The damn punching bag didn't know what hit it.
Gloved fingers struck the hard leather at impeccable speeds, the lithe muscles beneath cloth bindings constricted upon every strike. A raucous bead of sweat dribbled from the top of Jovie's forehead threatening to spill over with every movement of her shoulders. It was as if it was… frightened, of what would happen if it made that dangerous plunge into the unknown space in front of her pupils. As it should have been. The brunette was in the damn zone. She didn't have time for a little sweat to peeve her off at this point.
Twist, jab, cross, uppercut, block, duck, twist, jab.
The cycle continued for a forgotten amount of time. It didn't matter. The little lady needed to let off some majorly pent up steam. After all, she had been at this damn developmental hell called NXT for almost a year now and things couldn't be more boring. Lame match after lame match with subpar talent went by in seconds and she wasn't learning a single thing. That was the one thing about fighting she really loved: learning. To find another woman in the ring and break her down blow by blow, movement by movement. There was something exciting about that. Jovie was able to separate the crowd from her opponent and focus on the other woman's breathing, her sweat, her speed. Things like that showed fatigue and gave Jovie the signals for the opportune moments to strike. Wrestling was a waiting game; wear them down and take them out.
Her reign had shown the complete domination of her tactics. Already the NXT women's champion twice now, Jovie couldn't imagine herself in a better place to be considered being moved to the main roster. She held the title now for over four pay-per-views and the fans were completely over with her. Every time she entered the arena, the pop was monstrous. The glimmer of indecision would race across her opponent's face and she would zero in on the goal nearly immediately. She was like a shark; her eyes were set on her prey in the center of that ring. She wasn't afraid of anyone she fought with. No one garnered that kind of respect from her in the women's developmental division from her. After all, the prissy models here were nothing like those who she had competed with before in her previous independent labels. Shimmer had given her experience with true fighters while DragonGate and Ring of Honor fully allowed her to perfect her craft. Jovie slapped at the bag one more time, hugging it to her heaving chest with lead-filled hands. She needed to get out of here. She would go terminally insane if she didn't.
The gym door creaked open and closed as she turned to face the new person, a man by the looks of their broad shoulders. There was a grey duffel swung under his arm and a beanie over his head so she couldn't see his face, but his slouched spine and ridiculously cheesy, way too old Nikes gave him away.
"Morning Jon," she huffed, nodding her head towards the man.
The man picked his head up in sleepy acknowledgement before nodding back a quaint "hey" paired with a sideways smirk as he turned back towards his bag. Jon Good, known more famously by his ring name Dean Ambrose, was one of the few welcome friends that Ms. Jovie Orsini allowed to interrupt her during her ritualistic morning workouts. He was Jovie's pro advisor in NXT, the person that you can always look to as, say, a "big sibling" of sorts. He wasn't her trainer by any means, but when he had some free time, Jovie knew she could rely on the Cincinnati native to always be willing to lock up or be willing to answer any questions about this insane world that they both now occupied.
Jon was always a good person to have around as he constantly was joking with her and pushing her buttons while always trying to use fun rather than stress propel her towards success. The one perk Jovie had about Jon being her pro was that they had actually had a taste of each other before either was even a blimp on the WWE's radar.
Since their short time together at DragonGate, Jon had always been just a phone call away. The two were nearly inseparable until Jon's release to NXT two years before she was called. Now, it seemed that Mr. Main Roster was trying to regain a bit of the ground that was lost in their friendship by training with her in her mornings, even if that was all the travel time he could allot for.
Jovie strode over to Jon untying her laces with her teeth before dragging her sweaty palms from their leather cages. "What took ya so long, nerd? I got through four rounds before you even woke up most likely."
Jon only smiled as he laced up his boots, his beanie now flung to the side and his pads in place. "I wouldn't be talking, little bear. You were the one that went out during our late night punch-a-palooza on Tuesday, if you don't remember."
Jovie shirked away at the comment, turning away from the man with a huff. "You didn't tell me that it was back on after you cancelled on Monday morning. I would have been there if you told me!" Jovie reached towards the bench and picked up her water bottle, unscrewing the top and sitting down before taking a swig. "At least you got to spend time with you Shield buddies. I'm sure Colby and Joe didn't want me around much anyway. There would be too many pheromones between you and I."
Jon's hand immediately shot towards his chest, a pained expression riddled over his eyebrows. "Oh! You got me! Whatever shall I do?" Jon's thick laugh echoed through the empty room before he continued to work on his pads. "And you know they wouldn't care! They love you almost as much as I do. For god's sakes, you could walk on Colby's face with cleats and the man would still kiss the ground you walked on."
