#will it really hurt wwe to treat him like the former multi-world champion he is?

[danwhobrowses]

Oh No, Not Another Rey Mysterio Deserves Better Rant!

Probably what you're thinking but considering how my last one was January it was pretty alarming.

Spoilers for MITB 2021

So despite a good match, the Mysterios lost the titles they only really defended against the Usos at about 2 months, and it annoyed me. Which is unsurprising but also commonplace in a PPV that squashed Kofi in another World Title match, saw Charlotte beat Rhea again (storytelling bloating and sucking all investment of Rhea getting her win back so that Flair could win a 14th title) and saw Nikki ASH win MITB despite being the sillier character and probably the least popular babyface in a pile of Asuka, Naomi and Liv.

It was practically a similar finish to SD's 6-man tag with the Usos cheating and frankly I don't see why it happened. Usos as a tag team are great for sure but now who do they face? The wealth of babyface teams like...oh that's right there are none on SD. Sure the image of the Bloodline in gold is a visual - though one that feels like a Xerox of another company's big time world champion and heel brothers tag champions - but what does it serve in the now? The Usos will face nobody or just rematch with the Mysterios again as side characters, and Rey Mysterio should not be a side character.

Leading into the crux of my point. Rey Mysterio has been working in the business since he was 14, in 1989. His career spans across 5 decades and he's still going, not just part time going he is still going on a regular basis. Even when he wasn't in WWE he didn't stop, he went to the indies, to AAA, to Lucha Underground (people talking about him vs Ricochet like they didn't put on a banger at Ultima Lucha), to All In, to even NJPW. Legends of the business and highly respected wrestlers have praised Rey on countless times and yet he's in this spot where he's WWE's pin cushion, taking losses and being flattened by Otis or ragdolled by Roman for cheap heat.

A 2 month tag reign with his son and a Universal title match only looks good on paper but considering that over the last year Rey has in kayfabe been thrown off a building, had his eye ripped out, watched his son be beaten up by whoever looks at him funny because they know Rey's pledge of vengeance doesn't actually come back round to them and then spent a lot of the time taking pins and losing clean on consecutive weeks to Corbin, and it doesn't look so great. Even his tag reign was merely a tool for Roman's story, and when we had a small chance of establishing a big-name feud between Rey and Roman we didn't even give them time to build, in fact they made their tiny build even shorter because they didn't let them do it on the freaking PPV, and then after all that they made him tap out - because vengeance means nothing - in what was up till then a great HIAC match, before Rey and his son again played understudy and then ends up being pinned and losing the tag belts to the brother who was done for another DUI, but goes unpunished because WWE's 'plan' exceeds health and safety.

At this point I do have to wonder what Rey has to do to warrant the same respect others that came at the same time as him did. I mean, Edge and Cena are great wrestlers but why do they get the instant world title shot and months of build? They show up for a few weeks after sitting pretty at home for months or in Lesnar and Goldberg's case years while Rey is wrestling week by week putting other guys over? And when he gets his turn it's just filler, that objectively feels backwards. What, does Rey have to be a part timer just to get some brain cells put into his booking? If he wasn't doing his damnedest to give his son the best training and support he can he could be in another company tearing it up on a higher level, and it hurts that people seriously take him for granted.

I mean he's 46, he's older than AJ, older than Jeff, older than Cena, older than Brock and he's still moving like that. Even with all the damage the job has done on his knees as well, and he still has the fans' hearts, imagine being this consistently over and not thinking that he's a legend? Someone worth using higher up on the card. The tag reign would've been good if they had a longer run at it and some more valid opponents but WWE don't really give two shits about tag teams anymore, so the Smackdown Six member gets scraps while all his 6 foot buddies get big money programs.

It just, infuriates me you know? We don't know how much longer it'll be until Rey hangs up his mask, have we considered what wrestling would be without him? Some of the most athletic talent in the world man and woman have Rey's career to thank for inspiring them, for breaking the barriers to allow them to reach the coveted brass ring. It feels like Rey could be doing a lot more in his late career, I mean there is so much he could be doing right now, granted he could still go into his 50s like Jericho, Big Show, Mark Henry, Dustin Rhodes, Liger etc. did but you never know.

