Hello, readers! Remember me? ;) I definitely got distracted and quit writing for a long time. I don't even watch wrestling much anymore. But I will post when I can, assuming the trashy, shippy feels don't stop flowing. That said! Here's some Sinlisto for you. I couldn't resist this one. Enjoy~
It was the hardest December of Kalisto's life.
He'd gone from spending every waking day and sleeping night with his partner, then boyfriend, now husband Sin Cara…to empty hotel rooms, a quiet house and an empty king-size bed. He and Cara texted a lot, sure; talked on the phone, spoke on FaceTime, kept up with each other's social media accounts. But nothing would compare to seven nights a week, fifty-two weeks a year, tangled in one another's arms.
Splitting up the Lucha Dragons had been, according to Triple H, the "ideal way to concentrate on the singles careers of two stellar wrestlers." The boss had sniffed and cleared his throat a couple of times in that delivery, like it was fake, out of a script, and the emotion had more truth to it than the words themselves. Since the separation, Kalisto had a tough time focusing on the career of his dreams. Baron Corbin had pissed him off and that served as a worthy distraction for a couple of months, but nothing could deter him from empty bed after empty bed, night after night. Even when resting off his back pain, Sin Cara had to be away often. The nights he wasn't, though, he was right there by Kali's side.
It hurt. It physically hurt him, this parting.
When he recovered from his injury, it was back to the hustle and bustle of a hectic, lonely job. Kalisto had made an effort to spend more nights at home than in hotel rooms. He spent a lot more time and money by traveling more frequently, but it was worth being at home, the house he shared with his husband and beloved kitties—he had to take care of them too, of course. Cara would frequently make the effort to go home after a show, too. Sometimes Kali and Sin Cara would find themselves there at the same time. The detached, grueling schedules made it difficult to spend time doing anything else than sleeping. But that was alright. Spending eight or nine hours slumbering in the arms of his beloved was better than catching up on rest and waking and eating breakfast alone.
They also tried to attend each other's shows, whenever they could. That too was rare, but delightful when it could occur.
This time of year was especially tricky. The holiday season provided merriment, shopping, and overall seasonal bliss—but also provided the WWE holiday tour which kept the husbands apart for many more days and nights. From Lowell to London to Mexico, Kalisto barely had time to breathe and think, let alone travel home and keep in touch with his spouse. Some nights he'd let himself weep into a disgusting pillow on a filthy hotel bed before dozing into a restless sleep. Other nights he'd cheer himself up by looking over wedding photos, petting his cats, sipping on cider at home in Florida.
It was going to work. Their marriage was going to last.
But separating from Sin Cara just weeks after marrying him proved to be trying and emotional.
Cara felt it, too. Of course he did. He'd insisted to Kalisto that it was even harder on him, somehow. "You have my entire heart, amor, you are my heart," he'd said over FaceTime the other night. "Without you, it's hard to function."
But Sin Cara was also the one to stitch up those holes in Kali's heart in every way he could think of.
Like the letters.
Kalisto had found the first one after returning home from Knoxville. He'd beaten Alberto Del Rio that night and called Cara up when he landed to tell him all about it. Sin Cara was proud, but ruefully admitted he wouldn't be making it home that evening, since he'd just been there the night before. Kali ended up convincing himself it was a trick, a surprise, and Cara would be at the door waiting for him when he got there.
No such trick.
Kali went to bed as soon as he got home, choosing not to shower, instead sleeping in his clammy travel clothing. He even missed Sin Cara in his dreams.
When he woke up the next morning, he found a small white envelope by the coffee pot in the kitchen. His name was scrawled on it in familiar sharp handwriting. Kalisto carefully tore the envelope open and withdrew the note from inside.
My beautiful Kalisto,
I missed you so much tonight. The bed feels much bigger when you're not here and I don't like it. I'll be leaving tomorrow, early, so I can work out and eat dinner before my show. You know I'll be thinking about you the entire time. I miss looking over at the apron and seeing you cheer me on, playing with the rope, getting the crowd to chant "Lucha, lucha, lucha!" They still do it when it's just me in the ring. But it doesn't feel the same.
I'm very excited to see you again, whenever that may be. God knows. We'll find out soon enough.
Have a wonderful day, amor, and I'll talk to you later.
Tuyo fielmente,
Sin Cara
It'd made him weep.
The second letter was prompt to follow. Once again a letter expressing love, desire, sentiment that only Kalisto was allowed to see of Cara.
His letters became regular and they were wonderful, even if they sounded more or less the same each time. Kalisto had found one on the coffee table next to the remote, one on the nightstand along with a picture of them together, several by the coffeepot.
One day, Kalisto started writing back.
Dear Cara, my everything,
Your letters make me smile every time I read them. Keep them coming! I want to express my gratitude about having you as a husband. I miss you more than words can ever say. It sucks to be apart from you, but it makes the times we get to be together even better. I try to stay positive. You know that about me.
