Rating: R for language and adult themes.
Disclaimer: I own Melony. WWE and the respective persons own all else.
Spoliers: This is the Prequel to Reigndrops and the first in the Reign of Pain Trilogy.
Another New Year's Eve party to attend, all alone. She was getting tired of being coerced into attending all these joyous Holiday parties, especially when she was feeling less than festive. She slipped into her coat and grabbed her car keys, shivering she walked out into the cold night air. Across the parking lot she saw some of her co-workers getting into their vehicles, no doubt heading to the same party. Their laughter filled the air, as she muttered a curse, her equivalent to 'ba-hum-bug'. Jackie had tried her best to convince Mel to ride with her and Torrie but she had pleaded her case of the holiday blues to the duo to no avail. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck with the two outrageously bubbly blondes the whole night. So she retorted to blackmail. Either she went to the party by herself or she wasn't going. Much to their dismay they finally caved in.
Melony drove in silence to the location, forgoing the holiday music on the radio. The last thing she felt like was plastering on a phony smile and mixing up with people she saw on a daily basis. But since the McMahons were throwing this shindig, everyone was expected to be in attendance. As she pulled to a stop at a red light, thoughts plagued her mind. Thoughts of the passing year, thoughts of the night ahead. She could only hope 2005 would be a better year for her. But it wasn't looking good, as she was already filled with dread. She just imagined lovers dancing the night away, dashing to kiss someone special at midnight and all that madness. She wanted to gag at the image. Was she really this bitter because she was once again alone on New Year's Eve? Not that she needed a man to be happy but she also didn't need to stand by and watch other happy couples laughing the night away. The car behind her honked alerting her that the light was now green. Pulling herself out of her depressing thoughts she turned left at the intersection and saw the club in the distance. If she could just make it through the night, she could put all the holiday crap behind her, until the same time next year. She guided the car into a tight parking space and turned off the ignition. Her head fell backwards against the headrest. Mumbling a string of cuss words, she took a deep breath and exhaled. A few hours, only a few hours, she kept reminding herself. She opened the car door and once again stepped out into the cold night air. Glancing upwards she took note of the cloudy sky and hoped it wouldn't rain before she made it back to her hotel. For the first time tonight she reconsidered her idea to ride alone, because now she realized she needed a designated driver.
Once inside she handed her coat to the coat checker and scanned the room for any sign of Torrie and Jackie. Through the crowd of Raw and Smackdown Superstars, she spotted the two blondes on the other side of the room in conversation with some other blondes. Mel shook her head, squinting at the figures on either side of Jackie. Was it Edge and Jericho? Or Trish and Edge? She shrugged and grabbed a glass of champagne off a passing tray. She exchanged greetings here and there and turned down an invitation to dance from both Christian and Rene, choosing instead to perch herself on a chair at the bar and sulk the night away. She downed the glass of bubbly and called the bartender over, ordering a bottle of the house brand of champagne. He returned and handed her a bottle which she practically snatched out of his hands. She picked up her glass and hoping to find a quiet corner to hide in, she slid off the chair and turned, bumping into a massive body. Her eye level was at his chest, inwardly she prayed it wasn't one of the newest brutes like Snitzky, Jesus or Heindenreich. Her eyes slowly scanned upward meeting a somber Luther Reigns.
"Excuse me. I was just leaving." She tried to go around him but he blocked her path with his hulking body.
"Don't rush off on my account. I just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year." He smiled and stepped aside allowing her to pass. That wasn't quite what she had expected from the brooding brute, rethinking her abruptness she turned to face him, his eyes still set on her.
"Sorry Luther. I'm not much for spreading the holiday cheer, but thank you all the same. And Happy New Year to you too." She smiled and walked away in search of solace.