WWE, of all the things you've been messing up on as of recent - and there are a lot - your creative laziness towards Rey is extremely damning and wasteful, the man is an icon, treat him as such.

[msbigredmachine]

Believe - A Roman Reigns Valentine’s Day One-Shot

Still hurting from a nasty breakup, Livia is convinced that love does not exist. But Roman decides to prove her wrong...in the most romantic way possible. A VERY FLUFFY Valentine's Day one-shot. Roman/OC

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Inspired by yet another fic I read ages ago.

@lavitabella87 | @cynda-wrasslin | @caramara3 | @alexahood21 | @nickysmum1909 | @iloveenzoamore | @fan-fiction-galore | @flawlessglamazon | @hardcorewwetrash | @helluvawriter | @emmarablack | @banrioncethlenn | @laigy2213 | @redalternativefirefly | @fmlallthewayup | @lilmisscrisis | @imagines–assemble | @knowdagirlm | @blondekel77 | @lclb12 | @shadow-of-wonder | @fandom-preferences-imagines | @reignsappreciationpagefics | @heilisk | @reigns420 | @withwordslikeweapons | @hiitsmecharlie @wwesmut​ @wwe-smutfics​ @romanreignsnet​ @romanreignsfanpage​ @roman-reigns-gifs​ @roman-reigns-empire​ @littlewrestlingnerd​ @smutwwe @vebner37 @irenelove83

Livia Myles snorted with disdain at the red circle surrounding the date before tearing her eyes away from the calendar hanging on the wall. Tomorrow was February the fourteenth. Who cared? Everyone on the WWE roster except her, apparently. She used to care, once upon a time. She used to get all giddy with excitement too whenever that date came around. But that was when everything was going right for her.

What a difference one year made.

It felt like it was just yesterday when she was celebrating Valentine's Day with her fiancé and making plans for their summer wedding. He would soon dump her and run off with another woman a month before they were to marry. Apparently he just couldn't "keep up with her busy work schedule". Then, as if she hadn't been humiliated enough, he proceeded to publicly and unapologetically flaunt his new trophy on every social media platform there was to offer. Her eyes welled up with tears at the thought of that asshole and everything she had sacrificed for his ungrateful ass.

Work this past week was torture as she had to listen to her friends gush and speculate over what their other halves had in store for them on Valentine's Day. She was happy for them; she just wished she didn't feel like gagging every time she heard another one of their sappy stories. A few guys on the roster had asked her out but Livia turned them all down, instead concentrating on improving her personality as Raw’s backstage interviewer. The emotional stress that often came with dating and relationships just wasn't worth it anymore. No man was worth the heartache she kept putting herself through over and over again. With that one act of callousness, Rick single-handedly destroyed the concept of love for her. And since February fourteenth now represented everything she hated, the date was now relegated to just another day in her "busy work schedule". And that was exactly where it belonged.

It didn’t matter anyway. None of it mattered. It wasn’t like she deserved to be with anyone, not after what she’d done. As far as Livia was concerned, she was better off alone.

-----------------------------

Idly flipping through the magazine on her lap as they waited for the company jet to take off, Charlotte turned to her colleague and friend, Roman Reigns, who was sitting quietly beside her with his head in his hands. Her brows furrowed with concern. He'd been like this all morning and she wondered what was wrong. Attempting to engage him in conversation, she began, cheerfully, "So, Mr. Big Dog…what are your plans for Valentine's Day?"

He said nothing. In fact, he didn't seem to have heard her at all. "Roman?" Charlotte ducked her head down to peer into his face. His eyes were sad, dejected even. "Hey," she cooed, reaching out to rub his back soothingly. "What's the matter?"

The two of them had been friends for a long time now, developing a bond after WrestleMania 32 in Dallas. They could trust each other with a lot of things. But Roman wasn't sure that Charlotte could help him this time. Instead he sighed heavily, and the current Raw Women’s Champion tried to identify her friend's problem. "Let me see. It’s Valentine’s season, and you haven’t answered me about your plans. So I take it that this is about Liv," she inquired, rolling her eyes when he gave her a strange look. "Come on, we all see you two together backstage. You’re totally into each other."

A slight blush rose to his cheeks as he looked away. Charlotte sighed and put a hand to her chest. "Aww, Ro-Ro. Have you told her yet?"

