Author's Notes: Again sorry for such a late update this month! Been pretty busy with writing and other things. Hope everyone has been good and safe, I just got fully vaccinated last week. Anyway onto the chapter notes and the chapter~
Translations and notes:
At the point when I wrote this, I felt certain wrestlers' careers were struggling in WWE so I decided to write them leaving for AEW. Well, two of my predictions were right lol.
Kunoichi - a female ninja
Kiai - a yell meant to not only intimidate an enemy but to also raise the fighting spirit of the one yelling.
Dialogue in regular font=Spoken Japanese
Dialogue in italics=Spoken English
Text in italics outside of quotes=Shinsuke's inner thoughts
Dialogue/text in bold=Emphasis on word(s)
Dialogue/text that is italicized and centered inside dashes=Shinsuke's flashbacks
Centered "..."=A time jump of less than a day
Centered ":::"=A time jump of about a day or more
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday came and passed, and still, Shinsuke found himself at a live show Monday night with an extra pep in his step and an extra bounce in his warm-up routine. Asuka's progress and their day at Disney World together earlier in the week had put him in a particularly good mood that had yet to leave his system.
Tonight he wore his new Li Shang shirt prior to changing into his ring gear, which earned him plenty of comments from the ladies while he hung out in the make-up area. Sometimes he needed a little reprieve from all the testosterone.
"Love the shirt Shinsuke," Naomi paid him praise from her seat.
"Yeah, it's very cute," Charlotte, the current Smackdown Women's Champion agreed. "Alexa and Candace would probably be jealous."
Soon the majority of the Smackdown women's locker room, and some of the makeup ladies were fawning over his shirt.
"Where did you get it?" was a question they all seemed to ask at once.
"Disney World." he grinned, then proudly showed them pictures of him and Asuka posing in front of the castle and with various Disney characters. "See, we got matching shirts."
"Awwww~" They cooed almost as a single entity.
"What's all this ruckus about?" asked AJ.
"Shin and Asuka have couple's shirts~" gushed Billie. She grabbed Shinsuke's phone to show the other man.
"That's nice," AJ said, scratching his head. He seemed nonplussed as to what the big deal was.
"That's nice?" Carmella parroted. "Look how adorable they are~"
"Oh yes, very adorable," AJ replied, suddenly emphatic in his agreement as though sensing his wellbeing was in jeopardy should he dispute the claim.
Shinsuke had to literally stick his tongue into his cheek to keep from laughing at the expense of his friend and rival.
It wasn't long before the members of New Day, Jimmy and Jey, and Rusev also approached to see what all the female commotion was about. Shinsuke's phone ended up getting passed around for everyone to see.
"Ohh awesome!" said Xavier excitedly.
"Much respect for your shirt game today." Kofi concurred.
E nodded like a bobblehead, saying "Yes. The only thing better would be if they cosplayed as Mulan and Shi Lang."
"Ohh you guys gotta do it!" Xavier clapped with even more enthusiasm.
"Maybe sometime after the wedding," Shinsuke. "Could be fun."
"We'll save it for next year's ComiCon." the creator of UpUpDownDown was already rubbing his hands together in eager anticipation.
"We gotta go to Disney World and get some matching shirts like them," Shinsuke overheard Lana saying to her husband.
"We have to go there just for some shirts?" Rusev asked, mildly skeptical.
"Of course not!" Lana protested. "I haven't been in a long time."
"I recommend the Pirates of Caribbean and Haunted Mansion rides," Shinsuke winked at the Bulgarian.
"Alright, we can go," Rusev relented and Lana jumped into his arms with a cry of joy.
"Ohh we should go too~" Peyton grabbed a hold of Billie's hands.
"Yes let's go~" Billie squealed and the two women began bouncing up and down.
"I guess we could go." Becky shrugged, looking up at Charlotte.
"Yeah…we most certainly could." Charlotte nodded with a crooked smile.
"Why don't we all take a trip to Disney World while we're at it," AJ rolled his eyes.
"Ohh are you taking us on a field trip now, uncle AJ?" Becky raised an expectant brow.
AJ sputtered at all the faces staring at him. He pointed hastily in Shinsuke's direction. "He's the one that brought all this up."
