Disclaimer: I own nothing except my imagination
Dedication: This goes out to all the Smoochy Dreamers out there, especially StephanieIrvine04, lucyzigg, and the Queen of all the Smoochy Dreamers, DCFanatic4Life for providing hours of reading enjoyment and inspiration.
A/N:Stephanie celebrated a birthday a few days ago and here's my one shot fic on a Smoochy birthday. Enjoy and if you would, please review. Thanks!
"Why does this not surprise me?" Stephanie muttered to herself as she walked down the sidewalk.
It was her 28th birthday today and it appeared that not one person seemed to remember that. She had waited all day for her phone to ring only to be disappointed. Nobody called. Nobody had remembered that it was her birthday.
"Not even my own mother," she muttered to herself as she walked down the street.
She walked feeling more lonely than she had ever felt in her life; more lonely than when she was married to Hunter and that had been real lonely. She sighed out loud and watched the sun play tag with the clouds. It was a beautiful day and it was her birthday. Why couldn't she enjoy it?
Because nobody had remembered her birthday was today. Nobody had thought enough of her to call her and wish her a happy birthday. She finally ended up in front of her house. She slowly walked up the walkway and let herself in the front door.
As she walked into the living room, the sense of loneliness overwhelmed her to the point that she felt her eyes fill with tears. She wasn't a crying kind of person. "McMahon's don't cry; they make others cry," was her father's mantra. She knew that she wouldn't be able to stop these tears from falling and finally just quit trying. She sat down on the couch and had herself a good old-fashioned soul-cleansing cry.
"Well, I feel better," she said to herself when she was finally cried out. She walked over to the bathroom and grimaced when she looked in the mirror. Her nose and cheeks were red; with the mascara running down her face, she really looked awful. She quickly pulled her long brown straight hair back and washed her face.
She was drying her face when she heard a knock on the door. She looked in the mirror with a 'deer in the headlight' look. She wasn't expecting anybody. "I'm just imagining things," she muttered to herself as she hung the towel back up on the towel rack.
Suddenly, there was another knock on the door. This time, it was more forceful as if there was urgency to the knock. Then she heard a voice, not just a voice but the voice that haunted her dreams. She thought she heard Chris Jericho's voice.
Chris pounded on the door again. He knew she was there. She had to be. "Come on Princess, I know you're home. Open the door!"
Stephanie's heart was pounding so loud that it sounded like her heart was in her ears. What on earth was Chris doing on her front step? Why was he here? What did he want? She had a million questions running thru her head and no answers. Finally, afraid the neighbors would call the law on him pounding on her door nonstop, she opened the door.
"Hello Princess," Chris said leaning against her door as if he belonged there. "Long time no see."
"Hi Chris," Stephanie said with a bewildered look on her face.
"I bet you're wondering what I'm doing here aren't you?" Chris asked with a huge grin on his face. "Tell you what, you invite me in and then I'll tell you what I'm doing here."
"I'm sorry, come on in," Stephanie said moving aside to let him in her house.
As she watched him walk in, she couldn't help but think of how good he looked. But then again, he was Chris Jericho and he always looked good. She never let on how she felt about him because her father had always shunned romances within the company with good reason. After her marriage failed with Hunter, pleasing her father had become her #1 priority.
Of course, that had been before her father fired her. One for drama, he had to do it in a "I Quit" match. She never understood the reasoning behind that. She just knew that her father had really hurt her this time and she didn't know if the wounds would ever heal.
"Have a seat," Stephanie said motioning for him to sit down.
Chris sat down and smiled at Stephanie. She looked great but then again, she had always looked great. At one point and time, he had thought that there was a connection between the two of them. He still thought that there was one. He just found it harder and harder to stay away from her as time went on. Finally, he had had enough and decided to do something about it.
"You look great Stephanie," Chris said wondering why she looked so sad. He had noticed that she had been crying when he walked in. He had decided to be a gentleman for now and ignore it.
"Thanks," Stephanie said with a small smile. "So tell me, what are you doing here?"
"Well, is it a bad thing for one friend to come visit the other?" Chris asked with a smirk on his face. "I mean, you don't call, you don't write. I figured that I had done something to make you mad."
"What? No, I'm not mad," Stephanie said with a perplexed look on her face. "Why would you think that I was mad?"
"Why wouldn't I think that Stephanie?" Chris asked leaning up to place his elbows on his knees. "You know, I thought that there was always something between us. I know you felt it."
Chris clear blue eyes cut into her brown eyes like a razor. She couldn't hide her emotions from him. He got up and slowly walked over to the chair that she was sitting in. He dropped down on his knees in front of her never breaking eye contact. "Tell me you didn't feel it," he whispered. "Tell me you don't feel it now."
"I can't," Stephanie whispered.
"Good," Chris said standing up and holding out his hand. "Come on, I won't bite. Well, not unless of course, you want me to."
