It was a couple of hours after that awkward car ride. Ryan's nerves had calmed down. He was focused on his job. He had adopted his persona of Zac Helmsley once again. His look had changed drastically since he arrived at the arena. His hair now fell to his shoulder, revealing layers and quite a bit of body. His colorful t-shirt was replaced with a dark one with his logo across it. He wore a pair of jeans that accentuated his legs. Lastly, his lime green sneakers were replaced by a pair of black combat boots. Zac evoked a much stronger sense of attitude than Ryan. His look was not unlike that of Triple H.
Luckily for Ryan, the man he was falling for had disappeared as well and Sheamus, his big brother's rival, entered the picture. This made the evening bearable.
The Helmsleys had just cut a promo. Tonight, Hunter had a match against Sheamus. The match was to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. In the promo, Zac warned Sheamus to watch his back because he would be in his brother's corner. He was known for helping Hunter win his matches by any means necessary.
On his way back to the locker room, he passed Stephanie McMahon. The two had become good friends as they worked closely to develop Ryan's character and storylines. They briefly greeted each other before Steph continued on her way; she was one busy woman.
Ryan arrived at the locker room to find Stephen dressed in his ring gear. He wanted to just be invisible for a little while so he could observe without being noticed. Stephen looked great. Ryan loved that strong muscular frame; his broad chest, strong pecs, and slightly ripped stomach leading down to green wrestling trunks. Green always was Ryan's favorite color but he was more concerned with what was contained under the green. Beyond the trunks were Stephen's large, muscular thighs, probably the whitest part of his body. Many would find a pasty white complexion scattered with freckles to be a turn off, but it was the exact opposite in Ryan's case. This ginger definitely got his Irish blood boiling.
Ryan finally took note of Stephen's face. He was grinning ear-to-ear…oh, that smile. It made Ryan weak in the knees. Stephen finally noticed Ryan in the doorway of the locker room. His smile got even bigger.
"Hey, Fella!"
"I've never seen someone so happy about getting their ass beat." Ryan remarked with a smirk. He knew well enough that Sheamus was slated to win the match tonight.
"I jus talked to Stephanie McMahon. She tol me that the creative team has decided that I will win my championship match at the next Pay-Per-View!" He was one happy Celt; a complete opposite of his onscreen persona.
"Congratulations, Stephen!" Ryan was genuinely happy for his friend. As much as he would have loved for Paul to be champion again, he was really glad that Stephen was getting another run with the title. If Stephen was happy, he was happy.
The two embraced in a congratulatory hug. Then it just happened. Ryan impulsively gave Stephen a kiss on the cheek. The boy froze instantly. You know how in movies, when something bad happens, you hear that record scratch or dissonant piano chord? Yeah, that is what Ryan heard in his head, followed by a resounding "SHIT!"
The two backed apart somewhat awkwardly. Stephen's normally white skin was now a bright shade of red. It was almost as intense as his hair. There was silence. Although relatively brief, it seemed like the length of a Peter Jackson film.
"I'm…I'm sorry." Ryan uttered sheepishly. He couldn't even look at Stephen. He felt twitchy and self-conscious; worse than he'd ever felt before. He thought he could have thrown up right there but he knew vomiting on Stephen wouldn't make the situation any more comfortable.
"Na, it's a'right. Well, um, we'd better get ready for the match. See, ya out there, 'Zac.'" Replied the Celt trying to shrug off the awkwardness.
"Yeah, you'd better watch your back, 'Sheamus!'" Ryan knew he had seriously fucked up. He exited quickly.
Ryan needed to clear his head. Before he knew it, he found himself out on the loading dock. He leaned against the railing on one edge. He clutched the bar tightly as he clenched his eyes shut; he felt the wind gently blowing his hair. He wanted to cry, but he wouldn't let himself. He couldn't believe he actually did something that stupid. He was for certain that he had just ruined his friendship with Stephen for good. He certainly wanted to be in a relationship with Stephen, but he would have rather been friends than nothing at all. "Is this going to affect work?" he wondered.
"Ryan…"
A deep voice resounded behind him. This time it wasn't Stephen's smooth accent, but Paul's coarse tone. Ryan turned to face him. He was dressed in his ring gear, ready to go.
"There you are, buddy. I've been looking for you. It's about time to head…Are you alright?"
Paul took a concerned step forward.
"Yeah, I'm fine…" Ryan responded.
Ryan turned away again.
"Are you sure? You look really upset…"
"Paul, there is nothing wrong." Ryan asserted firmly as he turned his head sharply.
"You know, you're a great actor and all, but you can't fool me. You're full of shit." Paul said this with a tone that indicated that he was worried and concerned.
"I'm sorry. I just don't want to talk about it. Don't worry; I'll be fine."
"That's fine; you don't have to talk about if you don't want…So, you ready to go?"
"Yeah."
Ryan turned back toward the door. Paul chummily put his arm around Ryan's shoulder and the two headed toward the backside of the stage. Ryan was glad to have a good friend there for him.