Shinsuke raised his hands in mock humble defeat. "Sorry, but this wedding broke me." Slowly he backed away from the small crowd, leaving AJ to his fate. "I have nothing to give."
"Ohh that's bull-" The rest of AJ's indigent shout was lost amongst the din of many other animated voices but Shinsuke had a very good idea of what was said.
Shinsuke strolled on, a small wistful smile tugging at his lips as he glanced back at the group that made up a portion of his American friends on the WWE roster. Though he and Asuka had sent them all invitations, due to their busy schedules, there was a slim to zero chance any of them would be able to attend their wedding – Akira, Kairi, and Io perhaps the only exceptions. The invitations they sent to the newest members of the AEW roster – Sasha, Bayley, Karl, Luke, Finn, Nattie, Cesaro, Sami, and Kevin – may make up for the lack of WWE friends available to attend. And of course plenty of his friends and family over in Japan would be there. But he additionally wanted to share this important step in his life with his friends still left on the WWE roster.
He passed Sin Cara in the hallway and greeted the Luchador.
"How's it going?" his friend asked.
"It's going," he replied with a small chuckle. "Feeling like a busy bee. Lots of stuff to do."
"I can imagine." Sin Cara nodded a little sympathetically. "Planning a wedding and helping your future wife rehab on top of the stuff we normally deal with. How is Asuka doing?"
"Asuka is healing nicely, I think. She can't wait to get back in the ring."
"That's very good to hear. And I know she's been missed. I think I can speak for everyone here that we can't wait for her to return."
Shinsuke smiled and bowed graciously. "Thank you. I'm sure Asuka would feel honored to know that."
"And it was an honor to be invited to your wedding. I will see if I can make it."
"Thank you, my friend." Another smile crossed Shinsuke's face, but inside he wasn't getting his hopes up. He had been hearing similar things from the others not too long after their invitations were sent out.
At least everyone seemed to express a genuine desire to attend.
After his match Shinsuke sat down on a crate, aiming to simply catch his breath and cool down. The next thing he knew there was a shaking of his shoulder and he opened his eyes to find Akira standing before him, already dressed out in his street clothes.
"Hey, King of Sleepy Style." The younger man grinned widely at him. "Time to go. Oh, and you may wanna get changed first."
Shinsuke merely grunted and stiffly got to his feet. He turned a glare on the crate he had slept on, immediately regretting his choice of plopping down on it. How in the hell did he manage to fall asleep sitting up on the damn thing?
"You feeling okay?" Akira asked, wincing as he watched Shinsuke begin stretching, joints popping loudly.
"Mhmm," Shinsuke mumbled tiredly then began making his way to the locker room.
"I think I better drive," Akira eyed him warily as he fell into step beside him.
"Why would you suggest a thing like that? I'm perfectly fine." Shinsuke gave his best bright-eyed and bushy-tailed rabbit impression.
"Yeah sure…Sleeping Beauty."
"Damn it, you saw that?" Shinsuke pouted.
"I'm sure all the fans have too. I can see all the fangirls oohing and awing and cooing "Look how adorable Shinsuke looks when he's sleeping~" "Akira said in a dramatic girly voice.
A wry smile crept its way onto Shinsuke's face as the perfect comeback came to him. "Keep talking like that, Akira, and one day you might make a good female anime voice actor once you retire."
"Hey that's uncalled for," Akira complained, albeit appearing a little amazed at Shinsuke's sudden wit. "I'm still driving."
"Fine…Just don't get us lost again."
Shinsuke managed to stay awake throughout the drive, bleary-eyed though he was. He needed to make sure they didn't end up in some backwoods town. It was also the perfect opportunity to play a prank on his friend.
Pretending to fall asleep, Shinsuke slowly but surely leaned over and rested his cheek on the arm Akira had unconsciously placed on the console between them. His friend stiffened but didn't make to move his arm or jostle him awake. Shinsuke had to call on all his willpower not to grin as he took it a step further and cuddled Akira's arm with his face.
Shinsuke sighed dreamily then went for the kill. "Asuka~"
Akira yanked his arm free and shoved him away with the speed Shinsuke expected of a cruiserweight. He nearly keeled over with laughter at the success of his mischief-making.
