"I want the record to clearly state that I am only doing this because my Head of Clan, the lovely Walter, is forcing me to." Randy Orton scowled as he filled out the required paperwork.
"My brother's forcing me into this too. Wish he was actually killable." Kane grumbled, filling out extra paperwork to account for another failed attempt on the Undertakers life.
"C'mon guys, it's for the greater good. We don't want the Nexus getting stronger and potentially becoming a serious threat." Star said as she botched up another MCF34984. "DARN it!" She crumpled up the paper and grabbed a fresh copy of the tedious form.
"Being the Head of the Clan Grey Goat is awesome. I get other people to fill out my forms for me, and all I have to do is sign them!" Daniel Bryan grinned.
"Well get out of here then and leave us to get to work! You're annoying the crap out of me!" Randy got up, eyes flashing dangerously.
"Whoa, whoa, easy there!" Star jumped up to separate the two men before it came to blows.
"You're being very quiet over there Barrett, having trouble with your forms?" Kane sneered as Wade Barrett silently filled out his stack of forms.
"Meh." Was the reply.
"Can you put your hand up his backside and get him to talk?!" Kane growled at Star, who snarled and flashed her X-Ray Eyes at him.
"Hey!" A female voice said from the locker room door.
She was taller than Star, and a bit older. She had gorgeous auburn hair with a light peppering of freckles over her nose. She wore a nicely kept suit, with a tight skirt that ended just above her knees. "Hi. My name is Ruby and Teddy Long has asked me to help you guys with the paperwork."
Wade couldn't help but watch her out of the corner of his eye. She was beautiful. She seemed to have it all together, a calm aura of assuredness around her.
Which was a stark contrast to Star, who was currently being held back by Randy as Daniel tried to calm Kane down. "CALL ME LITTLE AGAIN AND YOU WILL DIE PHENOM!" Star roared.
"Simmer down Star." He told her. Star blinked, before grinning at him.
"So, I gather that there's a bit of tension between you guys?" Ruby ventured as Star resumed her seat next to Wade and rested her head on his shoulder.
"A little." Wade admitted, looking down at Star. "It's nothing though, we can all work together if the situation calls for it."
He ruffled Stars hair. Star was good-looking enough, but she wasn't beautiful. Wade grimaced. He remembered a time when he had thought that she was the most beautiful creature to ever walk the earth. He'd had all sorts of plans to marry her to a rich husband who would worship her, until the Imprint helped push his desire for her and HE became the one who worshipped her.
I want to go back. I want to go back to a time when I didn't even notice other women existed because all I could think about was her. Hell, even the Imprint itself had to rein me in! She deserves someone who will worship the ground she walks on.
Wade tried to remind himself that every heterosexual male in the world let their eyes wander sometimes. What was the saying? Something about as long as you eat at home, it doesn't matter where you get your appetite?
"I'm sure you can." Ruby smiled. "However, Teddy thinks it would be best if there was a mediator to help keeps things smooth."
"We don't NEED a mediator. We're all adults here, capable of working together maturely." Daniel informed her, a little too politely.
"What, like you were doing earlier?" Wade sneered.
"Watch your mouth, Barrett!"
"Or else you'll do what?!"
"I see I have my work cut out for me." Ruby sighed.
Wade blushed. I'm an idiot. I'm as bad as Star. Probably worse, I'm the one who taught her everything she knows.
He kept half-expecting a sarcastic snark from the Imprint, but it never came.
"My apologies Miss Ruby, I'll try to keep my temper in check." Wade said.
Star nearly fell off her chair. Since when did WADE BARRETT apologise to anyone?! Something was up. First Wade blushed and now an apology. She scowled at Ruby, and hugged Wade tightly.
Wade hugged her back. Ruby's just a pretty lady who happens to act like an adult. She's not Star. I bet Ruby can't even pick pockets...
Suddenly, Wade had an idea.
–
"And so you took care of her from when she was a teenager?" Ruby asked as she walked with Star and Wade Barrett along the busy street.
