Author's note: Thank you UntilNeverDawns. Yup, I'm the worst kind of tease. I'm afraid I've got some bad news: I've actually pulled the same stunt twice in one day.
"Do ye know yer schedule fer the next couple a weeks?" he asked calmly and she nodded. "Gimme yer mobile." She complied and he typed something into the touchscreen before he held it out to her again. "I need ye te confirm this with yer password... I'm downloadin' an app fer ye." He nudged the phone in her direction once. She quickly took it from him and typed in her password. "There," she handed it back.
"What are you doing?" she asked curiously. He was holding his phone in his right hand and hers in the left, looking back and forth between both devices as he used them alternately.
"Synchronizin' our schedules," he told her before he handed her back her phone. "The green stuff are me appointments." True to his words, her electronic agenda was now littered with green fields. "Raw tapings, Smackdown, PR..." her eyes quickly flitted over the screen. He was a very well organized, busy man.
"Now ye type in yer stuff," he told her and she nodded and pulled her actual real life paper agenda from her handbag on the floor. It was a pink book, covered in stickers from all kinds of places. He smiled. It was typically her. "Got any beer?"
"Yeah, fridge," she replied distractedly, already typing away on her phone. With that he was off. Once inside the kitchen, he quickly found what he was looking for. He got a second bottle as well while he was at it. "Bottle opener?" he called out.
"Second drawer on the right!"
Several seconds later he strolled back into the living room, sipping on his beer and holding the other bottle out to her. She accepted it with a demure smile and placed her phone on the coffee table. "Done!" she said.
"Let's have a look then," he said, picking up his own phone again. A look on the display confirmed she had filled in her complete schedule for the next two months, which now also showed on his mobile. He held the phone closer to his face and frowned. It looked like they both had three free weekends together and they'd both be in the L.A. area at the beginning of October. "Doesn't look that bad," he commented eventually. "Actually this looks feasible. What do ye think?"
Actually he'd been wondering that for the last half an hour. She let out a long drawn sigh and massaged her temples. "Yes... uhm-mh."
"So what is it? Ye can see that our schedules are compatible. Now it's up te the both of us…" He narrowed his eyes and put down his phone on the coffee table. "That is, if that's what ye want. If that isn't the case, jus' let me know an' I'll be out of yer hair real quick."
His last couple of words made her look at him, really look at him for a change and for the first time tonight she touched him deliberately and not just on a whim or accidentally. "No! Please..." Her hand was resting on his forearm. She had scooted closer to him on the couch. Her fingertips were digging into the soft material of his shirt, underneath them, somewhere remotely she felt his body warmth. Her fingers moved again as if she wanted to adjust her touch. Their eyes connected and for a brief moment he saw the urgency of what she couldn't express with words in her eyes.
"What am I supposed te do with ye, luv?" he asked helplessly, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. He felt her arms snake around his torso as well, one went around his back, and the other came to rest on his chest. She buried her nose in his shirt. He felt her hot exhales against the thin fabric and the rise and fall of her shoulders. He closed the distance between them and pressed a kiss to her temple.
"Just don't let go of me," she said and her voice was soft.
"Now why would I do that? I've only jus' found ye again," he said.
She shrugged. "I don't know..."
"That's right. Ye don't know how much I tried te get in touch. How much I've thought of ye since I left…" He combed her hair aside and looked down at her. "Have ye at least missed me a little, too?"
She let out a little huff. Her bottom lip trembled for just a second and her eyes turned watery, but she wouldn't allow herself to cry. She screwed her eyes shut for a moment, a look of concentration on her features.
"I take that as a yes then. I'm sorry, luv."
"Oh, shut up," she said softly while her voice was vibrating with suppressed emotions apparent in every word she uttered. Without her added sass she was soft and vulnerable and strangely that made him feel protective of her, as if her behavior had triggered an age-old male instinct. He wrapped his arms a little more tightly around her. Her response was a sigh.