The petite brunette could only nod her head in agreement with a smile as she sauntered into thought. Colby Lopez, AKA Seth Rollins, had known her for the shortest time but quickly found himself infatuated with the itty bitty Italian spitfire. If she said jump, he would screech how high and not stop until he, one, reached height, or two, passed out from trying too hard. Joe Anoa'i, or Roman Reigns as many knew him, was the older brother that Jovie had never had. He was cool, calm, collected and did everything in his power to ensure that she did the best she could and that was all that mattered. He kept her grounded in ways that no one else could and she Jovie was truly blessed to call him a friend. Besides, she and Joelle got along so well, it was nearly impossible for Roman to separate his daughter from her 'Aunt JoJo'.
"Earth to little bear, yo. Get your Brooklyn-born ass out here. We have some grappling to do, hop to it, rookie." Jon grinned in anticipation, hustling out to the center of a practice ring and threw a few shadow punches in her direction in a mock warmup. The sun was only just beginning to spill through the high windows of the performance center, the morning still new. Jovie had an entire day ahead of her and it would all start by whooping Jonny Boy's ass in the middle of the ring. Nothing can get much better than that.
Jovie slid through the bottom ropes and gave a little spring to the balls of her feet as she and Jon circled each other. "You sure you up for this, darlin'? I ain't gonna go easy on you, that's for sure." His voice was still partially scratchy from sleep, but the fire in his eyes smoldered deep beneath the cool blue. Jovie could only reach her hands up to meet his in response. It was game time. No monkey business now.
Quickly, Jon tucked her head underneath his armpit and Jovie slapped his arm. Reversal. She sprang from the trap and threw him into a fast judo-styled hip toss, landing him straight on his side as she trapped him in a rather basic arm bar. Both wrestlers weren't seeking to destroy, only to warm up, so Jon gave a double tap to release the grip. Jovie moved back into position to register another lock up, Jon pulling her back into the same position. This time, Jovie decided to change it up, moving from a headlock to try another escape. Jon clamped his bicep over her head, forcing her to stay put with a gentle 'oof'. The woman could almost hear his grin through the sigh. "In a real fight, you can't pull through. Try another way." Jovie's mind raced and raced until finally, a light pinged in her head. She tapped his arm, signaling a reversal before pinching the inside of his bicep. The older man yelped like a pup, releasing his grip immediately to nurse the abused skin. Jovie was rolling on the mat laughing at that point, her sweat mixing with her tears of laughter.
"That wasn't funny," Jon muttered under his breath, a bound hand rubbing his skin. Jovie wiped a tear away as her chest still heaved in laughter, unable to figure out cohesive words to put into a sentence. "You just—I couldn't—Oh MAN, that was classic!"
Jon had enough. He pounced on the poor woman and flipped her onto her back, her shrieks only egging him on. His legs wrapped around her hips as he straddled her and her wrists were pinned above her head, but Jovie could still only laugh. It didn't matter that Jon would have one just by sitting on her, it was the fact that she was having fun. Such moments like these were a dime a dozen for rookies. Their sole purpose was to get to the top of the mountain. Jovie was there. This little lesson with Jon only confirmed the thing she had to do now: look down and wait for the next challenger with a smile on her face. She loved what she did and, even though they only got through maybe two drills, she had learned an ample amount of information.
The pinch was the way to go.
"Get off of me, you big lug. You're gonna make me wet myself if I keep laughing!" Jovie wriggled beneath the man's weight a bit, her legs going numb under his sheer mass. Jon stood up, lifting the woman from her prison beneath him before slapping her on the shoulder. He withdrew his hand quickly, shaking it with a look of disgust. "Now THAT is gross. Go shower off, you nasty woman… I'll be done in like half an hour. Just a quick boxing session and then we can go, okay? Can you wait for me after you shower?"
Jovie nodded, heading over to her gear and equipment to sling it over her shoulder. "Yeah, I'm sure I can waste some water while you finish up. After all, I ain't paying for it!" With a small wave and a sway of her hips, she entered the locker room lighter than she had felt in weeks.
When Jovie had exited the locker room, Jon was already waiting for her with a smile. He stood with two other figured who she easily pinned to be Joe and Colby, the men greeting her with enormous hugs and cheek kisses. "Heya, baby girl. How are you fairing out here?" Joe's baby blues glistened against the bone white gym walls, his bioluminescent smile even brighter.
"I can't wait to get out of NXT," Jovie groaned, her fingers running through her damp hair. "I'd much rather be on the road and have my rental break down in the middle of the desert than have to verse Summer Rae or Eva Marie ever again."
"Hey, they can't be that bad," Colby intervened. "At least their… Well, I mean, at least they have some talents…"
"Like sucking dick?" Jon hid his response behind a hand, the noise muffled. Jovie slapped his arm playfully, a smirk on her lips.
"No, you mean fellatio. They're classy concubines, remember? Gotta use the right terms!"
