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besthimbomachine · 1 year

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my love when it counted. 08

summary: After New Year Dash, Kenny goes to the NJPW staff party, the same one Mercedes was taking you to as her guest. The night starts of well enough only for his fears and anxieties to come crashing back into him when he spots Will Ospreay flirting with you. Though, not all things are as they seem and the night still had more in store for him. pairing: kenny omega x reader word count: 8441 warning: surprisingly very little angst in this one, just some from a distance, now we got the heavy drinking tag again tho so, last one was exactly 8440 words this one is 8441 words, couldn't do that if I planned it. anyways, we got a long but chill chapter today, just a little angst but nothing compared to the drama of last chapter. Also, Mercedes and Okada getting soeaking cameos. And Ospreay once again getting a non speaking cameo, just in time for the announcement of Ospreay vs Omega for Forbidden Door. I'm scared of that match, not gonna lie. but yeah, here you have it, next one will finally have smut again, we are on the countdown to the end now only 2 or 3 more chapters

08.

“You know,” Mercedes’ voice filled the space in the backseat of the cab you were sharing, its soft smoothness tainted by a hint of malice, “I didn’t think you and Kenny were friends.”

“What? I told you he apologized,” you paused, looking at her with your brows furrowed in confusion. “Like, properly this time. I even told you we came together on the plane.”

“Yeah, but when you said friends, I thought more like colleagues. Like your friends’ friend that you spend time with every now and again. Not friends in like going to take care of him after a match,” she looked at you with questioning eyes, teasing tone coming through her words.

“Come on,” you sighed, rolling your eyes as you relaxed against the car seat, “you really hung up on that?”

“Oh, don’t you start,” Mercedes snickered, from the corner of your eyes you could see her shaking her head at you. “What? Like a month ago you hated the guy. Now he added you to the backstage list, you were worrying about his injuries. You almost missed the main event match ‘cause you were helping him.”

You sighed, leaning on the armrest on the door as you looked back to her. She had pestered you about this the day before, both when you went out for lunch, and at night when you went together to New Years Dash. You had somehow managed to weasel your way out of the conversation those times, giving half answers or just finding ways to distract her somehow. However, she clearly wasn’t going to drop it so fast, sooner or later you wouldn’t be able to run.

“Listen, Kenny wasn’t all bad before, it’s just, over time, the bad overwhelmed the good. But now he isn’t that. He really seems better. Besides, yeah, I’m worried. He seemed so apprehensive about returning from his injuries back on the plane. And I know how that feels all too well, you saw how bad it was for me,” you paused, watching her expression drop at the mention of your past injury. You looked away from her for a second before looking back, voice quiet as you spoke again. “The old version of him wouldn’t have been that honest.”

There was a long second of silence between you before she spoke again. You weren’t trying to bring the mood down, but you had to find something to satisfy her curiosity and not prolong the conversation at the same time. You wouldn’t lie to her, and it was true that you had really been giving a chance to this friendship with Kenny. He seemed to have changed enough to have earned that chance. From what you had seen, you were liking this new version of him. But you’d never get caught using those exact words in front of her. She’d never drop it.

Though, you knew exactly what she truly wanted to hear from you. She wanted you to admit your physical attraction to Kenny. You were almost sure she could smell it on your skin, like some sort of predator. But she wasn’t wrong, now without the burning hatred clouding your view you couldn’t deny how Kenny had managed to get more handsome over time. But if she caught you saying this, the conversation would never end. And you had no time to deal with that right now, especially since you were on your way to a party Kenny himself would be at.

“Yeah,” she breathed out, pulling you away from your thoughts, your eyes leaving the window to meet hers, “that does sound kinda different from the ‘uncaring self obsessed egotistical asshole’ you described before,” Mercedes chuckled at the end of her words, sound muffled as she pushed her mouth in a thin line, eyebrows raised as she looked at you.

“Believe me, I know,” you say in between your own small laughs, raising your eyebrows back at her and shrugging. “So, maybe I can be friends with this version of him.”

“Or,” she began, dragging on the word, and you already knew what was coming after, “maybe you can be more. I know you,” she punctuated her words by shaking your shoulder, and you refused to look in her direction, opting instead to check the notifications on your phone. “I know your type in men is dumb and blonde. And Kenny can dye that hair all he wants, but we know the truth.”

