Eli Drake/LA Knight x OFC
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 1140
Warnings: Very little fluffy and a lotta angst. Tiny sex mention.
Summary: Eli finally meets the love of his life, but is love enought to change a man?
Inspired by Wolf Aliceâs song, "Lipstick on the Glass"
A/N: First time writing LA, hope you guys like it!
It has been a month now. A month since he last saw her, a month since she last sat her empty, lipstick stained wine glass on his counter, a month that it stood there, a month since she left.
Their paths crossed when Eli signed with NWA for his second run with the company. He had been following her work for some time now, always bringing it up in interviews and mentioning how, if he ever got a manager, he would want someone like Ellie Andrews.
Loud mouthed, trash talking just like him, and looks that could kill, Ellie was the perfect person to accompany any wrestler, man or woman, to the ring. Ricky Starks was all praises when it came to her, telling how she had been responsible for all the accolades he had in the indies and how she helped him get his NWA contract.
The day they finally met cemented how Eli felt about her.
It was on an early saturday night where Eli had just gotten his contract signed and stood backstage watching that weekâs Powerrr taping. Watching Ellie do her thing in person was even more mesmerising, her mic skills left the world's most renowned panellist eating dirt and every wrestler wished they could control the crowd like her. The segment went on, where she praised Rickyâs ring work, telling everyone how he should be at the top of the company, which ended up earning him a match for the Worlds Heavyweight Championship belt. Eli knew he was in love the moment Ellie walked back into gorilla, the provocative, spell-bounding manager became Elisa, the sweet, shy girl that would stay in the building until the last light was turned off, making sure every worker was alright.
He asked her on a date not even five minutes after being introduced to her, to which she agreed instantly, shocking the both of them.
The date was everything they could ask for and a bit more. The night started underneath the waters of the Georgia Aquarium, the dim lights setting the romantic mood even if they were surrounded by the most dangerous sharks on the planet. Eli was the gentleman she never thought he could be, making sure she was having a great time, listening to her talk about her life, in and outside of the ring, and what she liked the most about him: he made her laugh. The larger than life personality he had in the ring hugged her tightly, and made Ellie feel like she was the most important woman in the world. Almost like Gomez and Morticia.
That first date ended two days later, with her rushing out from beneath the sheets of his hotel bedroom on the next monday morning, fashionably late for flight to Los Angeles.
Eli and Ellie professed their love for each other on that first weekend, after god knows how many rounds of love making. They never understood why and how they moved so fast, as Eli was known as the perfect bachelor and Ellie, known for rarely making herself approachable, the personification of opposites attract.
A night where two old, estranged soulmates finally found each other again.
The relationship was kept secret by the couple for the first three months, finally being put out to the world when Ricky caught them making out in their dressing room.
Ricky did what he had to do: sat Ellie down in her favourite donut shop and had a big brother talk with her, telling her that Eli was a man whore, and to be careful. If anything happened and that if she ever needed, he would be there for her, no matter what. He would constantly check in with her to make sure everything was okay.
The first half year of them as a couple was flooded by comments coming from their closest friends. Eli would always hear about what an amazing woman she is, how great it was that he was finally setting down and that he needed a serious person in his life. On her end, things were a little different. Ellieâs friends would tell her constantly to be careful with him, to not trust him and that they would always be there for her no matter what.
Ellie couldnât lie, even if she knew her friendsâ concerns had a valid reason to exist, and that they only wanted the best for her, their comments still hurt.
Little by little, they changed that. Eli proved what an incredible boyfriend he was, and how he only had eyes for her, to the point of proposing to her in the middle of the ring after the Christmas episode ended.
February 14th, 2021. Valentineâs day, one year and eight months into their relationship. Eli Drake goes away and LA Knight is born.
Ellie was still on her NWA run when Eli had to move to Florida. Everything was fine in the beginning, they would visit each other when they had some free time, FaceTime calls were done daily and their relationship followed as normally as it could.
She could feel Eli distancing himself with time. He would have excuses for her not to come visit, the daily calls now only happened twice a week and he was always evasive.
Fast cars and faster women, praise and recognition, and a shiny title belt, his teenager dreams were finally real.
Night after night, girls after girls, in hotel rooms, on his bed, on their bed.
That tragic night was no different, following the same routine he did almost every day, Eli went bar hopping, found a couple of girls that got easily attracted by his show off attitude and decided to bring them home. It is always a fun night for him, he follows through with his dirty promises, pleases and gets pleased, his stamina always taking him a long way. He always has an excuse to ship the girls off as soon as they finish, making sure to get them an Uber, locking the door behind him right after they leave. Eli went straight to the kitchen, in need of something to recharge him. One lone wine glass sat by the counter. He knew that red lipstick stain better than anyone, marked on his brain after having to visit every makeup store in three different malls during christmas time so she could buy that damned Ruby Woo. Next to the glass stood a piece of paper and the engagement ring he used to propose to Ellie just a few of months before. The handwriting looked nothing like hers normally did, the usually imposing calligraphy was shaky and tear stained.
âI should have listened to the signs, but true love spoke louder. Thank you for the memories.
â Elâ
A month since she left. A month he wishes he could go back in time.
Looking at the empty spot next to her she questioned how she got to this point. The spot was still warm even though he left an hour ago.
âI just donât sleep well."
âIâll keep you up.â
âI might as well go back to my hotel so I donât bother you.â
All those excuses he gave her and she bought them. Itâs not that she was stupid, she just wanted to believe his lies to keep the relationship going. She rolled over to check her phone, hoping it would provide enough of a distraction to her brain until she passed out. Deal with her mess of a life tomorrow. Looking at the lock screen she saw a notification:
Candice: You got it! They want you to start next week!
The words she was hoping for didnât bring her the joy and excitement she thought it would. Yeah she was ready to have a change, but it felt like she was running away again from a problem.
x
âEvie, please donât leave me here! What are Rebel and I going to do without you!â Britt whined and collapsed on her bed in a pile of clothes Eve was trying to sort through.
âBritt, do you hear yourself right now? Iâm literally going to work where your boyfriend works, and Iâll still be going back and forth until I find somewhere to live,â she sighed and scanned the room. Everything there just reminded her of him since they basically spent the last year dating but only got to be a couple in a privacy of her home.
âI canât believe you are uprooting and changing companies over a man.â
âItâs not like that, itâs just,â Eve paused when she pulled out one of his sweaters in a pile of clothes. Realizing her friend was getting lost on the thoughts of what once was she grabbed the sweater out of her hands and threw it to the trash.
âHey!â Eve yelled.
âYou need to get over him!â
âWhy do you think I took the job at NXT?â Eve snapped at her friend.
âHey,â Britt grabbed her hand, âYouâre going to do great okay? Iâm just going to miss seeing my friend. Why donât I go make us some tea, you need to relax.â
Eve wiped what felt like tears beginning to swell from her eyes. âThanks,â she said as Britt left the room. Going over to the trash she grabbed her former lovers sweater and shoved it into the bottom of the bag she was taking down to Orlando that week.
x
Eve walked down the halls of the performance centre after getting her orientation. As much as she didn't want change it felt nice to have a main hub again. Her time in AEW made her feel lost in the shuffle of the talent. It was always a fight to get the one TV spot a week for the women.
"Hey!" a deep voice boasted from behind her. Turning around she saw a well built man who looked familiar but she wasn't sure if they ever met before. He ran to catch up to her.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you I just wanted to introduce myself."
Eve was used to this, go to a new place and all the slick guys want to get a crack and the new signee first.
"I'm fine," she told him. He seemed surprised by her reaction to him.
"LA Knight," he told her as he stuck his hand out and she apprehensively shook it
"Eve."
"So you're the guest of honour at Candice's party tonight?"
"Unfortunately yes."
"Well consider this a rain check for me getting you a drink tonight," we winked and walked off to the end of the hallway.
x
âJust a little get together to welcome you to the family,â
Candice told her this at least 20 times that day. As much as Eve wanted to just come in quietly she had to admit seeing all these people she hadnât seen in so long felt just like picking up where she left off.
Eve walked out to the patio to get some fresh air. Leaning against the railing and looking out into her new surroundings she began to go over how quickly things have changed. Getting reacquainted with so many old friends didnât give her a chance to check her phone that night and when she pulled it out of her pocket she was surprised by all the missed messages she had:
âWhy didnât you tell me? I had to find out from fucking hair and make up Eve!â
âHow many times have I told you that place is a dump.â
âAre you trying to get my attention or something?â
âWhen are you coming back here? We need to talk.â
âMiss. Evelyn,â hearing that phrase sent a chill down her spine, as if she saw a ghost. Turning around she was met with a smile that was always contagious. Even if it felt as she was seeing a ghost of her past.
âSeriously, you are still the only person to call me my government name Tim,â he walked over and stood next to her looking out over the city they now shared.
âSo, why are you leaving AEW for the enemy?â
âWow right to the main question not even a how have you been for the last two years.â
âHi Evelyn how have you been for the last two years, why are you leaving Aew?â
Looking up at him she saw the smirk on his face. He knew. This was his way of trying to get her to admit what she did those few years ago.
âAre you really going to make me say it Tim, isnât it water under the bridge by now?â
One year later
  Tim looked at apartments with his fiance as they walked around, Emily was everything he could dream of. She had a good heart, educated, loved her job, was actually his age and extremely kind. It had started just days after that night at the club where she approached him at a coffee shop over the book he was reading, he was impressed that someone else could enjoy a George Orwell novel like him. From that day on it was non stop texting and late night phone calls which eventually turned into dates and then sleeping over at each others places and one day he just said fuck it and got a ring at a shop and proposed. It was nothing special truly, he didnât even get down on one knee which he kind of regretted but not really. He liked her, he liked her a lot but part of him knew he didnât love her.
Â
 âSweetheart, are you alright ?â Emily asked petting his cheek âyou look out of itâ
Â
Tim shook his head âOh Iâm fine, just thinking about what would be best is all. We looked at all the ones on our list and you seem to be keen on this area, this the one then ?â
 Emily grinned and nodded âItâs perfect, itâs near both our jobs and itâs a 2 bedroom just in case after the wedding you knowâŠ.â
  He sighed as he stepped back âEm, weâve talked about this dozens of times already. I said I donât want kids, Iâm past that stage. Us together is enough for me and you said it was enough for you as well, remember ?â
Â
 âI didâ she nodded âItâs just a maybe, like a what if situation kind of thing is all. I know where you stand on children and I totally respect plus weâre both 38, thatâs a long shot honeyâ
Tim chuckled lightly, giving a nod âvery true, but just maybe letâs leave it at that ?â. Nothing about moving in with her felt natural, nothing. He liked her a lot but he knew he had rushed things. Everyone had told him it was too soon and that he was only doing it to get over Maya but even they couldnât stop him from proposing. The second he put the ring on her finger he knew it was a mistake.
 Â
âI just think itâs good to talk about it because though you know I wouldnât ever create an oopsie situation, it can still be a what ifâ Emily explained âPlus you told me at the beginning of us that you wouldnât mind one, just oneâ
 Â
âI said that almost a year ago, things and people change. Right now what matters to me is my career and your career and doing our own thingâ he explains
âWrestling wonât last forever Timâ she says softly âI know you plan on doing it for as long as you can which is great but we both know realistically itâs a good 5 years left before you have to call it quits for good. You should think about life beyond the ring, when itâs all done for good and you donât have to put your body at risk every single day taking all those hits. I mean, do you ever think about that ?â
âClearly I do if weâre moving in together Emily '' he let out a little more dry than he had intended. It was one thing get on him about stupid shit like him leaving a plate out on the counter or leaving a damp towel on the sink but his job ? No way in hell heâd ever let anyone try to tell him what to do about his career.
 Â
Emily sighed âTim, I didnât mean it like that at all okay ? I just meant it in the sense that thereâs life after wrestling, a chance-â
 Â
âIâve heard enoughâ Tim said shortly âI um I gotta go, Iâm late for some stuff down at the performance center. Iâll see you tonightâ he leaned over and kissed her forehead leaving
 Â
He put his bag down in the locker room as he got ready and nodded at Oney âYou look all sunburnt, were you at the beach ?â
 Â
âMayaâsâ he answered, lacing up his shoes âShe had a small get together yesterday on a boat to celebrate her 26th birthday. The sun got the best of usâ Oney chuckled
 Â
âIt was her birthday yesterday ?â Tim asked changing his tone
âNot yesterday exactlyâ Oney shook his head âItâs this Saturday but we celebrated it early since weâve got that pay per view to get ready for , it was why I couldnât go to dinner with you and Emily. I went to Marcelâs because he was surprising her with that and you know sheâs grown to be like a sister to me, I couldnât miss itâ
 Tim simply nodded, how was it that already a year had passed by ? How was it that he didnât even know her birthday ? âHow is she ?â he finally asked
âSheâs good, doing really wellâ Oney nodded âYou know her and Marcel are just still boyfriend and girlfriend, not engaged or moved in like you and Emily. But I mean in a way you two are alike, you both just had your one year come upâ
âShe and Marcel arenât like Emily and Iâ he shook his head. âThat's comparing apples to oranges man, two totally different things. Why even bring that up ?
âBecause itâs clear you still like her, do you ?â
âYes.â Tim answered
Oney sighed, shaking his head âThen why are you engaged and moving in with this woman ? Why did you fuck up so badly ?â
âI donât know and Iâll never knowâ he shrugged as he left the room and stretched in the ring. All great questions he had no answers for.
******
 Maya sat as she rubbed her forehead and sipped her water on the couch âBaby do you mind getting me some tylenol ?â
 Â
âLet me guess, once again didnât eat anything but an iced coffee all day ?â he chuckled handing her two pills and sitting next to her
Â
 âHaha very funnyâ she rolled her eyes, taking them âJust feel tired, Iâve been working back to back and itâs getting to me is allâ
 Â
Marcel shook his head and sighed âYouâve been so out of it lately, we went to dinner last week and you fell asleep on the ride there, Iâm getting concerned Mayaâ
She held his hand and scooted onto his lap kissing him âIâm fine, just work is a lot lately. I just gotta get it together is all, schedule things out better. Plus, I still have energy for plenty of things you know. Loads of them actuallyâŠâ
 Â
âI like thatâ he caressed her cheek leaning to kiss her and groaning as he heard the doorbell âThat would be Johnny and Candice who you invited for a swimâ
 âI knowâ she giggled as she got up âdeal with your blue balls somewhere else while I show them aroundâ. Maya got up and shook off the slight dizziness she had going to the door âHey guysâ she smiled âCome on inâ
Â
 âJesus you said house not mini mansionâ Johnny said as he barged in and put the cupcakes on the table âDamn Maya, is this what taking off your clothes pays for, because I might just change careersâ
Â
 Candice shook her head as she gave her a hug âYou know how he is, thanks for having us over before the week gets a bit chaotic. I feel like I rarely get to see you because of how busy you are, how are things ?â
 Â
Maya grinned and took her to her backyard and sat with her âThings have been great truly, work is great and well as you can see things with Marcel are also still amazing. Heâs here a lot but we donât live together or anything like thatâ she admits taking a sip of her water âI see in your face youâve got this look, like you wanna tell me something but youâre holding backâ
Â
 She looked up and grinned as Johnny sat in the middle of them taking a piece of cheese from the charcuterie board and chewed âSo did you hear Timâs engaged to that one Emily chick ? I mean sheâs pretty but sheâs not as pretty as you and she has a boring job not cool like modeling. Sheâs a high school teacher ,math teacher or something dumb like that, and I heard from Eli that sheâs his age so you know old and apparently they moved in-â
âJohnny !â Candice exclaimed with wide eyes as she moved her eyes in her direction
âWh-what ?â Maya said softly âI-I had no idea, I havenât seen him since um that night at EVE but itâs been a year, come on guys. Thereâs no need to tiptoe around things, thatâs in the past and good for him. He deserves happiness as we all do, really Candice itâs not a big dealâ
Â
Lies all fucking lies she thought to herself, nothing but lies. Yes it was a big fucking deal, how the hell wouldnât it be ?. What in the absolute fuck did she miss out on in a whole year ? She was having success, her relationship with Marcel was perfect yet her heart still fluttered hearing Timâs name. Not only was he dating someone but he was engaged, engaged.
 âSorryâ Johnny apologized as he put his drink down âI thought you knew since you seem to know everyone, I thought Oney had mentioned it or Alliâ Â
 âItâs fine Johnnyâ she grinned weakly âReally it is, thereâs nothing you need to say sorry for at all truly. People are allowed to move on, I mean we never even dated. Itâs nothing at all, look Marcelâs on his way out letâs get in before the sun goes downâ
 âI got you a little surpriseâ Marcel grinned, oblivious to what had just occurred. He smiled and put down the box in his arms âI know you said no gifts but I thought this one would be great for youâ
With a confused look Maya stood up and grinned , walking towards the box and opening it slowly, smiling wide as she pulled out a golden doodle puppy âOH MY GOD YOU REMEMBERED !â She quickly kissed the pup and jumped in his arms. For the last 6 months, she had been going on and on about how she was ready for a dog and wanted one so badly yet Marcel seemed off to the idea and kept saying how they were way too much work and not even all that cute. Now she understood why, and her heart swelled in size.
Â
âI searched and searched the entire state of Florida for this little guyâ Marcel smiled. âHe's about 8 weeks old, and when I saw him I knew he was perfect for you...for us. But he needs a name, any ideas ?â
Â
 âBiggieâ Maya smiled
âAs in Biggie Smalls ?â he laughed
Â
âExactly that.â
Marcel smiled as he put his arm around her and pulled her in for a side hug âYou, me and Biggieâ. He kissed her head as he pet their pupâs head and smiled, though far off and not entirely true it felt as if they were family already. Just them and their puppy, together and happy.
 Â
The rest of the night was enjoyable as she sat and listened to them talk about the big pay per view that was coming up, everyone going on and on about certain feuds and matches. She turned and looked at Marcel who was in mid conversation with Fabian, sending him a wink as she got up and headed inside using the excuse she needed to answer an important phone call. Like clockwork she heard the screen door lock shut and laughed âItâs that easy huh ?â
 Â
âYouâre the one who gave me a winkâ he answered with a crimson face âI-I assumed, I...I didnât mean toâ
  âYou assumed rightâ she grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her as she took them into the guest bathroom âwe have 10 minutes max before someone realizes weâre missing so make it lastâ
Â
 Without losing any time Marcel lifted her onto the sink and slid off her shorts, rubbing at her core as he licked his lips âfuck you feel so wet alreadyâ he whispered getting a moan in response from her
âYou talk entirely too muchâ she kissed him ,leaning her head back against the cabinet mirror gripping the back of his neck with her hands as she bit her lip to keep quiet
 Â
âFuck Mayaâ he mumbled as he began thrust in and out âyou always feel so fucking goodâ
She whimpered in response âBabyâŠ.Baby pleaseâ
âYou like that, I know you doâ
Marcel pumped into her with force, nuzzling his face in her neck as he did his best to keep his moans low, tightening his grip on her hips
 Â
âI...wowâ Maya panted as they finished, him still inside of her as she looked into his eyes âYou do things to me you know, lots of thingsâ
âAnd I always willâ Marcel grinned as he wiped his forehead and kissed her lips softly âas long as you let meâ
âYouâre so corny, you go out first so no one assumesâ she chuckled as she closed the door and fixed her makeup. She opened a drawer to look for a brush, sighing as she picked up her birth control packet that had fallen.âEvery timeâ Maya muttered as she put it away, feeling it slightly heavier than usual and opening the pack. With a shaky breath she slipped the packet out of the sleeve and widened her eyes when she saw 7 days of pills still in their spot, she had missed a whole week of birth control in the last month
*****
âWould you just tell me whatâs going on ?â Tim asked as he sat on the couch with Emily âitâs been a week and youâve been quiet, you even missed a day of work which you never do. What on earth can be going on that has you like this ?â
 Â
âTimâŠâ Emily spoke, her voice small and meek âPlease donât be mad at me, please. I...I went to the doctor for those headaches and fatigue and she-she had me to a blood and urine test and told me....she told me Iâm pregnant. I told her it had to be a mistake, I have a patch and we use condoms, but she said itâs only 90% effective and thereâs always a possibility especially since my ovaries release eggs during ovulation and well...Iâm 9 weeks pregnantâ she cried
 His eyes widened as he leaned back into the couch, feeling the air leave his lungs as he tried his absolute hardest to stop from dry heaving. He sat, rubbing his palms on his thighs and nodded over and again trying to convince himself things would be okay.