His eyes followed her all the way to the back of the club, where she slid into a corner booth and uncorked her bottle of champagne. He grinned at the image she made. He had to wonder why such a beautiful woman was all alone. He gulped down the beer he was nursing and ordered another. Holidays weren't his thing either. This was the first New year's Eve party he had attended since he was twenty-one. And as far as he was concerned he hadn't missed out on anything. He casually leaned against the bar sipping his beer. He didn't want to appear like a stalker but his eyes were transfixed on her, she hypnotized him with her beauty. Her long brunette hair held loose curls as it framed her face. She wore a pink sequined tube top that revealed her muscular build and black pants that hugged her curves in all the right places. Luther ran his tongue over his lips as thought of undressing her came to mind.
"Hey man, what's up?" Kurt asked as he walked up to the bar and ordered a diet coke. "What's captured your attention?"
Luther took another sip of his beer and turned toward Angle. "Nothing man, just checking out the scene."
Kurt snorted. "Scene my Olympic ass. She makes quite a scene all right." Kurt nodded in the direction of Melony.
"Yeah she does."
"So go on over and talk to her."
Luther shook his head in protest. "I don't think she's in the mood for company."
Kurt took a drink of his cola. "So go cheer her up." He elbowed Luther before walking off.
Luther was left pondering his next move, if any.
Mel couldn't believe she had been here almost an hour and Torrie and Jackie had yet to spot her. Maybe she could sneak out, surely no one would miss her. She drained the last of the bottle and was contemplating going back for another one, when she noticed Luther still standing at the same spot at the bar. Was her vision getting worse or was he staring at her? His size and demeanor were intimidating to a lot of people but not her. She found him rather attractive. In his own unique way his quietness was rather charming and his body was a delicious temptation. She tried to refrain from dirty thoughts but couldn't help but undress him with her eyes. She wondered if the real thing was anything like what she imagined, there was only one way to find out. She rose from her seat seductively locking eyes with him. She sauntered toward him with only one thing on her mind. But her mission was derailed after only taking four steps in his direction.
"There you are girl! We've been waiting for you." Torrie and Jackie smothered her with well-meaning hugs. Forcing a smile, she returned the hugs.
"I've been sitting here for an hour. I told you I wasn't in the partying mood."
"Well, it certainly looks like you are. Love the top girl." Jackie said flashing a huge smile.
"If you're not in a party mood what's with the empty bottle?" Torrie smirked as she picked up the bottle. "Did you drink all of this?"
"Yes, yes I did. Am I on trial here? Cause if I am I want a lawyer."
Jackie draped an arm over Mel's shoulders. "Sweetie we just want you to have fun. What's the harm in that? We love you and are tired of seeing you mope around on the holidays."
"Yeah." Torrie chimed in. "It's time to party and ring in the New Year with all your friends."
Mel shuddered. Was it wrong for her to want to slap her two best friends? "Fun. You want me to have fun huh? I'll keep those words' firm in my mind. I'm off to have fun!" She walked off toward the bar in search of fun, leaving a confused Jackie and Torrie staring after her.
Brushing past Luther, she motioned the bartender over. "Gimme one bottle of my usual and seven, YES, I said seven shots of Tequila." The bartender nodded and set off to fill her request. She turned to Luther fixing him with her gray eyes. "I'm on strict orders to have fun. Do you have any ideas?"
Luther grinned. "I'm not sure what kind of fun you are looking to have but I doubt it's in those shot glasses."
"Oh is that so? And lemme guess you are Captain of the fun patrol right?"
"Not quite. I just don't think you should drown your problems in liquor."
Mel shot him a hateful look and decided that maybe she had made a mistake by even talking to the jackass. She licked her hand and sprinkled it with salt, glancing at him once more before licking the salt off, downing the shot, sucking the lime and repeating six more times. He laughed at her spitefulness. "Fell better yet?" He taunted her.
"Actually yes. No thanks to you."
"Well, I didn't know you were expecting me to make you feel better." Luther smirked and raised an eyebrow at the brunette diva.
Without missing a beat she replied with a subtle smile. "Well it's very doubtful that you would know what to do with all this." She poured a glass of champagne, noticing his gaze sizing her up from head to toe, she smiled. "Would you care for a glass Mr. Reigns?"
