Dean's Friday morning started off the same way a lot of days began as of late. He blinked against the sunlight peeking between the blinds, wondering if his headache was from not drinking enough water or if a blood clot in his brain finally burst. He sighed heavily, dropping his head back into his pillow. Thankfully, his knee wasn't hurting like it did last night, and that was mostly thanks to Alexa's knowledge of first aid and her undying love for him.
Dean reached his hand over to Alexa's side of the bed. His fingers searched for any part of her, just wanting some kind of human touch while his head continuously rang like he was late for morning mass. Instead of Alexa's soft skin, Dean's fingertips found nothing but the bed sheet in their journey. Ceasing from rubbing his tired eyes with his opposite hand, Dean then realized Alexa wasn't on her side of the bed. The finding struck Dean as a little odd since Alexa didn't have student teaching yet until the following week and he usually noticed her come and go if she got out of bed (unless he'd been drinking, of course).
Right when Dean thought about calling Alexa, the aroma of bacon filled his nostrils. He cocked his eyebrow, then set to find the source of this amazing scent. Dean lifted the now melted bag of ice off his bum knee, then eased himself onto his feet and headed for the bedroom door.
Pulling on a pair of gym shorts and one of his hoodies that Alexa hadn't claimed for herself, Dean shuffled into the living room. There, with her back to the bedroom, stood the girl Dean sought after. The tiny brunette cheerleader stood in front of the stove range, a spatula in her right hand and a glass of OJ in her left. Bliss silently sang to herself, cheerfully reciting the words to BECKY G's "Shower." Dean leaned against the doorframe, simply admiring the petite woman as she swayed along to the sweet melody and giggled to herself as she sang along.
"All I want, all I need is your lovin'. Baby, you make me hot like an oven..." Alexa recited under her breath, not wanting to speak too loudly and possibly wake her fiance.
Alexa reached over the frying pan and switched the burners off. She furrowed her brow, then spun around on her heels.
Dean's wide grin answered the question Alexa was about to ask before she even put it into words.
"Were you just watching me sing?" Alexa asked.
Dean shrugged. "Yeah, I was. I like it when you sing."
Alexa bashfully tried to play off the compliment with an eye roll. "Thanks, baby. You weren't supposed to be up yet."
Dean limped into the kitchen. "Yeah? Why's that, babe?"
Bliss wrapped her arms around Dean's neck, letting her hands dangle behind his neck as the two lovers stared into each other's eyes. Alexa had almost forgotten that Dean asked her a question. Dean wasn't waiting on an answer that badly either, but he lost his train of thought in Alexa's light sky blue eyes.
"I was going to give you breakfast in bed since your knee still hurts," Alexa said, turning their focus to the plates of eggs, bacon, and toast sitting on the counter.
Dean smirked. "Usually that's my job, babe. I don't think wives make their husbands breakfast in bed unless he does something unheard of, like, cure cancer or makes them cum."
Alexa giggled lightly, burying her face in Dean's chest. "In that case, I should make you breakfast every morning."
"I don't know about every morning," Dean chuckled.
Alexa pecked the underside of Dean's chin. "Oh, trust me, boo. It would be every morning."
Dean picked up the salt shaker and held it like an award. "I'd just like to thank the academy for nominating me. Also wanna thank my team; I couldn't perform the best to my abilities without their constant love and support."
Alexa hugged Dean tighter. "I love you so much, you silly goof."
Dean pecked Alexa on the crown of her head. "I love you too, babe. Happy One-Year of putting up with me."
Alexa stared lovingly into Dean's eyes. "One whole year. Where the heck did the time go?"
"I have no idea, Lex," Dean admitted. "What I do have some idea about is that it's the first of many. I'm yours until you get sick of me."
"What if I never get sick of you?" Alexa challenged with a giggle.
Dean's eyes widened. "Then you're stuck with me forever. Ohmygod, what are we going to do with forever?"
Alexa fluttered her eyelashes, unable to hide her smile anymore. "Marriage... babies... a retirement plan... a tax cut..."
Dean swiped Alexa's phone from the counter. Alexa peaked over the top of her phone, watching Dean open Spotify and scroll through her lists of music. Ambrose chuckled, tapping on a playlist entitled "Dean 3". Dean hit shuffled and set the phone aside. The opening chords to ERIC CHURCH's "Springsteen" started to fill the open silence in the apartment.
"What's the music for?" Alexa questioned.
"Dance with me, baby," Dean politely instructed.
Alexa, a joyous smile overtaking her, held onto Dean like she did when they danced the night of formal. Between the counter and stove, there wasn't much room to sway or twirl, but the young couple gently stepped back and forth to the slow rhythm of the song.
