Teach Me

AJ and Punk both woke up the next morning to loud banging at the door. Both shot up immediately, untangling each other's bodies from each other quickly and looking at the clock.

"It's only… it's only 7." Punk groaned, collapsed back down on the bed and rolling onto his stomach as AJ smiled watching him. She got out of bed, placing Punk's t-shirt over her body and walking over to the bedroom window, looking out and panicking as she seen her dad standing.

"Fuck, Phil… it's my dad." AJ said, turning around as she seen Punk had fallen back asleep, "Phil!" She yelled as he jumped.

"What? What?" Punk worried immediately.

"It's my dad. You have to… you have to wait here." She told him as Punk bolted up, watching her dash across the room.

"Wait, wait… my t-shirt." Punk pointed as she realised she was wearing his t-shirt.

Both of them danced around the room in a panic for the next few minutes before AJ got her clothes on and ran downstairs whilst Punk stayed silent upstairs.

AJ almost fell against the front door, fixing her hair and brushing herself down, opening the door up with an attempt at a fresh face, "Hey, dad." She smiled pleasantly.

"Hi, sweetheart." Jake smiled, "I might need a favour from you today." He said as AJ nodded.

"What's the favour?" She asked.

"I need you to do a paint job on a car I have in the garage. I'd ask Phil but he's a little messy. I know you have a steady hand." He said as AJ ran her hand through her hair, "I know it's your day off but… it'd really be helping me out." He said.

"Sure." AJ smiled sweetly, "I'll swing by in the afternoon. I need to shower and get dressed first." She said as Jake smiled.

"You're a star." Jake smiled, "Thank you, sweetheart. I'll see you later." He said, rushing off back down the steps as she closed the door over.

She ran back upstairs and into her bedroom to see Punk getting dressed, "He wants me to come to the garage today a paint a car." AJ rolled her eyes as Punk chuckled a little.

"Paint a car?" He asked.

"I've done it before." AJ said, "But it takes a lot of effort you know." She sighed, collapsing on the edge of the bed, "I wanted to sleep all day." She pouted.

"Well we can't have everything we want." Punk said, "Can we?" He said, grabbing his hoodie from the floor and putting it on as AJ watched him.

"Getting to see you all day will be a plus though." She smiled.

"Yeah but remember-"

"I know, I know. My dad and brother are there, I get it." AJ nodded, standing up and waving her hair out behind her with her hands, "But it'll still be nice to see one another." She grew close to him and looked up at him.

"Yeah, it will." Punk agreed, "I finish at six tonight so maybe we can catch the hawks game at Seth's bar?" Punk asked her as she nodded, trying to seem thrilled about it, "Or we can go somewhere you wanna go." He said quickly, realising he might have been a little selfish.

"No, no… of course not. It sounds nice." AJ smiled, "But you will have to teach me how hockey works because I have no clue." She admitted to him as he smiled.

"I'll teach you." He smiled, leaning down and kissing her softly, "But right now I gotta go to work." He told her, taking her chin by his thumb and forefinger softly as she smiled up at him.

"I'll see you later." She smiled dreamily as he nodded, kissing her head and leaving the room as AJ let out a relaxed sigh as she listened to him leave the house, collapsing back in bed, not being able to help smile. She felt happy for the first time in a long time. She felt like there was actually something good going on in her life. She already felt so connected, emotionally and physically towards Punk. She felt the sky was the limit at this point for them both.

Later that day, Punk was at work like normal and AJ had showed up to spray paint one of the cars like her father had asked her. Punk kept looking over to her without anyone noticing, not even AJ herself. She was a distraction for sure, but a good distraction. He just couldn't help stare at her and wonder how he wound up so lucky.

"Dad, this can is out." AJ said, throwing another can of spray paint in the trash along with the other dozen of cans she'd already used.

"Ok, take another one from the box over there." He pointed to the box beside Punk on the counter. The radio was playing loudly and the sound of Dean drilling was echoing through the garage, but it was a good atmosphere, a hard working atmosphere.

AJ walked over to the counter for another can of spray paint when she felt something poke her on the side, turning around and seeing Punk standing with a screwdriver smirking like a child.