 Â
âThen youâre pregnant and thatâs that, accidents happenâ he said softly as he scooted closer to her and held her hand in his sweaty one âWas this what we wanted ? No. But itâs what weâre dealing with and no matter what Iâm here for you Em. I...IâŠ.I love youâ
 Â
âI love you so so muchâ Emily hugged him as she sniffled âI never ever meant for this to happen Tim, I swear to you. Iâm so scaredâ she sobbed into his shoulderÂ
 Tim rubbed her back and sighed âItâs gonna be okay. Weâre both adults here and this is something like the doctor said could always happen. Iâm with you all this way, no matter what, but I must askâ he sits up and looks at her as he peels away from their hug âD-do you wanna keep this baby ?â
âI doâ she whispered âI do, and you donât need to stay with me. You donât even need to help I can do this all on my ownâ
 Â
He gulped taking her words in as he looked in her eyes, begging for her to just push him away and say she wants him out of her life but she didnât. She wanted to keep this child and no matter what he was gonna stick by her whether he loved her or not.
*****
  Maya looked up at Marcel as they waited at the doctors office, nerves eating up at her as she squeezed his hand in her lap. Immediately after everyone had left that day she sat him down and told him she had forgotten to take her birth control for a week and had reminded him they never used condoms. Just like she had assumed he was calm and collected and assured her heâd be with her no matter what and that he loved her. She broke down in tears that night on his lap crying until she passed out from exhaustion, when she woke up she found herself in bed with him. Now here they were one week later waiting to do some tests to get official answers, they had both agreed itâd be best to get answers from a doctor rather than a test at the pharmacy.
Â
 She stood up as her name was called and walked in with him, doing the usual routine with blood pressure and weight and finally getting her blood drawn and completing a urine test for them. The minutes seemed like hours as she sat in Marcelâs lap for comfort leaning her head over his.
 âIâm scaredâ Maya whispered looking in his eyes ``What if I am and it ends likeâŠlike how it did when I was 20 ?â she finally says
 âItâs different timesâ Marcel assured â6 years ago you were a kid with lots of stress that caused that to happen, now itâs different. And if you are, nothing bad is gonna happen. And if you arenât, then we can go from thereâ he kissed her forehead. More than anything he wanted her to be okay, for them to be okay and just put that past life behind them completely.
Â
 Maya nodded and pressed her forehead to his, jumping up when she heard the door open and doctor come in
 âA-am I pregnant ?â she whispered quickly
âNoâ the doctor said softly âYou are not, your tests all came back negative, what you do have to look out for is your severe dehydration levels. Other than that youâre in great health, and to be safe Iâd stay off sexual activity until you can start a new month of birth control, and please use protectionâ she grinned
 âOh my goshâ Maya let out a sigh of relief as she watched his face go back to its normal color âThank you so so muchâ
 âItâs your life and your choices missâ she grinned âNo matter what, Iâm here to guide advice for whatever you need health related.â
 Â
Maya let out a nervous laugh as she held hands with Marcel and walked out of the office, giggling when he spun her around in his arms
 âI love kids and canât wait to have the, but this just wasnât the right timeâ Marcel said softly as he kissed her âBut our time will come soon, really soonâ
âSooner than laterâ she smiled as he set her down and walked down the hall with him, pressing the elevator button. She hummed happily as it dinged, gulping as it opened revealing Tim hand in hand with who she supposed was Emily with a barely there baby bump. She was sure she was gonna pass out had it not been for Marcelâs hand on her back.
 âHiâ Maya said softly, being the first to speak out of the 4 âLong time to no seeâ
 Â
Tim stood speechless as he stared at her, unintentionally slipping his hand out of Emilyâs and putting it in his pants pocket. He couldâve sworn he saw stars at one point from how dazed he felt seeing her in person for the first time in over a year.
âHeyâ he finally said in response âum hey, this-this is...this is-â
âEmilyâ she spoke up quietly
âEmily yes, yesâ Tim nodded âUm this is Emily my fiance, Emily this Maya and Marcel my...myâŠâ
âFriendsâ Marcel grinned âSo nice to meet youâ he shook her hand gently âand um congratulations of course, what a beautiful thingâ
 âOh thank youâ Emily smiled âJust here for our 14 week appointment, making sure all is well. You guys...are you guys expecting too ? Gosh thatâs extremely invasive of me, Iâm sorry I just assumed since this is the OBGYN side of the hospital and you two are togetherâ she said softly turning red with embarrassment
âNah youâre goodâ Maya shook her head âJust had a scare because I forgot to take my pill for a week and apparently the idea of condoms never came to my dumb ass brain that was too busy thinking about getting laid, but no babies in this uterus thank godâ she tried to joke much to Tim and Emilyâs wide eyes, Marcel being the only one laughing with herÂ
 âAlright tough crowdâ she muttered to herself as she went through the middle of them into the elevator âBut I wish you well, babies are super cute and stuffâ
Emily grinned at her âYouâre the sweetest, thank you ! Maya right ? Were you in a spread in Cosmo last month ? With the neon bikini in the pool for the safe sex while on vacation side ?
 Maya chuckled darkly. She knew it was a dig, a sad attempt at one at least. âThatâs me, thatâs definitely me ! Got 20k for that spread, put a downpayment on a home with that shoot. I also did Maxim and got on the cover of that, Iâm in Zara as well on a 10 foot poster right as you enter their store, and I just did a Victoria Secret ad thatâs gonna be in every single mall in the states and that alone is probably gonna pay off my entire mortgage. You know, I did it once before in college and it paid off all my student loans tooâ she smiled âNow what is it that you do...Mâam ?â
 Timâs eyes widened as he watched the verbal drag go on, part of him knew he shouldâve stepped in but he was too in shock to do a thing. âSheâs a teacherâ he answered sternly âA high school math teacherâ
  âStill have those loans, but I love what I doâ Emily nodded âItâs done for the love, not for the moneyâ she hit back
âAwwâ Maya put her hands to her heart âI remember when I used to say that too, I wanted to be a teacher so bad when I was teensyâ she grinned âThen I realized how all teachers grew up to be nothing but bitter divorcees who thrive on making childrenâs lives miserable all whilst teaching pointless things like the Pythagorean theorem. Oh wait , thatâs you ! My bad, my badâ
Marcel chuckled quietly as he bit the inside of his lip and moved his arm around her waist âWe must go now, um congratulations on your child once again. Health and happiness for you bothâ. He smirked as he closed the elevator door and shook his head
 âToo far ?â Maya asked
âJust enough to piss her offâ he answered back with a grin Â
Maya chuckled and looked down at her heels, trying to hide the disappointed in her face.
Timothy Thatcher x Female Reader
Rating: Mature (Minors DNI)
Word Count: 599
Warnings: Fluff, smut. Teasing and that's about it?
Summary: Reader teases and teases Tim. Does he act up on it?
Inspired by The MarĂasâ song âCare For Youâ.
A/N: Just a tiny little drabble that came to mind when I was trying to get a Jay request out. This song came on shuffle and I'm a sucker for The MarĂas and their vibes. Listen to it while reading, it sets the whole mood tbh.
It started as an accident. An innocent bump into each other in the tiny kitchen of that german apartment.
Tim set a few glasses down on the sink while she grabbed a couple of beer bottles from the fridge, both working in a silent agreement, maneuvering their bodies so they wouldnât touch the other. A waste of time as their chests touch and her belt buckle almost clings to his.
Awkward laughs, an âIâm sorryâ from Tim and an âItâs okayâ from her and the night goes on.
She noticed how it affected Tim, how quieter than usual he got and how he barely looked at her for the rest of the night.
So, she took it as an advantage.
She would sit closer to him on booths, making a show of crossing her mini skirt clad legs. Her hands squeezed his biceps a little harder every time he made a joke that made her laugh, and she always had something to do in the kitchen whenever he was in the room.
Little by little, it ate him away. The first few times he would blush, stammer a bit but never moved or stopped her. His responses grew bolder, or as bolder as Tim could get, he would smile at her, flex his biceps whenever she got a hold of his arm, or gently rub his thigh on hers when she sat next to him. All of his moves were contained, subtle so no one but her would notice.
The teasing kept on going for months until Tim finally lost it on the night of Axelâs send away party. He excused himself and made his way to the bathroom down the hall, away from the noise of the function. She followed him when no one paid attention anymore, nonchalantly positioning herself on the wall next to the bathroom door.
Tim is greeted by the image of her looking at her red, almond shaped nails, the same ones he imagined going down his back countless times. He gives her a once-over. Her cheeks were flushed from the couple of drinks she had already had, the strap of her silk dress down on her right arm, making her cleavage look a bit more opened and her left thigh peeking from the slit of her dress.
He acted on impulse for the first time of his life, his heart taking over his brain in a matter of seconds, as he pulled her by the hand, getting back to the bathroom and closing its door.
Tim wasted no time, his lips attached to hers in a bruising kiss, rough, full of teeth and tongue, months of teasing and pent up desire finally being released.
His hands roamed her body, hurriedly getting to know every inch of that warm skin that made him lose his mind.
The dominating persona that only got out during his matches took over as he positioned her on the counter, facing the mirror. She lifted her dress as he got rid of his pants, propping one leg up so he could easily access her warm core.
It was fast, hard, his hand never left her neck, steadying her, making sure her eyes never left his.
They came together after one particular strong thrust that made the both of them see stars. Tim held her close, paving a trail of wet kisses and little bites from her shoulder to her ear.
âYou are the devil.â he whispered, biting the skin between her shoulder and neck a little harder.
âBaby, I care for you.â she moaned, âBut donât let me in.â
Tim looked outside as he watched them drive off and rubbed his face and leaned against the wall and watched them all walk towards him.
âI know, I knowâ
âDo you though ? Do you ?â Candice spat out âWhat in the absolute fuck were you thinking ? What happened ?â
âI just...I couldnât handle the alcohol, it hit me all at once and then next thing I knew whats her face shoved her tongue down my throat and then...I was the one who initiated itâ he admitted quietly âI was the one who took her to the bathroom toâŠto do thatâ Tim said not even being able to say the words
âWhat the fuck is wrong with you ?!â Oney demanded
Tim shook his head as he debated throwing himself in front of a moving car to end his never ending misery âGuys, Candice pleaseâ
 âNo, answer usâ Johnny said sternly âBefore we all take turns beating the absolute shit out of you, granted Maya clearly did a great job as we can tell by your slight limp and broken bruised nose you shit head !â
Â
 âGuys !â Tim exclaimed frustrated as he threw his hands down
âSo you see her having a good time with us and Marcel so you decide to fuck someone in a bathroom at her own party when you claimed you were heartbroken and wanted her for yourself ? Instead of being a man and pulling her aside you do that ? To Maya, the legit most nicest and genuine person ?â Oney asks
âOneyâŠ.â
âNo I wanna know, I wanna know what it the absolute fuck went through your head when you decided to pull that shit ?â he repeated âThis is a girl who liked you, spent 6 months sad over you while you couldnât even answer a simple text message or call, you acted like a little bitch for 6 months moaning and complaining when you had absolutely no right to. She reached out, she called, left voicemails and sent text messages to you every fucking day for a month straight and you chose not to respond yet you get pissy because you see her enjoy herself with Marcel and all of us, you get jealous seeing her have fun. Youâre bitterâ he finally says âYouâre nothing but a bitter child stuck inside a 38 year old man's body and you donât deserve Maya. You donât deserve her kindness nor her love and care because despite her being all lovey with Marcel tonight everyone here can see she wanted you, she craves you and thatâs really fucking sad. But I think itâs time we donât let that happen, itâs time we as her friends donât let a 25 year old fall for a 38 year old bitter, disrespectful asswipe.â
Â
 Tim stood there in silence, swallowing the small amount he had left of pride. For Oney whom he had known for years to reprimand him he knew just how deep and bad shit really was.
Â
âYeah stay quiet buck teethâ Johnny muttered as he pushed past him with Candice and Fabian
âChipped teeth...not buck teethâ Fabian corrected quietly as he waited with them for an uber turning back when Johnny, Candice and Oney werenât looking and giving him the finger
*****
âYour place, not mineâ Maya whispered meekly âI wanna be with you in your space, not mineâ
 âAnything you wantâ Marcel said softly as he noticed her holding his hand tightly in hers. This wasnât in any way what he wanted for them, especially not for her. He felt disgusted as he drove thinking of how broken she mustâve been seeing that.
 Â
âI just wanna be with you, anywhere with youâ she said quietly as she stared out her window âAs long as Iâm with you, Iâll be okayâ
He nodded as he blinked away tears, emotional at hearing her words as he pulled into his apartment building and helped her out
  She let out a small shaky breath as she held his hand and walked with him towards the elevator taking off Fabianâs suit jacket as she handed it over âYou can give this to him when you see him again, it was extremely kind of himâ
Â
âI willâ he said softly as he pressed the button and stood with her with looming silence as the elevator took them up to his apartment
  âI hate himâ she said suddenly âand Iâm sorry for everything that I did and said to you while being enamored with him, you didnât deserve any of that from meâ
Â
 âMaya, no. Donât say that, listen things happened tonight and I really think tomorrow you two should talk I can call him over and-â
âNoâ she answered sternly as she shot him a look full of hurt and anger âIt ends here, it dies here. He doesnât exist to me and thatâs thatâ
  Marcel simply nodded as he didnât push the topic any further and walked with her as he opened the door with his key and went to his bedroom to pull out a shirt and sweatpants for her and changed into his usual basketball shorts
 Â
âThanksâ she whispered as she stripped down in the bathroom and threw them on immediately taking in his scent and feeling an immense feel of comfort
 âYou didnât eatâ he said softly âlet me get you some cereal at least, you still like lucky charms and almond milk ?â
  Maya gave a soft grin as she nodded âYeah...yeah I do, you still rememberâ
âOf course I do,â Marcel chuckled. âI remember all your likes and dislikes, what shows you love and hate, the fact that you need to sleep on the side by the wall, how you only like your eggs scrambled but never over easy. I remember it allâ
 She walked over and looked up at him as he caressed his cheek with her hand âYou truly never forgot, you remember and youâre always there for meâ
âI always will be, no matter whatâ he whispered as he touched her hand âAs much as Iâd like to kiss you, I think you should eat and get in bed, you look exhausted as can be. You need proper restâ
Maya nodded as she sat at his table and ate the bowl he served in front of her. It softened her seeing Marcel care so much about her and something about this made her see him in a different light. He wasnât the vain wrestler who was into himself, he was the man she fell in love with 3 years ago who taught everything there was to know about love.Â
 âWhatâs going through your head ?â He asked finally âYou can be honest with me, I know you still like him a lot judging by how you reacted tonightâ
 âMarcel...itâs not like thatâ she explained âIt was a shock, that was it. It was just purely shock but just...I donât wanna talk about it anymore okay ? Can we just stop it please ?â
 Â
âAbsolutelyâ he nodded as he picked up her plate âLetâs get to bedâÂ
She nodded and followed as she laid down and scooted close towards him, going beneath his arm as she snuggled up and looked up at him caressing his cheek with her hand Â
 âHiâ he whispered as he gave a soft grinÂ
Maya looked in his eyes and sat up as she cradled his face and kissed him deeply âThatâs what I wanted to do all nightâ Â
âI-IâŠwowâ Marcel whispered as he licked his lips âThat was just, did-did you just kiss me, is this a dream ?â Â
Maya chuckled as she rolled her eyes âWow, way to ruin a moment. Iâm trying to be romantic over here and do somethingâ Â
âIâm just shocked is allâŠ.you like me ? As in like me more than a friend ?âÂ
 âI doâ she admits âI really do, these last 6 months youâve been there for me in so many ways and youâve made my life so much better. Itâs been hard you know ?â
Â
âI do,â Marcel whispered, âBut this isnât exactly how I pictured things working out at all, itâs not how I wanted things to be. I wanted something nice and calm and a bit more romanticâ
She laughed as she shook her head âListen life isnât a fairytale and as much as weâd like to be itâs best just to not expect much and go with the flow. I for one can admit tomorrow Iâm probably gonna be hungover and emotional just letting you know ahead
Â
âIâll be here with youâ He pet her cheek as he watched her finally drift to sleep âIâll always be here with you..â
****
 âWell well if it isnât my favorite studentâ Eli grinned as he opened the door into the room at the performance center âYouâre bright and early Thatch, love when my worst promo student shows up early to classâ he laughed
Tim rolled his eyes and sat down âNot today alright ? Just get on with the private class so I can go home alreadyâ
âNot even a death stare or shove today ? Something really must have you downâ He raised a brow as he grabbed a chair and sat in front of him âTell meâ
Â
 âYou havenât heard ?,â Tim asked surprised. âItâs literally everywhere by now, seriously go check your phone or ask your girlfriend Alli. She has to knowâ
Eli furrowed his brow, taking out his phone and putting it on speaker as he dialed âBaby, hey ! Um have you heard anything about something going down at EVE nightclub in downtown Orlando last night ?â
Â
âOh my god, yes ! So remember Maya ? Maya Dawson ? The girl we met during one of your commercial shoots in LA and had dinner with a few weeks ago ?â Alli asked not even giving him a chance to answer âWell she apparently had a thing with that one loner dude Tim you work with for a hot minute but nothing serious from what Iâve heard, like not instagram official or anything. All she told me was that they made out a few times but nothing too muchâ
 Eli nodded as he listened âOh wow, I didnât know that. Okay go onâŠ.â
âSo they broke up because she didnât tell him she was engaged prior to that really cute German dude with the blue eyes who happens to be friends with Tim. Drama ensues, she tells me over brunch he never bothered to respond to anything she sent for 6 whole months and sheâs back with Marcel on âfriendly termsâ well she got that Maxim cover and had a big party last night which we got invited but obviously couldnât go and well...Tim shows up, gets drunk and fucks none other than Kara Smith in the bathroom of the club ! THE Kara Smith !â Alli exclaimed loudly shaking her head disgusted
 âNO ! No fucking way ! Um baby, I gotta call you back !â Eliâs eyes widened as he hung up and looked at Tim âYou didnâtâŠ. tell me sheâs just somehow dramatizing shitâ
Â
âHow the hell does Alli know everything ?â Tim asked âThis is weird, this is why I stay away from social media, this isnât normalâ
Â
Eli scowled âJesus christ, you fucked Kara Smith and got away with it. That woman has had it out for Maya for the last year, all because miss bleach blonde canât stand Mayaâs more popular, sheâs like 33 having it out against a 25 year old. You literally slept with her worst enemy, how drunk were you ?â
Â
âDonât even remind meâ he rubbed his face âI literally am the most hated man in this building, I walked in and immediately it looked like I was gonna get jumpedâ
  âAnd here I thought I was the whore yet Iâve been in a loving relationship for over a yearâ Eli chuckled âI canât believe you man, who does that ?â
Â
Tim shook his head âI donât even know how to fix this, or even talk to herâ
âDonâtâ Eli answered âLet her be, this isnât something women get over fast or ever actually, youâre gonna have to suffer man. And quite frankly you deserve itâ
Â
He sighed and got up âIâm going home, I donât feel like being here and quite frankly I donât wanna hear anymore about how I fucked upâ
Â
âSince everyone hates you but me just come to my placeâ he offered âAlli wonât care, plus Iâm done here I was just waiting for you to show upâ
 Sure it may have been a pity offer but Tim took it with no hesitation âAlright, Iâll drive behind youâ he nodded as they both left
****
 Maya stirred as she fluttered her eyes open checking her phone for the time, groaning when she saw it was only 8 am , leaning her head back against Marcel's arm as she turned her head and caressed his cheek lightly with her finger tips. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips taking in all his features, his cheek bones, his soft skin, his chiseled jawline, his defined lips. Everything she loved about him standing out to her as she gulped and moved her hand onto his chest as she kissed him once again slightly deeper, looking into his deep blue eyes once they opened
 Â
âMaya ?â he whispered as he pet her cheek, slightly confused as she had kissed him. Confused she had initiated their physical contact rather than him like it had always been
Â
âHeyâ she whispered back âI want youâŠ.â Maya finally said âI want you nowâ
 As soon as she said those words he leaned in and kissed her ,gently flipping them around so she was on her back as he laid above her and kissed down her neck listening to her loud moans. It had been years since they were together, years since they had last had any kind of physical contact like this.
