BARON might have been able to fool everyone else around him, but Audrey was able to see the truth behind those brown eyes. The possibility of a shot at the NXT title within his grasp, the challenge of Adrian Neville looming over him, Baron Corbin was nervous.
He'd been withdrawn in the past few days, spending most of his time out on his bike or at the gym, which is where Audrey found him that Monday evening. She hoped the lure of dinner would get him out of his head space, at least for a couple of hours, and help him relax. It was the first time in recent memory that she'd seen the gym so desolate, the only sounds in the room were the muffled smacks of Baron's fists hitting the punching bag. His headphones were in, making him oblivious to the world around him, including her. Audrey sat on a weight bench not far away, waiting for him to finish. She'd forgotten about his boxing skills until then, watching the way he he swung and jabbed at the bag, not knowing the technical terms, but knowing he looked good doing it.
He'd been there for hours; hoping exhausting his body would exhaust his mind as well, but the thoughts still swirled around. Baron spotted something in the dimly lit room, realizing he wasn't alone. He knew that giggle anywhere, Audrey knowing she'd been caught, Baron straddling the other side of the bench, sitting across from her.
"How long have you been here?"
"Few minutes. Figured you'd be here." Baron dipped his head, not wanting her to see his face as he admitted the truth.
"I'm scared. What if I can't beat Neville?"
"But you can."
"But what if I can't, Audrey? What happens then? There goes my title shot. There goes my streak. There goes me being relevant." Audrey reached up, placing her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look at her.
"You are so much more than your streak, Baron. Who was it that told me they wished I saw myself the way they saw me? Well, I'll tell you what I see. The only person that's gonna beat you is you. Adrian is good. He's great, even. But he's not invincible. He lost to Sami. Twice. The only thing that can stop you from doing the same is you, and thoughts like that."
Baron laid his hands on her knees, leaning over to kiss her forehead.
"Where did you learn to be so smart?"
"I'll tell you over dinner. Come on. Pep talks make me hungry."
XxX
For the first time since her first days with the company, Audrey found herself with the night off. It felt a little weird walking around the backstage area, the halls in chaos while everyone around her scrambled to get ready for the show. She thought about going to see Baron, not having spoken to him since their dinner Monday night, but she changed her mind quickly, heading towards catering instead, not wanting to be a distraction. The room was quiet, Audrey finding a table in the corner to eat her burger and check her email in peace; at least she thought until she heard Corey's voice.
"Don't you look like a little intern." he joked, Audrey realizing she was still in jeans and a NXT shirt. She rolled her eyes, looking up to find not only him, but the rest of the commentary team coming in the room. He plopped down beside her, his smug look turning annoyed as Alex Riley sat on her other side, a little too close for his liking. Thinking back, she finally remembered where she'd seen that look before, not minding so much this time. Riley was far from another Ambrose. He was sweet, he was kind, and he was really attractive, especially since he started growing his hair out of that ridiculous crew cut he used to have the last time he wrestled. Alex Riley was a great guy, but Audrey knew someone else had already stolen her heart.
"I meant to tell you last week, you were really great out there, Audrey."
"I was out there less than five minutes, but thanks."
"Maybe one day you could be like Renee. When she first started, she would call the Women's division matches with us." She'd never thought about it before, moving from backstage to the commentary desk, but then again, she never thought about being a backstage reporter in the first place. Still, the thought nagged at her, she didn't want to be "like Renee". It had been a phrase that had dogged her since her very first day. Renee had been a sports reporter before signing on with WWE, moving her way up the ranks, now doing commentary for Superstars, and the top backstage reporter for RAW and Smackdown. She didn't have anything against the blonde, but just like everything else she did, Audrey was determined to carve her own path. They didn't stay long, the show was about to start, Audrey hurrying back to her room to watch.
She felt more nervous than he looked, making his signature entrance to the ring, Neville never taking his eyes off Baron. Honestly, she felt a little bad rooting against someone like Adrian, who'd never been even cross with her before, but he'd had his opportunity, becoming the longest reigning NXT champion before losing to Sami Zayn, and losing his rematch as well. Baron's moment had come, and he deserved this win.
The bell rang, and even in those first few seconds, it was easy to tell that this was going to be an interesting match. There was Adrian with his speed and agility, but there was Baron with his power and strength, barreling right back at him. Audrey thought she might bite her fingernails down to the quick, Neville able to knock Baron off his feet before rolling to the apron, ready to jump to the top rope, possibly to set up for the Red Arrow. Baron countered though, using some of the last bits of strength he had to clothesline Neville, knocking them both out of the ring in the process.
