#nariah perry

[solosikoasgf]

nariah perry - nothing like loving you (a solo sikoa fic) + character insight.

nariah 'riah' perry is a content associate for wwe - starting off creating content for the nxt brand before recently being promoted main roster content due to increased demand and need for coverage. riah is best described by her teammates as creative and a slight workaholic - she's a perfectionist and is usually in deep dives to see what content will work best + what's on trend. has been known to spend hours sorting through video coverage to make edits for social medias, and has become relatively close with certain main roster stars (usually former nxt graduates) due to her creative direction despite being a rookie. she has no affiliation with the bloodline - in fact she's under pretty strict instructions to steer clear of them as they are handled by a more senior staff member for content. however, chance encounters has her face to face with current enforcer solo sikoa - and it's strange how all of a sudden, her life is always intertwined with his. key personality traits: outgoing, tomboy-ish, workaholic, curious, affectionate, stubborn likes: warm summers on the beach, a cute bikini, her daily starbucks run (brown sugar shaken espresso, extra brown sugar syrup), coconuts, a good slickback bun/ponytail, pasta, a fresh nail set dislikes: soreness after a workout, long wait times, clear phone cases, people who are uncaring & crass, overly aggressive behavior, hairless cats, chihuahuas

[solosikoasgf]

nothing like loving you ,

prologue pairing: solo sikoa x oc (nariah 'riah' perry) themes: found family, slight enemies to lovers? major forbidden lovers, angst, slowburn, solo splintering off/questioning his place in the bloodline author's note: mini-ish prologue to kickstart - just a look into both of their perspectives/point of views. no current taglist but let me know if you'd like to be on one for when chapter one drops!

riah

match days are always a blur - and having solo at my place the night before made it even more so. it's become almost too easy to forget my responsibilities when he's around, and it's even easier to let myself slip - knowing that i'm not supposed to be involved with him at all. it's the number one rule for anybody at wwe - let alone somebody like me who spends the most time with talent while i film content.

never get involved with talent.

so instead of riding into work together, solo and i are forced to part late in the night, goodbyes that should take a minute taking far too long when he pulls me close, nips my ear to make me laugh, hums low during hugs and breathes me in. kisses me again and again and again, each one varying in intensity until i don't want him to leave anymore, but knowing neither of us really have a choice.

never would i thought that the usually quiet and intimidating solo sikoa would be telling me jokes, calling me late at night, and handling me with such fragility, like he was scared i could fall apart at any moment.

a gentle squeeze on my hip brings my attention back to him, his forehead pressed to mine, trying to pull my body closer to him, as if there were any room between us. "you have to go." i smile, nuzzling my nose against his, my hands resting on his chest.

"not yet."

"solo..." my tone is warning, but i'm not really trying to let him go either. it's just easier when he's here with me - his arms wrapped around me at night, his soft (and sometimes loud) snores after he nods off, how he's always up before i am and has my morning coffee ready for me before i finish brushing my teeth.

the more time we spend together, the more qualities that i see in him that make this harder and harder to break off. considerate, kind, thoughtful, funny.....nothing i would have been able to see before. and though we both know this isn't supposed to last, we aren't supposed to be doing this, every time i turn around he's right next to me. texting me the second he enters my mind, watching me from across a room before i realize he's even there.

i have to ask myself how far i'm willing to go, how much am i willing to risk for something that might not last? for something that could essentially ruin my career?

a vibration against my thigh brings us back into the moment, and i give his firm chest a soft pat and gently push back - with some resistance of his arm pulling me right back.

i laugh, reaching down to push him off. "enough. i know that's probably your brothers. you can only be at the 'gym' for so long. we'll see each other tomorrow, okay? go." solo's eyes don't waver though, somewhere between yearning and understanding, so i take his face between my hands, peppering his face with as many kisses as i can manage until i can hear him chuckle, squeezing me tight for a final time.

"aight, aight, i hear you. i'm about to go." he mumbles, ending my attack with a final firm kiss to my lips, and then a softer one to my forehead, pausing for a moment. i can hear him taking deep breaths, like he's trying to remember this moment. "make sure to set your alarm so you're on time tomorrow, yeah?"

"yes sir."

he finally pulls back, pulling the hood over his head before grasping my hand one last time, pressing a kiss to the back and flashing a smile that i've grown all to fond of. "i'll text you in the mornin'."

"mhmm." i wave him off to the door.

he stops short, faltering for a second. "riah...i-"

my heart stops for half a second. "yeah?"

please don't say it.

"nevermind. sleep well."

"text me when you get back?"

"always."