Slowly, reluctantly, Roman shook his head.

"No? What do you mean no? You've liked her since forever and you still haven't told her that you have feelings for her? What are you waiting for?" Despite her outburst, Charlotte was not too surprised. Roman was not the guy the fans saw on TV every Monday night; brash, cocky, a victim of his own hype. He was quiet, reserved and humble. He was a complete gentleman and treated every woman he came across with respect. Any woman would have been lucky to have him, including the one he was so in love with.

"Look, I just can't," insisted Roman. "We're really good friends, you know? It'll only make things weird between us."

"My boyfriend and I started out as friends," Charlotte reasoned.

"Yeah, but what if it does go weird between me and Liv? I don't want to lose her friendship," Roman admitted, his heart actually beginning to ache at the thought of losing the backstage interviewer altogether. "She's very special to me. I know she's been through a lot and I don't want to complicate things by droppin' this on her, y'know?"

Charlotte shot him a sympathetic look. "You’ve been through a lot too, so I understand what you mean,” she said. “Look, I know it seems complicated, but it isn't. Just go for it. If you two belong together, then it will work out. And trust me when I say that you two definitely belong together."

Roman looked up at her, his eyes bright with hope. "You really think so?"

When she nodded, he pursed his lips, allowing her words to sink into his mind. It all sounded good, really good, but was it too good to be true? "Do you have any idea how hard it is to tell a girl that you love her?"

"Maybe," Charlotte replied, smiling gently. "But I think you owe it to yourself to tell her. You can't go on like this."

He sighed, letting a moment of silence settle between them. "So, what should I do?"

"Simple. Show her that you love her…what's that word…woo her…no pun intended at all," she laughed.

A dull sense of dread climbed up his chest. Woo? He didn’t know much about wooing. Most ladies simply threw themselves at him; he never needed to put in much effort. "How?"

Charlotte lifted her eyebrow in surprise. "How? Flowers, cards, candy, the works, that's how. Do you know how long it's been since anyone did anything romantic for that girl? Roman, Livia needs this. You need this. You’re long overdue for a challenge, and she's long overdue for a bit of romance in her life." She leaned closer to the former Shield member, her voice dropping to a playful whisper. "And since tomorrow's Valentine's Day and you don't have any plans…maybe it's the perfect time to do something special for her."

Roman pressed his hand to his temple in concentration. Obviously he was considering this; whether, just whether, he could actually pull this off. After a few minutes, his eyes finally met Charlotte's, a nervous smile on his face.

"Will you help me?"

Her world-famous smirk widened. “I thought you’d never ask.”

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Valentine's Day…

Livia let out a tired sigh, moving sluggishly down the pathway to her Tampa home. Damn, she was exhausted. She'd just managed to get some sleep last night after her multi-hour flight back home, then at nine o'clock this morning, Charlotte had stopped by the house and dragged her out for a "girls' day out". It was now nearly eight p.m., and the backstage interviewer was just getting home.

Livia understood why her friend was doing this for her and she loved her to death for it, but if the blonde was preparing for her night with her boyfriend she should have left her out of it. She just wanted to spend her few days off soaking herself in a nice warm bath, cooking and then lying in bed for hours, sleeping; forgetting, if only temporarily, about the hell she'd gone through over the past several months with Rick.

As she fumbled inside her bag for her house keys, her cell phone suddenly rang loudly, the sound tearing through the quiet Tampa air. Growling impatiently, Livia pulled the phone from her purse and saw a message icon with Charlotte's name blinking at her. Didn't they just hang out seconds ago? Jeez. Rolling her eyes she opened the message, wondering what the Women’s Champion wanted now.

Whatever you see when you get into your house? Believe it. Believe him.

Livia sighed with annoyance. What the hell was she talking about? Believe what? And who the fuck was him? Figuring that Charlotte had sent the message to the wrong number, she snapped the phone shut and unlocked her front door, acutely aware that she was seconds away from getting her well-deserved sleep. She pushed inside and her eyes grew wide, her handbag slipping out of her grasp.

The lights were off, but you would never have noticed with the candles that beautifully illuminated the room. They were everywhere, all electric candles, and an appealing scent emanated from them, wafting through the air like sweet incense. 

