Title: A Case of You
Rating: PG, for mild language Characters/Pairings: John Cena/Stacy Keibler, Victoria Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah... all characters are property of WWE and themselves. Summary: Stacy is in need of some serious cheering up, and John Cena is just the man for the job. Notes: Thanks to RachelEdgechick816for coming up with the title! This is my own response to a challenge contest I'm running. Anyone interested in entering, email me.
A Case of You
There was a bounce in John's step as he strolled down a hallway in the arena. The Raw roster happened to be in Boston for the night's show, and he decided to pay his friends a visit. One friend in particular rested in his mind, as he hummed a familiar beat to himself. As he rounded a corner, he found someone who might have been able to help him find that friend.
"Hey, Vic!" he called, cupping his hands around his mouth to project his voice in her direction.
Victoria swung her head around, her raven-colored locks tossing over her shoulder. The moment she recognized him, a grin spread across her face.
"John!" she cried cheerily as she jogged over to him. "Long time no see, huh?"
John smiled as he gave the diva a quick hug; her grin was contagious.
"I know, it's been awhile," he nodded. Only seconds later, he thought of her again. "You wouldn't be able to tell me where I could find Stacy, would you?"
The smile faded from Victoria's lips, and her gaze fell to the floor. John frowned, sending her a puzzled look.
"She's not here," Victoria replied quietly. "She stayed back at the hotel, she's in a mood."
John raised an eyebrow at her evasive response.
"A mood?" he asked, to which he received a nod. "What kind of mood?"
"She's just not feeling too hot, John," the young woman beside him replied. "It's one of those days where you just wanna curl up in bed and cry... it's a woman thing."
"I'll take your word for it," he said with a frown.
Stacy was his absolute best friend in the whole world. It stabbed at his heart to hear that she was feeling so low. Upon seeind his somber expression, Victoria offered a suggestion.
"Well, I was planning to head over after the show with a pint of ice cream and a shoulder to lean on," she told him. "You're more than welcome to relieve me of my duties."
A thoughtful gaze filled his eyes as John considered her statement. Victoria watched him intently, smiling as she saw that all-too-familiar twinkle shimmer through his blue eyes. He had something up his sleeve.
"I think I will, Vic," he said, returning his gaze to her. "I think I will."
Stacy sighed as she reclined on the bed in her hotel room, hugging her pillow tightly. She thought maybe she should turn on Raw and at least watch, but the remote across the bed seemed much too far away for her efforts. She hated feeling so lazy, but she just had no energy whatsoever - this bad mood had sucked the metabolism right out of her. She couldn't understand why she was in such a horrible mood, but she just wanted to die.
A loud banging on her hotel room door broke the silence.
"Room service!" a man's voice called.
Stacy groaned... she didn't order any room service. They must have come to the wrong room. Forcing herself off the bed, Stacy rose and stumbled her way to the door. When she was halfway there, the man knocked again, and Stacy rolled her eyes. Slowing down even more, she gripped the handle of the door and paused. If this person was rude enough to interrupt her sulking, she could be rude enough to make them wait.
The moment the man started banging again, she threw the door open, a sour look on her face.
"I didn't order any... John...?"
Her tone started off completely harsh, but within seconds of recognizing John Cena standing in her doorway, she softened. She looked him over, eyeing the plastic bag in his hand.
"I heard you weren't feeling too well," he said, lowering his gaze to hers.
Stacy was about to ask what he was doing at her hotel, but she refrained when she remembered that they were in Boston. Despite being genuinely excited to see him, she couldn't even force a grin. She stepped away from the door, nodding as she gestured for him to come in.
"Who told you?" she asked, walking directly back to her bed.
She plopped down on the mattress, reassuming the position she was in when he knocked for her. John almost smiled at her. Not that her demeanor amused him or anything... he just found the little pout on her lips adorable.
Without invitation, John threw himself down on the bed beside her, pressing his forehead to hers.
"A little birdie told me," he joked.
The slightest hint of a smile etched on Stacy's lips, but she turned her back to him. She refused to take part in happiness today.
John bit his lip thoughtfully, and then he rose, resting on his knees. He took her by the leg and twirled her over, forcing her to face him. He opened the bag, searching around the contents inside.
