king of my heart

“Of course I do. I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.” He sounded confused, as though he had thought all this time you were both on the same page. “Do you want to be married to me?” You swallowed, shaking your head, realizing your mind’s contents felt as swirling as the leaves around you in the wind.

“Kerry…your dad’s told you how many times now that he doesn’t want you dating. You think he wants you marrying me?”

“I don’t care what he wants—I want you.” Kerry shot back immediately. “Look at Kevin and Pam!”

“Yeah, but he treats you differently.” You replied, making your words kinder than they were in your head. “He knows that lots of girls love you, Kerry. Your fans won’t take kindly to you being in a serious relationship with someone, let alone married.” Kerry locked his arms around your waist as you spoke, a soft smile growing on his face.

“Well, if they’re any fans of mine, they would support us and love you as much as I do. They would want me to be happy. I’m only happy with you, baby.” You had to fight the smile on your face. “C’mon, you didn’t answer me.” You smiled wider.

“Of course I want to be married to you.” You admitted softly. Kerry beamed.

“And start a family?”

“Of course, Kerry.” You laughed, easily getting swept up in the dream world he was painting before you. Very gently, he lifted his hand to your cheek, brushing his thumb against your skin.

“Why don’t we just do it?” He murmured, his hand cradling your face. You frowned.

“Do what?”

“Get married. Let’s get married, Y/N.” You had to blink several times.

“What do you mean…”

“My dad’s not gonna change his mind about things ‘less he knows I’m serious. And I am. I want you to marry me, Y/N. You’re all that matters, we don’t need some big wedding or fans knowing or anything. I just want something that’s mine for once, I don’t want anyone else there or watching or…making any choices. This is my choice.” You stared at him carefully.

“But Kerry…what about your mom? And your brothers? I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot with anyone, they’re gonna think this is my doing.” Kerry shook his head.

“My brothers would understand, I’d tell them this was my choice. And maybe my mom would be sad, but…I know she’d be happy to have a girl in the family. And I know she really liked you already.”

“But we don’t even have rings or anything…I’d need a dress–oh, what am I saying? Kerry, you’re crazy.” You tried to brush it all off but Kerry’s grin was only growing.

“We can get the rings, we can buy you a pretty dress. We can do it, Y/N. Let’s do it.” He lifted you off the ground easily and held you there, looking between your eyes. “Will you marry me, baby?”

You would’ve given him the world in that very second if you could have. Your heart was exploding the longer you stared at him and you were sure you couldn’t have loved him any more than you did in that tiny second.

“Yes, Kerry. I will.”

It was your little secret the next few days, rushing about finding rings in your respective sizes, Kerry insisting on buying you a beautiful dress even for just the courthouse, and lastly, deciding who you were going to have for witnesses.

“I feel like Kev and Pam make the most sense…but I hate not having Mike and Dave there. I don’t know how I’m gonna be able to keep it secret from all of them.” Kerry confided in you over a quick lunch one day. You shrugged, smiling at him.

“Then have them come too. We only need two official witnesses, but they can certainly be there.” You replied. “Think all of you can keep it a secret from your dad if you're in on it together?” Kerry grinned, grabbing your hand across the table.

“I think we can manage that.” He said, before letting go of your hand to steal a potato chip from your plate.

The day of your planned elopement, Kerry was late picking you up. He blamed it on Kevin, who was driving and who then blamed it on David, who insisted on stopping to get you a bouquet, who blamed it all on Mike for not being able to tie his own tie. It was easy to forgive them all, jammed up tight in Kevin’s truck, Dave and Mike riding in the bed of it with Kevin while Pam drove you and Kerry up front to the courthouse.

Pam dutifully made sure your dress was laid out nice and pretty and your veil was on right while Dave held onto the rings. Kerry brought along a camera and assigned Mike to take photos.

As soon as you said I do, you were only able to kiss Kerry for a split second before you were attacked in a big group hug by his cheering brothers.

