Starter for @lavmisc for Kota and AdamĀ
The door latched behind Adam. He blinked against the brighter lights of the locker room, hand rubbing down his face. Sweat drenched his skin and clothes. His curls hung limp over his shoulders. The walls of the room vibrated with cheers, chants, stamping feet, the raw excitement of a climaxing, big main event. A show to tear down the roof, hopefully not literally, Adam chuckled at his own bad joke. He turned around, rolling out his neck, blinking away his exhaustion, a little sore, a little tired, a good match after glow. For a second, he stood in the doorway, looking over the disheveled room. A couple upturned bags from when the Bucks almost misplaced a boot. It was exactly where Matt always put it because, of course it was. Then a half-dozen empty water bottles and a half-dozen, half-drunk water bottles. Ibushi sitting in a chair by the back wall. Adamās phone, charging on the bench, blown-up with notifications. He wandered across the room to pick-up his device and filter through all the stupid texts.Ā
Ibushi sitting in a chair by the back wall.Ā
Adam exclaimed and almost jumped out of his boots. His phone slipped from his hands and clattered to the floor like a bar of wet soap. Adam pressed his palm to his chest, feeling his stuttering heartbeat. It wasnāt anything to do with Ibushi, just his total unregistering of the other human being in the room. Except, looking at the other man, sitting quietly, passively, and still, alone for what may be the first time ever, without Kenny or Cody or the Bucks to mediate the interaction, Adam found himself at a total loss of words.
Kenny strained in his hands and Adam couldnāt remember why he was so pissed. Just heard the stupid shit that Cody said, all-up in his head. And then Ibushi, a long-lost tag partner, of a dynamic heād never understand, rushing into the ring for the big, dramatic rescue. And later, squabbles, fights, battles with Ibushi. Asking for whatever Kota Ibushiās got, to show Adam-- and eating shit for his arrogance.Ā
They were cool now, in theory.Ā
āOh, hey, man, didnāt see you there,ā Adam stuttered. He stooped down to grab his phone. Did Ibushi speak English? Adam had gotten inconclusive answers.Ā āUh, Kennyās uh, talking to some guys in suits, if you were looking for him. Heāll be back-- later.ā
Adam trailed off, thumb yanked over his shoulder to show the theoretical location of Kenny. In the past few minutes the noises from the arena had died down. An unnerving silence, within and without this room. Adam blinked, lipped his lips and clutched his phone to his chest.Ā
āAnd I know, weāre uh, cool, itās cool now,ā Adam said. He scratched at the back of his head.Ā āEverythingās been sorted out, but I donāt think I ever got to apologize to you.... in, person. So, like, all that shit, um, with Cody and almost hitting you with a chair and being an otherwise actual ass. Iām--āĀ
He took a deep breath, and nodded, lifting his eyes to meet Ibushiās.Ā āSorry. Like... shit, do you even speak English? Do you understand anything Iām saying? Shouldāve waited for Kenny.ā Adam scrubbed his hands down his face, tried to stretch his brain around the Duolingo lessons and all the pointers Kenny gave him on the bus rides.Ā
With halting, stuttering, and very shitty Japanese, Adam did his best rendition of his previous apology, but hopefully in a language Ibushi could understand. Kenny said his accent sucked ass but it wasĀ āendearing.ā Old ladies always giggled whenever Adam opened his mouth so hopefully that did something for Ibushi too. Surely, the effort counted for somethingĀ And after what Adam was certain was the worst apology ever uttered on the face of the planet Earth, he finished in the most simple, clear statement he could muster, in a completely universal language:
āWhat Iām saying is I owe you a drink.ā
