Saturday dawns bright and cheerful, for everyone but the morose young man still ill and stuck in bed, languishing under the affects of a stomach bug and the fever that accompanies it. Sofia rests her hand on his forehead and shakes her head, eyes locked worriedly on him as he dozily stares up at her, hope draining from his expression as she tsks over him. "Sofia..."

"I know, mi hijo, I know." She's still standing there, looking sad for him, when Alberto joins them, resting a hand on her back as he peeks over her at the ring announcer. She pats Ricardo's arm before turning towards Alberto and leading him out into the hall. Ricardo can still hear them however, his ears always sensitive to either of their voices. "He's made himself worse by pushing himself over the holiday, his fever's higher than it has been and he looks so pale and weak... he won't be able to compete this evening. Alberto, you have to ensure that he understands this."

If anything convinces Ricardo how serious all of this is, it's Sofia using Alberto's first name. Neither of them use it that often, the man being their boss before he was their friend- family- but he hadn't needed her to tell him he wouldn't be competing tonight. Between his promise to Paige and how he can barely lift his head off of his pillow... he just wants to sleep the day away, forget everything... so when Alberto and Sofia return, he stares at them for a moment before holding a hand out. "Where's my phone?" he asks, his voice rough and grating. "I need to call the dojo, notify them... I won't be... won't be competing tonight." He looks miserable, disappointed, and Sofia's hand whips out, gripping Alberto's sleeve before they walk over to him.

His cell phone is easy to find and, once it's in his hand and he's placing the call, the two of them sandwich him in the bed, Sofia's lips gentle on his forehead as Alberto pats his shoulder sympathetically, all too aware of how painful it is to lose the opportunity to compete in matches due to illness or injury. He has to choke the damning words out but the dojo president thankfully is understanding and tells him he hopes to see him the next month, Ricardo answering vaguely before hanging up and sinking back into his pillows. Alberto strokes his forehead, feeling the heat radiating there, as Sofia softly pads out of the room to see if she can get him to down some fresh tea that Paige had left for him. "I hate this," he mutters, turning his head towards Alberto and sighing loudly.

"I know, mi hermano. Lo siento, I wish you felt better." He hugs Ricardo, content to sit quietly with him while they listen to Sofia's quiet actions in the kitchen, getting the drink ready for him. "I'll keep you company until you fall back asleep. I have nothing to do until tomorrow, perhaps it will help you to keep your mind off of things."

Ricardo smiles tiredly, nodding. He feels like he hadn't seen as much of Alberto lately, the man so busy preparing for ROH and still wrapped up in AAA business as its new heavyweight champion, trying to figure out other opportunities for himself in his post-WWE life, but he's proud of him and his multiple successes... Now that the house is quiet and it's just the three of them again, he's relieved to have Alberto here with him, even if they do nothing more than lay side by side and watch mindless television until Ricardo dozes off, his body desperately needing the rest to fight off this bug.

When he wakes up, it's dark outside and he grits his teeth, thinking it's some cruel joke when he realizes that the event at the dojo has just begun, his soul yearning to be there too, even as his body fails him. "Maldita sea," he whispers, gripping the sheets tightly as his eyes well with tears. "Why can't anything go right anymore?" He's still laying there, miserable and emotional, when his door is pushed open and Alberto peeks in, his face lighting up when he realizes that Ricardo is awake, just to fall almost as quickly when he realizes that Ricardo is trembling.

"Mi hermano!" he breathes, having enough foresight to shut the door behind him as he walks towards the bed, his hands hovering over his best friend's chest, almost scared to touch him and make him feel worse. "Are you feeling sicker? Perhaps we should go to the ER-"

"No," he chokes out, trying and failing not to cry. "I just- I'm so tired of all of this, Alberto," he sobs, the presence of Alberto enough to break his barriers down. "My one title opportunity since I left WWE is taken from me hours before I'm supposed to compete for it, no business wants to hire me alongside you, and now I'm too sick to wrestle the last match of the year at my own dojo..."

Whatever else he may try to say is lost as Alberto grabs him and holds him, rocking him back and forth gently as he cries hard into his shirt, making soothing little noises as he runs his fingers through his hair. "It's ok, mi hermanito, it's ok," he repeats again and again, chanting it slowly until Ricardo's sobs slow to muffled sniffling noises, which then disappear entirely. As Alberto pulls away and looks at him, he finds that the ring announcer is fast asleep, tear tracks fresh on his cheeks. He winces and sighs, brushing them away with his fingers as best as he can before he lays down next to Ricardo, holding him close as he sleeps. "You're going to be just fine, I promise," he breathes to him, closing his eyes and settling down next to him. "Just fine..."

