Birthday Nerves

Punk was parked outside a Tampa restaurant nervously tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. AJ had arrived inside a few minutes ago and he was supposed to be surprising her. Her brother and sister were taking her out to dinner and they coordinated with Punk who had told AJ he would be in LA for work. It wasn't the dinner he was worried about it even though it was the first time he would be meeting her brother, it was the ring in his pocket. He had no intention of proposing at the dinner but after back home. He was still nervous as hell, it wasn't cold feet but fear of her turning him down.

Another five minutes Punk had built up the courage to get out of the car and ran his hand over his face before entering the restaurant. He told the host the name and he lead them to a back table and AJ's back was to him. He placed his hand on her shoulder and she jerked her head behind angrily before realizing it was Punk.

"Phil." She gasped genuinely surprised and jumped out of her seat.

"Hi." He grinned leaning down and kissing her lips. "Happy Birthday."

"It is now." She smiled wide.

Punk introduced himself to AJ's brother who like her father, loved Punk. The dinner was filled with embarrassing stories of AJ as a child and teen and Punk couldn't get enough of it. He was surprised how he well they all got along and it really helped relax him and take his mind off of the huge diamond weighing down his pocket.

"Tell me more about how April used to dress up her dogs." Punk encouraged.

"I can really make you laugh and tell you the story about how when she was five she tried to kidnap the neighbors dog." Robbie told him and AJ glared at him.

"No more April stories." AJ warned him. "From you either." She warned her sister.

"These are all wonderful stories." Punk grinned.

"What happened with LA?" AJ asked him.

"I was never going to LA, you thought I'd miss your birthday?" He asked her amused.

"Work comes first." She told him.

"No." He told her shaking his head. "You do."

"That's so sweet." AJ's sister smiled.

"How long are you staying for?" AJ asked ignoring her sister. "You know I have to be at a red carpet event for that movie on Sunday."

"I'll be here until you leave." He told her. "All two days."

"Good." she felt relieved. "I've missed you this last week."

"That will change soon." Robbie noted. "When are you moving to Chicago?"

"A few weeks." AJ told him. "Week before Mania my lease is up. I still have so much packing to do." She said looking towards her sister.

"I've been there packing for days." Erica groaned. "You're welcome by the way."

"Moving in is a big step." Robbie noted looking at Punk, this time more serious.

"It is but we spend every weekend we can together anyway. AJ is going to continue to work and I want to see her more."

"Are you going back to work?" Robbie asked.

"Robbie." AJ hissed.

"No it's fine. You're his sister and you're moving in with me and his concerns are valid." Punk told AJ. "Not to WWE. I think that has run it's course. I have other ideas and things lined up including writing for Marvel."

"That's cool." Robbie noted but didn't seen convinced. "I'm just worried about my sister." he told Punk honestly and AJ was mortified. "Working in WWE is not going to be easy for her and I don't want you to resent her or talk her out of her dream."

"Phil is very supportive." AJ told Robbie.

"April can do whatever she wants as long as she's not hurting herself." Punk told Robbie. "I know you're worried but on my end, there's no hostility or resent on my end. I just want April happy and I know wrestling makes her that way."

"It's not just wrestling anymore." AJ told her brother. "Phil makes me happy too."

"I know I just don't want to see you lose your job and your home for a boyfriend." Robbie defended and the comment did sting Punk a bit.

"You are being rude." AJ warned her brother.

"I get it." Punk said brushing off the comment. "April isn't just a girlfriend. I wouldn't be moving her into my home if I wasn't in this for the long haul. I want to see your sister accomplish all of her goals and work. I just want her closer to me while she does so I can still be along for the ride."

"Satisfied?" AJ asked her brother mockingly.

"Yes." Robbie grinned. "That's all I wanted to know."

Punk walked AJ to his car and once he got in she turned and looked at him.

"I'm sorry about Robbie." She said to him.

"I understand his concerns. I'm a big brother too you know." Punk reminded her starting the car.

"It wasn't his place." She told him shaking her head.

"Yea it is, he's your brother and I'm just some guy who is taking his sister out of her element and causing her to have a hard time at her dream job." He told her.

"That's not true. Almost everybody has been really nice." She told him and he scuffed. "It's true. And I'm not out of my element if I'm with you. My sister is moving in with her girlfriend I'd be alone out here."

"Yea I didn't like that." Punk said as he began to drive.

"So where's my present?" She asked anxiously and he laughed.

"I have a few things for you but they're in the trunk." He told her and she pouted. "You're such an infant when it comes to gifts." He laughed.

"You can't show up at somebody's birthday empty handed." She reminded him.

"I am the present." He grinned.

"Oh I like the sounds of that." AJ grinned. "I can't wait to unwrap you." She smiled running her hand down his chest and he grabbed her hand with one free one while his other hand stayed on the wheel. "You're turning me down?" She asked amused.

"I'm driving." he defended lightly.

