Short Trip

Punk and AJ had just arrived in Chicago and his home. AJ spent the entire the flight scolding Punk about lying to her about who jumped Dean. And to Punk's credit he sat back and took it all in stride just nodding along as she ranted at him. Normally this would piss Punk off but AJ made the cutest faces when she was angry and that helped him just take it. It also helped that she wasn't wrong but he wasn't ready to admit that out loud.

Once they finally made it back to his place they had fallen right asleep well at least AJ did Punk didn't. His adrenaline was still pumping from the fight and seeing his brother after so many years. He also looked over to the tiny woman lying next to him and wondered what the hell he was doing. She lived in New York, he barely saw her yet he couldn't give her up he even gave up Maria for her and he almost beat a man to death on the street for her. Also he still didn't' know much about her. Sure he knew the basic stuff like her family and marriage but there were major details. Was this really just all about sex? He hoped not and this weekend he'd prove it to her.

The next morning AJ woke up to an empty bed. She couldn't believe she was here in his home, his bed- with him. She envied Maria for so long and now she was in her spot. But like Punk she worried how serious he was about them. She got out of the bed and headed into the bathroom then down the stairs.

"Good you're up." Punk said as she noticed the stack of pancakes and bacon. "For you."

"All of it?" she laughed.

"We can share." He teased.

"Yummy." AJ grinned taking a seat at the table.

"Sleep ok?" he asked placing a dish in front of her along with syrup and butter.

"Yea that was the best bed I have ever laid on in my entire life." She said seriously and he just laughed.

"I'm sure it is." He said now placing a cup of coffee in front of her.

"I can't remember the last time I had homemade pancakes." She said with a full mouth of them.

"Really?" he laughed sitting across from her with his own dish.

"Yea we don't really have kitchen at my apartment." She reminded him.

"About the apartment do you ever plan on moving?" he asked her casually.

"Why would I move?" she asked him. "I like it and plus I'm an assistant not a fancy Marvel writer."

"I mean living with Dean and such?" Punk asked.

"Dean is going to live with me forever." AJ said to him but he didn't seem to like that response. "Why?"

"I don't know AJ maybe you living with another man doesn't sit well with your boyfriend." Punk noted.

"You knew about Dean." AJ said to him.

"I did." Punk agreed. "I also know how you kissed him one night and a few nights ago he drunk and hit you."

"He didn't hit me." She said putting her fork down. "Don't ask me to pick between you and Dean."

"I'm not." Punk said to her quickly. "I know you love him and everything but what happens down the road when we're more serious and I don't know living together? Is Dean going to live with us to?"

"If he wants to." AJ said narrowing her eyes at him in an almost challenging voice. "He's my only connection to Robbie that I have left I won't give him up."

"I'm worried about you." Punk blurted out. "Living in New York basically by yourself-"

"I have Dean." She corrected.

"Who drinks himself to sleep every night." Punk added. "My brother is there-"

"Whose fault is that? It's not Deans." AJ argued.

"I know it's not." Punk agreed. "All I'm saying is I worry about you."

"I got married on my eighteenth birthday and have taken care of myself since than, I'm fine." AJ said to him. "And if this is your way of asking me to pick up my life and move to Chicago to entertain you-"

"No I was thinking actually of moving to New York myself." Punk said to her. "It would save me on a lot of travel and I spend more time there now since we started up it just makes sense."

"Really?" She asked trying not to smile.

"Yea I mean or at least get a place in the City so I don't have to stay in hotels." Punk said to her.

"You can always stay at my apartment." She reasoned. "Or is it too poor for you?"

"Why does it always go back to money with you?" Punk asked her. "I don't hang around Brooklyn for obvious reasons and if it were up to me you wouldn't be living in Brooklyn either. This is about me getting to work more and seeing my girlfriend more what's the big deal?"

"You're right and I'd like having you New York actually." She said to him. "Are you sure you'd want to leave Chicago though?"

"I came to Chicago because I was running from New York, I don't want to run anymore." Punk said to her honestly. "I'm done running."

"Are you sure Phil?" she asked carefully. "It's dangerous for you to move there maybe Chicago is the best bet for you right now."

"You want me to stay in Chicago?" Punk asked with a laugh. "I thought you'd be excited."

"I would love it but I'm worried about you." AJ frowned. "Those guys are crazy."

"Yea I know they are which is why I can come to New York and be with you." Punk shrugged.

"You want to move to New York to protect me?" she asked him.

"Why not?" he shrugged.

"It's the wrong reasons Phil." AJ said sadly.

"We can't still be together and have you in New York with your drunk roommate and my brother lurking." Punk said firmly. "It's either I go to New York are you come to Chicago."

"Why are you giving me an ultimatum?" she asked him.

"Because they won't stop AJ." Punk said to her. "Dean was just the beginning next it will be you and I can't have that." He said to her.

"So it's either moving or breaking up?" AJ asked him.

"Yea." He said to her without hesitation. "Choice is yours AJ." He then stood up and dumped his food in the garbage and walked out of the kitchen.

AJ ventured up to Punk's room and saw him making the bed. She leaned against the doorway and let out a sigh as she folded her arms.

"This isn't working is it?" Punk asked without even turning to face her.

"No it's not." She agreed. "We don't see each other enough. You can't move to New York and I can't move to Chicago." Punk finally turned to face her and frowned.

"So what do we do? This is it?" he asked.

"For now." She shrugged. "With everything going on with your brother-"

"You're afraid." He finished for her.

"Maybe a little I don't know." She said. "It's extra worry that I don't really need right now. But besides the fact that I've become a target for people that hate you but I don't even know what we are you just got out of relationship I just got out of marriage it's all just moving to fast."

"I get it." He said to her taking a seat on the bed. "I wanted this to work."

"I know you did." She said moving into the room and sitting next to him. "So did I."

"So what now? You go back to New York?" he asked her.

"Yea I think it's for the best." AJ sighed. "I should be with Dean anyway."

"My brother will leave you alone now." Punk said to her. "That's all I care about."

"That's the last thing I care about." She said with a sad smile. "I really had a lot of fun with you-"

"-don't." He said cutting her off. "I don't want to have this sad breakup speech and then we say we'll always be friends."

"We won't?" she asked. "I'll see you at Marvel."

"I'm going to cut my time down going to New York. Clear my head." Punk said to her. "Paul suggested it and he's right. He'll be coming to Chicago instead."

"That's good but I will miss you." She said with a sweet smile.

"I'll miss you too." He said returning the smile.

"So I should look into flights." She said standing up but Punk tugged on her wrist and fell onto his back with her lying on top of him.

"We should properly say goodbye." Punk suggested. "I mean this is how it all started for us."

AJ didn't respond but just leaned down to kiss him. Punk and AJ said goodbye the way they said hello, by taking their clothes off and rolling around in bed for two hours. Punk wasn't sure when he'd see her again and hated ended this but he knew this was for the best this was for her safety as well. He also wasn't in the right place anyway he had too much to worry about with his brother and Maria betrayal as well but one thing for sure was AJ would always hold a special place in his heart and he did plan on seeing her again he just wasn't sure when….

A/N: So short chapter...sorry all. I kind of hit a block and am re-vamping. I'll have a longer chapter up by tomorrow. We're going to speed time up a bit...where are AJ and Punk going to be in a year from this moment? Together? Apart? Dead? Tune in!