"You're doing a good paint job over there." Punk smirked to himself as AJ grabbed the can out of the box.

"You think so?" AJ asked playfully, standing in front of him as he nodded, changing the head on the screwdriver he was using.

It was oddly nice to have their relationship on the down low for the time being. It was nice to know that was going on was just between them, but she personally believed her father and brother would be thrilled about her and Punk, but she wouldn't dare tell them without Phil being ok about it, she understood that it was hard for him, her dad and brother were intimidating at the best of times.

"They're getting close." Dean whispered as he walked by his father on the opposite side of the garage as Jake lifted his head and looked over at Punk and AJ talking.

"He'd be a great friend for April, don't you think?" Jake asked as Dean nodded.

"Yeah, it looks like they get along." Dean agreed, "Maybe they're getting along a little too much though." Dean said as Jake looked on at his daughter and Punk.

"No. I don't see it." Jake shook his head, "You know how focused AJ is on her job, and I don't think Phil is interested either." Jake said.

"Anything to keep April away from a man." Dean chuckled a little as Jake shook his head.

"I respect Phil, his father was like a brother to me and… I'll do everything in my power to look out for him, but I don't want her getting hurt." Jake made himself clear.

"She's not had a boyfriend since high school." Dean said, of course both of them talking quietly whilst AJ and Punk continued to talk across the garage.

"Yeah and look what happened with him." Jake turned to Dean, "She's still just a young girl, has her full life ahead of her." Jake smiled with comfort, "But she could use a good friend in Phil." He nodded, looking over to AJ and Punk.

"So wait… what team are the Hawks?" AJ asked, sitting on a stool at the bar later that night with Punk. The bar was full as most people were there to watch the game, and AJ was getting a tad confused with everything.

"They're in the red." Punk said, keeping his eyes up on the TV above the bar as AJ watched him.

"Are they winning?" AJ whispered to him.

"No." Punk said as he concentrated on the game, turning around for a minute as he seen AJ looking tired whilst stirring her straw around her glass, "Hey, we can get out of here if you want. Hockey tends to distract me, I'm sorry." He apologised.

"No, it's fine." AJ nodded to him, "Explain the rules to me again." She said as he went over the rules of hockey as slow as he could.

Before he knew it, AJ was almost jumping on top of him screaming up at the TV, getting into the game just as much as the majority of guys in the bar.

She was practically sitting on his lap she was getting so anxious and he loved that she was getting so into it. She didn't have to, and maybe she was just pretending, but either way, he loved it.

"C'mon, Kane! This is bullshit." AJ banged her hand off the bar as Punk grinned. He was so focused on AJ he was barely noticing the game nor the score, "Keith is a shit defenseman." AJ folded her arms.

"Uh… don't insult my man like that." Punk shook his head, "Not cool."

"Not cool? We're losing." AJ said seriously as he smiled, "It's not ok."

"We'll make a come back, don't worry. We always do." Punk said, looking back up at the screen as AJ continued to look up, sipping on her drink and keeping her eyes up at the TV, not even noticing Alfie approaching her with a girl with him.

"April." Alfie tapped her as AJ turned around to hush whoever it was when she realised it was Alfie.

"Oh, hey." AJ smiled as Punk immediately turned around to see who she was talking to, "Phil, this is Alfie." AJ said, "Alfie this is my boyfriend, Phil." AJ introduced them immediately. She'd been wanting to introduce Punk as her boyfriend since they started dating. It felt so good.

"It's nice to meet you." Alfie said, extending his hand as Punk shook it pleasantly, "This is my wife, Chelsea." Alfie introduced the young blonde beside him, "This your local?" Alfie asked AJ as Punk paid his attention back to the TV.

"No… well, it's Phil's. He knows the owner." AJ said, "We're just here to watch the game." AJ explained.

"Us too." Chelsea smiled, "We were at the bar across the road but it was way too busy." She said, "This place is much better."

"Yeah, this place is a lot more peaceful." AJ nodded just as the bar errupted as the Hawks scored a goal, causing her to turn around as she seen Keith celebrating on the TV.

"My man." Punk clenched his fist in triumph, smiling smugly to AJ who just laughed.

