So I got a request from Ihonestlybelievedinyou, asking if I could do either an Adam/Ashley or Maria/Randy one-shot
to the song 'Broken' by Lifehouse. And being the idiot that I am, I decided to make things difficult for myself
by doing both couples!
I hope she, and all of you, like it :)
Please leave a review :)
HOLDING ON TO YOU
I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
"I don't know if I can do this."
Maria Kanellis bit down on her glossy lip nervously, as she dared not to look over at the entrance of the restaurant. Her boyfriend – or soon to be ex – was about to arrive, and she had no idea how she was going to end things between them.
"What do you mean, you 'don't know if you can do this'?" Ashley Massaro repeated her best friend's words, with a stubborn folding of her arms across her chest. Of course, Ashley knew Maria wouldn't hurt a fly, and she loved her for it, but she wished she wouldn't be so childish sometimes. After all, she was a twenty-eight year old woman.
"I mean," Maria looked up at her friend. "I don't know if I want to break up with Randy." Upon seeing Ashley's reaction, Maria's gaze fell back down onto her lap.
"Are you kidding me?" The blonde laughed, raising an eyebrow at Maria. "You got all prettied up in your fancy dress, prepared a little speech, and now you're not even going to break up with him?"
"I've been with him for three years, Ash-"
"And? Maria, you're always telling me how undervalued he makes you feel, and how he's the one in charge, and you're powerless. Why don't you take charge for once?"
Before the redhead had the chance to argue her case, the restaurant door opened, and in came Adam 'Edge' Copeland followed by Randy Orton. As smart as ever, Randy wore a shirt and trousers, whereas Adam wore jeans, a camo jacket and sneakers.
"Didn't you get the memo? This is a fancy place." Ashley told her boyfriend.
"Do I look like the kind of guy who does fancy?" Adam grinned, kissing her on the cheek.
"Whatever," Ashley rolled her eyes. "This is only going to be quick."
"Huh?"
"What's going on, Ria?" Randy asked his girlfriend, whose cheeks were glowing pink.
"We're breaking up with you both," Ashley looked at both of the men, before leaning back in her chair to sip at her vodka and coke.
"What?" Adam laughed.
"We?" Randy turned back to Maria. "Is this true? You're breaking up with me?"
Maria opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. It took a nudge from Ashley to emit her previously-rehearsed speech from her mouth. "You're unappreciative and ungrateful of all I do for you, and I want to regain the independence you took from me."
There was no way that was Maria's words. "What have you said to her?" He demanded at Ashley.
"Can someone please tell what's going on?" Adam cut in, suddenly feeling very lost.
"I'm through with you." Ashley told him. "You're arrogant, sexist, and a chauvinist pig, and I cannot wait until you're out of my life!"
"Well, maybe so or perhaps you're just a stuck-up bitch with no sense of humour!" He shot back, before going for a high five from Randy. The look on the 'Legend Killer's' face showed he wasn't in the mood for jokes.
"I'm not stuck-up; your jokes just suck!" Ashley retorted, grabbing her handbag off the floor. "Come on, Maria, we're getting out of here."
"No, Maria is gonna stay, because she and I need to talk about this," Despite the fact he was speaking to Ashley, he didn't take his eyes off Maria, who looked hurt, and confused. Maria wasn't the brightest spark in the box, and Randy knew that Ashley could easily persuade her to do things she didn't want to.
"She doesn't want to talk to you, Orton," The blonde dragged the redhead out of the restaurant by the arm.
Randy couldn't believe what he just happened, as he sank back down into his chair. "What the hell was that?"
"I think Rated RKO is back in the dating game." Another suggested high five was rejected, as Randy threw down his napkin and left the restaurant.
With a broken heart that's still bleeding
"There's nothing like an early evening jog!" Ashley came into her hotel room, full of energy. Her hair was scraped back into two ponytails with a black bandana over the top, and her face was shiny with perspiration, but she felt great. When she looked across the dark room, however, she noticed that her roommate didn't. Once again, Maria was wrapped up in a duvet in front of the TV, watching a chick flick and mouthing along the words with the characters.
It was a depressing sight; since her break-up with Randy, Maria had become recluse. If she didn't have to be working, she was either sleeping, or watching chick-flicks, or reading Nicholas Sparks novels, or listening to angsty music. The old Maria was gone, and replaced with one filled with doom and gloom.
