Based on the Brie Bella/Stephanie contract signing on Raw
Stephanie's hands and knees hit the ground and she released Brie Bella from her clutches, letting her slam into the mat. She looked down at her fallen prey for just a moment…and, satisfied that she hadn't actually injured the young woman, hopped up to her feet. She stared down at the twin hatefully, with an evil little smirk on her face. As a veteran performer, she was able to disguise the fact that was in fact so very elated. She was proud of herself and of the moment that she'd created with the two women lying at her feet.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Paul wiping at his cheek, pretending to check for bruises and/or blood. She flipped her hair over her shoulders and grabbed him by the back of his neck. She saw his slight surprise for just a moment, before she crushed her lips against his. She reveled in the fact that as soon as their mouths made contact, his shock melted away and he immediately wrapped his arms around her. She held Paul's lips and tongue hostage for a few seconds before releasing him.
They continued celebrating in the ring and eventually outside of it. She purposely avoided locking eyes with him, lest she start laughing. The crowd and viewing audience at home may miss it, but she'd easily be able to read his face. She'd undeniably find the wonderful combination of love and lust that was constantly present when he looked at her. But tonight she'd also see a mix of confusion and embarrassment. Because what she had done could only be described as pure, animalistic mauling.
They weren't strangers to such embraces. Normally, said kisses happened with significantly more privacy. Tens of thousands of people saw this one live…and millions at home could pause, rewind and obsessively watch it over and over again if they chose to.
Paul didn't give a shit about that and neither did she. What her husband would care about is the fact that her father was here tonight. And her man was quite bashful about giving her more than a lingering peck when the patriarch of the McMahon family was nearby. Particularly after he became a full-fledged member of the corporate team.
So…when the mood struck and creative had made a note for them to be affectionate with one another on camera…she…well, she just went right ahead and attacked the unsuspecting man. Once they were alone, he usually expressed his mortification with the display. She found the entire thing fucking hilarious and thusly made it a point to do things like this more often. It's not like he'd ever refuse her kiss; certainly not within the context of their storyline. That meant he had to pucker up and take it until the fans, lights, cameras and all the people watching backstage fell away. Inevitably he'd get just as lost in the moment as she did.
"Stephanie!" He whispered harshly as they neared the stage, with their backs to the crowd and cameras.
"Yes, my loving, proud and devoted husband?"
Paul's next thought got lost due to her repeating his earlier words about why he couldn't preside over the contract signing between his wife and Brie Bella. Instead, he started laughing at the reference.
"Thought you'd like that," she quipped.
"The situation may be scripted and all, but what I said about you is true," he told her.
Stephanie bit down on her bottom lip and lowered her head. It was a desperate attempt to hide the fact that she was blushing. Mostly, it was a futile attempt because Paul always knew when he'd made her flustered. Hell, sometimes she was convinced he did that on purpose to amuse himself.
"You looked really good out there doing my move, by the way. Your form was just as good as mine, if not better."
"Stop trying to make me blush!" she scolded, poking a manicured finger into his ribs as they finally disappeared backstage.
Before Stephanie could move the curtains, Paul lightly grabbed her arm and yanked her up against him. "I bet you thought it was really funny suckering me into that kiss out there, knowing your Dad was backstage, huh?"
"Baby," she said, widening her eyes in faux shock. "No. I just…was so relieved that slap didn't bruise your face. So I…ah, wanted to kiss it."
"You expect me to believe that?" He asked with raised eyebrows.
"No," she admitted with a chuckle. "I only expect you to love-"
"What; love you despite your consistently mischievous ways?" he playfully interrupted.
Stephanie hesitated with her response, trying to think of a better way to describe her interactions with Paul. As a wife she was always sweet, generous and loving…all of which was terribly obvious to anyone who spent more than thirty seconds around them. She wracked her brain and found no additional, relevant summaries. "Yes. Exactly that, yes."
Before Paul could respond, a hand attached itself to his shoulder firmly. "Very good segment out there, tonight."
Paul turned around to face the one and only Vince McMahon. Instead of the usual hug, Vince grabbed Paul's hand and shook it very formally. Paul was somewhat perplexed but went along with it. This was technically a business environment, even if nobody around here acted like it half of the time.