— solo,

it's so strange how riah sees me. not just looks at me - but sees me. it's damn near uncomfortable that such deep brown eyes look past my exterior and into my soul every damn time - and it gets harder to stay away, and harder to say no when i want to be close to her. and no matter how far i push her away from me so i can focus, she just seems to pull herself even closer, until i can't get rid of her.

what if i hurt her?

what if my role is the reason life gets hard for her? roman doesn't give a shit about repercussions - if she's in the way, she'll be removed. and she don't deserve that. she don't deserve to be anywhere near this family - she deserves to be where she can be loved right, and i don't know if i can give that to her. and that hurts more than having her with me.

even now, while we do run through for the night, i'm more focused on what she's doing across the arena rather than putting my mind in the right place for my own match tonight. though she's tucked in behind the commentator's table, i can still see her talking with the rest of the content team, and i can't keep myself from watching, from scanning around her, more concerned about her safety than anything else.

i don't want her anywhere near this place anymore - wanting to keep her tucked next to me, in her room, doors closed to the world.

all i can think about is the mornings i get to wake up next to her, how she always finds herself pressed against me. soft brown skin that glows in the sunlight - how she wears my shirts to bed. how she wraps her arms around me when i make breakfast, nestles her face into my back. how she surprises me each day with some long winded coffee order that she's obsessed with that week. the bright and mischievous way her eyes glow, how sexy and soft they turn when she only has eyes for me in a packed room.

almost like she can feel that i'm thinking about her, her head rises from the table, and we lock eyes across the arena - as soon as she thinks nobody's looking, she flashes a bright, toothy smile, showing off her bloodline shirt with a wrinkle of her nose. i see a flash of something cross her face, most likely in reaction to my own. worry? but she masks it with a look of reassurance, patting her hand across her heart before pointing to me subtly - my heart is for you.

i try and muster up the most encouraging smile i can manage, light nod while turning my attention back to the stagehands directing me, noticing roman's eyes locked on me, traveling over to riah. i shrug, shake my head, act as if it's nothing. but i can't get rid of the bad taste in my mouth.

[solosikoasgf]

nothing like loving you, chapter one

previous chapters: prologue pairing: solo sikoa x oc (nariah 'riah' perry) themes in this chapter: tense family dynamics (bloodline), initial magnetism + unspoken chemistry word count: roughly 2.4k author's notes: besitos on all the love for the prologue! taglist: @rez-luvs-hook — @southerngirl41 — @harmshake — @christinabae — @dreamsinfocus — @thesamoanqueen — @thewarlordsworld — let me know if you want to be added! song recommendations: heavy by tank and the bangas,

— riah ,

news of the draft flows through the corporate office, and the office is abuzz as our section starts rearranging content schedules to accommodate the changes. rumors buzz through myself and leah, my coworker and other content associate. we met when we both started as wide eyed interns, and we both cried and got terribly drunk when we got hired full time, and spent countless nights up together when we got paired to handle content for nxt. our first year together was spent all over the country, bunking in rooms together, downing red bulls, and making friends with the budding talent. even though it was technically off limits - we saw these people every day, every event. it was impossible to not make some friends.

"i'm so excited for indi," leah mentions, leaning back in her chair to scoot over into my cubicle space. "she's gonna be crazy good on main roster."

"oh yeah. i talked to her a couple days afterwards, she's so excited. the women's division is really ramping up to be something special. indi, alba and isla joining is going to take it over the top, really." i click through a couple press articles, switching to twitter to get a read on how fans are responding to it all. "do you think with the shakeup, we could be changing divisions too?"

with draft changeups came staff change ups - people moved divisions, got promoted, and the like. i honestly liked being at nxt - it wasn't has high as pressure and roadtripping with my work bestie made it even more of a party than work.

leah's eyebrows knit together, and she scooted in closer, leaning her elbows into my desk. "we're the newest, so i would hope not....you don't think dan would try and break us up, do you?" she pouts slightly, running hand through her bright ginger hair. i smile, leaning my head into hers.

"and split up his best content tag team?" i roll my eyes, brushing off her worries - just in time for our manager dan to walk up to my desk.

"nariah, i know our one to one is later, but you okay with it happening right now?" he questions, flashing a smile at leah and i. i nod, picking up my laptop and giving leah a shrug before following. dan was cool - i worked under him as an intern and he got promoted to manager when i got hired. he didn't ride me too hard and always tried to look out for our best interests.

i take a seat opposite him in meeting room we snagged, watching as he settled in, a wide white smile that contrasted with the smooth brown of his skin tone. he leans into the table, like a kid with a secret he can't keep.

"you're getting promoted."

"i'm sorry, excuse me, but what?"

