She saw him as he was exiting the hotel.
Clad in a leather jacket and with his blond hair greased, she always thought he looked most like himself. The Hunter that she knew, up at work.
Stephanie knew that she should have driven on. Given a bit of a wave and continued on with her plans for the day. But for some reason, as she pulled out of the parking lot and had to passing before the entrance of the hotel, she stopped.
It was a split second decision.
Anyone could have been coming out of the hotel after him. Not even necessarily with him, but just one of the others from up at work. He'd told her more than once, between soft kisses and warm embraces that no one could ever know about this. It would fuck his career, make her look bad, sleeping with talent and all, and they could be friends, in the eyes of others, but nothing more.
Stephanie listened to him, usually, no matter what the man was speaking on. He seemed so knowledgeable to her, more mature and older, that it was easier to go along with what he said. It helped that everything he said was logical. She wasn't supposed to date one of the wrestlers, probably especially not one of the top guys, and it was just easier, he'd always mutter in parting, whenever she complained a bit, over him leaving her.
"Maybe things will be different, one day," he'd always say, when he departed from her hotel room, back to his own, and she always agreed because, yeah, maybe they will be.
But they weren't that particular day when she pulled along the curb and rolled down her window. After noting it was her, the man had no problem with coming up, leaning one arm against the room of the car as he sneered in at her.
"Hey," she greeted with a smile and it was hard to not smile around the man.
"Hey," he grumbled back, eyeing her a bit as he asked, "Where are you going?"
But she didn't seem to wanna answer.
"Where are you?" she challenged back and he grinned, briefly, before leaning further into the car so that they weren't too far apart, nearly nose to nose.
"I fucked up," he told her simply. "The stupid wedding band we have to wear? I can't find it anywhere. I don't think it's that big of a deal, but-"
"How do you always lose it?"
"It's so small."
"Just put it in your pocket when you take it off and-"
"And then I fucking wash my jeans and it's lost forever, in some stupid laundromat in a town I'll never even go back to." He huffed some then, at the thought before remarking, "Anyways, I gotta go to the mall."
"I don't see the connection."
"The mall will have one of those stupid machines, right? That kids like?" He shoved back some then, so that he could mime opening a capsule. "With little toys and stuff inside of it? Like you put a quarter in and-"
"I don't understand-"
"If I can find one that has rings in it," he reasoned, "maybe one will fit my finger and I don't gotta shell out money for a new one."
"It's a simple gold band," she retorted with a frown. "It'll run you less than fifty bucks. Maybe only twenty."
"No way twenty."
"Forty then."
"Yeah, well, that's forty more dollars than I'm planning on spending," he retorted before, patting at his pocket, and saying, "I got some quarters here though-"
"Why don't you just leave the band with Props?" Stephanie didn't want to hear about capsule machines. "That's where I leave mine."
He stopped leaning against her car, frowning some, even, as he considered this. Then, when realizing she was right, he only retorted. "Shut up-"
"Hunter," she complained and she could see it, just barely, the smile playing at his typically void lips.
"Where are you going anyways, Steph?" he asked then. "You never said."
Stephanie didn't even think about it. She just easily stated, "The mall."
"Is that right?"
"Uh-huh."
"Well, I was going to call a cab-"
"Makes sense."
"But you're here in your pretty little car-"
"It is pretty," she beamed. "Thank you."
But he only stared as he asked, "Are you going to offer me a ride or not?"
"Not much of an offer if you're demanding it, Hunter."
"Let me drive."
"No."
"Fine," he grumbled some as he stopped around the car then, tugging at the door a bit too fast as Steph hadn't unlocked it yet. Reaching over to do so, she couldn't help the giggle that left her lips, just from him being there. But as Paul came to fall into the seat, it was with a bit of a frown. "What's so funny? Huh?"
But she only grinned as he had to adjust the seat some, to sit properly.
"Where is the mall, anyways?" she asked once they were on the road. "Here. Do you know?"
"I think I saw it off the highway, near the arena." One of his hands fell then, to her thigh and Stephanie breathing hitched as he squeezed it some. Softly, Paul added, "I'll guide you."