"Star is everything to me." Wade replied, keeping the small Misneach firmly by his side. "I'd do anything for her."
Star looked up at him, eyes shining with happiness. Wade felt his heart melt. God he loved her!
Suddenly he felt a familiar burning in his chest. Yes! YES! C'mon Imprint! Break the seal!
However, the burning vanished. He pouted slightly.
"You okay Wade?" Star asked.
"I thought the Imprint was about the break the seal. But it didn't." Wade sighed.
"Imprint?" Ruby asked.
"My kekkei genkai." Wade explained.
"Kekkei genkai?" Ruby looked confused.
"Bloodline trait." Star explained. "My kekkei genkai is my Misneach Eye Powers. Wade has the Barrett Imprint and the Silver Eyes. We sealed them though as a test."
"Because CM Punk stole your sisters eyes." Ruby put the pieces together. "And you want to be able to seal the eyes so he can't use them."
"Exactly." Wade said.
They noticed a homeless man with a tin in front of him, begging for money. Wade winked at Star, who grinned. Show time!
"Are you okay?" Star asked the man as she slipped a coin into his tin. He looked up at her sadly.
"My wife died. She looked after me because I can't work." The old man said.
"I'm really sorry to hear that. I hope you can make enough to get by." Star patted his shoulder.
"Thank you. You have a heart of gold." The old man watched as they walked away.
"That was very kind of you Star." Ruby beamed as they rounded the corner.
"I like to take care of people." Star grinned. "Especially my Wade."
She emptied a handful of coins into Wades hands. Ruby looked horrified.
"YOU ROBBED THAT POOR MAN?!" She cried.
"He STILL hasn't noticed!" Wade laughed. "Star, you are amazing!"
"Thank you Wade, but to be honest, you need to take some of the credit. You taught me that trick, remember?" Star took his empty hand into her own.
"But you executed it so well! Much better than I would have done!" Wade complimented her.
"I can't believe you two!" Ruby felt sick. How could these people be so cruel?
"He'll live!" Wade rolled his eyes.
"Wade, homelessness is a serious problem! Do you KNOW how many people die on the streets?!" Ruby chastised him.
"A fair few. We like to help speed the process up." Star shrugged. Ruby nearly lost it.
"You two are disgusting!" She stormed off.
"What's up with her?" Wade looked after her, confused.
"A goody two-shoes more than likely." Star told him.
"Eh. Whatever. Let's go get you some honey!" Wade grinned at Star, who cheered.
Nothing to worry about. No one other than Star really knows me. No one other than Star would ever accept me for who I am.
No one other than my Star would ever love me.
Wade felt a lot better.
–
"MOVE Grey Goat." Kane snarled.
"YOU move, Phenom!" Daniel Bryan bit back.
"Can you two both hustle?" Randy Orton groaned. "We need to get to work!"
"If this idiot would MOVE!" Kane growled angrily.
Picture: Team Smackdown arriving at the arena and trying to get through the door.
"You guys could just go through the door one at a time." Star suggested.
"That would work, if Kane would kindly MOVE OUT OF MY WAY." Daniel snapped, getting into Kanes face.
"MAKE ME." Kane fired back.
"I'll make both of you move if you don't bloody hurry up!" Wade Barrett yelled angrily.
"You stay out of this Barrett!" Both Kane and Daniel roared.
"I feel a headache coming on." Star groaned. She walked up to the bickering pair and low-blowed the both of them.
Both Kane and Daniel dropped to the ground in agony. Wade giggled while Randy went white.
"After you two." He graciously allowed Wade and Star through the door first.
–
"So everything's going smoothly with Team Smackdown?" Heath Slater asked as Star pulled on her ninja sandals.
"Smooth as cart with square wheels going down a rocky embankment." Star replied. "Plus we have this stupid Ruby skank cracking onto MY Wade."
"Ruby's not a skank Star. She's just doing her job." Wade Barrett patted her head. Star bristled.
"Whatever." She sulked. Justin Gabriel shared a worried look with Heath.
