Ricardo lays in bed, an arm dropped over his face. His broken finger is hurting again, still braced to the finger next to it, but he doesn't feel like getting up to get painkillers or ice just yet. The bed is too comfortable. He yawns and squirms, stilling when he hears the front door open.
Paige speaks quietly to Sofia before coming down the hall and slipping into the bedroom. She approaches the bed, brushing a hand gently down his arm before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. Tsking and murmuring to herself, she lifts his injured hand and presses a kiss to it as well, careful. "Do you need something, love?" she whispers, feeling the tension in his body as she curls up next to him.
He's just nodded, giving in, when he registers the soft tickling of her hair, stretching down further than it usually does. He opens his eyes and turns to look at her, gaping. Whereas before her hair had only a few blue strands here and there before, she'd had rich blue extensions put in, her hair now much longer and lustrous. He gapes and reaches out, running both hands through the soft strands. "Ay, mi carino," he mumbles, entranced. "This is... wow."
She smiles at him, sitting up. "You like it?" He nods, a dazed look on his face, and she laughs, cupping his face. "Alright, I'm going to get your medicine and you can play with it all you want then, alright?"
He smiles, leaning back against the piillows and watching her go. "Gracias," he sighs. When she returns with the painkillers, he holds an arm out towards her and she snuggles up close to him again, watching as he takes the medicine and settles back against the pillows. "Long week ahead, hm?" he murmurs. "Funny how it all culminates back to my homestate..."
She nods against his neck. "Yeah... Raw in California, then I have to fly out for Tough Enough... then I'll be heading back with you all for Ultima Lucha... and your events this weekend... Then after Raw, back here for Alex and Alicia's wedding." She yawns softly and kisses his throat. "I don't want you overdoing it, ok?" She cradles his injured hand against her chest and presses her nose under his jaw. "Please..."
He nods grimly. "I'll be careful, I promise." He strokes her hair with his free hand, smiling when she sits up and kisses him. "If you'll do the same."
"Always," she murmurs, eyes gleaming as he pulls her closer.
"WWE doctor cleared me," Alicia says, already packing for Raw. Alex watches her in disbelief. "I won't compete, it's just... going there to support my girls, you know? It was a minor concussion anyway, and thank you so much, A-Ri, for letting me rest but I'm good to go now." She squeaks when he wraps his arms around her from behind, drawing her away from the suitcase and sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand spread against her midsection as he settles her in his lap.
"It's so soon," he protests. "I know how concussions feel, c'mon Foxy- I thought you were going to take a little time, prepare our wedding... take it easy... recover. Concussions aren't something to play with, you know?"
"I do know that," she says, resting her head back against his shoulder. "And I have Mike and AJ keeping an eye on me. It's the benefit to the events this week being in California. I promise you, I'll keep to myself during whatever The Bellas are doing on Raw. And I doubt Paige or Tamina will allow anything to happen to me, AJ would kill them."
This does hold some logic to it and Alex sighs, swayed by her logic. "I guess," he mumbles, kissing a trail down her shoulder lazily. "But if I arrive there on Wednesday to find you're worse again, I swear that household's going to be utterly miserable."
Alicia chuckles and turns around in his lap, it taking everything he has to keep from toppling over at thi sudden change. She seems unbothered, however, lacing her arms around his neck and beaming at him. "I love you, A-Ri," she murmurs, squeezing his waist with her knees. "Now I have a little bit of free time before my flight... what do you say we see what can be done about your tense shoulders? Hm?"
"What'd you have in mind?" he asks as she pushes him down against the bed and leans in to kiss him, brushing her hair out of her face. As she begins mouthing his shoulders, steadily moving lower, he closes his eyes and imagines spending the rest of his life with this passionate, bizarre, beautiful woman. "I love you too, Alicia," he breathes out, grinning when he feels her lips twitch upwards against his flesh in response.
He watches closely that night, during Raw. She keeps her promise, as does Paige. No one touches Alicia and she's only there to provide support to the Bellas. He breathes easier once the tag match is over and the trio retreat to safety backstage. Paige has a match later on, but Alicia and the Bellas only watch backstage.
She's not on any other part of the show so he stops paying attention and begins packing for Wednesday, planning on spending most of Tuesday rehabbing his knee since he's not sure how much time he'll have once in California. Ultima Lucha... to watch Morrison vs Del Rio, and oh boy, what a dividing reason to go to California. None of them agree on who should win- Miz is solely on Morrison's side, Ricardo on Alberto's. Alex is somewhere between the two, his loyalty tipping him towards John's corner as well, but all too aware of how Del Rio feels since he feels the same towards Kevin Owens for worsening his knee to the extent that surgery became a distant possibility to a true necessity.
