The lavish natural beauty of Honolulu came as no surprise to the students visiting from Stamford. Landing just before eleven A.M., when it was almost four in the afternoon in Connecticut, the young athletes were greeted with palm trees, sunny skies, and a gentle breeze blowing through the island. It was a paradise sought after by many, but this weekend's tropical island paradise getaway was strictly business.

A trio of shuttle busses took the Stamford Titans from the Honolulu International Airport to the hotel they'd be staying at until Sunday. Rainbow Road Hotel and Resort wasn't the most visited or popular tourist attraction on the island, but it was still twice as impressive as any of the hotels in Stamford. Most of the students on the buses had been scheming to sneak away to the pool or the spa for some luxury time. Sadly, a strict reminder from Coach Graves about no one leaving their assigned rooms thwarted any plans of some R&R.

"Laurinaitis is breathing down my neck about this," Graves told the gathering of Stamford's finest athletes. "Anyone out of their rooms for anything other than the vending machine won't play tomorrow. No exceptions."

A collective groan sounded from the gathering of students. Alexa especially wanted to find a way to head down to the hot tub to soak for a few hours. Maybe warming up the bathtub in her room would suffice.

Graves nodded, understanding everyone's frustrations. "I would've given some leniency today because of everyone's hard work this season, but it's do or die tomorrow and, again, Dean Laurinaitis specifically said he doesn't want any reason for Stamford to look as bad as they did a few weeks ago."

"Fuckin' Ambrose..." Joe muttered under his breath.

Roman overheard his teammate, as did Seth, Alexa, and Zack. Instead of drilling the moron into the floor for running his mouth, Roman spoke up. "It's not Dean's fault. Laurinaitis is just pissed he couldn't come to Hawaii with us. Guy's probably crying over a luau pamphlet in his office."

As much as he wanted to laugh, Graves kept a straight face. "Probably. But everyone has their room assignments. Stick to them and we shouldn't have a problem. The offense has a meeting in conference room three in two hours. Defense and special teams in room two."

Roman could feel a heated glare from his teammate, who he always seemed to have a one-up on, but he refused to look. Besides, Roman had a lot more to worry about than whether or not he hurt Joe's feelings.

Alexa just wanted a nap, but she didn't want to be up late before the day of a game. It appeared that a party on the roof was out of the question. Maybe a drama-free afternoon was the right way to go this time around, and being in a tropical paradise only seemed to make it better.

"This is bullshit. I was going to get a mani-pedi before the game," the joke came from Alexa's left. Kyle O'Reily, cartoonishly rolling his eyes to the ceiling, fell in stride with the Senior cheerer. Alexa admitted to herself that the Freshman looked good in his warm-ups, his reddish-brunette hair contrasting against his defensive black zip-up jacket.

"I wanted to relax in the hot tub for a while," Alexa told, sighing to herself. "I think I might just take a hot shower and settle."

Kyle nodded to his left. "Bobby looked this place up before we took off. Every room's got a whirlpool bathtub. Perfect for hot tub... things."

Alexa chuckled. "And what are these hot tub things exactly?"

Kyle raised his brow. "Watching a movie and eating a tray of cold cuts."

Alexa let out a giggle, having not felt tickled by a joke like that in a number of weeks. "That sounds... strangely relaxing. I'll have to check it out and let you know what happens."

Kyle grinned, maybe the first unsarcastic thing he'd done in front of Alexa. "Good. Send pics. Let me know what kind of movies you're into. Ya know, for future reference."

Alexa almost audibly scoffed. Kyle was smooth, and not just over the phone. He just had a charming way of presenting himself in front of others that Alexa didn't hate. Now whether or not she would ever think about dating him was still up in the air, but he was a key contender for "guy best friend" for sure.

"Mostly rom-coms or mysteries," Alexa said with a soft smile.

"Zodiac?" Kyle asked.

Alexa's eyes widened. "I LOVE that movie. Zodiac is in my top ten movies of all time. What do you think about Fargo and Se7en?"

"Classics, in my humble opinion," Kyle replied, sliding his bag over his shoulder when everyone started heading for the elevator. "We definitely owe each other a movie night when we get back on the mainland."