"Hunter-"
"Paul, baby." He squeezed tighter and his smile finally took full shape. "We're all alone."
They got a bit lost, on the drive, but neither had anything important to do, prior to that night's show, and Steph giggled even, the more turned around they got.
When they finally found the city's mall, it was only to park and not get out. Just sit there. Together. His hand had left her thigh, but it was only to cup her cheek and it felt so good to be alone with him again.
They'd taken a bit of a break, the past two months.
They'd gotten into an argument and it made working together suck for awhile, but as always, things had slowly settled out.
It was hardly the first time they'd taken a break from one another.
The world constantly felt against them.
But the past few shows, things felt turned back on once more. Hunter's lingered some, when they were out in the ring, and he didn't have to kiss her so much. Steph didn't have to constnatly fall into him either though.
Sometimes it felt like it were just the two of them.
Out there.
In the ring.
In the arena.
In the world.
His gaze was piercing then, int eh car, as he pulled away some, to stare at her.
"C'mon." Reaching over, he tapped her chin before moving to exit the car. "Stephie."
She was quick to do so. Anything, really, the man asked.
This always happened, she knew. The second that she stopped being mad at him, the man always seemed able to sense it. He'd squirrel his way back in, not having fixed a single one of the things she'd been upset abut prior, but knowing it didn't matter. Not really. Because Steph could only deny herself of him for so long.
He didn't have to change. Improve. Alter.
Just wait. For her anger or sadness to ebb. It'd flow back, it always had, but that just meant he'd have to wait her out again.
Paul liked Stephanie.
A lot.
More than he thought he would, when they first were forced together on the show. He was nervous back then, about interacting so heavily with Vince's daughter. He had something of a reputation for being a dick and he'd been afraid, initially, that this would rub her the wrong way. Which, of course, would be bad for him, given she could easily turn Vince against him.
It was a dicey situation.
Even dicier though when he found that he liked it, the feeling of her hand in his. Her arms around his neck. The way her eyes shimmered, almost with tears, when she laughed if he was funny enough. He always wanted to be funny enough. For her.
Paul was happy to find that she liked his persona. The character. The way he carried himself. Being a dick was endearing to Steph. He seemed not like he thought he was above everyone else, but separate, somehow. Not necessarily better, but different.
He wasn't as enraptured by her though, it had always seemed. He was hard to draw a smile out of if you weren't telling some horrendously inappropriate joke or recounting a raunchy story from the night before. He'd grin then, along with his friends. Cutting up.
But Steph didn't have those things to entertain the man. Any debauchery that she got up to wouldn't be funny to the man. Interesting. He didn't wanna fuck his friends, so he didn't quite care who they were fucking and how they were doing it. He just wanted to snicker and howl along with them backstage.
He wanted to be the one fucking Steph. Not hearing about someone else getting to do it. No matter how funny of a lead-in or punchline a story might have, sharing it with him would get her nowhere.
All the inebriated antics of his friends were fun to hear for the man, given he wasn't partaking, but again, hearing them from Steph wouldn't be any good either.
He didn't see her that way.
Not even the same as the other divas up at work.
Steph was like him. Separate. Not special, not above, but different.
She wasn't...pure or some stupid shit like that. He saw her for what she was, overly privileged and probably more experienced than him, in some regards. But there was an undercurrent to Stephanie, one that seemed to drag him back in, every single time he begun to paddle away, never fully able to break her wake.
There was no smile on the man's face as Steph's hand slipped into his in the parking lot that day, but there didn't need to be.
He smiled a lot when they were alone.
Not just when they were fucking or whatever. Part of his barrier fell, when someone from work wasn't hanging around. You constantly had to be on in their profession, but once he crossed the threshold of a hotel room, Steph got more of him.
It wasn't as if they could go out together. To dinners. Movies. Dates. She knew that. So she took solace in what she was allowed.
When they were both sitting, legs crossed on some disgusting hotel bed, knees just barely brushing, he grinned a lot. They'd split takeout and he'd talk in a tone she couldn't get from him up at work. His voice sounded like a higher pitch, even, and she had to wonder the damage he was doing to it, dropping it so low for work.
