"I don't know what any of that means, but I don't like it," AJ seethes pulling her closer to him. "I'm going to have words with him Saturday."
"Don't do that," Ravyn advises. "He will find a way to get you to hit him. And then you'll get fired. Besides, he doesn't even know about us. He still assumes I'm fucking Tyler. So you coming into the picture like that will definitely tell everyone that this is a thing."
"Would it be so bad for people to know about us?" He asks softly.
She's caught off guard by the thought of their relationship becoming public knowledge. They'd spent the last few months really only being together in hotel rooms or each other's homes. The idea that they could travel together and not have to hide from their coworkers was actually kind of appealing.
"Did you get a chance to watch Breaking Ground 2 yet?" JJ asks her best friend as they check into their hotel in San Antonio before that nights NXT Takeover event.
Ravyn shakes her head, "Not yet. Maybe we can binge watch together after the gym?"
"That sounds awesome friend!" JJ grins.
"AJ has a signing this afternoon until Takeover starts," Ravyn notes. "So you're welcome to come watch in our room. He has that big portable tv that attaches to his XBox."
"Yes! I'm so sick of trying to watch The Network on my phone," JJ squeals.
"See you in a couple of hours then!" Ravyn confirms.
The girls head off in opposite directions to their rooms to prepare for the gym. Ravyn rides up the elevator by herself excited to get a workout in with her friend. The elevator dings and the doors open up to a well decorated hallway. She finds their room and pops the keycard AJ had left for her into the door. She swings the heavy door open to find AJ sitting on the couch with his XBox on the small coffee table playing 2K17. The sight makes her smile, delighted that he's a part of her life. Even if they look like polar opposites on the outside they were fortunate to have found each other. She wheels her bag in and leans the handle against the closed door to an adjoining hotel room.
"Man I hate these weird attached rooms," she says more to herself than AJ.
"Me too," he concurs. "I tried to swap for a different room but the hotel is booked up this weekend."
"No biggie," she shrugs and sinks down onto the couch next to him. "There's probably not a free hotel room within thirty miles this weekend."
She watches AJ play XBox for a little while until he has to get ready for his appearance. She hits the gym for a quick workout before coming back to the hotel to meet up with JJ. She has the misfortune of sharing an elevator with Corey upon her arrival. Luckily he's on his best behavior since a few of their coworkers are on the car. Ravyn makes a point of avoiding eye contact with him and immersing herself in conversation with Alexa Bliss. Ravyn, Alexa and Corey all step off of the elevator onto the same floor. The girls head one way while Corey goes the other. Alexa keeps walking when Ravyn lets herself into her own room. As she's getting clean clothes out of her bag she hears the hallway door to the adjoining room close loudly. She mumbles something under her breath about sound proofing and goes to take a shower.
JJ arrives shortly after Ravyn gets out of the bathroom. The girls set AJ's XBox TV up on the coffee table in the room then sit together on the couch, firing up the first episode of Breaking Ground 2. The show takes them on a trip down memory lane. Their friendship is one of the main focuses of the show. Coming from training together at the Storm Wrestling Academy in Calgary and getting signed to NXT at the same time gives them great chemistry on the behind the scene show. At the time that the show started filming the two girls still lived together, just months after Ravyn's breakup with Corey.
The saga takes them through losing Tyler to the main roster, and a good portion of the training they went through at the Performance Center. They become enthralled with watching their story unfold. So much so that they barely even stir when AJ opens the door to the hotel room. He strolls up to them huddled together on the couch. When he realizes that they haven't even registered his existence he breaks the silence.
"Have you two been watching this all day?" He asks in astonishment.
Ravyn nods, "I mean... we went to the gym. But this is the story of our lives! Come watch the last two episodes with us!"
JJ scoots over and pats the spot between them on the couch inviting AJ to join them. He shrugs and sits, relaxing between the two girls. By the end of the last episode the girls are on the verge of happy tears. Getting to watch their call up to the main roster has their emotions bubbling.
"And tomorrow we both have matches at the Royal Rumble," JJ says in awe.
"It's been a crazy five years," Ravyn confirms.
AJ checks a message on his phone, "Speaking of crazy. Gallows wants us to go out with a bunch of the main roster guys tonight."
JJ's phone buzzes, "Dolph just told me a bunch of guys are going out to a karaoke thing."
"That's the same thing Gallows was talking about," AJ confirms.
"Well, I'm going to go meet up with Dolph and head over to the party," JJ smiles. "I'll see you guys in a little bit."
They bid farewell to JJ and start getting ready themselves. "So I'll meet up with Tyler and see you there?" Ravyn suggests.
"Maybe we should just go together," AJ offers.
She looks at him skeptically, "You sure?"
Ravyn leads AJ into the karaoke bar, which has apparently been rented out for the entire company. The main roster guys are joined by NXT stars as they trickle in after Takeover. She spots Gallows and Anderson at a long table with a few empty seats left. Tyler walks in right behind them, joining them at the table. JJ and Dolph are seated at a table right behind them with a bunch of their other friends. The drinks start flowing immediately. A long line is already forming at the song request station. Jericho and Xavier Woods start off the evening with Ebony and Ivory. Food starts arriving sometime in the first hour of them being there. AJ rests his hand on Ravyn's thigh under the table, keeping their secret just a little bit longer. He notices Corey walk in before she does. She feels him tense up at the same time that Gallows notices a change in his demeanor.