You laugh at her words, shaking your head as you look through the messages. When you look back, she has one eyebrow raised, staring at you as if defying you to say anything. You wish you could, you really did, but she was right about that. Instead, you opt to just stare her down for a second before responding.

“I was going to argue with you, but I just got a text from Adam Page so,” you trail off your words, raising your hands as you drop your head to the side. “Guilty as charged.”

You both laugh openly together, Mercedes falling to the side, head on your shoulder as she slapped your arm with one hand. It takes a few seconds for you two to recover, breaths short and stomachs hurting as your laughter dies down. She shakes her head and looks in your direction, one hand smoothing her hair as she finally recovers enough to speak.

“You really know how to keep it on brand,” you both laugh again, pausing for a moment as you nod in agreement, you couldn’t deny she was right. “Talking about dumb blondes, what you thought of seeing Okada again?”

“Oh man,” you smile, chest trembling with silent laughter as you lick your lips, “a bottle blond with one brain cell, you know I don’t differentiate between natural blondes and fake ones.”

You both laugh again, voices mixing together. Despite her stubborn pestering, you enjoyed being with Mercedes. You barely had the chance to see each other since you started working at AEW, and you really missed her presence. Talking through messages and over the phone just wasn’t the same thing. In a way, you were glad she had made you come to Wrestle Kingdom, despite how you had sworn to never return to Japan after you left. In the end, things had managed to work themselves out, and the experience ended up being a good one.

It didn’t take much longer for you two to reach your destination, the car dropping you in front of a large bar. The party you were going to was a NJPW staff event, and Mercedes was taking you with her as her guest. Though, she didn’t lose the chance to pester you about how Kenny probably already had your name in the list as his plus one. From the outside, the bar didn’t look all that interesting, but when you stepped in, you were welcomed by a cozy and beautiful space. There were already many people inside, the noise of their voices mingling in the background of the music. Warm lights illuminated the place to complete the atmosphere.

Once you and Mercedes were inside the bar, you two started mingling around. No matter how much you wanted to just beeline to the bar and get your first drink in already, you knew you had to go through this step. Between everyone who wanted to congratulate Mercedes on the arrival and all the old coworkers you hadn’t seen in years wanting to talk to you, this was an inescapable thing. So you just powered through, smiling and trying your best to come off as friendly. It was just when you were closer to your destination that you spotted Kenny. Or more accurately, Mercedes spotted him.

Kenny had been looking to the side, not noticing either of you, until he heard Mercedes calling his name. He turned in your direction with a large smile, blue eyes bright and clear as he called your names back. Even in the low light of the bar, you could still see the dark bruise around his right eye. Though, it did nothing to throw off his look, if anything it added a strange charm to it. One that worked pretty well with the way his loose curls framed his stubbled face and his dark button up hugged his torso and arms.

He greeted you two with soft compliments and that warm smile, first hugging Mercedes who was closer to his side before moving towards you. There was a moment of hesitation, and you could see the doubt in his ocean eyes as Kenny stood in front of you, arms open but step faltering. In a way you found it endearing, that even though you openly said you wanted to be friends, he was still afraid of stepping into your space too much - despite having carried your drunken ass at the Christmas party.

In a split second decision, you moved forward, making the choice for him. You wrap your arms around his broad shoulders, letting his warmth engulf you as you felt his thick arms coming around your back. The smell of his perfume drowned your senses, for the short moment the embrace lasted all you could feel was the scent of moss and rain, with once again that touch of leather. It was something earthy and woody that felt surprisingly welcoming. It still felt weird for you to think that about a month back you were weary just to be around him, and now here you were, hugging him and feeling strangely safe in his presence.

The moment was short lived, though, and pretty soon his warm embrace was gone. For a little while, the three of you made small talk, chatting about the previous matches and how Mercedes was feeling about coming to New Japan. You talked about seeing old friends, making new ones, and going to Tokyo Dome again after so long. Soon, however, she excused herself, saying she was going to get your drinks, and asking you to find a table before leaving you alone with Kenny. It seemed genuine enough, but in the back of your mind you had the sinking feeling that it wasn’t.