His eyes felt more alive, when she had him there. To herself. His jokes were just as inappropriate, but softer, somehow. Not as deprecating. He liked to see her laugh just as much as the woman liked how easy it was for him. No other guy had ever made her feel as electric, as confident.
As safe.
He was an ass, but he was so gentle when he wanted to be. She felt like she was the only person in the world he could be that way for and denied to herself to admit that this was just standard for him. Probably.
No woman really wanted Triple H in all his dickish glory.
They wanted what she got in those moments. And he probably gave it to them.
Stephanie shifted her hand then, in his, as this thoughts plagued her a bit. He allowed her to interlace their fingers, glancing down at her some, but saying nothing as they entered the mall.
It wasn't very big.
The city wasn't the biggest either though, so this made sense.
Right at the entrance though, before a lackluster waterfall, stood a row of the little capsule machines Paul had been so interested in before. Steph let him lead her over to it, the pair both staring down at the row of them. Two sold candy, one these little squishy aliens, and the last one, jewelry.
"They're plastic, babe," she giggled some as he released her hand. "You know that, right?"
"Just gotta get it to last tonight," he told her simply. "Then I'll tear apart my room after the show tonight and hopefully find it before I have to take off."
The first little capsule that fell was, as they could see through the clear top, some sort of cheap chain necklace. He quickly shoved it off on the woman. Same with the next that dropped, a golden chain this time, but equally as uninteresting. When he got a third chain, he huffed a bit, but Stephanie only giggled as she took it as well.
"Yeah, Hunt," she offered as she popped one of the capsules and held up the chain to herself, "I don't think it'll fit you anyways. The ring. I mean, look at this chain. They're for kids, you know?"
"Paul," he corrected, softly, as he was leaning down to pull out the newest capsule. Snickering some to himself as he could see it in there then, he pulled the capsule holding the silver band up to show it off to the woman. Victorious, he remarked, "Got it."
Steph was opening the other chain's capsule's then, giggling some as she toyed with them. "This stuff will turn your skin green."
"When you're a kid you don't keep up with them long enough for that to happen," he offered and Steph snorted.
"Didn't you lose your wedding band?"
"My prop wedding band?" He was struggling to pop open his capsule, but didn't want to admit it. "Yes, yes I did."
"Again."
"Shut up, Steph."
"Do you need help with that?" She held out a hand to him then, balancing her own, opened capsules in the other. "Babe?"
"No," he grumbled as, frustrated then, he squeezed the plastic top hard enough that it broke, slicing his thumb a bit, but giving him access, finally, to the ring. "I don't."
Steph giggled as he stuck his thumb in his mouth, pressing it tightly to his tongue to either soothe it or stop the bleeding. She wasn't sure. As he did that, she only moved to take the base of his capsule, where the ring still sat.
"No way, babe," she said as she examined the ring, "is this fitting on your finger."
"Give me that." He snatched it back before moving to try and force the ring onto the appropriate finger. When this was a bit more difficult than intended, he huffed some and said, "Maybe with some lube-"
"You're going to get it stuck. Stop."
Steph reached out to take the ring from him before, glancing around, she saw where she saw two young kids hanging off a stroller as a woman, their nanny or mother maybe, tried to sooth the baby in the stroller. Paul couldn't hear what Steph said to them, but the woman smiled and nodded before Stephanie offered the capsules to the two little boys who seemed very pleased with the cheap chains and ring.
He snorted at her generosity as she made it back over to him, remarking, "You just sentenced those boys to green skin."
"Hush." She was grabbing his hand once more and leading him off. "Let's go get you an actual ring. That you'll actually keep up with this time."
"Probably not," he muttered, but he allowed her to drag him along, all the same.
It felt good to be out together. Doing normal shit. Steph's leading shifted as they fell into step with one another and the idle conversations they had about different stores they passed. The jewelry store was up an escalator and, as they rode it up, Paul found himself staring rather openly at Stephanie, as she stood on the step before his.