"Alright, you've forced me to break into my cheering-up arsenal," he warned, grabbing one of the items in the bag.
Stacy gave him a funny look as he pulled a small, flat box out and extended it to her. She reached up and took it from him, studying the case carefully.
"It Could Happen to You," she breathed, eyeing it almost in wonder. "That's my..."
"Favorite movie?" John finshed with a hopeful gaze.
Stacy nodded. She had told him that months ago, she couldn't believe he remembered. She glanced at him wonderingly. She hadn't seen this movie since the last time she told him about it. She bit her lip hard, fighting the urge to smile.
"This is really nice, John, but you know I can't watch the movie without..."
"Ice cream?"
John was already a step ahead of her, pulling a container out of the bag. A playful grin lit up his face as he waved the cold carton in front of her. Stacy's jaw dropped, and she shook her blonde head in amazement.
"Okay, so you're good," she admitted. "But there's no way you'll remember that my favorite ice cream flavor is..."
"Ben & Jerry's, double fudge brownie," he stated emphatically, handing the carton over to her with a proud nod. "Now, after all the trouble I took to get this to you, think I could at least get a smile?"
Stacy bit her lip once again. Her spirits had been lifted immeasurably in the last two minutes.
"Fine," she caved, "...just as long as you put some in a bowl and bring it to me."
John jokingly rolled his eyes, hopping off the bed and heading to the kitchen. Stacy watched in awe as he walked off... she couldn't believe he had done all this for her, and just because he knew she was in a crappy mood.
A few moments later, John reemerged with a bowl in his hand. He handed the ice cream over, popping the movie in before joining her on the bed. Stacy glanced over at him as she put a spoonful of the delicious ice cream in her mouth.
"How come you're not eating any of this?" she asked, using her spoon to gesture at his empty hands. "Ice cream doesn't fit into your diet?"
She knew how strict John was with what he ate. She knew his particular diet was the sacrifice he paid to have the phenomenal build that he did, but she still felt sorry for him. The guy didn't get to eat anything. And you hadn't lived till you tried Double Fudge Brownie.
Then, a playful gleam lit up her brown eyes. She scooped up a spoonful of ice cream, putting it up to his mouth. John made a face, pursing his lips together. He shook his head firmly, refusing to take a bite.
"Eat it," Stacy taunted, pushing the spoon up against his lips.
John laughed and shook his head again, this time knocking the spoon out of Stacy's hand. Her mouth dropped open as the the spoon, still loaded with ice cream, landed on his shirt - his white football jersey.
"Damn it!" she cried, swiftly snatching the spoon up and dropping it into the bowl.
She placed the bowl on the nightstand, and immediately tried to scoop up the remaining ice cream with her hand. Her brow furrowed in a frown, her brown eyes filled with guilt.
"I'm so sorry, John," she apologized, her cheeks turning a unique shade of purple and pink. "I-I didn't think..."
"Stace, chill!" he assured her, swatting her hand away. He wiped the rest of the ice cream up himself, laughing as he wiped it on the bedspread. "I've got plenty more where this came from, it's no big deal."
Still, Stacy insisted on doing her best to clean up the mess she had made. She disappeared to the bathroom for a moment, returning with a wet cloth to try and rub the stain out before it settled in. She had gotten most of it out, leaving only a faint wet spot behind.
John glanced down at his jersey as the two settled in to watch the movie. The uncomfortable damp spot was getting on his nerves. He nudged Stacy a bit so that she moved, and quickly removed the shirt, tossing it to the floor. He glanced down at her, discovering that she was staring up at him. He winked at her, putting his arm lightly around her shoulder.
As he continued to gaze over her, something came over him. He couldn't ignore how cute she looked, in her pajamas, hair piled on top of her head. And, despite the fact that they were best friends, it felt good having her in his arms.
Throwing caution to the wind, John acted on impulse, and lowered his head to hers. He kissed her, soft and sweet. When he lifted his head from hers, he glanced down expectantly. He didn't know how she would react.
Stacy said nothing; but, to his pleasant surprise, she gave him that bright smile he had come for.
:The End: