~ Promise This ~

Summary: One-shot. After a lifetime of friendship, Andrea is desperately missing her best friend. On her 26th birthday, will her wish be granted? Will he keep his promise to her? Contains flashbacks.

AN: This is a requested one-shot for 'wades wife'. I say one-shot, it turned out to be a pretty long one-shot but hey, I don't do things by halves :P Happy birthday for the 27th! I hope you love it :) Feedback from all is definitely encouraged. I don't own anyone in this story; the OC belongs to 'wades wife'. I just wrote her the way I envisioned it. Thank you for reading.

Warnings: Rated for scenes of a sexual nature and some swearing.

As the sun began to peep through the curtains of her Florida home, Andrea stretched, throwing her arms over her head. She groaned sleepily and rolled onto her front, grabbing her phone from the nightstand. Yep, today was the day; her 26th birthday. In truth, she hadn't really been looking forward to it. Mostly because her friends were busy and she would have to wait until next week to celebrate with them. She sighed and rolled out of bed, wandering downstairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed a glass of water and stood beside the sink, trying to decide what to do with the day.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, bringing her out of her daydream. She frowned, the neighbours normally waited until at least 10am to come knocking on the door. She shrugged and walked down the hall, her bare feet on the soft carpet. As she opened the front door, it took her eyes a while to adjust to the bright sunlight streaming in from outside. When she finally managed to focus on the silhouette in front of her, she nearly fell over. Her breath caught in her throat as she did a double-take. Could it really be…?

"Wade!" she yelled, unable to stop herself from throwing her arms around him. She felt his chest vibrate as he chuckled at her excited greeting. He returned the hug and scanned her appearance when she stepped back. Even in her pyjamas she looked as cute as ever, her brown hair falling in messy waves around her face.

She blushed as she realised what she was wearing, noticing Wade's eyes looking her up and down.

"Wade! How come you're here?" she asked, still beaming at her childhood best friend.

"Well…if you don't want me here then I can just leave" he said nonchalantly, making to turn around.

"No! Fool, I just mean that you said you were touring for four months now without coming back here!" she said, unable to resist pulling him in for another hug. How she missed his presence when he was off living his dream all over the world.

"Well, I may have pulled some strings so I could come back for a few days, didn't want to miss your birthday did I?" he winked, grinning.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, pulling him inside before closing the door behind him.

"Surprise!" he laughed.

"How did you know I'd even be free?" she asked him.

"It's my fault your friends told you they were busy" he laughed. "I called and asked them to celebrate with you next week so I could come here and surprise you" he admitted.

"Oi!" she giggled, punching him lightly on the arm. She sat on the barstool in her kitchen, smiling at him for a while, taking in his appearance. He looked great, more tanned than the last time she'd seen him. His dark hair was slicked back and he wore a smart white polo shirt with dark navy jeans. She blushed once more as she realised the skimpy tank top she slept in was gaping at the front, revealing more cleavage than she was comfortable with. By the look on Wade's face, he hadn't failed to notice.

"Thank you for coming…I missed you Wade" she told him sentimentally, adjusting the top so it covered her chest.

"You're welcome, I missed you too. Now get your ass up those stairs and get yourself all dolled up. I'm taking you out for the day" he winked.

She grinned, following his orders. "Just gotta jump in the shower!" she shouted down to him.

"Hurry up then, we have lots to get through" he replied. She showered in a record time, scrunching her hair with her hands and letting it dry naturally. She applied some minimal make-up and a quick spray of perfume before selecting an outfit.

"Wade! I don't know what to wear! Where are we going?" she shouted down to him, unsure of whether jeans would be appropriate.

"Just stick on some jeans and a nice top! Nothing too fancy!" he replied, yelling up to her.

She grabbed her trusty black skinny jeans and a white studded vest top. She pulled on her flat summer sandals and grabbed her sunglasses and bag. She checked her reflection as she passed the mirror. Considering she only had about half an hour to get ready, she'd done a pretty good job. She made her way downstairs, spotting Wade munching on something from her fridge. He hid it behind his back as she approached, trying to look innocent.

