The day of the second show in Jacksonville, a knock came at the door of the men's locker room. Matt was leaning against the wall talking to Finn, and opened it to Bayley's little smile.

"Hey Matt, you mind if I have a sec to talk to Finn?"

"Uh sure," he glanced back at Finn, narrowing his eyes a bit. "Behave."

Finn wrinkled his nose at him and laughed as Matt let Bayley in and closed the door behind him.

"What can I do for ya, Bayley?" he sat on the edge of the bench.

"You can stop using me to get to Becky," she said plainly, and his throat dropped into his stomach. "If you want her back, you can find another way."

"Bayley I-" he stopped dead in his tracks, the sweet smile didn't even leave her face, and it made him feel even guiltier. "You're right."

"Yeah, I know I am."

"I didn't mean…I was just jealous."

"Jealous?"

"She slept with Sami when we split."

Bayley sighed and sat next to him on the bench. "Sorry. Break ups can be messy."

"Tell me 'bout it. I, uh... I jus' wanted her to want me. Y'know? Wanted her to need me. Ya got caught in the cross hairs, and I'm sorry."

She smiled and nodded her head. "You'll have to think of another way,"

"I know," he bit his lip. "I wasn't gonna, y'know do anythin'. They were just words-"

"There's no such thing as just words."

"I-I'm sorry. That's all I can say, love."

"You know Becky called this exactly?" she laughed. "Said if I asked you to explain yourself you'd apologize, that you were just being selfish and not thinking. She defended you after all of this."

"She said that?"

"Finn, did you ever think through all this the last week that maybe you already have the thing you're after?"

He laughed, "ya think so?"

She nodded.

"Yeah, maybe." He ran his fingers through his hair, his mind racing. "So how royally did I screw up our friendship here?"

"Hmm. About six to seven royally I would say," she laughed and it made him grin. "You might want to start working on making it right."

With that she got up and walked out of the locker room, not a glance behind her. Bayley wasn't quick to anger, he'd figured that out the moment he met her. But something told him he'd be working off this for a long time before the two of them could actually be real friends.

XXX

Finn hated watching the show and not getting out there himself, but he tried to put on a good face for his friends. Truthfully, his body was itching to be in front of a crowd again. Taking bumps in the performance center just wasn't the same.

As they boarded the charter bus home, he walked down the aisle of faces, most of them had paired up already. Once in a while someone would look up at him and he wondered if word had started to get around about the mess he'd made for himself. Towards the back, Bayley was sitting in the window seat and glanced over at him. He held it for a second, giving her a sad smile and hoping she'd return a sympathetic look. She didn't. So instead he settled into the back-most row all by himself.

Becky had the same problem, Sasha and Charlotte together in one of the seats, looking around with the same guilty look. When she came to Bayley, she smiled hopefully, but was cut off by Sami squeezing past her and taking the aisle seat next to her. He saw her sigh as she looked over to him, diagonally from where Bayley and Sami had made their stand, and collapsed in the seat next to him.

"Ya get exiled too?" he asked, softly.

"We're a couple o' screw ups, you and me," she said, looking at Bayley and Sami.

"How mad is he?"

"Pretty mad. Her?"

"What's pretty mad but in Bayley?"

"Uh, kinda mad."

"Yeah she's that."

"We're jerks."

"Yeah, well, maybe we do deserve each other."

She glanced over but didn't respond, instead taking out a thick soft cover book from her bag. Clicking on the book light, she settled in and didn't look back at him. He kept his gaze on her though, mesmerized. A little laugh escaped his lips and her head snapped towards him.

"What?"

"How many pages is that?"

"I dunno like 800? What's so funny?"

"Nothin', ya just love that stuff, don't ya?"

She scoffed, "ya making fun of me?"

"No, no I think it's amazing you get through that stuff. All that Russian literature," he smiled toothily.

"It's beautiful."

"I know," his eyes twinkled, "I jus' think you're incredible."

"Sweet talkin' isn't gonna get you anywhere."

"Sorry," he turned back towards the window, listening to music on his phone.