Â
 Maya groaned as she felt his hand down her sweats at her core ât-take them offâ
Marcel did as told, watching her as he moved his fingers in circular motions, breathing deeply as she kissed along his jaw and removed his shirt. He took his time as he continued to kiss focusing on her breasts feeling her arch her back slightly
Â
âI canât, please...nowâ she whimpered âpleaseâ
 âAre you sure ?â
âYesâ she nodded âIâve been been so sure of something before, yesâ
He kissed her deeply as he guided himself into her and thrusted in slowly, feeling her nails dig into his shoulder blades âIs it okay ?â
âPerfectâ she nodded as she hands caressed his face âSo perfect, I...I had forgotten how good you feel, how this feelsâ
 Marcel gave a soft grin as he kissed her once again and picked up the pace, holding one hip with his hand as he found a perfect rhythm not keeping his eyes off of hers
 She cradled his face and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips arching her back off the mattress and into his body as far as she could feeling the need getting closer and closer
 âIâm so close, so fucking closeâ
âFuck you feel so goodâ he moaned as he swallowed a deep gulp âEvery part of you feels amazing, god I missed you so fucking much Maya, so muchâ
 âMarcel...I canât hold, I canâtâ she whimpered as she felt his hot breath in the crook of her neck
He pulled out slightly and pushed back in giving a few more hard thrusts as he picked up the pace and felt her walls clench against him
Â
âFuckâŠ.â she cried out as she came with him wrapping her arms around neck, riding out what was left of their orgasm with himÂ
Marcel collapsed on top of her as he felt her chest rise up and down, her fingers gently playing with his hair
âYou okay ?â she asked softly as she lazily kissed his forehead
âIâve never ever been betterâ he lifted his chin and looked into her eyes âI havenât felt like this in a long long timeâ
âNeither have Iâ she admitted with a smile âJust like old timesâŠ.â
Marcel blushed at the memories âYou mean when we almost got caught by my brother at my mothers house ?â
âAnd just like that the romance is once again goneâ Maya chuckled as she sat up and pulled the sheet up to cover herselfÂ
Marcel laughed as he held her hand in his and kissed it âNow, donât call me cheesy butâŠ.will you be my girlfriend...again ?â
âAfter an orgasm like that ? Of courseâ she joked as she kissed âBut honestly, yes. I would love toâ
He let out a sigh of relief as he kissed her back âThings are gonna be good, I promise you thatâ
Â
 âNo promisesâ she whispered against his lips âLetâs take it day by day, no pressures no nothing. Just us being togetherâ. She cuddled up against his chest, listening to his heart beat as she dozed back to sleep in his hold
*****
âTim, this is my girlfriend Alliâ Eli grinned as he introduced them âBaby, this is Timâ
âIâm loner dude Timâ he said as he offered his hand with a small grin, retracting it when he received a stare back
 âYouâll have to excuse herâŠwomen sticking together and that whole thingâ he whispered lowly as he sat with him
Â
 âMay I offer you something to drink as dinner gets closer to being ready ?â Alli asked âWater, Coffee, tea, soda...a condomâ she muttered under her breath
Â
âAlli...â Eli looked up at her âCome on, the guy knows he messed up letâs let him not feel like crap for a bitâ
  âI wanna hear it all, all of it. Not one detail left behindâ she scowled as she set the table âCome eatâ
Tim sighed as he got up and sat and told them everything, everything from how to they had met to their first fight, to finding out the truth and to the previous night
Â
âBack together I seeâ Tim nodded âWell thatâs perfectly fine, itâs their rightâ
âIâm gonna um load the dish washerâ Alli grinned as she got up quickly and left to the kitchen, Eli following shortly behind her
Â
âBe right back manâ he coughed leaving his phone behind on the table
Tim looked around as he picked up the phone and unlocked it easily with Eliâs birthday, sure it was wrong as hell but curiosity had gotten the best of him. He quickly went to the instagram app and looked up Marcelâs profile, shaking his head when he saw everyone comment
@candicelerae omg love birds ! I canât handle the cuteness, double date soon please đ
@thejohnnygargano what she saidđđ», also u 2 make me wanna puke (in a good way)
@indihartwell my other mom and dad, so cute đ
@fabian.aichnerwwe so I take it youâre gonna take his gym pics now ?
@wwestardestroyer I swear if you guys donât get a damn room already đ€źđ€źđ€ź
âJerksâ Tim muttered as he put the phone down and crossed his arms. Perhaps this was the end of good things for him, or maybe just this once heâd get out of his own shell and go for it.Â
Timothy Thatcher x Female Reader
Rating: E
Word Count: 484
Warnings: Angsty Fluff, but itâs happy. Nothing much, just a hard headed Timothy.
Summary: Tim learns how to say âI love youâ.
Inspired by Sufjan Stevensâ song, Futile Devices.
Timothy Thatcher x Female Reader
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 584
Warnings: Fluff and more fluff.
Summary: *Wedding bells plays in the distance*
A/N: I wasnât planning on writing something else but some sweet people asked for it and the idea ended up coming. Hope you guys like it! Oh, this is the song mentioned in it.
Pt.01 | Pt.02Â | Pt.03
Timothy Thatcher x Female Reader (Mentioned Fabian Aichner x Female Reader)
Rating: Mature (Minors DNI)
Word Count: 1390
Warnings: Angst, a whole lot of it, but with a smutty happy ending. The smut is mostly talked upon than acted on like the first part. Also, some cursing and name calling.
Summary: Reader and Tim sort their relationship out.
Inspired by Foalsâ song âGive It Allâ.
Pt.01
âStay with me.â
âTimâŠâ she whispers, voice so low it almost breaks. Her hands open and close, creasing the fabric of her old white âSchadenfreudeâ shirt, one that would always put a smile on Timâs face whenever she wore it.
âDoll, I know this is way beyond our agreement, but things havenât been the same for a while now and I think we should at least talk.â
âWhat do you want to talk about, Tim? You want me to stay with you for what? Do you want me to be your personal fuck toy?â
âIsnât it what you are to Fabian?â he notices he fucked up as soon as the words left his lips and her face changed completely.
âWow, Tim. Thatâ thatâs a new low I never thought I would get to.â her voice trembled, trying hard to not let the tears fall as she finally finished dressing herself.
âDoll please yoââ
âDonât fucking doll me, Timothy. Iâm a fool for thinking you would be different and more understanding.â
The sound of her slamming the doors on her way out echoed on his head for several days after.
Texts left unread, calls left unanswered. She wasnât there when he visited the boysâ apartment, she wasnât there on their drinking nights after NXT shows, she had completely vanished from his life.
He had no news from her for weeks, so one day, during a sparring match with Fabian, Tim got a little courageous and asked about her.
âSheâs fine. We ended things, you know. I mean, weâre still friends and we still talk, she has been a little busy but is doing alright.â Fabian tells him while they engage in a headlock set. âWhy?â
âNothing. Just thought it was weird that she hasnât showed up in a while. You guys were always together.â
Fabian taps on Timâs arm, asking to be released. He sits with his legs crossed in front of the other man and sighs, scratching his neck. âTim, I know Iâm a little absent-minded sometimes and that I donât pay attention to many things but I know you guys were together. Took me a little while to figure it out though.â
âDude, Iâm so sorââ
The italian man laughs, reassuring his friend. âItâs fine, Tim. We were never officially together and we always saw other people. Well, mostly I did. She barely hooked up with anyone else, even if, you know, the whole open thing was our agreement. And Iâm not going to lie but Iâm glad we ended it because of you. Sheâs an incredible person and deserves the best, deserves better than I could ever give her.â
âI fucked up, didnât I?â
âYou did⊠Iâve never seen her so into someone like she is, or was, with you. And I donât know what youâve said to her but I also have never seen her so hurt. You should go and talk to her.â
Tim grimaced at his friend's revelations, wondering what he could do to make things right. âI donât think she wants to see me again.â
âLook, I shouldnât be giving you all this info since you stole my fuck buddy,â Fabian laughs at the situation âbut as you might know, tuesdays are her days off, and usually, she likes to have a lazy day. By this time sheâs probably back from her yoga and errands and is definitely watching some TV show. She likes crunchy chocolate, twix in particular. Just go and talk to her.â
The 40 minute drive from the gym to her place was done in 20. Timâs mind was in overdrive, training for the speech he was going to give when he finally saw her.
It was in vain. The words were forgotten as soon as she opened the door.
âI brought these for you.â Tim says a little louder than usual as he handed her the bag of chocolates, showing how anxious he was.
âI donât want to talk to you, Tim. You really think you can buy me with fucking chocolate?â
âDoll, please. You donât have to forgive me, just hear me out.â
She opened the door to wordlessly let Tim in. Standing in the middle of her living room for what felt like hours while Tim mumbled and faltered, she finally lost her patience. âGo on, Tim. Spill it.â
âIâm trying, doll, I really am. But I donât even know where to begin with.â
She laughed at his demeanour, her hands running over her hair, tying it up in a bun, a clear sign of how nervous she was. âFine, Tim. Iâll start. I love you, I love you and itâs not even hard for me to say it. That first moment I saw you, right when you walked in Marcel's living room, I felt something, a connection or whatever you want to call it that Iâve never felt with anyone else, and Iâve had my fair share of partners, Tim. But the moment I saw you I knew there was something different. I love you, and notice I say this in present tense, because even with your bullshit, even with you insulting me, I still love you.â The tears that were at bay finally started to spill, silently. âYou took the one thing that made me self-conscious, the one thing that made me worry about⊠that I would be just some easy fuck for you. What Fabian and I had was a mutual agreement, and I justâ it hurt me, Tim.â
She sat down on the couch, holding her face in her hands in an attempt to muffle her cries. Tim quickly sat down, pulling her into his lap, cradling her. They stayed like that for a few minutes, the only sounds in the room were the ones from her cries, the kisses that he left on the top of her head, and the occasional mumbled âIâm sorryâ. He only pulled back when she stopped crying.
âHey, look at me, doll. Câmon.â Tim cleaned her face, gently wiping the tears with his fingers and kissed her forehead before starting again. âI am incredibly sorry. I know I shouldnât have said what I did, and you have no idea of how much I hate myself for saying it. I had been bottling my feelings for you and I hated that at the end of the day, it all came back to Fabian - on both of our sides - so I made that stupid joke. I am so, so sorry. Everything youâve said about seeing each other for the first time, they happened to me too. I love you and you have no idea of how much I do. It scared me at first and most of the time, I didnât even know what to do with that love. That day I asked you to stay, it was just me trying to act on it. Iâm not going to deny, but you saying I saw you as a âsex toyâ hurt me, and the way I acted is in no way your fault, I just want to be honest with you. Now, how about we start again?â
She smiled at him and nodded âOkay.â
âHi, Iâm Tim. Itâs a pleasure to meet you.â
âHi, Tim.â
She leaned in and kissed him. The flame never left and they knew exactly how to awaken it. Neck bites, hair pulling, her grinding her warm core on his hardening length, and sweet dirty nothings whispered on the otherâs ears. Their connection was the exact same.
They loved themselves that day. They loved themselves on that couch, on the kitchen counter, between her soft silk sheets, and against the balconyâs door. She had lost count of how many times he made her cum with his tongue as they loved each other beneath her strong, hot shower.
It was late at night when they finally stopped, worn out.
Tim stared at her from the kitchen counter as she cooked, a simple black t-shirt adorning her figure, making him smile every time she lifted one arm and her butt cheeks peaked out.
They ate in silence, his hand constantly caressing her bare thigh, occasionally exchanging little pecks between their lips.
He insisted on cleaning, and she popped the question right when he sat the last plate down.
 Maya sighed as she sat in the and leaned her head back against the headrest âWhy did you lean in to kiss me ?â she finally asked
Â
 âI just felt the moment was right, you held my hand on your own and I thought maybe it was a good idea. Iâm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, I just did what I felt was right in the momentâ he explained âI apologize, I really do. I would never wanna make you feel like it was forcedâ
 âDonât do it againâ she said softly âNow hurry up so you can drive me home and we can both change, you got your outfit ?â
 âYeah, just um a black long sleeve button up and black pants, that okay ?â Marcel asked
âPerfectâ she grins as they got out âAlso feel free to loosen up tonight, I can handle my drinkingâ
He raised a brow as he pulled in and followed âDo I need to remind you about what happened in Berlin ?â
  Maya widened her eyes as she blushed and shot him a look âYou said youâd never bring it up, so donât start nowâ
 âSorry but you causing world war 3 at a club at 2 in the morning that led to us running through the back door isnât exactly a small thingâ he laughed as he brought his bag in âIâm not even drunk ! Iâm fine, letâs go dance !â he mocked in her voice âand then suddenly a fight about who knows what and bam weâre in a taxi. How you werenât some kind of fighter in your life still shocks meâ
 âI felt like itâ she shrugged âshe insinuated my Cartier bracelets were fake so I let her have it, period. Oh yeah and she hit on you right in front of me, she deserved itâ
He laughed, shaking his head âhow about none of that tonight ? Just fun, enjoy yourself with your friends and celebrate your coverâ
âI invited Fabianâ she blurted out, taking out her curling iron to touch up her hair âhe said heâs coming, I gave security his nameâ
  Marcel nodded as she took off his t shirt and ironed his shirt âThatâs cool, glad he can make itâ
âIf you two donât say sorry and make up tonight I swearâ she groaned. Yeah they had been friends for a little over half a year but that didnât mean him and Fabian were back together. Those two were like a married couple and seeing him without Fabian made her sad, he wasnât the same without him and it killed her inside
 âI canât promise anything but if heâs there obviously he knows Iâm going to be as well so who knowsâ Marcel admitted as he fixed his hair
 âLay off the gel, you look you belong back in Germany in some grade school with this haircutâ she laughed fixing her eye shadow âPlus itâs gonna be hot in thereâ
    âThen Iâll take my shirt off,â he smirked. âI think some girls there would really like to see that, don't you think ?â
 Maya rolled her eyes, going into her closet and picking out a body con sequin dress, something to make her stand out from the others. She wanted to be absolutely sure she looked better than anyone else there, especially after what Tim had told her. Tim. As if that Dickies wearing, missing tooth asshole knew anything about fashion she shook her head. âNo one cares Maya, he doesnât matter at allâ she repeated in her head turning and widening her eyes as she saw Marcel changing
   âWow...wowâ she muttered quietly as she hid behind her closet door and peaked, taking a look at his perfectly tan body and abs, watching him check himself out in the mirror while buttoning up his shirt. He had to me the most vain individual she had ever met yet there she was hiding so she could admire him from afar. Her, the actual model, hiding in a damn closet to stare at him of all people. She quickly snapped out of her own thoughts and changed, putting on her heels as she walked out
 âAlright all-â Marcel stopped speaking, practically stopping his breathing when he saw her
âHeyâ Maya grinned softly as she saw his face
âMayaâŠ.IâŠ.â he took a moment to think clearly about what he wished to say, not wanting to make himself seem even dumber than he already didÂ
âI-wowâ he chuckled out finally as he put his hands in his pocketsÂ
âYou...you look beautiful, stunningâ
 âMarcel, youâve seen me in dresses but thank youâ she giggledÂ
 âYouâre the most beautiful girl Iâve seen, everâ he said sincerely âyou look beautiful every single day but tonight is just wowâ
She looked at him, trying her best to keep her look calm and friendly but part of her wanted to jump him right then and there. âCome on, letâs get going itâs lateâ she grinned as she went back out with him to the car and allowed him to take a picture of them to post
******
 âSo now explainâ Johnny said as he sat with Tim in the living room of his home âwhy exactly did you um...snap ?â
 âI did not snapâ Tim responded calmly as he pet their dog PawdmeÂ
âI...words didnât come out as well as I hoped okay, thatâs allâ
 âUm...you went to college right ? like graduated, correct ?â he asked
Tim nodded as he gave a confused look âuh yeah, I uh have a degree in Journalism, worked at a newspaper company for years. Actuallyâ he chuckled âwhen we met in evolve I was stil- wait what does this have to do with anything ?â
    âSo youâre telling me youâre college educated with a degree in JOURNALISM of all things, like as in good with words and writing yet you don't know how to speak to a woman !â Johnny exclaimed âYou legit use big ass words and write pages yet when a girl clearly is giving the whole âtake me in the back seat of your car nowâ eyes you insult and demean ?â
âJohnny, enoughâ Candice spoke up âHe gets the point, clearly heâs upset and madâ
âThanksâ Tim nodded, âand to answer all your questions, yes, I get it. I acted like a moron and well here I am trying to think of ways to apologize once again and convince her I want her with meâ
 Â
âWell we can all talk about this tomorrow, we got somewhere to goâ Johnny stood up dressed in a button up and black jeans along with Candice in a black dress
 âA funeral ?â Tim asked confused as he looked at both of them âsorry for your loss, whomever it may beâ
 Candice let out a soft sigh as he looked at Johnny and nodded towards Tim with her head âtell himâŠâ
âOkay, first itâs âJohnny, shut up!â and now itâs âtell himâ he mocked in her voice as he put his hands on his hips and looked up at TimÂ
âWeâreâŠ..weâre going to Mayaâs cover launch party, she invited us a month ago and well we RSVPâd and honestly I wonât lie, it looks like a lot of fun, man. She rented out the entire club. It's at EVE and I mean we donât get to do shit like this, itâs the best club in the city and weâre on the list and I feel special alright ?â
 âWait wait, what ?â Tim asked bewildered âYou two are going ? Like actually going ? This isnât some sick joke right because if it is I got prankedâ he put his hands up âthe act can stop now, I get itâ
Johnny and Candice looked at each other as they both turned and gave him a sorry look as Candiceâs phone buzzed âsorry Tim...we gotta go now, Oneyâs waiting with Joanneâ
 Tim scoffed as he nodded and opened the door, catching Oney about to knock âI know, donât even try to explainâ he said as he shut him up before he could even speak
 âWell damnâ Oney shot him a look âGuess that means, you donât wanna be my plus oneâŠ.â
âWhat ?â the other 3 asked in unison as they looked at him
âJoanne canât make it, she has work so that leaves me with a plus oneâ he showed the message âMaya never said I couldnât bring Timâ he gave a shrug
âWaitâŠ. He canât go like thatâ Candice emphasized âbabe quick, go look for a bigger shirt and Oney, switch pants with Tim and Johnny will give you another pairâŠ..NOW !â she raised her voice at the 3 of them as she watched them scurry and go to her bedroom
    âWow, who knew you could clean up so nicelyâ Johnny smirked âlet me do your hair now, you canât go out looking nicely dressed with messy hair, oh and cologne, you gotta smell good in case â
âYouâre not serious ?â Tim asked
âYou want her to see you looking good right ? So listen to me, if you look good and smell good sheâll like fall in love with you, she wonât even remember you insinuated her work was cheap, or that bikini models are whores or that-â Johnny gulped when he saw him glare at him âhere just..just add a little gel and um see you downstairs, hurry upâ
 Oney chuckled as he watched him get ready âIf this doesnât work, then I donât know. Not gonna lie you lookâŠ.nice. You really do, this is probably what she wanted to seeâ
Â
 âWhateverâ Tim shrugged as he finished buttoning up the shirt âI just wanna talk to her thatâs all, talk to her and get this settled and weâll go from thereâ he nodded as he followed him back to Candice and Johnnyâs Uber and sat downÂ
  âWowâ Candice grinned âlook at you, I mean it. You clean up so nicely Tim, you really doâ
âThank youâ Tim said softly as he gave her a small grin. âHow the hell did I get myself into this ?â he thought to himself. None of this was him, he could feel the sweat start to build up in his arm pits as he moved around in his seat lifting his head up when Oney offered him a mini bottle of Patron
âA roadie, to loosen up before we get there. You could use it, need a chaser ?â he offered some seltzer water widening his eyes as he watched him chug it down in one gulp
 âGive me another, nowâ Tim nodded as he reached out his hand, taking the second bottle and downing it âthere, much much betterâ. No not really all that better but at least it calmed his nerves slightly as he watched them pull up to the club. He looked through the crowd to see who he recognized, some were definitely other models but lots were from work. She really had invited everyone but him, not like he expected it anyways.