"Why do you have this song on your playlist about me?" Dean asked, sealing the small gap between himself and his fiance with a soft peck on the lips.
"Reminds me of you," Alexa said.
"Isn't this about a lost love he had when he was a kid?" Dean asked.
Alexa nodded. "Yeah, but sometimes I feel like you and I have known each other longer than a year. Like, maybe we might've made eye contact back in Ohio and we just had no idea. Then, by a miracle, we found each other again."
Dean grinned. "I think about that; What if I grew up a couple of hundred miles Northeast of where I actually did, ya know? Maybe I'd be a different person, or I'd be the exact same. But... we would've still got together. I don't think I believe in soulmates but I do believe in fate. And Alexa Bliss you are what fate had for me."
Alexa giggled into Dean's hoodie. "Heaven makes someone for everyone. You are mine, Dean Ambrose."
Dean sighed heavily. "As good as that sounds, there is something I need to ask you."
Alexa lifted an eyebrow in question. "What? I thought you were all out of surprises for the week when you brought home another fudge cake yesterday."
Dean shook his head. "No. It's something different." Ambrose eased himself onto one knee, grinning when Alexa rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Alexa Jean-Louise Bliss..."
"Ohmygod," Alexa giggled, shaking her head but in good spirit about her fiance's antics.
"I love you with all my heart and soul," Dean recited. "I want nothing but to be with you forever. Will you marry me?"
Alexa held up her left hand, showing her future husband the shiny diamond perched on her knuckle. Dean's smile faded and his mouth fell partially agape.
"Wait, you're already engaged?" Dean asked with faux sadness.
Alexa tutted her tongue. "Yes, I am. And the handsome boy of my dreams is kneeling in my kitchen like a crazy person."
"You think I'm handsome?" Dean quipped.
Alexa lightly smacked Dean's shoulder, then raked her fingers through his hair as she leaned in for a kiss. Alexa parted away to put the final touches on breakfast. Dean went to stand up but stopped when his knee almost buckled.
"Are you ok?" Alexa asked worryingly.
Dean nodded stiffly. "Yeah. Just knelt too long. I'll be fine."
Using the kitchen island, and Alexa allowing him to lean some of his weight against her, Dean hoisted himself to his feet. Ambrose kept his lips sealed to keep from yelling out in pain and scaring Alexa more than she already looked; Judging by the worry in her eyes, Alexa was probably more terrified than Dean was.
"You should get back to bed," Alexa instructed. "I'll get you more ice and some Advil."
Dean shook his head. "I'm ok, Le-"
"Bed. Now," Alexa repeated, pointing a stern index at her fiance. "I'm not kidding, Dean. Either listen or no breakfast or sex for a month."
Dean furrowed his brow. "You won't let me eat breakfast for a month?"
Alexa swatted Dean on the backside, prompting a light chuckle from the younger boy. "Don't be a smartass. Get back in bed."
Dean nodded obediently, hobbling back for his and Alexa's shared bedroom. Once back in bed, Dean propped his knee on the small stack of pillows Alexa constructed for him to support his injured joint while he slept. No less than a minute later, Alexa arrived with a bag of ice, a bottle of mild painkillers, and the breakfast she probably spent all morning preparing for the two of them.
Alexa gently applied the bag of ice over Dean's knee. She took away the bottle of flat beer Dean tried to use to wash down his medicine, trading it instead for a glass of milk.
"Thanks, baby," Dean muttered, only irritated with himself for getting this hurt so easily.
Alexa held her hands against her hips. "I'm worried about you, Dean. What did Sandow say yesterday?"
"That he doesn't think anything is horribly wrong with me, but it's my call if I think I need to see a doctor," explained Dean, who was starting to feel the pain go away thanks to the ice.
"Maybe you should," Alexa lazily scratched her fingertips over Dean's good knee. "It never hurts to be careful. If it's torn, then you're making it worse not getting it checked out."
Dean sighed through his nose. "I know, baby. Maybe you're right. I just fucking hate hospitals."
"I know, hun. I do too," Alexa pecked her fiancee on the cheek. She then offered him his plate of food, which Dean took with a soft smile.
"Sorry I ruined the start to our anniversary," Dean said.
Alexa tapped Dean on the tip of his nose with a piece of bacon. "No more of that today either. You are not allowed to be upset today for any reason."
Dean chuckled. "Ok, babe. I'll do my best."
Alexa quickly pecked Dean on the lips, then leaned her head against his shoulder so she could stay close to his side while still enjoying her food.
Three days of keeping her rage to herself were almost enough to eat away at Charlotte's better judgment. And with that gone, she was probably prone to beating down paparazzi with a shovel and running Sonya down with her car. Alas, Flair managed to keep her cool for the sake of continuing her enrollment at SU.
