Title: Acts of Violence Against Technology (1/1)
Rating: PG for a bit of swearing
Content: swearing, cheekiness, Punk AJ
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
Summary: AJ's heart and her head were telling her two different things. She wasn't sure which one she should listen to. How would random acts of violence against technology help her decide?
"Fuck you and fuck this fucking joke you call a relationship," AJ didn't even bother hanging up the phone as she threw it across the room, momentary satisfaction at the plastic shattering into a million pieces swiftly disappearing as she realised that was the fourth phone this month she'd managed to destroy.
"Never mind Danny boy having anger management classes, I think our esteemed GM might need some," the joking tone was a blessed relief and she looked up at the current WWE champion and smiled.
"Your esteemed general manager will put you in a three on one match with Big Show, Kane and Brodus Clay and tell them all to sit on you if you're cheeky towards her again," she winked and laughed, although there was a hollowness behind the sound.
"Seriously, that's like the third phone you've destroyed this month."
"Fourth," she corrected absently.
"Fourth, then. What's happened this time?"
"Another 'mistake'," AJ made air-quotes to emphasise the word, "I think this one was called Amy."
"I'm sorry," CM Punk placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.
"What are you sorry for, you're not the one who begged me for another chance and then stuck his dick in the first skank who flashed a smile or a bit of flesh."
"No, but I am male. I apologise on behalf of my species."
She laughed again, a little more genuine this time. "You're one of the good guys Punk. Alex, on the other hand..."
"I'm not, not in the least. I can agree that Alex is a complete tool though. You gonna be ok?"
"Aren't I always?" She tilted her head to one side, unnerving him with her unblinking gaze, before shaking her head and grabbing what was left of her phone, and the rest of her bags. "I'll see you around."
He watched her leave. He'd found himself doing that a lot recently. She was quite the character: unpredictable, quirky, funny, unquestionably truthful. She was intriguing, and he liked that. Not that he was looking to make a move, of course. He'd known she had a boyfriend, had known that the relationship was rocky at the best of times, but wasn't low enough to attempt to capitalise on that. She'd shown a little weakness to his charms; twice, actually, but that was more in anger and an attempt to make her now-ex-partner jealous. While he didn't think she was entirely indifferent to him, he wasn't going to take advantage when she was emotionally vulnerable.
Her boyfriend. Now there was someone who lived up to the name jackass. Punk knew he'd made mistakes in the past when it came to relationships, but he'd never reached those levels of asshattery. He'd had a feeling there was more than AJ had let on; on more than one occasion he'd encountered her crying, and more recently committing acts of violence against technology, but she'd never said anything more than 'he was an idiot and she was an idiot for putting up with it'. He couldn't quite work out why a girl like her would stick with a guy like him, but she had done, so he just had to suck it up and deal with it.
He resolved to check on her later. Since she'd fallen out with Kaitlyn, she'd seemed somewhat of a loner. At this point, she needed a friend. He kept trying to convince himself that was all he wanted to be.
AJ sat in her makeshift office, barely concentrating on the papers she'd been given regarding that evening's show. She should be thinking about Alex, but all she could see in her mind was another man. A man that, if she were honest with herself, and she hadn't entirely been honest with herself for the last few months, had well and truly intrigued her and piqued her interest.
If she sat and analysed her thoughts for too long, she figured that the reason why she'd given Alex so many second chances was that she hadn't really been committed to him, she'd been thinking about someone else. In a case of two plus two equals nine-hundred, she'd decided that Alex must have known he didn't have her full attention, and had therefore cheated because she was neglecting him. She'd forgiven him once. Twice, even. To be completely honest, three times. And then there was that argument where he'd raised his voice and his hand... She'd said enough was enough after that, but still there he was, with his one last second chance to prove that she was the one for him.
And hadn't he gone out in style. Cheating on her, blaming her, and then having the audacity to tell her to get her shit out of his apartment because he had better things to do with his time, and better people to do them with. She was amazed at herself that she'd only smashed her phone, and not jumped on the first flight out there to trash his apartment while she was at it. She'd never really considered revenge a dish best served cold but she was willing to give anything a go at this point.
Which brought her back to the man who'd taken up far more of her thinking time and space than he deserved. He was a co-worker, she reminded herself. Numerous times. Given her role as GM now, he was also kind of technically an employee. AJ idly wondered if there were any rules on employer-employee relationships in the WWE, but then she remembered HHH and Stephanie and figured that proved that rules were made to be broken. Her head reminded her that he might not be interested, that she was just out of a messy relationship, and that she could do with some time on her own to truly value what she wanted. Her heart said that he seemed interested, he was hot as hell and screw the consequences, she should take a leap into the unknown. She liked her heart better than her head.
She'd been deliciously vindictive towards most of the Raw roster that night. CM Punk felt like he'd got off lightly, and he wondered why that might be the case. She'd smiled and given him that look, and he'd lightly flirted with her – nothing intimidating, just friendly banter. And the outcome had been what he wanted.
He knocked on the door to her office after the show, unsure as to whether she'd hang around or if she'd be straight back to her hotel. Not hearing anything, he pushed the door open, looking round and for a moment not seeing anyone or anything, and then there she was, stood in the corner with a look of desolation on her face so open it moved even the frozen heart of CM Punk.
"AJ, you ok?" He stepped into the room but made no attempt to move closer to her. She looked so fragile she might break if he breathed on her wrong.
"I'm fine Punk, I'm fine," she replied in a stilted, almost parrot fashion.
"And I'm Del Rio's biggest fan," he shook his head. "Talk to me?"
"Just realised I've got no one to call when I get back to the hotel, no one to talk to when I get there. It's lonely when you've surrounded yourself with idiots and lost your friends." She wrapped her arms around herself.
He took a breath, "Kofi and I were just going to chill with some movies, you're welcome to join us."
She looked up at him with hopeful eyes for second before a coldness descended over them, "I don't need your sympathy, Punk."
"And that offer wasn't sympathy," he kept his voice calm, deceptively so. Did she not know he wasn't the sympathetic, pandering type by now?
"So what was it, friendship?" She scoffed, "since when have we really been friends?"
"It is what it is, and whatever you want to make it. I'd kinda hoped we had become friends over the last few weeks, yeah, but if that's not how you see it then that's down to you."
"Are we just friends?"
And wasn't that the killer question? How he answered this could possibly shape their relationship, whatever form that may take, for years to come. "That's also down to you."
"So if I said that Alex cheated on me because I had feelings for you, what would you say?"
He rolled his eyes, as if he didn't already think the guy was an asshole, "I'd say Alex is a dick for even trying to justify cheating with an excuse like that." He took a deep breath, "and I'd say you and me should spend some time together to see if you can put up with my unpredictable ass for more than five minutes."
"Is that your way of saying you like me too?" The smile on her face grew, in a way he couldn't help but find adorable.
"It's my way of saying, in a slightly less creepy way, that I kinda dig one particular crazy chick, and I'd very much like for her to come and watch some movies with me and my best friend, so that we can chill out and have some fun for once. So, you in?"
The decision was written plain on her face, "I'm in."
It was the best decision she'd made in a long time. And although she felt like skipping around the room, she resisted the urge for now and instead took Punk's outstretched arm and allowed him to lead her out the room. Head, kiss my ass, she thought. If I can't trust my heart I might as well give up now. And to mis-quote Punk's fiercest rival, she never gave up. Not on anything worth keeping.