“Welcome to the family, Y/N.” Kevin said as they all mussed Kerry’s hair and kissed your cheek.

None of them made a big deal about your decision to marry in secret with little fanfare. It seemed, like Kerry, all of his brothers were under some kind of stress or pressure to maintain a certain image. They all also seemed to understand the decision to keep it secret from Fritz. But that wasn’t going to be possible forever.

Especially not when you ended up pregnant.

“Well, maybe we can just…you can wear my clothes for a while. And then when you get farther along, we can just take some time away.” Kerry suggested. Neither of you hardly had time to feel your feelings; you both were too busy imagining the reaction from his family.

“This isn’t something we can hide forever, Kerry. We’re gonna have to tell them everything. One thing they won’t accept is a baby out of wedlock.”

“But we’re not having a baby out of wedlock.” Kerry protested, holding lightly onto your hand. His eyes kept flickering to your belly as if he were expecting it to get bigger any moment.

“They don’t know that.” You reminded him. Kerry nodded slowly as everything seemed to hit him. His forehead only grew more and more lined with worry as he mulled things over in silence. Your felt butterflies beginning to take flight in your stomach, quickly growing into a swarming flurry. “Kerry…are you happy?” He blinked quickly at your words l before he smiled and moved his hand to your stomach.

“Are you kidding? Baby, I’m over the moon.” He told you. “Nothing makes me happier than you, and our baby. And no matter what my dad says, I love you.” He looked back to your stomach. “It’s just…this is it. This is what I’ve always wanted. It’s happening now, and nothing’s gonna change how happy I am.”

You found yourself back in a familiar predicament of an uncomfortable family dinner, something you tried to avoid at all costs normally. Throughout dinner you both exchanged looks to each other, seemingly trying to pick out together the right time to speak telepathically. Your nerves were jumbled up in a pit of your stomach.

“It’s great when the family is all together for a meal like this. I know it makes your mama and I real happy.” Fritz spoke up finally, sitting at the head of the table.

“It’s funny you say that, pops. There’s something Y/N and I want to share with the family.” Fritz suddenly looked interested and borderline concerned as Kerry spoke. Meanwhile, you wanted nothing more than to disappear right into the dining room rug. Not now! Not now! You screamed at Kerry in your head before realizing there never really was a right moment to drop this kind of news. Kerry, sensing your discomfort, placed his hand over yours firmly.

“Oh? And what’s that?” Fritz prompted and you wondered if the kindness in his eyes was just for show. Or how long it was going to last. You put your fork down and instead pressed your sweating palms against your pants.

“Well…as everyone knows, I love Y/N. I really do. And she loves me. So, not that long ago, I asked her to marry me. And I love her so much that we decided to do it right then and there without telling anyone.” Fritz and Doris were silent and expressionless. You watched Kerry swallow, not daring to look away from him. “And now we just found out some amazing news…Y/N is pregnant.”

Without being able to help himself it seemed, David was the first to break the silence with a clap. It shattered the silence thankfully, but it still made you jump.

“Really? Y’all are having a baby? Oh, man—that’s great news.” He said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Congratulations.” Kevin spoke up next, smiling lightly while also glancing at his father, who still wasn’t moving. You dared looking his way, watching as some hidden gears turned in his mind. Maybe he was trying to figure out the best way to run you out of town and cover up this whole thing, maybe he was trying to figure out how much he could pay you off to keep your mouth shut. Would he try making you get rid of the baby, would he go that far?

“Hold on, now.” Fritz spoke up finally, raising a hand and instantly creating silence. “Is this marriage legal?”

“Yes, sir.” Kerry replied softly. Fritz nodded silently and you watched, his movements resembling a steady rocking chair.

“And you really love this young woman?” Fritz asked. You suppressed the urge to roll your eyes.

“Yes.” Kerry said solemnly, his grip tightening on your hand in full view of his family. Fritz turned his gaze to you. He never had any trouble looking anyone in the eye, and while you did, you weren’t about to look away.