"Oh shut up, you cheeky bastard," Akira admonished.
...
The next morning Shinsuke was surprised to receive a call from Asuka asking him to pick her up at the airport in town. She had gotten a call from Vince requesting her to fly in for Smackdown Live that night. Apparently, the Chairman wanted to talk to both of them.
"What do you think he wants to talk about?" Asuka asked as they ate a breakfast of omelets and toast. Though she was trying to sound neutral, Shinsuke could sense a hint of hidden hope in her voice.
"I have absolutely no idea, to be honest," Shinsuke began. "Could be anything."
"Yeah." Asuka nodded. She then started to fidget in her seat, picking up her fork and scooting around her food before putting the fork down again. Her nervous energy was palpable.
He decided to change topics. "I wore my Li Shang to the show yesterday. All the women were complimenting it."
"I'm sure that wasn't the only thing they were complimenting," she said but her smile was good-natured, not murderous.
"Ohh trust me, they were all about the shirt," he added for her benefit anyway.
She leaned forward and walked her fingers over his clothed chest. "And what was underneath it."
Shinsuke bit his lower lip, realizing the game she was playing. He edged towards her so that their faces were only inches apart. Though the table separated their bodies, he remedied that by rubbing his leg along the inside of one of hers.
"Nah, I don't think so. Li Shang is much more attractive than me," he pretended to be modest, purposely laying it on thick.
"Hmmm...You do have a point. I'm sorry for doubting your story," belying her words was the way her leg caressed his.
"Asuka…you too?" He leaned back in his seat, his face a mask of ultimate offense.
"Don't worry, Kitsune, you're still strong marriage material." Her foot crawled teasingly up his leg. "Go on, finish your story."
Shinsuke glanced at the restaurant restroom, gauging the probability of them being able to sneak into the same one together and how loud they might get once inside. He abandoned that thought begrudgingly when another patron got up and went into the men's restroom.
So he decided to go return to his story. "Anyways, I showed them the pics of us and they loved our matching shirts. Afterward, everyone wanted to go to Disney World, for the sole purpose of getting couple's shirts."
"Aww really?" Asuka's smile became affectionate if not a little smug. "Look at us, starting a lover's trend. We'll have to tell Miz that we are the "It Couple" now."
"We're very trendy indeed," he winked at her. "But we're better than the "It Couple." We're the Empress and King of Strong Style, no one can topple us!" He slammed his hand down on the table.
"Yes!" Asuka shouted in accordance.
Some waitresses and customers looked at their sudden outburst, causing both of them to become mildly sheepish.
"So uh…" he thought of what to say next to get everyone's focus off of them. "Oh, Xavier thought we should cosplay as Mulan and Li Shang."
Asuka let out a loud gasp that did nothing to avert the attention they were getting. Oh well, Shinsuke thought, might as well be the center of it.
"We should have planned a themed wedding like that!" she cried sullenly. "Why didn't I think of that?" Her forehead lightly thunked the table as she sulked.
He stroked her rainbow head. "I'm sure our perfectly ordinary Shinto-Western style wedding will provide us with plenty of beautiful memories."
Asuka's head lifted so that her chin rested on the edge of the table, her lips forming a pout as she gave him puppy eyes. "You think so?"
"Oh yes. Trust me."
Unbeknownst to her, Shinsuke had secretly taken some steps to ensure that their wedding wouldn't be ordinary. But it wasn't his intention to let her know until the day of the wedding. For now, the only reassurance he decided to give her was a soft pat on the head.
He then relayed his short chat with Sin Cara.
"Is that true?" she asked a tad bit shyly. "People have been missing me?"
"Of course they have. You're a sparkling ray of sunshine in the locker room, Niji."
She blushed openly then. "I have missed everyone too. It feels so long…to think in just a few short hours I'll be able to see their faces again."
"I'm sure it will make their day," Shinsuke said, smiling as he reached for her hand.
He then told her how he had fallen asleep and thus his tiredness had prompted Akira to take on driving duties, which led to Shinsuke's prank.
Asuka broke out into her infections giggles at the telling. "Poor Akira, he should have known by the appearance of your fox whiskers that you were up to something. I bet he slept with one eye open wondering if you would try to spoon with him."