Both men were down at the end of the ramp, blinking away the stars that were no doubt in front of their eyes. The referee leaned through the ropes, beginning his count. Adrian made it in by the count of four, Baron barely sitting up. By six, he was standing, wobbling towards the ring at seven.
The number eight never seemed so daunting as it did now, Audrey forgetting how to breathe, Baron's arms under the bottom rope. He was going to make it back in, everything was going to be okay.
"OH MY GOD. WHAT IS HE-?! BULL DEMPSEY? BULL THROWING BARON INTO THE RING POST! THE REF NEVER SAW IT, AND CALLS FOR THE BELL! DEMPSEY JUST COST CORBIN THE MATCH! BARON CORBIN HAS BEEN COUNTED OUT!" Corey shouted into his mic, and Audrey felt her stomach sink. Baron's fears had come true. He'd failed. He didn't beat Neville. The medics ran out to check on him while Adrian slid out of the ring and up the ramp. He wasn't about to celebrate a tainted win, but he wasn't about to protest it, either.
XxX
She paced her room for what seemed like hours, trying to work out the right thing to say while she waited for Baron to get released from the trainers. Everything that came to mind made her sound like a cheesy greeting card, no way something like sorry was going to work out. People stared at her as she walked to his room, making her feel like a death row inmate headed towards the chamber.
"Don't." Bayley stopped her in the hallway, holding Audrey by the shoulders.
"Don't what?"
"I know where you're going. I know your intentions are good, but he's really angry. Throwing things, cursing, shouting."
"He was screwed over. The man has a right to be angry." Audrey replied, trying to sidestep Bayley, but she held her firmly in place.
"He might hurt you. And he wouldn't mean it, and it would devastate him." For the first time, Audrey was the one tugging Bayley into a hug, glad to have a friend like her, looking out for the both of them.
"Baron won't hurt me. Trust me. I'll see you later, Bay." Bayley let go reluctantly, not convinced by Audrey's reassuring wink. Truth be told, Audrey didn't know who she was trying to reassure more.
Her knock was drowned out by the sound of what she later figured out was one of his boots being thrown against the wall, so Audrey peeked inside, her heart crushed at the sight in front of her. Halfway dressed, in just his jeans, Baron sat defeated on a bench, head in his hands.
"Go away." he growled, but Audrey didn't listen, instead, stepping into the room further, shutting the door behind her.
"I said go the fuck away! Leave me the hell alone!" His eyes glowed in anger, barely flickering when he noticed who he was yelling at. In what was probably the stupidest moment in Audrey's life, she continued to step further, reaching out to run her fingers through Baron's hair. He sighed heavily when her fingers touched his scalp, a sad chuckle leaving his lips.
"So much for me being the only thing that could stop me from beating Neville."
"No one saw Bull coming."
"Yeah. Especially the ref. But what's it matter now. Neville gets to face Balor next week, and I lost." Moving one of his arms, Audrey situated herself in his lap, feeling him pull her close, resting his forehead against hers. Baron was falling apart. In his two years with the company, this was the farthest he'd made it to the top of the mountain, and to have his dreams crushed by a guy like Bull Dempsey out of spite, Audrey was pretty sure nothing she said was ever going to make it okay.
"I still believe in you, Baron. You were cheated out of tonight, but there's gonna be other nights like this. And I'll be there, cheering you on, because even if you don't believe in yourself right now, I believe in you." Taking a leap of faith, Audrey pressed her lips gently against his, hoping actions spoke louder than words. She was about to pull away when his hand found its way to the back of her neck, fingers snaked into her hair, kissing her back. Pulling back, Audrey kissed his cheek before looking back at him, his eyes still glowing, but not with anger anymore.
"Sorry. Totally not good timing." Audrey stammered. Baron just smiled, leaning in for another kiss.
"Totally perfect timing, beautiful." he whispered, pecking her lips once more. His title shot may have been taken from him, but he'd gotten something else he'd been wanting for a long time, something that meant a lot more to him than some belt. He'd deal with Bull and Adrian Neville later, but right then, his focus was on the brunette who's hand he was holding, walking out of Full Sail that evening, and getting another kiss.