"What?" she asked when she felt his eyes and turned her head a bit, to catch them with her own.
He only shrugged though as they stepped off, not offering her much outside of a simple, "Nothin'," before reclaiming her hand.
Paul just needed a simple gold or silver band, he told the guy behind the counter as they chatted as Steph stood further down from him, examining a display of necklaces. He couldn't recall his ring size and was busy holding out his hand for the guy to measure it when Steph appeared at his side again.
"When you're finished," she spoke to the worker, "can you let me see those necklaces over there?"
As the man nodded, Paul only frowned at his side.
"Who said I'm buying you something?" he grumbled some while the woman merely rolled her eyes.
"Who asked?" she countered.
Paul gaped at her a bit, jaw dropping as Steph mimicked this and the day felt perfect.
He couldn't imagine how mind-numbing it would have been without the woman.
"I didn't know you were so into jewelry," he remarked simply as, once his ring was taken care of and placed safely on his finger, Steph took to examining necklaces. "Stephie."
"The clothes don't make the outfit, Hunter." Her eyes were down at the array of sleek chains, eyeing one with a rather attractive green hued stone dangling at the end. "It's the accessor-"
"Why do you keep calling me that? Huh?" They were alone, as the shopkeeper helped another couple that had come in, examining engagement rings. Paul took a step closer to Steph, his voice low as he added, "I thought we were passed that."
Stephanie glanced up at him with a frown. "It's just hard to go back and forth. I call Hunter more. I don't know why it bothers you so much."
It always had though. She'd known. The first night they'd slipped away together, he'd muttered it in her ear. About how he wasn't Hunter; he was Paul and he wanted her to call him that. Think of him like that. They were two separate entities. Though he enjoyed playing Hunter very much and it even bled over, at times, into his regular life, there was something special about having a separate identity from the character.
He thought Steph would be all about that.
She was, initially. It was special. Between them. Steph loved feeling important to him.
Separate.
Like he thought they were, from everyone else.
He was Hunter to literally everyone in his life now, it felt, other than his family. It meant something, for him to not want to be that with her.
But time had fractured that in some ways.
Paul didn't really expect Steph to let him back in so easily this time. Usually it took more than just flirting a bit in the ring. When she'd stopped her car before him, outside of the hotel, he never expected to find himself in her car.
He imagined she was lonely.
The same as he was.
When they were apart, when they saw other people, it never felt right. None of his previous relationships did either. Not when compared to this.
What even was it, anyways? Steph was, at best, a fling. A flash of weakness. The weeks they were together were done in secret, as best as they could keep it, and any time some had seen a glimpse of light, it had only caused it ruin.
Vince had caught them. A few months ago.
It felt like the end then.
Everything blew up.
But he couldn't let Steph go. He tried to, a lot.
You couldn't turn off feelings though. Not when they ran so deeply.
"It doesn't, I guess," he said in that moment and Steph didn't glance at him, because she knew that it did, she knew what she was doing, even, he'd venture to guess.
He wasn't supposed to be Paul to her.
At any point, really, but their last fight, over a month ago now, had seemed to seal a lot of stuff for Stephanie. He was usually the one to pull away, but it had been her that time, closing a door in his face, telling him that she didn't want this anymore. The lying and secrets.
She wasn't someone to be hidden.
And he agreed, of course. Stephanie was fucking beautiful. Charismatic. Funny. Nice.
In another life, he'd have no problem with openly dating the woman. If not more.
But they weren't in another life. They were trapped in their own, a bed of their own making; he couldn't stake everything on her.
And he didn't think she should do so either, with him.
"Okay, what do you think of this one?" Steph had slipped on the necklace with the green gemstone and Paul only nodded at her, as he would no matter what she put on.
"Stunning."
"Shut up."
''I'm serious. Beautiful. Perfect." Reaching out, he gently tapped her chin and Steph blushed, turning her head. Gently, the man said, "It's your color."
Steph argued with him some though, halfheartedly, when he told the guy to ring it up with what he'd bought. It felt too personal for him to buy her jewelry. Too soon, even, as this was only the first instance they were really spending time together since their last break up.