He sighs and tosses another shirt into the bag, some slacks to follow. If he knows the California group, some sort of a party or other "dressy" event will come up, especially with their wedding so close. Either way, he's been very jittery and simply feeling trapped since his surgery, not being able to leave Florida as much as he'd liked. This trip will be a nice change of pace, as long as he can keep up with his therapy and not fall too far behind in his training, beyond eager to return.
After a restless night's sleep and somewhat frustrating morning and afternoon of rehab where it almost seems like he's plateau'd in his progress, which cannot happen, Alex storms back to his apartment and slams the door shut behind him before slumping on the couch. He thinks it's probably a bad idea, considering how last week's show had ended, and the fact that Alicia isn't even here to cuddle up close to him and convince him of who she really loves, but Total Divas is on, so he flips it on and watches anyway.
After barely five minutes, Wade Barrett has taken up the space in Alex's mind where Kevin Owens has resided the past few months, Miz's former protege sure that he'll punch him hard enough to rebreak his nose should he ever see him again. He grits his teeth as she goes on and on and on about how she loves Wade, trying to remind himself that she said just a few days ago that it was an act, that she doesn't mean any of it. "Wade has a girlfriend anyway," her voice whispers to him. "I met her, she's really nice." But the vague memories of her voice, her touch, does little to comfort him and he begins to pace as she goes to Wade's hotel room, urged on by Natalya and Cameron.
Thankfully she loses her nerve and, upon meeting Wade's girlfriend at the end of the show, decides to mature and wait until she meets the one and Alex rolls his eyes, burying his face in his hands. The wedding is to be in a little over a week, and she's in front of his face, talking about hoping to meet the one. What if I'm not the one? he thinks helplessly. What if this entire time, she's been with me regretting the fact that I'm not precious Wade?
When she calls, he lets the phone go, turning the ringer off and burying his face in his pillow, ignoring the screen when it lights up to alert him of a voicemail. His sleep this night is even worse than the night before and he tosses and turns, burning for an answer, burning for her.
If not for the fact that his (non-refundable) tickets were already bought, and that Alberto, Ricardo and Sofia would be waiting for him at the airport with Miz and Paige, he'd have skipped the entire damn thing. Suffered through another few days in Florida with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. But no, he trudges to the airport. Greets his friends, hugs Sofia, and boards the plane like everything's normal. Ends up sitting next to Mike, who seems oblivious that anything's wrong.
He even plasters a smile on his face when they land in California, greeting AJ amicably enough and instinctively grabbing Alicia and lifting her up when she races into his arms. He strokes her back and breathes her in, trying not to think about her reiterating she loves Wade- loves- lo- Her lips are warm on his and he melts into her, fingers tangling in her hair, the memories finally drifting away. "You look exhausted," she murmurs to him. "Missed me that much, huh?"
"Yeah," he says, and if it sounds dull and disinterested, she doesn't seem to notice, taking his hand and walking him over to the group. As soon as they arrive at Mike's, he collapses in a chair and listens blankly as they all talk, Alicia's warmth against his side once so comforting, now feeling this side of stifling. He doesn't move once until it's time to go for Ultima Lucha. Alberto had left as soon as they'd landed, hugging Ricardo for good luck, and accepting a kiss to the forehead from Sofia before racing off to the temple, where Johnny and Star were already at, getting ready for their respective matches.
He has a weird feeling about tonight but he keeps it to himself, following the group out of the house. The drive is spent quietly, Alicia's hand snug in his and he tries to seem normal, if tired. She believes his excuses, cupping his face and kissing him warmly. "I promise, as soon as this event is over, we'll get you back to Mike's house and into bed and you'll feel much better in the morning."
He nods and smiles but spends the rest of the drive staring out of the window, still trying to sort out his ragged thoughts and failing even as Mike parks the car. Ultima Lucha is the first time he's been in the temple for an event of this magnitude, and it immediately reawakens his love for the business. The highflying, the insane action in the ring, the intensity of the crowd surrounding them. The drama of it all as Melina interferes, helps Johnny to win by slamming Del Rio in the face with his own title belt, a move that causes the entire crowd to deflate and start booing the two of them like they're the antichrist and jezebel of professional wrestling. Which, Alex thinks, hazarding a glance towards a rapt Alicia, perhaps they are. He wonders how Star is taking all of this backstage, while getting ready for her own match.
The drive back to Mike's house is tense, and that's without John and Star in the car, the two of them clearly needing time alone after what's happened tonight. Mike and AJ are oddly quiet while holding hands whenever he doesn't have both hands on the wheel, which leaves he and Alicia to force conversation but it appears neither of them feel like it as the awkward silence continues on until Mike parks the car, all of them relieved to see the house again.