Alexa wasn't sure if that was Kyle asking her out, but she couldn't find a reason to say no either way. Obviously, she'd want to talk with him more before she had any idea of that happening. So far, Kyle was a great guy. Maybe a bit goofy and childish, but Alexa adored that in the men she sought after.

"I'll have to take you up on that offer then," Alexa agreed, breaking off from the football players to walk with her cheer squad. She looked over her shoulder back at Kyle, finding him staring right back at her. Kyle quickly looked away, trying to pretend like he wasn't watching her leave. Alexa giggled to herself, shook her head, then tried to wipe the smile off her face as she climbed up the stairs to her floor.

An hour beforehand, Becky Lynch was a caffeinated crazy cook roaring down the freeway as fast as she was legally allowed to go. But now, with the effects of her coffee and energy drinks worn off, the rest of the drive home seemed impossible, but Becky was determined to make it as far as humanly possible before she completely passed out.

Charlotte was concerned and thinking about two things: Becky's deteriorating mental state thanks to her sugar crash, but mostly the rock in her pocket. Charlotte didn't expect her mother to drop a bomb on her like this during their visit. For all she knew going into it, it was supposed to be pie and chitchat, not bringing up the terrifying idea of matrimony with a woman who Charlotte had been barely dating for a few months.

Her inner monologue struggled to make sense of the conflicted feelings in her chest. Charlotte loved Becky as much as was humanly possible for one person to love another. But her stance on marriage hadn't changed much since she broke up with Roman over the very same issue. Just the idea of trusting someone enough to share the rest of their lives together only for the possibility of it all crashing and burning wasn't something Charlotte wanted to put herself through. The fear was thanks to her dad, who'd been married and divorced more times than Charlotte could remember.

Becky pulled off the main road into a motel parking lot. Charlotte furrowed her brow, looking around the immediate area for any sign of where they were.

"Why are you stopping?" Charlotte asked.

"We're tired an' I need a nap," Becky said through a yawn. "Best we spend the night here instead of one of us fallen asleep behind the wheel."

Charlotte wanted to drive through until they reached Stamford, but her own heavy eyelids agreed that spending the night, or maybe a few hours, was probably in their best interests.

Becky paid for one room for the night. Charlotte followed her girlfriend to their assigned hotel room, making a quick joke about the shady man running the front desk.

Now Becky sat in an armchair next to the bed. Charlotte was in the bathroom, getting herself ready for an early bedtime. There wasn't much to do in the small Pennsylvanian town they were stopped in, but it's not like the two young women wanted to do much except rest up and get an early start the next morning.

Charlotte sauntered from the bathroom, wearing an SU Volleyball t-shirt with her running shorts. She expected Becky to be asleep or at least sitting in bed. Instead, Becky was still fully clothed, her shoes and jacket on still, slouched over in an armchair.

"Hey," Charlotte cooed, sitting on the edge of the bed facing her girlfriend. "How come you still have your shoes on? Is everything alright?"

Becky lifted her head, locking her eyes with the other woman. "What other ways are t'ere?"

Charlotte was confused. She wasn't sure what Becky was referring to. "What do you mean? Other ways for what?"

Becky smiled softly. "Fer us to 'ave gran'babies fer yer mum."

All color rushed from Charlotte's face. "You heard her?" She asked, nearly choking on her tongue.

"Aye. Heard most of what Sheila told ya," Becky licked her lips and stared at the floor again. "I was thinkin' about t'at just now. You walkin' around with a big ol' belly and a ring."

Charlotte's cheeks tinted red. "Babe, you can't get me pregnant. That's one of the few things you can't do to me." Becky snickered to herself. Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Not like that, you dork. You know what I mean."

Becky found the courage to look her lover in the eye again. "What do you plan on doin' with the ring?"

"I'm not planning on using it anytime soon," Charlotte answered truthfully. She looked for any giveaway sign that Becky was upset, but her face was too low for Charlotte to see anything.

Becky looked up from the floor again. She sighed, looking Charlotte in the eye. "But you are going to use it?"

Charlotte thought for a moment. She really didn't want to say the wrong thing here, but she had to be completely honest with Becky for the sake of their relationship. "Honestly, Bex, you're the first person I've ever been with where marriage doesn't completely freak me out. I want to move things slowly so I don't get hurt again, but I catch myself window shopping wedding dresses all the time. You're killing my brain, Bex."