But she didn't return to her book, her eyes grazing him. He licked his lip and she couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking about her. After a few moments, he glanced over at her and the corner of his mouth turned up.

"What?"

"Nothin'," she shook her head and looked back down to her book.

He sighed, pulled out his headphones, and leaned in close to her ear to whisper very softly, "we've got two hours sittn' here. We might as well talk."

"An' what do you wanna talk 'bout?" she matched his low tone.

"I'm sorry."

Becky rolled her eyes, "do we have to do this right now?"

"Yeah, we do. I'm sorry that I flirted with her to make ya jealous. I was hurt, and I… I thought maybe…that meant you still wanted me, not him."

"I don' want him, I told ya that."

"I know. But I was stupid. An' selfish. An' it was wrong. An' I am sorry for it."

She looked over at him, solemnly, and nodded. "You're not used to not gettin' what you want, huh?"

"Not really, no." he shook his head. "But that's no excuse."

Becky was silent for a moment, her eyes flickering down to the ground and then back up to him.

"I'm sorry too, 'bout Sami."

Finn sighed heavily.

"I didn' do it to hurt ya, I promise."

"Not to prove you didn' need me?"

She looked down again.

"Was it to prove it to me, or yourself?"

"A little bit of both,' her eyes flickered to meet his, "but not to hurt ya. Never to hurt ya."

Finn didn't respond. He just took her hand, resting on her thigh, and squeezed it. They rode in silence for the remainder of the ride. After a while, he felt her head resting on his shoulder. He looked down at her, smiling to himself. He glanced around the rest of the darkened bus, no one was paying attention to the two of them. She stirred a little as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

They pulled into the performance center and Becky pulled her duffle bag from the overhead, not looking down at him. His heart was beating out of his chest, but he knew he had to go for it.

"Hey," he said, pulling on her hand, "How'd you get here?"

"Bayely drove,"

"Let me drive you home?"

"Uh," she glanced back at Bayley, who was laughing with Sami and caught her eye. "Yeah, okay."

If he was hoping to get her alone for the fifteen-minute drive, he didn't capitalize on it. Silence between the two of them and heat rising as he placed his hand on the clutch, his arm brushing hers. She kept her eyes on him steady and every now and then he glanced over. He smiled, but returned to the road every time.

"It's the right up here," she said quietly as they approached her street.

He chuckled, "I remember."

"Alright, jus' didn't want you to miss it."

"Thanks," he smiled, pulling up to in front of the apartment complex.

She looked over at him, and he raised an eyebrow. It was burning now, the amount of heat in the car. He was giving her that look again, that smoldering look he'd given her when he'd asked her if she was jealous.

"So uh," he bit his lip again. "I guess I'll see ya on Monday?"

Becky sighed, nodding towards the apartment, "yeah, c'mon."

He grinned and put the car in park, following her up to door and into her tiny apartment. As she locked the door behind her, she felt his hands on her waist. He nuzzled in the sensitive spot on her neck, and it sent a chill down her spine.

"I missed you," he whispered, his voice thick.

She tipped her head back and laughed as his stubbly beard along the back of her neck. His hands were around hers, taking the keys out of her hand and placing it on the table next to the door.

"Did ya miss me?" he whispered, his hands on her hips, still trapping her between the door and his body.

"What'd ya think?" She turned around carefully, meeting his sparkling eyes.

"I just wanna hear ya say it, darlin'," he ran his lips over her cheek.

"So needy," she laughed.

"I am not needy!" he pouted, "now will ya jus' kiss me?"

"Yeah, alright."

She wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and pulled him into a long, deep kiss. He smiled through it, she could feel his teeth rubbing against her lips.

"Quit smilin'," she murmured.

His smile widened, "no."

He rolled his hips against her, and she moaned, feeling him. His hands tangled in her red hair, his smile wide on his face. Her hands found the hem of his tshirt and pulled it up over his head. He chuckled.

"That all you want, love?"

"I like the view," she shrugged. He flexed his defined abs, watching her eyes graze over them.

