uncle.

"Santos." You speak aloud in a shocked and hushed tone. "What did you do? What did I do?"