    âRemember, leave no later than 3â Candice said as they got out and reapplied her lipgloss âJesus, sheâs popular look at all these peopleâ
 âYou donât sayâ Johnny looked around âAnd she invited US, that means she really does like us and thinks of us as friends. Sheâs SO niceâ
âShe is. She really is somethingâ Tim whispered to himself as he stood with them
************
âI love seeing you two so happy and together !â Maya smiled a little tipsy already as she put her arms around Fabian and Marcelâs shouldersÂ
âThe two besties are back together ! You can go back to taking your little sexy shirtless gym pictures now !â
Â
 Fabian chuckled âwell thank you I think ? Thanks for inviting me againâ
âYeah yeah of course, anything to get you two back togetherâ she sipped her martini, feeling slightly buzzed as she sat next to Marcel and put her hand on his thigh âoh my god, you look so cute tonight I canât believe I didnât tell you alreadyâ she pouted
 Marcel chuckled as he placed her hand back on her lap gently âThank you, youâre telling me now and to me thatâs all that mattersâ
âMaya maybe, maybe we can stop the martiniâs for a bitâ Fabian suggested as he motioned for the waitress to come over and order them waters with lemon
 âWhat a complete party pooper, I thought Italians were supposed to be fun. This is NOT how Jersey Shore made it seemâ she rolled her eyes, pulling out her compact to look herself over as she watched Fabian just laugh at her
 âHey... still very very pretty,â Marcel grinned as he closed it for her. âThereâs no need to keep looking at yourself when you look perfect, now have some water so you can sober up a bit and enjoy your night. Everyoneâs here for youâ
 Maya stood up and fixed her dress when she saw Candice walk towards her âhey, oh my gosh you look beautiful !â She gave her a hug and smiled, tilting her head when she saw Johnny take a selfie with her custom cake âwhy...why is he ?â
 âListen heâs telling everyone we know heâs at a celebrity party and how youâre his friend, heâs truly living it upâ she admits with a chuckle
 âI just...I like how you guys came, you two are so kind and nice and to be honest I kinda like you guys here more than the others my agent made me inviteâ she smiled softly âCan I offer you a drink ?â
 âOh yeah sure, Iâd love one of those fruity ones youâre havingâ Candice grinned as she walked over to the bar with her âListen before we enjoy the night, I have to tell you that Oneyâs girlfriend couldnât make it so...so he brought Timâ
    âWhat ?â she spat out her water âHeâs here ? As in right now ? Candice what the hell ? After what happened earlier ?â
Candice sighed as she took her drink in one sitting and got up âLong story short he feels horrible and wants to talk to you, really talk to you. 100% serious this time, no insults nothing so when youâre ready you let me know and Iâm getting you two together to talk even if itâs the last fucking thing I doâ she nods
 âI just wanna enjoy my night and maybe when Iâm a little more drunk so I can let his ass know everything Iâve been feelingâ Maya nodded as she cheered her and took what she believed was her 15th shot of the nightÂ
    âSo are those real ?â Candice asked as she pointed to her revealing dress âbecause they look real but they also look way too perfect to be realâ
Maya laughed as she touched her shoulder with her arm âThey are, but did you drink before getting here ?â
 âMay have had a couple roadiesâ she admits as they continued to drink together, getting rowdier once everyone else came to join
 âLetâs give it up for Maya !â Johnny yelled as he raised his champagne glass âMY friend is a model and sheâs on an ACTUAL magazine and on a billboard !â
 âTo me ! For being really fucking pretty and having an amazing body !â Maya exclaimed drunkenly as she leaned on Marcel
    âAnd with REAL boobs !â Candice added as they all cheered together and moved to the dance floor as the DJ played a playlist of mid 2000âs songs
Everything was great, perfect actually until Oney spotted Tim talking to a girl, a little too close for comfort in his eyes as he left and sat down keeping a close eye on him
 âSo what brings you here, do you know Maya ?â the girl asked Tim as she grinned and sat too close to him at the bar
 âIn a way yeah, you ?â he nodded trying his best to keep up straight as the alcohol from the car ride and the beers he had consumed were beginning to hit him
 âwell she won this cover over me. Some thing about brunettes over blondes, Kara by the wayâ she reached her hand out âand you are ?â
âTimâ he responded as he turned around and faced her, looking her up and down as he raised a brow at the less than favorable red number she had on âdrink ?â
    âVodka sodaâ she smirked as she ordered âoh is this your friend ?â
âWhat ?â Tim asked confused as he turned and saw Oney with crossed arms standing behind him
 âYouâre drunk, come with meâ
âHeâs fine with meâ Kara smiled sweetly âDonât worry, your friend is perfect with me hereâ
âTimâŠ.â
âIâm fineâ Tim shrugged âYou go and continue being stupid, Iâm fine here with herâ
Oney shook his head and sighed as he left him alone and went back as he sat down on a couch and watched
 Maya pulled Marcel close to her as she turned around against him, moving to the beat of the music as she felt him move with her, putting his hands on her hips both swaying to the old Ice Cube song that played loudly in the club. They had gone to multiple clubs in the past and danced to way too many songs but this time something was different and they both felt it
Â
  Marcel felt the jolts in his body as he touched her hips and felt her backside press right against his groin area. Gulping to get rid of what felt like a ball stuck in his throat he made sure to keep his hands there as they moved
 âYou good ?â she asked not realizing what was even going on with him as she looked up
âAll good, we can keep goingâ he nodded
He was positive his once black shirt was now soaking and see through with sweat as he tried his best to make sure he didnât get hard as he squeezed her sides every so slightly. As he heard the song end and change to what he recalled was an old Lil Jon song, he groaned feeling her move quicker. Part of him felt like it was best to just leave to the car and handle what he needed to do but the other part said he needed to be composed for her. All that went out the window the second he looked down and saw her dress slowly ride up as she moved lower and lower
 âI...I gotta go to the bathroomâ he blurted out as he turned her around and saw her eyes, he knew better than anyone what that look meant
  âWeâŠ.we should go to the bathroomâ she whispered as she laced his fingers with hers and leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth gently
  Marcel shuddered as he looked around and noticed everyone too busy to even notice them gone, he quickly took her hand and rushed to the nearest bathroom with her as he pushed her against the wall and crashed his lips onto hers, moving his hands up and down her hips as he moved down to kiss her neck feeling one of her hands on the back of his neck and the other immediately trying to undo his belt
 âNot...not hereâ he whispered as he stopped her hands and held them in his as he kissed each of them âThis...this is cheap, I donât want it like this with you. You deserve moreâ
âMy placeâ she kissed his lips again not wanting them away from hers any longer âYou and me, my place. I want you, I need you Marcelâ
Marcel looked in her eyes trying to see any doubt , going with his gut as he nodded and walked with her, hitting a stall with his shoulder
âBusyâ a female voice groaned âum really busyâ
  âSorryâ Marcel apologized quickly, cursing as Maya tripped against him causing him to fall against the unlocked door, widening his eyes at the view in front of him
 âWhatâs going-â Maya stopped speaking immediately as she felt her heart drop to her stomach as she saw Tim entangled with a girl doing way more than kissing. She felt her legs turn into jelly as she watched him kiss and move her against him, at her party of all places.
  Tim heard her voice and immediately opened his eyes as he pushed Kara off and fixed his pants and shirt âMaya ! NoâŠ..No listen I-Iâ he stuttered struggling to form a cohesive thought as he reached his hand towards her earning a hard punch across the nose and kick in the groin
âFuck that hurt !â he grimaced in pain not sure if he needed to grab his balls or nose
 âMarcel, why is she crying ? whatâs going on ?â Johnny asked concerned he watched Candice going after her âDid someone hurt her ? Tell me and Iâll knock them out !â
  âThat, thatâs whatâs going onâ Marcel said coldly as they both looked at Tim and Kara exit the bathroom both disheveled with Timâs more than obvious broken bleeding nose
âI told him to stopâ Oney spoke up âHe didnât listen, brushed me off. The second he saw me talk to Johnny is when he leftâ
 âIt wasnât your job to babysitâ Johnny answered disappointed as he stared âGrown men can take care of themselves, or so we thoughtâ
âYouâre not getting a foot near her !â Oney exclaimed, fed up âHow fucking dare you do this to her ? At her own fucking party ? Was this what you wanted all along ? To just come here and ruin her night ?â
Tim shook his head as he held his nose with his hand âIâŠ.I canâtâŠ.I canât even talk, where is she ? I need to talk to her nowâ
âYouâre getting you and your little prost-.....friend the hell out of here NOWâ Oney ordered
  Tim snarled as he felt her touch his hand âget the fuck away from meâ, scaring her enough as he watched her walk away quickly and hurried out the door. He looked at the guys and pleaded with his eyes as he watched them walk away from him
Marcel clenched his fists in anger as he calmed himself down for a second before walking quickly to the parking lot of the club searching around space by space as he found Candice consoling Maya on the pavement and rushed over
 âMaya, Maya come on letâs get you homeâ he said softly as he kneeled in front of her and dabbed her face full of mascara tears with his sleeve. His own heart breaking as he saw how devastated she looked. Nothing mattered more to him than making sure he got her home and safe
 âListen to Marcel, heâs gonna take you home sweetieâ Candice whispered as she helped her stand up as Johnny, Fabian and Oney joined them with sorry looks on their faces
âItâs briskâ Fabian said softly as he took off his suit jacket and put it over Mayaâs shoulders to cover her upÂ
âIâm gonna, Iâm gonna take her home now, is that okay Maya ?â Marcel asked as he pet her head gentlyÂ
Maya simply gave a small nod as her eyes stayed glued to the floor, her whole night and heart done for.
âOn a scale of 1-10, how badly are you hated right now at work ?â Maya asked
â100â Marcel chuckled as he winced slightly âTheyâre gonna be pretty happy when Oney tells them what he didâ
Â
âWhat about tweedle dee and tweedle dum ? Your bestiesâ she looked at him
âAlex and Fabian ?â he asked, confused. âif you are referring to them, they arenât speaking to me right now either. Nor is WalterâŠ.I have no friends currentlyâ
Maya gave him a sorry look as she patted his hand gently, even if he was an asshole she could tell this was affecting him. The once overly confident smirk and flirty eyes were now gone and covered by a dark bruise and permanent frown. She got up and picked up her food from the door as she set up things on her coffee table and handed him his plate âI feel so bad for you Iâll even let you pick what we watchâ
 Marcel gave a small grin as she stuffed a mouthful of orange chicken in his mouth and took the remote âIn that case weâre watching The Simpsonsâ
She groaned as she leaned her head back against the couch âYou and the damn Simpsons, but fine only because I feel bad for you and I love Lisa Simpsonâ
Â
 âStop lying Maya, I know you love it. We used to watch it all the time together, you would pretend youâd be asleep but Iâd catch you from the corner of my eyeâ He mentioned with a smile
Back when things were good, when they lived together in her apartment and nothing else mattered. When heâd drive off after training at the academy to catch her at a shoot or bring her flowers at the end of the day. Maybe just maybe there was time to mend things and make them right.
 Six months had gone by and to be honest, they had been great for the most part. Maya found herself getting more work opportunities, had moved into an actual home and her friendship with Marcel was getting better and better each day. Though every day that went by she thought about Tim and how he was doing, since that day at her old apartment she hadnât heard from him at all. She called, sent texts and left voicemails but never got a response back, quite frankly it broke her heart.Â
âHeâs upset and honestly when he gets like that thereâs no getting through to him, his mind is setâ Walter said softly as she facetimed with her âIf he wants to talk to you, heâll reach outâ
âItâs been a month !â Maya exclaimed âA whole month and nothing, I know he sees all the calls and texts. I just want to explain things, thatâs allâ
 âThen maybe you should take that as a hintâ he admits
âYeah...maybeâ she whispered quietly
She shook her head at the memory and arranged her clothes on her rack as she answered her phone âYouâre calling earlyâ
 Â
âI had to come early to the store and get your coverâ Marcel smiled âI wanted to be the first to get itâ
âThatâs very nice of youâ Maya grinned as she stepped outside and sat on her balcony âBut you do know you couldâve just asked me for one right ?â
 âWell yes but I wanted to support you, itâs not every day a friend of mine gets to be on the cover of a magazineâ he explained âI wanted to make sure I got one to document this momentâ
 âI like thatâ she chuckled âSince youâre such a fan, Iâll even sign it for youâ
Marcel laughed softly as he paid at the store and walked back to his car âI was about to ask that very question actuallyâ
âI would be more than happyâ she laughed âbut for now I gotta go, I still have loads of organizing to do and I wanna finish by tonight. Iâll call you laterâ
 âWell before you do, what do you say you come to a taping tomorrow ? I have a match and itâd be funâ he grins âI know the girls would love to see you, what do you say ?â
 Maya thought about it for a second as she leaned back on her chair and let out a soft sigh âOkay, sounds like a plan but one promiseâŠ..donât get hurtâ
âGood, I donât want my friend getting embarrassedâ she teasedÂ
 âI never do, and I especially wonât if youâre there watching meâ he responded back in a flirtatious way
  Â
In six months, they had established a nice connection again as friends, nothing more nothing less. But even she had to admit she pushed it a bit with him from time to time intentionally just to see his reactions. Little things here and there like brushing up against him, or grazing his hand with hers as they drove. The flirtiness was present with them and he knew it.
 âNeverâ he chuckled âBut um Iâm excited youâre coming, I know youâve been curious and honestly all the girls really wanna say hi. Youâre like a celebrity to themâ
  âWell tell them Iâll be there and I canât wait to see them. Thanks for the inviteâ she smiled âbut now I really have to finish fixing stuff here, have a good training sessionâ
 Marcel grinned as he hung up and got ready in the locker room at the performance center and went out to stretch as stayed in his own corner with his headphones on, taking them off when approached by a group of girls.
