It's a couple of days before her birthday when Alicia gets notice from WWE officials that she's on track to be cleared to compete again come later in July. She hums and spins in happy little circles on the sidewalk outside of the performance center before racing home to tell Ricardo. He's stretching on the living room floor, only just getting to his feet when he hears her running through the hall when she throws herself at him, Ricardo gasping through his laughter as he holds her close, eyes wide. "Are you trying to injure yourself further?!" he demands, settling her down on the floor even as his hands stay pressed against her sides in a way that distracts her for a moment, his palms warm against her bare skin where her shirt had risen up.
"No!" she exclaims, hugging him while not offended in the slightest by the threads of tension in his voice. "I'm on track to being cleared to return to WWE in a couple of weeks!"
Ricardo squeezes her tighter at this and chuckles as she does a little dance in his arms, his eyes locked on her. "I'm happy for you. Just be careful, alright?"
"Si, senor," she says cheerfully, leaning up to kiss him on the nose before extracting herself from him and all but skipping towards the couch. She's just about to sit down when Ricardo clears his throat. Eyebrows raising, she turns back towards him. "Were you going to say something, Ricardo?"
He nods, running his hand through his hair. "I'm glad you're going back to wrestling. Um, I have something to tell you. I received a message from the WAW today."
Alicia's brows furrow as she thinks about it. "Um, WAW... isn't that the Knights' federation over in the UK?"
"Right in one," Ricardo sighs. "Well, apparently they heard about my training students in India and they reached out to me a couple of months ago but things with Paige broke down and I wasn't sure about accepting it, but now they've picked up communications with me and I think I'm going to accept their offer. I've always enjoyed traveling to new places, and even though it's Paige's family, they seem to not hold what happened against me..."
Alicia sighs, gnawing on her lip. "I don't know why they would blame you for any of it, but if this is something you really want to do, and it makes you happy, I'm glad for you, Ricardo. The apartment's going to be lonely without you though. Is it another six month deal like India?"
To her relief, he shakes his head. "Just a couple of months. I'll be back in October. You'll barely have time to miss me."
She makes a face while laughing half-heartedly. "Honestly, I think you've been the best friend I have since the break up with Alex. I'm definitely going to miss you."
He sits down and wraps an arm around her. "It's ok, you'll see. Once you're back touring with WWE, those two months'll go by like this." He snaps his fingers together and smiles at her. "Anyway, first we have someone's 30th birthday to consider, then I have to go to Jamaica, and then firewooooorks." He pokes her until she giggles, her eyes lighting up.'
"Well, when you put it that way..."
His days are full between visiting with Mike and AJ, playing with little Sara Louisa, and preparing for Jamaica. Come Wednesday night, he slips out long enough to go to the bakery that Alicia likes the best a couple of blocks from their apartment. The cupcake he brings into her bedroom at midnight is purple with soft, pink sprinkles, and her eyes light up as she sits up, all but forgetting her phone. "Happy birthday to you," he sings out, shaking off the memories of when Alberto had sang Feliz Cumpleanos to him all of those years ago, putting the cupcake down next to her and waiting until she blows the candle out. "Did you make a wish?"
"Yeah," she says softly, an almost wistful look on her face as she cuts the cupcake in half and hands one to him. As soon as the cupcake is ate, Ricardo sprawls out next to her and they laugh over some of the birthday wishes she receives from fans on Twitter.
The morning dawns bright and early and Alicia sighs, finding herself laying next to Ricardo with an arm around him, snuggled in close. She sits up and stares at him, yawning and wiping at her face. They'd apparently fallen asleep while reading tweets and she hums, kicking her legs over the side of the bed, stretching lazily. She'd slept better the night before than she had in a long time so, turning back to look at Ricardo, she hovers for a minute and lightly kisses him on the cheek before getting up.
She makes coffee and starts French toast for breakfast, not surprised when he joins her a few minutes later, wiping at his eyes. "Happy birthday, Alicia," he says sleepily. "Why are you making breakfast? I should do that, it's your day."
She beams at him and hands him a mug as he walks past her to the table. "Don't worry about it, I like to cook." She flips the toast a couple of more times before serving it, handing the plate and syrup over to him before cooking her own. Once she joins him, he squeezes her hand and sets at eating, murmuring under his breath. "So when are Mike and AJ coming by with the baby?" It'd be their final day in Florida, the family returning to California until the next WWE event, and they'd decided to make the most of it.
