Michael Cole is "speaking"

**************************
 

I didn't know.

I didn't know
A lot of things
Until tonight
When I saw it all
With my own eyes.
Call me blind,
Because apparently
It was all there
For me to see
Right beside me all along.

Things like
The look on Tazz's face
As we watched Austin
Come down the ramp
And enter the ring
While his music blared through
The arena.

Things like
The hardness in Tazz's eyes
When he climbed into the ring
To face down the Rattlesnake,
Demanding
An apology
For what had been done
To me
On Smackdown
The week before.

Things like
The tone of his voice
When he called me
his partner,
His good friend,
The caring concern
Giving me a warm feeling
Down to my very soul.

Things like
The brief look he gave me
While the footage rolled,
A look
That spoke volumes,
A look that promised
Payback
And justice
And protection
All at the same time.

Things like
The intensity in his challenge.
He didn't back down
For even a moment
When Austin taunted him
With the belt,
And I couldn't help cheering
When he practically ordered
The champion
To defend his belt
Right then and there.

Things like
The beating he took
When he refused to walk away.
Blindsided,
Unable to defend himself,
And all I could do
Was watch,
The fear pounding hard
In my heart.
Not for me,
But for him.

Things like
Later in the locker room
When I asked him why
And the blush
That darkened his cheeks
When he told me,
Taking me into his arms
And kissing me
For the very first time.

Call me blind,
But it took Stone Cold Steve Austin
For me to see
What's been right beside me
All this time,
Because I didn't know
How much Tazz loved me
Until tonight
When he defended me
In front of the entire world.

And I didn't know
Just how much I loved him
Until now,
Sharing the first kiss
Of many
In the safety of his arms.