"Ricardooooo!" Alicia squeals, running into his arms. He instinctively grabs her and holds her close, unable to spin her around or do much right now because of his back. She beams and hugs him, leaning closer and kissing him enthusiastically. She sighs and pulls back with a satisfied kind of mewl before rubbing their noses together. "I was just informed they need me this weekend! I'm going to work the Garden!" Letting him go, she dances around him. "I'm so happy!"
He has to smile at her happiness after so long of sitting idle, of the uncertainty behind what was going to be the next thing for her. "That's great," he says, gently brushing some of the hair out of her eyes. "I'm really happy for you." She laughs and kisses him again while he thinks about his own plans- training sessions, and then the Rock and Roll Express to help with a seminar to teach the kids some of the things that they've learned in their decades with the business. He's still a little limited, but he can help teach, can oversee what's happening with the students, keep track of their strengths and weaknesses. It's better than nothing, although he wishes his back would hurry up and heal.
Alicia searches his face and then cups it, the cool metal of her ring bringing him back to reality, staring into her eyes. "Hopefully you'll be back with it soon too," she says softly, kissing him.
"I hope so too," he murmurs, hating not competing as badly as she has the last six months.
"What will you do without me this weekend?" she teases him, teeth flashing as he struggles to think of something. "You could meet up with people for UFC," she suggests, an idea which was already rattling around in Ricardo's head.
He twists his lips and stares down at her. "Maybe Alberto. He usually does something for these things." She nods, but he can tell her heart's not in it. "It'll be ok," he murmurs, pressing his thumb to her lips before kissing her. "I promise."
"I believe you," she says, giggling helplessly as he kisses her in the way that he knows makes her toes curl the fastest, humming as she draws her fingers through his hair.
"I trust you," he says suddenly. When she looks confused, he clarifies. "The wedding... If I invite him..." He looks almost scared. "I know if he tries anything, you'll slap him silly. Right?"
Alicia exhales and looks away. "Ricardo, I'm not sure I want him at our wedding because of what he did to you with Paige," she says honestly. "But I'm aware he's the closest thing you have to a brother, and I can't necessarily forbid you from inviting him because ultimately this is your wedding too, and I want it to be special for you. Especially because I've already had one, and this'll be your first... and hopefully only," she teases him with a wink. "But there's no way in hell you have to worry about me doing anything to hurt you. Alright?" She cups his face gently in her palms and stares deep into his eyes. "I love you. I don't care about money, or supposed power, and to be honest, guys like Alberto never did it for me. Egotistical guys riding on their trustfunds and supposed good looks. The money gets blown, the looks fade, and then what are you left with? Not much." She smiles and eases her hand down his arm, entangling their fingers.
"Gracias," he murmurs, his convinction strengthened by her words. "I love you so much, Alicia."
She beams. "I love you too. Now have fun this weekend, yeah? And if you decide closer to the time that you want Alberto to be part of the wedding party... I'll accept that too, it's entirely up to you." She strokes his jaw as she kisses him. "I just want you happy, babe. Alright?"
He nods, thinking about that. Alberto was supposed to be best man during his wedding with Paige, and he still can't believe how awfully that all shook out. The only thing that pulled him out of the heartbreak of both his best friend and fiancee betraying him in such a dark fashion had been Alicia and Mike's support. But maybe, perhaps, he could be given a second chance, since Alicia had given the early go-ahead... "I know," he murmurs. "I'll think about it. Thank you." He traces shapes in the folds of the sundress she's wearing before smiling. "Now I think we should celebrate your first match back. What do you think?"
There's a bottle of wine that he's been hiding in with some of his as of yet unpacked meditation stuff, which she'd respectfully not touched, and she gapes as he locates a couple of glasses, easing her up from the couch and leads the way to their bedroom, where she settles and watches him pour the pale liquid. "Ricardo..." She smiles when he hands her a glass and leans down to pull her shoes off, lightly tracing his fingers up her feet, along her ankles. She sips leisurely and watches him through half-lidded eyes as he takes a drink as well before walking up the bed to lay next to her, pressing a slow, alcohol-slick kiss to her mouth. She hums at the interesting mixture of tastes between Ricardo and the wine and sighs, resting back in the pillows as he alternates between sipping and kissing every inch of bare skin, sometimes adjusting or just plainly pulling off layers of her clothing so he can touch more, taste longer.
She sighs into her wine as he kisses her abs, pausing for a moment to look up at her. She'd lost a fair amount of weight, some muscle definition, because of her inability to do much during her injury, and he knows it bugs her, especially when people make comments about her appearance online. "You're beautiful, you know that, right?" he asks, sitting back and sipping from his glass again, eyeing her. When she shrugs, he sprawls his hand out over her. "You are," he insists quietly.
"Well, at least I won't have much trouble fitting into a wedding dress," she quips and he shakes his head, moving back up until they're eye to eye.
"You'll look beautiful whatever you wear that day, I just need you to know you're alright. You look great, and you'll be back at it now, regaining what you lost. No matter what people say. You're the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen."
Her face softens as tears pool in her eyes. "Such a sweet talker," she tells him with a soft smile, kissing him. "Thank you, Ricardo. I'll try to remind myself of that when everything's feeling hopeless..."
"And of this," he says, returning back to her abs and returning to kissing a slow path down her body as she heaves for breath, overwhelmed by both his affections and his words.
"Yeah," she groans softly. "Definitely gonna be reminding myself of this for awhile," she exhales, letting her grip on the empty wine glass slip as it rolls and gets tangled into the sheets. "I love you beyond all things I thought were possible after Alex... after Alex and divorce and everything... Ricardo," she breathes out, feeling his smile against her skin. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
He pulls away, chucking as she roans out in frustration, easing back up the bed. "I should be the one thanking you," he informs her. "You've pulled me back from the brink quite a few times. I'd have nothing near the amazing life I have right now without you." She looks like she's going to say something to dispute this, so he arches forward and kisses her, quieting her.
She sighs and closes her eyes, pressing close to Ricardo, overwhelmed what a good, giving man she'll be marrying in a matter of weeks. Life... so entertainmenta nd ridiculous sometimes...