Livia's stunned stare fell upon the table underneath the mirror on the wall to her left. There sat a vase with a long-stemmed red rose inside it. Her body moved on its own accord, walking to the table to take the rose. She inhaled it before turning her attention to the red-colored card that was propped up against the vase.

Hello, my love. I hope you like the candles. See how they light up the entire place, just like you light up every room you walk into. You light up my heart, my darling. Come, let's take a walk. Follow the trail.

She couldn't recognize the writing. Her senses were even too numb to fully grasp what was going on. At first she wanted to think it was a stalker or something, but there was a familiarity about this that made her feel safe. She noticed how the candles were lined up like a lit runway ahead of her, making a trail for her to follow. Putting the card away, she followed the trail, which seemed to be taking her to her den. Her heart swelled as she saw more vases standing alongside the scented candles on the floor, each containing a red rose. On reaching the den she froze, her mouth dropping open.

There had to be dozens of them; dozens of marble vases, each containing a red rose, all over the room. They came together to give the room a wonderful, floral fragrance. If Livia liked roses before, she loved them now. 

In the middle of the den stood a blow-up photograph of her, and Livia recognized it as her favorite photo from the WWE Women’s most recent Valentine's Day shoot. There was another card addressed to her, on top of the picture. She managed to unfold it with shaking hands.

I know how much you love roses, my dear, so I made sure I could fit as many as possible in here. They may be beautiful but they pale in comparison to you, my love; you are the most beautiful face in this room, or any room for that matter. Words cannot describe the way I feel inside when I look at you; you spark my passion, ignite my fire, fuel my every desire. Your beauty takes my breath away. Breathe in, Princess.

She took a deep breath, and she'd never smelled anything so wonderful. She continued reading the card.

Let's go upstairs.

With numb legs, Livia left the den and went upstairs. More red roses and more candles adorned both sides of each staircase, the lights from the candles giving the stairs an angelic glow. On reaching the top of the stairs she read the rest of the note.

Walk into the bathroom.

Livia moved quickly, pushing open the bathroom door, and she had to take a step back. "Oh my God," she breathed, putting her hands to her mouth.

Tiny candles lit the bathroom and all around the bathtub, making the whiteness of the tiles glow even more radiantly. Livia raked her hair out of her teary eyes, touched yet in disbelief by all of this. 

She looked into the bathtub. Yes, more red roses, cut into petals and sprinkled all over the water. She dipped her hand in the tub; the water felt so warm and inviting…

I ran you a bath, darling. You must be tired from the long day. Go on. Take a dip, if you wish. I also left you some treats by the tub. I hear they’re your favorite.

Unable, or rather, unwilling to resist, she placed the card on the sink and took off her clothes. She sighed contentedly as she lowered herself into the warm water, making herself comfortable. A big smile spread across her face when she spied a white china plate filled with fat, juicy-looking strawberries, accompanied by a bowl of melted chocolate sitting on the side of the tub. 

Stuck among the fruit was another card. Putting a chocolate-dipped strawberry into her mouth, Livia took the note and read, eager to know what else this mystery man had to say.

Delicious aren't they, the strawberries? So ripe and perfect and tasty, and the chocolate; so irresistible and sweet. You, my love, are irresistible. Oh, what I would give for just one taste of your sweet lips, to kiss them for all eternity; to run my fingers through your long, beautiful hair and your perfect face and your perfect body. Every day I long to make you mine, and I hope someday you will give me that chance.

Livia felt her entire body flush with appreciation. These were such flattering words. She lay back and settled fully into the tub, then reached for another strawberry. She glanced at the other side of the tub and saw the Bath & Body Works gift set containing a shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. And it was Sweet Pea fragrance; her favorite.

She took her time bathing, savoring the warmth of the water, the soothing effect of the rose petals, the taste of the strawberries and chocolate; everything was just intoxicating. After what felt like an eternity, she stepped out of the tub, sorry that she had to leave. She put on the fluffy white bathrobe that hung on the door. Her fingers brushed against something inside one of the pockets and she pulled it out. It was another note.

I take it that you enjoyed your bath. If you did, then I'm very happy. Believe me, I was tempted to stay back and join you, but I'll save our meeting for another time, which will be very soon.