"molly and i have been really impressed with your work. the metrics and engagement on the content you've personally been in charge of has been some of the best posts we've gotten across all our socials. and a lot of the nxt talent has praise for you - especially when you've handled their personal brand posts and not just the ones for general nxt. so we think you can take on some bigger talent. we're promoting you from junior content associate to content coordinator, and we're changing your division." his smile grows even wider with every sentence, and i can't form a sentence.

i didn't think this was going to happen - shit, i thought i would be with nxt for the next one or two years before anything happened. all the content i did was work, but i had fun editing, or brainstorming new ideas. and it was fun to interact with fans and see what they responded best to, to figure out what should be signature for talent.

"too shocked to talk?"

i laugh, shaking my head. "i just did not expect this by a long shot. thanks, dan, really. you really have been my mentor this entire time and i really appreciate you."

"no, nariah. this is all you. i gave you the tools, you went above and beyond with them. that's what we look for."

my smile won't go down, and my cheeks hurt, but i can't stop - until my mind brings leah to the front and it falls slightly. "what about leah?"

"you know i can't talk to you about her, but i am splitting you both up. she's doing good too, but she'll be going to a different division. y'all are both rising up the ranks."

i let out a breath of relief, but a little saddened i'll be away from my partner. "what division am i going to?"

"main roster, men's division. in particular...." he leans back in his chair, with a wider smile. "you'll be assisting in the content for the bloodline specifically."

holy shit?

"excuse my language, but you're shitting me right now. you're putting me on bloodline content?"

"yeah. we think your ideas could be really good in helping where the story is going next. and we've gotten word they want to start pushing solo a little more, and since you worked with him a little in nxt, we think you'd be great to take point on that when the time comes. we actually want you to head down to pensacola to meet with them and start shadowing, since the next two weeks of matches will be down there. you'll be working under tyrese. so after you wrap it up today, head down tomorrow."

i study his face to see if he's serious, but the smile remains, and dan doesn't tend to play games when it comes to work. i leave the conference room a lost for words, replaying the conversation in my head on repeat until i can grasp the full understanding. when leah and i leave later, both shocked with the days events, i hug her a little tighter, and we both look at each other in wonder: things are really changing for us.

________________________

a roadtrip and several phone calls later - including a long one with leah as we bounced around ideas of what we could do for our respective assignments - find me falling in step behind tyrese, who takes point on bloodline content, with some others personally picked by the talent to handle personal brand posts. we hadn't really spent much time together, but word around that he was a good guy, just harsh on deadlines and the kinds of edits that went out. but considering the kind of press that surrounded the bloodline, it made sense, but i'd be lying if i said it didn't put me on edge a little.

"so the guys tend to drift between gyms - josh, jon and sefa all have multiple gym memberships so they go wherever. joe has a spot where his trainer is that he prefers so it'll be rare you really see him like that." he turns to walk backwards, keeping his eyes trained on me. i squirm internally, trying to keep a neutral but interested face. since i had shown up, i had felt a little under scrutiny, and it took me far too long to even pick an outfit, settling on my usual streetwear casual - slightly baggy cargos, a slightly oversized tee, nikes. spent half the morning fighting with my curly bundles to make this slick back low ponytail full. i wanted to feel like myself, but wanted to look approachable. my hands still smooth over my tee, still feeling slight scrutiny from tyrese's eyes as he goes over some scheduling details.

as we round the corner into the training room, i take a deep breath, hearing booming laughter, and try to put on a smile to calm my shaking nerves. we come upon the twins and solo, all engaged in conversation until they see tyrese, who they great with enthusiasm, like a long lost brother. "aye guys, this is nariah, i told y'all she'd be joining us as apart of content."

i smile, swallowing down nerves as both usos take turns shaking my hand.

"damn, new content? i got high expectations since our boy been holding us down." jimmy grins.

"i'll try my best, but i think my work speaks for itself. i think we can add some fun stuff as well as some really edgy things for y'all. as long as your open to it."

my eyes drift to solo, who's held his spot quietly without moving since i came in. his hoodie is just pulled back enough so a peek of blonde shoots through, and his sleeves are rolled up, revealing tatted forearms. he doesn't give a smile, a nod, a word, not a single bit of acknowledgement at my presence. even now, he stares at me with intensity that doesn't come off as friendly, and i'm stuck between feeling awkward and a little offended. truth be told, i hadn't mentioned to anybody how we had met previously, or what had went down.

it wasn't like it was bad, either. it was quick and fleeting, but my neck still felt warm at the thought of our last encounter, only calmed by the thought that he may not remember anything of that night. but then why the hell was he staring at me so hard for?

so i hold his eyes, trying not to let it get to me. "looking forward to working with you guys."

