Hi everybody! Here's a new chapter for you...no I haven't forgotten about this story! I've just had a hard time writing it lately...my muses were lacking inspiration.
Hope you enjoy this chapter- it's a bit light and fluffy!
Disclaim...
Chapter Twelve: A Proposition
This was not a situation that Randy Orton was used to. Normally when he wanted a girl, all he had to do was express his interest and she would fall into his waiting arms. They would share physical intimacy and then it might be over. Although he had always hoped to find a girl that he could settle down with, never once did he imagine that he would be beginning some sort of relationship with a woman who had the power to control his every thought, every move, every emotion.
They had finally come clean with each other about all that they had been through. Randy had shared all of his past mistakes with Katharine, including the problems that arose for him because of his temper, and she didn't judge him. She had confided her deepest secret in him, shared with him her emotional scars, and he was still there beside her.
They both knew that they liked each other, but there were so many issues for them to overcome that they couldn't dive headfirst into a relationship. Katharine needed to learn how to trust again and Randy had to practice putting another person's needs above his own. They were beginning slowly, with the intention that their time spent together would someday progress into something more.
His mood was lighter and he felt more at peace than he had in a long time. His return to WWE television was approaching rapidly, but he was no longer apprehensive about it. He had come to see that some things mattered more than the wrestling business, such as his relationships with people. John and Dave were glad to see that their friend was returning to his old self, and his parents could not stop telling him how proud they were of him. While Randy would have liked to take credit for all the progress that he had made, he knew that it belonged solely to Katharine. She was his angel, a beacon of light that was given to him in his darkest hour. He would love her forever for that.
Randy was determined to tell Katharine how he felt about her, but he couldn't do it yet. She was slowly opening up to him, allowing herself to become vulnerable once again, and he was afraid to do anything that might jeopardize that recovery process for her. He would bide his time and wait for the right opportunity to tell her. In the meantime, all he wanted to do was see her. His thoughts were consumed of her and she was constantly on his mind.
He had something important to ask her, and he wasn't sure how she would react. Randy had been planning on going home to St. Louis to visit his parents and the rest of his family ever since his suspension began, but he had been ashamed to face them. He no longer felt that way, however, and he wanted to go before he was required to return to WWE television.
And he didn't want to go alone. Randy wanted Katharine to accompany him on his trip. He was serious about loving her, about wanting to take this as far she would let him. Katharine was so important to him that he wanted her to meet his family. He couldn't remember the last time he had wanted to bring a girl home to meet his parents so it definitely meant that he was serious about her. He just wasn't sure that Katharine was ready for such a big step.
There was only one way to find out. Randy found himself standing on the sidewalk one afternoon, gazing up at the apartment building that Katharine called home. She had allowed him to come inside the few times that he had picked her up from home instead of the restaurant, so it wasn't strange for him to be there. He was just nervous about what he wanted to ask her.
He glanced at the watch on his wrist and knew that she should be back from class now. He had come to know her class and work schedule by heart. Yes, he was definitely turning into a love-sick fool, and he was enjoying every minute of it.
He climbed up the steps and let himself inside the building, easily finding his way to her apartment. He rang the bell and then heard Katharine's voice on the other side of the buzzer, asking who was there. He announced his arrival could hear the smile in her response. The door unlocked seconds later she was standing in the doorway, waiting for him to come inside.
"I didn't expect to see you today," she smiled happily. "But I'm liking the surprise."
Randy grinned back at her and pulled her into a hug. Katharine was much more willing to allow him to touch her now that she had confided in him. "I wanted to say hi to my favorite girl," he said softly in her ear. "And tell you that I missed you."
Katharine pulled back slightly so that she was gazing up at him, her brown eyes positively shining. Randy couldn't recall ever seeing her quite like this before. She looked like she was finally at peace with everything, and it was clear that she was happy. He had never actually seen her happy prior to this.
"I'm glad you're here, even if I am in the middle of some serious work for school," she said.
He instantly felt bad for dropping by unannounced. "I can come back," he said quickly. "I don't want to keep you and-"
Katharine placed a finger to his lips. "Ssh," she admonished him. "I want you to come inside and stay. Just beware of the mess."
Randy nodded and gave her a mock salute. "Yes ma'am," he teased.
She giggled and took his hand, leading inside the small apartment that she called home. One step across the threshold told Randy that she wasn't kidding about the mass. Her small living area was covered with papers and books, and her laptop sat open on the small table in the middle. He could smell coffee brewing and from the looks of things it seemed that she had downed multiple cups that day.
Katharine was dressed in a tight t-shirt and sweatpants, with her long dark hair pulled up messily on top of her head. She looked as if she couldn't care less about her appearance, and that was exactly how Randy loved her.
"You have just entered the world of a college student," she warned him as she sat down on her ratty couch and picked up her laptop. "And one who is about to lose her mind right before graduation."
Once again Randy was grateful that he had never gone to college. He kicked off his shoes and sat down beside her, sinking down into the sofa's worn cushions. Katharine's apartment was the exact opposite of his, and yet he felt so at home here. It was warmly decorated and looked lived-in, showing signs of life that his place often lacked.
The small window was almost completely covered by the air conditioner that was shoved in it, but Randy could still see the blue sky through it. It was a beautiful spring day outside, and looking at the work that Katharine was swamped with made him want to take her out and give her a chance to put it all away for awhile.
"Do you want to take a break and grab some dinner later?" he asked while trying to read her laptop's screen in an attempt to decipher what she was working on.