Livia felt a swooping sensation in her stomach.

There's another surprise for you in your bedroom, but I don't want you to go in there yet. Come to the guest room. I have something for you.

She made her way into said room, and more tears fell from her eyes. Laid out on the bed was a beautiful red dress. She held it up against her frame. It was long, and strapless and absolutely gorgeous. There was a card on the bed beside the dress.

A dress fit for a Queen. Do you like it? You wore red the day we first met at work two years ago, and I never forgot how stunning you looked. That day I fell deeply in love with you, and I haven't recovered since. Please. Try it on.

It was the perfect size. The dress was corseted and clung to her curves, spreading out at the bottom. It was very beautiful indeed. She walked over to the full-length mirror and admired herself before reading the rest of the note.

I can only imagine just how amazing you look right now; my Princess, the Queen of my heart. You conquered my heart a long time ago, Liv, and I wish to be at your service for the rest of my life. I want to be the man that will treat you like the Queen that you are, to hold you and kiss you and love you forever.

The journey is slowly coming to an end, my love. Come back downstairs and head to your backyard.

Filled with curiosity, she obeyed, lifting her dress slightly as she descended down the stairs, going through the kitchen and out the back door. She stepped out and gasped.

Another trail of candles and roses was created along her lawn leading to the gazebo outside, which glowed with even more beautiful candles and roses. Overcome with emotion, Livia walked towards the gazebo, and getting to the middle of it another moan of surprise escaped her. There was a new addition to the array of ornaments. Balloons. Pink ones, red ones, white ones; all at the top of the low ceiling, dancing in the light breeze. She turned around slowly, breathing in the invigorating scent of the roses and candles. Hanging from the tail from one of the balloons was yet another red note. She plucked it off the balloon and eagerly opened it.

There you are. Look up, sweetheart. Look at the balloons. Watch how they float, like they are reaching for Heaven. I feel like I'm in Heaven whenever I'm around you. You make me feel high, and I never want to come down. That's the kind of effect you have on me, Princess, and I never get enough of it.

Now, there is one more thing I want you to do for me, my love. Put the card away, and close your eyes.

Her heart began to race. Oh god…

Please trust me, sweetheart. Just close your eyes and listen…I am coming. Listen. Feel me coming to you.

Doing as she was told with the card, she then shut her eyes, releasing a nervous sigh. Seconds later, she heard movement. She could hear someone coming.

Him, no doubt.

She tensed, instinctively holding her breath. She could feel her heart pounding mercilessly in her chest, wracked with nervous anticipation. He was closer now, and his heat radiated off him, giving her much more warmth than the candles could ever give. Livia held back a gasp as she felt him standing directly behind her. Though her eyes were shut tightly, she could almost see him as he circled her, then her face got warmer and she knew he was standing directly in front of her. She could smell his cologne, a familiar scent but she simply couldn’t put her finger on it at the moment. Her knees weakened. God, he hadn't even touched her and she was already feeling heady. Livia trembled slightly as she felt something soft and warm press her forehead, and then the tip of her nose. His lips, for sure. He had just kissed her face. She suddenly found herself wishing those lips were pressed against her own. Then…

"Open your eyes, Princess."

Oh my god. That voice. Her eyes snapped open, then – not for the first time this unbelievable evening – widened in astonishment. "Roman?"

Roman smiled shyly, taking a slight step back and then extending his hand to her, presenting a long-stemmed red rose. "Happy Valentine's Day, Liv," he said, looking into her eyes.

Taking the flower from him, she stared hard at him, as if trying to figure out whether he was an illusion. He looked like he'd just walked out of GQ magazine, wearing a pair of fitting black dress slacks, and a black shirt, his hair pulled back, his dark eyes bright with the love he had declared for her in the wonderful notes.

Roman watched nervously as the love of his life eyed him, tears in her eyes as she clutched the rose in her hands. Clearing his throat, he began to speak. "You must be wondering what's going on. It's just…I know you've been going through a tough time. You've been hurting and I just wanted to do something for you. I wanted to make you smile again, if only for a while."