"Yer cute," he said with a smile on his face and stroked her hair, running his fingers through it, his milk white skin setting off dramatically against the fading pink. For a moment he allowed himself to marvel over the softness of her hair and how he seemed to be able to run his fingers through it so smoothly. Then her face was hovering in front of his.
"I'm not cute," she told him wrinkling her nose in distaste, only confirming further what he had just said. His fingertips brushed over her cheek and disappeared in her hair. Their faces were moving closer. He smiled when he pressed his mouth against hers. Her lips left fleeting, soft caresses in their wake that made him hum in quiet approval. After a while, but still all too soon, she pulled back and rested her forehead against his.
"This is ridiculous," she proclaimed after a few moments had passed in silence. That particular declaration was made with a certain amount of incredulousness rather than reproach, so he wasn't offended. Actually there was a mirthful sparkle in his eyes when they met hers. Luckily, unlike earlier, her gaze didn't hold that dull, dejected look anymore. There was something like a spark again. A spark he definitely wished to rekindle further.
"What is?" he asked.
"It's ridiculous... how much I'm into you," she murmured while she was running her fingers through his beard. She frowned. "Have you been growing your beard out?" He smiled and she instantly felt butterflies in her stomach.
"Ye like it?"
"Not exactly. Looks sort of fuzzy and unkempt."
"Hey!" he laughed. "Watch yer mouth, girlie. Yer not back in me good graces yet."
"Oh, I bet I already am," she grinned smugly. "And threats, Steve? Really? You should know better. They don't work on me. You should definitely consider shaving though. That beard looks like I could get tangled up in it any minute now. Probably not gonna be the next Gillette spokesperson, huh?"
"Ally…" He actually chuckled at her comment. It was a small smidgeon of normalcy. At least what he had come to define as their normalcy judging by how they had previously interacted with each other. They were back to teasing each other, which was a good sign.
"Steve, you're simply…. Argh!" she said in exasperation, slapping her hands against his pecs lightly. She glared at him instead of clarifying how that sentence was going to end.
"I'm…?" he grinned and laid his hands on top of hers, so they stayed on his chest.
"I don't know," she was looking at him suspiciously, with her eyes narrowed. "How come things always feel so damn right with you, huh?" Her words were subtly laced with frustration and distrust, because fighting her attraction for him meant fighting a losing battle and that frustrated her. Her last question was almost a challenge, a final act of defiance. She looked up at him, her fingers flexing underneath his palms digging a little into the material of his shirt.
"Ye make that sound like it's some kind a crime," he replied.
"It's not," she sighed. "It just confuses me… Wait," she momentarily closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip, "Doesn't confuse me… It's more like it has me worried. Like I can't trust myself around you. Because around you I always say what I'm thinking. It's like you make that filter between my brain and my mouth go away. Poof! Gone! Just like that. It's crazy and a little disconcerting. Actually more than a little."
"Why'd ye think it's disconcertin'?"
"Because it feels like I've known you for ages and I can tell you anything, but in really we've only met like what? 4 times? It's not supposed to be like that. I don't even know if I can trust you. I don't even know you…" He narrowed his eyes. "Well, I know you a little," she amended, "but a little is not enough. Doesn't fit with the feelings I have. They are not little."
"Ally," he smiled at her good-naturedly and shook his head.
"What?"
"Yer really cute tryin' te come up with yer own definition fer heart over head here," he told her gently and pinched her cheek a little. It caused her to make a face, which only lasted for roughly two seconds before she swatted his hand away and smiled.
"Shut up," she told him. In her voice he could hear she was disgruntled, but also amused.
"I tend te not do that on me own."
"So you need help with that, huh?" she asked him, poking her index finger into his chest. It didn't give too much, because it wasn't all that soft. Damn that little cheat for being all muscular and stuff. He nodded, unaware of her thoughts.