"Wade…" she said in a scolding tone. "What did you take?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

"Nothing" he replied, his mouth full.

"Naughty boy" she giggled, ruffling his hair.

"Oi, don't touch the hair" he protested, smoothing it back down.

"So vain" she tutted, smiling at him. She really had forgotten how nice it felt to have her best friend in the whole world around.

"Enough of that, ready to go?" he asked, taking in the scent of her floral perfume.

"Yep" she agreed as they locked up the house and left.

It was nice to be back in Wade's big blue SUV. The leather seats and new car smell comforted her. As she stared out of the window as Wade drove, she began to reminisce about their childhood.

A sixteen year old Andrea sat by the lake just down from the school. Hot tears ran down her cheeks, the after-effects of the argument she had with Wade. She had asked him for help with a project, he was so incredibly intelligent and she struggled with school work sometimes. He promised he would help her but the night before it was due in he cancelled on her, saying he was sick. She understood, but after finding out this morning that he really spent the night with one of the girls from her class, she yelled at him. The worst part was that he yelled back. So she came down to the lake, where she always came to relax and be alone.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice someone else join her. It was another boy from her class, James. He was one of the popular guys and secretly, she had a bit of a crush on him. He stood beside her for a while before clearing his throat.

"You and Wade fallen out again?" he asked her.

She sniffed and nodded, not really wanting to talk about it. He held out a hand to pull her to her feet. Suspiciously, she took it.

"Look, I know you're kind of fragile right now, but I've been wanting to tell you for a while…I have the biggest crush on you" he smiled shyly.

Her forehead creased in confusion. "Is this some kind of joke…or a bet?" she asked, not understanding why he would suddenly be acting this way when he'd never even spoken a word to her in his life.

"Well one of the girls told me you had a crush on me" he grinned.

She blushed heavily, sighing. She was even more surprised when he leaned in to kiss her, brushing his lips against hers. When she failed to protest, he pushed his lips onto hers once more, sliding his tongue into her mouth and pressing his body to hers with such force that they both ended up lying on the grass.

Her heart rate tripled as she felt his hands on her blouse, trying to unbutton it. She pulled away from him quickly, fighting against his hold.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked him, eyes wide.

"This is what you wanted right? You think I'm hot, I'm in the mood for some fun" he winked, attaching his lips to her neck.

"No! Stop it!" she asserted, still trying to push him away. He ignored her commands and grabbed her hips roughly.

"Get off me!" she yelled at him.

She flinched as a fist shot across her line of view, wrapping itself around James' neck.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Wade growled, intimidating James with his greater strength and taller build.

"Nothing that she didn't want me to. She's fucking lucky I'd even look twice at someone like her. But you pissed her off and I fancied a quickie" he laughed in response. "Thought she'd be easy…up for a bit of fun" he smirked.

Wade slammed him into the nearest tree, knocking the breath out of him. "You ever so much as look at her again and I'll rip your fucking head off!" he yelled in his face. Just as James thought Wade was done and was going to release him, Wade's fist connected with his nose. Blood started to pour out of it. "Oh, and you mention that it was me who broke your nose, then I might mention your attempted rape of my best friend" he snarled before letting him go.

"Thanks" she whispered as Wade helped her up.

"Andrea, I'm so sorry…seriously, I didn't mean to break a promise to you. You know you're my best friend in the world. I never meant for that to happen" he said sincerely.

"I know…and you definitely made up for it just there" she smiled, hugging him tightly.

"I'll always be here for you" he said, returning the hug.

As she thought back to that time, it suddenly struck her how that was the only real argument they had ever had. They got on so well. Her entire childhood was filled with memories of the two of them. She didn't think she would have made it through school without Wade. He was so intelligent without even trying while she worked hard to get the grades she achieved. They stuck together through the hard times, when neither of them really fit in. Even through Wade's time as a bare-knuckle boxer, Andrea supported him. She wasn't keen at all on the risks he took engaging in such an underground sport but fighting was almost in his nature.