Becky chuckled. "You don' sound too disappointed."

Charlotte tilted her head to one shoulder. "Come to bed. Please? I don't want this talk to accidentally turn into an argument."

Becky narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Charlotte immediately picked up on Becky's joke. "No! You aren't doing this right now." She tried to seem sincere, but her smile gave away her true feelings. Becky's ability to make a tense situation silly made her smile from ear to ear.

Becky got to her feet. "What's THAT supposed to mean?"

"No..."

Becky leaned over Charlotte. "Somethin' ya need to tell me?"

"Becky, I swear..."

Becky suddenly lunged forward, pinning Charlotte down. Her fingers rapidly ran up and down Charlotte's sides, tickling her into a giggling frenzy. Becky continued the onslaught of fake rage and tickles, hissing sweet nothings in disguise as angry rants, until Charlotte managed to pull Becky into a heated kiss.

Becky lifted herself out of the kiss, hovering over her girlfriend. "I make it less scary, eh?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yeah. I don't want to get married today. But, if I do, it'll be to you. I know that much."

Becky was loving what she was hearing. She smiled to herself but tried to fight it to keep the game going. She eventually gave up when Charlotte kissed her chin, then laid over the taller blonde once again to continue their tame makeout session.

Anna Jay's plans to better get to know her girl crush wasn't going to be as easy as she originally thought. With the strict rules in place that kept her from leaving her assigned hotel room, there wasn't much place for her to talk with Alexa outside of team meetings or if she happened to bump into her to or from the vending machines.

But Tay Conti, though a bit promiscuous when talking about her infatuation with boys, had a second obsession with trying to find the right guy (or girl) for her new best friend. Anna loved Tay like a sister, but the way she always had to attempt in getting Anna a significant other so she didn't feel out of place when Adam was around bordered between "sweet" and "infuriating." Anna would love to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, but she wished she didn't have to be best friends with someone more focused on her love life rather than her schooling.

Right now, Anna watched the palm trees sway with the tropical breeze flowing through the open patio door. With not much to do besides watch TV or scroll through social media, the young cheerleader was starting to lose her sanity. She continuously thought of plans to sneak out, ranging from simple to the impossibly complex that involved grappling hooks and super glue.

Tay's infectious giggling broke Anna from her thoughts. The less giggly of the two glanced over her shoulder, then rolled her eyes nearly hard enough to pop them from her head.

"Tay, what are you wearing?" Anna asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Tay held her arms out to the side. "Do you like it, Anna?" She asked, showcasing her impressive physique in a leopard print bikini.

Anna didn't find her friend any more sexually attractive than she did her grandmother, but she did let her annoyed scowl slip away for a minute to crack a smile. "You look great, bebita (baby girl). Very, uh..."

"¿Lo suficientemente bueno para Adam? (Good enough for Adam?)" Tay inquired, shifting the top to fit better around her perky breasts.

Anna didn't know Spanish very well but she nodded approvingly. "Yeah. Exactly what I was thinking."

Tay nodded happily, her toothy grin never wavering for a moment. "Good! Now, about what you will wear..."

Anna shook her head. "We're not allowed to go anywhere. We won't cheer tomorrow if we leave our rooms."

Tay giggled. "Not to swim. To talk with Alexa."

Anna cut in. "Tay, I'm not bothering her right now."

"You will TALK with her," Tay said, emphasizing her words carefully. "Talking is important, amiga. Alexa said she would like to talk with you, right?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah, she did say that."

"Exactly! So you dress nice and go talk," Tay took Anna's hands into hers, sticking out her bottom lip like she was begging her. "Talk with her. I will distract Coach if she comes to check, yes?"

Anna knew this was a one-way ticket to getting benched for tomorrow's game. Tay's plan, though annoying, did have a point to it. If Anna wanted any kind of relationship with Alexa, not necessarily of the sexual nature, she would have to take a few chances here and there to talk to her.

"Yes," Anna sighed, earning a loud giggle of excitement from the other girl. "But only for a little bit. I don't want to be benched."