“And you love my son, young lady?”

“Yes. I love everything about Kerry.” You said, deliberately raising your chin. Fritz eyed the two of you back and forth before he broke out into a smile.

“Well, that marriage better be legal with a baby on the way. Another grandbaby, I can’t believe it.” He said. Beside him, Doris finally let out a breath and you could see tears leaking from her eyes.

“Oh, mama…I’m sorry.” Kerry replied softly. “It’s not that we didn’t want you there…I was just trying to keep it secret from the fans. But I couldn’t live without Y/N being by my side.”

“No, Kerry, I understand. Y/N,” she turned to you now, wiping her eyes. “I know this line of living is hard. You’ve always carried yourself well and I can see Kerry loves you. Oh, I’m just so happy.” She laughed, wiping more tears. Fritz laughed and stood, walking over to hug Kerry.

You couldn’t believe it. Not even as Mike gave your shoulder a squeeze or as you received a hug from Doris and kiss to the cheek from Kevin and David. Not until Fritz approached you last. You were left in a private conversation with him due to Kerry being swamped by his brothers and the arm he held over the shoulders of his mother.

“Now, Y/N, honey, I want to apologize.” Fritz told you quietly as he took you even further to the side. “I know I may not have sounded the most forthcoming in the past. I’m sorry for that, but I see what goes on in this business and my boys are young. In some ways, they’re still naive. It’s hard to tell sometimes if someone is with someone for the right reasons. But lately, I’ve noticed a difference in Kerry. It’s like he’s pushing himself harder, doing better. I can see now that must be from you.” You were still waiting for some kind of shoe to drop so you held your breath. “I want to welcome you to the family, Y/N. Maybe someday soon we can have a big ole celebration for your wedding.” Now, you ventured to smile.

“Thank you, sir. I really appreciate that. I just want you to know I love Kerry and I’m only interested in the best thing he can give me: himself.” Fritz smiled.

“Then you’re in for a lifetime of happiness, I can tell you that.” Fritz told you as he hugged your shoulders. This complete turnaround was nothing you could have predicted, dizzying even. In your surprise and near euphoric elation, you found yourself to be a bit more generous than usual and much more relaxed than you expected.

“Can I tell you a secret?” You whispered. Fritz frowned a little, leaning closer. “I’m far enough along that the doctor told me what I’m expecting during my last appointment…Kerry had a match and couldn’t be there. I haven’t told him yet.” You let your words hang, watching as Fritz looked at you expectantly.

“And?” He asked eagerly, almost making you laugh.

“Well…I’m having a boy.” Fritz let out a huge laugh and took you in for an even tighter hug.

“Oh, Y/N, that’s fantastic news!” He said, patting your back. “A boy! That’s damn good news. He’ll carry on the Von Erich name!”

“A boy? I’m having a boy?” Kerry spoke up over the heads of his brothers, who all also began hooting and cheering and shaking his shoulders and slapping his chest. Kerry broke away from them to take you up in a hug, taking precious care to leave space for your belly. Doris was crying again as Fritz wrapped her up.

Fritz tried to keep you as far from the business as he could, believing it was the worst environment for his daughter to get caught up in. However, once you got older, he couldn’t really keep you from going to the matches.

None of your brothers liked this.

Kevin would always sigh the second he sees you backstage.

"Y/N, how many times have I told you that you can't be back here." He would scold you, trying to get you to leave. "This is no place for girls."

"Then maybe you should leave, Kev." You would retort back, and David would laugh despite himself, but eventually he would join in with Kevin.

"Kev's right, hon. You should go watch in the stands with Mike." David would eventually tell you. They were always just trying to protect you.

Lots of the younger wrestlers would have crushes on you. But they all knew your brothers would probably kill them. Maybe you end up marrying one if they're brave enough.