"Yeah well, me too," he pulled hers up quickly, tossing it to the side and biting his lip at the sight of thin, small cupped bra. Burrowing into her neck again, his hands ran along the back of the bra, back and forth.

"It's in the front."

"Oh," he scrambled to the clasp in between the cups and cleared his throat, turning back on the smug, cool smile across his face.

She tipped her head back laughing. "Ya not foolin' anyone."

He licked his lips and looked her up and down. Moving slowly, he took her wrists in his hands and positioned them on his muscular shoulders. Sliding them down slowly, he watched her breath catch as she realized what he was up to. Her fingertips trembled as he moved them down his pecs.

"Ya sure 'bout that," he paused, raising his eyebrows as her thumbs rolled over his nipples, "love?"

She shivered, rubbing them hungrily, and he knew he had her. So he pushed her hands down further, her eyes following them. At his abs she was breathing heavily, thinking about how much she missed the feeling of his body as he flexed. Her fingertips grazed a black and blue bruise on the side of his torso.

"Jus' a rough bump," he whispered through a chuckle, "nothin' to be concerned 'bout."

"Obviously," she said, smiling and biting her lip.

"You seemed worried, that's all," he grinned and looked down at her hands. "No need to stop."

He pushed one of hands down gently, slipping under the waistband of his sweatpants and boxer briefs. Her breath caught as she felt him, and she leaned her head back in defeat.

"I'm gon' get you back for this."

He grinned, "I can't wait. But right now, if I'm not mistaken," he ran his lips over hers and she lunged at them as he pulled back. "You're mine."

She sighed, "I want you."

"See. Wasn' so bad, was it?" he asked and waited for her to shake her head before giving her what she wanted.

Her shorts and panties were down in an instant. When he worked fast, she never knew what hit her. He pulled her out of her shoes and his own bottoms down, before lifting her up against the door. She let out a yelp as he pushed in, collapsing into his shoulder.

"Finn…" she moaned into his ear and he nuzzled into the soft spot as he started thrusting.

It didn't take long for her to melt into him, moaning and running her hands around his back.

"You're noisy tonight," he said with a smug smile.

"Oh shut the fuck up," she giggled and he grinned. Then quietly she said, "I missed you."

"I missed you too, darlin'."

XXX

He woke up the next morning when she rolled over onto him, her long hair covering his face.

"Oof," he chuckled, pulling it down as she rolled over to face him.

"Sorry, I'm used to havin' it to myself."

"It's been two weeks, Bex." He wrapped his arms around her and brought her closer to him. "Sooo are we doin' this?"

"Yeah, we can do this."

He grinned and leaned into kiss her. But she caught him, looping a leg around his and pushing him down to the bed. She straddled him as he gasped and she smiled smugly.

"Told ya I'd get you back."

"Oh shit." His eyes were wide and he licked his lips. "W-what are you gon' do?"

"Ya nervous?"

"Excited," his eyes flickered up to hers, "I dunno what you keep 'round here."

"Oh shut up."

"Preoccupy me."

She leaned in close, pushing his hands down to the pillows, running her lips over his. He lunged for them, but she was faster, pulling away.

"Nooo…" he groaned, leaning back into the bed. He pouted, batting his long eyelashes at her.

"Aw I thought ya were excited?"

"That was before I knew ya were gonna tease."

"Bullshit, you knew I was gonna tease." She bit her lip and wiggled around on his pelvis. He groaned again and pushed against her hands. "Don't whine."

She started to grind her hips against him and he squirmed underneath her. He slipped his hands out from her grasp and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her into a kiss that seemed to never end. Pulling out of it finally, she giggled and it made him smile.

"I like this shirt on ya," his voice was low and thick as he pulled on it.

It was an old one of his, from way back when he started in Japan. It was thin, well worn, and she was showing right through it. He ran his hands up and over where she was poking through the fabric, and smirked.

"What, is it cold in here too?"

She rolled her eyes but didn't protest as he started to squeeze her, rubbing circles around them. He slid his hands down to the hem of the shirt and she caught him. Forcing them down to his sides she grinned as he whined again.

"I told ya. I always get ya back."