They even supported one another through their many relationships. They truly were the best of friends. Any time Andrea had relationship issues, she knew she could call Wade and he would be at her house in minutes with popcorn and some films. That was what made their friendship so special. Andrea remembered back to a time when Wade was the one who was having a tough time…

As soon as she got the text, Andrea knew it was bad. Wade was never one to get upset much, at least he never outwardly showed it. So when she read 'Can you come round? I need a friend right now' she was immediately concerned.

She knocked on the door three times, as she always did and he answered straight away as if he'd been waiting for her. He looked terrible, his hair was a mess, his skin looked pale and his face looked drawn.

"What's wrong?" she asked, studying his face worriedly.

He sat down with his head in his hands. "She dumped me Andrea…Lisa dumped me to go run off with some French guy" he sighed, the muscle in his jaw jumping, signalling his annoyance. His eyes were shining with unshed tears as he maintained the usual tough-guy façade.

"Oh Wade…" she said sympathetically, hugging him.

"I seriously fucking liked her…" he said quietly.

"I know…but if she did that, then she's crazy Wade…" Andrea reasoned.

"Maybe I'm just an angry idiot who no one wants" he said sadly.

"I want you" she said before she could stop herself. After she said it, she couldn't quite understand why she did. Another thing she couldn't understand was why she was kind of happy he wasn't with Lisa anymore. It made her sad to see him so down, but she wanted him to herself. He was her friend and when he had a girlfriend, they didn't spend as much time together.

Luckily, Wade had taken the 'I want you' in the best friend sense. "Thanks Andrea, I have no idea what I'd do without you" he said, holding her close to his chest.

Andrea pulled out the snacks and films she bought when she knew he needed cheering up. They sat for hours chatting and watching them. Wade seemed much happier after a few hours, even laughing hysterically as Andrea turned the French thing into a joke.

"Want some more Pepsi?" Wade asked.

"Oui oui monsieur" Andrea winked as they fell about laughing.

"We're here birthday girl" Wade announced as they pulled into a car park.

"Where are we?" she asked as they got out of the car. She hadn't been paying attention in the car; she was too busy thinking about old times.

"Wait and see" he grinned mischievously.

She rolled her eyes at him as she linked her arm in his as they walked. It had been more than three months since she'd seen him last and she was incredibly excited to see him again. So many memories came flooding back just seeing his face, let alone with his musky scent filling her nostrils. Her eyes widened as they turned the corner. It was a funfair on the pier. Wade knew she loved the funfair since she was a teenager. She fought the urge to jump up and down. Wade noticed the look of wonder on her face and chuckled.

"You like?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"I love it!" she squealed. "Oh my God Wade! This is the most amazing birthday present ever" she smiled.

"Knew you'd like it" he laughed. "But this isn't your present" he winked before walking off.

She stood confused for a second. But what was her present then? She noticed him walking away and ran after him.

"Wait? You got me something else?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep…but you'll have to wait until later for that" he laughed, grabbing her arm and leading her inside.

She loved everything about the funfair, from the happy children running around to the music they played and the rides. Andrea gazed around excitedly, unsure of what to do first.

Before she could make a decision, Wade pulled her over to the cotton candy stall. He bought some and handed it to her before burying his head in it and taking a bite. When he emerged, it was all over his face.

"You got some sugar on your face…just a little" she laughed, taking her finger and wiping it over his cheek before tasting it.

"How about you lick it off?" he grinned mischievously.

"Oi!" she giggled, blushing. "Naughty boy" she smacked his arm playfully. "Behave, or I might just have to take you in the haunted house" she winked.

"Oh, please don't do that" he smiled sarcastically. He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the ride. They finished the cotton candy between them before entering the haunted house. Wade knew Andrea was pretty brave. Hell, he knew her like the back of his hand and the one thing that always got her was being surprised, especially in the dark.

They entered and made their way through a series of dark rooms. None of them were particularly scary, only some fake spider webs and some plastic headless dummies. Then they reached a signpost. This was where children under sixteen had to leave the ride. It read 'Continue on if you dare. Only the bravest of souls will make it out alive' written in what was supposed to look like blood.