You would be best friends with Pam immediately. Kevin would sometimes sit with you outside under the trees sounding like a lovestruck school boy while confiding his feelings about her to you. You would help Pam pick out her wedding dress and the colors/flowers/decorations.

The fans would all know who you are. There was one time you were involved in an angle with the Freebirds where Michael Hayes was insulting you in the crowd and threatening to hit you and everyone backstage was worried there would be a riot. You began accompanying your brothers to the ring for big matches and got lots of cheers and flowers.

One time Ric Flair got a bloody nose because he was trying to hit on you (Kevin didn't like that.)

You would pick out the fabrics for your brothers' robes and jackets and even bedazzle their wrestling gear, decorating your family name on their boots and whatnot. None of them had the heart to tell you it didn't exactly make them look tough with bedazzled trunks so they wore them constantly.

Dating would be hard with so many older brothers, but really, they just wanted the absolute best for you and made sure that's what you had. Once you really found a good partner, they would be more than happy to accept them and approve.

Doris would always be on your side more than anyone. She knows what it's like and can remember being young and wanting more and dreaming big. She's always encouraging you when you need to hear it, even if it's behind Fritz's back.

Bonus: You decide to take up wrestling too

You decide after getting involved more and more in your brothers' angles that you wanted to try your hand at wrestling too.

At first, you couldn't get any of them to agree to train you. You knew your dad wouldn't approve, so your only choice was getting one of your brothers to train you in secret. Kevin and David absolutely would not hear it, and even Kerry was reluctant. He only broke when you threatened to go to the Freebirds to get trained.

Once they saw how athletic you were, all of them started pitching in and showing you tricks and tips. You were able to be a high flyer more like Kevin, jumping off the top turnbuckles and springboarding off the top ropes.

When you finally did show Fritz, all of your brother's backed you up. He wasn't happy about it, but he also wasn't stupid. You were beloved by the fans and deep down he knew he could make a lot of money off of marketing you. Despite that, he hated the fact that his only daughter, his little girl, was involved in wrestling. He took it out on you often.

You had to be perfect and if you weren't, your dad was the first to let you know.

"Now, Y/N, you need to watch your figure. You've got everybody's eyes on you." Or, "Y/N, c'mon. You were sloppy out there tonight. You're carrying the Von Erich name now. You can't be the weak link."

Your brothers didn't like that. Any time your dad started, Kerry would put his arm around your shoulders instinctively. Kevin would be shaking his head in disagreement, and sometimes David would stand behind your dad mocking him as he talked.

"She's one of the best on the roster, dad. No one jumps off those ropes like her, leave her be." David would finally say before guiding you away.

Now, another Valentine’s Day was upon you. So far so good as you woke up with no fanfare. Kerry had already gotten up and was working out in the garage as per usual. When you finally made it downstairs to make some breakfast, Kerry made his appearance. He froze when he saw you.

“Good morning,” you greeted him. He hesitated, looking you over like you were a word puzzle he was trying to figure out. Eventually, he was able to speak. 

“Hey–oh, good morning. So hey, baby, uh…so, my mom and Mike wanted to take you to lunch today.” He explained somewhat awkwardly. You frowned a little.

“But I just saw her for lunch yesterday. She didn’t mention it.” You said. Kerry scratched his head, avoiding your gaze and giving a half-shrug.

“Yeah, uh…well, I think it was last minute. Maybe, uh…Mike’s idea.” You frowned a little. “I gotta shower and go meet Kev. My mom said she would pick you up around 1 pm.” Your frown deepened.

“Okay.” You said, smiling slightly when he pressed a kiss to the side of your head on his way out of the kitchen. 

Doris was right on time with Mike in tow. The three of you went into town to the local deli, where Mike proceeded to take much longer than normal to eat his sandwich. 

“Are you feeling okay?” You asked him. Normally, Mike inhaled his food in three seconds. He looked panicked at your question and took a big bite of his food, prolonging his response.

“I’m fine. Why?” He asked, eyes shifting. You laughed a little. “I’m not acting weird.” From the corner of your eye, you saw Doris shaking her head.