"We're married, remember?" He flashed her the new band that lay across his ring finger. "A man can buy his wife whatever she wants."
She was hesitant, but he could tell that this was a step in the right direction with the woman. Stephanie loved gifts; she just didn't like having to question motives.
Neither had eaten that day and, when Paul offered to buy lunch as well, her suspicions felt founded.
"We're not having sex tonight," she whispered to him as they found a table in the food court. As it was a weekday during school hours, the place felt deserted and perfect, somehow, for them. "If that's what you're planning."
Paul frowned then, claiming the seat across from her as he complained, "You're the one that approached me, babe. Not the other way around. All I did was accept a ride."
"And buy me-"
"I like you, Stephanie." He didn't feel this needed to be stated, but the woman seemed to purposely be playing dense. "Of course I buy you shit. I have before and I probably will again."
She felt like he was the one playing dense then.
Still, skewering a chunk of orange chicken with her fork, she kept his gaze as she insisted, "I told you what I wanted from you. Before. And you're in no better position for it than you were before. So-"
"You," he reminded her again, "stopped the car, Steph. And picked me up. Don't twist things now."
She paused a moment, thinking, before saying, "Yeah, 'cause I like you too."
"Okay then." He looked down at his own food. "Then let's just leave it at that. Today. If we don't, it'll only ruin it."
"Ruin what?"
"The day." Then, still hoping to keep himself in the woman's good graces, he corrected, "The date."
Stephanie looked up at him then, frowning as she said, "This isn't a date."
"How's it not, huh?" He gestured around. "I took ya out. Bought ya something nice. Fed you. Probably gonna get to fuck you later-"
"I knew it." She would have felt vindicated, had there not been an obvious bit of play in the man's voice and when she met his eyes once more, there was some in her own. "That's the only reason-"
"I was headed out on my own, doing my own shit, before you rudely pulled up and forced me into your car." He scoffed. "Get real. If anything, I was kidnapped."
"You're so full of it."
"You're so full of it," he retorted before glancing over the pathetic sandwich he'd chosen. "Stephie. Duping poor me into spending my hard earned money on you-"
"That is not what happened."
"I feel manipulated."
"You're not funny."
"Scammed. Bamboozled."
"Paul-"
"What?" He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. "Steph?"
She wasn't sure, really. What she wanted to say. But having his attention was nice and she thought she should relish it, rather than question, for however much more of it he was willing to give.
Allowed to give, maybe, was the better word.
Because he wanted to give her a lot of things. Anything. And when lunch was done, he'd muttered something in her ear about sticking around a bit longer; they still had a few hours before the show. Going back to the hotel meant being separated and, then, the hours wouldn't feel so few.
Stephanie wasn't easily bought though. He'd learned that early on. She enjoyed expensive gifts, as well as those that weren't so, but given the woman could buy herself most anything she wanted (or mention it to her father with the same result), it was difficult to exert his wealth.
That's what Steph called it once, when he griped a bit over how impossible she was to buy something for. Impeded also by their secretiveness, he found shopping for her birthday impossible. Steph liked anything he gave her, because he'd given it to her.
But it's not the same as actively liking something though.
His money and celebrity felt like it could bring him most any woman he wanted, but Steph wasn't interested in either of those things.
"I'm glad you went out with me today," she finally decided upon, in that moment, and he lost some of his gaiety as he considered her words. "That's all."
"That's all?"
"That's all."
"A man goes out of his way to spend time with you-"
"You're so-"
"Full of it?" he finished and he had her then as the woman's grin turned to laughter and it would have served them better, maybe, if they left it there.
But neither wanted it to be over.
After eating, Paul asked what it was exactly Steph had wanted to come to the mall for anyways which, of course, made the woman blush some as it hadn't actually been her original destination. She thought he could tell by her stammering that this was the case, but the man only snickered some as he suggested, instead, that maybe she'd come for something more intimate.
"Intimate," she repeated and he shrugged.
"Men are different, you know?" he offered her. "Grab a pack of briefs at a supermarket and you're set. But women, you guys gotta go through all these lengths to get your pretty little undergarments, huh?"