Â
 âI see heâs still popular with the ladiesâ Tim mentioned to Oney as they lifted together âcrazy how a pair of blue eyes and accent can drive grown women insaneâ
Oney gave a chuckle as he looked at him âTheyâre probably asking him if little miss model is coming tomorrow, her cover came out today and everyone went to get it this morningâ
 Tim whipped his head around as he put the weight down âM-maya ? Mayaâs coming here tomorrow ? And cover ? What cover ?â
Â
âFirst of all, relaxâ he answered as he sat on a bench âAnd to answer your questions yes, apparently I heard from Candice she got invited and is comingâ
 Tim nodded âThatâs fine, I donât care. I was just asking because it caught me off guard is allâ he shrugged âbut you mentioned cover ? What cover is she on ?â
 Â
Oney looked around as he went to the locker room with him and took a magazine out of his bag âThis oneâŠâ
Â
âWhat the hell are you doing with this ?â he snapped as he practically snatched it out of his hands âWhy are you even buying this ? You have a girlfriend, how is she gonna feel when she sees you have a magazine of my girl-..Maya in a very revealing cover ?â
Â
 âNumber oneâ Oney answered as he took it back âItâs for her, she wanted it to see if Maya can sign it, number 2 she was never your girlfriend you two legit just sucked faces a few times, and number 3 itâs called a bikini. Itâs Maxim magazine for crying out loudâ
 Â
Tim sighed at his explanation and sat back down, seeing her on the cover was the first time he had actually seen her since that time at her apartment when he confronted her. He kept his eyes on the cover as he took in her beauty and smile, he knew if they were together sheâd be blubbering excitedly in his ear about how cool it was and how much fun she had. He was brought back to his sad reality as he rubbed his shoulder and stood up âShe looks great okay, she does and I know she wasnât my girlfriend...I donât know why I even said that it was stupid of meâ
Â
 âJust talk to herâ he sighed âI know she fucked up but itâs not like she was gonna not tell you eventually, she got nervous. Iâm not defending her actions but you also ignored all her calls and texts. You even told me sheâd text and call you every day for a month straight, and you were a little sad puppy just isolating yourself. Sheâs coming tomorrow, thatâs your chanceâ
  âOkay and whoâs she coming with ? Marcel right ? Youâre trying to tell me in these 6 months we havenât spoken or seen each other, those two are just friends ? Yeah okay, totally logicalâ Tim rolled his eyes
Â
âI know theyâre friendsâ he answered âand you know it too, youâre the only guy he talks to right now. Alex and Fabian are still giving him the silent treatment since he tried to involve them in your whole spiel and well youâre kinda all he hasâŠ.so you know what to doâ
Â
 âOh yeah what ?â Tim asked begrudgingly
âPick his stupid big head apart, we both know heâs head empty and probably just thinks about ways to fix his hair or flex. You can outsmart himâ Oney smirked
 âI donât wanna do thatâ he shook his head âI guess if they want to try it again they canâ
âThen stop playing poor me and get over itâ Oney said back as he grabbed his things âYou donât want her fine, but quit acting like she didnât try and left you out in the dust.â
 âI know she didnâtâ he whispered quietly âI just...I wouldnât even know what to sayâ
âHmm maybe something like I donât know...Iâm sorry I never got back to you, I was upset and had every right to be but you also deserved a response and a chance at explaining yourself before I went silentâ Oney responded âthatâd be good for a startâ
 âIf we cross paths tomorrow, then yes Iâll say somethingâ Tim nodded as he grabbed his bag and left
________________________________________________________
âSo youâre sure itâs all good if I goâ Maya asked as Marcel drove them over the next day
âUm why wouldnât it be ? Iâve seen your phone light up every second, let me guess all the âare you coming ?â messages are coming in right ?â he chuckled
 âYesâ Maya laughed as she fixed her top âBut what am I gonna do while youâre busy ? Just stand there aloneâŠ.â
 âBelieve me you wonât be aloneâ he assured âThe girls will be all around youâ
Maya looked up at him as she gave a warm smile and patted his hand âThank you, I appreciate that a lot honestly. So tell me, did I wear the right outfit for this ?â
 Marcel looked over as he gulped slightly and held onto the steering wheel a bit tighter âyou look great, perfectâ. He glanced over when she was looking out the window and let out a soft sigh as he looked her up and down. Her black top flowed perfectly over her as he black leather mini skirt accentuated her thighs and torso, she truly looked gorgeous in every way. âWeâre hereâ he grinned as he parked and opened her her door for her
Â
Maya got out and fixed her skirt as she took off her sunglasses and grabbed her purse as she looked around and got herself mentally prepared. Her stomach was in knots as she walked next to Marcel who wore his signature tracksuit and assured her with a soft smile. Only 6 months ago she had slapped him and wished horrible things upon him here he was being a constant positive source in her life.
 âHi !â Indi smiled as she stepped in front her, startling her a bit
âIndi '' she said softly âI remember you DMâing meâŠ.how are you ? Congratulations on that title winâ
 âYou remember me !â Indi laughed as she took her hand in hers âoh my god, yeah yeah thank you come on, Candice and everyone else wants to say hello. Marcel can go get ready and do stuffâ
Â
She widened her eyes as she followed and looked back at Marcel who gave her a reassuring nod and grin âUm where are you taking me exactly ?â Maya asked timidly âI-I only really know of you and Candice honestlyâ
 Â
âAll the girls wanna meet youâ Indi smiled âOh by the way can you sign our covers, a bunch of us went to the store and got one, itâs so cool youâre on a magazine cover ! Did you feel nervous ? Was it like a big deal ? Pshh of course not right ? Youâre a model, but what was it like ?â
 Maya simply nodded as she took her to the makeup section and stared at her as she kept popping out question after question and smiled as she covered her mouth from laughing at how interested she was
âIndiâŠ.Indi ! Let her answer for crying out loudâ Candice rubbed her temples âYou canât ask 20 questions all at once, look at her sheâs flusteredâ
Â
âItâs all goodâ she grinned as she signed Indiâs cover for her âthere you go, and to answer your questions yes I was nervous and it was kind of a big deal but definitely nowhere was cool as what you guys do here. I canât wait to watchâ
 âJohnnyâŠ.Johnny wants this signedâ Candice said softly âNot gonna lie my husband has a slight crush on you and well I do tooâ
Maya chuckled âwell Iâm flattered such an attractive couple likes me, but youâre the one I wanna be '' she grinned âyouâre a total badass Candiceâ.Â
She continued to chat with everyone as she sat and made small talk, raising a brow when Oney beckoned her over
 âUm..hi ?â she said confused as she stood in front of him âWhatâs up ?â
âMy girlfriend wants a magazine signed, you um mind ?â Oney asked with a grin
âSure thingâŠâ she answered as she relaxed
âAw man I forgot a marker, I got one in my bag. Do you mind coming with me ? Iâm such a dumb assâ
Maya nodded âyeah of course, um listen I just wanted to say...Youâre a good friend to Tim. I know what you did that time and while yeah maybe getting physical wasnât right you did it for your friend and that says a lot about you. Youâre a good person and I just-â she yelped as he pushed her in the locker room and shut the door âWhat kind of sick game is this ? You fucking asshole, you better unlock this door !â she banged with her fist âItâs not funny Oney ! Is this some weird initiation ? I know people !â
  Tim raised a brow as he looked up from the sink and turned around towards the locker room âwhatâs going on here ?â. He stopped dead in his tracks as he realized it was her, there she was within feet of him as he widened his eyes and looked around âWh-whatâs going ? Why are you here ?â
 Maya gulped as she tried looking away from him, she had seen him without a shirt before but this was way different. He stood in front of her looking huge with only trunks and his wrestling boots on looking as chiseled as ever as he continued to step closer
 âNo...he didnât ?â Tim groaned as he realized Oneyâs plan âHe did didnât he?â
 âHe sure as fuck didâ Maya answered with a sigh âBut um nice to see you, I like your pants...â she said, rolling her eyes when she received a straight face back âJesus, lighten up a littleâ
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Tim showed no emotion as he went straight to the door as he hit it with hand âOpen up, I have a match tonight. Itâs not funny, I need to warm up properlyâ
 âNope, talkâ Oney answered back âIf you donât talk Iâll lie and say you puked and youâll be off tv for a week, so talk nowâ
 He shook his head as he heard Oney and let out a frustrated sigh as he sat down and stretched âHiâ Tim finally said after what seemed like hours of silence
 âOh he speaksâ Maya said with fake surprise as she looked up from her phone âWow, what a shockâ
 âSeriously ? Are you gonna be like this ?â he sighed getting up
âLetâs just fake some conversation so we can get out of here, I donât wanna miss Marcelâs segmentâ she whispered so Oney wouldnât hear
 Â
Marcel, always Marcel. First time he had seen her in 6 months and Marcel was still there and probably going to be that prince charming who was always there to save her from him. Tim gave a short nod as he grabbed his ring jacket
 âIâm sorry I never let you explain yourself and acted the way I did. You deserved better, way better than what I did. You lied butâŠ..but you did it so I wouldnât get hurtâ he spoke in a softer tone âand that night at your apartment I was rude and I didnât let you explain yourself and I hurt your feelings and made you cry and itâs the last thing I wanted to do to you. Iâm sorry Maya, I amâ
 Maya let out a small sigh and nodded âI appreciate that, thank you. Iâm sorry I lied, the second the incident with Walter happened I shouldâve let you know about everything. I messed up Tim, I really didâ.
She gave a small grin as she looked back at the door âI think you heard it all Oneyâ
They both chuckled as the door opened and saw Oney give a smirk âSo will I be a groomsman at the wedding ?â
 Â
Tim turned bright red as he grabbed his jacket âI swear if you donât quit itâ
Maya bit her lip to keep her from laughing and stepped in between them âI need to go, TimâŠ.you have my numberâ she winked as she walked out not realizing Marcel standing with a concerned look on his face âItâs not what you think, Oneyâs a dumb ass and pulled a parent trap level idea on us. Itâs all goodâ
 âOhâ he let out a sigh of relief as he held her hand in his absentmindedly âI got worried about youâ
She gave a soft smile as she traced her thumb over his knuckles âLetâs go so I can watch your segment, I donât wanna miss itâ
 âAnd you win award for ultimate dumb assâ Oney muttered as they watched it all go down âI did that so you could tell her how you felt and ask her out officially but noo you wasted 20 minutes and stayed silent so now sheâs all lovey dovey with Marcelâ
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âWhateverâ Tim rolled his eyes as he laced up his boots and sighed walking behind them as he clenched his jaw. The pit in his stomach grew more and more as he watched how close they were, how she looked up at him with a look of adoration. How he held her hand and would hold it up to his chest whenever he said some romantic bullshit sheâd laugh at. He was being genuine but god did he hate seeing him with her in this setting.
  âIâll be finished in a bit then we can get goingâ Marcel grinned as he let go of her hand âShouldnât be too long, enjoy the showâ he said softly as he went in for a kiss
Maya panicked on the inside as she watched him slowly puckered his lips and gently moved her face forward giving him a quick peck as she leaned back and heard his entrance music âth-thatâs you, you gotta go nowâŠ.nowâ
 Marcel looked at her with a blushed cheeks as he blinked back to reality and nodded with a cough âBe back in a bit enjoyâ
 âYou didnât wanna kiss himâ Tim said as he stood closely behind her âYou leaned forward because you didnât wanna leave him hanging thereâ
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 âMaybeâŠ.maybe I just wanted to kiss him when we were alone...in a much more private settingâ she said back as she faced him
 Tim let out a chuckle as shook his head trying his hardest not to show jealousy âalright, I can see thatâ
She smirked as she looked him up and down âWhatâs the matter ? Cat got your tongue ?â. Seeing him slightly riled up was something she enjoyed, she knew it meant he still liked her or at least thought of her in some sense.
 âWhat are you doing tonight ?â Tim asked with a change in his tone as he removed his jacket âLet me guess some dumb celebration at a club over your little cover shoot which by the way, bathing suit shoots are extremely over done. Iâm sorry you had to stoop down back to that kind of thingâ
 âExcuse me ?â Maya said a bit louder than expected âWhatâs that supposed to mean ?â
âExactly what I saidâ he answered back simply as he looked at her as people began to notice them arguing. Part of him knew this wasnât gonna end well but he needed to let out that anger he still had in him to make sure he could fully move on
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 âIs-Is everything okay ?â Candice grinned as she stepped in and looked between both of them
âPerfectly fineâ Maya answered back with a grin âTimâs just grumpy he has to have a match, you know old athletes and their aches. But then again itâs said men in their 40âs get all moody and geriatric basically. Now if you donât mind me, Iâve got plans tonightâ she smiled sweetly as she walked away and waited for Marcel at the ramp, holding his hand in hers as she walked off with himÂ
  âYou deserved that and way moreâ Oney snickered as he sat in a chair âshe fucking called you old, and basically implied sheâs gonna fuck Marcel tonight. I canât even be upset with you, she wonâ, his face immediately going into concern as Tim turned his head around at him and gave him a snarl âDown boy, down. Youâre the one who insulted her so she got you back 10 fold, seriously where did you learn how to flirt because that whole thing was a messâ
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âYou are so stupid, incredibly stupidâ Candice shook her head âI-I, what even was that ? I thought you were finally gonna ask her out and end this. Jesus remind me not to piss you off, you go for blood right away Thatcher. But I gotta say...she hit you worse. Your face went into the puppy dog expression the second she clapped back.â
 âI get it !â Tim snapped âEnough already ! I fucked up once again, now just let me have this match in peace so I can go home. You both suck at helping me feel better you knowâ
âThen stop acting like a self entitled bratâ Candice snapped back âBe an adult and tell her how you feel or let it be. Be the 38 year old man you are and go tell her you wanna be with her damn itâ
âI will send her a textâ Tim nodded as he stretchedÂ
âNO !â Johnny exclaimed as he heard enough and stepped forward âYou go find her in person and you just lay your little black heart out to her, tell her how you feel straight off the bat and then...then go from thereâ
âAgreedâ Oney nodded âWeâre past texts and calls, she needs actions....which by the way hopefully you donât interrupt any action theyâre gettingâ
âONEY !â Candice and Indi exclaimed âNot helping at all !â
âI will go to her place, thank you for your help...I think ?â Tim answered with a simple nod
âBut remember, allâs fair in war and loveâ Johnny nodded
âLove and war babe, love and war. But good effortâ Candice corrected him as she gave Tim a reassuring smileÂ
Tim gave small grin as he shook his head and walked away to finish warming up on his own. He was in way deeper than he thought....fuck.
Maya got ready at her shoot as she looked at herself in the mirror and scrolled through her instagram feed to let time pass, searching Timâs name in the search bar as she looked through as raised a brow at how many fans adored him and posted pictures with him and events
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âWell damn, heâs wantedâ she nodded impressed as she continued to read captions, not understanding most of them since they were in German, raising a brow as she saw heart emojis on captions âToo bad heâs mineâ. She grinned as she saw more and more from men she assumed were his friends always talking about how respectful and hardworking he was in the business
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She sat up startled from her lurking when she heard a familiar voice and sighed âAre you kidding me ? What the hell are you doing here ? This is a private shootâ
 Â
Marcel sighed as he stepped through and thanked the security guard âI saw you on the same companyâs page who works hair and makeup for NXT, I put 2 and 2 together when I saw their stories and you happened to be tagged. I know, itâs very stalker of meâ
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 âExtremelyâ she answered sternly as she covered herself in her robe âwho does that ? This is my job you psycho. Once again, head empty no thoughts in that pretty big ass head of yoursâ
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 âI donât even know what that meansâ He admitted quietly as he stood in shame in front of her âare-are you calling me stupid ?â
Maya let out a breath as she shook her head âKind of, now tell me why youâre here ?â she asked as she got touched up âand make it quick preferably, this is my work rememberâ
 Â
 âWhatâs this I heard about Tim insulting you ? Why didnât you tell me when it happened ? Iâm gonna assume thatâs why you were crying the other day at the store ?â he asked, giving a small nod when he saw her face look down at the floor âand yes, Walter told me everything so donât worry you donât need to go into details I just wanna know if youâre okayâ
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âI am fine, weâre all goodâ she nodded âIâm going to see him tomorrow, he has a match and he invited meâ
 âWhat ?â he whispered as he looked up at her ây-youâre gonna go see him ? After what he did ?â. Marcel knew how much wrestling meant to him, how much he prided himself in his work. He knew Tim inviting Maya over was a big step for him in how he felt about her.
 âAbsolutely I am, I wanna see him wrestle and how he is in that environment. Iâm gonna assume youâre gonna be there too ?â Maya asked as they got her readyÂ
  âYeah, we have a match too and well chances are Timâs gonna introduce you to me so what are we gonna do ?â
She stiffened at his question and fixed her curls as she looked in the mirror as she slid off her robe revealing a one piece bathing suit with a deep plunge as she turned to look at him âIf you think Iâm gonna tell Tim that you and I had a 3 year long relationship then youâre dead wrong. No way I would ever tell him something like that at his workplace, so letâs get this straight alright ? Tomorrow you keep your mouth shut and you tell your little friends or whomever to not say a thing or Iâll have my other model friends put a word out that you guys like screwing around when youâre on the clockâ
     Marcel widened his eyes at her look and tone as he clenched his jaw âMaya I-â
âMaya nothingâ she snapped back âYou really think I didnât know ? You really think Walter also wouldnât tell me that you tried to get Alex and Fabio or whatever the fuck his name is to tell Tim for you ? To do your...our dirty work ? He texted me everything just before I got here, how you wanted to tell Tim abruptly and then Iâd have to deal with the rest. Alex ? Yeah did you forget I also helped his wife out with her bridesmaid dresses and got to know the both of them really well ? He sent me an instagram DM telling me everything too, basically apologizing for your shitty actions. Youâre a spineless little coward Marcel, 3 years and you havenât changed one damn bitâ
 âI-I...it w-wasnât like thatâ he stuttered out nervously stepping forward
âBull shit !â she exclaimed as she slapped him across the face and breathed heavily
Marcel stood back as he rubbed his cheek and gave a frown as his blue eyes stared at hers âIâm sorry, I justâŠ.I still love youâ he whispered as he left hastily
 Maya sighed as she rubbed the feeling back in her hand and let the makeup artist fix her eyes âMickey, did you tell him I was here ?â
 âYou try saying no to that piece of German goodnessâ Mickey shook his head âHis accent came out and I melted, then he did the whole pleading puppy dog thing with his blue eyes and well, I was sold. Iâm sorry Maya, I didnât realize how big of an issue it would be. You really gave it to him good though, he walked away as if you stomped on his heartâ
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âYeah well I didnât wanna do that exactlyâ she admitted âHeâs just being sneaky and I hate it, it reminds me of what happened when we were in a bad spotâ
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âWell Iâll tell you this girl, Timothy Thatcher is all man and would never do that shit to youâ he giggled
Maya raised a brow as she let out a chuckled âand how do you know Iâm seeing Tim, whatâs going on here that Iâm not aware of ?â
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Mickey smirked as he dabbed some gloss on her lips âTim from what Iâve seen and heard is quiet but apparently he told some of the guys that youâre gonna go see him and heâs a little...giddy. Now Iâve been working hair and makeup there a while and Iâve been there since he got there and nothing has made that man do a complete 180 like you haveâ
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She blushed as she listened and looked around the room âSo you think he...likes me likes me ? Like he wants me to be his...you know ?â
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âGirlfriend ?â he chuckled âoh yeah, I heard from Candice, who heard from her husband Johnny who heard from his friend Oney that Tim told him tomorrow was pivotalâ
 âOhâ she whispered softly as she walked with him âIâm not gonna expect anything though, especially after this whole fiasco. Iâm gonna have a nice day with him tomorrow and focus on that. Now letâs get this thing done so I can call himâ
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âYouâre just as whipped as he isâ Mickey chuckled as he helped set her up
______________________________________________________________
âWhatâs with that face ?â Tim asked Oney âYouâre red and youâve been on your phone for like 5 minutes, Oney ?â he sighed as he walked over and took his phone and let out a tight cough âthis-this from today ?â
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âYeahâ Oney nodded as he took his phone back and put it in his pocketÂ
âUm all I can and want to say isâŠ.you are one very very lucky man Tim, very luckyâ
 âI like her for other things besides her looksâ Tim rolled his eyes as he grabbed his gym bag âsheâs a good person, sheâs understanding, sheâs really smart and funny. Sheâs a great cook, sheâs super funnyâ he chuckled âand she-what ? why are you looking at me like that ?â
 Oney grinned as he walked with him to the showers âYou really like this girl, itâs not just a little rendezvous like you had thought itâd be. Iâve known you for a while and never have I seen you act this way towards a girlâ
 âDonâtâ Tim warned as he took off his shirt âItâs just that I like her and I feel she feels the same about me and you know thatâs itâ
 âSo itâs okay if she dates other guys while talking to you ?â
âI never said thatâ he said almost immediately as he turned around âWhy ? Is she ? Have you heard anything ?â
 âChill out, I was just joking but point provenâ Oney chuckled âI say you ask her out, officially like to be your girlfriendâ
 Tim nodded as grabbed his things âI was thinking about that after tomorrowâ
âI think you shouldâ Oney nods as he looked around âoh look itâs Marcel, shit look at his faceâ he grimaced
 âWhat the hell happened to you ?â Tim asked concerned âYour cheek is red as can be, are you okay ?â
âWe need to talkâ Marcel said sternly âAlone, and it has to be nowâ
Tim nodded as he changed and followed him outside
  Maya arrived at her apartment as she exited her elevator and saw Tim standing against her door âheyâ she grinned âwhat are you doing here ?â
 âSo when were you gonna tell me you were engaged to one of my closest friends ? Or did you plan on keeping that a secret forever ?â he asked wasting no time as he crossed his arms trying his best to stay calm
 Her stomach turned as she blinked trying her best to catch her breath âI-IâŠ. Tim listen, I wanted to tell you I did, I promise I did but things happened and then the Walter thing and I just couldnât find the appropriate chance to do so but I promise I was. I promise, you have to believe meâ Maya pleaded as she reached for his hand flinching when he yanked it back
 âI donât believe a word you said, I donât. I donât even trust anything youâve told me in the past, probably more lies from you. Iâm not gonna insult you or demean you like I did last time because quite frankly...youâre not worth itâ he said coldly as he stepped back âHave a nice life and donât contact me againâ
  Â
 âTim, please donât do thisâ she whispered tearfully as she grabbed his arm lightly
âDonât touch meâ he responded quietly as he carefully lifted her hand and placed it by her side âGoodbye Mayaâ
 He left her apartment quickly, and didn't look back knowing if he saw her face he wouldnât be able to leave. Once in his car, he wiped his eyes quickly as he turned on the radio and sped off back to his place where he knew he could release his emotions freely and privately
 âWhat did you do !â she practically screamed into her phone âYou fucking told him !â
âIt needed to be saidâ Marcel said quietly âIâm sorry, I am but we both know you were gonna wait it out too long and it would only make things worse. I did this for the both of usâ
 âI fucking hate youâ she spat out âand I will never ever speak to you again in my life, ever. Youâre dead to meâ she hung up
  Marcel rubbed his face as he threw his phone across his room and laid down in bed as he looked up at the ceiling and drifted to sleep, trying his hardest to forget about the chaos he selfishly created
 All eyes were on Tim as he entered the Capitol wrestling center the next morning, he heard and saw it all as he walked into the locker room. The looks of pity people gave him, the mumbles and whispers they gave each other as rumours about what had happened at the gym went around. None of it mattered, at least not to him. The damage had been done and if there was one thing that was hurting him other than his heart it was his pride. He knew deep down it had been kept for him for a reason, but the lying and deceiving still hurt.