Still, Charlotte traveled to Race dormitories. Cheating, lying girlfriend or not, Charlotte had every right in the universe to see her friend. Making conversation and seeing the Irishwoman laugh sounded like the perfect thing to calm Charlotte down. Then she'd see Sonya and the anger would flare up again and she'd be right back at square one, but beggars can't be choosers.
Charlotte stood outside the familiar dorm room, lightly tapping her knuckles against the wood. She hoped Becky hadn't left for class, but didn't want to text her ahead of time just to give this visit a little bit of a surprise factor.
Charlotte's face lit up. Becky was in fact the one to answer the door. The two connected gazes, staring silently at each other for the longest time. Charlotte would be lying if she said she didn't immediately notice that Becky was in a sports bra and yoga pants, but Lynch's chocolate-shaded eyes took her attention just as quickly after.
"Hey, Char," Becky said with a smile. "I didn' know you was stoppin' by."
"Wanted to surprise you," Charlotte said. "Maybe get Nitro's before class."
Becky stood aside, letting Charlotte into her apartment. Charlotte searched around the apartment with her eyes, trying to find any sign of Sonya. It made her cringe to think that the last time she was in this dorm she caught her best friend's girlfriend with another girl. No sign of Sonya came about from Charlotte's quick look around.
In fact, picturing Shayna all over Sonya made Charlotte's blood boil. Not so much because Shayna was cheating, but the fact that it was Becky who she was cheating on. If it were anybody else, Charlotte would turn the other cheek and pretend like she didn't know anything. But because it was the sweet soul that was Becky Lynch, Charlotte was seething on the inside just thinking about it.
Charlotte had pictured herself standing over Sonya, repeatedly kicking her in the side. That chaotic energy transitioned to the surface, but instead of beating down Becky's lover, Flair found herself pinning Becky against the fridge and pressing against her like the only thing keeping her alive was constant contact with Becky. Charlotte tasted cream cheese and apple juice on Becky's tongue. Charlotte tried for a handful of Becky's plump ass, but the fridge being in the way stopped her from doing that.
Charlotte parted away from her best friend, staring down at her with a smile while she tried to catch her breath.
"Sonya's in t'e shower," Becky whispered.
Charlotte brought her hands back to her sides. "Right. Sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
Becky glanced towards the bathroom, then took each of Charlotte's hands in hers. Charlotte kept a slight smirk on her face to hide how insanely disappointed she was that Becky wasn't her girl.
"You have pretty eyes," Charlotte cooed under her breath, keeping her voice low so Sonya couldn't hear.
Becky chuckled silently. "Yeah? I like yer kisses."
Charlotte planted another smooch on Becky's lips. "Baby, please be with me," she didn't mean to say anything, but the sentence was rolling off her tongue before she had any chance to stop it.
Becky nodded slowly. "I know. I want you too."
Charlotte tucked some loose hair behind her ear. "Maybe we can talk more at Nitros. I shouldn't wait around for Sonya or you'll have to break us apart."
Becky chortled under her breath. "Yeah, I don't wanna do that today... or any day, really."
Charlotte offered one more kiss, then slipped out of the apartment. Torn between going back into Becky's apartment and continuing kissing her like nothing else in the world mattered and hitting Sonya over the head with a flat-screen TV, Charlotte dragged her heavy feet as best as she was able to so she could wait for Becky at Nitros.
Seth's intent for the weekend was to take it easy before he had to start all over the following Monday. He wanted to relax, drink some beer, and shoot the shit with his friends, and nothing else that would otherwise cause him stress. That's why he called up Roman, Dean, and Toni early that day, just wanting a few hours to hang out with his friends before they went off and did whatever they had planned.
So, when Roman showed up with Tessa, and Adam called up Bobby, Roderick, Kyle, and most unfortunate, Tay freaking Conti, Seth's day started to spiral down before it was even eleven AM.
"Dean didn't show up?" Roman asked his best friend.
Seth shook his head, sipping at a cup of orange juice mixed with vodka; A 'screwdriver', or otherwise known as an excuse to drink before noon.
"It's his and Lex's anniversary, I guess," Seth said. "I wanted to hang out with you and Toni. Like, shoot the shit or play some 2k."
"Tessa wanted to tag along," Roman told. "She never leaves me alone, man. It's great that she's super into me, but I want time for my friends too."
Seth sighed. "No offense, man, but Tessa is a little weird. She doesn't hang out with anyone but you."
"No, she has her friend Allie," Roman looked for his girlfriend across the room; Tessa was chatting with Toni and Tay. Roman's girl looked up from her conversation to flash him a smile and wave. Roman offered a grin as well before turning back to Seth. Roman continued. "One weird thing did happen the other day. I could've sworn she said she lived in Poffo, but we go to Duggan when we hang out at her place."
