Alberto has lost against Sin Cara again. Ordinarily it'd just be a set back, he'd shake it off and move on, but this is different. On top of the losses to Cena, and the World title being unified with the WWE title, which lessens his chances of regaining it, it feels like a serious situation, perhaps the beginning of the end of his career.

He's tense and he's angry, sitting mulishly at the kitchen table, Sofia peering over at him worriedly as she prepares supper for the three of them. Ricardo is standing behind him, massaging his shoulders and trying to think of some way to actually help him, since what he's been trying to do hasn't been doing anything. Finally he leans down and wraps his arms around the Mexican aristocrat's chest, lightly kissing his cheek. "El Patron, what do you say we go train in the basement gym before supper? Work out some of this energy, hm?"

Alberto doesn't say anything for a long moment, finally turning to look into Ricardo's earnest eyes. "Fine," he says lowly. Brushing Ricardo's hands away coolly, he stands from the table and walks determinedly down the stairs, Sofia and the former ring announcer exchanging worried glances before he goes to join him. By the time Ricardo makes it to the ring, Alberto's already in his ring gear, wrapping his wrists tightly in preparation for a fight.

Ricardo hesitates, second guessing his offer now, but obligingly gets into his own gear, the full body suit that he wears whenever he competes as El Local. They get into the ring and Alberto impatiently shakes Ricardo's hand before falling into a ready stance, waiting for Ricardo to approach. When he does, Alberto snags his wrist and draws him in the rest of the way, punching him. Ricardo staggers back, holding his face and staring on in shock, but tries to shake it off and move back into position for a more traditional lock up, but Alberto responds to this by sweeping his feet out from under him and sending him hard to the mat.

Ricardo shudders and hisses as the breath is taken roughly from his lungs, his eyes watering as he looks up at the lights. "El Patron," he wheezes, trying to get his arms up for some defense as Alberto hovers over his downed body, punches and kicks raining down on him again and again. Alberto eventually seems to bore of this and walks off, allowing Ricardo to roll onto his knees, regaining some of his breath. "El Patron-" He doesn't see the enzuigiri coming, only feeling the impact as his head is rocked to the side before he crumples back against the mat.

Only just aware of what a terrible mistake this offer now was, he clings to a glimmer of consciousness before he feels fingers in his hair, tugging him up in the cruelest way possible. He wavers on his feet, struggling to keep an eye on Alberto, when he feels himself being dragged over to the ropes. His body is pliant, it doesn't feel like his own, as gravity fails him and he finds himself staring at the mat upside down. He realizes he's hanging from the second rope in Alberto's improvised tree of woe, rough, impatient fingers gripping his hands and forcing him to hang onto the turnbuckle before Del Rio climbs the ropes, memories of when Alberto had first practiced this move on him, how badly it had hurt, echoes back through his sluggish mind and he starts to cry. "No, no, El Patron, por favor- stop, s-stop," he pleads. He's hanging awkwardly, only able to see Alberto's enraged, ruddy face from this angle. "El Patron, please-"

Their eyes catch and Alberto falters, almost falling off of the turnbuckle himself before he sits heavily on the top rope, staring down at Ricardo in terror. "Ay dios mio," he breathes out, shaking his head in disbelief as clarity returns to his dark eyes, the anger slowly leaving him. "Ricardo?"

"Help me," he pleads, starting to tremble from the strain of supporting himself in such an awkward angle. "Por favor... El Patron..."

Alberto immediately curses darkly, getting back to his feet and carefully clearing Ricardo's prone body when he leaps down to the mat. Immediately he twists around and brace's Ricardo's back with his arms, offering him some support. "Relax, mi valiente, I have you," he breathes. Ricardo's hands seem frozen in place but he finally, tentatively, unhooks them from the turnbuckle, allowing Alberto to guide his body down slowly to the mat, knees still bent up into the second rope until Alberto drags him clear of that too. "I have you."

Once laying horizontally once more, Ricardo cries and buries his face in Alberto's side, shaking his head. "Lo siento, I thought it would help, distract you, but it only made it worse, didn't it?"

"None of this was your fault," Alberto tells him, voice trembling as he realizes just what he could've done to the man in his arms. "You were trying to help me and I lost myself in anger and humiliation again..." He strokes Ricardo's soft black hair, feeling his sobs shaking through both of them. "I am the one who is truly sorry, mi valiente. I know I have already asked this of you too much, but please... forgive me?"

Ricardo sniffs and nods, sitting up a little and kissing Alberto. "Of course, I know it's not... it's just... you're understandably angry over how things have been going, it was nothing personal. You probably didn't even realize it was me in the ring, you were so lost in the moment."

Alberto stares into his eyes, trying to remember what he was thinking only moments earlier. "I believe you're right, but it doesn't make it right, Ricardo." He brushes the fresh tears off of the ring announcer's face, leaning in to kiss him. "I promise you, Ricardo, if I ever feel this close to losing it, I'll never agree to training with you again. It breaks my heart to come this close to hurting you." He lightly brushes his thumb against one of the spots he'd punched him earlier and Ricardo winces away, Alberto's eyes filling with guilt and pain. "I'm so sorry," he breathes out, hugging Ricardo close and pressing his face against the top of Ricardo's head.

Ricardo nods and curls in tighter against Alberto, absorbing as much comfort as he can from being held like this, until Sofia calls down that supper's ready.

Neither wanting to worry her, Alberto gets to his feet and gently pulls Ricardo up as well, searching his face. "We're alright?"

"Si," Ricardo agrees, smiling as Alberto finds his hand and squeezes his fingers softly, leaning in to kiss him before they head upstairs.