Double Trouble

"Stu, leave." Stephen uttered, still holding on to Vivian in fear that she would bolt.

"I think you'll find this is a common area, Ste." Stu grinned, hands resting on his hips as he got a good look at Vivian.

He wanted to punch him.

"You told him about us?"

"Ah needed advice, is that so bad?" Stephen hadn't wanted to confess that, but the last thing he wanted was her leaving because of Stu's presence. Was even telling Stu about her that bad?

"Does he do this often? I mean, bring women backstage and..." Vivian spoke to Stu and tugged her arm free and gestured to the room.

"Make out with them?" Stu laughed then said, "it's frowned upon."

"But he does it?"

"Ah'm right here and no ah don'." Stephen had heard enough from Stu. He moved towards him, pushing him towards the door. "Yeh've said enough.

"Oh god, am I like a groupie?" Vivian clasped her hand over her mouth and the laughter that burst from Stu pushed Stephen over the edge.

"We prefer to call them ring rats." Stu uttered as he slipped out of the room with another laugh, and because he couldn't reach him to do any damage Stephen could only give him the middle finger.

"He's joking, lass." Stephen turned to Vivian, hoping she wouldn't think what Stu was saying was true.

"What did you tell him?" Vivian was frowning and rightly so. "Because he obviously thinks I'm just here for sex. Which I'm not."

"Ah told him what happened in Dublin, he's one of me best mates."

"So you don't do this often? I don't want to be one of many girls Stephen." Stephen heard the panic in her voice and the saw the pain in her eyes. She'd been hurt before and the fear of it happening again was stopping her from letting go. And he'd already hurt her once, he wasn't about to do it again.

"Listen to me, lass. Yeah no' one of many and ah've never done this before, ah don't invite women backstage unless it's family. Stu just likes to mess wit' me when he can."

"I'm so confused Stephen."

"Yeh and me both." Stephen scrubbed his hand over his face, wincing as a bolt of pain ran through his shoulder. He'd hit the ring post harder than he intended to. He couldn't continue this conversation all night. "Vivian, yeh need to understand something," Stephen framed her face with his hands, kissing her lightly on the lips. "Ah can't keep going around in circles wit' yeh. Ah know what ah did in Dublin was wrong, and ah've apologised for that."

Stephen waited a moment, making sure she understood him. She nodded as if to make him keep talking and he kissed her lips lightly again. "If yeh still can't forgive me, then ah guess this is going nowhere."

"I can, Stephen. I had forgiven you."

"Then what's the matter?"

"What happened in Dublin-"

"Was fun, and ah want to do that again. Ah'm no' goin' to lie and tell yeh ah didn't enjoy it."

"It was fun." Stephen was a little bit relieved when she finally uttered those words and cracked a smile. "But the way you wanted to leave things, I'm not used to that."

"Yeh willing to try for a real date tomorrow? We have another show here in the evening, ah can try and find a few hours in the day."

Stephen watched her look down, eyelids fluttering as she bit her lip. He brought his finger underneath her chin and made her look up at him.

Eventually she spoke up whilst nodding lightly. "Just tell me when and that's when I'll take my break."

He watched her lips curve into a smile, forced though, he could tell. "Ah can tell something's still wrong." Stephen prompted her to start talking and dropped his hands to his sides.

"I just...I feel like I'm out of your league." Vivian laughed nervously then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I mean, you're a celebrity."

Stephen was stunned into silence. Vivian's once confident front was crumbling again. Was he really the cause? He glanced around the bare room as the throbbing in his shoulder continued. "Hardly." Stephen managed to utter. He didn't see himself that way. He was just doing his job.

Vivian waved her hands in front of her and quickly said, "Forget I said anything."

"Ah'm not gon' forget anything." Stephen brought his lips to hers again. He liked a challenge. He liked that she didn't just roll over and not give a damn about her worth. He hated that he'd taken advantage of her, even though he thought they had both been on the same page in Dublin.

Slowly she moulded to his body, letting a little sigh out when he tilted his head to kiss her more fully. He settled one hand on her back, making sure she stayed pressed to him. Her hands had already snaked around his neck and she was standing on her tip toes. He realised he couldn't stop himself from kissing her.

Stephen pulled away then because he couldn't resist, he cupped her face and pressed another soft kiss to her lips. He could kiss her all day and not grow tired. Her hands were slowly making their way down his bare arms, pausing on his biceps a moment before sliding to his wrists. She couldn't wrap her small hands fully around them, but she still tried then tugged his hands away from her face.

What had he done now? Was kissing her too much? He sighed, waiting for an onslaught of reasons why it was too soon, or how she didn't trust him. Was she too much trouble? What if she couldn't get over a few mistakes he'd made - he certainly didn't have time to keep apologising. But then she surprised him, her hands holding onto his, squeezing lightly before letting go completely.

"Thank you for inviting me here. I really enjoyed the show, especially watching you." Vivian crossed her arms over her chest, seemingly putting some distance between them.

"Yeh welcome. Next time yeh taking those front row seats."

"Maybe."

"As long as yeh don't bring yeh brother." Or another man. Then it hit him again. Another pang of jealousy smacking him in the chest. He'd thought she had a boyfriend, and even though he knew she didn't, those feelings were still lingering. The thought of her with another man didn't sit well with him, but it wasn't his place to act like that. She wasn't his.

"Sheamus! You're needed for an interview." Stephen looked to the door, nodding as he saw one of the company's producers waiting impatiently for him. Everyone usually rushed around with a million things to do and rightly so. A pay per view event was a huge operation.

"Stay right here." Stephen uttered to Vivian, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. He didn't even think about it. It just happened like it was the most normal thing, like he did it every day.