"Well I guess I'll see you at work tomorrow then." AJ turned back around to Alfie and his wife.

"Yeah, it was nice seeing you." Alfie said, "And meeting you both." He said as Punk turned around and nodded with a small smile, watching as they both disappeared round the corner of the bar as AJ turned back around in her stool.

"What's the deal with him? Looked like he was waiting on an invite to sit with us." Punk chuckled a little.

"Maybe he was." AJ said, "Maybe we should have invited them to sit with us. Pay for a drink for them." AJ shrugged as Punk screwed his face up.

"Why?" Punk said, "Don't even know them." He shook his head.

"They're nice people." AJ tilted her head as Punk nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, they are." Punk said, "Do you know who is nicer though?" He asked her.

"Who? Me?" AJ grinned.

"Duncan Keith." Punk pointed to the TV as her smile faded, causing him to laugh, "A dreamy, dreamy man." He said as AJ just rolled her eyes but with a smile.

"He is dreamy." She agreed.

"Hey, only I'm allowed to say he's dreamy." Punk warned her as she just laughed and put her hands up in defense.

"Alright." She nodded with a small chuckle, "I'm really enjoying this game actually." She said with surprise, "Now that I know what is going on." She said, "You're gonna have me addicted."

"Good." Punk smiled with triumph as she leaned against him, their stools touching as she depended on him to keep her up, resting her head on his shoulder as he crooked his neck in to turn his head and kiss her on the forehead sweetly. Neither were used to being with others, both had lived very lonely lives up until now and it just seemed like everything was right, everything was perfect.

Further round the corner, Alfie and his wife Chelsea had taken a seat and Alfie had taken out his phone.

"Are you texting Cal?" Chelsea asked him, "We have to get back to the kids soon. I only paid the sitter for two hours." She said.

"I know. We'll stay for one drink and then we'll go." Alfie said, "I'm texting Cal to let him know they're dating." Alfie said as Chelsea just nodded, turning round and looking over at Punk and AJ who were leaning together, talking whilst watching the game on the TV above.

"They don't seem like trouble." Chelsea turned back to her husband.

"They aren't." Alfie said, "Well, April isn't." He said, "Cal has this obsession with Brooks. Has done for years. Trust me, I've tried to make him drop it but the man is adamant he gets something out of the guy." Alfie shook his head.

"Wasn't he the guy that got off not guilty?" Chelsea asked. Her husband worked so many cases she had lost count on who had done what and what names she remembered.

"Yeah, and it was a clean sweep from the jury. The guy didn't do anything." Alfie said, "But Cal still has his suspicions." He shook his head.

"Why can't he let it go?" Chelsea asked.

"Because one, it's Cal. Two, he really believes he can have something to throw at Phil-"

"So he's just gonna magically come up with something?" Chelsea asked, "You can't frame a guy for something he hasn't done. Even I know that." Chelsea said.

"I know that." Alfie nodded, "But Cal still has his suspicion with Phil."

"Why?" Chelsea asked.

"You know I can't discuss work with you." He said as Chelsea just sat back and nodded, turning back around to look over at AJ and Punk.

"They just seem really happy. If he was proven not guilty why does Cal wanna continue to make his life a misery?" She asked.

"I have no idea. I've tried asking him to just drop it but he won't. It's like an obsession." He shook his head, "I'm trying to stay as less involved as I can." He said truthfully after sending the text through to Cal.

"You're keeping tabs on his girlfriend and updating him every five minutes. You're involved as far as getting involved goes." Chelsea said.

"It's nothing person. It's just my job." Alfie said as she just nodded, "No one is gonna get hurt." He promised her as she nodded, "You wanna go?" He asked her as she nodded, both of them getting up and heading out of the bar whilst AJ and Punk continued watching the game happily.

A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews guys! Glad you are liking it and I hope it's keeping you all intrigued. To the review that asked me if I could make the chapters longer or update quicker, I like to think my updates are pretty speedy, and I do try my best to upload a least one chapter per day/night, I have other things going on in life and I've been pretty busy this week so it's hard to find the motivation to write chapters every hour of the day. Hope you guys can be patient with me. Thanks again for the support! You all rock.