Alberto, Ricardo, Sofia and Paige had been in the second car, held up a bit by traffic but eventually making it. Alberto immediately goes to his guest room, Sofia following after a quick bid for them all to have a good night. Ricardo and Paige follow not long afterwards, and AJ curls up in Mike's arms while Alex watches Alicia wander the living room, reacquainting herself with their decor. Finally, tired of the delay, he clears his throat and watches with some smugness as she jumps, remembering her promise to him. "Oops, oh, I forgot, I'm sorry," she says, voice raising in octaves like it does when she's guilty.
He wonders for a moment why her voice has been so normal the last few months, then, but keeps the thought to himself as she walks over to him and takes his hand. "We're going to bed, guys," he tells AJ and Mike. "See you in the morning."
"Good night," they murmur, both looking pretty wiped out.
Alex allows Alicia to drag him to their room, dropping onto the mattress after kicking his shoes and pants off, unable to help the smile that crosses his face when she settles against him once she's dressed for bed in one of his ratty old work out shirts that she had confiscated shortly after moving in with him. He presses his lips to her forehead, feeling her soft breaths against his chest, and almost forgets why exactly he's doubting them to begin with...
Mike insists on taking him out, taking all of them out. It doesn't sound like a good idea, pushing John and Alberto out in public together after last night's all too fresh loss for the Mexican aristocrat, but the women are having a bachelorette party for Alicia, and none of them want the men there, so Alex has very little choice. They find their way to a bar and Alex immediately sidles up to the bar, ordering a beer and whiskey, just wanting to forget. Alberto is next to him, nursing his own drink, and they exchange glances, neither caring enough about the other to ask what's going on, but cordial enough to click glasses together before taking another generous sip.
Mike appears after awhile and forces water on both of them, ignoring their grumbling and explaining that there's a number of people for both of them who would kill him if he allowed them to get hungover. He doesn't even bother to try to get them to join him, Morrison and Ricardo by the pool table, which Alex is glad for. "You good at darts?" he asks the Mexican aristocrat after a few tepid sips of the water. If he was sober, he'd be stuck thinking about how bizarre it is that he's standing here playing darts with Alberto Del Rio, but in his slightly tipsy state, it seems like the most ordinary way to pass the time.
How many hours have passed, how many drinks he's had, Alex isn't sure, but eventually Mike finds him again, forces more water on him and leads him towards the exit. He tries to argue staying here, wants to stop Mike, but there's little fight in him anymore. Drunkenness had brought on a kind of bitter acceptance and he thinks about the cake he had selected, the warm fudge frosting on his finger as he'd tried to make a selection he thought his bride-to-be would enjoy, the little cupcakes of a variety of flavors. How perfect their wedding could be, if not for Total Divas, if not for Alicia's concussion, if not for his knee.
The next thing he remembers is being dropped unceremoniously on the bed back at Mike's, Alicia hovering over him with a concerned look in her eyes. She's gorgeous, so beautiful and hopeful for a happy future. But, that voice continues to nag in the back of his mind, breaking through even the haze of alcohol. But, but, but... He props himself up on his elbows and smiles sadly at her. "You know I love you, right?"
"Of course," she whispers. Her touch is cool on his flushed skin and he wants so badly to touch her, kiss her, mark her as his forever and ever, keep everyone that could cause her pain away... "I love you too, A-Ri." She tries to kiss him again but he moves aside and she falters, stopping short of overbalancing and falling onto the mattress. "Wha-"
He blinks, licks his lips. Wants to get the words out just right. Make sure there's no confusion. "I don't want to get married, Alicia." He watches, feeling a sick kind of justification as her face falls, tears starting to bead in those brilliant brown eyes. Her lips part, a flood of "why, why, no no- Alex-" pouring from her mouth, though he can't hear her. He knows her well enough to know what she'd say, as if it's a vital part of him, his blood, his bones. He wants to answer, wants to explain that she doesn't really want him, that her episode of Total Divas had proven so. That Ricardo might be alright with Paige mooning over Bradley and then Kevin on a show that's broadcasted around the nation, but Alex isn't Ricardo, doesn't have his patience or inate goodness. Alex hurts all over, and he just wants to forget that he'd ever taken himself down this road to begin with, already fighting desperately for one important part of his life and not sure he has it in him to fight for two.
But his head is spinning, his mouth is dry, and his stomach feels like someone's twisting a coil inside of it, trying to twist all of his organs into a strange, heavy kind of mush, so he falls back and closes his eyes, Alicia's tears and pleads meaningless to him as he falls into a deep sleep for the first time in days.