Title: Anyone But Me
Chapter 4
Author: Kora
E-mail: or
Rating: Rating: R, someday I promise to try and write something with a more tame rating.
Disclaimer: The following characters belong to WWE and all the people and companies who deal with all that legal stuff. I am simply using the characters for my own twisted enjoyment.
Author's Note: I was surprised by the success of 'Anyone But You', as well as how many people asked for a sequel. I hadn't really planned on one but since so many people wanted one, I thought-why not!
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Jericho sat before the fireplace flipping through the pages of the 'Divas Undressed' magazine. Molly was in the kitchen, the sounds of pots and pans clinking together his background music.
Neither of them had really spoken since the snowball fight, both confused by what exactly was going on between them. First there was animosity boarding on hatred, then an unquenchable passion and pure interest, then back to the animosity again. They'd been flip-flopping with each other so much that now they found themselves unable to say anything else.
Jericho, however, opted for animosity over anything else, as anything else left him feeling strangely uncomfortable. She had a way of getting too close...
He shook his head at this thought and pushed it off quickly as he landed on her section of the magazine. He grinned evilly, knowing he had now finally found the fuel to make her angry with him. He let out an appreciative whistle. Molly, naturally, commented on it, "What're you whistling at?"
"Nothing. Well. You actually. I mean did you bring any of this stuff?" He asked and turned, with the magazine open to her, showing her a picture of herself in a silk nightie.
Molly looked at it and blushed, she walked over and went to snatch the magazine from him but he held it back, "Whoa, this is mine! Get your own! Oh wait, guess you did...the sweet virgin Molly in these kind of outfits," he scolded and continued to flip through her pages, 'tsking' loudly, "Look at this one, why...I can see you cleavage through..."
Molly went to snatch at it again, only to miss a chance at grabbing it again, her face was red, "Yeah, well...I only did it to show that a girl can wear something else besides a teddy and still be attractive to men. I mean, I'm not all THAT revealing in my outfits..."
"What about this one?" Jericho asked and turned a page towards her, showing her a picture of herself in a short cotton nightie.
"I'm still covered!"
"It's short."
"Why are you looking?"
Jericho opened his mouth to answer then shut it, not quite sure what to say in response to that. She crossed her arms, pleased, "Were you checking me out?"
"Psh! Please!" Jericho muttered and tossed the magazine aside, "I just wanted to look at Stacy and you just happened to pop up. You're the less than stellar offering in that magazine but hey, they've got to appeal to everyone's taste and some guys like that big-bone look."
Molly's tongue stick to one side of her cheek as she remarked dryly, "Yeah? Well it goes the same for girls. After all, how many women are drooling over Chris 'Y2J' Jericho? I don't hear them crying out for you the way they do Jeff Hardy and Shawn Michaels. Then again, you are the man who used to wear his hair on top of his head in a ponytail similar to a 1980's cheerleader!"
"Whatever. You know, I can't wait until this godforsaken weekend is over so I can get away from you. I never EVVVVVVVVVER want to be around you again, Lolly Molly!"
"God, have you ever listened to the way you talk? You sound like a five-year-old. But then I don't suppose I can expect much from a man who enjoys wearing hot pink."
Jericho crossed his arms and edged closer to her, "This from the girl who used to be a Pollyanna buxom blonde in pig tails!"
Molly decided to meet him tit for tat, "This from the guy who has a crumb collector on his face long enough to twist into a ratty braid on his face, you need to shave!"
"This from the girl who probably doesn't shave!"
"This from the man who probably doesn't know how to shave! Or at least trim!"
"This from the girl who dated, of all people, Spike Dudley and the Hurricane!"
Molly couldn't think of another good 'this from' comeback and instead unfolded her arms, her tongue leaving her cheek as she remarked pointedly, "Yeah? Well at least I've been in a relationship! Who have you ever been with, huh? I bet you've never even been in love or had a serious girl or..."
"Bullshit!" He roared, suddenly unreasonably angry as he charged towards her. It caused the normal reaction, her backing away and shrinking down as he tore into her, "I've had a girl before! But that love shit doesn't matter! It's bullshit! Why the hell would I want to get involved with some girl who turns around and winds up leaving me to go date and marry some ass clown who stole the belt from me by fucking forcing the referee to change his decision!"
