Joaquin is working out in the Performance Center, still working out a few kinks he'd noticed in his first televised match back on 205 Live, breathing steadily as he moves faster, trying to figure out his body's durability and what he needs to work the most on, when voices come towards the training room's doors. He pauses and peeks up, eyes lighting up when he realizes it's Robbie, who hovers outside of the doors with Riddick Moss. Joaquin frowns a little upon noticing the other man, rolling out of the ring. Things are a little awkward between Robbie's 'brand' and him, Robbie clearly going out of his way to avoid Joaquin whenever he's with them for whatever reason. Joaquin has his suspicions but does his best to keep them to himself, rolling out of the ring and crawling under the apron in an attempt to hide until he can make his escape.
"...just one thing I don't understand," Riddick says as Robbie hesitates to let him enter the facility first.
"What's that?" Robbie asks, walking up to the ring and leaning against the turnbuckle post, watching him as he enters the ring.
"You're so determined to make your brand great, and all you ever do is talk up how incredible Joaquin is, I could probably recite it in my sleep. Why don't you manage him too? Make him a member of the Outliers."
Robbie mulls it over for a few moments, then shrugs. "I just don't see the point," he says. "He's got his own things going on now, with this 205 Live stuff. I doubt he'd be interested, and truthfully, neither am I."
Joaquin bites his lip, hard, to keep the pained sound welling up in his throat from escaping. He waits until Robbie's moved away to crawl out of the opposite site of the ring and make his escape from the training facility, definitely not wanting to see either of them right now. He closes his eyes, walking unsteadily out of the Performance Center, and finds his car. He sits in the driver's seat, taps his fingers against the steering wheel, and tries not to have a panic attack as he replays Robbie's voice, the dismissive tone he spoke in. "Oh God," he mumbles, slamming down the gas and peeling out of the parking lot.
How he ends up at the park outside of their apartment complex, he's not sure, but he pulls himself out of the car and walks around in a loop, tracing his fingers over the decorated trees lining the roads twisting throughout it, and sits under the gazebo, staring up at the softly twinkling lights overhead. He had wondered, a time or two, why Robbie never offered to manage him too, but he'd never considered... never even thought this would be possible, where Robbie wasn't interested in him. In what way, though? He'd seemed plenty interested the night before...
Joaquin leans forward, steeples his fingers and buries his face in them, trying to breathe. "Well, Joaquin," he murmurs. "Merry Christmas. You finally make it to NXT just to learn this entire time, your boyfriend sees you as something pointless. Nothing interesting."
Time passes, night approaches, the winds cool, and Joaquin still hasn't moved from under the gazebo, shivering and cringing over each gust of wind cascading over his bare skin. He doesn't respond when he hears a car pull up, or its doors slam shut, nor when someone walks up to him and rests a hand on his shoulder. "Joaquin! Joaquin!" Still nothing. "Zema!"
He snaps back to consciousness and looks up at Robbie. "Hey- hey..." His voice fades away and he looks down at his hands. "What do you want?"
Robbie blinks, sitting down next to him. "I, uh. I saw the car from the apartment, and... well. What are you doing here, bro?" He hesitates, looking around at the cheerfully twinkling lights. "It's really beautiful here, sure, but..." He sobers up and leans into Joaquin's warmth. "What's up?"
Joaquin looks over at him, then exhales. Never one to shy away from hard truths, he squares his shoulders and decides to put it right out there. "I heard you and Moss at the performance center," he admits. "I heard him ask you why you don't want to manage me. And your answer."
Robbie stares at him. "Oh." A moment of silence passes between them. "Oh. Bro, I swear it's not as bad as it sounds. Look, you know I think you're amazing. When I say I'm not interested, it's because you don't need me. You're gonna find your path just fine on your own, I mean look at you. Back from injury and already kicking ass on 205 Live." He runs his fingers over the shaved ridges in Joaquin's hair, smiling at him. "Besides if you haven't noticed, I try to keep my personal life and business life separate. Bro, I'm too obnoxious to be your manager and boyfriend. C'mon, I wouldn't do that to my worst enemy."
"I guess that makes sense," Joaquin says. "Is that why you always drag Moss and Matha away whenever I run into you guys in the back though? I thought they hated me or something."
Robbie shrugs. "Who could ever hate you? But no," he says softly, resting his forehead on Joaquin's shoulder. "They like you well enough, I guess I was just being too stubborn about not mixing personal and professional stuff. I'll try to be better about that. Forgive me?"
"Of course," Joaquin tells him, lips quirking up into a small smile.
"Perfect," Robbie says, glancing upwards a couple of times until Joaquin grows curious and looks up too, finding Robbie gripping a mistletoe over their heads. He laughs and leans in, cradling Robbie's jaw before kissing him warmly. Robbie hums happily before easing back, brushing his finger over Joaquin's lips. "Maybe we can invite the guys over for our Christmas party, then you can get to know them properly."
Joaquin grins. "I'd like that," he agrees, resting his forehead against Robbie's and staring into his eyes warmly. "Love you, R."
"Love you too, Z," he says.