“So, how you holding up after yesterday’s match?” You asked him, trying to fill the space, so you wouldn’t think about whatever machinations your friend may or may not have in mind.

“Eh, good enough, I’ve been worse,” he answers with a smile and a shrug. “Told you I wasn’t rusty enough to let some sidekicks do me in.”

“Kenny,” you almost sneer, shaking your head at his insistence on this drama. “I told you I never thought that,” the words escape your lips in a sigh, and he laughs, the sound somehow bringing a smile to your lips. “And is that still hurting?” You ask, pointing in the direction of his bruised eye.

When you bring up that question, Kenny feels a certain self consciousness rising through his mind. He was hoping the ugly bruise would have gotten lighter by now, but despite not being black anymore, it was still a dark purplish-blue that bothered him. Giving you a sheepish smile, he touched his fingers lightly to the edges of the bruise, still feeling a light sting at the contact. If given a choice, he’d rather you were seeing him in better shape, but it wasn’t really his choice.

“Not really, I mean, it only hurts if I touch it. Though, I know it’s still looking pretty damn ugly,” Kenny says with a shrug, trying to pretend the bruise wasn’t a constant reminder of how he felt like his body was now taking longer and longer to heal.

“Nah,” you roll your eyes and wave him off, “I just wanted to check if it was healing ok. And if it’s any consolation to you, I think you are rocking that black eye pretty well.”

The words roll out of your tongue with an easy smile, it’s beautiful and warm, and it has Kenny frozen for a moment there. He wasn’t expecting the open compliment, but you state it so confidently that he has no option but to believe your words. If only you knew the way they warmed his chest, chasing his fears like dawn chases darkness. It takes half a second for him to remember how to breathe, but when he does, his smile grows larger and brighter.

“Oh, thanks,” he almost stutters, chuckling to try and hide his surprise. “I’ll take that victory, because I can’t tell you how many times I accidentally touched it. Sleeping has been hard.”

“Shit, hope it’s back to normal soon,” you comment, your smile faltering for a moment before it returns to your face. “Anyway, gotta go find a table before someone gets angry at me. See ya around.”

“See you,” he replied as you started to turn around, eyes taking in your beauty before you disappeared in the midst of the people. His mind losing itself in the memory of your warmth as his gaze followed your form, only returning to reality when a familiar voice came from behind him.

“Are you two so close now that I heard her giving compliments to you now?” Okada asked with a teasing tone as Kenny turned around to face him.

Shit, he could only imagine how long he had been staring - and how long Okada had been standing there. It was just his damn luck, really. The man had been teasing Kenny about you since the day before Wrestle Kingdom. The day Okada saw you back in Japan for the first time, and the one he learned you were in his backstage list. Kenny hadn’t really known peace since then, with Okada teasing him both after Wrestle Kingdom and during New Years Dash. He had forgotten how surprisingly good the guy could be at reading people, and he was spot on in his readings of Kenny.

“Come on, it’s not that big a thing,” Kenny rolled his eyes, laughing at the end of his words to try and throw off his friend’s comment.

“She was complimenting your fucking black eye,” Okada said under his breath, laughing as he elbowed Kenny in the arm for emphasis. “I don’t know,” he let himself trail off, raising his eyebrows and shrugging.

“Don’t start, it’s not like that,” Kenny snickered, feeling Okada’s eyes burning holes into him.

“Really, Kenny? Aren’t you even a little bit still into her?” Okada almost muttered his question, leaning closer to Kenny, he felt like he was being trapped, the smile on his friend’s face seeming almost menacing. “‘Cause I remember how wrecked that break up left you,” Okada finished before leaning away again. In return, Kenny only laughed, shaking his head and hoping he didn’t sound as anxious as he felt.

“You are seeing things, man,” Kenny replied with a stifled laugh, lying through his teeth as he looked straight into Okada’s eyes, hoping that he wouldn’t see past the lie.

“Oh, come on, it would be very understandable. She has been looking pretty good recently,” Okada said with a laugh, shrugging as he watched Kenny’s brows furrowing. “And you really liked her back then, I know that,” he added, smiling in a way that seemed strangely malicious.

