Underrated

iv.

I get that knot in my stomach every time that I see you, knowing how happy you make me and knowing that it's wrong.

Unconsciously picking at the pieces of fluff accumulating on his sweatpants, Rami zoned out the sounds of the city outside his hotel room window. His mind replayed his first encounter with the rebel that was Lucille over and over again, even though it had been weeks since. How he belittled himself over his actions. The way he stuttered like he was still a teenager. The way his hands started to sweat. The way his heart fluttered at the sight of her. The way the sound of her voice took his breath away.

He barely knew anything about this woman, but he couldn't deny the feelings he felt.

He had a hopeless crush on someone he had no chance with.

Why would a woman as unique and fascinating as Lucille Moreau find a dorky man like Rami Sebei attractive? She could get any man she wanted just by the snap of her fingers. Rami could never keep a woman's attention, always seeming to scare them off or come off as a complete nerd.

He tried to become generic, but that just hurt more. People fell in love with the generic side of him, but not the real him. He then tried to be himself, the energetic, music loving, ball of sunshine he always was. However, the love he received wasn't satisfying. It wasn't real love.

Real love is the one that makes you a better person, without changing you into someone other than yourself. But, where was his real love?

Rami let out a sigh as he returned to his senses. Closing his eyes, he fell back against his pillows, hoping that maybe he could sink down far enough into the mattress and disappear.

The click of the hotel room door opening caused him to open his eyes. Fergal smiled weakly towards his roommate and travel partner as he tossed his workout bag on his bed. His exposed body was covered with a thin veil of sweat. Rami felt worse as he looked between himself and his Irish friend.

Fergal was toned and fit. Rami had gained a couple pounds since his NXT days, causing him to lose a bit of his toned physique. Fergal was the type of man that women swooned over due to his looks. He wouldn't be surprised if Lucy found him more attractive.

"Ram, are you okay?" Fergal asked concerned as his friend's face showed signs of sadness.

Rami merely shrugged his shoulders and turned away from his friend. Fergal sighed as he sat on the end of his own bed.

This wasn't the first time he had seen the Canadian like this. After losing his title to his best friend and on-screen archenemy Kevin Steen back in NXT and when he went through his shoulder injury, Rami instantly shut down. He belittled himself, believing that he wasn't good enough. Fergal was always there to help pull him out of his funk, much like a life jacket in Rami's ocean of doubt.

"What's wrong?"

Rami let out a breath and rolled onto his stomach. Turning towards his friend, he rested his face in the crook of his elbow. His eyes filled with sadness.

"Lucille..."

"Lucille?" Fergal repeated, unsure if he heard him correctly.

"It's just that... I don't know..." He moved to rest the side of his head on his folded arms, looking up at his co-worker, "I've been feeling weird since she debuted. And I know it's irrational to feel the ways I do towards her because I literally know nothing about her. She's from Toronto, that's the most I know. Everything is telling me to try to make an effort to talk to her. But how can I rebound from the embarrassing first impression I gave her? I was stuttering like a madman. She probably thinks I'm a freak."