"He probably did." Shinsuke grinned broadly, showing off said "fox whiskers." "But he had nothing to fear, I had one of your t-shirts to cuddle with."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Is it my black Princess Peach shirt?"
"Maaybe…"
"Well, at least I know where it is now. I've been missing it for months!"
"I'm sorry. I was packing and it was just lying right there..."
"You're not sorry," she deadpanned.
"No, I am not," he came clean, giving her a wink and a peek at his tongue.
...
When they arrived at the arena, Shinsuke had to pull the rental right up to the doors of the arena.
"I feel like a ninja on a covert operation," Asuka giggled as she pulled her hair back She flipped up her hood and slid on a pair of swag sunglasses as a means of hiding her face and unmistakable hair from any early-bird fans.
"The vents are your best bet." He winked. "Are you ready, my little kunoichi?"
"Yes," she nodded and swiftly opened the car door.
Shinsuke followed suit, grabbing their luggage, and shadowed her to the arena doors, using his imposing height to block her from view as much as possible. Asuka flashed the security guard her badge and lowered her sunglasses a fraction.
They passed through security without a hitch then Asuka waited just inside the doors as Shinsuke went back out to properly park the rental. When he returned, she jumped out at him from behind some equipment, striking a fighting pose.
"Surprised you, didn't I?" she asked, looking completely serious behind her childish shades, clad in a pink Kirby hoodie.
He let out a snort but held the majority of his laughter in check. "Yes, you caught me totally off my guard."
"Good," she said theatrically then continued on her way through the winding halls. Every time a person came into view, she ducked noisily behind something.
"What was that?" asked a member of the production crew, nodding to a quivering rack of folding chairs.
Shinsuke looked at the chairs as they settled once more. He shook his head with an air of bafflement. "Dunno. Maybe rats or a ghost?"
The crewmember eyed the chairs ominously for a moment before shrugging and carrying on. Clearly, rats and ghosts weren't high on his priority list.
Shinsuke tapped on the chairs. "You can come out now."
Ninja rolling her way out from behind the chairs, Asuka struck another dramatic pose, lowering her glasses to glance shiftily around at her surroundings. Once the coast was deemed clear did she resume her stealthy gait onward. The more people they came upon, the more elaborate her hiding places became.
His fiancée was taking her shinobi role so intensely that Shinsuke couldn't help but join in on the shenanigans, especially when they spied his friend, Greg Hamilton. Before the ring announcer could spot either of them, they dashed into hiding; Asuka snuck underneath the cloth of a table topped with food, while he slipped quietly behind a tall production crate.
Greg hummed a tune to himself as he approached. He stopped just in front of Shinsuke to examine the selection of food. Shinsuke slowly shrunk back as far into the shadow of the crate as possible to remain out of sight. His friend carried on with his cheerful humming as he picked up a plate and some plastic utensils. He then reached for a quesadilla. The tablecloth wavered with a movement, Greg missed it, but Shinsuke didn't from his vantage point.
One arm flew out from beneath the table and grabbed Greg's leg. In nearly the same moment, a second hand stabbed a disposable knife harmlessly into the trapped limb. "Die!" Asuka yelled.
"Oh shit!" Greg yelped and jumped about a mile in the air, plate, and quesadilla soaring in opposite directions.
Shinsuke slapped a hand over his mouth; afraid his internal laughter would give his position away.
Asuka's head popped out from her hiding place. "You're dead. I killed you," she announced proudly.
"J-Jesus…" Greg panted, his hands on his knees as he labored to catch his breath, "Asuka, is that you?"
"Ninja Asuka," she corrected with a triumphant smile, coming out from the tablet and removing her sunglasses and hood. Her eyes stayed trained on Greg even as Shinsuke inched his way towards the plastic fork laying on the floor before him, another casualty of the scare.
"Ah okay, glad to see you Ninja Asuka, even though you scared me half to death…" Greg chuckled with good humor despite his apparent remaining unease due to the startle. "Where's Shinsuke? I feel like he should be around—"
"Shinsuke is right here," he answered after sneaking up behind Greg, pressing the fork to his friend's neck. "You're dead twice."
