Inspired by the scene from Triple H's Thy Kingdom Come DVD, where Big Show told a short story about his wife seeing Trips and Steph making out in the mall. I told Caty I would have her request up over the weekend and here it is!...on Tuesday...at 3:30am...with probably a million typos.

Your support is the only reason I keep writing this crap that a few of you seem to enjoy, so ratings and reviews are very much appreciated.
Enjoy~

March in New England is very much a transitional month. Spring is on its way and the sun is shining through but February has barely passed and the frigid early mornings and biting evening winds still make themselves known. Today is particularly chilly and Paul is thankful: it gives them an excuse to stand as close to Stephanie as possible without anyone suspecting anything. Even in the mall, shopping together for some last minute essentials before their flight tonight, few people spare them a glance. It's a stark contrast from work where everything they do is put under a microscope.

Are they sleeping together? Is that even allowed? Does Vince know? When did 'that' start? The inquiries that he hears whispered behind his back on a day to day basis are endless and it's become a constant effort to be able to shrug it off. At least for today they have become seemingly unnoticeable and it's the most relaxed that he's been in weeks. So relaxed that he takes a moment to pull his girlfriend into a kiss as they pass through the sporting equipment section of the department store they've stopped off in. Stephanie seems surprised by the sudden display of public affection but his kiss is returned eagerly, perhaps too eagerly by the feel of her hand running down his chest.

"That was nice. Unexpectedly frisky…but nice. Maybe we should go to malls more often."

"Isn't that what malls are for anyway? Food courts and making out?"

"Is that what you used them for growing up?"

"Well, I was mostly wrestling in them…"

"You've come a far way since the Mr. world champion." Paul thinks he might be blushing as she gently hits him with her shoulder and slips her hand into his.

"Was that your thing as a teenager? Running off to make out with boys at the mall?"

"More so in college, I was probably a little worse than that…" her tone indicates a story and he stops walking in an effort to make her continue. She groans and rolls her eyes after a failing attempt to pull away.

"My rebellious phase started late. I might've sucked your dick in the bathroom."

Pail suppresses a hearty laugh. He never would've pegged Stephanie McMahon for anything dirty jokes just a few months ago. Bundled up in her pea coat, cheeks still red from the weather outside, she looks far too innocent to say some of the things that come out of her mouth.

"You are so much more of a naughty girl than I give you credit for. What would your dad say if he heard you were talking to one of his employees like that?"

"It is your dick I was talking about sucking, so I don't see you being the employee to mention it to him." her voice is hushed but he can hear her quite clearly. They're close now, too close for cold weather to be an excuse, but today he's not thinking straight and his hand slips down to her hip and run along her lower back in unabashed flirtation.

"Because it's me or because you already have?"

Stephanie lets out an uncomfortable chuckle and darts her face down before she pulls away and moves forward, her hand detangling from his as she's heads towards the exit, not even turning around to make sure that he's following

Paul lets out a sigh and realizes that his statement could've been timed better. Or maybe not, there wasn't any particular time where both of their jobs weren't hanging in the balance if Vince ever found out that there was any intimate happenings between his daughter and Triple H. Sourly, he notes that Vince would certainly find solace in the fact that the mere mention of his name was enough to effectively kill the mood between them. He trails a short way behind her when they walk into the next store and keeps a bit of distance until the security guard at the front door starts giving him weird looks and he decides that walking alongside Stephanie will still be a less awkward situation than staring at her from afar like a large and out of place stalker. The guards eyes follow him as he approaches her from behind, finally turning away when Stephanie doesn't run away in fear at the feel of Paul's hand on her shoulder. Before he can say anything she holds up a low cut halter top for him to examine.

"Does this look good on me?"

It's gaudy and looks like something he wouldn't be surprised to see on a hooker. So since they're shopping for her character, it's perfect. Paul bites his lip and gives her an enthusiastic two thumbs up causing Stephanie to roll her eyes in mock annoyance. Still, he catches her grin as she turns around to continue looking at clothes. He takes the time to admire her long legs and (in his humble opinion) perfect backside. The memories of last night are vivid and he can still hear her moans in his head right now. The sound of his name exasperatedly tumbling out of her mouth is so clear that he has to look up at her face again to make sure she didn't actually say something. He realizes that it's much easier to appreciate her ass now that he knows what it looks like when she's bent over and pushing back against his pelvis. As an added bonus, now he can be positive that anything looks good on her, even the ridiculous leopard print skirt that the sales associate just brought over in her size.

They both stay silent until after they've checked out and begin walking toward the escalators, where Paul mentions they should cut through the department store they were in earlier as a shortcut back to the car. She nods her head in acknowledgement but is still unresponsive otherwise. By the time they're halfway through the store the tension is too much for him and he grabs her arm, tugging her into the closest empty aisle.