Oh.
Shit.
Jericho's anger evaporated, instead replaced with a terrible vulnerability, uncertainties surrounding his features. Had he just said all that? Seeing the weakness overcome him, Molly felt herself rearing up from his attack, a frown on her face as she puzzled over what he just said.
She put a hand to her head and tried to piece it together, "Ref who changed his mind...you don't mean...what was it? 2000, right? State College? You beat Triple H but he got them to change...girl he...Stephanie? Are you talking about Stephanie McMahon?"
Jericho's jaw clenched and Molly could see it moving, her eyes widened and she put a hand to her mouth, "Oh my god! You and Stephanie!? But I thought you hated her! You called her such horrible things! You said she was a filthy, dirty, disgusting, bottom-feeding, trash-bag ho! A slime ball pig! A rancid, reeking, putrid..."
Molly could have continued like that but Jericho cut her off, saying tightly, "Remember the seventh grade? The teasing of someone you really liked, in an effort to get their attention? Stephanie and I...it was kind of like that. It was…"
He shook his head, avoiding her eyes, "It doesn't matter. Not anymore. She laid down on her back and opened her legs to any passing Tom, Dick, or Henry and it just ended up validating the things I said. But I'll tell you one thing, you'll never be to me what she was! Never! You don't even deserve to lick her boots much less..."
"Whoa! Who said I wanted to be anything to you! I could care less!"
"Oh please, you melt all over me when I give you the chance! And now around here you're acting all nice and sweet 'cause you want a big dose of Vitamin C-"
"As if!" Molly laughed, cutting him off, "I'm being nice to piss you off! I would normally never act all subservient and let you get your way but I'm doing it now because I know it's driving you crazy! You can't stand it! You WANT me to get angry and throw hissy fits because you don't want to like me! Because some how for some reason I get behind those walls you push up like that night in the motel! I heard you, Jericho! You were in the bathroom crying and you said 'anyone but you'! You said that because you don't want to..."
Molly trailed off, knowing that she had gone too far. They were both on edge now, both even more uncomfortable then they had been earlier. They couldn't even look at one another.
The tense silence sat there, open and painful until at last Jericho said simply, "It doesn't matter. All that shit...and you acting all nice, Ms. Goody-Two Shoes, it's an act just like you said it was. And I...it may have been working but two can play this game. I could not take the bait, I could be as nice to you as you are being to..."
"Please! It's impossible for you to act nice. You said so yourself. You're not a gentlemen, never were, never will be. You'd crack! You wouldn't be able to hold back and be nice to me for one whole evening..."
Jericho narrowed his eyes at her, jaw set, "Is that a challenge?"
"Maybe," Molly said defiantly.
"Well then, let's make this interesting. If I have to play it up, so do you!"
"Ha! I've been doing it! It's easy for me, I'm quite the actress. I can pretend to be docile but you, you won't make it!"
"Five hundred bucks says I can act like your idea of a fucking gentlemen for the entire evening!"
"Three hundred."
"Four hundred."
"Three hundred fifty."
"You take a personal check?"
"From you? Not on your life!"
"Cash?"
"Deal."
"Done."
The both eyed each other, then gave a confirmative nod as the negotiations ended. Molly gave him a wobbly grin, "Great. Well. I'm going to take a shower. Then afterwards I'll make us dinner and you can start trying to live up to this bet. Now, how to spend my money when I inevitably win..."
Molly turned and walked off, a skip in her step. Jericho watched her leave and frowned, still seething. He was a ball of confused, jumbling emotions and the it didn't settle well on him.
He found the magazine on the floor and picked it up, flipping through it idly. He landed in Molly's section of pictures again. He flipped through it slowly, looking at her inviting smile, her suggestive clothing.
He could hear the shower running and against his better wishes his thoughts joined her in the shower. The steam surrounding her, water rolling off her body. His hands clenched the magazine as he cursed and sat down, squeezing his eyes tightly closed.
Jericho, his thoughts muttered, what have you gotten yourself into now?