"Ro…" she said, her voice a stunned whisper as she looked around, "How…how did…" she trailed off as the answer she was searching for suddenly dawned on her. The long day out with Charlotte…the constant stalling at every store by the blonde woman…the text message…

Believe it. Believe him.

Oh god. It had been all about this.

Unnerved by her silence, Roman swallowed hard. "Look, I'm sorry if I offended you. I can clear them all out…it's no big deal-"

But Livia shook her head rapidly, silencing him. Her warm brown eyes searched his for what felt like forever to Roman. He could tell that she wanted to say something else, and his worried eyes remained locked on hers. Then, she dropped her head, letting out a heavy, rattling sigh.

And just like that, the euphoria of the evening began to trickle away, giving way to the pain Livia had tried so hard to suppress for such a long time. Once more, the guilt of what she had done reared its ugly head, like it always did whenever she felt some sense of happiness, no matter how fleeting or momentary. When she looked up again, refusing to meet his eyes, there were fresh tears streaming down her face. "Roman, I…I've done some horrible things, Ro. You can't possibly want me…If you knew, you wouldn’t want me…"

The misery in her voice caused his nerves to dissipate. He cupped her face, tilting her head up to meet his eyes. "Livia, I know about your baby."

Those words left her reeling, like she'd been punched in the gut, and Livia struggled for breath. Her eyes swam in a tragic sea of agony, shock, humiliation, fury; betrayal. "Charlotte. Of course."

Roman quickly put his hands up to placate her. "No, no, no, it's not her fault. She wanted to protect you, I swear. I begged her to tell me. I wanted to know exactly what happened that made you so unhappy." His voice lowered to a soft whisper. "So she told me, and it breaks my heart that you had to go through all of that alone."

"I had an abortion, Roman," she spat, her beautiful face a mask of misery. "I murdered my own baby. No matter what I was feeling towards Rick at the time, I should never have taken it out on my child. Now I live with the guilt every day. That's why I don't want to get close to anyone anymore. I lash out without thinking of the consequences. I can't do that to you. It's not fair to you. I deserve to be alone."

"No you don't," Roman insisted. "We all make mistakes and we make decisions we regret every day. It takes time to get over the pain and the hurt, but sweetheart…I wanna help you heal, Liv. I wanna be there for you, to share your laughter and your pain. I want to be everything to you. I'll do anything for you…just say the word and it's done. Here, feel this."

Taking her hand, he pressed it to his chest. Livia couldn't stop the soft cry that escaped her lips. His heart was beating so rapidly, so soundly and proudly. His eyes never left hers. "Feel that?" he said softly, covering her hand with both of his. "This is what you do to me. My heart, my soul; they belong to you. I'm in love with you, Livia, and I’m not perfect either. Whatever happened in your past is never going to change the way I feel about you."

So many different feelings swirled within her at a time, overwhelming her, and she began to cry in earnest. This tragic loss she had suffered had weighed her down for too long. "I thought I could handle it on my own," she said miserably, "I thought I was strong enough to get over this. But I'm not. I'm not. And I just want this pain to go away because it hurts…it hurts so much."

Roman moved closer, kissing the tears that trailed down her left cheek. "Don't cry, baby girl," he whispered, moving his lips to the other cheek. "God, I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm sorry. You don't have to be alone anymore. I'm here now. Let me be strong for you. Let me love you. That's all I ask."

He started to pull away but Livia turned her head before he could, pressing her mouth against his. She was the sweetest thing Roman had ever tasted in his life. He returned the kiss instantly, wrapping his arms around her. Livia sighed into his mouth and hugged him tightly, never wanting to let go.

"Roman…Stay with me tonight." She kissed him then spoke again, their mouths still touching. "Make love to me." She pressed her lips to his once more, almost desperately. "Please, I…I need you."

They kissed again, with even more passion, if that was possible. Livia leaned into him, and Roman scooped her into his arms, carrying back into the house like she was his bride. He gazed lovingly into her eyes, and Livia pressed her forehead against his, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. All this time, and she never knew. They were such good friends…she had no idea that he felt this way about her. But what a way to show her. It felt like a dream. This whole evening felt like a dream.

Roman continued up the stairs and towards her bedroom, the one room he didn't let her open. For the umpteenth time, Livia's eyes widened as she took in the sight before her; the candles, rose petals were scattered all over the bed in a mix of pink and white and red. 

