I'M THE MAN

message sent:    I asked around for your number. hope it’s alright. message sent:    I wanted ta thank ya for what you said. message sent:    about colby. message sent:    it needed to be said and I didn't have the energy ta do it with my world turned on its head. message sent:    I'm all too aware ya don't need my approval or anythin' like that but ya have it.

Dopes. Missed that from you so much, have fun with your ‘study’ lesson. And make sure you pay extra detail to my match with Omos!

Hopefully you didn’t speak too soon and she keeps you up tonight just to spite you and make up for it all. You need help? I’ve got you covered, I’ll even let you train with Omos.

must think i’m blind or something if you think i can’t tell the difference between a fifteen year old lass and a full-grown woman. c’mon. not even 40 yet. my eyesight is fine.

HE  KNOWS  THINGS  ARE  HARD  FOR  HER  RIGHT  NOW.      even if he doesn’t entirely understand the situation at hand.    even if he’s never been precisely in her position.    he knows how it feels to be the parent in charge;    the one stuck ensuring everything is fine in the life of an innocent child,    making sure that no tidal waves reach the shore.    that alone can be enough to bring stress down onto already weighted shoulders.    he’d just wanted her to get the chance to relax    –    feel the sun on her shoulders and realize not everything was falling to pieces.    that in the midst of it all,    there were still things to be happy about.    and maybe troy’d wanted to come to the park anyways,    and roddy might’ve wanted someone with him to keep the other single mothers in the radius to find excuses to talk to him.    it’d been a win for the both of them that becky’d agreed to come. 

at the very least,    it feels nice to not have the pressure of small talk with someone he doesn’t know    –    and becky’s always had a way of making things comfortable.    relaxed and without any daunting possibilities lingering in the air if he says or does something wrong.    and that was nice.    the clashing of heads brings a wince to his features,    a quick rub of the pained spot before his attention is almost entirely on her.    making sure she’s okay,    that roux’s pacifier hasn’t somehow rolled even further away.    “    sorry,   dad reflexes are a bitch.    ”    a chuckle falling from his mouth as chris straightens and allows her to do things on her own.    no matter how hard it is for him to not be that guy    –    years of parenting on his own having made him hyperaware,    consistently fixated on the needs of those around him instead of himself. 

“    who,    me?    ”      there’s a flash of a dazzling smile,    all white teeth and soft eyes,    an innocent inflection on the words as he stretches himself out on the bench and makes himself comfortable.    his gaze flickers continuously,    the watchful eye of a father who knows his son welcomes trouble with a mischievous grin,    tracking tufts of brown hair as small legs carry him round and round.    “    you been back in the ring any?    ”    asked gently,    shifting of his weight as his arm rests against the back of the bench,    behind her shoulders.    he’s careful not to cross any boundaries,    not to accidentally push too far.    

 HE  SILENTLY  REMINDS  HER  AS  HE  FLASHES  HER  THAT  SMILE,  HIS  WORDS  TEASING,  THAT  THERE  ARE  GOOD  PEOPLE  IN  THE  WORLD.  good  men.  good  fathers.  good  friends.  because  that  is  what  chris  is:  GOOD.  a  word  she's  been  struggling  with  recently  because  everything  and  everyone  she  thought  fit  that  bill  had  pulled  it  all  out  from  under  her.  they  made  her  question  who  she  could  trust,  who  she  could  care  about,  who  gave  a  damn,  until  she  wanted  nothing  more  than  to  hide  herself  away  to  save  the  trouble  and  the  pain.  but  being  here  without  any  pretenses  or  expectations  soothed  hurt  just  a  bit.  it  wasn't  gone  but  for  the  first  time  in  a  week  she  didn't  feel  like  her  chest  was  caving  in.  she  wanted  to  thank  him  for  that  but  instead  she  blew  the  dirt  off  roux's  pacifier  and  returned  it  to  the  crying  babe.

