His back was killing him and his head hurt a bit, but when Paul awoke, it ws with a grin. Not as big of a grin as he would have liked though, as he'd had some pretty good wake ups on birthdays before. From his wife stroking or kissing his flesh, he'd had some, uh, great times on some early July mornings. At the very least, he was used to waking up to find her beside him. But when he reached over for the woman that morning, it was to only come up with air.
Frowning, he rolled on his side and stared at where his wife typically laid, slightly annoyed at her. She knew that he would wanna get at least a little bit of something started before the girls got up and ruined things. How could she wake up early and ditch him? Before that?
Only, when he glanced at the clock, he found that if Stephanie had woken up early, she'd certainly been up for quite a bit as it was nearing ten o'clock and man, he hadn't slept so late in a long while.
Had he not been up so late last night, driving down to the lake house they had, this would have been more impressive.
Letting his hand fall to the empty place his wife should be laying, Paul only watched the clock for a minute or so before whistling low.
It didn't take long for the sound of little claws scrambling across the house's wooden floors.
It wasn't his big boy Andre though, that pushed his way through the cracked bedroom door, but rather his tiny puppy, Attila. She had to take a few running leaps before she managed to clamber up on the bed, but once she was there, she immediately rushed to give her fahter some good birthday face licks.
"You're the only one I wanted to really spend today with," he assured the dog as he allowed her to get away with what he'd call nasty, where Andre doing it. Because it was nasty. His tongue was gross. Attila's just wasn't. "Princess."
She barked some, in excitement, but that still didn't entice Andre to show up and, well, Paul was getting a bit worried about where the other dog (and his wife and daughters) was, so he pushed up to find out.
Attila followed along of course, even racing him down the stairs after they checked the girl's bedrooms and found them empty. It was in the kitchen though that he found Andre, the big baby, stretched out on the cool tile floor, chewing aimlessly on a bone Steph had apparently given him before they left. Attila came over to try and nibble on it some herself, but Andre only got up, taking his bone with him, and left the room with it. She wasn't brave enough to follow.
"A note, huh?" her father was muttering, anyways, as he found one in Steph's pretty handwriting waiting for him on the counter. "Says they ditched out on us to go get some breakfast, Attila. Give me a chance to sleep in. What if I wanted break- Oh. She says here that she'll bring me some back. Well, great, Steph. What am I supposed to complain about now?"
He found it on the end of the note where she reminded him that his parents would be arriving around noon.
There.
He could gripe about that.
How dare she feel the need to remind of him of his own parents? What nerve.
Still, being alone and all, Paul decided that there was only one thing that he wanted to do. After giving Attila her own bone since Steph apparently forgot (or maybe she'd already gotten one; who cared, she deserved the world), he headed off to go take a shower. Not before syncing his music up to the sound system though and enjoying the lake house how it 2waws always meant to be.
Alone, with blaring heavy metal. Ah, yes. Was it the perfect birthday already?
No, of course not.
But it was getting close.
He showered for a long time too, his muscles more than thanking him. Recently, it had been go, go, go constantly and, to have a moment of peace, well, he was more than thankful. Life was always stressful, leading up to 'mania, but these past few years, it was just as hectic post as well. Vince told him that it was just life, when you were in a such a position. You adapt or you drown.
As he stood in that shower though, he could have drown in the hot water and been perfectly fine with it.
It was weird, the way humans were able to sense the presence of others so easily, but he knew the second he turned off the shower he wasn't alone. Even before shutting his music off, he knew this. He hoped it was Steph, felt like it was Steph, but still hurriedly toweled off and dressed before going out there, just in case it wasn't.
"Why'd you put clothes on?"
"Why shouldn't I have? When you could have come joined me and completely negated the reason to?"
"Uh, gee, Paul, because I just got in from outside, where it's hotter than Hell, and I really didn't want to get into a steamy shower?"
"Wouldn't make a difference," he said as he was just as busy, then, tugging his shirt back over his head and getting back out of his jeans. "You end up a sweaty mess regardless. Or you will. Right now."
"You're so witty. With age comes wisdom though, I guess." Stephanie made a face at him then though from where she was, buried beneath their blankets and sheets on the bed. "Aren't you even going to ask where the kids are?"
"Short of you drowin' them in a river-"
"Wow. Way too dark."
"-I really couldn't give a shit right now." Still, he did pause a bit as he stood before the bed, finally, in the nudge once more. "But where are they?"
"Your parents were pulling up as we got back. They wanted to go pick up your cake for tonight and said they'd go get some final things from the store for the cookout tonight. I thought it would give us a chance to be alone." And when she finally lifted up the sheets, as if inviting him in, Paul wagged his eyebrows at her state of undress and Steph finally broke, giggling some as she did manage to get out, "Do you still care?"
"For the next good half hour? Probably not."
"Half hour?"
"I need a good fifteen minute recovery time now. I'm 49 and all."
"Okay, well, in total, we now have eighteen minutes accounted for. What are the other twelve for?"