She kept her eyes locked with his as he moved to the bed and laid her in the center, hovering over her. He marveled at her breathtaking beauty; her glowing skin, the way her hair spread out on the bed in a wavy chocolate pool; the way her eyes sparkled with love. Love for him.

None of them moved for a long time, simply gazing into each other’s' eyes. Licking her dry lips, Livia finally spoke. "Ro…I never knew…I didn’t know you felt this way."

"I know, baby. I didn’t do all that much to show it," he said, brushing her hair out of her face. "But it never stopped me from hoping…dreaming…that this day would come."

"And now it has," she said softly, leaning up to brush her lips slowly over the side of his throat, enjoying how he shivered with pleasure at her action. "I want to love you. I want to believe again. Love me, Roman."

"Always," Roman breathed, dipping his head and capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. And on the day of love, seeds were sown of a love that was true and pure and honest, and – if both had their way – would last forever.

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Please review!

Credit to all the owners of the pictures.

[junker-town]

What we learned from Backlash 2017

Backlash had a few disappointing moments, but in many ways, this was also a gamechanger for SmackDown and WWE.

Backlash was SmackDown’s first post-WrestleMania 33 pay-per-view, and while it didn’t fully deliver in every match or angle, the ones it did hit managed to hit real, real hard. We have a new WWE World Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura’s debut is now behind us, the women’s division maybe hinted at its next steps, and we might have just witnessed the rebirth of the SmackDown tag team scene.

Let’s break down what we learned from this Sunday in May.

Shinsuke Nakamura def. Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler introduced Shinsuke Nakamura to WWE’s main roster with every major move he knows, but it wasn’t enough. Frustration built up until Ziggler spit in Nakamura’s face, but all that did was infuriate Shinsuke. Maybe Ziggler should have spent a little more time watching Nakamura footage instead of making jokes about how there wasn’t any!

What we learned: If you aren’t familiar with what Nakamura is about, you are now, at least to a degree. He’s kind of a weird dude, but in a charming way, and he is super into kicking and kneeing you as hard as possible whether it’s in the face or the chest or the kidneys. ZIggler knows this, or, at least, he will once he wakes up and wonders why he’s so sore and were his headache came from.

It’s a little disappointing Ziggler got in as much offense as he did, as it kept Nakamura from seeming as next-level as he is, but it’s early enough in this run that we can wait and see where it’s going before going in too hard on that point.

The Usos defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against Breezango

This match was incredible. It was hilarious, it had real wrestling in it, it made Tyler Breeze and Fandango look like legitimate competitors who could win the SmackDown Tag Team titles from the Usos if they figure out a way to keep them from bending the rules... it had everything. Just a perfect tag match and a great way to hit reset on a division that desperately needed it.

Plus, Tyler Breeze had not one, but two disguises, coming back during the match dressed undercover as an old woman for some reason.

WWE.com

Wrestling is the best.

What we learned: See above. The fear heading into this match was that Breezango would not be treated as seriously as they should be, but they let the pair — Breeze, especially — show off their comedy chops while also looking like a serious threat to the Usos’ reign. We should expect more from both teams in the future, as SmackDown had one of the best tag matches they’ve put together since the brand split made the show live.

Sami Zayn def. Baron Corbin

Sami Zayn... won? That was unexpected. Mostly because it’s always unexpected. That’s not anything against Zayn, by the way, but there’s a reason that his nickname includes the word “underdog” in it. And Baron Corbin has been nigh unstoppable whenever he’s not facing off against the likes of John Cena or AJ Styles, so, you know, 2 +2 wasn’t supposed to equal 5, and yet here we are.

What we learned: Well, Baron Corbin losing a pay-per-view match before Money in the Bank might be SmackDown’s way of trying to make us think that he won’t be the one who wins the titular match of that event. WE’RE ON TO YOU WWE WE KNOW THE TRICKS.

Also, like, Sami Zayn won a big match! And now presumably has some momentum heading into Money in the Bank! This definitely won’t end in any kind of heartbreak for us or Zayn!