"If you're a bird, I'm a bird." Ashley heard Maria whisper, as on screen, Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling splashed about in the sea. Finding the remote, Ashley flicked the TV onto standby.
"Hey!" Even Maria's yelp was weak.
"Enough is enough." Turning on all the lights, Ashley watched as Maria's green eyes squinted, before she flopped face down on the bed. "It's been six days since you and Randy broke up. You should at least be considering leaving the hotel room at this point, and sitting around here all day isn't going to help."
"I don't feel like going out." Maria turned around so her voice wasn't muffled, so her back was against the covers. "I just want Randy."
Ashley sighed, "Then why did you break up with him?"
"Because you told me to!" Maria yelled with a voice scratchy from too much sleep and little communication. When it came out of her mouth, she realised how juvenile it sounded. "You made me see a bunch of faults in Randy to make yourself feel better about breaking up with Adam! You were all 'we're in this together, Maria' making me think breaking up with him was the right choice." She got to her feet and signalled at her pyjama-clad body. "Does this look like the right choice?"
Ashley chose not to say anything in response. Normally, Maria was totally reserved, and definitely not one that stood up for herself against the more opinionated blonde. In all honesty, Ashley knew she could bully Maria into doing anything, and the redhead would oblige, whether she liked it or not.
"So you know what I'm gonna do?" Maria began rifling through her closet, pulling out items of clothing, before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. "I'm gonna make myself look good, and I'm gonna go find Randy and tell him that I made a huge mistake!"
A couple of minutes later, Maria came out, wearing a pair of tight black jeans, and a purple tank-top, with a cropped black leather jacket over the top. Her make-up was done, and her red hair was untamed, loose and curly.
"Have you seen my black boots?" She asked unfazed, as if the argument that just took place never even happened.
"Maria!"
"What? I don't have time to argue with you now; I need to go talk to Randy!" The redhead triumphantly pulled her boots out from underneath the bed and pulled them onto her dainty feet. Quietly, she approached Ashley and unexpectedly pulled her into a hug, whispering into her ear. "You may not care enough to salvage your relationship, but I obviously care more about mine." She pulled away, before leaving the room, and leaving Ashley alone.
In the pain, there is healing.
"You've got to get out more," Adam ripped the covers off of Randy's bed, as the current WWE champion lay on the mattress in just a pair of sweatpants, before shielding his eyes. He hadn't seen natural light in a while, and was surprised at how much it burned.
"Fuck off," He managed to groan, as his hand covered his face.
"Seriously, Maria broke up with you like...a week ago, and you're like in bed like a total pussy." Adam commented dryly. "It's about time we got you out of this damn hotel room, and over to a strip club."
"I'm not in the mood." Randy wasn't even going to lie; he was distraught that Maria had broken up with him. The worst part of it was, that he didn't even get an explanation for it; at least, not one that felt genuine. It was Ashley that broke up with him, not even his own girlfriend. He understood that he and Maria weren't perfect – far from it – but he thought they could work through it.
"You're such a girl," Adam rolled his eyes, sitting down on the edge of Randy's bed.
"Oh come on, you can't tell me you're totally over Ashley?"
For a moment, Adam didn't say anything, and that was all Randy needed as his answer. "Dude, Ashley's old news." Adam crossed his arms stubbornly. "I've already been on two dates, and it's only been six days since we broke up. How many dates do you think she's been on? My guess is zero."
"You win." Randy said sarcastically, making his way into the bathroom. "I need a piss."
Adam sighed; he had very little sympathy for Randy, or any guy that turned all emo when he got dumped by a chick. For Adam, it was the exact opposite; it was a good thing, and a new beginning. He didn't need Ashley; Ashley needed him. Before they started dating, she was just a cheap, somewhat questionable model, but now, she was one of the WWE's top divas, and a Playboy cover girl. Nor to mention, she had nice cars, nice houses; he made her.
Before Adam could contemplate how else he'd completed the life of Ashley Massaro, there was a knock at the door. "Must be Ashley, crawling back to apologize!" Adam called through to Randy, and he went over to answer the door. He was shocked to see it was not Ashley, but her best friend.
"Hey Adam," Maria said softly. "How're you doing?"
