All I own is my original character. Everything else is WWE's playground. Sorry for the wait for this chapter. I've been working on chapter six and felt like it needed to be changed slightly. Long story short, there's a chance of me changing my original WrestleMania plans around. Plus a match with Daniel Bryan replacing the planned Elimination Chamber spot talked about here. It'll happen if there's a demand for it after chapter five, which features Cesaro doing what he does best; be amazing in the ring.
"Matt!" Lexi's soft voice shook me from the nightmare, forcing me to readjust to everything. Including how close those perfect eyes were, as well as the concern etched across her angelic face. Her lips hovering a few inches away from mine making me blush.
"H-Hey. What time is it?" I nervously asked, resisting the urge to hug her and break down. My foster parents, or a good portion of them, made sure to remind me that was a sign of weakness. And any weakness meant they could abuse me. It didn't matter that it was a natural reaction.
"Are you okay?" There it was. The one question I tried avoiding. Her soft voice holding concern unworthy of me. How could I properly explain what's wrong to her?
"I'll be fine. Just need a glass of water." I moved away from her, intending to just go to the bathroom for the water. She, however, threw on a pair of leggings and grabbed a key card for the room.
"I think I'll join you." The unadulterated joy in her statement almost broke me. She either knew what she did to me or wasn't paying attention. Either way, it made me hopeful that she'd consider me worthy enough for her heart.
We reached the vending machine, each getting our own bottles of water. As she handed me mine, our hands grazed one another, sending jolts of electricity through me. She seemed to have the same thing happen to her.
"Sorry about that" I muttered, only for her to let out a low sigh.
"It's not your fault. Besides, I enjoyed it." With that statement, she turned and walked back towards the room. Following her, I allowed my eyes to dart around protectively. Searching for some reason to get in front of her to avoid the temptation of checking her out.
Closing the door behind me, I turned to see Lex looking up at me, her eyes quizzical. "Are you going to actually tell me what's wrong, or am I going to have to guess?"
A sigh was all I could respond with before sitting in the desk chair. "You and I had two different childhoods."
"What does that have to do with anything? Were your parents distant or overbearing?" She quizzed, not intending for the painful reminder.
"You had parents. I didn't." Her eyes widened immediately, regretting the question.
"Oh my. I'm so sorry. I-I didn't know."
"It's alright. You and Claudio are the only two who do know. The only difference is how much you really want to know?" She swallowed nervously before asking me to continue. "Most of the kids in the orphanage ended up dead or in jail. The few that made something out of their lives did so due to their adoptive parents." It was my turn to swallow nervously.
"I was adopted and returned four times. First time, I was abused by the mother in a way that still haunts me." A flash of rage crossed her face, before calming as our eyes met. "Second and third times, the abuse was much more physical and verbal. The last time was the emotional abuse, which is why I always apologize." Her arms wrapped around me in a tight hug. Returning it gently, I was surprised when she leaned her forehead against mine.
"You didn't deserve to be treated like that, but look at what you did in spite of them. They didn't see the handsome man you'd end up being, and I promise you that I'll always be there for you." If my head was sent to space, it'd shine brighter than the sun due to my blush. Lex had one as well, but I think it's due to the promise she just made.
"Th-th-thank you. Now let's get some sleep." I replied, only to be surprised as she pushed me down to the bed.
"Okay. We can share the bed."
"I-I can sleep on the floor. It's comfortable for me." She rolled her eyes before throwing her pillows next to mine.
"After what you just told me, there's no chance in hell of me letting you sleep by yourself. We can share the bed or floor. Personally, I'm comfortable with either" she blushed deeper and looked away shyly. "Due to how safe I feel near you."
"We can share the bed." A flash of regret flashed through her eyes as she realized what she had done.
"I'm sorry," she sighed before looking me in the eyes, "I didn't mean to be so forceful. It's a case of I'd rather be there to help calm you in case of a nightmare." She snuggled up to me, seemingly unaware of the rapid beating of my heart. As she lowered her head to my chest, it skipped a beat or two. Once she was situated, we both fell into a deep sleep.
"So, what do you like to do for fun?" Lex asked as we got in the rental car. We've had plenty of time to actually talk, as she was going to be on Backstage and Vince wanted to personally meet with me in LA. So we decided to travel together. The rumor mill was probably spinning with a million different versions of us being in a relationship and all that.
Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered to even be considered as a travel buddy for her. But the relationship talk was hysterical to me. Any of the single guys on the roster would have a better chance than I would. Hell, you could probably include certain fans in that!
"I like watching baseball and hockey. Personally, I'm an all Chicago fan. Bulls, Blackhawks, Bears, Cubs. Why?" I replied. She offered up a beautiful smile that was infectious. The way she made me feel kinda terrifies me.
"I mainly watch hockey. Might catch the occasional baseball game, but it really depends on how I feel. Anything else?"