"You know, sometimes," he grumbled as he slipped in between the sheets with her finally, "I really wanna gag ya."
"Well, if we go that route, we're gonna end up with a fifteen minute recovery and a random extra thirteen minutes, so I just don't-"
"You know what, Steph?"
"What?"
"You're lucky I love ya."
"Mmmm." As he nuzzled his head against hers, she leaned into the rough feeling of his unruly beard before whispering, "Yeah. I really am."
His parents wouldn't be gone with the girls forever though (and Attila and Andre wouldn't stand for their parents being alone for much longer either), but when Steph found herself just snuggling up toi her husband's side, he refused to mention this to her. Didn't want to interrupt their moment. He hadn't felt this lazy with her in a long time. Too long.
Stephanie was still pressing kisses to his side and muttering things, but Paul only stared up at the ceiling, hardly listening. The woman talked so much. He had a limit, after all.
"Stephie," he finally breathed after resting for a bit. "Can you do something for me?"
The hand that had been wrapped around his middle slithered then, tickling his stomach as it moved to press against his chest. Lifting up from it, Stephanie stared down at him.
"What?" she asked as she was still moving, now to be over him truly again. "Babe?"
"Nothin' like that, babe," he replied back, stopping her from trying to initiate something again. Instead, Stephanie just moved to straddle him, which was just as well, as his hand felt much fuller when he cupped her ass. That was about the closest, anyways, he could take to anything more serious in that moment. Just getting to grin up at her was enough, after all that had preceded it. "I'd rather die than do anything more."
"Sometimes death is the more favorable outcome."
"I mean, I can think of no better way to die."
"But-"
"But," he continued on, "I's just gonna ask you to tell me something."
"What, Paul?" She was frowning some then, but he moved to sit up better himself, so that they could stare one another in the eyes. Couldn't have the woman feeling too much more in power than him. "Is something wrong?"
"Of course not," he said with a shake of his head and one of her hands came up to stroke at his beard some. Still, he kept his eyes on hers as he said, "I wanted you to, you know, sing my praises and all. That's all."
"Uh, what?"
"What?" he grumbled right back, as if offended. "I do it for you, when you're facing a tough birthday."
"Well, I'll give it to you, forty-nine is the last one before you're officially an old man."
"And thirty-nine was the last one before a woman is an old maid and yet, how old is it that you are now? Babe?"
The stroking on his beard became a sharp tug, but he kind of dug it more than she intended.
"Watch yourself."
"It's my favorite pastime," he assured her. "Right now though, I want you to do yours. Brag on me."
"That is not my favorite-"
"Has to be top ten."
"What else do you think is in my top ten favorite things to do?"
"I'm sorry, is this your birthday or is it mine? Selfish."
Stephanie released his beard then and looked off, for a moment, thinking.
"Well, I mean, you are pretty much the greatest wrestler to ever grace the world or something like that, right?"
"Pretty much?" He snorted. "At 48, I was the. You age a bit and your woman thinks you're slipping."
"You did cost me a match at 'mania."
"Did I tap out? Huh? Oh, right, no."
"Just got your ass kicked by a woman."
"Yeah, Steph, it's called a revolution, ain't it? Sexist."
"I'm sexist?"
"Glad you admit it."
"You just called me an old maid."
"In charge of creative for years, didn't do shit for woman. Now look at you. Trying to take credit. Trying to-"
"Imagine fucking the person in charge of creative and only using it to your own advantage and not the poor disadvantaged women."
"Imagine it? I lived it. Did you miss that portion of things?"
"What sorts of things did you want me to brag on you about then? Paul?" One of her fingers was now tracing imaginary lines across his chest and she only cocked her head to the side. "Your strength, your brawn, the way you fuck me just right-"
"Uh, actually, yes, go into detail about the last one."
"Shut up."
"I will. Once you start."
"That one thing I'm glad I never had to deal with from you," she admitted then. "Modesty."
"And you're modest then?" He stroked her ass cheek then. "Hmm?"
"My name bleeds money. I don't even know what modesty is."
"Mine doesn't?"
"Hunter McMahon?" She hummed. "A bit, maybe."
"That's McMahon-Helmsley, you old maid."
"Watch your tone when you speak to your queen."
"I'll put you through another table."
"I'll have my dad and brother beat you up."
"Will you do that, Steph?"
"I'll do that."
"I think you can't, anymore," he said with a bit of a shrug. "They like me more than you now."
"Yeah, sure."
"Well, your dad does. Sorry."
"Why don't I call him then? To tell you happy birthday? And lay in here and tell you all your accomplishments then?"
He grimaced heavily. "Don't put such filth in my head. Yuck. Although, at least he'd be able to do it."
Steph's own face changed them as she retorted, "I can list every single match you've had at Wrestlemania, in order of which you enjoyed the most. All your own personal top matches through your career. I know each date you came back from a major injury. I-"
"Being a stalker isn't very attractive, Stephie."
