Hardship
"She was like… she's just this little person, man." Punk said, pacing up and down in the living room in the apartment, "And she smiles, like… she was smiling right at me." He nodded as Dean smiled, "And I got to feed her. She's a greedy little thing, I took the bottle from her cause she spilled some and she was like all grumpy." He said with fascination as Dean smiled.
Since the second he stepped foot in the door, he hadn't stopped talking about Thea. It was great to see his brother this happy about something. He hadn't saw that from him in a long time.
"So you like her?" Dean teased as Punk chuckled.
"She's literally amazing." Punk shook his head with amazement.
"You talk to April?" Dean asked.
"A little." Punk said, "She basically told me that if I ever start shit back up with Rio again then I'm… she'll never let me see Thea again." He said as Dean nodded.
"You knew that already." Dean said as Punk nodded.
"She also said that just because she's letting me see Thea doesn't mean me and her are gonna… work things out." Punk shrugged, "She's tough." He admitted.
"Well it's April. What do you expect?" Dean said, "You know how cold she can get."
"Yeah, I just… I've never been on the other side of it." He admitted as Dean nodded, "I don't know what I expected. I can't possibly think that things are gonna go back to how they were overnight. I just… I just miss how we used to be."
"I do too." Dean nodded, "But we've all moved on."
"I don't wanna move on from her." Punk sighed.
"Yeah, I know." Dean said, "But hey, take it as a positive that you're getting to see Thea. That's gonna help AJ see that you're being serious about all of this and that you're… you're really trying."
"Yeah." Punk nodded, "I just worry that it's never gonna be the same again, with us." Punk shook his head as Dean nodded, "She wasn't just my girlfriend, she was my best friend. I mean I know I'm never finding what I had with her, with anyone else." He shook his head.
"Try not think about that too much." Dean said, "I would just focus on Thea right now. Do what you can with her, take all that time you're getting and don't waste it." He nodded, "And give April some space."
"I just miss her." He shook his head.
"I do too." Dean nodded, "You're up at 7 with me tomorrow. Work." Dean told him as Punk nodded.
"Yeah, sure." Punk nodded, "My probation officer has stepped off my neck a little now he knows I've got a job. Probably didn't expect it." He shook his head.
"It'll feel good when you get your first pay cheque." Dean promised.
"Legit money, huh?" Punk nodded.
"Yeah, legit money." Dean laughed.
"You know I'm worried about April in that apartment." Punk admitted.
"I know it's a shithole." Dean shook his head.
"When we got it, it was like the best thing on earth." Punk remembered.
"Yeah, because it meant you could have sex in the same place every night." Dean nodded as Punk shrugged.
"Well yeah but not just that." Punk said, "It was ours. We had an actual home that was ours and we didn't have to worry about our parents, and what they were up to." He said, "I thought the place was amazing."
"Hey, back then… any roof was amazing." Dean nodded, "Because if there was no roof, it was on the streets." He said as Punk nodded, "But I agree, the place is falling apart around her." Dean said.
"She could come stay here." Punk thought to himself as Dean looked at him, "There's room, and this is a nice apartment. You'd have to stop smoking in it for the baby but-"
"Phil, she's not gonna move here. Woman can't stand a one minute conversation with you." Dean scoffed, "Or me for that matter. She's not going anywhere." He said as Punk sighed to himself, "I know it's hard getting used to being separate, but… well you're gonna have to." Dean nodded, "You guys aren't kids anymore. Can't run around like you used to. There's a baby now. It's time to just stay in one place and focus on that."
"Yeah, I know." Punk nodded, "I'm seeing Thea tomorrow night." He said as Dean nodded, "Told April I'd come by after work."
"Good." Dean nodded, "Don't let her down."
"Holy shit." AJ dumped her bag down as she walked into the motel, looking over at Punk sitting on the bed counting the money out in front of him, "Holy shit." She smiled excitedly, tackling him over the bed as he laughed.
"Where the hell did you go?" Punk asked her.
"I went for a walk. I got anxious that you weren't back yet." She admitted, taking her hoodie off and looking at all the money in front of them, "Oh my God." She smiled, "You didn't murder or hurt anyone for this, right?"
"Right." Punk nodded as she smiled.
"Where is Dean?" AJ asked.
"He's in the next room." Punk said, "With his own cash."
"You mean this is all ours?" AJ asked him as Punk nodded, "Oh my God." She raised her eyebrows. To the average person, it really wasn't that much money, but for them, it was so much.
