A/N: Decided since I have a lot of shorter ADR and Ricardo one-shots heading towards being completed, instead of filling up FFN with them all, I would do what I used to do with my Mizorrison and Glamarella oneshots and place them in one link. Longer stories and sequels will continue to be posted separately! Just want to organize things a bit from here on out.
Dolph Ziggler was proving to be more and more of a nuance, and he'd come close to cashing in his briefcase tonight. Too close. If not for Ricardo's quick thinking... Alberto Del Rio looks up with a grimace, another wave of fear overwhelming him. His ring announcer is gone yet again, chased up the ramp by Big E for the second time in as many weeks, giving Del Rio just enough time to recover before the briefcase could be returned to Dolph, this attempt too failing as Alberto had succeeded in knocking him out and getting away. His title belt is safely in his hands still, yes, but he's uncertain about Ricardo. The large man had surprised all of them by how rapidly he'd rushed off after Ricardo and, although Del Rio knows how quickly his best friend can run, he still worries.
Title now attached to his waist so he can move faster without it in his way, or becoming a distraction, he continues down one hallway and another, stopping only briefly to ask the few people he comes across if they'd seen his friend coming this way. All responses are negative and he grimaces, wondering if perhaps Big E had caught his ring announcer and done something to him after all, when he comes to a slow stop at a T in the halls and looks left to right, wondering which way to go. He's about to take a step to the right when he hears breathing, not in time with his own, nearby behind him. He tilts his head, eyebrow raised, turning slowly to look down the shadowy, expansive hallway. No one that he can see is there but the sound continues on, the champion squinting as he ponders it being some sort of sneak attack.
But somewhere deep inside, he knows that that's not what this is, his eyes softening as he follows the noise slowly to a trunk, where he peers into the shadows with a small smile. Adjusting his title belt, he kneels down and sits between the trunk and wall as well, ending up shoulder to shoulder with his ring announcer, who is still trying to catch his breath after getting chased through half of the arena before losing the much larger enforcer. The breaths stutter to a sudden stop, silence overwhelming them both for a few moments until, ... "El Patron?"
His grin grows as he nudges the younger man. "Si." He turns to look at him and smiles plaintively. "Are you well, Ricardo?"
"Si, El Patron, he couldn't catch me." He grins, eyes locking on the soft golden gleam coming from his title belt even in the darkness. "I see Barbie Ziggler was unable to cash in. I meant to keep ahold of the briefcase for longer, but..."
Alberto waves this off with a laugh. "No worry, I took care of it from there. You did impressively well, as always. Gracias." He rests the world title in Ricardo's hands and watches as the younger man peers down at it, his lips curving up in relieved awe. He'd been champion over two months by now but the ring announcer still seems amazed every time he holds onto the title belt, takes in his employer's name etched across the gold. "Between the two of us, we'll be champion for a long, long time. I have no doubt."
Nodding, the ring announcer smiles as he brushes his sleeve against the golden surface, polishing it up a bit despite it being pretty much flawless still. "Same here, El Patron."