 âHeyâ Marcel said quietly as he opened his locker âListen I wonât bother you but I just want to say Iâm sorry about what happened and it's my fault entirely. Maya wanted to tell you after todayâ he finally admits âAfter your match, she wanted you to have a good match and then break it down to you on he own time and I selfishly told you because I still love her and in my stupid head I thought that once you knew and let her know she would somehow want me but instead she told me Iâm dead to herâ
   Tim nodded as he laced up his boots and didnât bother to look at him âyeah well, that makes two of us. I donât want her around me, I donât wanna hear from her again or anything like that. Itâs done and over with and we should just not speak of her again. Sheâs something of the past and well Iâm not gonna hold your past against youâ
 Marcel furrowed his brow âY-youâre not going to attempt to talk to her ? Sheâs pretty sad TimâŠ.â
âNopeâ he shook his head âSheâs the one who started this so it ends, I donât like things like that and I canât just let it slide by. Her choice was made to lie, so now we leave it at that please. I donât care nor do I wish to hear about her againâ
 âI understandâ Marcel nodded as he put on his tracksuit and headed down seeing everyone glare at him as he sped down the hallway to catering sitting down by himself in a table and beckoning over Fabian and Alex âOver here guysâ
    âNo thanksâ Alex muttered as he looked at him and turned around âI prefer not to deal with you unless itâs necessary for tvâ
âAgreedâ Fabian nodded
âI know it was a mistake okay, you can stop with the harsh punishment.I should have never tried to involve you two either and Iâm sorry I did. I regretted this whole thing as soon as I opened my mouth and saw his face. I was selfish and it was wrong, can we just stop now ? Pleaseâ he pleaded âI hurt Tim, I hurt Maya, Walter isnât answering any of my messages or calls. I get it now, I doâ Marcel rambled âPlease just sit with me, you donât have to talk to me but just sit with me so I can at least have some company while everyone stares at meâ
    âNoâ they both answered in unison as they shook their heads and left him alone
Marcel looked down as he played with his plate of food feeling all eyes on him as he tried his hardest to ignore the stares and whispers and took out his phone seeing still no messages or calls from Walter and sent one last message
 âHasst du mich jetzt ?â (do you hate me now ?)
âNein, nur sehr enttĂ€uschtâ (no, just very disappointed)
He sighed and put his phone away as he shook his head, upset at himself for what he had done but knowing deep down he didnât regret it. Maya was his one true love, the one person who understood him and helped him cope with the loss of his father and deal with the emotions rather than ignore them and hold them in.
 âAre you gonna go after her ?â Tim asked nonchalantly as he sat with him âbecause you can, I donât careâ
 âWhat ?â Marcel asked his head shot up quickly
âDonât act stupid Marcel, you still love her and I know you did this in a way to get me to be mad at her so Iâd leave her alone and therefor you could go after herâ
   He knew him so well, so well it truly fucked with him âYeahâ Marcel nodded âI let her go once and it ruined me and now sheâs here and right now she wants nothing to do with me but Iâll give her that space and then Iâll fight, Iâll fight like I shouldâve fought for her 3 years ago and this time, sheâll end with meâ he looked in his older friends eyes âWeâll get that happy ending we both wantedâ
 Tim simply give a short nod as he sipped his water âThen go aheadâ
Marcel looked around as he got up and left back to the locker room, not wanting to cause anymore awkwardness between them and sat by himself as he listened to music
 âWell if it isnât the life ruinerâ Oney rolled his eyes as he stood in front of him âAre you happy with your actions ? With ruining the one thing giving Tim genuine happiness ?â
 âOney, pleaseâ he rubbed his face âThis is something you donât understand, donât get involvedâ
âYou ruined the one thing my friend wanted, Iâm sure as hell gonna get involved you traitorâ he shoved himÂ
  Marcel sighed âDonât do this, I donât have the energy to-â he stumbled back as he held his eye and groaned
âYou deserve that and way fucking moreâ Oney spat out as he left
______________________________________________________________
   Maya wiped her eyes for what seemed like the 500th time as she once again got sent to voicemail and let out a frustrated cry getting up when she assumed her takeout was delivered âI said to just leave it at the doorâ she whined putting on her hoodie âstop knocking !â she finally yelled as she opened the door ready to rage âI clearly said-â her eyes widened at the scene in front of her âwhat the hell happened to you ?â she asked
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âOney punched meâ Marcel said quietly as he removed the ice bag he had and revealed a bruised and bloodied eye
 âOney ? Thatâs Timâs friendâ she said as he remembered his face from the gym
âYes him, he punched me in the locker room forâŠ.for what happenedâ he said quietly âI needed to get out of there and the only place I could think of was here. I know you hate me and wish I was better off dead but I just had to come. Iâll leave though if you want me toâ
 Maya looked up at him as she opened her door and stepped aside âcome inâ
He stepped inside and sat down on her couch âIâm sorry, I am so so sorryâ he whispered âI acted so selfishlyâ
    âWhatâs done is doneâ she whispered âYou unfortunately canât take it back, and truth be told you were rightâ she admitted âI wouldâve just kept waiting and waiting to tell him and let time pass by, in a way what you did benefited me more than anyone Marcel, you did the hardest part and all I had to do was explain myselfâ
 He shrugged as he bit the inside of his cheek and looked up
âDonât cryâ Maya chuckled weakly âIâve been crying since last night, and Iâm positive I can cry for the both of us and this whole fiasco
 âIâm notâ he blinked away tears quickly
âYouâre doing the thing, the cheek thing and looking up. You really think I wouldnât forget how you try to hide emotions after all this time ? she scooted over as she gently patted his hand âYouâre the ugliest crier tooâ she joked trying her best to lighten him up
Marcel gave a light laugh as he sniffled âYouâre really good that you know ?â
 Maya gave him a small grin as she dabbed his cheek with a tissue and got the alert of her food delivery âstay for dinner ?â
âAbsolutelyâ he answered as he nodded. Sometimes life truly does work in weird weird ways.
Tim looked over at her discreetly he witnessed her trying to open a jar and cleaned his hands on his already stained shirt âI got that for youâ
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âAnd I got this for youâ she said as she went into her small closet in the living room and pulled out a flannel shirt âItâs my dads, I donât wanna see you in a bloody dried up t shirt as we make dinnerâ
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He nodded quickly as he took off his shirt and unbuttoned on the one she gave him
Maya blushed as she grilled her ground turkey and noticed how chiseled he was, his upper chest having the perfect amount of body hair and peaks, his biceps bulging out nicely but not overly muscular or anything like that
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 âIt fitsâ Tim grinned as he showed her
 âNot that bad on youâ she admits with a small grin âPlaid is definitely your style, I like it on youâ
âI-I donât deserve you being so nice to meâ he said quietly âMaya, I wonât ever be able to stop saying sorry to you ever, know that. Iâm probably gonna say sorry to you for as long as I know youâ
 âTim, whenâs your birthday ?â Maya asked suddenly as she looked at him âI know itâs 1983 but month ? What month ?â
 âMarchâŠ.March 17thâ he answered slowly âwhy ?â
 âOh my god youâre a Pisces, suddenly everything makes sense wowâ she nodded as she laughed âGosh you fit it to a T, youâre a water signâ
   âWhat does that have to do with anything ? A water sign ? What the hell is that ?â Tim asked confused as he put his cutting board down
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âItâs your sign Timâ she chuckled âYour sign is a Pisces which makes sense because theyâre...well you are considered to have a sign that is known for its over sensitivity, self-pitying but also very selfless and very acceptingâ
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 âOhâ he said softly âwell I guess yeah, kinda is me. My mother says itâs because Iâm an only child and never got to experience things other children got at my age since I also stayed with my grandmother a lot. I think that made me highly sensitiveâ
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âYou call it highly sensitive, I call it highly awareâ she grinned as she took the carrots and celery from him and added them to a pan to saute
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Tim observed as sat on a stool by her âwhat are you making ? It looks kinda complicated honestlyâ
âBologneseâ Maya says âThough Iâm kind of cheating because Iâm using sauce from a jar, but I promise itâll be goodâ
  âOhâ he nodded âI donât cook much honestly, I only have ever made chicken or ham and itâs typically without seasoning. Same with my rice, I stick to bland foods for the most part. I broke my diet when we went to that Korean BBQ placeâ Tim said softly as he reached over and cut up onion for her
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 âGlad I got you to change things up for a bit, though you ghosted me and acted like a child afterwards and ruined me introducing you to better placesâ she giggled
Â
âIâm gonna age myself here a bit but um, whatâs ghosted ?â he asked with genuine interest as he looked down at her
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âIt means ignore, basically a millennial way of saying you ignored meâ she answered back
 âAh I see, I like that...ghosted. Iâm adding that to my vocabularyâ he nodded as he repeated the word under his breath as he chopped
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âGosh heâs cuteâ Maya thought to herself as he stood only inches away from him, their arms basically touching as she sauteed. She made sure she stayed in close distance as she cooked looking around as silence began to take overÂ
 âSince you were a dick to me, you have to be really nice to me now like really niceâ she said with a smile
 âI will do whatever you want or need me to doâ Tim smiled at her with his dimple popping out more
âKiss meâ she whispered nervously as she looked into his eyes
  âLike...like right now ?â he asked nervously âo-okay...Iâm not that good at it though and my beard is gonna scratch, my lips are kinda dry too and-â he stopped blubbering when he felt her soft lips gently press onto his as she carefully put his hands on her waist as he leaned in more and placed hers on his cheeks
  Maya grinned up at him afterwards as she gently wiped his lips and put ice back on his face âgo sit with this on while I finish here and by the way, youâre a good kisserâ
 He chuckled as nodded and sat on her couch âwell thank you, havenât heard that one in like 5 years at leastâ. Tim sat quietly as he iced his face trying to make sense of what had just happened. Just 6 hours ago he had told her horrible things and now here was having just had a make out session in her kitchen as they cooked dinner together.
Tim looked around as he picked up magazines she had on her coffee table and looked through them smiling when he realized they were all her covers or features. One in particular catching his eye, a feature in a parenting magazine where she was holding a baby on her lap.
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 âLast yearâ Maya grinned âI typically donât do those kinds but they needed a model last minute and I happened to be in the area and went in. It was fun, kids and babies were great to work with honestly and now what I expected. That little one stole my heart, made me think I wanted my own for a bitâ
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 âYou think about kids ? Not in a weird day of course, just since like me youâre an only childâ she asked
âI mean yeah, sometimesâ he admits quietly âGranted I really thought I was gonna stop wrestling when I was like 30 and settle down and have that white picket fence life everyone else had but clearly life has passed me by. But Iâve had some other good things in life, experiences and memories not everyone has had in life. Iâm not one to complain, you ?â Tim asked as he looked at her
  âSometimes I want 1, sometimes none and other times I want like 5â Maya chuckled
â5 ?â Tim laughed âThatâs a basketball team right there, Jesus thatâd be feeding an army dailyâ
 âWhich is why then I think maybe not having them at all would be more beneficialâ she laughed âIâve got time to think about it thankfully, like 5 more yearsâ
 âEnjoy your youth, and your job. Itâs interesting, really it is Mayaâ Tim says genuinely âYouâve been to some amazing places, you have experiences most wonât get and youâre only 25. Itâs amazing trulyâ
 Maya grinned at him as she fixed the ice pack on his face âI appreciate that, but your face will appreciate this ice way way moreâ.
Damn, kissing him mustâve been the best thing she felt in ages, she could tell he wanted it just as bad as she did yet kept his usual calm demeanor. She came out of her daze as she heard her her cell phone buzz, muttering quietly as Marcelâs pet name appeared
 âDinner tomorrow is still on ?â
âYeahâŠ.but letâs meet somewhere, I think Iâm ready to tell Tim the truthâ
Maya sighed as his name quickly appeared on her screen and declined his facetime requests and calls immediately
 âAnswer me please, Maya just donât do it today please. Letâs meet tomorrow and we can figure something out...please ?â
âFine, I wonât do it tonight but Iâm doing it soon, I like him a lot and Iâm not gonna keep secrets from him Marcel, and neither should you. Iâll text you tomorrow morningâ she sent as she put her phone on silent and set their plates up
She went to the bathroom as she wiped her residue makeup off her face and put her hair up in a ponytail to fresh up, applying some perfume lightly as she looked herself over and left the bathroom
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 âOhâ she whispered as she saw Tim sleeping on her couch, giving soft snores as his arms were crossed on his chest. Even in his sleep he wasnât relaxed, it kinda looked like he was just closing his eyes to her and waiting to spook her any second.
She contemplated waking him up for a second and went to touch his shoulder, but instead decided to graze his cheek with the back of her hand gently, covering him up with her throw she had on the couch.
 Maya shrugged as she turned on the tv and sat on the opposite end as she stuffed spoonfuls of pasta into her mouth watching Real Housewives of New Jersey, shaking her head at the stupid drama on her television shifting when she heard Tim move around and groan
  âWhat ? What happened ?â Tim asked with a groan as he stretched âdid I fall asleep here ?â
âYou didâ she nodded âonly been like an hour and a half, now please get yourself a plate and donât bother me for the next 20 minutes because Teresa Giudice is about to cause drama at this fashion show so shhhâ
Â
He raised his brow in confusion as he stood up and served himself a plate and sat next to her going back and forth between her reactions and the tv screen in front of him âDid she just call her an old hag and a bitch ?â
Â
 âTim shhâ she put a finger to his lips absentmindedly
Tim nodded quickly as he leaned back into the couch and ate, speaking up when the show was over with wide eyes âThat was⊠a lot. Is all reality tv like this ?â
 âOnly the bestâ Maya laughed âand by the way, sorry for shushing you like thatâ
He shrugged âI deserve more than thatâ
 âTim, as of tonight we drop itâ she turned to look at him âPleaseâ
Maya cleaned up thinking what the hell she got herself into with him, this wasnât in her character at all. One second she was ready to see him drop dead 8 floors to the ground and the next she was making out with him in her kitchen. This was new territory she was going into and deep down it felt right, it felt right to kiss him and feel his touch and she could feel he was feeling the same way. She turned her head , gasping as she bumped into him
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 âYes ?â she whispered
âMaya, I like youâ Tim said âI like you a lot...and I feel like if I donât tell you now that itâs just us here in a comfortable environment I probably wonât say it again. This isnât like me one bitâ he admits âIâll be honest yeah Iâve had girlfriends, I dated women here and there but I never felt like thisâŠâ
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 âLike how ?â she asked softly
 âScared, scared that when I was with you I liked who I was for once, I felt at ease and like I didnât need to put the harsh wrestling persona up. You didnât care or give it much thought either or pestered me like some others had in the past. And I just wanna say-â
âTim shut the fuck up and just kiss me alreadyâ she said softly
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 And he did. He kissed her deeply as he moved his hands down to her hips and lifted her with ease onto her kitchen countertop feeling her hands move up and down his chest. It wasnât just a long kiss, it was several kisses with small breaks in between to ensure they could catch their breath as their hands roamed freely all over each other's bodies.
Maya unbuttoned the first 3 buttons off his shirt as she lightly traced his chest with her nails as her forehead pressed against his
âwe should go to my roomâŠ.we donât have to you know...have sex but we can just do more of this there comfortablyâ
Â
âOkayâ he nodded as he took her hand and followed her into her room, looking around at the pristine condition everything was in.
A vanity organized with makeup items and skin care products he couldnât even name, her bed perfectly made and covered in pillows, a closet the size of his bedroom with clothes in every color of the rainbow. Everything so neat and luxurious, everything he didnât have.