"No thank you. Someone has to stay sober enough to drive you back to the hotel."
"My aren't we confident?"
"Better confident than cocky." Luther smirked.
"Is that so? Well, my cocky self says that I should be on my way back to the hotel."
Luther nodded. "Need a ride?"
"No thank you! I'm perfectly capable.." She slid off the barstool and practically fell onto the floor. Regaining what composure she could, she turned to Luther. "Like I said, I'll see you around."
Luther smiled smugly as he watched her walk off slightly stumbling along the way. Leave it to him to pick the one woman that was as stubborn, if not more so, as him. There was just something about her, maybe that was it...the fact that she was so much like him. As hard headed as she was, he knew she wouldn't leave here tonight without seeing him again. He stared at the keys in his hand. More specifically, her car keys.
Mel pulled on her coat, cursing as she felt in the pockets for her keys. She didn't want to come to this stupid party in the first damn place and now she was suffering. Stupid holidays, stupid parties. "UGH!" Frustrated she lammed her forehead against the cool wall. Life had a way of targeting her out and shitting all over her. Right now all she wanted was to get the hell out of here. The walls were closing in on her, and she couldn't breathe. She walked out the door, the cool air refreshing her. Inhaling deeply, she sighed as she exhaled. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her cell phone thinking she would just call a cab. Despite her drunken state of mind she realized she didn't have a number for a cab company. "This fuckin' can't get any worse."
No sooner had the words left her mouth did the sky open up and let loose a fury of rain drops. Too pissed to move, Mel just stood there letting the rain pound against her face. The perfect ending to a fucked up night. It wasn't bad enough that she had made a complete fool of herself playing hot and loose with Luther Reigns. She had to get drunk to hide her pain of being alone. And now she was a pathetic lonely mess. A wet, pathetic...lonely mess.
Her hair was plastered to her face, and she was soaked from head to toe. Removing the hair from her eyes she decided it best to swallow her pride, go back inside and ask for a ride. Turning toward the entrance, she was met with hazel eyes. His tall frame leaned against the brick wall.
"Did you come out here to say I told you so?"
Luther smiled and stepped forward into the rain and placed his hands on her shoulders. "No Mel, I came out here for this." He leaned down, placing his lips on hers in a breathtaking kiss. She was stunned, yet nevertheless she instantly gave into his warmth. Her body leaning into him as he wrapped an arm around her waist. A clap of thunder caused them to break the kiss. Luther wrapped his arm around her waist and scooped her up running toward the cars in the parking lot.
"What are you doing Reigns?"
"Where is your car?" The rain pounded as he scanned the lot for any sign of her rental. He wasn't quite sure what he was doing himself. All he knew was it was the beginning of a new year, he liked her and he'd be damned if he let her go back to her room by herself when she was clearly drunk as hell. Sure he could get one of the other Divas to accompany her, but he had a feeling she wasn't exactly in the mood to be patronized.
"I don't know. I don't have my keys anyway. Put me down. I can very well walk on my own."
"Well, what kind of rental is it?"
"Uhm, a ... Toyota. Now put me down Reigns. I mean it." She shivered as the rain relentlessly beat down on them. She couldn't explain it but she felt as if she belonged in his arms. It was like his hold had been carved out just for her body. They fit together, physically, like a puzzle. He held her closely trying to shield her the best he could from the rain as he plodded through puddle after puddle. Inwardly she was grateful that he refused meet her demand of letting her go.
"OK, that narrows it down. A Toyota what?"
"Uhm...Cam..No, wait..an Avalon. Yeah that's it."
Luther shook his head and glanced around the lot again.
"Is it gold?"
"Yep."
Luther unlocked the doors and set her down in the passenger seat. Once he was in the drivers, seat, he started the engine and cranked up the heat. Glancing over at Mel, he couldn't help but smile. She was so much like him with the hardcore pretenses. Always pretending to be so tough yet on the inside they both wanted the same thing to find someone that would love and accept them as they are. But it was like wishing the sky would open up and rain money every day. Near impossible.