Somehow, him thinking that she'd come to the mall for new bras and panties caused even more heat to flood to her cheeks and he was enjoying laughing at her a bit too much. She remedied this by mocking him instead.
"Men can buy nice underwear too."
"Yeah, they can, but-"
"Do you not?" She made a face up at him. "Have you never even tried some?"
He returned the face a bit as he said, "No, Steph. I'm not...whatever type of guy it is that wears fancy underwear."
"How do you know if you've never tried them?"
"I know I'd hate liver and onions and have never tried it so-"
"Come on." She'd retaken his hand as they approached the lingerie shop that had been in his vision from the food court, honestly. "I'll buy you some."
"What? No. I don't-"
"You have to wear them, Paul, at least once," she teased. "Since they'd be a gift."
"Feels like sexual harassment."
"Not if you like it, it's not."
"I'm not sure about that one, Steph," he said, but his sentence felt halted, at the end, and they were almost in the store.
Steph was, in fact, stopped in her tracks when, suddenly, it wasn't so easy to tug the man along. Glancing up at his face, she found it stricken and focused on something else. As she turned her gaze as well, she didn't see anything.
"Paul, what?" she asked with a frown.
"I just saw Show," he muttered as he slipped her hand from his and took a step back. "And I think he saw me."
"What show?"
"No, Steph I saw… We gotta get out of here."
"Paul-"
"He saw us, Steph." And he was walking off then, in the opposite direction and she groaned some, following after him. "Shit. I knew this was a bad-"
"Saw us what? Hanging out?" She didn't grab his hand now, but did walk faster so that she was in front of him. "What shop did he go in?"
"Steph-"
"Come on." She could see the giant man then, easily, through a bookshop window they passed. He seemed very busy examining a shelf in a bookstore as a woman, his wife, stood at his side. "Let's just go say hi and clear the air."
"Steph-"
"We're friends." She looked back to Paul then. "Me and you. We can hang out."
Maybe.
But they were hardly just 'hanging out'.
Big Show was a nice fucking guy in general and had a bright smile for them, when they walked into the bookstore. It was one of surprise though, pretend, Paul was certain, as the other guy certain had seen Steph beginning to lead him into the lingerie store.
Steph hugged the man's wife while Paul only held up his hand some, remarking to the other guy about how hard it was to keep up with the stupid ring and how he'd come to snag this new one.
"Steph was nice enough to give me a ride," he remarked with a bit of a shrug as the woman nodded.
"Town's set up bad," Show agreed. "Hard to walk around."
"Yeah," the other man agreed with a nod. "Sucks."
They left after that, neither feeling much better about the situation. Part Paul was glad Steph had convinced him to go at least try and explain themselves a bit, though he wasn't sure if it helped or hurt. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't really worry about the guy gossiping about them, but Vince had been so intense last time he chewed Paul out over it that he just…
"Maybe we shouldn't be together. Anymore."
"Shut up, Steph."
"I'm serious." They were back in the car then and she sat to attention behind the driver's seat as he flicked absently through the stack of CDs she had resting in the car's console. "It clearly freaked you out-"
"Me?" He huffed some. "It should freak you out too, Steph. Your fucking old man-"
"I'm not afraid of Vince."
"Then you're an idiot."
"You're such a jerk."
"I'm...freaking out, okay?" He finally picked a CD to slip into the stereo. "Shit. Fuck. Fuck."
"Calm down. He's not going to fire you."
"That's easy for you to say," he retorted. "This is my whole fucking life, Steph."
"I know."
"You really don't."
They sat for a moment, in the parking lot. At least through the first two songs. Steph had relaxed, back into her seat, hands falling from the wheel as Paul only tried to think of exactly what he had over the other guy, if it came down to blackmail.
Eventually, Steph turned her head to the side to stare at him. It only took a moment for her gaze to be returned.
"If Daddy fires you," she whispered softly, "you can just still come to shows, with me, and all the fans will be like, hey, there's Triple H. Why can't he wrestle? And Vince will eventually get so embarrassed that he'll just rehire you."