"I don't have anything to use as a makeshift gag, I'm afraid. Maybe some Band-aids would do the trick, but I guess your mouth is way too big for that…"
She let out a little adorable squeal when he pulled her close and pressed his mouth to hers in a silencing kiss. His lips slanted over hers slowly but surely, as his tongue slid past her lips and made her fingers fist in the front of his shirt. She was out of breath when she pulled back and looking at him with a mixture of reproach and amusement. At any rate that particular facial expression spurred him on. There was a suspicious little twinkle in his eyes.
She caught it and immediately decided to investigate. "OK, spill! What are you up to know?" she asked him.
"Oh, ye know. Nothin' too bad really. But it would help if ye could take this off," his fingers moved to the zipper of her hoodie that was demurely pulled up all the way to her neck and she made a face.
"You don't want to do that..."
"Naw. Actually I do want te." His hands were already fingering the neckline of her sweater.
"No, really... Steve!" she gently slapped his rather insistent hands away, laughing softly. "You don't want to unzip this sweater. I'm stinky and gross. They had me do a master class with them and then I had to perform six of my own choreos. And by the end of that I was sweating like a pig and I haven't had the chance to shower yet."
"I don't mind. Ye still smell nice." He actually pressed his nose into her sweater and inhaled, which made her squeal and giggle and jump up from the couch. "Ewww you're such a total maniac! And you're gross!" suddenly the smile on her face disappeared and was replaced by a pained expression. "Ouch!"
"Ouch?" he frowned in concern.
"My knees hurt," she told him, bending at the middle and rubbing her knee caps. "Maybe I exaggerated a little this afternoon. I guess that's what you get when you try to impress people by jumping around like crazy."
"So ye shouldn't be walkin'," he concluded and approached her.
"Huh? What?"
Before she could even formulate a proper question in her head, he had swept her up in his arms bridal style.
"You really think that's a good idea? Last time we did that you knocked my head into a doorframe," she told him, eyebrows arched sceptically. "Not sure this brain can suffer any more damage. I'm already loony bin material with the way things are..."
"Come on, have a little trust, will ye. I was jus' gonna carry ye over te the bathroom an' run ye a nice, hot bath, darlin'."
"Any chance you'll be getting into that tub with me?" she asked him innocently as she ran her index finger over the topmost button of his shirt and leaned her head against his chest, shooting him a coy look from under her lashes.
"Depends," he winked at her. "Is there enough room for ye an' me an' a bit a water?"
"Hmmmmm, I don't know…"
"What's that supposed te mean?"
He started walking, this time being extra careful where he went. Every time they would come near a doorframe he'll eye it suspiciously and tread a little more carefully.
"You've been in my bathroom before. I'm surprised you don't remember the tub."
"I wasn't payin' a lot of attention te the tub last time."
"True," she smiled fondly at that particular memory. Her smile faded when they came to stand in front of the aforementioned tub, which was rather small and seemed just big enough for her.
"Well, will ye look at that? It's a miniature tub. What do ye bathe in here? Yer pinkie or somethin'? I could probably dip me little toe in it, but that would be 'bout it," he joked.
"You're exaggerating."
"I'm Irish. Comes with the genes…" he smirked.
"Yeah, sure. Now shut up and lemme down," she told him softly and he complied, wearing something close to a pout on his face. Apparently the idea of getting into the tub with her had appealed to him, which was kind of cute really. Actually it had appealed to her as well.
"So you really wanted to get in there with me…" she said pensively.
"Yeah, but that doesn't matter now, does it?"
"Well, actually it does. Have I ever mentioned how I have a rather big hot tub out back?" she grinned at him slyly.
"Ye have a hot tub out back?" he repeated with a surprised, but delighted expression on his face.
"That's what I said, wasn't it?" she winked at him. "So how about you get it working while I take a quick shower and then I join you?"