"Reading. It got my mind off of things." She laid her hand on my knee. Knowing that she'd be there for me was nice. But the way her smile can entice me to do literally anything got me concerned. Dealt with girls like that three times, and each time was worse than the last.
Her eyes made me wonder if she'd be different. Yet any type of hurt in them caused my heart to break. Another trait I dealt with, but only once thankfully. And I'd rather not remember those days.
"Do you know what Vince wanted to meet you for?" She asked, causing me to offer a weak smile in return. It told her the answer, as did my silence. Once we reached out intended location, Vince met us outside.
"Glad to see you made it!" His gruff voice holding a tone of excitement. Lex and I just looked at one another before shaking his hand.
"I was scheduled to be on Backstage tonight. Just so happened that you wanted to meet with Matt." Lexi commented, confused at his excitement.
"I know. The rumor mill has been going crazy with you two potentially being together." Our eyes widened, fear coursing through my body at the very least. Who could even think I was worthy of being loved by Lexi? Seriously? Me. A guy who has no family.
"I-I-I didn't re-realize" Lexi stuttered, only for Vince to wave the concern off. A bright smile formed on his face.
"You've got nothing to be concerned about. People enjoyed the Moment of Bliss, and on one of the wide shots, the sight of you smiling while Matt was on the offense got people thinking about it." He paused to take a deep breath and turn his attention to me. "That's why we want you two to enter a romantic storyline together."
"What about his IC title shot?" Lex bit her lip immediately after asking the question.
"Well, it's honestly up in the air right now. Stephen has asked about getting one, and we're moving Nakamura to Raw after Mania. So we're planning on removing the strap from him. The only problem is that we can't really move it unless there's a solid reason."
"If the romantic storyline is going to take his shot away" Lex looked at me, letting her emotions cloud those beautiful gates to happiness. "I don't want to do it." Vince raised an eyebrow, while I cleared my throat.
"Give us a moment sir." He nodded before walking in to the building. Lex found herself wincing after looking at me in the eye. "Lex. Do you want to do a romantic story with me? Screw championship opportunities, just answer that question."
She took a deep breath to steel her nerves before answering. "Yes. Normally I'd say no, but I honestly feel like it would be a great opportunity for you." She was surprised as I wrapped my arms around her gently, pulling her in. She melted into it, returning the hug.
"Then we'll do the romantic story. I'm sure we could give Vince a reason to give us each a championship opportunity." She just mumbled something inaudibly, making me chuckle. My chin rested ever so softly on her head.
"I'm sure you two could." A female voice stated from behind us, holding back some laughter. Lexi pulled away and looked at the owner of the voice.
"Adrienne!" She launched herself at the her friend, almost knocking them both over. Renee Paquette-Good and William Reso stood behind them, laughing at their antics. Saraya-Jade Bevis just playfully rolled her eyes before joining in on the hug.
Taking the time to silently step towards the building, I was surprised when William followed me.
"Thank you" he said, stepping inside. He turned to face me with a soft smile on his face. "You and Lexi seem to be close. Mind explaining the hug out there?"
"We were offered to do a romantic story together, but she was concerned with a title shot that had been discussed last Friday." He nodded.
"Was it a shot for you or her?"
"Me. I'm not exactly too concerned about it, as I fully expect to be given the opportunity again." A soft sigh escaped me involuntarily. "Besides, I think her and Nikki deserve a shot at the Women's Tag Team Championships more than I deserve an IC shot." William just let out a low laugh.
"You two are looking at the story in the wrong way." He gave a sly grin before continuing. "Look at it this way; how can this lead to everyone being satisfied. The answer lies at Mania." With that, he sauntered off, waving at Vince who was walking up.
"I assume you guys came to an agreement?"
"We did. She's outside, which is why I want to ask for a favor." Vince raised an eyebrow before motioning for me to continue. "Give Lex and Nikki a tag team championships match at Mania." Vince let out a resounding laugh in response.
"You're both having an opportunity to become champions at Mania." I was surprised at the announcement. "Nakamura agreed to drop the title in an Elimination Chamber match. We're going to give it to Stephen, as he would attack you the Smackdown before it. You'll be removed from that match, but the Backstage episode after the event, you'll be announced as the number one contender."
"Thank you sir."
"No need to thank me. What did you guys decide?" Lexi leapt on my back, giggling to herself before putting our cheeks together.
"I think we should do the story. But I don't think we should be overly scripted." She stated, her eyes focused on Vince. He offered up a sly smile and nodded in agreement. That was when he informed her of the opportunities for us at Mania.
"Now, this week, we're going to have you guys do a Secret Santa exchange. You'll be standing under a mistletoe, unless you guys want to avoid that."
"I-I'm o-okay with it" I stuttered, which made Lex giggle again.
"It should be under a mistletoe. Anything specific we have to get?" Vince smiled at the question.
"Something romantic. On that topic, how do you guys feel about going to New York for New Year's Eve?"