I love you, I cherish you, I worship you, and I can't wait to see you again.
Yours faithfully,
Kalisto
That first one, Kalisto left by the coffeepot, but it was still there when Kali got home, so he assumed Sin Cara overlooked it. He left the letter on Cara's pillow next—they had reserved sides of the bed even in one another's absence—and it was gone when Kalisto came home again, replaced by a response letter on Kali's own pillow. He beamed while reading it over several times.
Mi sol y mis estrellas,
Hearing from you makes me so happy and so sad at the same time. I love you so much, and I miss you terribly. Something special about a letter, isn't there? Much more personal than a text or email. I'll write you every day we're apart and leave each letter somewhere you can find it. You deserve to keep smiling. Your smile is more beautiful than anything in the world.
See you soon, Kali.
Yours faithfully,
Sin Cara
On a night when they'd been home together, Sin Cara did have multiple letters, but he insisted Kalisto read them when he was away. Kali did on the plane the next day, laughing, sobbing, trembling in this intertwined heaven and hell. Twice the flight attendant had asked him if he was alright.
No. I'm not. But thanks for asking.
Kalisto put up the Christmas tree at the beginning of the month. He only put up a few ornaments, and two days later when he was home again, he found there were more up and shining. Like his house was haunted by a romantic ghost. Kali couldn't find the time to come home again until a week and a half later, where he found a full finished tree, radiant lights and spouting with stunning ornaments, as well as a wrapped present underneath and a letter on top of the gify.
Good morning-afternoon-evening-whenever it may be, my love!
I'm so sorry, but I wanted to finish the tree even without you so you wouldn't have to stress over getting it done before Christmas was over. I remember picking it out at Home Depot last year with you. There was one tree I liked more, but you insisted on this one, so I caved to your persistence. I'm glad I did. I love this tree.
December 19th is the last show before our short Christmas break. It's a Smackdown Live show, so I'm sure you'll have a match. Maybe after that we can finally be together for longer than a night. I intend to make this Christmas the best one we've ever had. You deserve it, my precious Kali.
I love you, and I can't wait to see you again.
Yours faithfully,
Sin Cara The luckiest man alive
More and more presents were packed under the tree as the month hauled on. Kalisto made the most of his dragging time by shopping for Sin Cara. Picture frames, books, pieces of jewelry, a pair of thick socks—being an adult was so much fun—and even a hooded sweatshirt that read over the chest: "I love my husband."
He wrapped the present in his hotel room that night, after a show in Norfolk, Virginia. Sin Cara was currently wrestling in a show of his own, so he wouldn't be able to call Kali until later. Kalisto listened to Christmas tunes on his phone, attempting to wrap as best he could. He wasn't the best wrapper in the world, but Cara would be thrilled by what was past the torn and taped paper.
Kalisto was smiling again. Things could get better. They had to, and they were already. Sin Cara was fighting not just in his shows, but in his marriage. He wanted to keep Kalisto a happy hubby even hundreds of miles away. Kalisto was willing to commit to more work than he ever had before.
It would work because they'd make it work.
He couldn't let distance wear him down. It didn't change a thing. Not the way Kalisto and Cara felt about each other.
And Cara himself had said on Twitter the other night: "Lucha Dragons forever!"
It gave him hope.
So instead of crying himself to sleep tonight, instead of weeping and hating the job of his dreams and the beautiful country wherein he resided, Kalisto would tape up this present, write out another letter, talk to Cara before bed, and go to sleep to prepare for the next day.
He clung to hope.
Kalisto's hand wasn't trembling as much as it did for letters past. He grinned like an idiot over his mushy words, hoping Cara would be smiling the same way when he read this. Whenever that was.
My perfectly-perfect, handsomely-handsome, strong, wonderful, amazing, incredible, perfect, perfect, perfect husband,
This probably won't be the last Christmas present you get from me. Or letter. I can't help but break my bank account down to nothing for you. You are worth it to me. And you won't be insisting otherwise, either, because I've seen the hundreds of presents under the tree with my name on them. You're doing the same thing for me, because you say I'm worth it to you, too.
Cara, I just want to thank you for never giving up on me. For never giving up on us. It would have been way too easy to look at our situation back in July, realize this was going to suck, and bid each other farewell. But if that were the case, what a waste of money and resources for our beautiful wedding! But no, you made the decision to stay with me. To stick it out even when things got really, really hard. They still are. You know how bad it can get, being apart for so long. But at the end of every day, I get to go to bed knowing I love my husband, and he loves me, and we're going to make it through this job—this life—together because we are two stubborn, passionate luchadores who refuse to let go and quit fighting. That's what lucha is, isn't it? To fight for your goals, for your dreams. I'll fight for you every single day for the rest of my life if I have to. Anything to stay with you.
I'm running out of room on this paper, so I'll say goodbye for now. But not for long and never forever. I am yours, always, no matter what, faithfully, to the end and through it.
I love you. I'll be seeing you.
Yours faithfully,
Kalisto