  She leaned up against him she kissed him again, this time with more dominance as she stumbled onto her bed on top of him, feeling his hands lightly on her lower back
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 Tim pulled apart from her as he rubbed his slightly red lips and pet her hair gently with his hand âI havenât had anything like that in a whileâ he admitted with a small grin
Â
 âNeither have Iâ she chuckled, licking her lips feeling them swell âItâs like free lip fillerâ
âAlways a comedianâ Tim laughed genuinely sitting up on her bed
âJesus itâs 11 already and I gotta walk back to my car to get home, I got tapings tomorrowâ
 âJust stay here and Iâll take you back in the morning, itâll be early I promiseâ she said softly as she gave a comforting grin
âOkay, Iâll take the couch though. Iâm not sleeping in your bed, this was a one time thing that I typically donât let happenâ
Â
 âWhat a gentleman you areâ Maya said as she brought him a pillow and blanket
âIâve got all the works on my tv so feel free to watch what you like, bathroom is right next to the closetâ
Â
 âThanks, I appreciate it reallyâ
She got up in the morning as she turned off her alarm and got ready for the day, taking a peek and seeing Tim up and sitting as he watched tv making different facial expressionsÂ
âWhat are you watching ?â she chuckled as she walked out and turned on her Nespresso machine
âDanielle is a mess, I get why you watch this trashy stuff. Itâs addictingâ he shook his head as he turned it off
 Maya laughed as she took out two mugs from her cabinet âWell now you know and let me guess, you take your black ?â
â
Yeahâ He nodded as he got up and sat on a stool
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 âI got a shoot in like an hour so I probably wonât be able to talk to you for most of todayâ she said softly as she packed her bag âchances are till late late tonightâ
Â
âOhâŠ.well um I was hoping if youâre able to, I actually have a taping tomorrow and I wanted to ask you if you would like to attend ? Itâs about 2 hours, itâs fun even for someone like you whoâs never been around wrestlingâ
Never been around wrestling, after a great night she remembered the big mess she had yet to talk to him about. Marcel, shit.Â
  âIâll try my hardestâ she responded with a grin as she drove them back to his car
âThanks again for driving me here, I appreciate it have a good shootâ he nodded as he lingered for a while leaning in slowly as he pet her cheek with his hand and kissed her
âUm I think your friend over there saw usâ Maya laughed softly as she pointed to an opened mouthed Oney at the gym entrance
  Tim chuckled and shook his head as he got out âIâm not gonna hear the end of this one, Iâll text you later, have a good work dayâ he smiled softly as he walked away
âIs thatâŠ.you have a ?, speak up alreadyâ Oney pushed as he followed him to his car âyou canât just not tell me whatâs going on after kissing someone like THATâ
He turned around as he got out his gym bag âexcuse me ? what do you mean like that ? whatâs with the emphasis on the end there ?â
  Oney shook his head as he gave a scoff âDo you have any idea who that is ? What kind of work she does ?â
 âUh yeah sheâs a modeâ Tim nodded as they walked inside âIâve seen her stuff, she showed me and talked to me all about itâ
âI canât believe youâre dating a model man, you of all people. No offense of course but I mean I never pictured you even dating someone at allâ
Tim raised a brow âIâm that bad of a catch huh ? Gee I feel great now that youâve given me this amazing pep talk, feeling like I can conquer the world nowâ he answered sarcastically stretching
 âHow old is she ?â Oney asked âbecause thereâs no way sheâs older than 30â
â25âŠ.â he said softly âsheâs 25, just turned 25 actually about 2 months agoâ
âWHAT ?â Oney said as he spit out his water âNo fucking way, youâre dating a 25 year old ?â
 âWould you stop, weâre not datingâŠâŠ.weâre friends thatâs allâ he answered as he began his cardio
 âOh yeah because you totally suck face with a friend before leaving right ?â Oney chuckled âYouâre in deep, you did the cheek grab and the little linger after you kissâ
âWell maybe I like her, friends right now but who knows maybe after she comes to the show might changeâ he gave a smile âI invited her and she said sheâll comeâ
âWho are you and what have you done to my friend ?â Oney asked with a raised brow âBecause you are not the Tim I knowâ
âLetâs just say maybe I wanna enjoy life a bit moreâ He shrugged âand Iâm starting with her, she likes me. I like her, thereâs nothing that can go wrongâ
Nothing right ?
âWalterâ she grinned softly as she shook his hand, feeling more at ease as he gave her a reassuring nod âa pleasure to see you againâ
 âWait how do you two know each other ?â Tim asked baffled as he furrowed his brow
âMet here about 3 months agoâ Walter nodded as he made the save for her âI was actually looking at getting a place here for when I came to tapings, my fiance and I met her here when we went to her complexâ he lied as he sat down
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âOh niceâ Tim grins âwell I donât need to introduce you two then, well glad she at least knows one of my good friends nowâ
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Maya grinned weakly as she sat down with the feeling of anxiety coming up from lying to Timâs face. She knew she had to tell him soon before it got too late and now felt horrible for involving Walter in her mess.
Â
âWalterâ she said softly as Tim left for the restroom âPlease donât think Iâm some kind of...you know what I mean. I can explain, I swearâ
Â
âMaya, itâs alrightâ he answered genuinely âWhat happened in the past truly doesnât matter, at least not in my eyes but I also know that Tim should know. Especially if things are going to proceed with you two, itâs only fair he knows sooner rather than laterâ
Â
âI agree, I do but whatâs gonna happen when I tell him itâs Marcel, whatâs gonna happen when I tell him my ex boyf-fiance is one his closest friends and that I do in fact know a lot about wrestling and that the only reason we never met was because for some odd reason he never showed up to our get togethers ? Huh ? Care to help me dig an even deeper hole ? I mean now you lied to him too, this is so wrongâ she sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose
Â
Walter sighed as he patted her shoulder with his hand âHey, donât get upset okay ? Itâs the past and truthfully he shouldnât be upset when you tell him. It doesnât have to be today or even this month but soonâ
Â
Maya nodded as she let out a sigh âyouâre right, youâre rightâ
 Â
âHave you seen him, Marcel ?â he asked timidly
âYeahâ she whispered as she looked down âearlier today actually at the gym, came up to me and told me the past was the past and to forget about it, his usual stance on thingsâ
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âItâs best to let him be, he was the one who ended things with you not the other way around. Marcelâs my good friend and I love him like a brother but the way he ended things with you was wrong and I wonât defend his actions. And honestly, I would prefer he doesnât come around you and Iâll be sure to make it known to himâ he nodded
 Â
Maya sighed as she sat up and looked up at him, feeling assured by his demeanor. When she had first met him she was pretty scared, it wasnât everyday she met a 6â4, 290 pound man who looked like he could crush her with one finger. Her fears were quickly put aside once she started speaking to him more and got to know him and his fiance pretty well. To her Walter represented a form of comfort and an older brother figure she could trust.
  âI appreciate that greatlyâ she said softly âI just, I donât want him or any of that anymore truly. I know Iâve only known Tim for a short amount of time but I really enjoy his company, and I donât want to hurt him.â
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 Walter chuckled as he leaned back in his seat âI can guarantee you, he feels the same about you. He brought you to eat somewhere that actually looks enjoyable and heâs eating out of his usual diet. Not to mention, heâs wearing a white t-shirt, he only wears a white t-shirt when heâs trying to impress someoneâ
  She blushed as she looked around âYou really think he likes me ? You donât think heâs just being nice ?â
âI think he likes you a lot, believe me when I say he wouldnât be here if he didnâtâ he answered
 Â
Maya grinned as she looked down on her lap âwell I sure hope he does because I really like him and I wanna keep seeing him. So put in a good word for meâ
âI will be sure to do soâ Walter grinned âplus any woman who gets Tim to get out of his routine is a woman worth keeping. You keep doing what youâre doing and justâŠ.keep making him enjoy lifeâ he says softly as he got up âTell Tim I had to go, you have my number call me if anything happens or if you just want to talk. Iâm here for you Maya, my fiance misses you greatly and will always remember how kind you were to herâ
She smiled softly at him as she nodded âBelieve me when I say I needed you two way more than you two needed me at that time and itâs something Iâll never ever forget. My offer still stands, the second you two are ready to say I do Iâll make sure she gets a dress from any designer she pleasesâ
 He gave a genuine grin as he shook her hand and kissed her forehead lightly âdeal, see you soonâ
 Â
Maya sat up as she saw Tim come back and sipped her water âWalter had to leave, he said something about seeing you soon thoughâ
â
Yeah heâs here for a bit before he heads back to Germany, kind of how it goesâ Tim nodded âHe comes for about 2 weeks then leaves and comes back again another month. He doesnât wanna leave his fiance and move here full time like I didâ
 Â
âAnd how hard was that ? I mean I know you told me you lived here in the states but you also said Germany was a big part of your life as wellâ she asked softly
 Â
He sighed not wanting to get too deep into things so soon and put his card down as his walls built up again âI uh I just remembered I have to go down the performance center for a promo class. Iâll see you around though, maybe next week againâ
 Â
Maya looked at him confused âItâs 8 pm ? You have a class at 8 pm ?â
 Â
âYupâ Tim nodded emphasizing the p âI do, when wrestling calls I answer. Sorry if you canât understand that, itâs not like modeling thatâs all just fun and games but wrestling takes a little more than looking pretty in front a camera Mayaâ
 Â
âOkayâ she whispered quietly as she felt the sting of his harsh words and got up âyeah, I get it. See you around Tim , this was really nice and I enjoyed spending the day with you. Have an enjoyable class and rest of your nightâÂ
  Tim nodded as he left hastily, not wanting her to know the life he lived and wondered what her true intentions were. For over 10 years he had lived alone and had a consistent routine every single day, the only time he didnât live alone was when he had roommates down in Germany. This girl had captured his soul in every way yet he couldnât let her in just yet, he noticed the looks she and Walter exchanged and felt nothing but anger and disappointment as he left the restaurant.
Three months, three whole months had passed since Maya had heard from Tim, she had called and texted him and got nothing back. She did her daily gym routine and never saw him there, she went to their old spots and once again nothing. She had gotten the memo but still felt so betrayed he would just ignore her and never bothered to tell her what she did wrong.
  âHeâs a bastard Maya thatâs what he isâ Walter shook his head âHeâs been acting like normal all this time, never mentioned that he just stopped seeing you that night. I promise you Iâm going to have a serious talk with him, he canât be acting this wayâ he said sternly as he looked her in her eyes âYou donât deserve this, you donât. I have no idea who he thinks he is but believe me heâs going to hear it from meâ
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 âWalterâ she rubbed her face âNo, youâre not going to do anything, anything at all. You understand. Clearly I did something wrong and him being the ass...introvertâ she corrected herself âbeing the introvert he is, he just didnât tell me why.â
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 âMaya, this is a 38 year old man. You cannot defend his actions, why are you ? He stood you up and treated you like trashâ he said upset
 Â
âI really liked himâ she whispered, her voice meek âAnd I stupidly thought he really liked me but he didnât, he was harsh and belittled my job and it hurts because I know he did it on purpose. He said it to insult me and it workedâ
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 âThatâs it !â Walter hit the table with his hand âIâm gonna kick his ass next time I see him, heâs so wrong in thisâ
âYeah are you ? Iâd like to see that Walterâ
Maya turned as she heard Timâs deep voice approach their table from the back of the cafe, clearly agitated as he stood directly in front of them
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 âI knew you two were too close for comfort, I saw you two being close and touching and laughing just before I left the bathroom hallway. Guess I was rightâ Tim gave a scoff as he nodded âYou clearly have a thing for athletes, hell thatâs why you came up to me at the bar right ? For a night full of pleasure ?â
 Â
Her face dropped as she felt a pit in her stomach and her eyes began to well up âI-I h-how could you say that ?â she whispered
Â
 âBecause itâs the truthâ Tim snapped âyouâre THAT kind of girl Maya, I wanted to believe you werenât but you are. It became clear after how you acted towards me only after seeing each other for days, who acts that way around a guy they barely know ?â
Maya got up and grabbed her purse quickly as she felt tears fall down and hit her shirt , gasping when she she saw Walter shove Tim against a wall âN-no please let him go, problems are already here and I donât anyone getting in trouble, please Walter pleaseâ she pleaded desperately as she tried her best to get him to let Tim go as he was clearly struggling against his larger frame
 Â
âYeah, listen to your other girlfriendâ Tim nodded as he looked him in the eyes, earning a punch as he fell against the wall and held his now bleeding nose
 Â
âMaya is my friend !â Walter raised his voice as he shook the pain from his hand off âand you wanna know the truth ? I actually met her in Germany over 3 years ago. She was in a photoshoot at a park and my fiance approached her to compliment her dress and pictures and Maya was kind enough to help style her for our engagement photos afterwards, within minutes of meeting her and with a language barrier she met up with her at our house that day. Weâve been friends since, sheâs been nothing but kind and gracious towards her and me since then. She went as far as to send her dresses and clothes from her photoshoots for work and events to help her with her confidence. She got me and her an interview at her apartment complex when there was a waitlist. So yes, I am very close to her, as a friend. I consider her a younger sister and the fact that you just insulted her worth and career doesnât sit well with me at all. And consider yourself lucky I only gave you punch across the face because next time I wonât be so gracious TImâ Walter spat as he left
 Â
âNo..â Tim whispered as he quickly wiped his nose and stumbled up and out of the cafe as he looked around for her outside
 Â
âFucking hell !â He exclaimed kicked a fire hydrant on the street and rubbed his forehead
 Â
Never had he fucked up so badly before, the insults he spit out so easily towards her made him want to throw up.Â
 âYou shouldâve simply askedâ he told himself as he walked towards her apartment building over 15 miles away âyou shouldâve asked why her and Walter were so close and she wouldâve told you, you fucking imbecileâ Tim repeated in his head as tried to even think of the words to apologize to herÂ
 âThat kind of girlâ Maya sniffled as she tried her best to keep composure as she got her necessities for the week, there was no way she was leaving her apartment in a few days after that mess.
 Â
She looked down at her purse as she felt her phone vibrate and light up with Walterâs number and sighed as she picked up âWalter why ? I told you to let it go and you punched him. What if this gets back to your job ? You can both get fired and itâll be because of me !â she cried as she sat down in an aisle
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 âMaya, noâ he said âThat wonât happen, and if it does then I got fired for a very good reason. The things he said were disgusting, to insinuate youâreâŠ..youâre what he said is horribleâ
 Â
She wiped her eyes as she hiccuped and nodded âHe said it with such venom in his voice, he hates me. He thinks the worst of me and I never even got to tell him the full truth. Imagine if I did ? God maybe I am what he said, maybe I am some kind of whoreâ
Â
 âEnoughâ Walter said with a soft yet stern tone âDonât say those things, get yourself home and just relax okay ? None of what he said is true and donât ever think otherwise. You call me if he comes around you againâ
 Â
Maya nodded as she stood back up âThank you Walter, it means a lot it does. Have a good rest of your day if you canâ she hung up and looked at her mascara tear stained face on her phone screen as she tried her best to wipe what she could off her cheeks and grabbed things to put in her cart crashing into a display as she bent down to pick up the vitamin bottles on the floor feeling a hand touch hers
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 âHere Iâll help youâ Marcel grins as he picks some up âhappens to me all the-...Maya ? W-why are your eyes so red ?â he asked gently âare you alright ?â
 Â
Of course, of course it was Marcel of all people she runs into after crying her eyes out in the snack aisle of a CVS. This day just possible couldnât get any worse than it already was.
 Â
âJust a crap day is allâ she muttered as she got up
âIâm sorry youâre having a bad day, is there anything I can do to help you ? I know our encounter that time wasnât the best but Iâll do whatever you need me to doâ he said genuinely âOhâŠ.this is serious, you have sour patch kids AND peanut M&Mâs in your cartâ Marcel chuckled trying his best to lighten the mood, giving a warm smile as he heard her laugh
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 âYeah...I guess you could say thatâ Maya gave a soft laugh âI um I gotta go, Iâll see you around though. Have a good dayâ
 Â
âWaitâŠâ he held her cart with his hand âDinner, if you want. Dinner you and me tomorrow ?â he gulped nervously
 Â
âOkayâ she nodded âbut I donât wanna go out anywhere, you can come by my apartmentâ she takes out her phone as she watched him put in his information âand donât think thereâs gonna be any funny business alright ? Or Iâll drag you by your big ass dumbo ears right outâ
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âAbsolutely no funny businessâ Marcel nodded quickly âIâll see you then MayaâŠ.bearâ he grinned softly using the old pet name he had for her as he left
She laughed genuinely for the first time in what seemed like forever as she noticed he put in his name on her phone as âgroĂe Ohrenâ, big ears.
 Â
âOf course heâd do thatâ she chuckled as she paid and drove back to her apartment and went up to her gate seeing her security guard rush to her and take her inside though the back door
 Â
âGabriel, whatâs that about ? Is something going on ?â Maya asked concerned
âMs. Dawson, there's an irate man outside who wonât take no for an answer and keeps asking for you, can you please confirm for us if you know him from our video footage ?â he askedÂ
 Tim, it had to be Tim, of course Tim would show up at her and act angry after everything he said to her. Her concerns were confirmed when she saw the footage and shook her head both mortified and angry. Angry he had the balls to show up to her apartment after everything he did and mortified seeing his face and shirt still bloody and his left side of his face bruised and swollen. Walter had sure as hell landed him with a good one.
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 âTim, get the fuck outâ she called sternly through the apartment buzzer at the entrance
âMaya, Maya please please let me talk to youâ he stood up quickly as he pressed and spoke back âI-I was so so so wrong and you have no idea how embarrassed I am, I donât even have words. Please let me explain myselfâ Tim pleaded desperately âI-I just want to apologizeâ
âYou meant what you said, donât pull back on it. Own your words Timothy, and by the way eat shitâ she said angrily as she hung up and went back to her apartment
 Â
She angrily put her things away as she heard little pebbles hit her window and looked out seeing him sit in a tree âWhat the fuck are you doing, youâre in a tree ! Get the hell down !â
âYou wonât answer my calls or textsâ he said back as he panted clearly exhausted
 âOh I didnât ? Welcome to my world for the last 3 months asswipeâ she snapped back as she opened her window
 Â
âIâm an idiot, a complete fucking idiot Maya. You didnât deserve an ounce of what I did, I canât even explain how sorry I am. I said things that were extremely unacceptable and so out of my character, I am so embarrassed and full of regret. The second I felt confused by yours and Walters' interaction I shouldâve immediately just asked you, hell I couldâve just asked him and instead I acted so immature and I insulted you. I insulted you and I did it on purposeâ he admits âI was hurt and I wanted you to feel hurt like I wasâ
 Â
âI know you didâ Maya whispered as she looked down âand then you really let me have it at the cafeâŠ.you meant what you said Timothyâ
 Â
âI said it clouded by anger, I let anger takeover meâ he said softly âI donât deserve you forgiving me I donât but I just want you to know that Iâm aware I fucked up big time and I probably wonât ever forgive myself for it because during the time we spent together I feltâŠ.good. I felt like maybe there was a reason we met that night. And I just need you to know thatâ
 Â
Maya nodded knowing his words were genuine but still feeling immense hurt, and she also knew if she told Walter sheâd hear it from him. She took a second to look at him and noticed how sincere his deep brown eyes were, when he was sad he had those big puppy dog eyes and he wasnât even aware of it yet there she was melting into them. Next thing she noticed was how bruised his face was, he definitely needed some ice and his face cleaned.