— solo ,

i don't have the time to mess around with whatever new people the office sends down here, seems like one or two cycles through and gets transferred out every couple weeks, not being able to hack it. i'm always more focused on the problems in front of us, and it's always like i'm damn near the only one. as friendly as things seem behind the scenes, there's always an underlying feeling of tension that flows through all of us, even amidst the smiles and camaraderie. when sami left, the rift got a little bigger, and with my brothers losing their titles, it's grown.

if anything, it's left more pressure on me to deliver.

i've never been one for alliances or any of that buddy shit - i've always looked out for myself and made my own path independent of everybody else. i didn't have the elder's support like roman, or have a twin like my brothers. it's always been just me - and that's why i'm solo. but since joining the roster, that feels threatened. i don't know the peace of my own rules and judgement, used as a guard dog of sorts for roman.

and it's not like i mind - the closer i am to roman, the more i have leeway for what i want in the end - but it's almost like i'm a pet, and i ain't never been with that shit.

i like to train when it's late - the quiet of the training facility is easier to navigate. it's just me and tupac, the weights and my own determination. it's what i look forward to - or at least i did, until i find somebody else in there instead. i glance at the clock - one in the morning. the hell is anybody else even doing in here?

there's a low hum of rnb music as the quiet and shadowy figure goes through a series of stretches in front of the mirror. it takes me a moment to place the face as nariah - the content girl from earlier. she doesn't see me and her eyes are closed as she sinks down into the yoga mat, stretching her body over the floor, with audible deep breaths.

i clear my throat and move toward the center, pulling my hood down. it startles her, and she jumps a little, sitting on her knees and her head snapping up. once she recognizes me, she exhales, hand on her chest. "sorry. didn't see you."

"yeah, i can tell."

she doesn't respond, looking at me in the mirror as if she was waiting for words.

"you gon' be in here much longer?"

her eyebrows raise. "maybe. there's enough space for both of us, you know. i won't get in your way."

not the answer i wanted. i shove my hands into the pockets of my hoodie, scowling. "what are you even doing in here this late?"

"the trip down here was long and fucked up my sleeping schedule a little. couldn't get my mind to calm down so i thought i'd get some time in. i should ask you that. weren't you in here training earlier?"

"don't mean i can't train on my own."

"true." she stands, facing me from her spot. "i won't bother you. unless you want to stretch with me before you get started."

i snort, and i swear there's a playful look in her eyes. "what?" she asks, eyebrows raised. "big guy like you can't be flexible?"

"ain't nobody say all that."

"then come on."

i hesitate, but step beside her, looking at her face in the mirror for guidance. she doesn't smile, but her face lights up just a bit, content in my choice as she leads me through stretches. the lights in the training room are still somewhat dim, so i rely on her low voice to guide me along the sounds of the music playing in the background. after a while, my mind empties - no longer concerned with my earlier problems.

i focus on feeling my body connect with my mind, and the tasks that i've done to get me here. i focus on nariah's voice, and then her face as we sit across each other for seated stretches. her voice fades out a little as i find myself more tuned into her face - dark eyes with light circles under them - no doubt from the late nights. full and glossed lips, long and slender limbs. after a while, i realize i'm not moving anymore, and neither is she, and we're both just quietly staring at each other.

something's there.

i don't know what it is, but it's there. pulling me in, making me want a little more. the air feels a little heavier, and her eyes hold mine with quiet intensity for another moment, but something in the back falls with a clatter, and it breaks the tension, and she clears her throat, averting her eyes and scrambling to stand.

"i'm gonna go. you're good, right?" she dusts herself off.

"yeah..." i stand, putting some more space between her.

"alright then i'm gonna..." she mumbles, rolling up the mat and looking for her bag, "i'm gonna go now. see you later, i guess."

"uh-huh."

i watch her disconnect her bluetooth and scramble out the door, and it takes me a moment to come to myself, shaking my head. no time to be distracted.

with everybody on home turf, the next two weeks were going to be brutal. and i needed to focus.

[solosikoasgf]

nothing like loving you ,

nariah perry & solo sikoa. themes: first love kind of feelings, angst, solo potentially splintering from bloodline/questioning roman's place as head of the table, mature themes

since being ushered into the bloodline, solo's gained a reputation as the enforcer - stern, cold, unpredictable, unapproachable, almost angry. it can make days hard when there's nobody to confide in, nobody to talk to about his innermost thoughts as little fires continually arise within his family. but he finds the most unexpected friend in nariah, who quickly finds her way into his head, heart, and refuses to leave - and their friendship blooms into something that makes him question his role, his future, and what's most important to him. can happy endings exist for somebody whose only role is to serve others?