Alberto returns from Mexico early Monday with the World Cup that he and his team had won while competing against a handful of other teams over the weekend. Ricardo oohs and ahs over his prize before leading him to the car where they travel back towards the house in silence, Ricardo humming along to the music as he drives along, seemingly oblivious to the strange expression on Alberto's face. When they get out of the car, Ricardo ducks into the backseat to get Alberto's luggage, allowing him to carry the prize into the house.
His frown intensifies as they enter to find it quiet, lifeless. "Where is Sofia?" he asks his ring announcer, eyebrows raising when Ricardo purses his lips thoughtfully.
"Oh right," he says after a moment, casually walking Alberto's things into his bedroom. "She had to get some supplies from the store for lunch. She'll be back soon." Ricardo ducks back out and wanders into the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink, El Patron?"
Alberto stands in the hall of his mansion, staring down at the plaque in his hands announcing his latest success, and frowns. "No, mi amigo, I believe I will just go to my room and sleep. It's been a long weekend." He's just turned to walk towards his door when Ricardo pipes up again.
"Oh, El Patron, if you can hold on a second, Sofia said something about some mail coming in for you that looked important- she left it in the living room."
"It can surely wait," Alberto grumbles, about to turn into his room when Ricardo walks up behind him and grips his arm.
"It'll just take a minute, mi hermano. Por favor?" Ricardo's Spanish, low and gentle, always sways Alberto, no matter his mood, so he gives in and allows the younger man to draw him back towards the living room.
He's just stepped into the room when- "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALBERTO!" He blinks. Blinks again. Peers down at Ricardo, who looks guilty despite the brilliant smile on his face as he crosses the room to join Sofia, Alex and Alicia. "Lo siento, El Patron, we were planning on surprising you... I didn't mean to make you feel bad by thinking that we forgot your birthday."
He stares at the small party spread out before him, a hand-painted banner with "Feliz Cumpleanos, Alberto" and various festive pictures drawn on it- clearly by Ricardo himself- sprawling across the mantel, a chocolate frosted cake and glasses full of clear, bubbling liquid to toast him on the side table, and he smiles, shaking his head. "It's perfect, Ricardo. Mucha gracias." As he enters the room the rest of the way, allowing the muted light to sparkle against the World Cup in his hand, Sofia comes quickly to examine his prize, congratulating him and hugging him tightly. Alex has rehab and Alicia has various duties to do for Total Divas before leaving for the evening's Raw so they quickly toast, eat some cake, and before long, it's him, Sofia and Ricardo once more. He smiles at his family before hugging them both. "Muchas gracias again, my birthday's been perfect because of you both."
"You're welcome," they murmur together, the three of them sitting around and drinking the rest of the champagne before slowly going their own way. Sofia has house business, Ricardo needs to train more at the Dojo for the weekend's Florida K-Cup, and by now a nap really is sounding glorious to Alberto.
Ricardo misses Raw due to his focus being on helping to prepare for the Florida Cup, but he doesn't miss picking Paige up the next morning at the airport. They hadn't talked much since Pennsylvania and she squeals, running into his arms as soon as she spots him, leaving her luggage a ways away as he catches her and laughs, spinning her unsteadily until she presses a hungry kiss to his lips, staring into his eyes. "I've missed you," she breathes against his heated flesh.
"I can tell," he laughs, setting her down on the ground. "I've missed you more."
"I don't think that's possible," she sighs. Their fingers interlace as he walks back to pick her luggage up, the two of them then walking towards the exit, Paige leaning against him as she talks about Naomi, Tamina, her plans to regain the Divas title ASAP. He listens as he drives her back to the house, smiling a bit at her enthusiasm. It's a far cry from the broken, injured girl who had been in this car a few weeks ago, about to leave for Vancouver, sick and pale, and he's beyond relieved for it, reaching out and wrapping his fingers around her hand at a red light. She stops talking and looks at him curiously. "Ricardo...?"
He beams over at her for a moment before turning his eyes back to the road, his hand not moving an inch. "I'm just glad you're alright, mi fuerza."
As soon as they're at another red light, she cups his face and pulls him towards her, kissing him warmly. "I'm sorry I scared you," she tells him, stroking his face as he melts into her. "But yes, I'm more than fine, love. Stop worrying. I'll be divas champion and you'll win the Florida cup and everything will be perfect."
He smiles at her, eyes shining, before he turns into the driveway leading to Alberto's house, eager to be alone with Paige and make up for some lost time before he has to go back to the Dojo. She accompanies him and he's relieved that training goes ridiculously well that evening, everything coming together well for the cup. Looking at her from the ring ropes where he's leaning, catching his breath, he grins when she winks at him and blows him a kiss, this giving him the strength to turn around and face off with another, younger wrestler still learning the basics of ring psychology.
They spend as much time together as they can on Tuesday and Wednesday, her having to leave on Thursday for Smackdown. He has some free time that night, so he actually watches as she wrestles Naomi. Paige dispatches of Tamina, leaving her laying outside of the ring, before defeating Naomi with the Rampaige. Ricardo watches curiously as the Bellas come out and stand on the entrance ramp, Nikki posing with her title belt as if that proves something in the face of the woman who'd just soundly enough beat her other opponent in three days. He smirks and shakes his head, certain that the Bellas are once more underestimating Paige. In this business, that's always the worst possible thing to do and the easiest way to lose your title belt.
"Three time Divas champion and new holder of the Florida K-Cup," he mumbles, thinking about the upcoming weekend and what it may bring for them. "Sounds pretty damn cool if I do say so myself..."