“I didn’t say you were acting weird, but I’m wondering if I need to go complain about your sandwich because normally it would have been gone by now.” You said casually, smiling as Mike’s eyes grew even more panicked.

“No, no! It’s uh, good. Really. I’m just…trying to eat slower. You know, um…avoid choking.” You were biting back a laugh. “Um. Do you have any plans tonight?”

“Mike.” Doris reprimanded. 

“It’s okay.” You said, smiling. “No, I’m just planning on catching up on cleaning and maybe I’ll treat myself to a hot bath and tea or ice cream or something. I know Kerry has his show; if it were closer I would be there.”

“You know, it’s been nice weather the last few days for February. I haven’t had to worry about the plants freezing.” Doris said suddenly with a smile. You nodded, listening pleasantly to her latest tale of trying to keep her vegetable garden alive. 

After lunch you assumed you would all go separate ways, until Mike blurted out. “Uh, Y/N, I was gonna meet Kev at the record store down the street. Do you want to come?” You frowned a little.

“I thought Kerry was meeting Kevin somewhere today?” Mike swallowed.

“Oh, uh…maybe, maybe earlier for a second, but Kev said he was free this afternoon.” 

Your mind was turning. Had Kerry lied to you? You did your best to hide your thoughts as you said goodbye to Doris and walked with Mike to the record store. 

You were positive Mike sifted through every record in that store, but you knew how much music meant to him, so you said nothing and waited patiently, flipping through a stack on your own here and there. You noticed after a while he was hanging on to an Eagles record. 

“Is that a good one?” You asked. Mike shrugged shyly.

“I’ve had my eye on it for a while.” You smiled and took it from his hands.

“My treat. Come on,” his eyes stretched wide. 

“What? Really? But Y/N, you don’t…”

“Tell me if it’s any good.” You insisted as he followed you to the checkout line. “You know, you’ve shown me some great stuff already. I always go to you if I want something new.” You smiled at the way the youngest brother averted his gaze with a bashful chuckle, his cheeks already turning red. Right as you were paying, Kevin walked in the door. 

“Hey you two. Mike, what did you find this time?” Mike excitedly showed his record to Kevin who nodded in approval, before he looked at you. “C’mon, you two. Let’s get you home, Y/N.” He seemed to be in a hurry; that made sense due to the brothers having a wrestling show a town over that night. 

You wanted to ask Kevin about Kerry, but you knew it wasn’t really Kevin’s place or fault if Kerry was lying to you. Was it possible that he had met someone else, was he using the holiday to woo some new girl, maybe a fan he had met? Suddenly, the idea of Kerry waking you up with a dozen roses sent a longing pang through your heart, but you pushed the thought away. You would simply ask Kerry later. 

For now, you focused on the moment you had with Kevin and Mike, laughing in the car together about the last time Ric Flair was in town and the less than welcoming reception he had received, and how Kevin had nearly taken the win and trying not to give into the disappointed feeling creeping up on you.

“See you boys,” you said as Kevin’s truck pulled up in front of your house. “Good luck tonight, Kev. Enjoy that record, Mike!” They both waved and you sighed a little, walking up towards the sure-to-be empty house. The sun was beginning to set ever so slightly, the sky growing more orange and casting shadows over the lawn. Now alone, you allowed yourself to feel crest-fallen. 

You pushed your key reluctantly into the lock, resigning yourself to the evening you had described earlier, only to stop once the door swayed open. In the distance, you could hear faint music playing. You listened for a moment, frowning in confusion. It was a cheesy ballad—Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” The lights were off, and you made your way towards the kitchen, where the music was loudest and a hint of warm light was spilling into the hallway.

“Kerry?” You called, gasping at what you saw. Kerry was standing waiting next to the dining table, fighting a big smile, his chin raised and hands behind his back. He was wearing jeans and an apron designed to look like a tuxedo with nothing underneath. The table was covered in a white table cloth and at the center was a big vase of cascading roses, along with more scattered rose petals and two dinner plates. Candles were everywhere, from the table to the kitchen counters, and even a few tea lights on the ground.