Sofia comes in a little later just to find Alberto holding Ricardo close, both of them fast asleep. She smiles fondly at them, checks Ricardo's fever once more before kissing both of them on the forehead and taking her leave.

-x

Ricardo can tell immediately, by the position of the sunbeams on his floor, that it's late in the morning when he opens his eyes the next day. He yawns and tries to squirm but something is stopping him and he nearly chokes on his own breath when he looks up to find that Alberto is still holding him, dark eyes gleaming as he stares down at him. "El Patron!"

"Hola, mi hermanito. Did you sleep well?"

He stares at him, tilting his head as he tries to think. He doesn't feel bad, actually... he feels better than he has in a week, his hair plastered to his skin with sweat, same as his clothes. Fever broke, he realizes. Not as exhausted, and... I think I'm a little hungry. He doesn't feel a hundred percent, no, but this is the closest he's been to that in a long time. "Si," he finally verbalized. "I think... I think the worst is over."

Alberto beams at him, stroking his hair out of his eyes. "I'd say so, mi amigo. You slept for close to thirteen hours. Seems it was exactly what you needed."

Ricardo stares at Alberto, nodding slowly. "I don't think it would have been possible if you hadn't been here, El Patron," he admits, a little sheepish. "What... what I said last night, lo siento, I don't begrudge you your-"

"Shhh, shhh," he chides him, patting his face. "No need to explain, I understand you're still trying to find your footing after leaving WWE. You've been going through a lot, I'm just glad you still feel comfortable enough to talk to me about these things. I want to always be there to support you, Ricardo. You are mi hermanito, in every way that matters, and I never want you to forget that. Si?"

"Si," Ricardo sighs, leaning into his embrace. "Gracias, El Patron." He still feels guilty over missing his scheduled wrestling match the night before, but there's little he can do about it now as he closes his eyes and dozes a little, still feeling rough enough that sleep is quite welcome. That is, until he smells food, his eyes shooting open as he looks around. Alberto chuckles and pushes him to sit up, adjusting the sheets around him so he stays warm even as Sofia enters with a tray of food, looking at him with a small smile.

"Hola... Feeling better, Ricardo?" she greets him, resting the tray over his legs and allowing him to look at the food. It's toast and plain scrambled eggs, but it looks like the most delicious thing he's ever seen. "Do you think you can stomach this?" His eager nod makes both of them chuckle warmly, Alberto running his fingers through Ricardo's hair. "I'm glad you're hungry again, mi hijo. You had me worried for a bit there..."

He peeks up at her between bites. "Lo siento, Sofia. I'm going to be ok."

"Don't apologize, Ricardo. It's not your fault. I know it's hard for you to shake off illnesses sometimes... I have no problem taking care of you for however long it takes." She smiles maternally down at him as he takes a couple of more bites, quickly growing full since he'd not had a good appetite for days. Not wanting him to get sick, she takes the plate from him before he can force himself to continue eating, leaving the room to get rid of it.

"Paige says she'll be home as soon as she can," Alberto tells him quietly. "I have some AAA business to handle, but if you need me, I can stay for a little while longer-"

Ricardo, however, shakes his head. "It's ok, El Patron. I understand. Do what you need to do."

Alberto beams at him and hugs him once more before getting out of bed, Sofia passing him as she returns with the thermometer to check Ricardo's temperature. He stays in the room until the device beeps, Sofia's relief palpable as she exclaims, "98.9, You are so close to well, mi hijo."

He smiles fondly at the two closest people in his life before ducking out of the room to allow her to fuss happily over Ricardo as he packs and gets ready for post-Christmas AAA promotion and last minute business leading into his first appearance on ROH. He's just made it to the car after exchanging hurried farewells with the two of them, hugging Sofia and urging Ricardo to get some more sleep as he visibly forces himself to stay awake to talk to Alberto before he goes, still weak from his loss of appetite and the after affects of the fever, when his phone beeps. Alberto blinks and pulls it out, staring down at the screen that flashes with a RT from Ricardo... from Vendetta Pro, reading that Ricardo's just been announced for the NWA Western State Title tournament. He smiles sadly, remembering what Ricardo had said the night before. "See, mi amigo, things are already looking better," he whispers, refusing to even imagine that this too will be taken from the younger man.