Wade laughed and pulled her inside. She tried to observe her surroundings but realised this room was completely dark. She turned to go back where they entered but jumped back when a metal grill slammed shut, blocking their exit. She flinched but didn't scream, it was just a haunted house, how bad could it be?

As she returned to the middle of the room, she found Wade was gone. "Wade?" she called out quietly in the dark. Damn it, she couldn't even see her own hands in front of her face. She knew Wade was somewhere in there, but she felt like there were more people. She would be lying if she didn't admit she was pretty scared at this point. She was feeling incredibly vulnerable. She didn't know the way out and she couldn't see a thing.

"Wade? This isn't funny" she said into the darkness.

Suddenly she felt hands grab her shoulders and a menacing growl in her ear. She screamed loudly, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to free herself. She relaxed as she heard Wade laughing as he wrapped his arm around her.

"Wade! You're gonna kill me!" she said, trying to catch her breath.

Just then, a flash of light lit the room for a split second, like lightning. She could see the walls decorated with slogans in blood. The one she managed to catch read 'If you go down to the woods tonight, you better not go ALONE'. What scared her more in the brief moment she could see was the masked man in the corner…

"W…Wade?" she said, fear beginning to well in her stomach.

"There's people in here" he said as if reading her mind.

"More than one?" she asked.

"I saw at least two" he said, still seeming reasonably calm.

The lights flashed on again and she pressed herself up against Wade as closely as she could as she saw the masked men surrounding them were closer this time. Sure enough, a minute or so later, the lights flashed again and the men had nearly reached them. When a high-pitched scream erupted around the room, Andrea knew she'd had enough. She was beyond terrified by this point. She grabbed Wade's arm and ran straight ahead, hoping she wouldn't run into one of the men. As the lights flashed once more as they tried to find the exit, they saw a girl on the floor covered in blood.

Andrea fumbled with the handle to the exit and threw it open, breathing a sigh of relief as she was greeted with the sounds of the funfair once more. Her skin was now a ghostly white and she felt like she was about to have a heart attack.

"That was some pretty scary shit" Wade laughed. "Andrea…you alright?" he asked, noticing her sway a little.

"Yeah…but that was horrible" she laughed, catching her breath.

"Aww, was Andrea scared of the little haunted house?" he teased, giving her a hug. She felt the warmth return to her body at his touch.

"Can we take it easy after that? That was the scariest haunted house I've ever been in" she laughed. "Those actors were damn good" she giggled.

"Yeah, how about we play some of the games?" he asked.

"Sounds good" she agreed as they headed off.

Half an hour later and Andrea was ecstatic with her prize. Wade had won her a big stuffed teddy bear in the game where you had to see how hard you could swing the hammer. She hugged it closely as they walked.

"Thank you for an amazing birthday Wade" she smiled up at him.

"It's not over yet" he winked as he led them to the Ferris wheel. She laughed and followed him onto it, excited as the bear that she named Henry, Wade and she sat back as the bar was lowered. She rested her head on his shoulder as they looked out over the sea. It was a beautiful sight.

"I missed you so bad" she mused as the carriage swung a little in the breeze when they stopped at the top.

"I missed you too" he smiled.

She remembered letting him go and saying goodbye for the first time when he went off to live his dreams like it was yesterday, being away from him still hurt her…

She stood in the terminal as his flight was called and tried desperately not to cry in front of him. She couldn't believe he was going to be touring with the WWE. It was his dream and she was so proud of him for accomplishing it. But she couldn't help the bitter dread and devastation that filled her at the thought of him travelling all over the world and leaving her behind.

As he grabbed his hand luggage and found his tickets, she bit the inside of her cheek, using the pain as a distraction. She felt him behind her as his arms circled her shoulders.

"I'll miss you Andrea" she could feel the warm smile in his voice. "But I'll be back before you know it, and with lots of stories" he breathed against her ear. "And you can see me on TV every week now" he grinned.

She turned to face him, unable to hold back any more. Tears ran down her cheeks as she pulled him in for a real hug.