"I'm great," He held open the door. "What're you doing here?"
"I wanted to see Randy. Is he around?" Stepping inside the room, Maria looked around hopefully, as if Randy were about to materialise into thin air.
"Hey Randy, get out here!" Adam thumped a fist against the bathroom door, leading to a mouthful of obscenities from Randy, before he stepped outside.
"What the-" He winced when he saw his ex-girlfriend, as if he couldn't quite believe she were there. "Maria."
"We need to talk." Both Maria and Randy glanced over in Adam's direction, a quiet suggestion for him to give them some peace.
"This is my hotel room too," He grumbled, leaving the room and slamming the door behind him.
For a while, neither Randy nor Maria said anything, just taking in the sight of each other. It gave Maria a hint of satisfaction seeing Randy look so rough; his eyes were dark, there was uncommon stubble on his chin and he was wearing sweatpants. She couldn't help but smile, however, at her boyfriend's chiselled abs.
"So I've been thinking," Maria felt genuinely nervous, as she began knotting her fingers nervously together. "Maybe I made a mistake."
Randy shrugged, walking over to the closet and pulling a t-shirt over his head; he could see Maria staring at him, and he couldn't help but smile. He rubbed at his mouth, as if rubbing away his smile, before turning around to look at her. "Maybe you did,"
"And if I asked you to forget any of this ever happened, would you be able to?"
Sighing, Randy took hold of Maria's hands and directed her over to his bed. He insinuated that she sit down on the edge, and he did the same. "I love you, Maria."
"And I love you-"
"No, but I wish you know how much I loved you," Leaning over, he gently tucked a lock of red hair behind her ear. "I love the way you spray perfume into the air so you can do that 'walk through' thing, but you forget to close your mouth and end up spluttering. I love you the way you laugh at jokes you don't understand, because you have this constant need to please people. Likewise, I love the way you put up with Ashley, no matter how much of a bitch she is towards you, because you're loyal to the people you love."
"You're just making me sound like a doofus." She giggled.
"Okay, so maybe you don't have book smarts, Maria, but you've got people-smarts." He chuckled slightly, wondering what on earth people-smarts was supposed to mean. "You know how to make people feel better. Like, whenever someone's upset, you know just what to say to make the situation better. And your constant need to please people? It works, because I've never met a single person that doesn't like Maria Kanellis."
"I love you so much," This time, Maria didn't stop the smile forming on her face. She could feel herself getting teary-eyed, but she swallowed the large lump in her throat.
"Then why did you break up with me?"
"We're not a perfect couple, Randy. We've got our problems, and it's not all sunshine and rainbows between us, and I guess I freaked out." Maria explained carefully. "Ashley ran away at the first sign of trouble between her and Adam, and for a little while, I just assumed I should do the same." She stopped, placing a hand on Randy's knee.
"What?"
"Love's a bitch." The pair of them began laughing at Maria's bluntness. "And it's not going to be easy. Yeah, we have our faults, but we work through them. Because that's what love is. It's putting up with each other's faults, and learning from each other."
Randy leaned over to kiss Maria tenderly on the lips. "I think that's the smartest thing you've ever said,"
In your name, I find meaning.
"Randy, put the girl down, she and I have got a tag team match to get to." Tapping her foot impatiently, Ashley waited for her best friend to stop making out with her boyfriend, so they could get out to the ring.
"Sorry," Maria giggled, pulling away. She swiped a hand over Randy's mouth, wiping away any gloss from his lips. "I'm gonna need to reapply, aren't I?"
"Reapply what?" Randy queried with his arms wrapped around Maria's waist.
"Lipgloss!" Another giggle. "And you say I'm the dumb one!"
"Well, if you're gonna reapply anyway; I guess there's no harm in me doing this." And again, the pair embarked on yet another make-out. Ashley mocked putting her fingers down her throat, but when she realised that neither Maria nor Randy were paying any attention to her, she stopped.
In some ways, Ashley wished her friend was back in her pyjamas again. Lovesick Maria was almost as bad as depressed Maria, and in some ways, worse. She was constantly making out with Randy, and if she wasn't attached to his face, they were holding hands, or staring into each other's eyes lovingly, or whispering into each other's ears. And if they weren't together, they were texting each other. Ashley understood Maria was happy, but couldn't she be a little less... upfront about it?
"Okay, I've got to go now," Maria grinned, placing a hand on Randy's chest to gently push him off her. She placed one last kiss on his lips, before linking arms with Ashley and walking down towards the gorilla position. "You'd better be watching!"
"I will be!" Randy called back, as he walked in the other direction, and disappeared into the men's locker room.
"You guys are disgusting," Ashley commented bitterly. The pair now had to whisper, as little more than a curtain separated them from the main arena. "You guys are like horny teenager."
"You're just jealous because you're not getting any action," The redhead was only teasing, but she instantly regretted it. Something told Maria that Ashley wasn't over Adam, and perhaps rubbing her relationship with Randy in the blonde's face wasn't the most compassionate thing to do as a friend.
"Guys!" Both divas turned around and saw that one of their opponents, Melina Perez, standing just outside and signalling to come into the safer hallway.
"What's going on?" Maria asked, stepping away from the entrance and into the main hallway. "We've got a match, like...now!"
"You guys didn't watch the last match?" Melina queried.
Both girls shook their heads.
"You didn't see what happened out there?" This time, Melina was just looking at Ashley.
"No!" The blonde became concerned. "What the hell happened, Melina?"
So I'm holding on
'Am I dead?' was the first thought that crossed Adam's mind.
He could still hear the noise of the crowd, but he felt light headed, and behind his closed eyelids, he could sense a bright light shining at him. Opening his eyes, he realised the medical expert, Steve, was shining the torch, as a team of EMTs huddled around him. There was a brace around his neck, and he was lying on a stretcher in the middle of the ring.
"What the hell happened, Steve?" Adam woozily attempted to sit up, but instantly regretted it, as a shooting pain ran down his back. "Fuck!"
"PG, Adam." Steve chuckled, as the medical team lifted the stretcher and carried him up the ramp. "Don't you remember?"
"John and I were in a ladder match."
"And?" A blank look told the entire story. "You fell off one of the ladders onto the announce table, and you hit your head pretty badly. You'll be alright, but we're gonna take you to the hospital just to be sure."
"Okay," He stifled a yawn.
"If you're feeling tired, don't be afraid to get some sleep. It could be a long night." Steve didn't have to ask Adam twice, as the wrestler closed his eyes and tried to block out the chaos and medical talk around him. He was doing a pretty good job, until the familiar voice of a female talking to Steve forced his ears to prick up.
"Where's he going?"
"We're taking him to the hospital, for precautions."
"Is he gonna be okay?"
"He'll be fine."
"Can I ride along?"
"We're not supposed to-"
"Please, I'm his girlfriend."
Adam's eyes shot open, and through the ambulance door, he could see Ashley talking to Steve, her own eyes wide with concern. A moment later, she stepped into the van, her black boots making a loud clunk.
"What're you doing?" Once again, Adam tried to sit up, but flopped down like a fish.
Ashley laughed, sitting by his side. "Shh, try to be quiet and still."
"What're you doing here, Ash?" He repeated, now squinting as he commented. "You look ridiculous." She did; she was all ready for her match in a pink plaid skirt (if you could call it a skirt) and a black mesh crop top, with knee high black boots. The only thing covering her up was a zip-up HIM hoodie she never took off.
"I only just heard, so I didn't have time to change." Under normal circumstances, she'd have given him a smack across the head, but at that moment, she didn't see it appropriate, so she kept her voice calm and steady. She slipped one of her hands over Adam's and squeezed it tightly. "You scared the crap out of me, Copeland."
"But you broke up with me-"
"Sometimes it's the worst situations that make us see the best in people."
"Is that from The Notebook, or something?"
Ignoring his comment, Ashley continued. "You may be an arrogant, sexist, chauvinist pig, but you've done so much for me, I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for you."
"You forgot to mention how hot I am." Adam added casually.
"Not when you're all pale and misty-eyed like you are now." She giggled, using her available hand to stroke at his cheek.
And it was at that moment that Adam didn't care that he was in an ambulance. He could've been anywhere in the world, but he had Ashley by his side, and that was all he needed to make everything a little bit better.
"So, do I get a kiss?" He asked.
"Sweetie," Ashley blushed, touching her mouth. He did the same, and came away with a blood coated fingertip.
He hadn't even realised his lip had been split open.