"What hotel are you staying at?"
"Same as you Reigns. Same as you."
"Ok the Ramada it is then. Do you have your keycard?"
"Uhm." She opened the console and pulled out the plastic card. "Yes I do." She laughed.
"What's so funny?" Luther frowned and fastened her seatbelt and his. He pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main highway.
"You. You are always so quite at work but here you have a million questions."
"What's wrong with that?"
She cocked her head to the side and studied him. He had the beginnings of a five o'clock shadow. His eyes held a sparkle of mischief and concern. He was soaking wet and likely freezing, yet he remained completely calm and completely statue like.
"Tell me Reigns, when was the last time you had fun?"
Coming to a complete stop at a stop light, he never took his eyes from the road. "I'm not sure what you mean."
"Fun. You know, something that you do that brings you complete joy. Something spontaneous and life affirming." She laughed.
"Well, the party tonight was...fun."
"Please. It was anything but. It was like any other meeting only with booze, combined rosters and everyone had their 'clothes' on."
"Ok, so it wasn't fun for you."
Mel snorted. "Hardly."
The car was filled with silence as they pulled into the Ramada parking lot. Luther slowly pulled into a spot closest to his room. "What room are you in?"
She read off her keycard. "Two seventeen."
"That's here. So you're only two rooms down from me?"
She smiled sweetly. "Isn't that something?"
"Yeah, something all right."
"So I guess this is it?" She opened the car door and stepped out as he did the same. "Look Luther, I really appreciate you taking time out of your night to make sure I got here safely. That was really sweet. Now do you want to tell me why you kissed me?"
"Because I like you. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Oh." Mel seemed almost disappointed. Trying to recover what little dignity she had left she took her keys from his hand, stood on her tiptoes and placed a small kiss on his cheek.
"I like you too, Reigns. Nothing less but it could be a whole lot more." She gave a small smile and turned to walk away. Luther caught her by the arm.
"Is that so?"
She threw her head back and laughed. "Why don't we continue this in my room, over a nice glass of champagne? It's not quite midnight yet."
"Lead the way."
Inside her hotel room, Luther took a seat at the small table and waited as Mel was changing out of her wet clothes in the bathroom. He picked up the remote and idly flipped through the channels coming to stop on the traditional Dick Clark program. There was still one hour left before the ball dropped, and Luther, as every New Years Eve in his past, couldn't help but question every aspect of his life. His resolutions always fell short so there was no use in pretending to make them. And since he was safely at his hotel with a flight leaving out on the afternoon no reason he shouldn't drink his night away just like everyone else. Except he wasn't everyone else, he was a man with a haunting past. Mel emerged from the bathroom wearing nothing but a white tank top and smurf pajama bottoms.
"What the hell are you wearing?"
Melony looked down at her clothes and shrugged. "What? You got something against the smurfs?"
Luther flashed a crooked smile. "No. Nothin' against the smurfs. You just don't strike me as a smuf lovin' type."
"Well Reigns, I'm sure there's a lot you don't know about me." She tossed him a towel and sat down on the edge of the bed. Luther ran the towel over his head and down the back of his neck. She tried to turn her head away and occupy herself with uncorking the champagne bottle. But she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Inside her mind she wondered what secrets a man like him held. In her heart she wondered what kind of passion and love he was capable of giving.
Luther finished drying himself the best he could and tried not to notice that she was sizing him up, for the second time tonight, from head to toe. She was one piece of work. In the matter of thirty minutes she had gone from tipsy too sensible. Apparently there was a lot more to her than he knew. Maybe he hadn't even scratched the surface. "So what else is there to know about you Melony?" His eyes met hers as he took the glass of golden liquid from her hands.
"Well, what do you want to know?"
"For starters, why were you so insistent on gettin' plastered at the party?"