He sighs and slips into the car, looking ahead to his own responsibilities so he can return home and celebrate New Year's properly.

-x

Ricardo gets out of bed on Monday and actually goes on a walk around the grounds with Sofia, the housekeeper relieved to see his strength returning. Though she has to insist that he take a break when he starts to get tired out, leading him over to the pond where they sit quietly and enjoy the sunny day. "It'll at least be a quieter New Year's," he tells her. "Just us, Alberto and Paige, I think. Everyone else is in California." He seems a little wistful at the thought of everyone celebrating in his former homestate, but he forces a smile anyway, squeezing her hand when she looks worriedly at him. "I'm ok with it. Christmas was enough to last me for quite awhile... I don't want to spend New Years sick and tired, especially if it would put this opportunity with Vendetta Pro at risk."

She nods and strokes his knuckles with a soft smile before getting to her feet and holding a hand out to him. "Come, mi hijo, I have some recipes I'd like you to try out for me to see if they'll be decent to try for New Year's Eve then." Which he does, the two of them spending the day in the kitchen, laughing and trying out various recipes until they're not hungry for a proper supper. When they notice the time, they head into the living room to watch Raw, arriving in time to see Mike lose the tag titles. Ricardo cringes sympathetically for his friend, though he continues to be impressed with the Usos.

Sofia realizes, just as the show is about to end, that Ricardo has fallen asleep and she tsks over him, covering him in a blanket and letting him remain there since he looks so comfortable, sleeping so peacefully that it'd seem criminal to bother him. "Buenos noches, mi hijo," she whispers, heading to her own room.

-x

Paige arrives back in Florida early Wednesday, and Ricardo's eyes brighten, the man bored and more than a little tired of sleeping. Her hands are warm and gentle as she cups his face and examines him. "You look better," she tells him, relieved.

"I feel better," he murmurs, hugging her close. "I've missed you."

She echoes his sentiment before pressing a kiss to his lips. "I'm glad you're doing better, you looked so pale when I left, I hated having to..."

He smiles fondly at her and shakes his head. "It's the lifestyle, right? I'm just happy you could be here for New Year's Eve... even if we're not doing much." He looks worried. "You are ok with a quiet holiday, right? I'm not really up for much yet, but... if you want to go out and do something, I could try-"

"No, bloody hell, no," she laughs, covering his mouth with her hands. "Trust me, this is perfect, love. I'm fine with staying at home and relaxing with you. Between Tribute to the Troops and Total Divas and everything else going on, I'm feeling pretty wiped out myself. An evening on the couch watching the telly and eating all kinds of food with you, Alberto and Sofia sound like the exact kind of holiday I need right now. Don't think that I'm missing out, alright? It's never missing out when I'm with you." His eyes brighten as he smiles at her, the two of them moving as one to lightly kiss.

"Gracias, mi fuerza," he murmurs. "Come, then. Sofia wants you to try this new chicken pita thing... I don't know, she explains it better than I do." He laughs, leading her into the kitchen, looking so very happy that she's almost overwhelmed with the knowledge that she is at least partially responsible for putting that look on his face.

Considering how he had looked when she'd left... She plants her feet abruptly and pulls him back towards her, running her fingers up his face and into his hair, searching his eyes. "I love you," she tells him with a gentle smile, kissing him warmly as he grips her waist, gasping slightly against her lips before kissing her back. They'd said it many times over the past few months but this feels different, deeper somehow, and she can just tell that he feels it too as he leans his forehead against hers, their eyes locked.

"I love you too," he breathes, immediately kissing her again, her breath forced out of her in a whimper.

Pulling away and licking her lips, she takes a deep breath and smiles, not understanding what exactly had just passed between them but knowing that it's right. "2015 is going to be a great year," she tells him, resting her hand on his chest where she can feel his heart racing under her fingers.

"You know, I believe so too," he tells her. "But not if we don't get to the kitchen, like, now. Sofia's going to get annoyed with no taste testers..."

Paige laughs and nods. "Lead the way, love."

Alberto joins them after awhile and they pass the hours until midnight talking and laughing, eating and generally enjoying each other's company in ways they hadn't been able to at Christmas, considering how sick Ricardo had been. When it's a few minutes before midnight, Alberto pours them champagne and leads the way outside where they stand in anticipation of fireworks, Ricardo watching the clock on his phone until it clicks over to midnight. "Happy New Year, everyone," he says quietly once the four numbers register, it officially 2015.

