Texas. The thought of it makes Ricardo smile, although he knows he's going to miss his time spent in California. He's been so calm and relaxed, returning back to his old, peaceful ways while surrounded by old friends and family, the sounds of the ocean lulling him. He hopes he doesn't lose it when he's in Texas and further in Alberto's orbit.
He's mulling this over when a shadow falls over his prone body and he squints up at the tall, langy form hovering over him anxiously. "Hola, Heath," he says, the man's bright orange hair gleaming like fire in the sun a dead giveawayas to who exactly it is, despite his face being shadowed. "What's up?"
Heath licks his lips and sits down next to Ricardo, tangling his fingers together between his bent knees. "Sorry to bug ya, man, I just..." He exhales. "It, uh. It's Maryse."
Ricardo sits up sharply, fear seizing him. "The baby-?"
Heath looks confused for a few moments. "Oh! No, she's fine, thank God. No, it, uh... I just have some questions and I dunno where else to turn." He twists his fingers around a few more times before glancing at Ricardo. "You'n'Alicia are movin' to Texas, right?" Ricardo nods, his brows furrowing, and Heath exhales. "Maryse wants to move there- like, in Austin, but I got a lotta questions about what it's like to live there, especially with the baby so close to bein' here and... I didn't know where else to turn," he explains, his eyes dark and more than a little desperate as he stares at Ricardo.
"Oh," Ricardo says slowly. "I mean, I'd help if I could, Heath, but..." As Heath starts to look fearful, what he'd seen as his best option for answers slipping through his fingers, an idea comes to Ricardo. "I have an idea," he says, grabbing his phone. Hope flares in Heath's eyes once more until he hears Ricardo speaking Spanish rapidly and then- "Alberto-" Heath's jaw drops and he scrambles like he's about to get up and run but Ricardo rests a hand on his arm, stopping him. "Heath, please, hang on." Against his better judgment, Heath stills his twitchy muscles and waits as Ricardo says one final thing into the cell before pressing it into Heath's shaking hands. "Por favor sé amable con él ... por mí."
Heath closes his eyes, feeling like he's about to hyperventilate. Wishes not for the first time that Wade was here to kick him into gear. Still hating the mere thought of letting his former leader down, he holds the phone to his ear. "Hello, Mr. Del Rio."
His voice sounds more than a little high-pitched and he's sure Ricardo is fighting not to laugh at him, but he'd at least spoken to one of the most intimidating men in the wrestling world. It's a start, and he actually finds himself comforted by Alberto's confidence in Texas being a good place for their odd family to truly start, away from LA and Mike and Maryse's lies.
-x
After a fun few days spent with SoCal and Vendetta Pro, Ricardo and Alicia are cuddled up in bed, his fingers lazily trailing through her hair, down her back, making her shiver. "I think we're going to have new neighbors in Texas," he tells her, resting his hands on her hips as she sits up and stares down at him, hair cascading down her shoulders and gleaming in the faint moonlight. He thinks he's never experienced a more beautiful moment, staring at her, listening to the waves, and smelling that incredible mix of Alicia's perfume and the salty tang of the fresh air pouring into his bedroom. His senses are all on overdrive in the best way and as his fingers shift against her warm skin, her eyes flutter as she smiles down at him.
"Oh yeah? Who?"
"Heath and Maryse are planning on moving to Austin after the baby's born."
Her teeth flash as she grins. "Cool, maybe we can visit. Play with the baby sometimes." She leans towards him and interlaces their fingers, her hair tickling his skin as she hovers over him. "Maybe we've started something and Texas will be the new it place for everyone to live."
He laughs, then sighs as she kisses him, completely surrounding him as he sees, touches, hears, tastes and smells her, everything working together to leave him drifting blissfully, the best kind of meditation with her the center of his universe. "I want to give you everything," he says quietly.
She pauses and shifts until they're eye to eye, fingers still interlaced, bodies warm and snug against each other under the only sheet that's thin enough to be used during California's hottest months. "You already do," she informs him tenderly, and he exhales, a troubled look in his eye, but she quiets his protests with another lazy kiss that ends with her exploring his mouth for toe-curling moments that ends much too quickly.
He sighs and shivers as her unyielding affection calms his doubts. if only for the moment. "I love you," he murmurs, feeling her smile as she kisses his shoulder.
"I love you, too, Ricardo, no matter where we live or who our neighbors are." She winks at him before kissing him again, his eyes locked on their fingers, the engagement bands gleaming against their skin, promising so many beautiful moments like these in their future.