A/N: So yeah, Nina gave me the prompt Average and this is the end result. Hopefully someone will enjoy it enough to review
Disclaimer: Don't own anyone or anything.
Average
He looked it up once and what he read was:
Average; Usual or ordinary in kind or character.
There were a lot of things in this business that were average. The over-enthusiastic talent who thought they were going to make it, the ring-rats that cruised the parking-lot late at night, the diva's who were barely a step up from the ring-rats, big names who thought they were indestructible. Yeah, they were all average, but average had to balance out somehow, it was what separated sub-par from exceptional. It split dull and extraordinary on to separate paths.
He watches. He sees. He glares.
He watches Paul treat Stephanie like she was average.
He sees Stephanie sigh as her shoulders slump.
He glares at the man who treats exceptional like it was average.
He'd barely stepped foot in this company and he'd noticed her, and she hadn't been average then, she hadn't been when he watched her grow and thrive in her first real on-screen character, nor had she when they were in their storyline.
It didn't click back then, but he'd always thought her incomparable. No one matched her passion, no one ever would.
He hates Paul. It's as simple as that. There's no pretence, no false camaraderie, no nothing. Just a hate-hate relationship, that grew harsher over time. There's many things about the man to hate: his ego-centric ways, his dire need to bury any promising talent, the way he looks down on everyone, because he thinks he rules with an iron fist. But mostly, Chris just hates him for the way he treats Stephanie.
Stephanie made him, and Chris thinks, Paul doesn't understand that if he hadn't married Vince McMahon's daughter, then he wouldn't be anything within this company but a name brought up in passing every now and again. Paul doesn't understand that Stephanie could just as easily take away what she'd made him, in the blink of an eye. Chris thinks Stephanie doesn't understand that either.
She has the power, she just doesn't know she does. Paul makes sure of that, that's why he treats her like average, because if she had the chance to shine, she'd leave him in the dust where he belongs.
He's overrated, Chris knows that. He knows Stephanie knows that, hell everyone knows that except Paul and his gang of ass-kissers.
He can see them right now, Paul and his overpowering silhouette covering most of his face and Stephanie and her radiance. They're arguing, in the hushed angry tones that they usually do.
He'd watched, he'd seen and lingered with this scene may times before.
Paul's fists are clenched as he storms away, something tells Chris he didn't get what he wanted this time. Stephanie has the ghost of a smile on her face, and Chris can bet that she finally managed to put her foot down without caring about Paul and his tantrums. He wants to applaud her, but he smiles instead when she looks over. She smiles back, and it's one of his best days in a long time.
She turns and walks away, but he wants to make this a great day, so he stands from his seat and quickens his normal walking speed to catch up with her. She looks surprised when he falls in line beside her.
"Can I help you with anything?" she questions quizzically.
He's not surprised at her tone, they've never really been friends. He wanted to, but Paul always seemed to have a problem with him talking to Stephanie, and talking was an important part of building a friendship. There was a sort of friendship when Paul was injured and maybe, just maybe a hint of something more, but Paul came back and talking was frowned upon, so yeah that ended.
"Nope," he let her know with a smile. "I just wanted to talk to you. I like hearing your voice." He commented, he was tired of not talking and doing what Paul told him to.
Stephanie laughed, and turned to him grinning. "I think you're the only person to ever compliment me on my voice."
"Why wouldn't they?" Chris wondered, his eyebrows raised.
"Well, some would call it a screech." Stephanie answered.
"Only when you shout." Chris pointed out. "Which, granted is a good percentage of the time." He joked and grinned at her. "But it sort of balances out for when you talk."
"How so?" Stephanie wondered, frowning in confusion.
"Well, your voice is huskier," he remarked.. "It's like throaty and gravel and dark all mixed up. It's really quite pleasant."
"Oh," Stephanie sounded out.
"I think we should talk more often."
"About?"
"You."
She laughed again. "What could possibly be interesting about me, that warrant's a talking point?"
"Your eyes." Chris began. "I think I could get lost in them, in fact if I'm honest I do. Board meetings are long, and your eyes draw me in all the damn time. Then, of course there's your smile. It's hard though, I don't think I could choose between your smirk and your smile if I had too, they both do things to me. Things I really shouldn't think, but can't help but." He listed off, smirking his own smirk towards her, noticing how wide her eyes had become. He wasn't finished though. "Then there's your fingers, they'd fit perfectly in mine. Your hips, I can't help but watch them as they sway. Your laugh. The freckle on your shoulder. The scar on your elbow." He continued. "Really, I could go on."
"What…" Stephanie started. "Chris?"
"I just want you to know that you're not average." He told her, reaching out to grasp her arm, stopping her when he did. "Not in my eyes."
"What?"
"The way Paul treats you," Chris sighed. "It's not right. He should see everything about you, but he doesn't."
"But," Stephanie breathed out. "You do?"
"I can't help it," Chris told her honestly. "You're indescribable and I watch you so I can remember, because words don't do you justice." He spoke, inching closer.
"Thank you?"
"He doesn't deserve you."
"And you do?" Stephanie whispered out, watching as Chris moved closer still.
"No," Chris spoke. "No one does. You're too remarkable."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to kiss you." He told her truthfully.
"I think I'm going to let you." She whispered before his lips touched hers.
And there in the middle of a hallway, he kissed her - for the whole world to see, for her husband to see - and showed her, that to him, she'd never be anything up stunning, astonishing, striking, dazzling, and so on.
Anything but average.
End