"Aww Andrea, I won't be gone forever, I'll come back home as much as I can. You'll always be my best friend" he said, holding her close.

"I'll miss you so so much Wade…but I'm so proud of you" she smiled, gulping back any more tears.

"I'll see you soon okay? I'll always be around for you, that's a promise" he said, kissing her cheek before walking off to board his plane. She watched sadly but deep down, she knew he would keep that promise. She knew he cared about her like she cared about him. She couldn't help wondering if he cared about her as much as she cared about him…she cared about him in ways that frightened her, because if he knew how much she really cared, it could ruin their friendship…

After the funfair, Wade had driven them to a cute little restaurant on the beach front. The food was amazing and they caught up on old times.

"How are things with John? Have you two spoken since you decided to end things?" he asked casually, referring to her most recent ex-boyfriend.

"I haven't heard from him at all for months…" she mused. "Not that it bothers me, we didn't have the cleanest break-up" she laughed.

"Anything else going on?" he asked.

"No, I dunno, I think I've moved on. I just don't feel like going out there and trying to find someone, getting to know them all over again and discovering that they're not who you thought they were. It just keeps happening that way" she shrugged. "I'm happy to stick to the way things are right now" she smiled. "What about you and Jade? Last time I saw you, things were pretty rosy with her" she asked, a pang of jealously passing over her as she recalled how the two of them were constantly cuddling or making out whenever Wade brought her back to Florida with him.

"Me and Jade? Wow it's been a while since we've had a catch-up" he laughed. "We ended that ages ago. It just didn't work out at all" he stressed, smiling at her.

Though other people seemed to find it strange, Wade and Andrea never had any problem discussing their relationships with each other. That's how close they were and always had been. They were open and honest, and that helped to set the strong foundation of trust they had built over the almost twenty years they had known one another.

"Hey, I still need to give you your present" he laughed, breaking her train of thought. He pulled out a neatly wrapped package. It was rectangular and the wrapping paper was gold with cream swirls all over it.

Andrea grinned at him, taking it and carefully pulling away the paper. Inside she found a navy box. She slowly flipped open the lid and found a beautiful silver necklace on a thick chain. The pendant was a stunning silver heart. Engraved into it was the word 'Andrea'. She felt tears stinging her eyes. She was surprised at how much this gesture meant to her.

"Flip it over" Wade smiled.

She did as he said and found more inscriptions on the back. It read 'God never made a promise that was too good to be true'. It was beautiful, and the words had a deep meaning to her. Promises were a theme throughout her life, especially in her friendship with Wade. And he kept his promise when he said he would always be around for her. She was sitting with him now, on her birthday, and it was magical.

"Thank you" she managed to choke out as she ran her fingers over the delicate engraving.

"Open it" he whispered.

It was then that she realised it was a locket. She delicately pulled open the catch and let more tears fall as she stared at herself. Wade had found an old photo, of himself and her by the lake when they were back at school. He had his arm around her and the pose was playful. She looked so happy, they both did.

"I love it…words can't describe how much this means to me" she whispered as tears fell from her eyes. He stood up from the table and took her in his arms.

"I'm happy you like it, it's just a token to show you how much you mean to me Andrea" he said, kissing her cheek. As he slowly pulled his face away from hers, their eyes locked for a second, their arms still intertwined. For a second, she thought she saw the same lust she felt reflected in his eyes, but then it was gone. Wade pulled away, leading her out onto the dock. They sat there, legs dangling over the edge, looking up at the stars.

Andrea could tell Wade was completely lost in thought. He was staring blankly into the distance, blinking slowly.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Oh…nothing" he smiled.

"I don't believe you" she laughed. "Come on, it's my birthday and I get what I want today" she giggled.

"That's true. But I don't think this is what you want…that's the problem" he chuckled lightly, running a hand through his hair.

"What is it that I don't want?" she asked him.

"I dunno…don't flip out on me or anything, but I really want to kiss you right now" he laughed, embarrassed.

Before he could say anything else, Andrea pressed her lips against his. It took her breath away, finally feeling his soft lips on hers after twenty years of imagining it. Wade groaned into the kiss before pulling away.

