It's all about the GAME and how you play it! The rebel in the leather jacket. I miss that guy.
This is a first time for me. I usually just read, because I love this site, and there are such talented writers here, so I decided, after years of reading, to write one and see if I can do it.
I know it's probably not the best time for Triple H stories, with the current storyline and all, but I can't help it, I love him, no matter what he wears or how he acts.
I guess I'm supposed to say that I do NOT own Triple H's character, so I don't own any wrestling character.
Special thanks to DrunkOnJerichohol.
Rated M, for language and future sexual content.
- SLASH -
Chapter 7
As I turned the key to my apartment door, I couldn't help but smile to myself. Something was different; something inside me shifted. I wasn't miserable, and I wasn't sad to walk into an empty apartment anymore. I was back in the real world, with my dog, alone with my thoughts, but there was no pain.
I was back in my apartment again and everything was just as I left it. My whiskey bottle and my cigarette pack were laid on the table outside on the porch. As I pushed play, Metallica was playing Nothing Else Matters. Everything was the same, but I was different.
It felt like I was alive again, not a shadow of the guy I once was. I believe the right word to describe the feeling in my heart was hope. A wind of sweet hope was washing away all the bad thoughts that choked me every time I walked into a dark and empty apartment. It was him; it was the work of one man.
My life as I knew it was changed. At that time, I didn't even realize it was just the beginning of a much greater change I would have to face. I met him. He was always 'him' to me, he was always Triple H. Now, he was so much more than just a WWE superstar, much more than just my hero. He had a face now, a name, a real character.
He was Paul now, a father and a husband. He was kind and generous, funny and easygoing. Not the crazy cerebral assassin, not The Game, not a king. He was just a man, with a family and an office job, who treated me like an equal —not like a crazy fan who had all his shirts, but a guy he let into his life and his house.
It felt good thinking about him. It felt even better to know that I was going to see him again next week at the Staples Center, at the biggest event of the summer. As I put my head on the pillow, I imagined the King of Kings giving the beast, Lesnar, a pedigree in the middle of the ring.
The phone rang and I opened my eyes to see 5 AM on the alarm clock. I reached for my phone to see who is crazy enough to call so early and smiled, as I read the name 'Paul Levesque' on the screen and answered.
"Good morning, kid. Did I wake you?"
"Is there any reason why I should be up at 5 AM?"
"5? Oh my God, I'm sorry, kid. I completely forgot about the time difference…"
"It's fine, I'm up. What's up?"
"Just calling to say hi." I heard paper noises in the background.
"Hi," I smiled, "early start at the office?"
"Yeah, listen, I wanted to ask you, are you coming for the weekend or just to the show on Sunday?"
"Will I get the full fan experience, if I come for the weekend?"
"What does that mean?"
"Will you sign my Triple H shirt, if I come for the weekend?"
"I'll sign your face with my fist, how does that sound?"
"Hey, that's not a way to treat a fan."
"Fan, my ass. Could you be serious for a minute and stop being annoying?"
"No autograph then…?"
"You went to so much trouble making a believer out of me and you keep acting like a kid."
"Because I asked you to sign a shirt I got as a gift from someone really special?"
"Ha ha, sucking up won't help here, kid."
"Fine. So tell me, what's the difference if I come for the weekend or just to the show on Sunday?"
"You're making me regret I called."
"Sorry, I haven't decided yet. I'm not a big LA fan."
"So…Sunday?" he asked and sighed.
"Yeah, I think so…"
"Okay, cool, so call me when you get to LA. I'll arrange a backstage pass for you," he said quickly.
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
"It's nothing. I'll see you next week."
After he hung up, I looked at the phone, trying to grasp the fact that he just called me. He asked for my phone number when he dropped me off at the hotel, after that dinner at his house, and gave me his number. I guess I didn't really expect him to call me. I guess I thought he'd forget about Summerslam.
As I was making coffee, I thought about the way he sounded on the phone. He had the same voice, but something was weird. It felt like he called for more than just asking when I plan on coming to LA. I didn't put too much thought into it, though. After all, just to see his name on my iPhone was amazing. It's all I cared about.
I was getting ready to take Hunter for a walk when my phone rang again. The number on the screen didn't look familiar, but the voice on the other end was.
"Good morning, Joe," she said formally.
"Hi," I said, "good morning."
"I hope I'm not calling too early. I didn't wake you, did I?"
"No, you didn't, but your husband did, about two hours ago…"
"He forgot the time difference, didn't he?" I could sense she was smiling.
"That's what he said, but I think he just wanted to annoy me."
"I doubt it. He doesn't think about these things. So anyway, I didn't want you to think that the offer for Summerslam wasn't serious, and I'm calling to make sure you're still coming."
"I'm coming, thank you. Again, I appreciate this."
"It's nothing. Paul really likes you, and you're going into business with us, so it's only natural we'll host you at one of our shows."
"Thanks."
"Not much of a phone person, are you?" She sounded less serious now.
"I'm sorry, it's really all still very surreal to me."
"That's so sweet. Even after the business meeting and the deal, you are a fan."
"Paul doesn't think it's sweet. I asked if he would sign my shirt when I come to LA, and he said he'll sign my face with his fist."
She started laughing, "That sounds like Paul, alright. He's always been so humble about his fans. I guess it embarrasses him sometimes."
"I know. I was just messing with him."
"So, do you know when you'll be in LA? Do you want me to arrange a room for you at the hotel we're staying in?"