Colby shook his head and Joe only chuckled. "Hey now, be nice. Sure they may not be technically sound, but Hunter knows what he's doing most of the time, you know? There's gotta be a reason why he hired them." The Samoan thought about what he said and, slowly, mumbled under his breath.
"What?" Jovie inquired, her arms crossing her chest while her eyebrow raised in questioning.
"They're pretty… Pretty hoes for when Stephanie's away, aren't they?" Joe turned his head at his own realization while Jon and Colby could only say 'Ohhhhhh' in response as they slapped each other's biceps. Jovie just didn't understand why boys always slapped each other after someone else made a verbal burn. It didn't make any sense to her. What was the point of smacking someone else when another person said a great line?!
Jon clasped his large friend on the back of the shoulder, a deep chuckle reverberating through his throat as he shook his head. Joe was just so innocent sometimes. His realizations were always gut, visceral reactions. "Like you said, Hun'er knows what he's doing most of the time, brotha."
"Alright, onto a different topic. Now, I know you boys just got in from your long, long week paid travel time, but if you'd like to come, there's a house show tonight at Full Sail? I'm taking on Alexa Bliss for the title, but I'm sure there are a bunch of guys back there who miss you all. You're more than welcome to tag along if you'd like." Jovie, honest to goodness, was praying that they would say yes. It had been forever since any of them have truly seen her in the ring. She hoped that tonight would be the night. That the second she got out of the ring, it would be her time to join the main roster. That singular moment would be her biggest dream coming true. She couldn't imagine a better crew being there than those three goons.
"The title? At a house show?" Joe looked at her with a bit of concern, his arms crossing over his large chest. "Can they do that?"
"Higher ups can do anything," Colby responded distantly. Jovie could tell a bitter memory was forming in the back of his dual-toned skull. "Are you supposed to drop the title?"
Jovie hesitated just a moment before giving a quiet 'yes.' "But don't worry! I think this is my transition to the big time! If I drop the title, nothing can hold me back from joining the roster with you all!"
Jon dropped a large hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, but what if they don't?"
"Stop being so negative, Jon! Jovie's got what it takes! She's worked for this for so long, it would be ridiculous if they didn't bring her up!" Colby ruffled Jovie's hair just a bit, her grin reached ear to ear.
"Thanks Colb. At least someone believes."
"Hey, I won't be there to wipe the tears when Hunter doesn't come up to you immediately to talk about your transition," Jon crossed his arms over his chest and let out a huff. "I need a cigarette... I'll be in The Alley when you're ready, Jove."
Jovie nodded her head and watched her poorly postured partner leave through the glass exit door, his hands fiddling with his back pockets. "That shit's gonna kill him one day," she muttered, but Joe only chuckled. "Eh, it hasn't killed him yet. He'll do it until the day he dies. No amount of running ropes or suicides is going to change that. The man has morphing lungs, as Colby and I like to say. Even if he smokes, if he keeps exercising, it's like it doesn't matter. None of that shit ever seems to affect him."
"Yeah, but he could be so much better if he just quit," Jovie said adamantly. "Imagine how many sprints he could do!"
It was Colby's turn to laugh as he pulled her in for a side hug. "Like he would want to do those! Cardio is the devil to Mr. Ambrose, remember? Let him have a vice. He's not as angry when he indulges a little."
Joe pulled his girl in for a massive hug before planting a little kiss on her forehead. "Colby and I will see you tonight. Kick ass, baby girl! We'll be cheering!" Jovie's happiness could only be shown through her grin. They weren't kidding; she would probably be hearing those two from even behind gorilla.
Jovie let the steel gym door slam behind her with a bang as she scuttled down the steps, the humid morning air immediately making the hair on the back of her neck stick to her skin. The one thing about Florida that she couldn't stand was the damn humidity.
It was nothing like Brooklyn. Born and raised in the bustling boroughs, Jovie had lived amongst the graffiti ridden walls of her metropolis for a full 18 years before deciding that she needed even bigger landscapes than the constant police sirens and drug busts. Her mother and father hadn't been so sure, but ended up making the executive decision to let their let girl go down to their condo in Jupiter, Florida to try to start living for herself. It was a monitored place; a gated community. One of those snow bird settlements that everyone in New York had. Her dad had always told her, if you could sign a dotted line, you could get whatever you wanted in life. She would transfer money to her parent's bank account every month with a minimal rent and, as long as she didn't miss it, she could stay as long as she needed.
At 19 after doing a year's worth of shitty training in the forgone bars of Fort Lauderdale, she ended up ditching the place to travel around different parts of the Midwest for training. She stopped paying rent on the condo and when they questioned her about her antics, they were less than pleased. Although raised in a rather affordable apartment, her parents were civil service workers; her mother a correctional office and her father a New York City Police lieutenant. They thought that she was being selfish, spending all of her money on just a far-sought out dream and not embracing reality. But that was just they thing they didn't understand: she would make it her reality. Jovie was more at home in the center of that ring than any other gritty, scum infested street of Brooklyn.
