Mexico City goes ok. It's hard, at times, listening to people discuss Alberto and Paige everywhere he goes- they're the talk of the roster, for the most part, everyone whispering behind their backs about the rumors, the suspensions, Alberto's stabbing, on and on and so forth and so on, until Ricardo has to excuse himself and escape into a quiet room to tweet or call Alicia or anything to keep his head on straight until the television debut concludes and he can go home.
He's tired emotionally and physically by time it's done and he's relieved that Alicia's at the house when he arrives, her eyes softening when she sees just how wrecked he is, wrapping her arms around him and holding him close. He clings to her, exhaling harshly and trying to find his inner peace as she strokes his hair and murmurs quietly against his hair. "Have I mentioned," she says softly, stroking the shorter black strands, "I like your hair like this?" She smiles when he pulls back to look up at her. "As much fun as it was to play with when it was longer, it's much more manageable and soft like this."
He chuckles weakly and shakes his head, the strands tickling his forehead. "I guess so," he muses. "I never really thought about it. I just wanted to donate a year's worth of hair, you know?"
She nods, leaning in and kissing him lightly on the nose. "And you did, and I'm really proud of you. It's a sweet thing to do, and a nice charity. I'm sure whatever kids got your hair are thrilled."
His eyes flutter and he rests his head on her shoulder, his exhale this time a lot quieter. "I'm so tired," he whispers against her. "The money is good, Alberto made sure of that, but... it's so hard being in the same area as them all the time." He groans. "I saw her wearing the engagement ring the other day. Just a glimpse but I know she knows that I saw, she hid her hand and left the room pretty quickly." His voice is more of a whimper when he asks, "Does it ever stop hurting, Alicia?"
Alicia mulls over this for a moment, not wanting to say the wrong thing. "It gets easier," she tells him quietly, gently gripping his jaw and making him look up at her. She smiles gently at him. "The pain will probably be there for awhile, but one day you'll wake up, and it'll be lesser and lesser and then you'll realize you've moved on, and things are better. And I'll be there for you, every step of the way." She strokes his cheek and sighs. "I wouldn't have been able to get through my divorce with Alex as easily without you, and I want to be there for you."
"Gracias," he murmurs.
She resumes stroking his hair, feeling as he starts to drift against her. "Let's get you to bed, and I'll take a quick look at your knee."
He closes his eyes as she walks him down the hall, helping him with his shoes and jeans. "You know, I think my knee was the least painful part about this week," he tells her, words starting to slur as she gently pushes him onto the bed and covers him in sheets before leaning over to examine his knee.
"I'm going to get you some ice," she tells him quietly, running her cool fingers over his leg before bustling off to do so. By the time she returns, he's fast asleep and doesn't even twitch when she presses the bag to his leg. Making sure it stays in place by using the sheets and a spare pillow, she moves up to his head and rests her fingers against his forehead before leaning in and kissing him on the lips softly. "You're gonna be ok," she tells him. "I'll make sure of."
Unfortunately Ricardo likes to be active, he hates to be away from wrestling for too long so he suggests it and Alicia can't really stop him so towards the end of the week, he helps train people. At the dojo, with the Blue Meanie, three days in a row. Rejoicing that his knee holds up alright quickly turns to dismay when he wakes up to find it swollen and purple, throbbing with pain. He hobbles and almost falls over repeatedly just trying to walk to Alicia's room, careful not to trip over the various cats and dogs that seem to be making an obstacle course around his ankles.
Finally he makes it in one piece and leans against the doorframe, knocking quietly until he hears Alicia stir and mumble sleepily, coming to the door. She takes one look at him and immediately takes his arm and slings it over her shoulder, guiding him to her bed where she helps him settle in. "God, Ricardo, what did you do?" she hisses, staring at him in dismay.
He throws an arm over his eyes and hisses as she lightly presses against the inflamed skin around his kneecap. "Overdid it, I guess. I'm sorry."
"I'll be right back," she exhales, racing out of the room. More ice, more massages, more propping it up on a pile of pillows, and finally she sits down next to him and soothes his forehead with soft, affectionate fingers. "How does that feel?"
"Better," he says, and it does. Her touch makes everything feel just a little better. She smiles sadly down at him and curls up closer, some tension leaving her when he wraps an arm around her and pulls her flush against him. "I should've taken it easy," he murmurs. "I should've respected my own limits. It's just... so hard not to do what I love to do. I've lost soccer, and I've lost so many other things... I can't lose wrestling too..."
She sits up, cups his jaw and stares into his eyes. "This is going to sound mean, but the only way you're going to lose wrestling is if you keep on the way you are, if you keep pushing yourself. I know you like training people, but you need to think about yourself for once."
"I don't know if I ever have," he says softly. "There was always... my mother and sister and the babies, or Alberto, or Paige, or... so many other people to consider. It was never just me."
Alicia stares at him, dark eyes gleaming in the early morning light and she sighs sadly. "Then I guess I have to think about you, make sure you have what you need, that you take care of yourself." She rests her head on his chest for a moment, listening to his heartbeat, before sitting back up and kissing him softly.
He sighs and tries to respond, "You don't have to, I-" but she quiets him with another kiss, a longer, deeper, more insistent one that forces a soft groan deep from his throat.
She chuckles and nuzzles their noses together, gaze focused and determined as she presses against him, her fingers adjusting the icepack against his knee. "I will," she tells him quietly. "You need someone to take care of you while you're so busy taking care of everyone else. I'm perfect for the job."
"Alicia, really, I-" Her lips are warm and soft, perfect and gentle against his, and he quiets immediately, not wanting this moment to end. When she slowly pulls away and looks at him, eyes gleaming in hope and amusement, he shivers and breathes, "Fine."
"Fine?"
"Fine. You... you can take care of me, if you want."
"I want," she says gleefully, leaning in and kissing him again.
"Just- just one thing," he exhales once she's moved back again, eyes warm with fondness as she plays with his hair.
"Mmm?"
"Don't stop doing this," he says, arching up and kissing her to explain himself.
"I won't," she promises, smile growing into a grin full of promise of a future, something he wasn't sure he'd ever have again.