"It got you to marry me."
"Mmmm," he hummed as his eyes dropped from hers. "Something like that."
"Hey, Paul?"
"Hey, Stephie."
"We can't stay like this forever, you know."
"I know." And his hand fell, finally, down to the bed as his eyes went back to hers. Grinning, if not a bit sadly, he said, "I'm not only yours, you know."
"You're in quite high demand."
"If it's any consolation though-"
"Whatever it is, it probably won't be."
"-I'll definitely let you suck my dick tonight," he said with a nod. "Before bed. Maybe even- Steph, come back."
"We have to get up and get ready. Now you're just being annoying."
"I stay annoying," he assured her. "Just for you."
"Just," she sighed as she disappeared off into the bathroom, "for me."
Paul was excited, anyways, for the rest of the day. His girls always liked to shower him with cards and presents on his birthday and this one was no different. Being around family was nice as well and, though he did glance at his phone a few times, work was at a standstill for him for the first time that month and it was wonderful. He put on some trunks and played with the kids and dogs down by the lake, eat some stuff he usually wouldn't, and mostly just got to relax for the day.
He felt best though when the night came upon them and the rest of the house went off to their rooms and he got to be alone again with his wife. He knew it was probably odd to most people, at that point in marriage still craving that time to be together, but they did. Honestly, they did. He knew that she probably did a bit more than him, or at least was able to express it more freely than he at times, but both wanted to be around the other as often as possible. Paul didn't just love Steph, he liked her, still, after all those years, and she did him as well. She was goofy and childish and kind of obnoxious at times, but it was all endearing to him. He knew too that he was moody and a grouch for the most part, as well as a pretty big asshole, even to her sometimes, but there was no one else she'd rather talk to. HE knew this.
She really was his best friend.
He would hope he was hers, but it would be a waste as he most certainly was.
As he lay above the covers, hands behind his head, grinning up at the ceiling, Steph only laid beside him, toying with the tiny hairs on his chest as she mostly tried hard not to fall asleep before him. Not when they still had a good few moments of his birthday to soak up.
"Soak?" Paul questioned when she mentioned this to him. "Don't you mean suck?"
"I mean that you better be quiet before it's a long time before we do either again."
"Hmm. I do like soaking up time with you."
"It would be quiet the loss."
"Stephie."
"Mmmm?"
"I love you, you know," he informed her. When she only titled her head up some to stare at the man, he said, "I'm serious. For the moment. You mean so much to me. I couldn't have any of this without you, after all."
"The money and the glory?"
"Fuck no. I might not have your daddy's little company, but I'd still be very glory filled and rich without you." He beamed. "Not that serious, I guess I'm not."
"Are you Yoda too?"
"I am the meaning of life incarnated, Stephanie, so respect me a bit more than you do, huh?"
"Oh, brother."
"I was trying to tell you something though before you tried to derail me," he was quick to say. "You do mean a lot to me and what I wouldn't have without you would be is...all of this, you know? Like, the kids and stuff, but… I thought this all out, before I started, but now all I have are a bunch of hilarious jokes about why you're not the reason I'm as rich and powerful as I am-"
"Without hearing them, I have to say, they probably wouldn't be that hilarious, sorry."
"Well, you haven't heard them, so try shutting the fuck up until you do."
"Paul-"
"This is why I don't tell you how much I love you all the time. You ruin it."
"Is that why?"
"That exact reason."
"You do it all the time, anyways, so, uh, maybe try shutting the fuck up?"
His eyes turned downward then as he stared at her beaming face. "You think you're funny, Stephie?"
"I do have some hilarious jokes up my sleeve, sure."
"As someone who hasn't heard them yet, let me give you my personal and unwanted opinion."
"Paul?"
"What, baby? You tired?"
"No, just, well, yes, but I was just… I love you too. Happy birthday." She pressed her lips against his chest then. "I wouldn't have any of this wtihout you either."
"Of course not," he told her with a snort. "You'd be nothing without me."
"Other than richer than you could ever dream."
"Money isn't everything."
"Easy to say from our beautiful lake house."
"It is, ain't it? Not to hilarious though, that one, Stephie."
"Wanna hear a real hilarious one?" she prompted. And when, he shrugged, she said, "You do mean a lot to me, babe."
"Hilarious. Wanna hear a better one?"
"What's that?"
"You're the love of my life."
"I'm laughing, really, deep down."
"Well, a stalker like you, you laugh at anything, so-"
"For fifty," she started then as she snuggled up against him, "let's just go away. Me and you. For a week."
"I'll take just making it to fifty, thanks. All this in-ring shit your dad has me doing."
"If only the person you were fucking was still in charge of creative."
"Poor planning, on my part."
"So many wasted opportunities."
"So many."
"Happy birthday, baby," she yawned as they both seemed to be wearing thin on their quips then. "I love you."
"Mmmm." His hand slipped from behind his head just to pat at her side. "I love you too."