Tay's focus was broken with a knock at the door. She hurried over on her toes, peeking one eye through the peephole to see who their visitor was. Seeing it was her boyfriend, Adam Cole, she quickly unlocked the door and greeted him with a smile.

"Yes?" Tay cooed.

Adam was staring at his phone. "Hey, I brought you your charg- oh my GOD..."

Adam's wide eyes and slacked jaw was exactly the reaction Tay wanted. "You like what you see?"

Adam struggled to respond with a lack of blood flow in his brain. "Y-yeah. Oh, holy sh-shit, babe."

Tay blew her boyfriend a kiss. "Remember, Latinas do it better... papi."

The sudden slamming of the door made Anna jump. Tay, giggling madly to herself, started stripping out of her swimsuit in favor of her warmups again. Anna followed her friend's lead, deciding to exchange her track jacket for a "Cheer Squad" crop top and her practice shorts.

Anna stepped into the hallway. Adam's awestruck look greeted her, but she gently brushed past him in the direction of Alexa's hotel room.

Roman's killer instinct was a family trait passed down for generations. It started as bloodthirsty tribesmen hunting for the sake of their families, but changed to more civil (and legal) traditions as society changed. Instead of doning traditional facepaint and hunting for wild boar in tropical forests, Roman's go-to for taking out his pent up anger was football; It was his outlet for years and it always would be for several to come.

But right now, being locked up in a hotel room the day before a game and no chance at getting a workout in, Roman's simmer critically zoomed towards a rapid boil. Music and lunch had held things over for a little while, but with ESPN hosts talking shit about SU and Braun's terrible foot odor brewed a bad concoction.

Surface level, he was as calm as a cucumber. Reigns didn't like being angry like this, but he didn't have a lot of choice lately. Just constant failing relationships, and Joe running his mouth every chance he got, and now some moron on a podcast badmouthing his brother... it was eating away at Roman's brain.

"Yo, Braun," Roman bellowed, grabbing the big man's attention. "You didn't happen to smuggle any of your pawpaw's moonshine, did you?"

Braun let out a gravelly chuckle. "I wish, man. Maybe room service will bring us up somethin', cuz I'm STARVIN'."

Even Braun's back-and-forth wasn't enough to end Roman's misery. He still chuckled out of courtesy, then excused himself to use the restroom. Roman did his thing, stopping to wash his hands and splash cold water on his face. He sighed, thinking happy thoughts to relieve some of the tension.

Or maybe it was a good thing to be this pissed off. Come tomorrow, some poor Warrior was going to be ripped in half and wheeled off the field by Roman's hellfire wrath, but that was the beauty of the violent ballet that was college football. Would the anger go away after the Titans secured a "W?" Time would tell, but Roman was worried this was just who he was now. And he hated to think that.

Sasha Banks' face lit up Roman's phonescreen; His contact picture for her was one of the blue-haired woman sticking her tongue out of the side of her mouth with her index and middle finger up, a classic "peace" sign.

Roman answered the incoming call. "This better be fuckin' good," he quipped, pretending to sound genuinely upset.

Sasha scoffed. "Shit, I WAS about to send titty pics but if that's how you're gonna play it..."

"SHIT!" Roman cursed with faux rage, but he chuckled when Sasha broke first. "What's up? How's hangin' with Bayley?"

"It's not bad," Sasha admitted. "She's a goofball, but she's good company. I'm starting to see where you get it from, Ro."

Roman smiled as Bayley's giggles could be heard in the background. "Good. I'm glad y'all are cool again. We got a team meeting in a few minutes... but I'm glad you called. I wish I could've said bye before I took off."

"Yeah me too," Sasha agreed. She told Bayley she was going in the other room, then presumably got up to do so. "Anyway, I've been thinking about last night..."

Roman sighed. "Yeah, that wasn't cool of me. I know you wanna keep things cool for now so you don't get fucked up."

"I meant those poppers Kevin made, but you do you, boo."

Roman chuckled, loudly, prompting Sasha to giggle as well. "Right. I'm the only one thinking about you all over me on that pooltable?"

Sasha sighed contently. "Be lucky Gallows called down to you. You would've owed them a new pooltable."

Roman caught himself in the mirror smiling. "Oh really?"

"Dunno. Guess we'll never know."