Seth chuckled. "Maybe she doesn't even go here. What if she's been sent to destroy you, like a fuckin' hitman or something?"
"And who would send a hitman after me?" Roman asked humorously.
Seth shrugged. "Summer, man."
Roman exhaled sharply, then nodded his head. "That's actually a pretty good point."
Seth felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. "Do you see her around campus? Summer, I mean," he glanced at his phone.
Toni: I wanted to talk to you quick
Seth glanced at Toni as he tucked his phone away. Toni briefly focused her eyes on Seth while she spoke to Tessa, but it was enough to let Seth know she wanted to talk now.
Roman gulped down the rest of his drink. "I should get back. Tessa's lookin' at me."
Seth chuckled. "Good luck with that, man."
Under the cover of everyone being distracted, Seth motioned for Toni to follow him into his bedroom. Toni waited for a gap in the conversation, then excused herself to use the bathroom, but ducked into Seth's room when no one was looking.
"What's up?" Seth asked his teammate.
"I'm gonna head out in a minute," Toni said.
Seth furrowed his brow. "What? Why? You just got here a second ago."
"Yeah, mate, but I thought it was just going to be you and me," Toni explained. "But it's you, me, and half of Stamford."
Seth sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. At least let me make it up to you?"
Toni tried hiding a slight smile. "You're too easy sometimes, Seth."
Seth furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"
"A little displeasure and you're all ready to move the Earth if I asked," Toni grinned when Seth visibly caught on to her tactics. "But, sure, if you want to make it up to me then you can."
Seth nodded, smiling from ear to ear. "I knew you were having a good time."
Toni held her hands behind her back. "Any time I get to spend with you is good."
Seth thought that as an opportunity to kiss Storm, but he resisted just in case someone barged in or knocked on the door. Instead of any sensual act, Seth held out his fist for Toni to bump. Storm touched her knuckles against Seth's, her smile not fading for a moment.
"We could see a movie later," Seth suggested. "Maybe get some food after? My treat, obviously."
Toni nodded. "Sure. That sounds nice. It's been a minute since I went out with a friend."
Before she left, Toni lifted herself on her toes and touched her lips against Seth's cheek. Seth started to ask Toni why she kissed him but she was heading out the door by the time he could find the words to do so.
Charlotte had been waiting for such a long time that she began to think Becky wasn't coming. Maybe she could've found a way to accept that Becky had chosen Sonya over her in due time, but in the moment it felt like a hot knife through her heart. To be fair, Becky might've been trying to find an excuse to get away from Sonya for a few minutes. Simple or complex, every possible scenario played through Charlotte's head a million times over.
Charlotte just about gave up hope, then she saw a woman with fiery red hair crossing the street. Charlotte sat up in her seat, her heart starting to beat faster. Becky stepped into Nitros, finding Charlotte almost immediately across the room. Flair's smile faded fast. Becky's normally cheery smile wasn't present on her perfect face. Instead, a hard stare and a tight frown had been etched on her face.
Becky slid into the chair across the table from her friend. Charlotte found it odd that Becky hadn't gotten a coffee or something to eat first; She felt a little self-conscious now with her half-eaten breakfast sandwich and a large coffee.
"Glad you could make it," Charlotte spoke softly, attempting to read her Becky's face; So far, it appeared that she was trying to think of what to say with the same frown on her lips. Charlotte continued. "Don't you wanna get something to drink first?"
Becky slowly shook her head. "No. T'is shouldn' take long."
Though Charlotte's face hadn't portrayed any emotion, her heart just shattered into a million pieces. Becky's outward expression mixed with not wanting to talk very long? Surely that didn't mean she was here to tell Charlotte she was breaking up with Sonya and choosing her best friend instead.
"Ok," Charlotte managed to utter under the stress of the situation.
Becky inhaled sharply through her nose; In that moment, her eyes started to well with tears.
"I jus' had an interestin' conversation with Sonya," Becky hissed, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her leather jacket. "She told me what she saw you doin'."
"What are you talking about, Bex?" Charlotte asked calmly.
Becky chuckled dryly. "I should've known you were jus' playin' with me feelin's. I'm so fookin' stupid fer lettin' this 'appen to me again."
Charlotte felt her heart skip a beat so hard that she nearly cried out.
"Becky, what are you talking about?" Charlotte persisted with a broken voice.
Becky locked her ice-cold glare on Charlotte. "Sonya told me she saw you t'e ot'er day. When you went back to me place to get me charger? She says she saw you gettin' friendly with Shayna in t'e 'allway."
"Hold on, what?" Charlotte shook her head. "Becky, you can't be serious. I was-"
"Fuckin' with me? Yeah, I know," Becky chuckled dryly and shook her head. "Of all t'e people in me life, I thought you were one I could trust."