"Thanks Vince," he responded.
"Steph," Vince said, opening his arms to his daughter.
The brunette smiled and fell into the hug just like the spoiled Daddy's Girl she always had been and forever would be. Paul was just glad she'd made enough room for him so that they were able to fall in love and share a life together. She needed her Dad in a different way than she needed her husband and that was perfectly fine with him.
"Good job out there. The mic work was outstanding as usual. You're making my evil boss character look like a saint," he told her proudly.
Stephanie waved her hand in dismissal of the compliment. "Oh, Dad!"
"Even your ring work was superb," Vince continued. He was completely undeterred. He was well aware that his daughter had trouble taking credit when she was undoubtedly deserving of it. "I take it Paul's been training you?"
"Of course," Paul replied quickly, without even realizing he'd proudly puffed his chest out.
Stephanie shot her husband a grateful smile. Everyone knew that Joe DeFranco was her and Paul's fitness trainer. Quite literally, he busted both of their asses regularly, regardless of how long and tiring the day had been. In between that, three young daughters, their corporate careers and on-screen roles, they'd had to make room in their schedules to allow Paul to train Stephanie in the ring. They couldn't carve out much, compared to how often other wrestlers trained. But obviously training for two hours on Saturdays and Sundays, along with an hour before Raw went live on Mondays, was enough to make her look like a legitimate threat in the ring.
"Now, if he shoved his tongue down your throat less, you could make a good play for the Diva's championship," Vince said smugly.
Stephanie shrugged. She had zero interest in the title, but had to admit that she probably would be an even better wrestler if she and Paul could refrain from flirting and giggling about like a couple of teenagers when they trained. But she loved that they remained so playful, affectionate and attracted to one another even after ten years, children and a shitload of work responsibilities that were heaped on them constantly. Being less… them, to become better at something she didn't plan to do regularly seemed like a waste.
The heiress turned to Paul just in time to see the last bit of composure drain from his face. He had gone from sexy and tan, to beet red in a mere matter of seconds. Poor guy.
"I…uh…" Damn it. This was Stephanie's fault. He purposely tried to keep the physical contact to a minimum for this very reason. Clearly Vince's daughter had been the aggressor here, but somehow Paul was getting blamed for their makeout session.
"WWE is family entertainment. I don't need you showing the audience how families are made to make that clear," Vince said authoritatively.
"I…yes. Yes, Vince."
"Mr. McMahon," Vince corrected, staring at Paul directly.
"Ah," Paul faltered. "Yes, Mr. McMahon." Now he was being demoted to calling his father-in-law by his last name. There were quite a few mid-card talent that were allowed and encouraged to simply call him Vince. If Paul was getting that privilege revoked, they were truly in deep shit. Rather, he was. Stephanie, it seemed, would escape blame for this.
Oh, she was most certainly gonna get it when they made it back to their hotel. He told her that something like this would eventually happen. Did she listen? Nope, just carried on, laughing at his expense.
"Dad, that's enough!" Stephanie chimed in on his behalf. "He didn't start this. I did," she admitted. Although anybody who was actually paying attention would realize that. Surely there was video footage someplace that they could replay, to prove that it was almost always her that took things further on camera.
Vince spared his daughter a simple glance and turned back to her husband. "You're an executive now, Paul. It doesn't matter if you cut off your hair and start wearing suits, if your behavior is still like a fucking degenerate. Quite frankly, your unprofessionalism astounds me."
"What?" Paul asked, wrinkling his nose. "This is ridiculous! If kissing-"
"Paul…" Stephanie sighed.
Paul turned to Stephanie and shook his head. He didn't want her to intervene. It was obvious somebody had to be the fall guy here. Vince seemed to want it to be him, probably because Stephanie's legacy spanned back several generations. If corporate or the mysterious board had an issue with their limited intimacy, it made more sense for him to be the one to take the blame. Although he was very involved in WWE's operations, it was technically Stephanie who'd wind up inheriting the reins. He began to loosen his tie as he muttered his next thought. "The hell with that! If kissing my wife, who happens to be your daughter and heir makes me an unprofessional degenerate, so be it. All the shit happening around here and you're concerned about a damn kiss."