 "  unfortunately . . . no,  "  she  admits  with  a  sigh  as  she  leans  back  in  her  seat.  the  warmth  of  his  arm  just  brushes  her  shoulder  blades  as  she  does  but  becky  doesn't  mind;  whether  he  meant  it  or  not,  it  feels  like  a  silent  comfort.  a  reminder  that  he's  there.  "  I  don't  love  bringin'  her  out  especially  if  I'm  gonna  be  in  the  ring  and  I'm  still  in  a  sorta  momma  bear  mode  about  who  I  trust  her  with.  "  a  soft  breath  of  a  laugh  pulled  from  her  lips  as  she  skimmed  her  eyes  across  the  playground.  

It wasn’t that he was trying to make her uncomfortable or embarrassed, instead he was trying to be there for her. Of course he wasn’t going to make her share or talk about it if she didn’t want to. It would be done on her time and from her reaction alone, he could tell now wasn’t the time to have that talk. So, he didn’t push it. Instead, he moved about to start wrapping his own hands up to protect them against one of the several punching bags in the facility. “Ah, rookie mistake there.” He spoke up, a small smirk tugging at his lips as he tossed a glance her way between rotations of the tape. “But glad to see you’re holdin’ up.” Some, but he left that out knowing it wasn’t the place but it was there in the back of his mind to keep an eye out for her. 

“Oh I’m alright, getting more excited about Wrestlemania with each passin’ day.” He flashed another grin, tearing the tape off when he was done wrapping. “Hearin’ the fans cheer when I get my title back is going to be amazing. Sure it won’t be the same as the first time but it’ll finally be my moment in front of the fans.” Drew’s smile only grew wider the more he thought about it. He really did miss hearing them, even if some might boo him. “Definitely a change from the screens, a good one though.” And with that he stepped forward and began to stretch some so as not to pull anything. “What about you? Returnin’ any time soon? I know much you must miss that championship belt around your waist and the fans as well.” He questioned, knowing full well what it was like now himself. 

When he felt enough stretching was done for the warm up of a quick few rounds with the punching bag, he sent a few jabs in its direction. Loud smacks echoed off the walls along with some of his practiced breathing. But he tossed a few glances her way between punches. Deciding to pause at one point before leaning against it. “How are the knuckles? Didn’t beat them up too badly?” 

 SHE  HAD  ALWAYS  APPRECIATED  DREW'S  EASINESS.  it  was  something  she'd  admired  about  him  for  a  while.  he  had  a  way  about  him  that  calmed  you,  comforted  you  almost.  it  didn't  matter  who  you  were  to  him  or  what  you  were  going  through,  drew  made  you  feel  like  a  close  friend.  he'd  greet  you  with  a  smile  that  would  warm  you  through  your  toes  and  it  was  all  too  clear  that  she  needed  that.  any  anxiety  she  had  slowly  trickled  away  as  he  went  through  his  own  motions,  taking  the  attention  off  of  her  while  he  discussed  future  plans  and  feelings.  things  that  felt  normal  and  simple  instead  of  crushing.

 "  I  hope  ya  know  I'm  livin'  vicariously  through  you,  "  she  teased,  a  soft  smile  at  her  lips.  it  was  true.  just  hearing  him  talk  about  wrestlemania  made  her  skin  rise  with  goosebumps.  she  missed  this  excited  feeling  in  the  air  just  before  a  big  pay-per-view.  the  anticipation  as  you  put  all  the  pieces  in  place.  entrances.  big  moments.  shocking  finales.  "  do  ya  ever  regret  not  winnin'  it  in  front  of  a  crowd ?  wish  they'd  held  off ?

 I  dunno,  to  be  honest.  been  talkin'  with  some  folks.  figurin'  out  what  it  all  looks  like  for  me  to  be  back,  to  have  roux,  to  train  some  beforehand  and  shake  off  the  rust.  but DAMN  do  I  miss  it.  bein'  in  that  ring's  been  my  constant  for  so  long  to  have  been  gone  a  year  now?  it  feels . . . like  I'm  missin'  a  piece.  "