Heat of the moment
"So… where'd you grow up?" Punk asked casually whilst in the middle of dinner with Paige. He didn't feel like the date had those fun or exciting elements like the one he had with AJ. In fact, he was doing his best to not think of AJ the entire time whilst he looked across at her.
"I was born in England but my parents moved me and my brother here when I was five." She said.
"Why move?" Punk asked.
"Just for a better life I guess. I think my dad got offered a good job here. We were pretty unfortunate in England and my mom and dad wanted to good for me and my brother." She said as Punk just nodded, "What about you… where did you grow up?" She asked as he tilted his head, "Shit… you… I knew that." She shook her head with embarrassment.
"Don't be stupid." Punk smiled softly.
"You don't mind talking about it?" Paige asked.
"I don't get uptight about it." Punk shrugged casually.
"Then you don't mind me asking what… what happened to your parents?" She asked as Punk shook his head.
"Car accident." Punk said, "Both of them. I was six months old. Knew nothing about them. As far as I know my dad died instantly and my mom died later on in hospital. I don't really know how they crashed or where they were going." He shrugged.
"That's horrible." Paige frowned, "And you had no other family that could have taken you in?" She asked.
"Well recently I found out my dad was brought up in an orphanage so he had no one… but my mom had two sisters. They didn't want me." He said.
"That's terrible." Paige gasped, "How could they have just left you to go to an orphanage?"
"I think my mom had fallen out with them no doubt. As far as I know my parents were pretty cut off people. Didn't have much people around them." He shrugged, "It doesn't hurt. I never knew them. Hurts to know I'll never know them, but that feeling of loss doesn't hurt me as much as you'd think. All I've known is the orphanage." He said.
"From what AJ has told me… the orphanage wasn't the best place." Paige raised her eyebrows.
"Nah, it wasn't." Punk nodded, "It was dark and dull. The workers used to pick on the kids, punish them, raise a hand to them." He said, "If you didn't stand up to them you'd just become a victim."
"Sounds more like a slave camp." Paige shook her head.
"Well that's what it felt like." Punk said, "But I had friends. It wasn't so bad for me. It was the kids who sat alone that I really felt for."
"Kids like April?" Paige asked quietly.
"She was with us." Punk said as Paige just nodded, wanting to get off this conversation topic now.
"So you box, right?" Paige asked, sipping on her drink.
"Well… not much at the moment. I've just been trying guys." He said.
"Why haven't you been boxing?" Paige asked.
"I'm just taking a break from it. I feel a little burned out." He said.
"You wanna make it to the main stage or is it just a hobby you have?" She asked.
"Well I always wanted to make it to the top. Otherwise why would I be doing it?" He said, "But as of late it just seems like I've not been getting anywhere."
"Maybe it isn't worth it all." Paige shrugged as Punk just nodded, looking across at her as she took another drink. That wasn't what he heard from AJ's lips when he said that to her. She told him never to give up. Find his heart and soul… but it seemed like Paige was telling him just to give it up.
"Do you want a dessert?" Punk asked her.
"I think I'll pass." Paige nodded, "I was thinking maybe we could just go back to mine." She looked across at him as he nodded immediately.
"I'll get the cheque." He said.
"All I'm saying is… a cat isn't a pet. Now… a dog. Now we're talking." Dean said, walking into the club with Seth who just followed behind rolling his eyes.
"Whatever, I'm not giving her away." Seth said, standing up at the bar, looking around and spotting AJ sitting across at a table by herself, "Hey, look." Seth tapped Dean who turned to see what his friend was looking at.
"What?" Dean shrugged.
"Maybe we should go say hi. She looks lonely." Seth said.
"Do we have to?" Dean sighed.
"Yeah. You get the drinks." Seth said, patting Dean on the back and walking over to AJ, "Hey." Seth waved his hand awkwardly, "You ok?"
"Uh… yeah, I'm fine." AJ said, "Are you?" She wondered why Seth was over here.
"I'm fine." Seth said, "Mind if we join you?" He asked.
"No. Not at all." AJ smiled, glad to have gotten some company, watching Seth sit down on the stool across from her.