Greg stiffened then let out a slow breath. "I feel so targeted right now…"
Shinsuke smiled and lowered his "weapon." "Sorry, couldn't resist. Asuka was asked to be here, like some big secret. So we decided to play ninja."
"You didn't climb in through a window again did you, Shin?" Greg teased.
Shinsuke rolled his eyes. "That only happened once…" He decided he was going to "kill" AJ next.
"No, but I'm…" Asuka searched for the word, "undercover." She flipped her hood up and placed her sunglasses back on. "Like?"
"Oh yes, that is a very convincing disguise," Greg nodded, sounding thoroughly amused. "So can I get the scoop on why you are here?"
"I don't know, but if I did…" Asuka then drew her finger across her throat threateningly.
"Ah okay, okay. I won't ask then." Greg laughed nervously while raising both hands in surrender.
"Don't tell anyone we're here," Shinsuke added. "Especially not AJ."
"My lips are zipped. Feel free to ninja on."
They said their goodbyes to Greg then moved on. As they made their way through the building, they ambushed several more of their friends; Sheamus, two-thirds of New Day (Kofi didn't startle), Akira, Billie and Peyton, Jeff Hardy, and a few others, including more innocent crewmembers.
Pretty soon word seemed to get around about backstage shenanigans going on so they had to become increasingly more imaginative in their hiding places. They even went so far as sweet-talking some of the make-up artists and seamstresses into allowing for concealment amongst their workstations.
"They're coming," Shinsuke said quietly, rapping on the ring gear rack Asuka was currently using as cover. He then edged himself out of sight of the four women heading their way. Naomi, Carmella, Charlotte, and Becky all entered the costume area at once, in the middle of a conversation. Shinsuke peeked out from his hiding place to observe them.
"Girl, how do you burn water?" Naomi asked Charlotte.
"It's easy when certain people are around…" Charlotte replied, staring pointedly at Becky.
"Don't worry, Naomi," Becky cut in. "I made sure to say "rest in peace water, you will be mist."
Charlotte snort-laughed at Becky's pun.
Carmella shook her head at the smitten looks the blonde and redhead were giving each other. "I know you guys have been together only for a few months, but you'd think you guys would have gotten it all out of your system already. I mean don't get me wrong, you're both as cute as the next couple, but I don't know how many times I've walked in on you two making out like horny teenagers in the locker room."
Shinsuke scratched his head thinking about Carmella's words. Asuka distracted him all the time, even after over a year together, and he expected it might always be that way. Is that so weird? he wondered. Could someone simply get their fill of another person and remain together in a healthy relationship? He recalled his previous serious relationship, his prior engagement. While he felt there was a recipe favorable for compatibility and that he felt at the time that he had loved Emiko, his love for Asuka was something that was altogether different. He concluded that he'd never get Asuka out of his system.
"I haven't gotten Jimmy out of my system, even after all the years we've been together," Naomi said and the resolution in her voice made Shinsuke smile. "If you haven't found someone that can't get out of your system, then they aren't the one. But maybe that's just me."
"Maybe I'm just not ready to have that sort of serious relationship with someone yet." Carmella crossed her arms almost defensively.
"That's cool too, ya know?" Becky jumped back into the discussion. "I'm all for doin' your own thing before you settle down if you decide to settle down. But just forewarnin' ya, don't expect Charlotte and me to start layin' off each other any time soon." The Irish woman winked at her girlfriend.
"Ugh, I'm gonna be hearing you moaning all the way down the hotel all again aren't I?" Carmella pouted melodramatically, then finally approached the clothing rack. She parted it and screamed, which caused the three other women to scream as if by reflex.
A loud kiai erupted from Asuka's mouth as she leaped out from the clothes and "stabbed" all four women with her plastic butter knife. "Dead, dead, dead, dead!" she chanted as she made each "kill." "You're all dead!"
Asuka's victims kept screaming for a few moments, hugging each other until recognition overpowered their fear. Then they all rushed over and pulled Asuka into a group hug.
"Asuka! Oh my god! My sis!" Naomi cried out loudest amongst the excited exclamations of the others. As the women pulled back some from Asuka, Shinsuke saw that Naomi still remained close. She grabbed a smiling Asuka by the face before pulling her into another warm hug. "How have you been?"
"Great! Recovery is good," Asuka answered once her friend released her.