Sasha was teasing, and Roman knew that. But now he had the image of Sasha laying naked on the pooltable at BPO seared into his brain like a branding. That image only added to his list of strong emotions; Something told him that sexual frustration and bitter anger didn't mix together very well.

Roman grunted a chuckle. "I miss you. Like, more than I miss most of my friends. You know what I mean?"

Sasha was silent for a second. "Do you?" She asked, her words layered with playful desire.

Roman nodded. "I do. Enough to consider skipping the meeting just so I can talk to you."

Sasha said, "I'll see you when you get back Sunday night... we'll hang out, ok?"

Roman smirked. "I'm looking forward to it, Sasha. Really. You're a cool person and I want to be around you more. If that makes sense."

"More than I can explain, Rome," Sasha responded with a chuckle. "I'll let you go, 'kay? Kick some ass for me."

"Yeah, I will," Roman promised before hanging up. He watched Sasha's selfie fade back into his 'SU Football' home screen.

Roman did have a meeting to get to, but his claims to skip to talk to Sasha weren't completely bullshit. He'd get his ass chewed for sure, but he would also get a few more minutes to shittalk with one of his friends who he was clearly into more than something casual.

Roman's train of thought would hop the tracks a little with a Snapchat message from the girl he couldn't get out of his head if he tried. He tapped the notification, then found Sasha's name and opened the photo.

The image was simple, but it had Roman's full attention. It was a selfie in Bayley and Zack's bathroom, taken through the mirror. Sasha shot the picture from the chin down, her chest being the focal point. Her free hand tugged on the fabric of her dress, making the dip in her cleavage deeper to show off more breast. Not enough to expose nipple, but enough to keep Roman's imagination running wild. The icing on the cake was Sasha's expression: biting her tongue sideways like the selfie on Roman's phone.

With wide eyes, Roman watched the screen until the timer ran out and the image disappeared. He tried to think of a witty comeback or a blunt message talking about his desires to break Sasha's back like a Popsicle stick on the BPO pooltable. Instead of either of that, he peeled off his track jacket and took a chin-down selfie of his muscular tattooed chest.

Without waiting for Sasha's response, Roman re-dressed and left the bathroom to head down to the conference room for the defense meeting.

Alexa Bliss had no idea where her night was going. She'd settled into her room with a few snacks and Netflix. It all added up to a simple night in with zero complications... but after a few hours the snacks were gone and her shows had been caught up with.

Now Alexa was bored. If this were any other away game, she'd be entertaining AJ to keep her sanity intact or taking a walk around the hotel to kill some time. Since her best friend was still touring with Punk, there wasn't much to keep Alexa's mind from wandering. She figured she'd just have to endure some endless hours of boredom. But a few troubled thoughts about her past had Alexa considering making a run for it towards the nearest hotel bar.

Kyle wasn't lying when he said every room had a whirlpool tub. Alexa took liberty in using hers to have a soothing few hours in a warm bath with the jets turned up to massage her back and legs. It would've been perfect with some wine, or cold cuts, but she didn't want SU to be charged for room service when she wasn't sure if that was allowed.

Alexa dried herself off. Now with a hankering for more vending machine pretzels, she started to dress in her warm-ups again. As she zipped up her jacket, a knock sounded at her door. The thought of actually having something to do made the miniature cheerleader hurry across the room to see who it was.

"Hey," Alexa greeted freshman cheerer Anna Jay at the door. "Thank goodness you stopped by. I am losing my mind already!"

Anna checked over each shoulder, then opened her pullstring warm-up backpack to show off a stash of chips, chocolate, and pretzels. "I've brought some snacks."

Alexa stepped to the side. "You know the way to my heart, Anna." She swiped a bag of MnM's as Anna passed her into the room. "Is Tay with you?"

Anna sat on the edge of the bed. She shook her head. "No. She's trying to break Adam's stupid brain wearing a new bikini she bought."

The atmosphere wasn't as awkward as it was earlier in the day. Alexa already saw Anna as a perfect member of the cheer squad that worked her ass off for her spot and rarely, if ever, got in trouble or argued with others. Anna, of course, had a mad crush on the older woman that she was partially open about. But maybe it was the salty snacks separated by their sodium levels that made the situation a lot easier to handle for the younger of the two.