Paul took in a deep breath, but let it out just as quickly before remarking, "Sounds risky."
"You take risks though," she reminded him. "Don't you?"
"I dunno."
"What do you mean you don't know? You'd be the one to know." She grinned then as she added, "You know?"
But Paul didn't wanna play anymore. He just wanted to go back to the hotel and sulk.
He and Steph didn't interact again that day, outside of the show later that night. Everything felt weird again and he knew that Steph blamed him, but he didn't know how to fix it. Going out together was stupid. Still seeing one another, regardless, was stupid.
They were both stupid.
For toying at something that wasn't so unknown now. Because they did know. They'd been warned.
It was stupid of him to knock at her door a few nights later. He'd seen her enter it, before, and knew for certain it was her room, but anyone could be in there. He had an easy excuse on his tongue, of course, for needing to speak with her. They did work very closely together. But if it were brother or father on the other side, he wasn't certain how much they'd be willing to believe.
Only Steph stood there though, rubbing some sleep from her eyes as she questioned if something was wrong. When he only shook his head though, she merely took a step back and allowed him entrance.
"I was asleep," she complained a bit as she yawned some, arms folding over her chest. She was clearly dressed for bed. The hotel room was dark, save a lamp she'd flipped on, and the bed disturbed. "So if you wanted-"
"I just wanted to show you something," he said as she eyed him suspiciously. "Can I?"
"I mean, you're here, so-"
"You changed my life, Stephanie."
"What?"
He was reaching down then, for the buckle of his belt. Steph took a step backwards, making a bit of a face as she prepared to him that no, absolutely not, but then he was shoving his jeans down.
Not his briefs though.
"These," he remarked as he stood there somewhat proudly, gesturing down at the silky undergarment he now wore, "have completely changed my life. And I have you to thank for that."
She didn't have her glasses or contacts on and took a step closer then, peering a bit closer before saying, "I think it's sad that no on ever told you how amazing nice clothes are."
"Nice clothes," he huffed. "These are more than just nice clothes, Steph. This are other worldly."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Fits well?"
Nodding, he said, "Cradles my junk perfectly."
"This is sexual harassment."
"Not if you like it," he replied and her eyes were alight.
"I don't know about that one, Paul."
"You don't, Stephie?"
"I don't."
She turned her head though, when he came closer, muttering, "We're not having sex. You don't get to avoid me for a week-"
"You were avoiding me," he pointed out. "Not the other way around."
"No."
"Steph-"
"I was asleep, Paul."
"Okay." He pressed his forehead against hers instead of his lips. Staring down into his eyes, he asked, "Can I stay still?"
She tried hard to act put out, but as he tugged his shirt over his head as well to go climb into the hotel room bed with her, she made no motion to stop him. Only went to fall back in it as well, giggling when he did so with a lot less ease. He smiled though, when she drew closer to him and Steph only hid her own in his neck.
"I can't stay forever though," he was sighing as one of Steph's hands did slip down some, just to feel the felt underwear he wore. "You know."
"Until I fall asleep?" she asked because, secretly, she wanted him there more, even, than the man did himself. "At least?"
"Maybe longer." He didn't know how tired he was until he was beside the woman. Not even that, really. Tired. Just relaxed. She felt so good laying against him. Like she belonged there. He didn't know how long it had been, really, since they were like this. "I'm kinda tired too."
"If you fall asleep," she muttered as she was nearly there once more, "you'll fuck up and overstay your welcome."
"Is that right?"
"That's right."
"Have that welcome ripped right out from under me, huh?"
"Only if you overstay it."
"Stephie?"
"Mmmm?"
He wanted to tell her that he didn't care. If someone found them out. If it was her father or brother. Fuck them all. They didn't understand them. Him and her. Because they'd never felt shit like this before. He knew they hadn't. There was no way.
If they had, they'd get it.
He wanted to tell her that he was a risk taker and that she meant more to him than his job. Fuck Vince, let him do whatever he wanted; he wasn't going to ruin this. He couldn't ruin this.