"A couple of hours," Ricardo says, checking the clock. "What do you want to do in the meanwhile?"
Alicia thinks about it before her face lights up and she grabs his hand as soon as he finishes eating, dragging him back towards the bedrooms. "I might regret this," Ricardo mumbles, obliging her though.
They go outside a little later, his wearing plain black swim trunks and Alicia in a purple swimsuit, and the two of them go into the ocean, swimming lazily until Alicia starts splashing Ricardo, pasting his hair to his face and neck. "Hey!" he sputters, laughing as he paddles after her, cupping water in his palms before dumping it over her head. She giggles and shakes her hair, water drops going all over before she swims away and kicks more water at him, Ricardo sputtering and spitting before chasing after her once more.
He blinks and she disappears, a feeling of unease inching along his spine, but he knows her. She's a strong swimmer, and the tide here isn't bad, nothing that would snag her and take her away in the immediate area so he sucks in some oxygen and dunks underwater, drifting towards her with an unsurprised smirk as she stares back at him. She sticks her tongue out at him once they're above water once more, Ricardo teasingly grabbing her by the shoulders and dunking her back underwater for a moment before letting her come back up.
She swats at him, laughing and spitting out some water. The longer they stare at each other, though, the sadder she looks and he shifts closer to her, about to ask, when she throws her arms around him and hugs him tight. "I know you said the two months are going to go really fast," she whispers, almost hoping she wouldn't be heard over the surf pounding around their legs. "But I'm really going to miss you. Miss laughing with you, and helping you when you're going through a hard time, or having someone to listen when I'm having problems. Watching movies with you, or just going out to eat somewhere with you. I know this all was impulsive and we've never hung out much before, but... I feel like a better person when I'm with you. Calmer, and more confident, and patient." She pulls back and stares him in the eye. "You just have a very calming presence about you and it helps me to keep some of my more crazy instincts at bay. I'm a little worried to see what'll happen when you're gone again."
Ricardo's fingers are soft and warm against her cheeks as he cups her face, making her look at him. "You're going to be fine," he tells her. "You're stronger than you realize, you've never needed me. I'm just an added extra bonus, I guess. When I'm gone, you can text me or email me, call me if you want. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. I know it won't be the same, but I'm still going to be involved in your life. I just want you happy, Alicia."
She nods, thinking back to the night before. How she'd stared at the cupcake, Ricardo's watchful gaze clear in her peripheral, and then she'd blown the candle out, certain that her wish is something she'd never be able to see through... but here they are, Ricardo and herself, and the waves are slapping against their lower bodies with varying amounts of force, abruptly breaking the moment by knocking Ricardo over and sending her down with him since he still has a tight grip on her, and they stare at each other, Ricardo struggling to catch his breath. "Well," Alicia whispers.
"Sorry," Ricardo says, trying to scramble off of her, but she holds onto him. "Wha- what are you-?" His words abruptly die away as her lips press against his, his eyes fluttering as she kisses him slow and long, leaving a funny fluttery feeling in his chest.
Alicia lingers for as long as she dares before pulling away, her eyes gleaming. "Happy birthday to me." She doesn't want or need some serious conversation right now, her mouth tingling from the feel of him against her, and besides it's her birthday and if anyone's going to understand an impulsive kiss just because it would be Ricardo Rodriguez. She settles in Ricardo's arms as he floats in the water lazily, a few minutes passing before she turns and smiles at him. "We should go change and everything. Mike and the rest should be back soon."
"Right," he says, still looking a little dazed at what just happened. He follows her quietly and she starts to get concerned, looking back at him as they walk through the sand to the house. "I'm ok," he promises her, sensing what she's thinking about. "We're ok." He grips her hand and squeezes it. "I swear. I think we just both need some time before we go any further."
She nods, tucking his hand under her chin. "I know. It was just... my birthday wish, you know?"
"That we would kiss?" he wonders, not sure what to think about that.
She traces her fingers along his palm. "No, just... that I would have one perfectly uncomplicated moment today. And that was it. So thank you for helping me out with that." Her smile is sweet and hopeful and he decides to let it go until things are easier between them, and they both feel like maybe considering something seriously in the future.
"Happy I could help, then," he tells her, smiling as he holds the door open for her.