Vince narrowed his eyes and took a step towards the somewhat bigger man. Stephanie moved a bit closer to Paul, linking her arm through his. Good God, she hoped the two didn't come to blows. Especially not over something she did. In the past it was a semi regular thing for her to interrupt these arguments before they could potentially get physical. Both men had a passion for the business that was unparalleled. They also had different visions of how it should go, particularly several years ago. It had been quite some time since she felt the need to put herself in an argument for fear that it would lead to a fight. But she was prepared, if it came to that.
"My only concern," Vince started. "Is…the look on both of your faces right now!"
Stephanie squeezed Paul's arm just a little bit. He looked down at her, confusion evident on his face as they listened to Vince's deep, rumbling laughter echo throughout the area.
"What's happening?" Paul whispered against her ear.
Stephanie shook her head. "I don't know. Let's walk away slowly."
"Oh man I wish somebody would have had a camera rolling. You two are such easy targets. It's priceless!" Vince continued, doubling over with laughter. He was so caught up in his own amusement that he didn't notice the couple backing up and away from him. Not until he realized they'd had yet to respond to anything he said. He knew it was a little childish, but the two of them had a sense of humor. Remaining silent was odd for them. The older man composed himself and stood up straight, to see them several yards away already.
"Guys!" He called. "Come back! I was just kidding, God!"
"WHAT?" Stephanie asked in a high-pitched squeak. "Dad, you scared the shit out of me. I thought you two may actually fight!"
"I know!" Vince exclaimed, bursting into another round of laughter. "Oh God, it was wonderful. I'm a genius. Hah!"
"I can't believe this…" Paul said, shaking his head.
"You may be a genius. But you're definitely an ass, Dad."
Vince stopped laughing and the look on his face made Stephanie feel like she was twelve years old again. "Young lady, you watch your mouth! I'm still your boss!"
"Sorry, Vince."
Vince nodded and adjusted his suit jacket, still looking relative displeased with Stephanie. "I have a job for you two. Go get some rest because I can't believe you just fell for that again!"
Stephanie rolled her eyes as her father began laughing at them. Shit, maybe he was right. They typically weren't so off their game that they couldn't tell when he was only pretending to be serious. Instead of replying to her Dad, she tugged on her husband's arm.
Paul looked down and their shared glance communicated the exact same thing. They walked off together, leaving her father to bask in their embarrassment, alone.
"See?" Paul asked. "This is the kind of stuff we open ourselves up to by making out like that on television."
"I plan to open up something else entirely." She left him where he stood, blinking after her in confusion.
Paul shook his head and gave up trying to figure it out. He jogged to catch up to her and caught her by the elbow. "What does that mean? Open what?"
Oh, her legs. She was already pretty turned on from the moment her lips touched his. It was a sad, wonderful shame that a few seconds of kissing could do this to her. But seeing as every single kiss of theirs was filled with passion and love, it was bound to happen more often than not.
Perhaps she could have postponed her desires until they reached the hotel, at least. But when Paul was being unfairly blamed for the scene in the ring, he was willing and eager to take the fall for her. He'd defended her - and in some ways their relationship, even against his own boss. Though the whole thing turned out to be a really dumb prank, the fact that Paul really had stood up for them spoke volumes. In some ways, he'd been doing exactly that ever since their romance began. She loved that time hadn't changed his instinct to protect her in any way possible.
Who the fuck was she kidding? She just loved everything about the man, period.
Stephanie flashed her husband a dopey smile and grabbed his hand in hers. "You'll see," was all she revealed before she started pulling him along down the hallway.
This wasn't a particularly heavy piece. Nor did I want it to end in smut (YFM reflection sensual smut...along with crazy upcoming Brink smut have drained that part of my writing abilities lol). Plus, I figured that any other authors who wrote on the last few weeks of Raw would immediately default to smut instead of fleshing out the great story potential. However, I thought it appropriate to imply that some loving happened after the scene, hence the ending lol.
Let me know what y'all think! And remember that for this fic, if you remind me of any scene I will do my best to write about it from either the Hunter/Steph or Paul/Steph perspective, regardless of which MHE incarnation it's from.