Her eyes focused intently on the glass she held in her hands as she swirled its contents around before swallowing it in one gulp. She reached for the bottle and refilled her glass. "Because when you are as alone as I am all these parties really start to suck. It's not that I'm looking for much but when you are constantly on the road and the days just seem to melt together. Or when you're overseas and there's all these great places to see. You just start to wish for someone to share it all with. I know it sounds stupid." She shrugged and wished she had kept her mouth shut.
Luther downed the golden liquid from his glass. "No, it's not stupid. Just when you think you have it all, you're suddenly hit with the realization that it doesn't mean anything if you don't have someone to share it all with."
"Nicely said." Her voice faltered. "Look. It's almost midnight." She gestured toward the muted television.
Luther refilled their glasses and raised his in a toast. "Here's to finding meaning in 2005." As the glasses clanked, they polished off their drinks.
"I think I already have." Mel smiled as she sat herself down in his lap.
The countdown began. Five-Four-Three-Two-One... And she looped her arms around his neck and her lips met his as the sound of fireworks sounded off throughout the city. Her tongue traced the shape of his lips, as they parted to welcome her in. His teeth gently nipping her bottom lip as tongues explored crevices. He placed a hand on the back of her neck pulling her into him. There was no fighting what had been building all night long.
Gently he threw her onto the bed, bodies fitting together as one. No words were needed as they each pulled off the restraining clothing. Luther opened his mouth to ask if she was sure about this, only to have his words cut short with her mouth on his. She deepened the kiss and left them both breathless and in a fit of passion they sought out various body parts of the other with their hands and when neither could stand it any more she rolled over on top of him and eased down onto him. Settling into a rhythm that left them both wanting more they continued while outside the sky lit with fireworks, it didn't compare to the ones they were setting off in the bed.
Morning came early, too early for someone who had spent the remainder of the night making love and taking breaks to refuel with the pizza they had somehow managed to order. Now it was time to get on with the demands of a career that left them both less than complete. And she couldn't help but feel some resentment toward life.
"Good morning." Luther raised up on his elbow and gazed down into her blue eyes. "Regrets?"
She smiled up at him. "None at all. You?"
He answered her question with a kiss. And she wasn't sure where that left them but maybe it was for the best if she didn't overanalyze one night of passion. With that thought lodged in her mind she excused herself to take a shower. Twenty minutes later she returned to an empty room. Despite all she had said she couldn't help but feel a little hurt. What did she expect? She turned to the mirror and ran a comb through her wavy hair. "Really Melony. Did you think you would find love in a drunken one-night stand?" Sitting down on the bed she recalled last night in her mind. Luther had surprised her from the moment she ran into him at the party and the surprises continued all night long. Now all she could do was try to shake him from her mind and get on with life. This was the very reason she hated the holiday season. She threw on her clothes and crammed all the remaining items carelessly into her suitcase, taking one last glance around the room to make sure she hadn't left anything besides her dignity, she grabbed her keys and opened the door.
"Luther?"
The tall man gave a small laugh. "Who were you expecting the boogie man?"
Obviously caught off guard she laughed nervously. "I really wasn't expecting anyone."
"You thought I left, didn't you?"
She stammered for an answer. "Well, I... um. Yeah. Actually you did leave."
"To get coffee. After last night I thought you could use this." He handed her a cup.
"Thanks Luther."
"So are you ready to get out of here or what?"
Mel grabbed the handle of her suitcase and nodded. "Yeah. I guess I'll see you around."
Luther reached out and grabbed her arm. "Whoa not so fast." He pushed his sunglasses onto the top of his head. "You think you're getting away from me that easily? Look I didn't spend all night worrying with you and making love to you just to have you walk out of my life."
She looked up into his eyes and melted inside. "What are you saying?"
He took the cup from her hand and set it on the ledge, taking her hand in his. "What I'm saying is I want to be with you, simple as that." He leaned down and met her lips with his sealing his feeling in that one kiss. And instantly she knew she had found the rarest form of love. The kind you want but never think you'll find until it blind sides you out of no where.