"Becky, I swear I am," Charlotte insisted, choking on her tears. "I-I didn't do anything with Shayna. I went back to your place to get your charger and I saw her and Sonya together. Becky, they were making out on your couch and Sonya had her shirt off and-"
"Shut your fookin' mouth," Becky growled lowly, keeping her voice low and stern; It scared the hell out of Charlotte. "I've had enough of yer lies, Charlotte. You led me on all Summer, and now you pull this shite. I'm done with you."
Charlotte was on the verge of a full-fledged public freakout. Paparazzi be damned, Becky telling her she was done was more important than what other people thought of her.
Charlotte reached for Becky's hand. "Baby, please-"
"Touch me again and I break yer fookin' hand," Becky snapped. She got to her feet. "If you come near me or Sonya again, we'll have a fookin' problem. And I won't call Boss Man until after I'm done with ya."
Becky stormed for the door. Charlotte, covering her face as she inhaled sharply, felt the tears spill down her face through her fingers. Leaving her food on the table, Charlotte bolted for her car before she embarrassed herself any further.
By the time the early Autumn evening settled over Stamford, Seth Rollins stood waiting outside Hollywood Blondes Cinema for his friend and teammate to arrive and join him for a little get together. Surprisingly, all the build-up to this moment was mainly left to casual texts exchanged between Seth and Toni. There was no flirting, no inuendos, or any real hint that this was anything more than two teammates hanging out beyond the limits of football practice. Also surprisingly, despite how he felt about Storm no less than a few days ago, spending a few hours together as friends was more than enough for him, and that confused Seth in more ways than one.
Seth zipped up his hoodie, shivering against the windchill as he began wondering where the hell Toni was. At that moment, he watched her approach him from down the street.
"There you are," Seth said with a smirk. "I was starting to think you bailed on me."
"Fuck no," Toni said, baiting a chuckle from Seth. "So, what are you thinking for a film?"
Seth nodded at the posters lining the outer wall of the building. "They're showing some new stuff and a few older ones. I don't remember seeing Interstellar or Shutter Island. I've heard Crazy Rich Asians is supposed to be good too."
"Is Interstellar the one where they go into space to save humanity?" Toni asked.
Seth nodded. "I think so."
"Let's see that one then."
"Cool." With that, Seth held the door open for Toni, then followed her inside.
Seth requested two tickets for the re-screening of the 2014 film they chose to see. Toni, even when Seth insisted he could cover the cost, paid for a bucket of popcorn and two sodas. Toni shelled a few extra bucks for a box of milk duds since she'd never tried them before. Seth led the way to their theater, making light conversation about the football game next week.
Seth started to find a seat in the third row.
"Up here, mate," Toni instructed, climbing the stairs higher.
Seth shrugged and followed Storm. The New Zealander guided the way to the very top of the theater against the back wall just under the projector. Seth snickered at the seating choice but made no argument against it.
Seth settled into a seat beside Toni. Taking a look around, Seth noticed they were two of the very few people in the theater. It didn't come off as odd since the movie was a few years old and a lot of the newer movies were being screened elsewhere.
Toni popped a few chocolate fudge treats in her mouth.
"How are they?" Seth asked.
Toni nodded as she chewed. "Alright. I can feel the diabetes settling in."
Seth snickered. "Clogging your arteries is part of the American film-goer experience, Storm."
Storm lifted the armrest between the two of them. Seth watched on curiously, wondering what Storm was up to. Toni scooted closer to Seth until they were shoulder-to-shoulder. She leaned back in her seat, then rested her head on Seth's shoulder.
Seth grinned. "Friends don't usually cuddle during a movie, Storm."
"Put your arm around me or I'll kick your face," Toni lightly threatened.
Seth did as he was told, guiding his arm over Toni's shoulders. Storm leaned further into Seth, turning into him until her head rested almost entirely on Seth's chest. Seth smiled to himself, enjoying how close he was to Toni. If it weren't for her snapback, Seth could probably smell whatever shampoo she used that morning.
The lights dimmed low once the trailers started playing. Seth watched on, mildly disinterested at the upcoming films being promoted. He was mostly focused on the popcorn and the light movements Toni's hand made as she rubbed his knee back and forth. Seth took a sip from his soda and looked around the room again. Even with the movie starting soon, there were hardly more than ten people in the entire theater.
"Not a lot of people in here," Seth wondered out loud.
"I see that," Toni responded.
Seth chuckled quietly. "Could be perfect for us to make out right now."
Toni scoffed. "You wish, mate."
"A little, yeah," Seth admitted. "I like this better though. Sitting with you is just as good."