"Happy New Year," the others echo, Sofia smiling happily as Ricardo and Paige kiss. They only pull apart when Alberto teasingly whistles, Ricardo flushing hard as Paige brushes off some of her lipstick from his lips.

"To the new year, full of new opportunities and great things for all of us," Alberto says, lifting his glass. When the others repeat, "To the new year," they click their glasses together and take sips from the flutes, watching the fireworks explode overhead.

-x

That Friday, Ricardo laughs as Alberto digs through his bag. "I see the convenient timing of all of this, El Patron. You rushed to schedule something this weekend so you won't have to watch Total Divas with Sofia, Paige and I." He's tapping his heels against his bed frame and normally Alberto would say something, but he still feels a little guilty about how AAA and ROH shook out for his friend, a little niggling voice in the back of his head wondering if perhaps that had something to do with Ricardo's lingering illness, the stress and rejection of it all, so he keeps his mouth shut.

"Are you worried about that at all, mi amigo? Reality shows seem, uh..." he hesitates, not sure what to say about it that wouldn't offend Paige or Ricardo.

"I trust Paige," he says. "I just hope she's not gotten in over her head with it all." His heels stop abruptly and Alberto glances over at him, finding a troubled look on his face. "Or if she does that I'll be able to support her through it... I'm not very good at that any more, I think." He stares down at his hands and Alberto sighs, walking over to him. "I couldn't support you, and now... I'm just afraid I won't be a very good boyfriend if things get very rough for her..."

"You were there for her when she lost the divas title," he points out. "And what do you mean you couldn't support me? You've always been part of my greatest motivation, mi amigo. I never would've become world champion in any federation without your belief in me. I always knew I could depend on you, whether we work in the same place or not. Never doubt your ability to be a good friend, or boyfriend, or anything else. You can do anything if you put your mind to it... and I know how important Paige is to you."

Ricardo flushes, staring at his hands. "Gracias, El Patron. I do try... it's just difficult, I guess, sometimes..."

"You've been betrayed so many times, by so many people, myself included... but you've never lost your innate belief in the goodness of people. That proves what a good person you are, mi amigo. I know Paige will be fine... because you'll make sure of it. But there's nothing to worry about, she seems quite happy with everything. So don't fret until there's actually a reason to, you'll just make yourself sick again. And none of us want that."

The ring announcer chuckles weakly. "Alright, you have a point, El Patron." He takes a deep breath, trying to find his center. "Gracias, Alberto. I know you're right, it's just hard not to worry. I don't get to see Paige as much as I'd like, so if something did happen... but I know she's strong, and she'll be fine, no matter what happens."

Alberto nods and squeezes Ricardo's shoulders. "Si, mi amigo. But I want you to be careful too, alright? Weird things can happen on these reality shows, and I don't want you to get hurt because of it."

Ricardo stares at him, nodding slowly. "I trust Paige," he repeats simply. "She won't do anything to hurt me. I know this."

Alberto tries to keep the worry off of his face as he ponders all of this, the things he'd heard and seen about reality shows, things that could be revealed through them. "If you trust her, I trust her, mi hermano. Now then," he says, clearing his throat. "I have to finish packing or I won't have any gear to compete in tomorrow."

Ricardo chuckles and holds up a set of knee braces. "Are you looking for these, El Patron?"

Alberto rolls his eyes and takes them from him, smiling a little bit. He's still getting used to packing for single events here and there, instead of multiple WWE events in a row, losing track of more things than not. "Si, Ricardo, gracias. Have I... forgotten anything else?"

Ricardo peeks into his bag, muttering aloud as he goes through an internal packing list that he seems to always have at the ready for Alberto, no matter what the trip is for. "Si, I think you're ready."

"Bueno!" Alberto hugs him. "Gracias, mi amigo. And Ricardo? Don't worry about Paige, whatever she needs, you'll be there for her... and whatever you need? I'll be there for you. As I should have always been."

Ricardo chuckles, his face buried into Alberto's shoulder. "Gracias, mi hermano. Have a great time with ROH this weekend."

"I will," he promises. "You enjoy your alone time with Paige."

"I will," the ring announcer echoes. They separate, patting each other on the arm before Alberto snags his bag and leaves the room, Ricardo following behind him, his smile slipping as the Mexican aristocrat drives off to make his flight to Nashville for ROH the next night, standing on the front porch with Sofia and Paige, waving until the car disappears past the front gate.

Paige glances over at him and squeezes his hand, smiling at him when he turns towards her. He smiles back at her, determined to stay strong for her, for Sofia, for everyone who matters in his life.