This Means War
AJ was working late for inventory and was in the closed shop with Luis as they waited for the inventory company to arrive.
"You really don't have to stay I can handle this alone." AJ said to him. "I'm sure you have important things to attend to."
"Anything I invest in is important." Luis said from behind the desk in the office and AJ was sitting across from him. She was smiling at her phone and it peeked Luis's interests. "Something funny?"
"Phil just sent me a picture of Larry, he got his head stuck in the banister at home." AJ laughed and showed him the picture.
"How are things with you and Phil?" Luis questioned. "If it's too personal-"
"No it's fine. And we're great." AJ told him.
"Did he agree to marriage?" Luis asked her.
"No." AJ said to him. "And I don't expect him to ever change his mind."
"So that's it?" Luis asked.
"I'm happy with him." AJ said to him. "Why push my luck? No one has ever loved me like he has."
"Only because you haven't given anyone else the chance to." Luis reminded her.
"I went so many years without having a boyfriend or anyone pay any interest in me." AJ said to him. "Phil loved me even before I looked like this."
"I find it hard to believe you looked any different." Luis smirked.
"I used to have frizzy hair that I pulled back everyday, big glasses, only wore sweats and never even wore makeup." AJ confided. "The guys at the gym next door used to compare me to a dog but not Phil. He always defended me and always spent time with me here."
"I still find it unfair that you're giving up what you want." Luis noted.
"But I'm not." AJ shrugged. "I want him no matter what." she then checked her watch and frowned. "Where are these guys?" she asked standing up and walking out of the office.
"I'm sure they're just running a little late." Luis said following her out.
"I don't want to be here all night." AJ said to him.
"Would that be so terrible?" Luis asked her. "Is something wrong with me?" he teased.
"No of course not but I thought I'd be working." AJ said to him.
"Why did you really return my ring?" Luis asked out of nowhere.
"Because it was inappropriate." She replied simply. "Why did you give to me?"
"Did Phil tell you it was inappropriate?" Luis questioned.
"No." AJ said to him. "It was my idea to return to you. Now again, why did you give to me? Were you trying to hurt my feelings? Dangle a ring in my face?"
"I could give you another ring." Luis offered. "A family even."
"What are you talking about?" AJ asked him.
"I enjoy spending time with you." Luis admitted. "You're the only person I know who isn't intimidated by me. I'd like to spend more time with you, quality time."
"What are you saying?" she asked with a laugh.
"Go out with me." Luis offered.
"Oh, no." AJ laughed.
"I'm not kidding April." Luis said seriously. "We get along very well and we both want the same things. I want a family just as much as you do."
"You hardly know me." AJ reminded him.
"I know enough." Luis said to her. "I know you're smart, funny, pretty, captivating..."
"Is this a joke?" AJ asked with a giggle.
"No." Luis smirked. "I really like your laugh. I also don't want to brag but I was name Chicago's most eligible bachelors. I really believe you and I could have some fun together."
"I'm not your type." AJ said to him.
"I don't really have a set type." Luis smirked. "What do you say?" he asked brushing her hair gently behind her ear and placed his hand on her cheek.
"Why won't you answer me?" She asked him. "Why did you give me that ring?"
"I gave it to you so you could get a taste of greater opportunities." Luis said to her. "That ring cost more than what your boyfriend made last year in it's entirety." and AJ smiled to herself. "So, what do you say?"
"I say if you really knew me as well as you thought you did you'd know money doesn't mean anything to me. I only got a cellphone last year, I used to sleep in a roach infested apartment for years, I would get days without eating and I didn't complain once. Money means nothing to me." she then grabbed her jacket and put it on.
"Where are you going?" Luis asked her.
"I quit." AJ said to him and he actually smirked.
"Really?" He asked thinking she was kidding. "Am I too tempting?"
"Not at all. I just don't like you anymore." She said to him.
"I've been nothing but generous and respectful to you." Luis reminded her.
"You have but you're disrespectful to Phil." AJ said to him. "And that I can't tolerate or forgive. Good luck Luis and thank you for the opportunity."
"What are you going to do?" Luis asked still amused.
"I don't know." She said zipping up her jacket. "I'll stay in the pet business possibly." And Luis laughed loudly. "Why is that funny?"
"You think you could compete against me?" Luis asked her.
"You think I couldn't?" AJ asked back. "I had no intentions of that but maybe I will. I would do much better than you."
"I doubt that. No offense April but most people who own a successful business usually have a college degree." Luis said to her and AJ had never been so insulted. "Also and please don't take offense to this but this is a man's world."
"The pet business is a man's world?" AJ asked growing angry.
"No but the business world is a man's world." Luis informed her and AJ rolled her eyes and walked to the door.
"The more you insult the more it motivates me." AJ warned him unlocking the door.
"Save yourself the time and your boyfriends money." Luis said to her. "You'd never last against me."
"We'll just have to wait and see about that." she said storming out the door.