"Are you sure? I can leave if you need me to."

"I won't be long." Stephen knew she'd be fine, interviews never took long anyway.

Glancing at her watch again, Vivian sighed. She'd been there for forty minutes. Waiting. He wouldn't have forgotten about her would he? What if someone had dragged him off somewhere else? What if he wouldn't be back for a while? She didn't want to be stuck alone any longer - surely there was someone who could help locate him. Then she'd be out of his way, leaving him to get on with his job.

She pulled her handbag up and over her head, then reached for the hem of the Sheamus shirt she'd been wearing for most of the night. Taking it off, she folded it up and slipped her bag on again. There was no time like the present. She made her way to the door, opening it slightly to take a peek out.

One short glance left, all clear. One quick glance right, Wade Barrett. Fuck. She didn't want to deal with him again.

"Vivian." The thick English accent boomed down the corridor and Vivian didn't hesitate to stumble back into the room and slam the door shut. She pressed onto it as if she could stand her ground against a two-hundred and sixty pound man.

Pulling her hand off the door handle as she felt it move, Vivian took a step back into the empty room. She prayed Stephen would just come back already. The door opened and Stu's head appeared around the door, a smirk gracing his face.

"Leaving were you?" Stu shut the door behind him, meandering across the room past her to the table set up with drinks. He grabbed a bottle of water

"I was going to try looking for Stephen." True, she was. But she somehow felt guilty under his stare.

"You'd get lost in this place, it's like a maze."

"I was going to ask someone if they knew where he was."

Stu opened his arms wide and nodded, "Well look at that, you found someone."

Vivian fought the urge to roll her eyes but played into his words anyway. "Stu, do you know where I can find Stephen?"

"No, but he isn't just going to leave you here." Stu paused and stared at her, as if he was trying to read her mind. Little did he know he was intimidating her, with his words and presence. Was he joking around with her? Maybe he was going to try and catch her out - give Stephen a reason not to be with him and- "he really likes you."

Vivian had let her mind go on a tirade again; she almost missed Stu's words.

"Okay." What the hell was she supposed to say? She gripped tighter onto the shirt in her hands, gaze darting across the room.

"His last girlfriend cheated on him, couldn't handle him being away so much." Stu blurted out like the information held no significance at all.

"I don't know if you should be telling me this." Vivian panicked. She didn't want to know this. It wasn't any of her business unless Stephen wanted to tell her of course. But he wasn't telling her, his friend was and she felt herself surrounded by tension.

"That's why he was reluctant to start anything with you, but I talked him round." There was a pause as he looked at her, a glint in his eye whilst a smirk crept to his face and then he drawled out the words, "You're welcome."

The door burst open, making Vivian jump. She looked towards it, expecting to see Stephen, but instead it was the long haired man he had been wrestling that evening. "Whoa, didn't know ye had a lady wit' ye." The thick Scottish accent was hard to understand but she got most of what he said. Then realising what he meant, she opened her mouth to defend herself but Stu beat her to it.

"She's Ste's lady, Drew." Vivian saw the grin on Stu's face. He was enjoying this.

"I'm not his lady."

"Ye're Vivian?" Drew came to stand beside Stu and just like his English friend then cast his gaze over her.

"That's me." Vivian smiled but she was crumbling inside. She should just stick a name tag on, parade the arena and get it over with. "I'm going to go now."

"Ye no' waiting for Stephen?"

"I..." Vivian was already walking around them towards the door when it opened. "Stephen!"

Without thinking Vivian hurtled towards Stephen, wrapping her arms around his middle and squeezing tight. She'd never been happier to see him. Well maybe apart from that time he'd turned up at her hotel room.

"What the hell have they done?"

"Nothing." They hadn't really, but she wasn't sure whether they were convinced she wasn't just looking for sex. If what Stu had implied was true anyway. Realising she was still glued to Stephen, she peeled herself off him then met his weary gaze. She noticed he'd returned wearing a shirt. "I was about to go looking for you."

"Took longer than ah expected, sorry lass." Vivian held her breath as Stephen looked over her at the two men that had made her so welcome.

"I'm going to leave, I'm just in your way now." Glancing over her shoulder, she locked eyes with both men who were smirking still then politely said, "it was lovely to meet you both."

Vivian neared the door feeling Stephen close beside her. "Yeh don' have to go."

"I have work tomorrow." Vivian turned around when she reached the hallway, fully aware that Stu and Drew were probably listening in.

"Yeh still up for that date?"

"Of course." She was looking forward to it, "What do you-crap."

"What?"

"Your jacket! It's in Wills car, I'm sorry it didn't cross my mind when we got here, we were so busy trying to get a parking space and-" Stephen kissed her hard and intense. It took her off guard and her whole body responded. But before she could register what was happening and kiss him back, he pulled away.

"Give me it tomorrow." He took her hand in his and began walking down the corridor with her. "Yeh have a lift home?"

"Yes." She lied, but she'd call for a cab once she was outside. Or maybe call her brother to come and pick her up, but then she'd have to deal with his questioning. "Thank you again, for the tickets."

"Anytime." Stephen started walking again, taking her to the exit. Her hand was still tucked into his, and even though she'd had another crazy moment, she was glad to be with him. She'd been given so many second chances she knew her luck would run out soon. Trusting Stephen would be the only way forward.

A/N – Thank you boston246, ghunter182003, prettybaby69, ThatGirl54, housesbabe1, Blackhat, SoulSoother59, charmedbyortonbarrett, shakeitsalome, Sharona1981 and wolviegurl for the lovely reviews! Hope you're still enjoying the story :D! Lou x