"Can I ask you a question?" Anna asked, immediately regretting bringing up something that had been on her mind for quite some time.

Alexa nodded. "Yeah, of course. Is it about tomorrow?"

Anna shook her head. "No. How did... this is gonna make things super awkward, but I think I have to be honest. You're bi, right?"

Alexa moved her shoulders up and down. "I think so. I've never dated another woman, but I have had sex with one. I didn't enjoy it as much as I do with men, but I wouldn't say no to it happening again if I met the right girl." Some may say that Alexa was oversharing a little, but she could tell where this conversation was headed. Anna was a lot like Alexa was at that age - feeling a lot of different things and unsure how to process how she felt. Alexa didn't have a role model or close friend she could confide in to share her feelings or ask questions, so it was the least she could do for Anna.

Anna nodded. Her eyes never left the chip bag to avoid eye contact, figuring this was going to make the conversation easier to have. "So... like, you find other girls attractive? Or you only want to have sex with them?"

Alexa nodded. "I don't find all girls attractive. It's just like how it is with boys - some I like only as friends, but others I do find attractive... sexually, I guess you could say. I have plenty of guy friends that I would never date because they're just my friends. Roman, Seth, and Zack are some of my best buds, but the thought of dating one of them doesn't feel right. Does that make sense?"

Anna thought Alexa's advice over. "Yeah, I think so. Tay's been a huge help with figuring some of it out. I guess it's like you said. I would never date Tay in a million years 'cause she's like a sister to me. But, if like, Bianca wanted to ask me out..."

Alexa chuckled a little, her smile stretching across her lips. "Bianca? Really?"

Anna shrugged, her cheeks tinting pink. "I'm just saying. I know she has a boyfriend, but she's really cool. Like I know you aren't dating right now, but if you asked me out my brain would melt."

Alexa giggled softly. "I'm flattered Anna. I'm not saying I wouldn't date you, I just want to take a break for a little while. I was with my ex for so long that it just feels wrong not being with him anymore. I'm sure it'll pass, but for now I'm just taking things easy."

Anna nodded. "You and Dean were engaged for a long time, right?"

Alexa frowned. "Yeah. We had a lot planned out for us, but..." She cleared her throat, feeling tears start to well in her eyes. "It doesn't matter right now. I'm working on myself and focusing on my career, and I'm sure he's happy working on himself too."

"Bet you didn't expect to find yourself giving advice to me about dating women, right?" Anna asked with a snicker.

Alexa shook her head, smiling cheerfully. "Nope. But that's life. Anyway, what makes you think you're into women too? Have you dated one before?"

Anna shook her head. "No. I think about it a lot. I've never even kissed another girl before. Then I try to meet up with someone I match with on Tinder, and I always get cold feet."

"Because you're afraid to get made fun of?" Alexa asked.

"No, I think it's just because I'm new to it," Anna figured, popping a few chips into her mouth. "I don't know. It's super freaking weird. My parents said they'd always love me no matter what, but they talk a lot of crap about my uncles. My dad's brother is gay and they never get along over anything. I don't know. I just have no idea!"

Alexa nodded, smiling when Anna laughed. "And that's ok. You're eighteen, for fucks sake. You don't have to have jackshit figured out yet. Honey, I'm a few months from graduation and have no fucking clue what I'm doing. You've got time. Besides, that's what college is for: figuring out yourself before going out into the real world."

Anna sighed, taking Alexa's advice to heart. "That's a good point. I've got time. I think I do, anyway. Maybe I don't have to know what to do yet. I haven't even picked out a major yet."

"You should... and hey," Alexa lifted herself on her knees. Anna looked in her direction. Bliss cupped Anna's cheek with one hand, leaned into her, then brought their lips together for a few moments. Alexa pulled back, looking into Anna's eyes for her immediate reaction. "How was that?"

Anna sat stunned for a few seconds. She laughed out of embarrassment, covering her face with her hands. "Ok, I didn't hate that. Like, I want to keep going but I don't want to make shit weird. I definitely still have a girl crush on you now."

Alexa laughed. "Sorry. Maybe we can hang out when we get back to Stamford. Sneak away from DXA one day and hang out at ZBZ. I'm there most days, or you can stop by Poffo Hall and we can talk there."

