Ricardo leans against the ring and watches as Alicia runs the ropes, loosening up to prepare for the Rumble this weekend. She breathes in and out steadily, enjoying the run, before turning to look at him with a small smile. "I'm ready."
He enters the ring and rotates his wrists, watching her with a small smile. "I'm ready too." They step close to each other and Ricardo waits until she grips his arms, forcing him back into the ropes. He struggles slightly, smirking up at her as she pushes him up and over the ropes, Ricardo landing on the apron just to get met with a dropkick.
"Elimination 1!" Alicia calls out, meeting him when he rolls back in, shoulderchecking him into the corner and hoisting him up onto the turnbuckle post. He hovers there, waiting, and she strongarms him off. "2!"
Three is her clotheslining him over and four is her gripping him by the back of the shirt and tossing him clean out over the top rope. He indulges her practice a few more times until he's breathless and a little sore from hitting the mat, and she stops, slipping out of the ring and getting him a bottle of water. "Thank you," she says softly, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek as he drinks it down eagerly.
"You're welcome," he says. "Think you're good to go now?"
"I think so," she murmurs. "Thanks to you." She sighs, shaking her head. "Last year was so depressing, being soooo close to entering it and then breaking my tailbone. Man." She lays back onto the apron and looks up at him. "I hope I don't get lost in there. There are a lot of women, and a lot going on all at once. It's kind of confusing."
He leans over, running his fingers through her hair. "You'll be ok," he tells her. "You're focused and smart, you'll make it through fine."
She smiles and cards her fingers through his hair, before lacing them behind his neck and drawing him in to kiss him. "I love you," she murmurs.
He smiles. "I love you too," he tells her. "I can't wait to see you outlast everyone else in that ring Sunday."
She kisses him again. "I'll do my best for you. After all of this training, I wouldn't want to disappoint you."
He tsks at her. "You never could. But if I help to motivate you, then I'm ok with it," he tells her, sprawling his fingers out over her waist as he presses a couple kisses along her jaw line.
Later that week, between training sessions and soccer games at the park, Ricardo finds himself back at home, watching Alicia running around, packing for Arizona. She pauses over some dresses and holds them up, urging him to tell her how he feels about each one. After he picks a couple, she skips off to pack them and he chuckles, tickling the puppies under their chins. "I'm thankful you're both dogs and will never worry about dresses," he tells them with a soft laugh.
"What'd you say?" Alicia asks, returning to the room and dropping her bag by the door to go cuddle with the puppies and Ricardo for a few more moments before she has to go to the airport.
"Nothing," he says innocently. She stares at him, eyebrow quirked, but he distracts her with a kiss, Alicia humming into his mouth as she cups his face, deepening the kiss until thye're making out on the count. Ricardo pulls away after a minute and cups her face, kissing her softly a few more times. "You should go," he tells her. "Kick some ass for us Sunday."
"Yes sir," she says, kissing the puppies and petting Harley quickly before grabbing her things and walking out to the car. After stopping outside of her car to wave at him, she gets in and drives off.
He sighs softly, turning to look at the puppies, who look as certain as he feels about what they're going to do for the next few days while they wait for the Royal Rumble to begin. "Maybe I should start training you guys for Puppy Bowl, huh?" he jokes.
Neither dog pay him much attention, chewing on toys a few feets away, and Ricardo sighs. "Fine. None of you are a lot of help," he grouses, crossing his arms over his chest and staring petulantly at the puppies as they continue playing.