"Andrea…I…" he started.

"What?" she asked him, trying to hide her disappointment that he seemed to be having second thoughts.

"Well…it's just that we've been friends for so long, what if…what if this destroys what we have?" he asked.

"What's worth the prize is always worth the fight" she smiled. "If this is what you want, then I don't think anything could tear us apart when we've already been through so much" she whispered.

"I want this if this is what you want" he told her.

"God, I've wanted his for so long" she whispered, locking lips with him once more. As their tongues explored each others mouths, their hands slowly travelled over the body they knew so well, but had never touched intimately before.

"God never made a promise that was too good to be true, and you promised you would always be around. I want you in my life forever Wade" she whispered.

"I can't believe its taken twenty years for this to happen" he smiled.

"It happened in my mind a long time before now" she grinned.

"Oh really?" he winked mischievously.

"Yep" she smiled. "Don't tell me you never thought about it…" she bit her lip seductively, teasing the hem of his shirt with her fingers.

"I won't lie to you Andrea, I thought about it a lot" he smiled, moving his hands to rest on her lower back.

"You wanna come back to mine? Spend the night?" she asked, worried he might decline.

"If you're offering" he smiled, standing and leading her back to the car.

They wasted little time when they got back to the house. In fact, almost as if making up for lost time, Wade's hands were on her hips and his lips on her skin before she even closed the front door. They made it up to the bedroom before he began removing articles of his own clothing along with Andrea's.

Wade buried his hands in her hair, breathing in her scent. Her beautiful hair always smelled like cherries. It turned him on so much to know that he could finally have her the way he wanted.

"Are you sure about this?" he breathed against her neck.

She nodded, lost in the moment. She gulped, regaining some composure. "We know each other better than anyone else on earth, we both want this…I need this…I love you Wade" she moaned against his neck as he ran a hand over her chest.

"I love you too Andrea" he whispered as his hands roamed over her body. Soon they were naked, exploring one another's bodies on the bed. She inhaled deeply, in disbelief that this was finally happening. She traced the plains of his broad chest, heaving in anticipation. She moaned as his hand travelled lower, rubbing gently between her legs. She arched into him, desperate for more. He kissed her passionately, shifting to position himself over her.

He rummaged around in the pocket of his jacket which lay on the floor and found what he was looking for. He quickly unwrapped it and slid the condom on before removing his fingers and pushing gently inside her. She groaned at the sensation, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

He started slowly, pulling most of the way out and pushing in again. His lips traced a path across her skin from shoulder to shoulder and over the sensitive skin of her neck. Her skin burned for him, desperate for as much contact as was physically possible. "Faster" she breathed as pleasure overwhelmed her. She desperately wanted to close her eyes to focus on the sensations flooding her body, but her eyes ached to take in the wonderful sight of him hovering over her, his face contorting in the same ecstasy she too was experiencing. Wanting to pull him deeper, she squeezed her legs around him.

He increased the pace, studying her reactions and altering his movements to please her. Her body rocked against the bed. Her hands roamed over the muscles of his shoulders and back. Unable to hold back her desires, she matched his movements with her own, pushing into him and allowing the soft moans to escape her lips, only for him to capture them with his sweet mouth.

Breathing now laboured and skin shining with sweat, his thrusts became erratic and the change in rhythm signalled to Andrea that he was drawing near to the edge. She knew she too wasn't far off but needing to feel more and join him as they experienced what was building to a huge climax; she took one of his hands in hers and led it down between their bodies, signalling to him what she wanted. He took the hint and rubbed in circles rhythmically with his thrusts. In only seconds, she fell over the edge of ecstasy, trembling underneath him, crying out his name. Wade followed quickly, moaning out his pleasure as he collapsed beside her.

As the reality of what they just did hit her, she heard his heavy breathing slow down. He wrapped his arms around her body protectively, her back against his chest. He kissed her neck and she closed her eyes. Before long, she drifted off, basking in the afterglow of the best night of her life…

Reviews please :)