Disclaimer: Standard- I own nothing you recognize.
A/N: setting this sometime around the RAW 15th Anniversary show, which was in December of 2007. Really I don't name exactly who the guy is, but the woman is Lita. This is a stand alone, one-shot, un-related to anything else that I have under my pen-name here.
~*~
She can remember the first time she's stood outside like this, on the rooftop of a building, the stars above her only companions.
She had only been a teenager and still quite unsure of what she wanted to do with the rest of her life. Sometimes it seemed that little had changed since then, but she knows otherwise.
Sometime later, she had once again stood on the rooftop of a building, but that time she wasn't alone. She had joined ECW, established connections and formed friendships … one of whom had joined her on the rooftop just because it was something to do. Little did she realize back then, how much this friendship would come to mean to her later on in life.
And then, after she'd left ECW and gone to the then WWF, she'd stood outside on the rooftop of a building; not alone but with friends. One of whom she would call her best friend over time and the other... well, just about everyone knew that story.
Another time she'd stood on the rooftop, it had been raining and she hadn't cared … the rain had felt inviting, welcoming... she'd gotten sick the next day because of it, but it had been worth it to her. Aside from that, it wasn't like she wouldn't have anyone to take care of her; not that she necessarily needed someone to take care of her … but she'd humored him anyway.
Now here it is, the middle of winter, on a Sunday to be precise and she's about to make her first appearance on WWE television since she retired in 2006, over a year ago. She isn't exactly nervous, because if this wasn't done on her terms, then she wouldn't have agreed to show up in the first place.
She's seen her friends already in the lobby, in the hallway or in the dining room; the WWE having made sure that anyone who was attending -whether still on the rosters or just appearing for that night- had a hotel room. And this particular hotel, they'd also made sure that it was only WWE superstars and divas within. She supposed it was a nice gesture to ensure the privacy of all parties involved and a gesture that she most certainly appreciated. Certainly, dealing with the fans and general public had gotten easier but that didn't mean that she had entirely forgotten what they used to say.
She hears the door open and she knows of course that she isn't alone, but she isn't sure who else is up here or who would want to be outside on a rooftop in the middle of December. Lita has her guesses but she doesn't say anything nor does she turn around. Instead she waits to see if this person will make themselves known to her.
And he does, tattooed arms coming to wrap around her waist as he stands behind her; his chin resting comfortably on her shoulder.
"... you aren't wearing a jacket," she says finally, "you're going to get sick, you know."
"You aren't wearing one either," he points out the obvious, "and if I get sick, you can always take care of me."
She rolls her eyes, "I guess I can do that," of course she will, "why are you out here?"
He shrugs, "I could ask you the same thing, but I think I already know."
The former diva leans back against him, "I needed to clear my head and this is the best place to do such a thing."
"I was supposed to come up here and ask if you wanted to take a late swim since this temporary insomnia has turned the hotel into one big sleepover." She can hear the amusement in his voice, "Mickie, Trish, Melina, Jeff, John and Adam are already down there. Rob claimed he would be there as well."
"I guess we could join them," she's getting more comfortable and he can tell, "eventually, anyway."
He doesn't reply because that's what he wanted to do in the first place. Of course he realizes that she wants to spend time with her friends, especially since she doesn't see them on a weekly basis. He doesn't see her on a weekly basis either, sometimes, depending on how busy their respective schedules get. And so they stay outside on the rooftop, even if it is the middle of December and even if neither one of them are wearing jackets. Some preferred to hit the pool, some were probably drinking and others … well, there was always something to do at a hotel, wasn't there?
They just preferred to stand outside, just the two of them and no one else; even if it is cold and even if it is the middle of December … they have each other and that's more than enough.
~ FIN ~