Instead, he only sighed some, remarking simply, "Haven't seen you in your pretty little necklace you just had to have."
If Steph was disappointed by the squandered moment, she didn't show it. Only cuddled further against the man before saying, "You haven't seen much of me. Outside of shows.'
"Guess that's true."
"Maybe if you came around more, you would. Paul."
He stiffened some, but her tone wasn't accusatory and he thought it best to merely retort, "Maybe I will. Stephanie."
Silence fell over them slowly and Steph was right; he shouldn't have fallen asleep. Because he didn't wake back up until the hotel phone rang, on the bedside table. Stephanie groaned some as she shoved up to answer it. This meant detangling herself from the man which made him gripe some, but she only shoved him off when he tried to pull her back to him.
"Hello?" she answered through a bit of a yawn, but of course, there was only one person in the world up before the crack of dawn who'd be calling. "Hey, Daddy."
"Daddy?" Paul whispered so softly Steph hardly heard him.
"Yeah, I remember that we're going to meet for breakfast," she continued on. "I, uh, just got out of the shower. I'll be there on time. Promise."
"How's your daddy on the phone, huh?" She'd started to sit up some and Paul moved to tug her back down. "When your daddy's right here?"
She elbowed him, hard, and Paul had to roll back from her some, hiding a snicker into his pillow.
Stephanie wasn't happy with him though, when she hung up the phone.
"You were supposed to leave," she complained as the man only rolled onto his back and blinked up at the ceiling. "And for someone who doesn't wanna be found out, you sure did want him to hear you on that phone."
"I didn't want him to hear me." Reaching over, he patted absently at her cheek. "That was all for you, baby."
"If he'd come to my room instead of called on the phone-"
"You'dda told him that you had someone over," he reasoned. "And to not come in. You're an adult; you can have company."
"Company." She crinkled her nose. "That makes it sound like more than one person."
"Company can be singular." Turning his his head to look at her, he wagged his eyebrows as he remarked, "Unless, of course-"
"Did you really just buy these 'cause I told you to?" Stephanie cut him off as he'd shifted some, to kick the sheets down, no doubt ready to take off. This revealed his sleek, black briefs though. It was hard not to reach out and stroke them again. The only reason she really resisted was because she had to get out of there; she'd need to meet her father in half an hour. "Paul? Because if you don't actually like them-"
"Wasn't lying, babe." He was slipping out of bed then. "Game changer."
"You look good in them."
This made him laugh some, remarking to the woman, "They're just briefs, Steph; I think if you think I look good in them, it probably just means you think that I look good in them."
She scoffed some, but had no retort and by the time she returned from getting changed in the bathroom, Paul was gone.
"You look nice," Vince remarked when they met up at the restaurant. It wasn't a pleasant meal, of course; he wanted to talk business. But still, he did grin some at the happiness his daughter was radiating. "Steph."
"Thanks," she giggled some. "I-"
"That new?" he asked as it was hard to miss the green gem stone that rested against her pale flesh, suspended on a gold chain.
"A friend got it for me."
"A friend." Vince snorted some and Steph grinned as they headed into the diner then. As he held the door open for her, he griped, "If he's already buying you jewelry-"
"I didn't say he."
"-then I need to meet him," her father remarked. "Stephanie. Buying my daughter shit and hasn't even asked my permission first?"
"You're not funny."
"I just wanna meet him," the man complained, continuing on to a table. "Is all."
"You will," she promised him then with a nod as she slipped in across from him. "I want you to meet too. It's just...complicated."
"I'll figure out my schedule," the man grumbled to her with a shrug. "Never too busy to meet a man that thinks he can just waltz in and buy my daughter whatever-"
"Dad-"
"You look happy," he said, deciding to go back to that, before he dug his grave too deeply. "Stephanie."
She smiled brighter then, though it didn't quite meet her eyes, insisting, "I am," as she knew there was still a bit more to accomplish before this was entirely true.
I think it's in Triple H's Thy Kingdom Come shit that Big Show talks about catching Steph and Paul at the mall or some shit? I can't remember anymore, but that was the inspiration for this one.