"We could pull over." She smirked and he bit on his bottom lip and groaned. "You always said that was a fantasy. Pulling over or me blowing-"

"Enough." He demanded cutting her off.

"I hope you didn't come all of this way to dump me." She frowned. "I'd have nowhere to live." She teased.

"Dump you? After I spent all that time convincing your brother that I'm good enough for you?" Punk smirked.

"Why are you turning me down?" She frowned.

"Trust me sweetheart, we're going to fuck tonight." He warned her. "All night as a matter of fact because I've missed you just as much and you're wearing this beautiful dress that I just want to remove with my teeth...and it's your birthday so you're definitely getting me tonight."

"So what's going on?" She asked as Punk pulled into the parking lot of a closed beach. "What are we doing here."

"I want to go for a walk." He said taking his seat belt off and turning off the car.

"Its cold." She frowned.

"It's 70 degrees." He laughed. "I don't know how you're going to survive Chicago if you think 70 is cold."

"Alright." She said climbing out of the car and Punk removed his dress jacket and placed it around AJ's shoulders then took her hand into his and walked her towards the dark beach.

"I'm really happy you surprised me tonight." She said to him happily looking up at him.

"I'm full of surprises." Punk warned her.

"Are you sure you're alright? You just seem quiet tonight." She frowned. "Something happen?"

"Nope." He said to her. "How's the road?"

"Lonely." She admitted. "I miss you as my buddy."

"I know." He mumbled. "And everyone really is treating you alright?"

"Yea. I mean Nick hates me." She smirked.

"Fuck him." Punk scoffed. "Has he tried anything with you?"

"No." She told him. "I'm a ghost there. I show up, go in the ring and go home."

"I'm sorry." He frowned. "That's not what I wanted."

"I know and it's not your problem don't worry about it." She assured him.

"I do worry about it." he told her as they walked alone the shore line. "I worry about it because it affects you and in turn it affects me. Are you happy there?"

"Sometimes." She shrugged. "When I'm in the ring and people are cheering for me I'm happy. When I get backstage I'm not as happy."

"I want you happy all of the time. That's kind of become my goal." he told her.

"I'm happy when I see you and I'm going to be happier when I get to come home to you every night." She told him with a genuine excited smile.

"Good." He said relieved. "I wanted to make sure you had no regrets."

"Only that we wasted so much time." She admitted and nodded in agreement.

"I feel the same way." He agreed. "It was stupid for me to push you away. You've been the answer all along."

"The answer to what?" she asked curiously.

"Everything." Punk said seriously. "I mean you're making my house a home, you're making it ours." he told her.

"You'll think of it as ours?" She asked.

"Of course." He told her. "You're not a house guest, you're my partner."

"Your lover." She added teasingly.

"Always my lover." He smirked. "But I want you have a different title."

"Have you come up with anything else?" she teased.

"Yea, one or two." He said stopping and reaching into his pocket while dropping to his knees. "How does fiancee and wife sound?" he asked opening the box.

"Oh my god." She gasped placing her hands over her mouth.

"April, I love you and I want you in my life for the rest of it. I want to be as happy as I've been these last few months forever. I want you to be more than a roommate, I want you to be my wife." He told her as he held back tears and presented the ring.

"You said you'd never get married." She reminded him quickly.

"This is the moment you choose to throw something back in my face?" He asked amused. "I didn't have you in my life the way I do. I bought this ring three months ago Ape. I knew I was doing this I just hadn't found the right time. Marry me?"

"Yes!" She cheered and he stood up and she kissed him.

He took the ring out of the velvet box and slid it onto her slender finger.

"Is it too big?" He frowned noticing the ring swung around her finger. "I got your size from your sister."

"I lost a little weight, no big deal. We can size it, right?" She asked anxiously.

"Of course." He said still disappointed it didn't fit perfectly. "Do you like it?"

"It's absolutely perfect." She said crying as she looked at the large diamond.

"What are you doing?" Punk asked finding AJ in their bedroom looking at a book on their bed.

"Looking at our wedding pictures." She smiled. "Sometimes I just like to look at them."

"Best night ever." He grinned falling onto the bed stomach first.

"I was remembering when you proposed." She smiled. "Best Birthday ever."

"You thought I was going to dump you." he scoffed.

"You really had that ring for months?" She asked and he nodded. "Why did you wait so long? Second thoughts?"

"No. But I was so sick when I left and we had that tribute to the troops debacle and it took me a while to get back on my feet, around March I felt great. I didn't want you to say yes when I felt like half a man." he admitted.

"You were never half a man." She told him.

"You took such good care of me." he remembered. "Saved my life, my hero."

"My doctor did that." she smirked.

"You bought me there." he told her. "I was stubborn."

"You usually are." She teased. "Still no regrets?"

"I'd be dead without you." He told her honestly. "And not just from the infection. I'd never make it through all of this without you. I'm not lying when I tell people you're my best teammate."