"All right," he conceded easily and was off after he had pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
Ally spent the time she showered contemplating what to do next. She hadn't seen Steve in over two weeks. Their relationship was still very new and tentative. There were still in the process of figuring out if and how things would work out between them, yet the both of them were too tenacious and stubborn to let go of each other. There was more they needed to figure out, more they needed to talk about, so instead of doing something aggressive like going out there naked, she decided to pop back into her bedroom and put on a bikini and a robe before she walked out to the tub.
She pushed the glass door open that divided the house from the back porch and found Steve bent over the tub inside which the warm water was already bubbling. Warm mist was cascading down from the edges of the tub. There a soft rushing noise when he ran his fingers through the water. His features were bathed in a bluish light from the tub. He was standing with his back to her, still completely dressed, though his sleeves were rolled further up now, probably in order to not get them wet.
Something must have given her away, perhaps the noise of the sliding door or the soft plodding of her bare feet on the wooden boards of the porch, at any rate he turned around now and saw her standing there in her robe.
He leaned back against the tub, his arms crossed over his chest. "What ye wearin' there?"
She looked down at herself with a grin. "You don't know what this is? Don't they have these over in Oirland?" She mockingly tugged at the material of her robe for second there. "It's called a robe, you know. People wear it to cover up."
"Oh, really? What a practical invention," he grinned and grabbed the two ends of the terry cloth belt with which she had tied the robe closed to pull her slowly towards him. "An' what would ye be tryin' te cover up, huh?" With a cheeky grin he slowly untied the belt and uncovered her body. She was still a little wet from the shower, so she sucked in a breath when the cool night air hit her naked skin, well, the part of it that wasn't covered by a bikini.
His eyes racked over her figure and took in her halter bikini top that was covered in grey and pink stripes and decorated with tiny cartoon skulls on the left breast. His eyes lit up and his face assumed a mischievous look. "Gorgeous," he grinned as he gently pulled the robe from her shoulders. He put it on one of the chairs out on the porch. She didn't wait what he would do next and simply climbed into the tub. It was too cold to be standing around guessing somebody's next move. It was already October after all.
She let out a content groan as she lowered herself into the warm water. Her knees were acting up again and she could feel some of the pain lessening immediately thanks to the warmth. Her head instinctively fell back over the edge and she closed her eyes for a moment.
"So am I supposed te stand there an' watch ye or do ye actually want me te get in there with ye?" his voice made her open her eyes again and look at him. He was still fully dressed, standing in front of the tub, his hands in his pockets.
"The original idea was for you to get in. But if you get your kicks out of watching women soak in hot tubs…"
"Only if they're naked. But maybe ye get yer kicks out watchin' poor Irish fellas suffer because of the cricks in their necks they got from sleepin' on yer doorstep," he shot back, actually wincing as he rubbed his neck to make a point.
She moved across the tub so she was closer to him, her forearms now on the edge and her chin propped up on them. Instinctively he moved closer. Her hands pulled him to her and she pressed a couple of soft kisses to his lips. The sound of their mouths caressing each other mingled with the rushing and gurgling of the water for a while. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get in then…" she finally said.
He nodded and sat down on the chair with her robe to take of his shoes and socks. She smiled as she saw his feet. His toes were kind of cute, all straight and very white like the rest of his skin. But then her eyes focused on his hands that slowly undid the buttons of his shirt and tugged it out of his trousers. She was unconsciously biting her bottom lip as she watched him unbutton his fly and slide out of his jeans. He left his black boxer briefs on. With a nudge of his eyes he told her to move aside as he climbed into the tub. He slowly lowered himself into the water next to her and just like her before let out a content sigh.
"Aaaaah, that's more like it!"
Sitting next to each other like that could have turned into something awkward, but thanks to the grin he flashed her, it didn't. There was something about him that just made her feel at ease instantly. Passing time with him was comfortable and uncomplicated, because with him she didn't have to work hard to keep the conversation going or to get from one moment to the next without feeling embarrassed.