Anna nodded. "That sounds like a lot of fun, Alexa. Thank you. That wasn't the worst first kiss I've ever had."

"Why thank you very much," Alexa switched on the TV. "Have you watched Atypical at all? I'm SO obsessed with this show."

Anna shook her head. "Never seen it. What's it about?"

As Alexa went into a schpeel about the show in question, she received a message on her Tinder. Kyle had been keeping her updated on his boredom and desire to "run screaming into the woods." Alexa shot the younger boy a text, still talking to Anna about her new favorite show. Kyle was being his usual charmingly goofy self, and it made Alexa smile.

Anna was a little curious about who Alexa was texting. To make matters a little stranger, she felt jealous. Jealous because whoever was making Alexa smile was cutting into her time with her when all she wanted to do was hang out and get to know her better (after Tay talked her ear off about doing so). Anna played it cool though, smiling when Alexa tossed her phone aside and started the show.

Dean Ambrose wasn't living his best life. He liked to think he was doing the right thing covering for his dad's shops when someone no-showed or called in, but it was exhausting work. Between ten and fifteen hours cleaning, stocking, taking inventory, chasing off shoplifters, and anything else on his to-do list was honest enough work as is, but it exhausted the fuck out of him.

On top of working himself numb, it was starting to effect his "performance" in certain situations. Sex, beer, and work were his escape from the crippling depression he'd been thrown into since leaving Stamford. Long hours at work meant less sleep, which meant that when time came to drink and try to reel in a bar skank his energy was low and his game wasn't the best it could be.

"Are you close?"

The question snapped Dean out of slumber. He blinked, taking in his surroundings. In a few seconds, he realized he was at work in the bathroom, apparently falling asleep standing up. And, to make matters all the problematic, evidently falling asleep mid-fellacio from a blue-eyed blonde he matched with on one of the dating apps Eddie made him install on his phone.

The blonde scoffed. "Are you fucking sleeping?"

Dean rubbed his tired eyes with the heel of his hand. "Me? No. I'm, uh, really into it. You've got, uh..."

The girl, whose name could not be recalled at this time, stood up. She shoved both hands against Dean's chest, calling a few choice insults, then stormed from the bathroom. Dean took a moment to fix his pants and fix the collar on his work polo. He sighed, feeling his anatomy react negatively to being teased for an extended time without a proper release.

Dean decided he'd worry about his problem at another time. He re-entered the shop, taking time to rearrange some misplaced products and chat with a few of the regulars picking up their usual daily pick-me-ups.

The bell above the door dinged. "Welcome!" Dean called out from behind the register, fighting his fatigue with a gulp of energy drink.

"The shit still sounds fuckin' lame," Eddie told his best friend, walking behind the counter to seemingly cause trouble. "What time do you get off? You shoulda seen the little hot blonde I just bumped into in the parkin' lot."

Dean chuckled dryly. "I think I know who you mean. I get off when I get off. Why?"

Eddie furrowed his brow. "The fuck you mean 'why'? Goin' to Pat's to watch the game and get fucked up. You owe me a beer for settin' you up with that Miami slut last night."

Dean shook his head. "Dawg, I'm fuckin' wrecked. I'm going to bed after this. I think Pat's will be alright if we don't go there once."

Eddie tutted his tongue, slowly shaking his head. "Pat's will be alright... the hell happened to you, Mox? The married life made you soft on me or some shit?"

Eddie knew all about the whole ordeal that ended Dean's relationship with Alexa. He never made a joke regarding the situation or what caused the split, but he was quick to make a joke about Dean "losing his edge" after meeting Alexa. And Dean knew the humor was in good spirit. In a way, he appreciated the part of Eddie taking the piss out of him for his own amusement.

Dean shrugged. "It's only soft after I drown some bitch with my kids."

Eddie cackled wildly. "There ya go! That's more like it. Which is why you ARE goin' to Pat's tonight. We're cheerin' on our boys to kill some Warrior fags, and you aren't going to bitch about it once. I'm sick of your faggy emo bullshit. Listenin' to FALL OUT BOY and cryin' into your pillow every fuckin' night 'cause of some broad-"

Dean cut in with a chuckle. "What the fuck is wrong with FALL OUT BOY?"