Katharine shook her head while resuming her typing. "As much as I would love to, I have to buckle down and finish this tonight," she replied. "It's my senior comprehensive portfolio that examines all of the work that I have done over the past four years and I'm so behind on it. I think if I work nonstop for the rest of the day I will have caught up to where I need to be in order to get it done on time."
"Why are you so behind?" he asked. "You're always on top of everything."
Katharine turned to him and smiled shyly, almost like she had a secret to share. "I was working on something else," she answered vaguely.
Randy raised an eyebrow. "And that was…?"
She set her laptop aside and turned so that she was facing him completely. "Do you remember the night that we first met, we joked about me writing a story about you?"
He chuckled at the memory. "Of course I do. I remember everything about that night."
Katharine played with the ring on her finger. "Well my professor told me about this short story contest that the New York Post was sponsoring. The winning piece would be published in an upcoming issue and the author would receive five hundred dollars, plus consideration for an internship. It was absolutely perfect for me and I decided to enter. I had no idea what to write about until we became friends. The things you told me about feeling lost and alone, they were just too good to let go. You became the basis of my story, my main character."
She started to ramble as if she was nervous. "I mean, I changed everything, and I didn't even include it all. I would never share your deepest secrets, but I wanted to do something with all that you had told me. I felt like your story could help someone else." Katharine bit her lip nervously. "You're not mad, are you?"
Randy was stunned at her confession. He never thought she was serious about using him for a piece, and the passion in her voice when she spoke of both him and her story showed him just how much of an impact he had had on her.
Katharine rifled through some papers until she came across her copy of the story that she had submitted. "It was cathartic for me to write it," she said softly. He still had yet to speak and she was afraid that he was angry with her. "Please say something."
Randy grinned at her. "I told you that I would become the subject of a story someday."
She giggled and threw her arms around him. "You are too much, you know that?"
Randy nestled his head in the crook of her neck and inhaled, breathing in the scent of flowers. She always smelled that way and he loved it. It was more intoxicating than the most expensive of perfume.
"You wouldn't have me any other way," he whispered in her ear. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and ran a hand up and down her back, reveling in the feeling of holding her in his arms, cleaved to his body. Though Randy had no expectations when it came to sharing physical intimacy with Katharine, he would be lying if he said he didn't want to be with her. She was a beautiful woman and he loved her. He wanted to know what it was like to make love, not to simply have sex. He had only ever had sex, for he had never been in love before. He would never push her, though, never expect her to do something that she did not want to do. He loved her for what she was and how she made him feel. That was what counted.
It was so strange for Randy to be thinking this way, for he had long since held the reputation of a player. Often times he had lived up to it, too, but he had begun to change. There was more to life than reputation and having fun; there was the need, the craving, to be with someone who understood him completely. He had finally found her.
Time stood still as they held each other, but eventually Katharine shifted so that she was gazing at him. "You're right," she smiled. "I wouldn't have you any other way."
Randy leaned in and they kissed softly. It was simple and sweet, and he liked it. Determined not to push her, he pulled back before the kiss could deepen. "This has to be better than working on that comprehensive thing."
"It definitely is." She gave him a peck on the cheek and then completely broke the hold. "But that doesn't change the fact that it has to be done."
Randy groaned and settled back against the couch. "When is this thing due?" he asked.
"The end of next week," she answered while looking over some papers. "But it will be done this weekend. I don't want to work on it any longer than I have to."
Now was his chance. Randy cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck. "So that means next weekend is free?"
Katharine smiled and turned to him. "Yes, next weekend is all yours."
"What would you say about spending it with me in St. Louis?" Randy spit the words out quickly, then waited with nervous anticipation for her response.
Katharine's eyes widened and she swallowed hard. "What?"
This was not going to be good. He shouldn't have asked, he was pushing too hard. "Actually, never mind," Randy quickly retracted. "It was stupid and I shouldn't have asked. I'll just-"
"Will you stop?" Katharine placed a hand on his arm and forced him to remain in his seat, for he had been ready to jump up and leave. "I'm surprised, that's all. I didn't think you were planning on going home for a bit, and I definitely didn't think you would ask me to come with you."
"I wanted to show you where I come from," he answered sheepishly, his voice reminiscent of that of a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "And since you've changed my life and we have this thing between us, I wanted you to meet my family. It's moving too fast, I know."
"That would be moving fast," Katharine agreed, and silence overtook them. Randy lowered his head, feeling like a complete idiot. He had probably just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him.
"Maybe moving fast isn't so bad when it comes to this," she finally said, causing his head to snap up. "I mean, there is something between us and you promised to help me trust again. I think we should work on that and this is a good way to do it."
Randy's face lit up. "Are you sure? You really want to do this?"
Katharine nodded and smiled. "I do. I would love to go home with you."
He felt like jumping for joy inside, but he wanted to be sure that she was okay with this. "You're not just doing this because I want to go, are you? Because I can go by myself."
Katharine was absolutely sure. She had meant it when she said that she wanted to learn how to trust again, and she felt that trust growing between her and Randy. It was time to put her faith in him and move to the next level. She was doing what her heart wanted and she refused to listen to the senseless warnings that her brain was hammering at her. She wanted to live.
She took his hand in her own and squeezed it. "I swear to you, I want to do this."
Randy's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Okay then, we'll leave after your classes on Friday, and we'll be back before you have to go back on Monday."
Katharine's heart brimmed with happiness. She knew that he cared about her and the fact that he wanted her to meet his family showed it. Though she couldn't bring herself to say it yet, she loved Randy Orton deeply. She could only hope that his family would accept her.