"That's too much, I can find a hotel. Thank you for the offer, though."
"I don't mind. It would be nice if you were close. You can spend time with us. Paul would love it and my girls would love it too, I'm sure. Murphy hasn't stopped asking about you. I think she will love to see you again."
"She is a sweet girl, and you were all very nice to me. I really can't thank you enough."
"It was our pleasure. We loved having you over, so I'm going to book a room for you at the same hotel we're staying in. Are you coming for the entire weekend?"
"I don't know, it's not like I have plans. I don't even like LA, and I don't know what I'll do there all weekend."
"What do you mean? You'll be with Paul, we talked about it yesterday. Didn't he ask you to accompany him during the weekend? He said you'll probably enjoy it."
"He didn't say anything about it."
"Well, there you have it. He probably felt bad about waking you up."
"I guess…"
"Anyway, my silly husband said he would love to have you around. You can watch the wrestlers train, and you can be with him when he signs autographs."
"He didn't mention any of that."
"He also said it will give you guys a chance to talk more about the project he was working on, to prepare you for the next meeting."
"Okay…"
"He'll probably call you later and talk to you about it."
"I'm sure he will."
"So, I'm booking you from Thursday night or Friday?"
"I think I can make it on Thursday. Can I call you back later today with a final answer?"
"I'll book you from Thursday, just to be safe. I'll send you a text with the details."
"Thank you, Stephanie. I appreciate this."
"You're welcome. I'll see you on the weekend."
After she hung up, one thing was clear: she wasn't the bitch-slapping Billion Dollar Princess. Everything about her was so different than I thought. She didn't act like a spoiled rich girl. She was down-to-earth and so pleasant.
Paul didn't call later. I thought about calling him, but I was really busy and never got around to it. It was nice to hear Stephanie talk about all the plans they had for me, but it was weird that he didn't say anything. I made a note to myself to call him the next day and tell him I will see him on Thursday. Emily was very excited for me and immediately called her kids to let them know Hunter is staying with them again during the weekend.
When I got home later that evening, I ordered some food and prepared for poker night with my friends. Monday nights were always poker and Raw. As I was getting ready for my friends, a text message came in.
'Hey, kid, are you busy?'
I smiled and texted right back 'no'.
'Can you talk?'
'Are you afraid to call? It's not 5 AM now.'
The phone rang and I answered.
"So, I understand my wife spoke with you today," he said, in a stiff voice.
"Hi, hello, how are you, Joe? How was your day, Joe? No manners…" I joked, trying to break the ice.
"Hi, smart ass, how was your day?"
"My day was fine, yours?"
"Cut the crap and stop annoying me."
"Someone is a little grumpy."
"So, when I ask you to come for the weekend, you say no, but when Steph asks, you say yes?"
"Um, Paul, green only looks good on you when Shawn is around."
"What?"
"The green monster doesn't suit you."
"Ha ha…I'm not jealous. Is there a reason for me to be?"
"Not one that I can think of."
"So, what made you change your mind?"
"I didn't really change my mind. Your wife said that you had plans to spend time with me and show me around, which you said nothing about."
"I didn't want to badger you right after I woke you up."
"That's what I thought."
"So, is there anything special you would like to do while you're in LA?"
"I would like for Triple H to sign my shirt."
"I swear to God, if you bring this up one more time I'm going to…"
"What?" I interrupted him. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this? It's just one autograph."
"Forget it. Steph said you were coming on Thursday."
"Tell me, what's the big deal?"
"I'm hanging up now. I'll see you whenever you get to LA."
"Stop, Paul, come on. Why are you acting this way?"
"Because you're annoying. I don't remember you being like this a few days ago."
"I'm annoying because I asked you to sign a shirt?"
"Yeah, because you insist on acting like a fan, when I treated you like a friend and a businessman."
"Okay, can't I be all 3?"
"No."
"Okay, okay, I give up. I'll be a good boy."
"You are impossible, you know that?"
"So, do I get to be backstage when you come back, after your match with Brock?"
"I guess."
"Cool."
"Don't start again."
"What?"
"Have you ever seen me wrestle live?"
"Of course I have. I've been to the last five Wrestlemania shows," I said proudly.
"Is that right?" He chuckled.
"Yes."
"Did you like it?"
"I like when you win."
"I can't win all the time, kid."
"I know, but I hate it when you lose."
"The bad guys have to lose every now and then."
"I know, but you always want your guy to win, right?"
"Am I your guy?" he asked and I could feel that he was smiling.
"You always were."
"So, if I ask you to give me your top five wrestlers, I would be in the top?"
"Well, yeah, I guess…"
"You guess?" he started laughing, "Tell me your list; I'd like to hear it."
"Okay, top five: Taker, Flair, Austin, Shawn and you…in that order."
"Are you trying to suck up to me? Flair and Shawn?"
"You asked for my top five."
"I hope that when I show you around and introduce you to people like Flair and Shawn, you're going to act like a businessman and not a crazy fan."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to embarrass you."
"I hope not."
"So, I'll call you when I get to LA."
"Great, I have to go now. Enjoy Raw."
I didn't enjoy Raw, well I did, because Triple H was on, but I hated it when Lesnar broke Shawn's arm.
After watching it, I was certain, Lesnar was going to break Triple H's arm at Summerslam, and I would have to watch my guy lose, again.
Reviews, criticism and suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thank you for reading.
:)