Alicia blinks awake. Finds herself alone in bed, reaching out for thin air. Yawns, stretches, and gets up, padding to the living room where Ricardo is listlessly watching TV. She makes a sleepy noise before stretching out over his lap, resting her head on his chest. "Can't sleep?" she whispers.
He strokes her hair. Rubs his hand over her back, supporting her. "Insomnia again," he admits. "Second night in a row." She hisses grimly and he shrugs, smiling grimly. "It's ok. Just one of those things, I guess. At least I had some sleep for a few days. Partially thanks to you getting me to play soccer again." He is happier, more content in his body right now. Mixing wrestling training with soccer training daily is good for him in a number of ways.
She pulls back and cups his face, searching his eyes. "I wish it had helped for longer."
"Me too," he admits with a shrug. "But I've always been like this, so don't take it personally. It's not you. Just... the way I'm wired."
She smiles up at him, blinking sleepily. "I like the way you're wired," she mumbles, tracing lazy circles along the edge of his tank top. He laughs, grips her hand and kisses it, his lips tickling the most sensitive parts of her palm. "I just wish I could do more for you when you have bad nights like this."
"Doesn't seem that bad of a night right now," he says with a soft chuckle, rubbing his hand up her warm leg. She pauses, then giggles, pressing her face back into his chest. They remain like that for awhile, lit only by the muted TV, his fingers gently easing along her flesh, her lips pressing against his shoulder. When she falls asleep in his arms, he hoists her up and carries her to bed, settling her down gently and wrapping the sheets around her.
He can't sleep but he lays next to her, brushing his fingers through her hair and watching her breathing steadily. "I'm really lucky," he tells her, pressing a kiss to the side of her mouth. "More than I deserve sometimes, I think." He knows she's really gone or she'd be arguing with him up one side and down the other right now, in a way it's kind of freeing just to ease into the truth of his words with no drama from those listening to him.
As the week progresses, he trains more. Soccer into wrestling, into more soccer. It's exhausting, his body is sore, and his sleep cycles are still not the best. But it makes him happy and, more importantly, gives him something to focus on, especially as news leaks in slowly- Alberto and Paige's latest drama clearing up., leaving things quiet and calm for now. He stares at the headlines and exhales, in that in-between place where just seeing their names still sends a sharp pain through his ribs and where he's just glad that maybe things will be ok for them both. Once upon a time, Alberto had been his best friend, his brother, and he had loved Paige with everything in him. He hasn't forgotten, no matter how hard he wants to sometimes.
So his fingers hover over the touchpad keyboard on his phone, staring at the last unanswered text Alberto had sent him, which he had considered deleting time and time again, just to falter. Finally he responds to it. A simple "I'm glad things are getting better for you both" and send before he goes to the soccer field, shutting his phone off to kill the distraction, at least temporarily.
That night, after hours spent both outside, and in the ring, he goes home and kicks his shoes off, slumping onto the couch. Eyeing his phone, he sips some water and finally turns it on. There are five messages waiting. One from his mom, one from Alicia, and three from Alberto. He exhales, skims his mother's, smiles at Alicia's simple "I miss you! 3" text that she sends him regularly when she's on the road with WWE, and then hesitates over Alberto's. Closes his eyes and loads it before taking another drink. Once he's found some strength, some courage, he forces his eyes open and reads them.
Gracias, amigo.
I see you are playing soccer again. Perhaps we could play one on one sometime? Catch up...?
A good two hours had passed between the second text and the last. If that is too much, too soon, I apologize. It is just... I miss my brother.
Ricardo swallows hard, feeling the old familiar itch of tears in his eyes. I don't know, he texts back after a few minutes spent drowning in uncertainty and waffling between pain and yearning. Maybe. I'll... let you know some other time.
Letting Alberto in on something that's been making him so happy the last few weeks feels like too much, but... maybe...He scrubs at his face, wishing Alicia was here so he could talk things over with her. Maybe...