It was okay to sit next to him with a quiet smile on her lips. It was okay to giggle softly when he looked at her. So in conclusion she also thought it would be okay if she gently pushed him a little forward so she could slip behind him. He refused to lean back into her at first, protesting that he would smother her, but she wouldn't have any of it and just pulled him back gently against her chest inch by inch until he was comfortably settled against it. Almost automatically he sank a little further down and her arms wrapped around his shoulders. Their voices were lower now when they spoke, just loud enough to be heard over the bubbling of the water.
"Jaysus, I didn't know what I've been missin' all along. This is jus' too good," he spoke as her hands gently smoothed along his shoulders and over his arms.
"Gets better," she whispered in his ear. True to her words, her thumbs started massaging his shoulders. His muscles were tense underneath her touch and he let out an approving groan when she applied a little more pressure. His head slightly lolled forward and he made a humming noise.
Her legs were left and right of his thighs and underneath the water his hands held onto them, squeezing them softly each time she massaged away one of his tense spots. "Keep this up an' I'll have te bring ye along on tour. Ye an' yer tub…" he murmured languidly.
"Promises, promises," she whispered in his ear and continued kneading his shoulders.
"A little harder," he groaned, when she traced down one particular tense spot and hesitated to apply more pressure because she was afraid she'd hurt him.
"Yeah, right there. That's it…"
"That good? Do I have to get you a cigarette for after?"
His responding groan made her suck in a breath and bite her bottom lip. His hands squeezed her knees again and traced up over her thighs. Now it was her turn to make an appreciative humming noise.
He noticed. "That feel good?"
"Yeah," she replied softly. She had taken to tracing her hands softly over his shoulders now. She had almost no strength in her fingers left after giving him a ten-minute backrub. But she didn't have to. Apparently it was her turn now. He was rubbing her knees gently under water and eventually tugged them up so he could work on her calves as well. It felt good. Like he knew what he was doing.
"Where'd you learn that?" she asked softly. Her eyes were closed now and her head tilted back. She was enjoying the moment.
"I'm a professional athlete…" he replied simply as if that was explanation enough.
"And a masseuse?" she teased him.
He laughed softly. "I wanted te spare ye the decidedly unattractive part where I talk about me joints gettin' achy once a month an' I need te treat meself te a massage te function properly again."
She opened her eyes again, taking a minute to process the information she had just received. Ever since she had made his acquaintance she had become strangely fascinated with his world. It had started out quite harmlessly with reading the entry about wrestling on Wikipedia and ended with her watching The Wrestler and crying on her couch. Was he anything like that character in the movie? The adrenaline junkie that couldn't live without being beaten up in the ring and experiencing the thrill of a live audience? She was hell-bent to find out.
"What is your job like?" she asked.
"Where'd that question come from suddenly…"
"Just answer, ok?" she said giving him a slight nudge.
"The best an' the werst," he replied, which was far too enigmatic for her taste.
"What about is so good?" she asked.
"The places I get te see. The people I get te meet. The adrenaline. The crowd. The good things ye get te do fer other people…"
"And what's the stuff that bothers you?"
"I don't know…" he looked unsure, like he wasn't able to properly put his thoughts into words. "Sometimes it feels empty, ye know." He shrugged.
The tone of his voice was so different now – so very serious. It made her want to look him in the face, so without paying mind to stupid things like being graceful and seductive she swiftly climbed out from behind him and positioned herself in front of him. "Empty?" her hand was on his cheek now. He was looking down on the water surface that was tumultuous and constantly moving and made everything underneath look hazy.
Her thumb stroked over his cheekbone. It was strange. There he was a big muscular, mountain of a man, but now he looked so very forlorn, lonely and lost. In this very moment she just wanted to hug him. Also she felt worried for him. The range of emotions he invoked in her was disconcerting, yet at the same time she was enthralled by that experience.
He blew out a breath and slowly raised his eyes to hers. "I'm not sure I should tell ye..."
