Sunlight streaked through the blinds in the hotel room, targeting the large man lying in the small hotel room bed. The sheets were strewn carelessly over his naked body as he slept, rising and falling to the rhythm of his steady breathing. A strange tickling sensation spread across his chest, irritating his peaceful sleep. Trying to brush off whatever was bothering him, it was to no avail. A grunt of annoyance slipped past his lips as he tried once again to brush off whatever was bothering him. Attempting to turn away, he bumped into something solid beside him and his eyes flew open coming to the realization that it was Stephanie.

Panic struck him as his breath caught in his throat as memories of the night before reappearing in his head. Fuck. Shit! Sitting up, Kane stared, wide eyed, at the sight below him. Fighting the urge to blush, he shut his eyes and turned his head away, not knowing what her reaction would be if she woke up to this. Turning so his feet were dangling over the edge of the bed, he searched frantically to find his pajama bottoms to slip on in case she didn't want to see him in all his entirety in the light. Picking his phone up, he checked the time and if there were any important messages. When there weren't any worth his time, he set it back down and stared down at his feet. There were a million thoughts going through his head and while he was trying to figure out what to say to Stephanie, he froze hearing her voice.

"Kane?"

Taking a deep breath, he slowly spun around to face her, seeing she was still completely covered by the sheets which immediately put him at ease. Looking at her hesitantly, he didn't know how to bring up the events that transpired last night, nor did he really want to. He put up a fake smile, hoping to convince her that he was fine. He saw that she didn't believe that for a second.

"Kane… about last night…"

Shaking his head, he forced another smile, "Just forget it, okay? It was a one-time thing; we should just move on from it."

Stephanie frowned, why was he saying that? She noticed his tense body language from the way he was refusing to sit down to talk about what had happened. She thought he enjoyed last night, hell, she surely did, but the way he was acting now, it was as if he regretted it. Sighing softly, she sat up, making sure to keep the sheets covering her.

"What if I don't want to move on from it?"

Kane froze, staring at her with an incredulous look on his face. No. No way. There was no way in hell she would ever want to be with him after last night. He was nothing but a monster, and he definitely did not deserve all the kind things she said to him in the throes of passion. Shaking his head, he let out a long breath and sat beside her on the bed. There were so many doubts plaguing his mind that he was finding it difficult to even formulate a response for her. Opting to look down at his hands folded in his lap, he sat there in silence, allowing the demons in his head to taunt and mock him, trying to bring him deeper into his insecurities.

"I'm just a monster, Stephanie. You deserve better."

Staring at Kane, Stephanie didn't know what to say. The man she had all but confessed her love to was sitting there trying to persuade her to leave him, so he could bury himself deeper in his depressing thoughts. She had seen him go through this once before, but that was nearly fifteen years ago. When he was involved with Tori, he was absolutely smitten. He thought he found a woman who would love him for who he was, rather than what he looked like. She frowned, knowing it didn't last as she stabbed him in the back for X-Pac. She could recall the moment it happened, and as he stomped backstage she heard his wounded, wretched sobs come from under the mask while he made a beeline for the locker rooms. Coming back to reality, she saw him staring ahead, showing no sign of emotion on his face. Reaching out, she went to place her hand on his arm, but she startled when he shot up from the bed and covered his face with his hands, his breathing turning ragged.

"Why can't you just see that I'm nothing? Why can't you see that I'm just a broken, sad excuse for a man? Everyone I have ever had feelings for left me. They kicked me into the ground over and over again so I was left with even more scars. Why should I think this time will be any different? You've seen what I've done to women. You don't want me near you."

"Kane, you aren't like that anymore..."

"Just because I had enough confidence to unmask doesn't mean that the monster is gone. That is a part of me that will never cease to exist. I'm fucked up, Stephanie. You don't need someone like me in your life, constantly dealing with insecurities, constantly needing reassurance. Hell, I'm sure you agree, after a sub-par performance last night-"

"Kane please! Please stop saying these things. None of them are true. You aren't a monster; you are a human being. You are a man with a heart, with feelings, and you need to see that. I can see that, and I want to make sure that you can, too. Last night was amazing, you were perfect. You were so gentle and patient, something Hunter never was. You provided me comfort and there is nothing you can say or think that will convince me otherwise."

Standing there panting from the emotional outburst, Kane was silenced by her words. Sure, he had heard all of these things a million times, but something was different when Stephanie said them to him. She sounded sincere, she sounded like she actually did care. Moving to sit back on the bed, he heard shuffling, and a few seconds later he felt Stephanie wrap herself and the sheets around him, hugging him. Succumbing to her warm embrace, he allowed her to lay him down, and he felt her laying her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not going to treat you like they did, Kane. I respect you too much to do that."

He nodded curtly, choosing to remain silent after her statement. The couple laid there in bed for a while, Kane allowing everything to absorb into his mind. For a while he thought that Stephanie was asleep, but he felt her fingertips tracing his abs. Mustering up enough courage, he softly spoke out, "Do you know why I gave you my mask?"

She looked up, "No, I just thought that you found it in your best interest to side with us."

Quickly looking away, she knew how much her and Hunter had taken advantage of him. From forcing him to go out there every night and humiliate himself and forcing him to be their little puppet. She found it unbelievably cowardly and sad that she stooped that low to a man that was consistently loyal and did whatever was asked of him regardless.

He smiled weakly after hearing her answer. Taking a second, he eventually spoke, "I gave you my mask because I trusted you. I told you that the demon was yours to unleash because I knew you would take good care of him. Stephanie that mask isn't just a mask. It's a part of who I am, and for as long as I've been here, nobody has ever had the privilege of having my mask in their possession... That was, until something clicked in me, and it made more and more sense to go to you, and I knew I could trust you. So far, you haven't let me down."

Stephanie was feeling all sorts of emotions coursing through her. She never knew why Kane did what he did, but now she did, and she knew it in her heart that she would stop at nothing to continue to make him proud and trust her.

Kane lay there, his hand stroking Stephanie's hair absent-mindedly. He knew both of them had to get the day started for the trip to the Smackdown tapings later tonight, but he felt so content just staying in bed with her. For once in his life, he finally felt at peace.