Work Text:
Rhea…tolerated parties.
It just wasn't ever really her thing. She was always focused on doing the work and getting stuff done, and if any recreation was needed, she'd stay at home and chill with her dogs. It was the done thing. But, with all that had happened with WarGames and the coincidental timing of Naomi's birthday, she allowed it this one time.
But as the music blared and the vibes seemed immaculate, she was focused on a more pressing task: getting food. She'd not eaten much before WarGames, and she was starving. Putting your rival through a table can do that to you. She noticed a nice slice of pizza in front of her (not Hawaiian, but it'll do) and went to reach over, but she just missed contact with someone with a similar idea.
"Oh, sorry!" Iyo said, her hand trying to take a cupcake.
"That's okay! You can go first." Rhea said, gesturing nicely.
"No, you go first," Iyo responded just the same.
Both women instinctively reached at the same time again, this time their arms touching. Rhea's breath hitched, her mouth slightly agape. Iyo wasn't too far behind. Both women stayed transfixed somewhat with one another for a few seconds, locking eyes.
Rhea attempted to say something, but her words got lost on the way to her mouth. Iyo's face soon adopted a slight grin. She retracted her arm and took the slice of pizza instead, neatly putting it on Rhea's plate.
"Thanks." Rhea breathed, a soft smirk appearing on her face.
She wasted no time doing the same for Iyo, retrieving the cupcake and putting it on her plate. Then, without warning, her brain decided this was the best time to engage in small talk. The oddest thing? She didn't like small talk.
"So, cupcake, huh?" Rhea asked, faintly swaying.
"Cheat meal for tonight. I deserve it." Iyo smiled. A sight Rhea felt like she could watch for hours.
"You sure do after that trashcan jump. I don't know how you do it." Rhea said, unconsciously placing her hand on Iyo's shoulder.
The pair looked at the offending arm, Iyo out of mild shock and Rhea with a different kind of emotion. Her face quickly went red, and she began to stammer, but she had not removed her hand—something Iyo took note of, especially when she gently touched Rhea's arm. Her eyes danced with Rhea's, putting the Aussie at ease and making her more nervous.
"You were great too." Iyo eventually replied to the compliment Rhea had forgotten she even made. With that, Iyo let her hand tenderly drift down Rhea's arm before turning around and heading off with her cupcake.
Once her back was turned to her, Rhea breathed a frustrated sigh. Her mouth was filled with words she meant and wanted to say. Words that were too important to be left in there. Words that she really wished she could have said out loud.
……Words like "You wanna go out tomorrow night?"
Later that night….
"Hey, big Momma. Why the long face?"
Rhea looked up from her phone with a smile, unable to not do so once Naomi called her that. "It's nothing, really."
"Don't look like nothing. You been on your own for most of the night." Naomi noted, placing her back against the wall next to Rhea.
"Not a party girl, really." Rhea corrected, one side of her lips lightly upturned.
"That don't mean you can't at least hang with someone. Bianca and Tez are having some fun, Bay's with Jey and Jimmy. Iyo's-"
Naomi noticed Rhea's demeanour shift with that name. It was weird—she was between anxious and pleased, a happy nervous.
"Over there, I know." Rhea added. "It's fine. I don't mind being alone."
Naomi's head tilted. "You sure? Cause I saw you two by the buffet and things were looking…interesting."
Then Naomi noticed Rhea's cheek go red as she squirmed slightly, hoping it would somehow distract her. But the damage was already done, and Naomi had already put two and two together—and unfortunately for Rhea, she had gotten four.
"Oh, you and her-" Naomi said, as her eyes widened, and she grinned. "I knew y'all were getting real close recently!" She made sure to whisper it, though, keeping it between herself and Rhea, something she appreciated.
"We aren't anything…I haven't asked her out." Rhea said, drooping her head.
"Why not?"
"It's…just not been easy to muster up the right words."
"I'll be damned. The great Rhea Ripley's got a crush and can't ask her out." Naomi smirked, much to Rhea's blushing chagrin. After all that shit y'all was doing after the match tonight, I must say I'm surprised."
"It's easy when there's all this adrenaline pumping through you at such an insane rate. I just didn't even think about it and just did it."
"You been doing that a lot lately, I noticed."
"Okay, sometimes it's just really fun lifting her up." Rhea smiled sweetly. She, however, then sighed. "She's just really cool and fun and awesome and-"
"Mmm, you got it bad, girl." Naomi said, chuckling.
"Is it that obvious?"
"I ain't ever seen someone give up a shot at the title for someone else." Naomi mentioned.
"I'm not giving it up. I'm just…letting her go first." Rhea explained, her voice going higher and higher as she did.
Naomi, however, needed more convincing.
"Sure…" she said, folding her arms. "Look, just ask her out then. It really is that simple."
"I wish it was. Or else I'd have done it already. I'm just not sure I'm…ready for all that yet."
"All what?"
"Dating. It's just been so long since I was 'on the market.' " She said, with air quotes. "I need to focus on the title, and I can figure that out later.
This was another case where Naomi quickly figured out what was going on. However, she did feel a small pang in her heart because of it. She sat next to Rhea and patted her knee a few times, showing some appreciation.
"Look, I know you got this tough bad-ass warrior thing going on and all that, but you're also allowed to be happy during it. Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today."
"But it shouldn't be my focus right now-"
"I'm not asking for it to be. All I'm saying is that you are allowed to have some fun. Don't hold yourself back because you think you gotta be so serious all the time. Look at what you've done with us. It was through your friendship that the whole team bonded enough to win WarGames. You had fun, didn't you?"
"Yeah." Rhea said softly, with a softer smile.
"Then, why not take it a step further?" she spotted Iyo out of the corner of her eye, packing some things and getting ready to go. "Take that next leap and go and get your girl. After the year you had, you of all people deserve good things."
"Iyo!"
The Genius of the Sky turned towards the voice, bag on her shoulder. "Yeah?"
Rhea stepped towards her, trying to keep her heart rate down for what she knew would inevitably speed it up. The way Iyo looked to listen so intently to what she said didn't help either. But she eventually swallowed down any fears and locked eyes with Iyo.
"I just wanted to know..." She reached behind her head and scratched an imaginary itch on her neck. "Do you wanna go and get something to eat before RAW?"
Rhea immediately winched as she said it, even more so once Iyo didn't respond immediately. She cocked her head to the side and watched her curiously. Rhea could feel her heart sink instantly. Naomi was wrong. She made the wrong choice here. She should have kept her mouth shut and gone on with her night. This was a mistake; why would she agree to do this? Why would she-
"I was gonna ask you same thing." Iyo then responded, her countenance shining like a diamond.
"…Really?" Rhea asked, some colour returning to her face.
"Yeah! I wanted to ask you out for ages." Iyo added, which added even more joy to Rhea's heart. "I was afraid you'd say no."
"Of course, I wouldn't-I mean-" Rhea said quickly before calming herself. "I wouldn't have said no."
"Then it's a date?"
Rhea could hardly contain her smile.
"Absolutely."