"She's in a difficult position Star, you have to admit that. She's just doing her best." Wade continued.
"Sure. Stick up for HER." Star pouted. Since when does Wade stick up for anyone but me?!
Wade sighed, and continued to get ready for the match he and Star had against David Otunga and Skip Sheffield. Star watched him, feeling a bit hurt.
"Hi. I'm Sue. I'm here to help you redecorate." A tall, blonde woman walked into the apartment that Wade shared with Star.
"Nice to meet you." Wade let her in and led her to the table. Star hid behind the sofa, scared of the intruder.
"You live here alone?" Sue asked.
"I live with my best friend, Lucky Star, who's hiding behind the sofa." Wade pointed to the small girl, who flinched.
"Cute." Sue looked down her nose at Star, not particularly liking any sort of child whatsoever. "You didn't advise me that there would be a child here."
"Lucky's nearly eighteen." Wade pointed out.
"She looks about twelve to me." Sue raised an eyebrow.
"Rough childhood." Was all Wade said.
The consult went well. Sue was a single woman, who was always on the lookout for Mr. Right. Wade was around her age, relatively good-looking, clearly loaded and seemed to be decent enough.
Star glowered at the intruder. How DARE she flirt with HER Wade?! NO ONE would ever get between Team WadeStar!
Sue left, leaving her phone number with Wade.
"You can come out now Lucky, she's gone." He chuckled as Star leapt from where she was hiding onto the sofa.
"I don't like her." Star pouted, jealous.
"Why not?" Wade blinked.
"Just don't."
"Alright then. We'll get another contractor in, shall we?" Wade ruffled her hair. Star smirked.
That had been when he had called her Lucky. Star missed her pet name, and it made her hate Ruby all the more.
"I'm going to go and get a drink. Want anything?" Wade asked. Heath and Justin politely declined, while Star pointedly ignored him. He groaned, before leaving to go and get a drink.
He found a vending machine, and was just deciding how much caffeine he needed when Ruby walked past.
"Hey Ruby." He said off-handedly.
"Hi Wade. I heard you guys had a bit of an altercation earlier." Ruby walked over, selecting a drink of her own.
Wade felt himself grow hot again. He shook it off, thinking about how miserable Star was at the moment. Poor kid. "Just a bit of argy-bargy about a door, nothing too serious." He picked a drink of his own.
"And your friend decided to literally take matters into her own hands." Ruby shook her head. "She's a loose cannon and needs to be brought into line."
"There's nothing wrong with Star!" Wade automatically went in to defend his beloved. "She's a good kid."
"Oh really?" Ruby narrowed her eyes at him. "Stealing from the poor, causing Clan Incidents, stealing expensive honey and generally being a spoiled brat. Tell me again how she's a "good kid", because I'm dying to know."
Wade stiffened. If he'd had the Imprint, he could have easily defended Star, but now without it, Stars faults stood out like a sore thumb and he couldn't find a way to defend her.
"She's had it rough. Leave her alone." Wade said finally.
"And let me guess, you're her chief enabler. Letting her walk all over you. Some man you are." Ruby looked down her nose at him (which was interesting seeing as he towered over her).
Wade grimaced, before walking away.
"She's such a BRAT! You need to discipline her!" An old lady at the shops scowled as Star grabbed as many jars of honey off the shelf as she could.
"She's my Lucky Star." Wade shrugged. "And whatever my Lucky wants, my Lucky gets."
What a mess. What a bloody mess.
And Wade knew that it would only end in Stars tears.
Uh-oh! Looks like Teddys new assistant Ruby has quickly gotten on the wrong side of Star, and has gotten Wade interested! Is she the wedge that will drive Team WadeStar apart? Is their love strong enough to get through this without Wades kekkei genkai?
For those of you in the US, I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving...whatever Thanksgiving is. Right now it's all about the Ashes in Australia, and beating the snot out of England (so expect some Wade torture in the next few chapters, especially if England start winning).
Love you all, and keep up the reads and reviews!