"I would love to sir!" The excitement in Lexi's voice made me smile involuntarily. Vince noticed it and gave a soft nod at the acceptance of hers.
"Then you two will get to be there as well. You won't have to worry about furthering the story there. Just have a great time." With that said, he left. Lexi remained on my back as the others walked to where they were needed.
"Lex, you want to get off?" I asked, only to receive no response. Once I set her down in a chair, she just started pouting. Her adorable face made me laugh before letting her climb onto my back again.
"Thank you." She muttered. "I know I agreed to the New Year's Eve party without thinking about you." I shushed her after that.
"It's something you want to do. That alone makes everything alright with me. Actually being there with you is just an added bonus." She blushed slightly, only for it to grow warmer as I continued. "Besides, if it makes you smile, I'd do it a thousand times over. Just to see that."
"You staying for Backstage?"
"More than likely. Why?"
"We should get something to eat after the show."
"Spend more time with you? Always gonna be a yes from me." She let out a content sigh before sliding off my back and going to do the show.
We got to the arena around two thirty, Lexi wearing a baby blue Disney shirt while I wore a Blissful Coffee shirt. I wore it because of the fact that I wouldn't have been able to wear a Breaking Benjamin shirt. She had made a comment on Tuesday about how we rarely agreed on music. Which wasn't too surprising, as I grew up with rap, rock, and stuff like that. She grew up with pop, country, and the like. We could agree to romantic songs, but for two very different reasons.
The leggings she had decided to wear were a little tight on her, which she waved off after I asked if she wanted to change out of them. Some of the workers seemed to enjoy the sight. It, admittedly, made me feel a tad bit jealous, but it was almost immediately replaced with disgrace. I remembered how bad that had ended last time. Which was with a baseball bat to my ribs and leg by my ex.
"You ready for the gift exchange?" Lexi drew me out of my misery and into Heaven with her megawatt smile.
"Yeah. Got you a self portrait." I replied, making her raise an eyebrow. The camera crew came by to get everything filmed. Vince had allowed us to do it early, as Lexi had wanted to get back home sooner rather than later. I was tagging along because why not?
"Matty!" Alexa exclaimed, giving me a one armed hug. "I got you in the Secret Santa drawing. Hope you like it." She finished, pulling away and handing me a box. Opening it up, it was a Javier Baez Cubs jersey.
"Its great. Thank you!" I offered her a soft smile as I pulled out a small box. Her eyes went wide at the sight of it, clearly thinking it was a ring. "I got you in the Secret Santa drawing as well, and decided to get you something to remind you of what you are." She nervously opened it, allowing the crew enough time to zoom in on the angel figurine.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she just hugged me. No words were said for a few seconds before she pulled back and thanked me. That was when I noticed the mistletoe hanging above us.
"Hurry up and kiss her you fool!" Roman announced his presence behind me, offering an encouraging smile to me. However, Alexa didn't give me a chance to do that, as she initiated the kiss. Once she pulled away and left, I just developed a lovesick grin.
"Good job you two!" Joe praised once the crew left. Lex came back as well, latching on to my arm. He very clearly wanted to say something, but held it in. Not that I was complaining.
"Thanks." I replied, as Lexi pulled us out of the way. Once he left, Lexi stood in front of me, her eyes alight with a soft fire.
"A self portrait, huh? Mind telling me who it's of?" There was a tone of hopefulness in her question, along with an expectation of disappointment.
"You." I replied meekly, only for her to wrap me in yet another hug. This time, she didn't pull away quickly. Allowing me to feel the warmth of her. It was nice. Feels like I belong in her arms. But I've been there before.
"Matt" her soft voice refocused my mind on her. Those otherworldly eyes making me weak in the knees. "Thank you."
"Any time Angel." She blushed at the nickname. We remained backstage to watch the last Smackdown before Christmas, enjoying our time together. As it wound down, Lexi buried herself into my side, practically forcing my arm around her.
"Matt, you going to the holiday party on Monday?" She asked.
"I've got no idea. Probably if there's no alcohol involved. Why?" She turned her head upwards, allowing her puppy dog eyes to be plastered on involuntarily.
"I was hoping you'd go with me. There'll probably be some alcohol, but there'll be other drinks!" She explained, almost nervously. "Plus we could dance!" A soft sigh escaped me, making her flinch. It caught me off guard as well.
"You don't need to push so hard for it. I'll go, but I just want you to know that there's a very good chance of me being a wallflower."
"I don't want to force you to do anything that you don't want to." A smile formed on my face, making her quirk an eyebrow at it.
"It's not a case of me not wanting to go. It's a case of me wanting to go, cause I know it'll make you happy. And that's all I want to do. Make you happy." Her cheeks burned with the fury of a thousand suns.
"You make it hard to keep my composure." She beamed at me. "Never change."
"For you, I'll only change for the better."
"Then you're already there." I couldn't help but feel shocked at such a statement.