Toni turned her head, facing Seth. Even in the dim light, Rollins could tell she was smiling. It brought a beam of warmth to his chest to see his Toni smile when all he was doing was being honest. Seth joked about making out with her, and though that would be fun, he really would much rather just sit with her and watch a movie.
Toni pecked Seth on the underside of his chin. Seth rubbed Toni's shoulder, squeezing slightly when she turned back to the movie.
Dean and Alexa hadn't been separated for much longer than a few minutes throughout the entirety of Friday. After breakfast, they spent most of the morning in bed talking about their futures and what their best guess about what came next after SU could possibly be. After that, Dean and Alexa killed some time by watching movies, cuddling, napping, and of course a few rounds of passionate lovemaking. Dean couldn't kneel or stand for long without his knee nearly giving out, so Alexa was on top for a majority of their alone time in the bedroom and living room, but Alexa was more worried about Dean hurting himself than where she needed to be to please herself and her fiance.
With a few minutes until they were due to arrive at Blackjack's, Dean stood in his bedroom putting the final touches on his outfit. He bore a black button-down dress shirt with dress pants that matched. Since his future wife liked it when he put extra effort into his appearance, Ambrose even tucked his shirt in and combed his hair back. Dean hated his hair slicked back but this day was as much about Alexa as it was him, and Dean would do anything for his girl.
Dean spritzed some cologne over his shirt. "How's it goin', babe?" He called out to Alexa, who was still in the bathroom; They still had time until their reservations were due, but he also wanted to get to the restaurant earlier than their call time just to be sure that their table wasn't given away.
"Almost done! I promise!" Alexa yelled back.
Dean chuckled. "No rush, darlin'. I can't wait to see how you look."
Dean pushed weight onto his injured knee. The pain had subsided some time ago, but it still ached a bit if he stood for a long amount of time. His knee was a big reason why Dean wanted to get to Blackjack's early; If they lost their reservations, he and Alexa would be standing around for upwards of an hour and he couldn't physically put himself through that right now.
Alexa stepped into the bedroom. "Ok. I'm all ready." She chirped, a very obvious sense of excitement in her voice.
Dean glanced over his shoulder. He did a double-take, grinning widely at the tiny beauty watching his every move. Alexa wore a navy blue halter dress, much like the one she wore in Cabo. Her brunette hair fell in waterfall-like curls over her shoulders, perfectly contrasting against her dress. The blue in the dress made Alexa's eyes pop out more, giving them a little extra sparkle. Underneath Alexa's dress, the part that caught Dean's eye the most, were fishnet leggings as dark as Dean's wardrobe. They were cut so the holes were smaller and could be underneath more formal wear. Alexa knew Dean enjoyed fishnets more than he loved silk, which is why she chose this particular undergarment.
Dean's eyes scanned his fiance several times over. "Look at you..."
"Look at your hair," Alexa chirped with a grin. "Did you do that for me?"
"I did, baby doll," Dean limped up to his future bride. "Did you wear fishnets for me?"
Alexa feigned innocence with a head tilt. "Do you like fishnets? I had no idea, baby."
Dean grinned, prompting a tiny giggle from his girlfriend. "More than I do silk panties, babe."
"Who said I was wearing any of that?" Alexa questioned seductively with a wink.
"You're teasing me on purpose, aren't you?" Dean asked.
Alexa nodded. "I sure am."
"And there's zero chance we have sex until after malts, isn't there?"
Alexa nodded once. "Yes. You keep your hands to yourself tonight, mister. I am a classy woman with a fiance who I love very much."
Dean pecked Alexa on her lips. "I love you so much, Lex. Happy Anniversary."
Alexa smiled gently, though sweetly. "Happy Anniversary. I love you too. C'mon, I'm hungry for steak."
Walking hand in hand, Dean and Alexa ventured to the ground floor. Alexa insisted they take the highlander so Dean didn't have to struggle to get in and out of the car. Dean hated wasting an opportunity in driving Alexa's dad's truck, but he relented and did what was asked of him since he knew Alexa was only being cautious for his own well being.
After parking outside Blackjack's, Dean hobbled over to Alexa's side of the car and opened the door for her. Dean had a little trouble walking to the restaurant under his own power, but Alexa kept her patience and walked as slowly as her fiance needed to. Dean felt like shit about having to take his time walking but he was relieved a little when Alexa's smile never wavered from her face.
Dean thanked himself for making reservations ahead of time because the place was packed to the gills. Dean waded through the small gathering of people near the front of the building to get to the hostess.
"Hi, we have reservations," Dean told the young woman. "Table for two; Should be under 'Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose'."