"Hey, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. Shitty subject. I just don't wanna go back with you mad at me." he pleads. Stephanie tries to keep a straight face but can't help feeling sympathetic at his puppy dog eyes.

"I'm not mad at you, not at all, so stop pouting. I'm just frustrated. And it's more with myself than you so please…don't give me those eyes."

His expression doesn't change and Stephanie decides to just open up to him.

"We're in public and all of this is risky. So incredibly risky. I just really, really like you and it's easy to get caught up in the moment and not think of the consequences and I have to because it's not just my job I'm worried about. I hear what people say about you and I know you do too…and I know I'm the cause of it. I'm sorry for putting you in such a shitty position."

Stephanie voice trails off and she looks away in slight embarrassment, shaking her head in dismissal of whatever he was going to say. With the intensity of their sexual encounters and the brazen way that she portrays herself at work he forgets that at her core she is still just a 23 year old girl with a crush. The fact that her crush is on a top guy in her fathers company who she most absolutely definitely should stay away from only makes it worse and he realizes that they're both dealing with a certain amount of anxiety. He admits to himself that sometimes he doesn't want to hold her hand or throw an arm around her for fear that the boys will have ammunition against him when they assume that his newest push is because there's something going on between him and the bosses baby girl. Yet here she is telling him that she's the one who's sorry. That she feels bad for putting his reputation at risk.

With a healthy dose of self loathing he accepts that he's been selfish and inconsiderate. And with that, he has a sudden epiphany. Fuck the boys and fuck what they think. If anyone asks for confirmation, they're just acting. Maybe people should give them more credit for their acting skills instead of being jealous that they have a natural chemistry in the ring. For fucks sake, they're playing newlywed husband and wife. They're supposed to be clingy it's suspension of belief and all that; keeping with kayfabe. There is absolutely zero proof that anything is going on between them and as far as anyone knows it's just another stupid rumor that has zero ground to stand on.

He's not going to ruin his relationship by conforming to other peoples ideas on how he should act. He doesn't deserve to be held to a different standard or judged because of who he may or may not be close to. And that's not what Stephanie deserves either. Wrapping one arm around her shoulder Paul pulls her flush against him. With his free hand he gently grasps her chin, pulling her attention up towards him.

"We should be more careful, yeah. But I don't regret any of this. I don't feel ashamed about any of this. And if we want to hold hands or kiss each other in public then that's what we're gonna do."

The beginnings of a smile break out on her face but she still doesn't seem 100% sure about what he's saying. So he decides to let his actions speak and brings his arm off her shoulders to cradle her face with both hands.

"Kiss me."

"Paul…"

"I want you to kiss me. Just a peck." He whispers.

"It's never just a peck with us." And despite her voiced apprehension, it's said in a way that almost seems daring. As if it's a fact that he needs to provide supporting evidence for by leaning down and crashing their lips together. He intends to prove her wrong until she licks her lips and he catches the slightest sign of desire in her eyes. When he reassures her,

"Just a peck."

it's in a tone that all but guarantees it will be more than that.

Before she can protest, he quickly he presses their lips together. Once. Twice. It lasts longer on the third time and on the fourth he parts his lips just wide enough for her tongue to make an entry. He smiles and pushes back harder when he feels her hand run along the back of his neck. In the back of his mind he remembers that they're in public and the sudden feel of someone watching brings them back to reality, causing him to end the kiss and pull away.

Stephanie sighs dreamily despite the loss of contact. When she opens her eyes she sees him scanning the area around them, squinting at some place far off to the left. She tugs at his jacket to get his attention.

"Yeah, sorry. Felt like someone was watching us." He puts a hand up before she can start to worry, "We just went over this. We're both a little paranoid. But it was nothing, seriously." she still looks like she wants to make a mad dash for the exit until he leans slightly to the side and stealthily points behind him.

"It was totally that old lady over there. Checking out the show."

She peeks over his shoulder to see an elderly woman is looking at them in disgust and she can't help but scoff in amusement. He was probably right. She certainly didn't look to be a fan of the dastardly Triple H.

As the finally make their way back towards the parking lot he spares a glance back towards the store. He was almost sure he felt more than one pair of eyes on him back there. Looking down at the smile on Stephanie's face he shrugs off the feeling. Whatever. He wasn't going to let simple paranoia control their relationship.

Confidently, he entwines their fingers. No one suspects a thing.

NOTE: Candor wasn't updated, there was an issue with the document manager where I had to export the original file and re-upload it in order to fix a few minor spelling mistakes. I haven't gotten any really specific smut requests yet but if I do I promise I'll add a new chapter :)