The Welcoming Committee def. Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Naomi

This was a surprise for a number of reasons. Becky Lynched tapped out clean in the middle of the ring — surprise number one. The second surprise? None of the faces turned heel causing Becky and Co. to lose here. This was the Welcoming Committee of Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina securing a victory just like they said they would, and Becky ended up taking the L.

What we learned: Just because no one turned yet doesn’t mean we’re without a turn. Becky being the one to get submitted and lose for her team means that blame is likely to shift to her via Charlotte, so maybe we get Becky vs. Charlotte out of this, with one of the Welcoming Committee — Carmella or Natalya, most likely — facing off against SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi because of this win. We’ll have to wait until Tuesday to see what the next step is.

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Kevin Owens defends the United States Championship against AJ Styles due to countout

Countout losses are usually horrible, but one managed to fit in just right. Owens had targeted Styles’ leg throughout the match, and then the US Champ helped get Styles’ injured limb stuck in the announce table where he couldn’t escape in time to return to the ring and beat the ref’s count. Owens then attacked the trapped and hurting Styles while he was defenseless just because, ensuring that this feud is going to keep going.

What we learned: A countout victory for Owens paired with the subsequent attack means this feud isn’t over, which also gives us some insight into the potential look of the Money in the Bank ladder match at next month’s MITB event. If Owens and Styles are tied up in a US title match already, that most likely means neither will be trying to climb a ladder for the WWE World Champion contract found within the briefcase at the top. That opens the field up quite a bit for potential MITB entrants and winners.

Luke Harper def. Erick Rowan

Former Wyatt Family brothers collided over the fact that Luke Harper was able to leave said Family, and with no desire to return to it. Rowan, still trapped within the cult but now alone on SmackDown in that regard, was unable to exact the revenge he hoped to against the now-independent Harper.

While this was a clear cooldown match between championship bouts, it did continue the recent trend of Rowan looking like a capable wrestler, and his character work earlier in the evening frightening the Kickoff Show commentator panel was a highlight.

What we learned: Harper is still the man, and this feud should help secure him a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match. Rowan, too, by virtue of lasting as long as he did against Harper and putting up as much of a fight as he has, could be an entrant, as a way of bringing preexisting feuds into the multi-man affair.

We’ll see if that last bit is the case, though, since this could also be an opportunity to further separate the Wyatts, letting Rowan begin to question his decision to stick by the absentee Bray, and becoming more of his own thing in the process like Harper has.

Jinder Mahal defeats Randy Orton to become the WWE World Champion

Man, it happened. Jinder Mahal defeated Randy Orton, and now Jinder is the WWE World Champion. Like him or not, this is a huge moment — WWE’s history of people of color winning their primary championship is a list short enough that you don’t need all your fingers to count it, despite the fact the belt dates back to 1963.

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Jinder won under some BS circumstances, with the Singh Brothers helping him distract Orton long enough for Mahal to sneak up from behind and deliver his finisher and get that 1-2-3, but he’s the bad guy here: BS circumstances are a totally reasonable way to go about this. Especially since the story SmackDown has been telling for weeks now is that Jinder wasn’t a winner pretty recently, sure, but he found a new attitude and some new friends and the two of those made him a threat against anyone, even if he couldn’t do things by himself.

What we learned: SmackDown is really hammering home this land of opportunity thing, and Jinder Mahal as WWE World Champion shows they aren’t just saying it. WWE World Champions should remain something of an exclusive list, but for too long it’s been white dude after white dude after white dude, with wrestlers of color generally held a level beneath that title regardless of how popular they were or could be. (And even when someone as hugely popular as Rey Mysterio was allowed to win the championship, those reigns were brief.)

SmackDown has Kofi Kingston, a longtime WWE star who has won basically everything in the company except for the WWE World Championship. They have Big E, who in a just world would become WWE World Champion someday, but since he (like Kofi) is black, that just world didn’t seem to exist within the confines of WWE. They have Shinsuke Nakamura, they have Jason Jordan, they have Rusev.

In the past, it was just assumed that black wrestlers, foreign wrestlers with heavy non-United Kingdom accents, or anyone from anywhere in Asia would never win the top prize in the company. If WWE is having Jinder, a man of Indian descent who speaks Punjabi on camera, win that belt, though, then the game has potentially changed. And that’s as good a thing as it is overdue.