Eddie waved his hand dismissively. "You know what I mean, Mox. Rube says you was weird this morning too. Says you haven't said shit since yous two hooked up."

Dean knew that it was a dick move on his end to leave Ruby alone in his bed that morning. He pushed it off as having to work early, but he didn't want to discuss anything with her after their night together. It was probably the first time since he left SU that he actually felt something for the woman he was screwing. Every girl between Alexa and Ruby was a forgettable one-night-stand.

Dean nodded. "I'll talk to her tonight. She says she's working again so I'll say somethin'. Figured it's the least I could do after last night."

Eddie slapped his buddy on the back. "That's the spirit, asshole. Now when you come, you leave your moody shit at home. I mean it, Mox. I'll fuckin' glass you if you start bitchin' about bitches again. So help me God, mother fucker, I will end you."

Dean chuckled, knowing his friend was only being a jackass for the sake of making him laugh. "Dude, fuck off. You wouldn't have a chance if I was on my game tonight."

"Alright, bet. Fifty bucks says I bag a hotter chick than you," Eddie said.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Bitch, you don't have fifty bucks. You're here all the time screaming at Pac-Man, I'm pretty sure you don't have a job."

Eddie checked his phone. "Aw, shit. I am late as FUCK!"

Dean said goodbye to his friend as he took off out the door explicitly yelling "don't be a pussy emo" over his shoulder. But Eddie had a point. Dean was ready to stop feeling sorry for himself. He was doing his community service and studying up on what he needed to do during the board hearing. If things were going as smoothly as they seemed, he was going to be reinstated with SU before the end of the year.

But for now, he had two problems to solve before his shift was over. He grabbed his phone and headed back towards the bathroom, pulling up his text messages with one of the two people he'd be hanging out with later in the night.

Hey man. I'm sorry I bailed this morning. That was bullshit. I owe you a few cold ones. We'll talk more when I get to Pat's. I hate talking about important shit over the phone. See you soon.

Dean re-read the text, then sent it to Ruby. He sighed, feeling like he should've waited for her to wake up that morning instead of leaving her alone. But he would talk more about it with her later.

For now, Dean had to solve the problem in his dick. The half-blowjob from a random wasn't doing him any favors and he was in a great deal of pain. Blue balls were nothing to mess with, and Dean knew that first hand on many occassions.

He stepped in front of the sink and unzipped his pants. Dean started to type in the web address of an adult website, but he paused. Instead, he backed out of Goodle and opened a private gallery disguised to look like a calculator app. Dean scrolled through a few files, trying to decide on what to "relieve" himself to. With the thought of blue-eyed blondes on his mind, he chose a video from late last year and hit play.

Alexa was naked in the video, showing off the bump in her abdomen. Dean said some sarcastic quip that made Alexa giggle, and the next thing he knew she was kissing him and feathering her fingers over his cock.

Dean could still feel Alexa's breath on his neck. The way she whispered "I love you" in his ear as her hand pumped in his lap. Her words still made a chill run down his back. Nothing about the girls Dean slept with since getting suspended held them to the same level Alexa was. Everything about her was perfect... and Dean fucked that all away.

"Mmmm... daddy..."

That was the last bit of push Dean needed to relieve the pressure in his gut. He exhaled sharply, sweating profusely from his extended forearm exercise. Dean set his phone aside and washed his hands, taking extra time to properly clean out the sink and fix his pants.

Before heading back to the front of the store, Dean caught himself in the mirror. His hair was stuck to his forehead with cold sweat, but the tears in his eyes brought his attention the most. He wasn't sure what it was from, either shame or regret or possibly both. Whatever he was feeling, he hated it. He hated having to remember Alexa every time he stared at the back of the head of some bar babe he hooked up with just to keep his mind distracted.

Sex, booze, work... that's all that mattered right now. When Dean got back to Stamford, he'd fit "football", "BPO", and "school" into that list somewhere. But for now... sex, booze, work. No room for missing or reminiscing old times.

Dean sighed, giving himself a tired wink. He had a few more hours left to go before he met up with Eddie. Maybe a few Redbulls and microwave tacos would bring some last-minute energy to push him through.