Author's Note: So I've been requested to write a one-shot for the lovely ortoncenabournegirl, here it is (finally) I hope it's what you wanted :)
"Happy Birthday!" echoed through-out the function room in one of Miami's high profile clubs. Ashton Potter stood in the doorway, shocked. All of her closest friends were there, cheering and laughing. A big cheesy grin spread across her face, "did you do all of this?" she asked, turning to her boyfriend Daniel Bryan who had his arm wrapped around her petite waist.
"Actually it was Rosa," Daniel replied, as the smile on Ashton's face fell slightly. She should've known that Daniel wasn't thoughtful enough to plan anything like this for her birthday; Ashton was surprised that he even remembered. She woke up to breakfast in bed and a sterling silver chain-link bracelet that Daniel had secretly bought from Tiffany's. That was just like him, some days he was the most thoughtful and loving person, others Ashton just wanted to scream and throw something at him.
"Well I should go and thank Rosa," she said, fiddling with the bracelet that Daniel said was a 'symbol of his love' but more and more often, Ashton was feeling that the love was fading. Ever since he had won – and subsequently – lost the World Heavyweight championship title, Daniel was a changed man. Ashton wanted to pretend that it was just anger over having an eighteen second match at Wrestlemania, but she knew that it was something more than that. Daniel was obsessed with the Heavyweight title and along with his obsession; he began to push her away. Ashton didn't like the person Daniel became when he didn't have the gold wrapped around his waist; it seemed like winning back that title was the only thing he cared about.
"Chica!" her deep thoughts were penetrated by the shrill voice of her Latina friend, "I hope you didn't expect anything," Rosa mused while wrapping Ashton up in a tight hug.
"Not a thing," Ashton confirmed with a smile, "is uh... He here?" she asked quietly, scanning the crowd for a certain pair of blue eyes. Rosa was the only one who knew who 'He' was, hopefully the only one who would ever know. To everyone else, He was just egotistical, superficial, arrogant Cody Rhodes, but to Ashton he was much more than that.
"You know I couldn't invite him, Ash," Rosa apologised, but Ashton understood. She knew that if Daniel found out about her and Cody, he would snap. To say that Daniel and Cody didn't get along would be an understatement, "though he told me to give you this," Rosa handed the plastic card to Ashton wrapped in a piece of paper.
Seeing Room 621 scrawled on the white sheet in his familiar handwriting, made her heart speed up and her stomach flutter. Feelings that she wasn't proud to admit were her own and looking over at Daniel, feelings Ashton knew she shouldn't have, "would you kill me if I skipped out on my own party?" she asked Rosa, not wanting to offend her friend by leaving the party that had been organised for her.
"Go," Rosa urged, "I'll keep Daniel occupied until you come back." Ashton profusely thanked her friend, before hurrying out of the nightclub and across the street to the motel where the Smackdown roster was staying for the night. She hoped nobody had seen her leave, because there would bound to be questions Ashton would have trouble finding the answers to.
Getting into the elevator, she pressed the button that would take her to the sixth floor; she ran a hand through her blonde highlighted shoulder length brown hair whilst waiting impatiently for the elevator to arrive at Cody's floor. Once again Ashton's heart beat became erratic as she knock on the white door, this would be the first time in weeks where her and Cody had time just to themselves, and she was looking forward to it. Suddenly the door opened and there he was, Cody Rhodes, her secret best friend. A friend that she was beginning to have more than friendly feelings for.
Cody took in the sight before him, he had been waiting too long to see her alone again. He swore she got more beautiful each time he saw her, her grey/blue eyes locking with his. He watched as she smoothed out her white bodycon dress before stepping into his room and fiddled with the silver bracelet around her wrist. Cody hated how she always seemed to fuss with her appearance whenever she was around him, he didn't care how she looked because he knew Ashton Potter could turn him on wearing baggy sweats and a hoodie. "You don't have to do that," he said softly. Her dark red lips curved into a smile as she heard his words. "I'm serious," Cody said, "you look great all the time." His voice sent a shiver down her spine, and no matter how hard she tried to shake the feelings she had for him off, she couldn't.
"I'm sorry Rosa couldn't invite you to my party," Ashton apologised to her dark haired friend, "but… you know…" she added with a dejected frown.
"Yeah I know," Cody whispered, sadness colouring his voice, "which is why I've organised my own for you," he said cheerfully, leading her into the dining/lounge area of his motel room. He had set the small circular dining table to look like a little child's party. Ashton laughed as she saw the party hats, sausage rolls, mini pies and lollies covering the surface.
"I always knew you'd never grown up Rhodes," Ashton teased, referring to not only the meal he had planned, but to his obsession with comic books and Zelda games.
"Well I figured Daniel would take you out some place fancy…" Cody said. He hated Ashton's boyfriend with a passion, he honestly had no idea what she saw in him. Cody wished instead of Daniel, Ashton liked him. He would treat her like a real person, not just some trophy girlfriend who he can string along.
Hearing Daniel's name, a wave of guilt washed over Ashton. Being here with Cody felt a lot like she was cheating on him. "And if he knew you like I do…" Cody started, "he would've got you this instead of what he did." He handed her a Tiffany's box and she opened to find a bracelet identical to the one Daniel had bought her. Only instead of silver, it was rose gold; her favourite and only type of metal she liked to wear.
She placed the bracelet around her wrist, and compared it to Daniel's, silver and gold. That's when Ashton suddenly realised, to Daniel; she was always going to be second. Just like silver was always second to gold, in Daniel's eyes, Ashton was always second to the World Heavyweight Championship. "Are you okay?" Cody asked her, worried about the sudden silence.
"I…I don't know," Ashton said, slightly stunned at her recent revelation, "I just don't know…" she whispered, still looking at the gold and silver jewellery adorning her wrist. How could something so insignificant cause her to have this brain snap? Ashton remembered what her mum used to always say 'dear, people's feelings influence their actions' and she couldn't help but wonder if that had applied to Daniel when he went shopping for her birthday present. He knew she didn't particularly like silver jewellery, yet he still bought the bracelet. Silver is associated with second, so maybe, subconsciously, that's what Daniel thought of Ashton.
"What's wrong?" Cody asked, he hadn't expected this reaction when he'd given Ashton her present, "I mean, you like it don't you? I remember you saying how much you love rose gold…"
Ashton looked at him. His crystal blue eyes meeting own blue/grey ones. And finally she knew what she wanted. Slowly she undid the clasp and removed the silver from her wrist; Cody looked at her in confusion. "I don't want to be second anymore," Ashton said softly, watching as Cody's face lit up in delight as he understood the meaning behind her words. She placed the bracelet in the case that Cody's had came in and shut the lid on the box her relationship with Daniel.
Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoyed, please leave a review with your feedback, it'll be much appreciated :)