Alexa's fingers gripped tighter at Dean's. Dean flashed his lover a wink and pecked her on the cheek. The hostess confirmed the reservation and led the couple to a two-person table near the back of the establishment. The table stood out from the others with the vase of flowers and tall candles lighting the small space. Alexa looked to Dean, wondering if this was his doing but his telling grin was all the answers Alexa needed.
Dean pulled out Alexa's chair for her, then pushed her in.
"Would you like a wine menu?" The hostess asked.
"Please," Dean confirmed. He turned his attention to his fiance when the waitress walked away. "So... one year together..."
Alexa's smile had been non-stop for almost thirty minutes. "One whole year. The first of many more, my love."
"How many more?" Dean asked.
"I'm thinking at least an infinite amount," Alexa replied.
"An infinite amount?" Dean sucked air through his teeth. "We should probably start talking about kids and a wedding then."
"Three kids, one angel baby, and a small wedding with just close friends and immediate family," Alexa recited. They'd talked about these subjects so many times that Alexa knew that Dean already had an idea of what their futures were going to be, but hearing her future husband mention babies, their wedding, and just what came next warmed her heart. Alexa continued her thought. "That all comes after we leave SU though. I want to teach for a few years before I take advantage of maternity leave."
Dean nodded slowly. "Hmmm... that does sound pretty nice. What would you name our first child?"
Alexa's eyes sparkled in the candlelight. "Alofa Jeannette."
Dean smiled softly. "And our first son?"
Alexa slid her fingers through Dean's. "Toa Johnathon."
"I think I can come to terms with an infinite amount of years with you," Dean dragged his thumb over Alexa's knuckles, fiddling with her engagement ring. "One more question: Who's your favorite NFL football team?"
Alexa giggled. "The Cleveland Browns."
Dean sighed. "Well, I knew it was too good to be true..."
"Oh, whatever," Alexa playfully rolled her eyes. "You'd give us up over which football team I cheer for?"
"Oh, heck no, Lex," Dean assured. "You'd have to repeatedly kick me in the 'fun stuff' before I even considered the idea."
A waitress returned for their wine request. Dean mispronounced the name of a sweet red wine, aged twenty-two years. Blackjack's wasn't the most formal place in the state, but Dean still found it incredible that this place had wine as an option for dinner.
"What are you thinking about getting?" Dean asked.
"The ol' ninety-sixer," Alexa stated.
Dean chuckled once. "I love you, but there's no way."
"You don't think I could do it?" Alexa asked.
"Six bounds of steak? I don't think Braun could do it after going a week without food."
Alexa chuckled. "I guess I'll settle for a twenty-ounce ribeye with broccoli and a baked potato then. What about you?"
"I kinda wanna go to Chuckie T's and take a shot at the ninety-sixer now," Dean admitted.
Alexa covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from laughing out loud.
"What?" Dean asked with a grin. "I love giant meat in my mouth, babe."
"Oh do you?" Alexa chuckled. "Well, I don't know if you've been paying attention this last year but... Becky?"
Dean furrowed his brow. "Becky likes giant meat in her mouth?"
Alexa gestured behind Dean. "No. Becky and Sonya are here."
Dean turned in his seat. Sure enough, Becky and Sonya were being led to the same area Dean and Alexa were sitting in.
"Hey, guys," Sonya greeted the other couple. "Looks like we're not the only ones that needed a night out."
Dean struggled to get to his feet. "Yeah, it's our anniversary today."
"Oh, wow! Congrats, guys." Sonya praised.
Dean and Alexa exchanged hugs with Sonya and Becky. It was pointed out almost right away that Dean and Sonya were wearing practically the same outfit, but Sonya wore a white button-down instead of black. Alexa complemented Becky's black single-shoulder strap empire gown that reached just above Lynch's knees.
Soon, the waitress returned to take Dean and Alexa's food orders. Both agreed on steak, veggies, and a baked potato, but Dean requested a thirty-six-ounce rare ribeye while Alexa asked for a twenty-ounce ribeye cooked medium-rare.
Alexa excused herself to use the restroom. Sonya stood, saying she was going to wash her hands quickly before dinner. Dean sat at his table, alone. He glanced a few feet away at Becky, who was fidgeting with her phone.
"Alright, I have to say something," Dean spoke up, bringing Becky's focus to him. "Are you really wearing a dress right now?"
Becky rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me, lad. I wanted to go to Roadie's, but Sonya insisted we come 'ere. I dunno. Congrats on one year, by the way."
"Thanks, Lynch," Dean sat back in his chair and sighed. "How's your day going?"
Becky shook her head. "I don't wanna get into it."
Dean checked around the room, then switched tables. He sat down across from his Irish friend.
"You can tell me anything, man," Dean promised in a hushed tone. "You and I have some dirt on each other that would make Jesus weep."