"Bottling it up is not a good idea," she told him softly. She ran her hands along his shoulders. They were firm and smooth underneath her palms and slick from the water. Tracing her palms over them was the equivalent of sending them on a miniature rollercoaster ride along the ascent and decline of his muscles. "Also, I think you wouldn't have brought it up if somewhere deep down you didn't want to talk about it..."
"Careful what ye wish fer. It's decidedly not first date material, not even second or third…"
"Like we ever cared about that," she smiled at him good-naturedly. He struggled to reciprocate that smile. His quickly disappeared again and a left a more serious expression on his face.
"Is it scary?" she felt compelled to ask because of that.
"It's not that scary. Plain normal actually. But I guess plain normal is scary nowadays. I jus'… hell, I jus' want fer someone te be there. Maybe start a family someday. Jaysus, luv," he chuckled a bit out of embarrassement and ran his hands over his face, "ye shouldn't a have me talkin' about that. I'm sorry. Yer probably already tinkin' about ways te get me out of yer hair, 'cause this talk has gotten way too personal too soon."
He looked at her questioningly and his eyes seemed to implore her to say something. As she got lost in his blue eyes, she was beginning to suspect that he was much different than he appeared at first glance. Instead of scaring her, it intrigued her. He was an agglomeration of dichotomies, he was contrasts and contradictions blending together and she liked it, perhaps more than liked it. He was strong and soft and funny and melancholic and probably so many other things she had yet to find out about him. And she wanted to. She was downright curious for him, because he had struck a cord inside her that had been ringing ever since she first laid eyes on him. Like a vibrating guitar string that just wouldn't fade out.
Instead of answering him verbally she surged forward with determination and kissed him, knowing that she'd seal her fate with that kiss because it wasn't just a kiss. It was a conscious decision to take this on, to jump on the ride and see where things with him would lead.
Her lips pressed against his and she could feel the soft, fuzzy hair of his beard against her chin. His arms wound around her midriff and he pulled her firmly into him, which made her sigh against his lips and also smile. He didn't deepen the kiss it was just one firm press of mouth against mouth, but still it meant something.
She slowly pulled back studying his face as his hands slowly brushed the wet tendrils of her hair out of her face that struck to her cheek and forehead. Automatically she slightly tipped back her head and felt his nose touch her throat and then his lips kiss it softly, almost reverently. Something melted within her and when she lowered her head again to look at him, she was filled with affection to the point of almost bursting with it. The feeling was so ridiculously intense it made her laugh. "Aaargh!" she grabbed his face between her already pruning palms. "Just what the hell am I supposed to do with you, huh?! You keep looking at me like this I'll have to adopt you like a little stray Irish puppy because you're so goddamn cute."
"So, what? Do I all of a sudden invoke some kind of motherly feelings in ye? That it?" he regarding her through narrowed eyes, his chin raised, because in order to meet her gaze he had to look up, she was now straddling his lap, without lowering her hips to his. Her wet body had broken the surface of the water and tiny rivulets were running down its curves while her warmed up skin steamed in the cold night air.
"Motherly feelings?" she chuckled and threw back her head. "That would be gross. Mothers are not supposed to feel like that towards there sons…"
"Feel like what?"
"Hmmm... I don't know. All warm and fuzzy and like I want to have sex with you in a hot tub."
Feel free to vent your frustration. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Now hit the review button and let me know what an awful human being I am.
nattiebroskette: Thank you. You're such a luv for leaving all those reviews. I really, really do appreciate it.
shellylu21: I'll try to keep those updates coming every week. Also I'm currently writing more, because I have trouble letting go. As always. This was supposed to be short and sweet, but I already have Sheamus withdrawal symptoms.
Hey, you, guest reviewers. You're awesome. Apparently I already know some of you, which is cool. Welcome back. I would thank you personally, but since you weren't logged in that's kind of difficult. I agree Cesaro is pretty fantastic. How come there is so little fic about him?