"Do you normally come in here by yourself?" Seth asked. He thought it was strange. Especially when she didn't drink.
"Sometimes." AJ nodded, "Would you believe me if I said it cleared my head?" She asked.
"Not with an orange juice sitting in front of you." Seth smiled, "Punk isn't here with us tonight… if that's why-"
"That's not why I'm here." AJ said, "I know he's on a date."
"Oh. Shit… yeah, I forgot you knew the girl." Seth said, "Bit bummed out about?" Seth assumed.
"Trying not to be." AJ admitted.
"If it helps… I think Punk still likes you. I mean… he always has." He said as AJ turned to him.
"Always has?" AJ said.
"Well yeah, he always put you before anyone in the orphanage back then. Whenever we had a plan he always wondered where you'd fit into it and if you'd be ok." He said, "Whether he was just being a really nice friend...I seriously doubt it." Seth said as AJ smiled.
"I think I might overreacted and then… lost another chance with him." She admitted, "I don't take a lot of things lightly and maybe I just took what he said the wrong way." AJ shrugged, "But he's with Paige now anyway… doesn't matter." She shrugged like she didn't care.
"Except… it does matter to you, doesn't it?" Seth said, "Seeing someone you like get interested in someone else? Bound to hurt." He said as AJ turned to him, "I've fucked up my fair share of relationships too." He nodded.
"Who hasn't?" AJ said as he laughed a little, looking across at Seth who looked back at her, staring into those big brown, aching eyes. She really was beautiful and he'd never looked at her in this way before.
"Alright." Dean piped up excitedly as he walked over to the table, "Here." He sat down Seth's drink, "And I got you another orange juice. What are you? A nun?" Dean passed the drink over to AJ who smiled.
"Thank you, Dean." AJ smiled gratefully.
They talked for around an hour. AJ enjoyed their company but did start to feel tired and ready to just head to bed, "I better shoot off now." She said.
"I'll walk you home." Seth said immediately as Dean, a little drunk, leered over to the girl smiling to him at the bar.
"Yeah… yeah you go walk her home." Dean nodded.
"It's really ok." AJ stood up, putting her coat on.
"It'd make me feel much better if I walked you home." Seth said as AJ just nodded with a smile.
"Ok. Thank you." She said.
She said goodbye to Dean and they headed off down the street.
"It's freezing out here." She rubbed her palms together as Seth watched her, "But I guess that's Chicago for you." She admitted with a warm smile.
"I prefer the cold to the heat anyway." Seth shrugged, "You sure you're ok?" He asked her. He couldn't help but notice a sadness inside her tonight. Yeah she was smiling and laughing but it seemed like it was painful for her to do so the entire time.
"I just have a lot on my mind." AJ said.
"Punk?" Seth said.
"Not just him." She shook her head, "I'm ok though. Really." She nodded.
"Well you know me and Dean are here for you." Seth said.
"Is that so? You both hated me in the orphanage." She laughed a little.
"We didn't hate you." Seth defended, "We just… didn't know you too well." He said as AJ just smiled, approaching her house.
"Well this is me… thanks for walking me home." AJ smiled, turning to face him.
"It was no problem." Seth nodded, "You shouldn't worry about Punk. He doesn't settle for much. He's had a lot of failed relationships too all because… they feel they aren't much of a priority to him." Seth said.
"I figured." AJ nodded, "It's not him… well it is… I just… Would you go out with someone you knew Dean or Punk liked? Would you sleep with someone that you knew Dean or Punk was still hung up on?" She asked Seth.
"I don't think so." Seth muttered, stepping closer into AJ's smaller frame, "It all depends really."
"Depends on what?" AJ shook her head, looking up at him.
"On how much I want that person." He shrugged as AJ just nodded, looking up at him, watching suddenly as he leaned down, feeling his lips against hers. Her initial reaction was to pull away and ask what in the hell he was doing… but, she didn't want to. He'd been so sweet to her tonight, not to mention she was enjoying the kiss. She knew her erratic behaviour would soon kick in and she suddenly felt herself pulling him in the door to her house.
A/N: Oh damn. Tell me what you guys think? REVIEW.