AJ stands up and heads to the bar to grab another round of drinks to avoid any questions from his friends. He makes a point of 'accidentally' bumping into Corey on his way to an open spot at the bar. Corey apologizes and smiles at the champion. He catches Ravyn's eye as he crosses the floor on the way to Baron Corbin's table. Tyler puts his arm around her shoulders to distract her from the situation. Luckily Gallows and Anderson start telling ridiculous stories that commandeer all of their attention. It's not long before the redneck voices start up.
They lose track of what round they're on as more and more drinks appear at their table. Dolph shoots them a grin, letting them know that this next round was on him. Alcohol courses through them breeding bad decisions. Tyler gets up and wanders off returning just a few minutes later. He reaches a hand out to Ravyn asking her to join him.
The DJ announces their names as he drags her towards the stage. The opening chords of "With my Baby Tonight" play in the room full of wrestlers. Blushing like mad Ravyn tries to escape, but Tyler corners her on stage and forces a microphone into her hand. The pair of them sing the song while making eyes at JJ the entire time.
The crowd of their peers cheer wildly once they've finished. They lean on each other for stability to make it back to the table. AJ smiles at her as she sits back down next to him. Her hand reaches for his under the table. She gives it a squeeze letting him know that the song was for him.
A few songs go by before JJ takes the stage with Road Dogg. Not to be out done by someone else singing his song he and JJ perform a stunning rendition of "Something Gone Wrong." Ravyn and Tyler whoop and cheer for them as they sing the last few bars together in harmony. JJ returns to the neighboring table as Corey steps on stage. Ravyn doesn't notice at first, but the moment the first notes of the guitar play her head snaps back towards the front of the room. Dig up her Bones by The Misfits. Corey's voice seems to seek her out and force her eyes to lock onto him. As he begins to sing he singles her out in the crowd. His eyes never straying away from her.
"Anything is what she is. Anywhere is where she's from," his devious grin looks evil in the dim lighting of the bar. "Anytime is what she'll be. Anything as long as it's MINE."
He seems to emphasize that word. Mine. He breaks his eye contact with her to scan the room, not wanting to draw attention to his obsession with her.
"Hey, uh, Uncle Allen," Gallows whispers roughly, barely audible at the table. "Is it just me or is he singing that song to Princess Hoot here?"
Corey continues the song, averting his gaze from their table. "He's not making moves on your woman, is he Phenomenal Hoot?" Karl asks starting to get worked up.
AJ's teeth clench before he answers, "I think someone is overstepping their boundaries. If he's not careful I'll introduce him to my heaters."
"You just say the word Hoot," Gallows says. "And I'll give him a friendly reminder to keep his eyes to himself."
"Oh hell yeah," Karl's Stone Cold voice concurs.
The three of them exchange Too Sweets. Corey is quickly forgotten as yet another round of drinks appears in front of them. An hour or so later their evening comes to a close when Ravyn and AJ sneak away and catch a cab back to the hotel. In the elevator they can barely keep their hands off of each other. Her hands already traveling to his belt before they even make it to their floor. He pushes her up against the wall with his body and kisses her roughly, distracting her just long enough for the elevator to ding, signaling the arrival at their floor. They pull away from each other just long enough to get down the hall and unlock the door to their room.
Once inside Ravyn pushes AJ against the wall just inside the door as he fumbles for the light switch. Her hands work his shirt up over his head, quickly tossing it to the floor. A moan escapes him as her mouth kisses a trail down his chest. He takes this opportunity to regain control and starts backing her into the room. Their feet shuffle down the small hallway silently until they're next to the door of the attached room. Paper rustles beneath their feet. AJ bends down to grab the piece of paper off of the floor.
"That piece of shit," AJ growls.
"What is it?" Ravyn asks carefully, knowing he almost never cusses.
He turns the paper over to her and she reads it to herself. All it says is "I can't wait to hear you scream". The bottom of the page has a heart with Corey and Ravyn's initials inside with a pair of crudely drawn bones crossed underneath. The heart and crossbones they had always used when they were still together. She she crumples the paper and drops it to the floor, alcohol not really letting her process the final line from the latest series of tweets he had sent her.
A smug look overcomes AJ's brief anger. "I'll make sure he hears you scream," he promises.
He crashes their lips together before she has a chance to ask what he means. Though it only takes her a few seconds to figure it out for herself. Her shirt is yanked up over her head and tossed aside. A moment later her skirt is hiked up as AJ wedges a knee between her legs. Her hands go back the the belt that the had been so infatuated with on the elevator. He steps out of the worn denim as the pants fall to the floor. In one swift motion he hoists her up and leans her against the door to the other room. Her legs wrap around him as they slam into the door over and over again.
His breathing grows raspy and ragged fueled by anger and dominance. "She's never going to scream for you again you fucking prick!" He hollers through the door. Wrapping an arm around her waist to hold her up he brazenly opens their side of the adjoining doors. The other door, luckily, remains shut. AJ resumes pounding their bodies against the door making Ravyn scream his name. "That's right baby, tell him who you belong to," he encourages. Her nails rake up his back as she begs him for more, hoping Corey can hear everything.
The slamming of the door to the hallway from the other room confirms that he had heard every single moment. A cocky smirk breaks out on AJ's face as he carries her over to their bed to continue their romp.