"So does that mean you're coming back?" Carmella asked.
"I cannot say."
"Probably a secret then." Naomi inferred, and Charlotte and Becky nodded in apparent agreement with her.
"Probably," Asuka nodded as well.
"But shouldn't you be avoiding us as well then?" Charlotte asked curiously. "I mean usually almost everyone is supposed to be kept in the dark when it comes to returns."
"Couldn't resist," Asuka bared her teeth in a playful grin. "I miss you all so much!"
"Aw, we miss you too, sis! It's just not the same without you around."
Another smile pulled at Shinsuke's lips as all the women hugged once more, feeling a contented joy for Asuka and her friends. However, his attention left the happy scene playing out before him upon hearing a familiar voice echoing down the hall and he refocused on his mission: Assassinate AJ.
"Geeze! What's going on now?" AJ asked as he entered the costume area. "I can't leave any of you unsupervised, can I?"
Shinsuke narrowed his eyes at the other man, locking him in his sights as he formulated an attack plan. He couldn't attack AJ now, though his back was facing him, or the women would see him coming. I'll have to make a diversion.
"Asuka's here!" Carmella blurted out.
"That's the way, just go screaming it all over town." Becky smirked.
"Oh oops." Carmella laughed sheepishly.
"Asuka?" AJ approached her to get a better look at her behind the disguise. "Well, I'll be!" Asuka opened her arms invitingly and they also hugged. "It's good to see you. You look well."
"Good to see you too." Asuka inclined her head as AJ pulled away from her.
Shinsuke found a toolbox among countless other equipment at his spot behind a large concrete support pillar. He silently opened it and picked up a C wrench. The tool was heavy but unbreakable, so he tossed it across the room where it landed with a loud clatter behind ladders.
AJ and the women jumped to attention.
"What was that?!" Carmella squeaked.
"Stay here," AJ told the woman with one arm outstretched in front of them like a protective shield. He then crept towards the ladders, placing him so that his back was just around ten feet in front of Shinsuke.
Shinsuke slowly rose to his feet, preparing to take AJ by surprise. However, unlike Greg, AJ tensed as if sensing a presence behind him. He began to turn around. With his window of opportunity closing, Shinsuke launched himself forward, his knee poised to Bomaye AJ's head off. AJ's head turned. He clearly spotted movement and he flinched, ducking to avoid the attack. Shinsuke held off at the last moment, landing on his feet before the former WWE Champion like a cocky tomcat.
It happened so fast that the girls didn't gasp until it was all over.
"Here we are again." Shinsuke leered cheerfully down at AJ, then ruffled his friend's brunet locks.
"Alright…you got me," AJ shoved his hand away. "But remember, payback's a bitch."
"You have to get to me first," he teased, dodging AJ's attempt at leg sweeping him.
"Ohh I'll get you!" AJ spat like a pissed-off rival alley cat.
"Shinsuke, Asuka."
Shinsuke froze at the sound of his name, and all at once, everyone seemed to stop what they were doing and turned their attention to the stagehand that had called for him and his fiancée.
"I was told to find you," the man explained. "Mr. McMahon is ready to see the both of you."
Looking to Asuka, Shinsuke saw her almost imperceptible nod. She was ready.
"See ya later." He flicked AJ's forehead much to his friend's chagrin. To Becky, Charlotte, Naomi, and Carmella, he gave a respectful salute. "Ladies."
Shinsuke waited at the mouth of the hall as Asuka hugged each of her friends before joining him and together they followed the stagehand towards Vince's office.
Once they arrived at Vince's office, Shinsuke sensed hesitation in Asuka. He paused and leaned against the wall opposite the closed door.
Eventually, after a passage of a few moments, Asuka spoke in a murmur despite her Japanese. Her tone possessed a sort of wary wishfulness. "He wants to see us both, not just me."
"Then I suppose it is not just your fate that will be discussed." He gave her a reassuring smile in hopes of infusing her with a little more optimism. "Whatever it is, we're in this together."
In response, Asuka's lips twitched upwards. Her eyes sparkled with loving gratitude. "Yes."
They took each other's hands and stepped into the unknown.
A.N.: As always, if you liked this chapter, please let me know~ And thanks to those that have left comments~