“Kerry! What is all of this?” You demanded, frozen on the spot, laughing at his apron. An overwhelming sense of happiness, love, and surprise filled you as you looked from him to the area surrounding you.

“I cooked dinner.” He explained, as if he were discussing the weather, laughing finally as you laughed.

“But why? Kerry, you should be halfway to Tyler right now for the show!” His grin widened.

“Yeah, I know. But Kev’s covering for me; he’s gonna wrestle the tag match and take my spot in the main event too.” 

“What! Why?” You repeated. Kerry laughed again as if you were missing the point and walked closer, wrapping his large arm over the top of your shoulders to pull you closer and kiss the top of your head. 

“You sure do ask a lot of questions.” He noted into your hair, making you chuckle. “Because you’re important and I love you.” He grabbed your hand and led you to the table, pulling out your chair for you to sit before sitting across from you.

“Kerry…” you breathed, looking down at the plate. It was a very impressive looking chicken Parmesan on a bed of pasta. “This looks amazing.” He smiled.

“Thank you. Just don’t look at the sink.” You giggled, imagining a mountain of dishes and utensils. “I’ve been practicing with mom the last two weeks. I think it turned out perfect this time—the first time the chicken was too tough. Anyway, I think I’ve nailed it now.” You were blown away by the effort; Kerry could cook simple and remedial dishes, but an entire entree was surprising. “Try it and tell me what you think.”

He seemed to be waiting to take a bite of his own food until you took yours. You stared at his anxious face as you took the first bite.

“Kerry, this is so good. Wow. You’re definitely gonna have to make this again.” He was back to glowing from your praise. “But, I mean, I still don’t understand why.” His smile softened.

“I know you always said you don’t want a big deal made out of Valentine’s Day and not to fuss over you, but…I can’t help it. I love you, Y/N. I want to do these things. You always said you don’t want me to buy anything, or go out anywhere, so I decided the best way to show you how much I love you is to treat you at home.” 

“And your mother and Mike? Were they in on it too?” Kerry laughed.

“I asked them to hold you up for as long as they could to give me time to decorate and cook.” Suddenly, everything made sense–Mike taking his time eating, dragging you through every corner of the record store, Doris trying to keep your mind off of Valentine’s Day, even Kevin. Suddenly you wondered how you missed all the signs. 

“And you didn’t actually go to meet Kevin.” He looked almost sheepish.

“No…I went to buy the flowers and everything else I needed. But I couldn’t tell you that.” You laughed, shaking your head at how silly your prior worries suddenly seemed. 

“I’m a little embarrassed, but…I was afraid you lied about meeting Kevin because you were meeting someone else and spending the day with them.” You admitted. Rather than getting angry or defensive or even offended, Kerry only looked confused. 

“What? I’d never do that to you, baby. I just wanted to surprise you. I’ve been trying to plan this out for weeks now, I think since Christmas.” A feeling of utter peace and contentment filled you. How lucky were you?

“Oh, Kerry…this is perfect. This is everything I could have wanted. Thank you.” You smiled, and he reached across the table to grab your hand with his much larger one. 

“No, thank you. I just wanted to make sure you were treated right on Valentine’s Day. Because I’m here, and as long as I’m here, you will be.” 

“And every other day?” You teased, laughing. Kerry grinned broadly, his thumb rubbing across your knuckles. 

“Especially every other day.” He promised. “Boy, cooking really gets you hungry.” He said as he picked up his fork again, making you laugh. “I rented a movie too for after, and maybe we can make some ice cream floats. Oh! I’ve been meaning to tell you, the funniest thing happened the other day. The last time Ric Flair came to town, he had a rough time. There was a kid chewing gum in the front row, and he didn’t like Flair, so he took the gum…”