Punk had fallen asleep on the couch but made sure to set his alarm for a few hours to go pick up AJ. His alarm isn't what woke him up, it was his girlfriend sitting on his stomach looking down at him. She scared the crap out of him and he was slightly out breath.
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Punk asked her seriously but she didn't budge.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" She asked him.
"No." He said running his hands over his eyes to wake himself up. "What are you doing here?" he asked looking at the time.
"You don't think because I didn't graduate from college that I'm stupid?" She clarified.
"No why don't you keep asking me that?" Punk asked her. "And why are you home so early?"
"I quit." She told him and his eyes widened with excitement.
"Why?" he asked trying not to sound too excited.
"Luis doesn't think I'm smart enough to open my own business." She said to him.
"Luis is a moron." Punk said to her. "Is that why you quit?"
"No but still." She frowned. "He asked me out."
"Oh really?" Punk asked sitting up as much as he could with AJ planted on him.
"I couldn't work for someone who didn't respect my relationship." She said to him. "He told me he'd give me marriage and a family."
"That's so generous of him." Punk said sarcastically trying to get up. "Up AJ." he instructed.
"No you can't go down there." She warned him and frowned.
"Of course I can." Punk scoffed. "How fucking dare he!"
"You'll never have to see him again." AJ reminded him. "But did you hear me? I want to open my own business."
"I heard you and I think that's great." Punk said to her.
"I want a space right near Joe's." She told him. "I want to compete with him directly. I may not be as educated as him but it's not a man's world." she ranted.
"Of course it's not." Punk agreed. "He's stupid to doubt you."
"He was stupid to challenge me." She said to him.
"I'll tell you what, first thing in the morning we'll talk about this more and look into what exactly goes into opening this kind of place. Then after that we'll start looking into places-" Punk said but she cut him off.
"I want to do it myself." She said to him and he seemed hurt. "I obviously want your input and you with me while I do this stuff but I have to do this on my own, financially at least."
"No you don't." He said to her. "You don't have that kind of money to open up a place on your own."
"I have some money saved up and I can get a loan." She said to him.
"That's such a waste when I can just give you the money." He said to her. "Why get yourself into debt?"
"Because I need to do this." She said to him. "The last year everything I've done or have is because of you but now I want to do something and say that I was able to do it without someone holding my hand and helping me."
"You can do anything you put your mind to. You're the most determined person I have ever met and don't ever let some rich snob tell you that you can't because you're a woman or you're not smart enough because you are." he said to her.
"Are you just saying that because you love me?" She asked cutely and he gave her half a smile.
"I wouldn't love you if you didn't have all of those qualities." Punk responded smoothly.
"He made me feel like shit." She sighed.
"Good." Punk said surprising her and she scrunched up her face.
"Why is that good? I thought that would make you want to punch him." She noted confused.
"It does." He said simply. "I've been waiting to punch him for a long time but it's good because when people used to make me feel like shit it used to motivate me."
"Well I am feeling motivated." She admitted.
"Clearly." He smirked. "You're ready to open up your own shop which I think would be awesome."
"You really think I can do it?" she asked him.
"Hell yea I do." Punk said to her. "I can't wait to help you realize your dreams the way you've helped me do the same."
"You don't have to-" she began.
"If you weren't around to help me I wouldn't be where I am today it's time I return the favor." He said happily.
"I mean it Phil-" she started again.
"Either let me help you destroy him from a business standpoint or I'll have to punch him in the face." Punk said simply.
"I better start writing ideas down now." She said giving in and climbing off of him but he tried to grab her.
"We can do that in the morning." Punk suggested sitting up. "Since you're home so early we could-" he didn't even finish because she was already upstairs.
A few days later Punk woke up and it was going to be his first day back at the gym. He woke up to an empty bed and when he came downstairs to find AJ already wide awake and having coffee with Paul.
"Morning." Punk greeted.
"Hi honey." AJ said getting up and giving him a kiss then poured him a cup of coffee.
"What's going on?" Punk asked nodding towards all of the paperwork.
"I want to invest in your girlfriend." Paul said to him.
"She doesn't need an investor, I'm going to take care of everything for her." Punk said to him.
"This is a really expensive thing I want to do." AJ warned him. "I welcome the help."
"What do you know about pet shops anyway?" Punk asked him.
"Nothing." Paul admitted. "But I know AJ and I'll invest in anything related to her also we're not doing a pet shop anymore."
"What?" Punk asked
"A boarding place." AJ said happily. "We're going to board animals and take in abandoned ones. That's everything I've ever wanted!" she cheered.
"I remember you mentioning that." Punk said having to smile at her excitement.
"This won't be just your typical boarding place either. It will cater to more than dogs, have live camera connection so they can check in, round the clock staff, top of the line toys and food." Paul said to him.
"See? Pricey." She said to him.
"I think it's a great idea." Punk said sipping his coffee.
"I also want to try to be as affordable as possible." she said to him. "Most boarding places are just far too expensive and in the area I'm looking to open up in those people won't be able to afford much."