Becky managed a slight grin. "Yer not wrong there... I had ta cut Charlotte out of me life t'is mornin'."
Dean's eyes widened. "Whoa, what?"
"Aye, lad," Becky shook her head slowly. "I didn' t'ink I ever 'ad ta do t'at, but here we are."
"The hell happened?" Dean asked.
"Sonya said she caught Charlotte kissin' Shayna outside me apartment," Becky sighed again. "I didn' think she was playin' with me anymore, but I was apparently wrong."
"What did she say when you asked her about it?" Dean asked.
Becky scoffed. "She denied it. Told me Sonya was t'e one cheatin' on me. I can't believe her."
Dean furrowed his brow. "Yeah, that... doesn't sound like Charlotte. Like, at all."
"I know, but you never really know someone," Becky chuckled. "We should know, right?"
Dean chuckled dryly. "Yeah, that's true. I've come to the conclusion that Alexa can never know what happened with Ruby. It'll probably kill her at this point."
"I don't blame ya," Becky said.
Alexa stepped out of the women's room, lightly shaking her hands to dry them off better. On the way back to her table, she happened to glance up at the employee entrance to the kitchen. Surprisingly, she spotted Sonya talking to another woman. Alexa thought the other girl looked familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Sonya said something to the other girl, then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Alexa found that the most surprising, but pushed that aside since she herself did that with some of her female friends and it was most likely nothing more than a way of saying goodbye.
Alexa nearly collided with her fiance when he suddenly rushed past her.
"Whoa, baby, are you ok?" Alexa asked.
Dean nodded. "Uh, yeah. I just gotta... uh, piss real bad."
Alexa chuckled. "Ok. Hurry back, ok?"
Dean pecked Alexa on the cheek and ducked into the men's room.
Instead of heading for a urinal or a stall, Dean pulled his phone from his pocket. He scrolled his contacts, then tapped the name of his brother's ex that wasn't into Judo or soccer players.
After three rings, the line connected.
"What?" Charlotte groaned into her end.
"Charlotte? What are you doing?" Dean asked sternly.
"Wallowing in my own self-pity," Charlotte slurred.
"Have you been drinking?" Dean questioned.
"Like a priest on Saturday," Charlotte hollered.
Dean nodded. "Good. You can't a lie for shit when you've been drinking. Anyway, I think it's fair to say I've gotten to know you pretty well over a year and a half. You and me both know that I can smell a lie from a mile away, so I want you to be a hundred percent honest with me. What happened the night of Zack and Bayley's wedding."
Charlotte tutted her tongue. "Becky tried fucking me and I chickened out."
"Alright, good. I knew that but I needed to make sure you were going to tell me the truth," Dean thought for a second before continuing. "Look, you were good to Ro when y'all were together. I consider you family even though we might not hang out a lot or talk that much. I know you would never cheat or break someone's heart on purpose, so what really happened with Shayna the other night?"
Charlotte's voice broke. "You heard, huh?"
"I have."
"Sonya fucking told B-Becky that I was making out with Shayna when I went to get Becky's phone charger."
Dean sighed. "What really happened?"
Charlotte inhaled sharply, trying to hold in tears. "Sonya was two seconds from fucking her. I caught them. Then she warned me not to tell Becky anything."
"Then she went and spun everything around on you," Dean concluded.
"I wanna kick her fucking teeth in so fucking badly!" Charlotte cried.
Dean stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. He had half a mind to save Charlotte the trouble and boot Sonya in the mouth for her, but he didn't for obvious reasons.
"What do we do?" Dean asked.
Charlotte paused for a moment. "You... want to help me get Becky?"
Dean chuckled dryly. "You don't fuck with my family and get away with it. I knew something was off with Sonya the minute I laid eyes on her. I hate liars, Char. I need you to tell me what to do."
"I don't think we can do anything unless we have proof," Charlotte figured.
"I can keep my eyes peeled," Dean promised. "I'm serious. I'll help you get fire crotch back. Nobody fucks with my family or my OTP and gets away with it."
"Dean, are you sure?" Charlotte asked.
"A million percent," Dean assured. "As I said, you were always good to Roman. You had the thing with Alexa, but you owned up to it and apologized and made amends. If you hadn't, I'd be laughing at your pain right now. But you're a good person, Char. I'll do what I can to help you."
Charlotte took a breath to choke back another cry. "Dean, I don't know what to say..."
"Just thank me at yours and Becky's wedding, ok?" Dean chuckled.
"That would be a dream. Thank you so much, Dean."
Dean hung up the phone. He took a moment to settle his flaring temper to ensure he wasn't going to blow up on Sonya when he returned to his table.
"Operation Save CharLynch is a go," Dean told his reflection before stepping back out into the restaurant.