Stephanie smiled and took his hand. She stood up in front of him wishing she could read his mind. She stood there just looking into his blue eyes and drowning in them when something caught her eye.
"What was that?" Stephanie asked looking out the window.
Chris never spoke. He gently took his hand and placed it under her chin. He gently lifted her chin and softly kissed her on the lips. He pulled back to see the surprise and shock in her eyes. He smiled a little smile before kissing her fully on the mouth.
Stephanie gasped in surprise opening her mouth just enough for Chris to take advantage. Now that he had her exactly where he wanted her, he was not doing to let her get away. His tongue swooped into her mouth with grace and ease. He closed his eyes and tasted the ripest juiciest strawberries that he had ever tasted.
Stephanie put her hand on his face to make sure that what was happening was real. She moaned softly as she felt his tongue flicking against hers. Unable to stand it any longer, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him flush against herself.
Chris moaned when he felt Stephanie's body against his. He had waited for this moment for such a long time and it was so worth the wait. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss even more.
Suddenly a knock on the door made them jump apart. Chris grinned and said, "Why do I feel like a teenage boy that's gotten caught in his girlfriend's room late at night?"
Stephanie giggled and covered her face with her hands. Chris smiled as he watched her giggle. She was trying to hold it in but she was failing miserably. Finally, unable to hold it in, her laughter bubbled over like the healing emotion that it was.
"What is so funny?" Chris asked watching her laugh until there were tears in her eyes.
"It's just this has been the craziest day that I've ever had," Stephanie said smiling and wiping the tears from her eyes.
Chris looked at her with a knowing look. He walked in front of her and kissed her softly. "Why don't you go open the door?"
Stephanie looked at Chris with a strange look on her face. She then slowly looked back at the door. She started walking towards the front door unsure of what was going on. She opened the door to find a beautiful bouquet of peach colored roses being held by a flower delivery man. She looked at the roses and then looked back at Chris.
Chris grinned at the shocked look on her face. He rushed over to the door and tipped the delivery-man. "Thanks dude," Chris said before moving Stephanie out of the way and shutting the door.
He looked at Stephanie and noticed that she looked shocked. He couldn't blame her for that really. It had been a while since he had shocked anybody but it felt extra good to do that to her. "Aren't you going to read the card?"
Stephanie's hands were shaking as she set the flowers down on the table. She picked up the small envelope with the card. She slowly brought the card out and read out loud.
Happy Birthday Princess!
You didn't think that I would ever forget your birthday did you?
Love, Chris
She looked back at Chris and then heard another noise. Chris jumped in front of her and stopped her from going anywhere. "Before I show you your other surprise, I've got to say this."
Stephanie looked at Chris waiting for him to speak. She didn't know what he was going to say but she so desperately wanted him to say those words that she longed to hear. She wanted to hear it so bad that she could taste it but what could were the words if you didn't mean them?
"Stephanie, we've known each other for a long time. I've tried to stop myself from feeling this way about you but I can't. I can't and I won't," Chris said grabbing her hands. "I love you Stephanie Marie McMahon. I love you and I don't care who knows it."
Stephanie looked at him with huge eyes and a surprised look on her face. "Do you mean it? God, please don't say it if you don't mean it!"
"I mean it, I love you. I've loved you for so long. I refuse to go on with my life without you. You hear me woman, I refuse to," Chris said with a stubborn look on his face.
"I hear you," Stephanie said with a smile on her face. "It's a good thing that you do cause I love you too Chris Jericho."
Chris picked her up and swirled her around in pure happiness. She smiled and laughed before finally kissing him on the lips again. He slowly slid her body down his body content to just kiss her until he remembered his other surprise. He slowly ended the kiss and hugged her to him.
"You know, this was the worst day ever. I thought everybody had forgotten my birthday. I've not heard from anybody in my family and then you showed up and I thought hell had really frozen over," Stephanie said chuckling to herself.
"The surprises are not over yet Princess," Chris chuckled. He noticed the mystified look on her face and grinned. He pulled a red bandana out of his back pocket and covered her eyes. "There is one more surprise left."
Stephanie grinned from ear to ear as Chris tied the bandana over her eyes. He led her thru the house and out the back door. She thought she had heard voices when she first walked out. Suddenly there was silence and Stephanie was nervous.
"Are you ready?" Chris whispered in her ear.
"Yes, I'm ready," Stephanie said thinking the day couldn't possibly get any better.
Chris quickly took the bandana off her eyes and yelled, "Surprise!"
Stephanie looked out into her back yard to see her family and friends grinning from ear to ear. She looked over at her parents and started crying. She couldn't believe that she thought they would forget her on her special day.
"Whoa Princess, what's wrong?" Chris asked the worry evident in his eyes.
"Nothing," Stephanie said as the tears fell down her face. "This is the best birthday ever."
Chris kissed her softly on the mouth and said, "Just wait until next year."