She hadn't let them known how terrible her conditions truly were; at DragonGate, Jovie was homeless, cold, broke and only wanted to go home to New York with her tail between her legs. Jon was the one that convinced her to stay.
He had argued with her that entire night that if she went back to that 'shithole' at that very moment, she would only be failing herself. She didn't need to do this for anyone but herself and her parents, her extremely strict parents, would know that they had all of the control in her life. But they did not. Jovie should be able to live her own life with her own mistakes. However she made her bed, she would need to lay in it and do it better the next time. There was nothing wrong with messing up. No one was perfect.
So, Jon too her life into his own hands. He had lent her his couch and let her use his utilities without rent. They would carpool to shows and practices and often times ended up eating the worst kind of take out together on his back deck. Those were times that Jovie treasured the most. Cigarette smoke and all.
When Ring of Honor called her, Jon was already on his way to the developmental territory of FCW and had paid his final month of rent literally the day before. Jovie had that month to move out all of her shit and start again on the bottom. The two had lost contact a bit of contact between those two years of separation. This Jon that she knew now was nothing like the Jon she had known then. Here, he was stunted, neutered, in the way that he spoke and acted, how he held himself and how he seemed to move day to day to life. There was no arrogant pride or cocky disposition; no fire-breathing, hot headed machismo like she had remembered. Jon Good was a kicked puppy in a shelter. He needed a little freedom and a few good friends to drag him out.
Jovie's feet dragged her exhausted body listlessly through The Alley as she spotted Jon crouched on a curb, his fingers fascinated with a phantom scuff on his boot. When she had first seen him, he was grappling in the middle of the ring with Taylor Rotunda, also known as Bo Dallas. When he had spotted her out of the corner of his eye, Jon dropped Taylor straight to the mat before he ran out of the ring in all of his sweaty glory to lift her up into the tightest, most relieving hug she had ever experienced. Jon must have been somewhere close to his second pack of the day because the scent of smoke from his skin didn't leave her clothes for the next three washes. Since that time, Jon had cut back on his expensive and dangerous habit because of social exposure and "spreading a positive message to kids". It had been a prerequisite for him joining into the main roster with The Shield.
Jovie didn't think he would last more than six hours without a hit. If he could, it would be a miracle.
Plane rides overseas are going to be interesting, she thought to herself as the man picked himself off the curb, grounding out the butt of his cigarette with his shoe. He dusted off his hands on his jeans before tucking them deep into his pockets.
"Ready?"
Jovie gave a quick nod as they headed towards the parking lot. The walk was comfortably silent, their breathing the only thing between them as they got to Jon's car. An old sky blue Monte Carlo like the one _ drove in during 'Enemy of the State'. Jovie bypassed it completely and headed towards the bike rack, pulling a Walmart brand mountain bike from the rack. Jon gave her an unsure look, his arms crossing over his chest. "You sure that thing's gonna hold?"
"Old Reliable hasn't failed me yet," she responded, hitching herself to the uncomfortable seat. "It gets me where I need to go and it's way cheaper than owning a car. I don't live far from here anyway."
"It's hot as Satan's armpit out here and you're going to bike home?" He wasn't buying it. He leaned up against the hood of his car as she straddled the bike over to him. "Just throw it in the flatbed, I'll drive you home."
"Seriously, it's all good, Good," she grinned. "I don't need your pity, bro."
"What about air conditioning? Sunburn? You gonna let your hair frizz before the show tonight?"
"One, the wind is my air conditioning and two, that's why we have hairstylists and make-up artists, thank goodness. Seriously Jon, I'll be fine! I'll see you tonight, right?" Jovie's tone was questioning, but her shaking fingertips as she clipped on her helmet betrayed her trust. Was she really nervous that he wouldn't show?
"Of course, little bear. I wouldn't miss it for the world." He gave her a strong pat on the top of the helmet, her neck careening under the pressure. She gave him a quick wave before speeding off into the morning. When she pulled into the driveway of her apartment building, she could have sworn that she saw a flash of blue shuffle past the cross street.
A/N: And that's chapter one! This will be my first story on this account and I'm so excited to get it underway. We're in for the long haul on this one! It's going to be Dean Ambrose/ OC centric with hints of Roman/Seth action everywhere. Come join Jovie as she takes the WWE by storm! The Siren isn't going to sink so easily ;)
Jon calls Jovie "Little Bear" because her last name, Orsini, means "Little Bear" in Italian. We'll be getting more into their previous relationship under DragonGate in later chapters. Please favorite, review and follow!