"I thought we agreed you'd look in a better area then where Luis's place is?" Punk asked her hopefully.
"Yea I was going to but Paul had a better idea." AJ said looking at Paul to continue.
"There's an empty building directly across the street." Paul grinned.
"You're going to open up right across the street?" Punk asked her and she nodded.
"It's the perfect amount of space." She said to him. "Paul is taking me to look at it later."
"You can run over from the gym when we go." Paul said to him and Punk nodded.
"I can't remember the last time I was this excited!" She cheered and ran out of the kitchen.
"She's cute." Paul smirked.
"Very." Punk agreed sitting down.
"At least this business venture will distract her from the marriage thing." Paul said to him.
"Good." Punk said sipping his coffee.
"Feeling ready to get back in the gym?" Paul asked him.
"I'm dying to get back in there." Punk admitted. "I need to beat him it's not even about the win."
"And you will." Paul said to him. "It'll be in Vegas."
"I know." Punk said as he glanced at all of AJ's notes and smirked.
"She's very into this." Paul smirked.
"She is." Punk agreed. "She deserves to have this, she deserves it all."
"So what did happen with her and Mr. Cortes?" Paul asked him.
"He's an asshole. You can also tell him I'm not endorsing shit for him." Punk said to him.
"We have a contract." Paul informed him.
"Get out of it." Punk said simply.
"It's not that easy Punk." Paul sighed. "You also need that money if you plan on helping AJ with this."
"That would be ironic." Punk laughed to himself. "He's going to put his own store out of business."
"This could get pretty pricey especially for it to feature everything she wants." Paul said to him.
"I don't care if I have to sell this house and move into her old shitty apartment to make this happen for her." Punk said to him.
"That won't happen but you're going to need to keep the Cortes endorsement." Paul said to him.
"He told her he would marry her and give her a family." Punk said to him.
"Tempting." Paul said seriously and Punk narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't give me that look, if he asked me to marry him I would. He could buy AJ her own country if she wanted, he seems nice enough, attractive, rich beyond words-"
"I get it Paul." Punk said annoyed.
"And yet she picked you a guy who won't even marry her." Paul snorted.
"Are you trying to make me feel bad?" Punk asked him.
"No I'm trying to make you realize how crazy she really is about you." Paul said to him.
"I already know and I feel the same." Punk said to him. "I've actually been thinking about the marriage thing."
"Really?" Paul asked amused.
"I get where she is coming from." Punk admitted. "I don't seem as committed to her as she does to me but I am."
"You still can't marry her because you want to prove a point to her." Paul said to him.
"It's not about proving a point. I don't want her to go anywhere ever and I want to grow old with her-" Punk confided.
"-you'll grow older faster since she's younger." Paul added and Punk glared at him.
"Are you trying to piss me off?" Punk asked him. "I'm trying to tell you I want to marry her."
"You genuinely want to or you're doing it out of guilt?" Paul asked him.
"Genuinely." Punk said to him. "I know she's not going anywhere even if I don't ask her but I want he to be my wife."
"That's is great." Paul grinned. "But you can worry about that marriage stuff after the fight."
"I am." Punk said to him. "I still have a lot to think through and really want to get through this fight first then I'm going to do it."
"What about kids?" Paul asked him and Punk had a sly smile.
"She's great with babies." He had to admit.
"It's like you're a different person." Paul laughed.
"Hey, so I was thinking of names for the the pet place and what do you think of 'Larry's'?" AJ asked as she walked back into the kitchen. "I was thinking he could even be our mascot."
"Isn't there a cuter dog you could use?" Paul asked her seriously.
"Don't call our dog ugly." Punk scoffed.
"Or I was thinking 'Larry's Punk palace'." She said to him. "This way both my boys can be such a big part of this."
"You'd name your business after me?" Punk asked touched and she nodded.
"Of course. I actually think it will bring me really good luck." She said to him.
"You better start getting ready." Paul instructed her.
"I am but I'm just so excited!" She yelled out then ran back out of the kitchen with Larry following her faithfully.
"She's very energetic." Paul warned him. "You sure you want to marry her?"
"I like her energetic." Punk grinned happily sipping his coffee.
"She has some set of balls though, going one on one against Luis Cortes." Paul said giving her credit.
"I assure you that she has no balls." Punk said seriously. "But she is brave and if I didn't hate Cortes so much I would pity him because he doesn't stand a chance against her. Not that I think he cares too much for that shop anyway."
"He won't want to lose against her." Paul said to him.
"Too bad for him." Punk shrugged. "She's going to eat him up and spit him out and I get a front row seat. The cherry on top? Is when he not only goes out of business but by that point she'll be wearing my ring, not his condescending, obnoxious over the top ring." he said smugly.
"She's going to be really surprised when you do it." Paul said to him.
"That's the plan." Punk smiled to himself.
A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews :)
I hope you all have noticed that I've done this story differently with no love triangles, no breakups but really to write a genuine love story between the two. Now, with this all wrapping up so nicely I have the option to create some drama or end it- what do you think?