âWhy are you such a pushoverâ she said to herself lowly as she walked towards the window
 Â
âYouâre 6â3 and youâve got lanky long legs, my window step is maybe 2 feet away from where youâre at, come inâ Maya said simply as she crossed her arms âif you donât fall and hurt yourself that it, would be quite a fall to have since Iâm on the 8th floorâ
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 Tim nodded as he carefully focused and crossed over into her window, letting out a sigh of relief as she sat on a stool by her kitchen âI fucking hate heights, I hate them more than anythingâ he panted as she patted his chest
âYeah well I hate it being insinuated Iâm a whore and sleep with wrestlers and being insulted and demeaned before 11 am but I mean here I am you knowâ Maya nodded as she stood in front of him and gently dabbed away the dry blood from his face as she put her hand on his shoulder for balance âWalter got you real good, love that for meâ
Tim swallowed hard as he nodded âYeah he did, I deserved it though forâŠ.that whole scene I created. You can punch me if you want to ? Or hit me with your Louis Vuitton, it looks pretty sturdyâ
Â
Maya did her best to stifle the laugh that so badly wanted to come out and looked in the freezer for an ice pack and put it over his nose âkeep this on and off for 20 minutesâ
Â
âGot it thank you, but...um can I have water ?â he asked timidly âI walked all the way from the cafe to here, was about an hour and a halfâ
Â
âItâs 20 miles from there to hereâ Maya turned around, looking him in the eye. âDid-did you walk 20 miles to get here Tim ?â
Â
âYeah I didâ he nodded âI was across the street at the gym when I spotted you and Walter, I walked over and after all that happened my mind kind of went blank and I forgot I had a car and I really needed to talk to you so I walked, I remembered where you lived. I got here like 4 hours ago and just waitedâ
Maya sighed as she went and got him a glass of water for him and observed as she watched him try his hardest to not chug in one gulp
âIâm pissed at you, but I can see youâre exhausted. Would you like to stay for dinner ?â she asked as she looked at him âI promise Iâm not gonna poison youâ
Tim let out a small chuckle âand even if you did I deserve it, but I accept. Iâll helpâ he stood upÂ
âGet to choppingâ she shoved carrots against his chestÂ
âMy chanceâ he said to himself âmy chance to redeem myselfâ
âItâs meâ Marcel nodded as he stepped closer to her, looking deep into her brown eyes as he tried his best not to embrace her âHello Mayaâ
 âHiâ she whispered looking around uncomfortably âUm letâs just pretend this never happened, okay ?â
âI agreeâ he said quietly âListen I just want to say, I want you to be happy I do. I wanna let go of everything that happened in Germany and just be okay. That was 3 years ago and now things are different and weâre both grownâ
  Here he was standing in front of her after everything that happened acting like nothing, 3 years later and still the same Marcel. The same Marcel whom she had met on a train on the way to her photoshoot and was kind enough to teach her how to speak some basic German to get by. The same Marcel who asked for her number and then sent German workbooks to her hotel for her to study. The Marcel who asked her out and took her to a wrestling match and answered all her questions with patience and explained each move that was going on with such passion and admiration.Â
    âMarcel, you donât need to give this long explanationâ Maya sighed âitâs not like we hated each other, things happened and that was that. I guess now that we both live in Florida we most likely will be running into each other more than once. As long as we can be cordial, Iâm all good with thatâ
   âIf you need anything, donât hesitate to let me knowâ he said âI know youâre dating Tim, or in the beginning stages of thingsâ
 Maya put her gym bag on his car trunk as she tilted her head âwhoa whoa wait a second, how do you know Tim ? What am I missing here ?....wait heâs Thatcher ? The Thatcher who you told me 3 years ago was your best friend and didnât wanna leave Germany so you left him your spot ?â
  Marcel rubbed his face as he let out a deep sigh âYes, yes thatâs him. Your Tim is Timothy Thatcher, my very good friendâ
 âOh my goshâ she whispered as she leaned against his car and slid down as she sat âthis canât be happening, it canât. I am very aware Tim and I are not in a relationship, I am but I also feel that in the short short time of getting to know him if I told him you and I were something-what ?â Maya asked as he looked at Marcelâs dismayed face âwhat did I say ?â
 âI proposed to you, did you forget that ? Did you forget we dated for almost 3 years and you met my mother and siblings. I wasnât just some âthingâ Maya, we had a relationshipâ he said back visibly upset
  âYeah a relationship you fucking ended when you got a deal for WWE, a relationship you left because a better opportunity came alongâ she snapped back as she got up âSo donât come at me with your stupid little chiseled face looking sad when it was you who ended us. Yeah, you at least did it properly and never cheated on me or hurt me but that doesnât make it okay.â
 Marcel looked away as he nodded not realizing the amount of hurt she was still in. Little did she know that the end of their relationship broke his own heart as well. That from the day he had to leave Germany and head to the states he secretly had kept a small Polaroid picture of them in his gym bag for the first 6 months. There was no point in telling her any of this or that he never returned the ring she had proudly worn for the duration of their engagement. To her he was just a bad memory she deeply wanted to forget.
 âYour silence tells me everything I need to know Marcelâ Maya said coldly âSo just forget we ever saw each other again and move on. I have a workout to get to, have a great rest of your dayâ she glared as she went into the gym trying her best not to cry as she stretched.Â
 Deep down she knew she still had care for Marcel, he was her first love and the relationship had its moments of both happiness and sadness. Never did she ever think that at 21 sheâd meet a man who was going to give her amazing yet soul crushing memories. She let out a shaky breath and shook off the sad feelings as she took out her yoga mat and stretched, spotting Tim from afar and giving him a small wave.
 âMaya, heyâ Tim smiled as he walked over to her âWhat are you doing here ?â
âHiâ she smiled softly âwell I'll do a cycling class here sometimes or a yoga class, only twice a week. I donât like much elseâ
âCardio and yoga ? What about strength and muscles ?â he asked
Maya made a face as she looked at him âI donât wanna have a manly body ? I model for a living remember ?â
   Tim laughed loudly as he shook his head âYou wonât look manly if you add lifting to your regimen Maya, I promise. Look, Iâll even help you with itâ
 âOnly if you promise to not make me lift muchâ she grinned as she got up and took him by the arm âbut first youâre doing yoga with me, come onâ
 âWhat ? No ?â Tim immediately shook his head yet kept walking noticing her soft grip on him âno way, Iâm 6â3 Iâll take up a ton of room and that room looks extremely small, I wonât fit and Iâll look weird and people are gonna stare at me and I donât want thatâ he ranted as he noticed her laugh at him âWhy are you laughing ? How is anything Iâm saying funny ?â
 âI just noticed your little accentâ Maya laughed softly âyou kept going and going and it got so noticeable is all, itâs cuteâ
  He blushed as he let out a chuckle âYeah I get caught up on it sometimes, Iâm American but my mother is from England and my father is from Portugal and to add to that chaos I grew up in Oakland so all of that basically accumulated in me having what I call a haccentâ Â
  She grinned as she saw him open up more and took in his features, all of them. The way he had that small dimple on his right cheek, his crows feet that wrinkled ever so slightly when he smiled or laughed, and the tooth. The front chipped tooth that she found so endearing and so desperately wanted to know what occurred for him to leave it as is.
 âBut since youâre asking me to, and only because itâs you asking Iâll do itâ he grinned âwho knows it might help me out a bitâ
 âDealâ Maya nods âand afterwards you can teach the doâs and donâts of lifting, who knows I might get as big and strong as you soonâ she innocently flirted
    âI thought you didnât want to ?â he asked confused not getting the cue
   âYoga, Timâ she shakes her head as she sighs with small smirk and heads into the room with him and settled their mats next to one another âLetâs see what you can doâ
  Maya sat as she did the poses and looked over to Tim who was clearly struggling yet was trying his best âDonât be so tense Tim, just relaxâ she said softly as she put a light touch on his back âweâre in the back and itâs just me next to you. Who cares if you keep falling over ? Youâre trying and thatâs all that mattersâ
  He gave her a smile as he listened and finally got the pose down and felt himself become less tense, it made him nervous to think that a girl he had met 2 days ago had such a calming effect one him. A girl that quite frankly had annoyed him when they had first met and was sure wanted to only pester him. He found himself staring at her, turning his head too quickly and slightly tumbling over and turning red as his large body landed over hers.
 Maya breathed lowly as she laid under him moving her hands up his biceps as she felt his muscles to keep his upper part from laying on her âs-so maybe no more yoga huh ?â she whispered lowly as she maintained eye contact with him
  âGood ideaâ he said softly as he gently stood up and helped her stand âIâm so sorry, Iâve typically never ever been that clumsy. I pride myself on having good postureâ Tim rambled as he felt the heat rise up on his cheeks
âItâs okay, honestlyâ she grinned âat least you tried it, so now I have to give up my end of the deal and officially try lifting weights for the first time in my life. So teach me professor Thatcherâ she winked as she walked in front of him and sat on a bench
 âVery wellâ Tim coughed as he showed her the basics, feeling her eyes on him as he demonstrated the proper techniques
 âDamn, Iâm exhaustedâ she chuckled after lifting with him âbut in a really good way, it was good. I feel really good honestly. But itâs almost 5â
   âOhâ he looked at the clock and nodded âguess time just flew by, I know we agreed at 6 but if youâre feeling okay maybe we can just stop to get a bite after this ? I mean I get it if you say no and want to go home and do that girl thing girls tend to do. I completely understandâ
 âI would like to go doâŠ.the girl thingâ Maya laughed softly âno offense but I feel ickyâ
Tim grinned and nodded âalright so 7 at the plaza by the Korean BBQ place ?â
âSee you thereâ she smiled as she went to her car, driving to her apartment and hastily getting ready to make sure she wasnât late like the morning. She rummaged through her closet as she settled on jeans and an off shoulder top with black over the knee boots. She grabbed her purse as she thought about telling Tim about Marcel and the past, debating if it was too early or not to tell him. Their past wasnât exactly horrible but it also wasnât sunshine and rainbows and she didnât want him to think she had it out for wrestlers.
 Tim arrived as he got a table for them in a corner for better privacy as he waited, smiling when he saw her walk in âover here, and youâre early this timeâ he chuckled
 âI purposely made an effort to ensure I got here earlierâ she grinned as she sat down âand it worked out, and a much better ambiance than a gym. Would you mind if I order a drink ?â
 âOf course notâ Tim shook his head âI was actually gonna ask the same thing, I do enjoy a beer here and there at the end of the dayâ
 âSame hereâ Maya chuckled as she ordered 2 for them âSo now that we both know we donât hate each other, tell me more about yourself ?â  He grins as he tries to hide his delight and nods
  âWell my parents were travelers who happened to find out they were expecting me rather late in life so Iâm an only child. I grew up in Northern California, and well I went to college in Sacramento State and got a degree in Journalism. I worked for a few years for a local newspaper as I started wrestling. And ever since I started I kind of just stuck with it seeing it where it took meâ Â
    She nodded as she listened intently âWow thatâs really cool, education is important. I think itâs great you got a bit of each world to know what you truly wanted to do. Wrestling clearly is your passion and number one I can seeâ
 âIt is, but I mean this late in life I think I realize my life doesnât have to 100% revolve around it. I can make time to enjoy other thingsâŠ..other peopleâ Tim says timidly as he sipped his beer
 âOther people ?â Maya raised a browÂ
 âLike friendsâŠ.enjoying friends, events, things like thatâ he said quickly âbut um what about you, what about your life ?â
 âIâm an only child like yourself, but my parents had me a bit youngerâ she chuckled âRight at the end of their last semester in college, nonetheless great people and I had a great childhood. Modeling came about during high school and it paid well so I continued it while in college. I went to college on the east coast, UMASS and graduated with a degree in political science.â
 âWowâ Tim whispered visibly impressed âthatâs amazing Mayaâ
He sat dumbfounded, feeling horrible about judging her that night and wanted to try his best to make up for it
 âI think youâre really prettyâ Tim blurted out âa-and smart, and I really wanna say sorry for that night, I was a complete asshole. Whether I knew you or not there was no reason for me to act that way especially towards a ladyâ
    âTim, youâre fineâ she said softly as she patted his hand gently with hers âWe can move on from that, weâre all good. Letâs enjoy thisâ
  He nodded and gave a grin as he ate with her âoh no, I..I donât eat much carbs, the dumplings are all yours
 âYeah well youâre with me right now and I eat carbs so open upâ she held the chopsticks to his mouth âopen, come onâ
 He leaned in and opened his mouth as he chewed and grinned âfine, Iâll admit theyâre goodâ
   Maya smiled as she took a bite âI gotta ask, where did the missing tooth come from ? Because if you havenât decided to get it fixed or youâre choosing not to I know itâs a great storyâ
  Tim chuckled as he shook his head âIt broke during my first year of wrestling and like a young and naive beginner I immediately got it fixed and then less than a year later once again broke. I guess Iâm destined to not have this toothâ
   She laughed as she moved closer to him âWow thatâs quite the story, well I for one like the missing tooth I must say. It definitely adds characterâ
  Everything about him was becoming more and more attractive to her, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise. To her it was becoming apparent she wanted to see more of him and get to know him even more but there was a part that also told her to keep him at a distance because of the past.
  She looked up, opening her mouth to speak when she heard a familiar accent from across the restaurant and turned her head trying her hardest to keep a calm composure as she saw Tim sit up and smile as the voice approached the table.Â
    âWalter, heyâ Tim smiled as he shook the larger mans hand âThis is-â
âMaya, helloâ Walter smiled softly as he took a seat in the booth next to them âI know Maya pretty well, we actually have known each other for quite some time. Itâs so lovely to see you again after all this time. How have you been ?â
 She simply looked at the both of them, struggling to compose a sentence out of her mouth as she felt everything stay still
Warnings: None for now (will tag triggers when presented)
   âYour face changed is allâ Tim said softly as he sipped his water âdid I say something wrong ?â
âNoâ she shook her head âjust that career seems like a lot you know, I know itâs loads of travel and lots on the body, shocking is allâ
 âYeah it isâ he chuckled âkind of at a stop now with everything going on but still gruelingâ. He looked around for a bit before deciding to finally ask what he told himself he wasnât gonna do in the first place.
 âSeeing as you got here late and I do have to goâŠ.would you be interested in meeting me for dinner tonight perhaps ?â he asked as he bounced his left leg slightly feeling the nerves all over his body as he waited what seemed like hours for her answer.
 âI would like that very muchâ Maya answered with a grin âwhat do you like to eat ? That way itâs somewhere we both likeâ
 âAs long as thereâs a kind of protein and vegetable option I am all goodâ he said shyly as he paid their bill
 âOkayâ she nods âwe can meet tonight at 6 by the plaza ?â
 âSounds great to meâ Tim smiled softly âIâll see you thenâ
She gave a small grin as she went up to him and hesitated not realizing how tall he was and rather well built
 âsee you at 6â Maya smiled as he kissed his cheek and walked away to her car as Timâs cheeks blushed a deep red
 âByeâ he whispered to himself as he stood dumbfounded shaking off his feelings as he grabbed his duffel bag from the floor and headed to meet Marcel at the gym
âYour armpits are sweaty, youâre red and your broken water bottle is still full, what has made you so shaken up ?â Marcel chuckled as he looked at himself in the mirror and lifted weights
 âShut upâ Tim rolled his eyes as he stretched on the floor âitâs nothing, it went fineâŠ.I asked her out againâ
 Marcel laughed as he turned around âof course you did Tim, you like this girl and all your little typical âTim logicâ went out the door the second you asked for her numberâ
 âWould you knock it offâ Tim snapped as he got up âsheâs a friend, weâre gonna hang out as friends and nothing more. I donât want someone like her, and I doubt sheâd ever want someone like me so drop it alreadyâ
 âIt was a joke, calm downâ Marcel shook his head as he proceeded to lift âso tell me, whatâs this girlâs name and what does she do ?â
Tim sighed as walked towards him and spotted for him âher name is Maya and sheâs a modelâ he responded
 âM-maya ?â Marcel stuttered out as he dropped the weight on his chest, grimacing and rubbing his chest as he got up quickly. âNo it canât be herâ he thought to himself as he took a seat on the bench and coughed âsorry, sorry I just felt weak for a second thereâ
 Tim shrugged as he sat across from him âall good Junior, but yeah her nameâs Maya and sheâs a model that does magazine shoots, billboards and commercials stuff like thatâ he nodded âTo be honest she really seems really kind and down to earth, not the snobby kind at all. I know itâs only been two very short outings but sheâs okayâ
 âThatâs nice, thatâs really niceâ Marcel nodded as he cracked his neck to the side âum by any chance do you know her last name ? You know so we can look for her on social media and stuffâ he chuckled nervously
 âWhat ? No, no wayâ Tim made a face as he shook his head âthatâs a total invasion of privacy and itâs weird, I donât wanna have you do thatâŠ..can you though, like are you able to ?â
 âYeah, yeah easyâ he nodded as he took out his phone and searched her name on Instagram âw-which one is she ?â
Tim leaned over as he carefully swiped with his finger jumping when Marcel took his phone back
 âSorry just make sure you donât follow her since she doesnât know me you know ?â
âGot itâ Tim nodded as he looked and showed him the screen âThis is her, this is Maya. Looks like her full name is Maya Dawsonâ.
 Marcel gulped as he nodded, realizing it really was her that Tim had met and felt his hands get sweaty as he wiped them on his shorts. It had been years since he last saw her, years and yet he was seeing her only in pictures and felt that nervous feeling creeping up on him. âSheâs beautiful, very very beautifulâ he said softly as he looked at his phone.
âShe really isâ Tim gave a small grin âbut besides her looks, sheâs also really smart and we have a lot in common. Iâm actually meeting her for dinner later today since earlier she got there late and I had to leaveâ
 âSo a dateâŠ.you asked her out on a date ?â he asked âbecause you like her ? or ?â
âWhatâs with all the questions ?â Tim asked as he walked towards the equipment and grabbed a medicine ball âyou keep asking me for all these details ?âÂ
 âI just have never seen you act this way for a girlâ he answered as he maintained his calm demeanor âI mean you dated your fair share of women back in Germany but even then you never really act this wayâ.
âWhat way ?â Tim asked as he raised his brow
 âExcited Tim, youâre acting like youâre excited to see her again and I guess it just has confused me because I havenât ever seen this side of you. I donât mean it in a bad wayâ he explained fixing his hair in the mirror âitâs rather nice to see you show feelings towards something that isnât wrestling is allâ
  Tim nodded as he worked out âyeah well Iâm 38 now and maybe I can make time for someone now, especially because she also has a career and understands itâs important. I guess the only thing that kind of has me a bit off is that sheâs-â
 âYeah, sheâs 25 thatâs a bit youngâ Marcel answered almost on command, turning around in the opposite direction as he widened his eyes and grabbed a towel âI-I saw in a picture on her account she celebrated a birthday and there were number balloons with the numbers 25, thatâs how I know.â
 âSo judging by your reaction you think sheâs young ? As in too young for me ?â he asked âbe honestâ
âWell youâre 2 years to 40â Marcel responded âand I donât mean that in an insulting way or anything, but if sheâs okay with it then you should be tooâ
  âI am, I just donât want her to feel uncomfortable is all but youâre right if she hasnât said anything and didnât deny me for a second outing then sheâs okayâ Tim nodded âyou wanna go on a run after this, still got timeâ
  Marcel grabbed his water jug as he rubbed his forehead âIâm gonna have to skip, I wanna shower and I promised Fabian weâd meet up to go over some stuff for tapings. Iâll see you tomorrow thoughâ he said hastily as he left and got in his car, widening his eyes when he saw her walk towards the gym
Â
 Maya turned when she heard her name âdo I kn-....Marcel ?â she whispered lowly as she saw him âI-is that you ?â