"I told you Rio would help us out." Punk smirked.
"What'd you have to do?" AJ turned to him.
"Just move some things around." Punk nodded as AJ looked at him, "No big deal."
"You could get caught." AJ told him as Punk shook his head.
"Nah, we're all good." Punk smiled, "We can stay here for a couple nights. Actually eat some proper food." He nodded as she smiled. The thought of not having to search for places to crash was so beautiful.
"Imagine having this all the time." AJ thought to herself, hugging her knees as Punk turned to her.
"We could." Punk said as AJ looked at him.
"You mean work for Rio all the time?" AJ asked him as Punk nodded, "Is that what you'd want?"
"It's a sweet deal." Punk shrugged.
"You could get caught at any time. And then you go to prison." AJ said, "I'm not ok with that." She said truthfully.
"We could get our own place." Punk said, "Imagine. Our own place." He said as AJ looked at him. It was such a dream, yet it felt so impossible.
"Look, I… I introduced you to Rio in case of emergencies, that we ran into trouble and needed money." AJ said, "But working for him full-time… you won't get out of it. Look at my family."
"Your family is insane, though." Punk shook his head.
"Yeah, and I don't wanna end up like that." AJ said, "I'm serious right now, Phil." She nodded to him as Punk looked across at her.
"Nothing bad is gonna happen." Punk shook his head, "Hey, do you trust me?" He tilted her head around by her chin as she looked at him.
"You're the only person I trust." AJ nodded, "Maybe Dean too but he does steal a lot of my food."
"You're one to talk about stealing." Punk smirked a little as AJ smiled, "We're gonna be fine. Just trust me." He nodded as AJ looked at him. She did trust him. He kept her safe, he kept her sane and happy in this difficult life.
"I do trust you." She whispered, cupping his cheek softly as Punk smiled, leaning her down on the bed and kissing her passionately as she pulled his t-shirt up over his head, running her hands up his back.
She knew she wasn't going to find a love like this ever again. She was connected to him on ways she didn't think was imaginable. He knew what she was thinking without her speaking and vice versa. It wasn't extraordinary bond.
She felt his hand go in her panties, stroking her clit and kissing her neck as she rolled her head back and moaned.
"You're so wet for me." Punk smirked, nudging her neck as she moaned.
She pushed her jeans down whilst undoing his as he smiled at her eagerness, "I want you inside me." AJ moaned.
"Turn around." Punk said, pushing his jeans and boxers down as AJ turned around on her hands and knees, taking hold of the head board as he pushed himself into her.
"Oh, fuck." AJ moaned, "Fuck, yes… give it to me." AJ moaned, feeling him pound into her from behind.
He leaned over and kissed her neck, holding her around the throat as she smiled, feeling him pound in and out of her, already approaching her first orgasm.
"Yeah, take it." Punk whispered in her ear as she bit her lip. No one knew her body like he did. She wasn't going to let anyone know her body like she let him. He knew how to make her feel good, to combine her weakness with her power. To overwhelm her with these feelings. In these moments, she didn't care where they ended up or what happened to them. In these moments she just wanted him like this forever.
AJ was fast asleep later on. She normally fell asleep early since she was awake early with Thea. Getting used to being in the apartment alone was extremely difficult. Once Punk had gone to prison, she could barely sleep on her own. She heard every noise, every car that went by. It got to the point where the only reason she fell asleep was because of exhaustion.
She was asleep in her bed whilst Thea was fast asleep in the crib at the bottom of the room, but she was suddenly woken up by loud banging at the apartment door.
She shot up in bed, getting out and listening to the loud banging.
"Open up! I'm here for my money!" The man exclaimed as AJ groaned, realising it was the man who had come to fix her water earlier in the week.
She stayed quiet, slowly creeping out of the bedroom and looking down the hallway.
"Open up, bitch!" He yelled as AJ ran her hand through her hair.
She crept back into the bedroom and closed the door over, leaning against it and closing her eyes, looking over at Thea in her crib who managed to stay asleep through all the yelling.
She stood hoping the man would go away, keeping her eyes closed and leaning against the door. She didn't have money to give him, she barely had money for herself, and she knew what he would look for as an alternative like before, so she stayed quiet and just bargained on him leaving.
The shouting went on for another five minutes until she finally heard it go quiet, taking a deep breath and walking out of the bedroom just as she heard a loud smash from the living room.
She rushed down the hall and into the living room, placing her hands in her hair as she saw her now smashed in window, glass everywhere with curtains blowing around. It was enough to make her cry.