It wasn’t surprising, but it sure was worrying that Okada could see right through him. Sure, no matter what, Kenny wouldn’t just up and say the man was right. But just knowing at least one person could read him like this had a shiver running up his spine. Looking away from Okada Kenny rolled his eyes again, grunting as he tried to pull himself together and hold his ground.

“Yeah, I did, and I fucked up, and now I’m glad she accepted my apology,” Kenny paused, trying not to sound too exasperated as he talked. “I’m just happy she even considered letting me still be her friend, ok. There is nothing more,” Kenny finished his sentence with a shake of his head, lie almost getting stuck in his throat. His words were met with silence for a long moment, Okada’s judging eyes feeling like they were staring into Kenny’s soul.

“Sure, sure, just messing with you,” Okada responded in a playful tone, smile seeming more genuine now as he gave Kenny a pat on the shoulder. “You are getting a bit red, though.”

Okada laughed as Kenny just stared back at him for a moment before laughing himself too, shaking his head as he muttered a fuck you to his friend. After this, though, the man dropped the matter entirely, and Kenny couldn’t be more glad. Hopefully, now, he could go back to burying these feelings and pretending they were there for the rest of the night. God only knew he wouldn’t be able to enjoy the party otherwise. In the end, Okada and Kenny still talked for a while, staying in the same place for a bit before going their separate ways once more.

The party had been going for a while when Kenny found himself alone again. He had been moving through different groups, talking to multiple people - and sometimes finding you and Mercedes again along the way. But the person who had been around him most of the time, somewhat surprisingly, had been Okada. But now he’d lost the guy somewhere along the way, so Kenny just decided to go get himself something to drink. It was good to be back in Japan, to see people he hadn't seen in a while, but he still needed to take a bit of a break from socializing so much.

Kenny had been hoping for a peaceful moment to recharge from the constant movement of the party, but luck wasn’t on his side. On the way to the bar, he had noticed Mercedes alone with another group of people, and he couldn’t help but wonder where you were - you two had been together the whole night. It didn’t take long for him to get his answer, just as he leaned back in the bar counter, a glass soda bottle in hand, he spotted you. But you weren’t alone.

There was almost a sense of déjà vu, like the Christmas party was repeating itself to him. Though, this time, the fire that burned within his mind also felt like it was burning him. Like it was a poisonous gas, corroding his own nerves as the flames raged in his head. In a spot further away from the bar, Kenny saw you, back turned to him as you laughed along the man who stood in front of you. That man being Will Ospreay.

You were close enough so that Kenny could faintly hear the echo of Ospreay’s booming laughter, but too far to hear yours, or anything else. From his sport at the bar, Kenny couldn’t really see your face, you had your back almost completely turned to him. All he could see was the way your body moved as you talked and laughed. On the other hand, he could see Ospreay clearly, see the way his body leaned in towards you and how his eyes were fixed on your form.

If Kenny thought seeing Adam flirting with you was bad, this was far worse. He could taste his rage like bile on his tongue again, burning as it rose through his throat. The sight of Ospreay’s cocky smile and the way he touched your shoulder, leaning in closer to you, had Kenny almost snarling. He could feel his muscles twitching, fingers wrapping tight around the glass bottle, veins popping on his hands and arms. There was jealousy and rage running through his blood, but the worst part was the silent sting of sorrow piercing through his heart. An icy needle refusing to melt despite the blazing flames.

All the thoughts Kenny had been suppressing were rising rapidly to the surface again. All the doubts and anxieties he felt after his Wrestle Kingdom match coming back to the forefront of his mind. He’d tried to bury them, but there was some cruel force out there that refused to let him have peace. Always bringing him back to that dark place where there was nothing but his fears. Nothing but the constant ticking of the clock taunting him about the things he had lost, and the ones he would still lose.

From far away, Kenny watched you laugh again at something Ospreay said, pain rising through his chest. Looking at the slight sway of your hands, he could tell you were probably drunk, and it had him worried. Though, he could also see that you were probably not drunk enough to warrant so much worry. He knew he was just trying to find a way to rationalize his jealousy, to justify the burning rage spreading through his mind. And he knew he shouldn’t feed into that.

Kenny knew had no reason to be jealous, that he had to keep himself in control. The last thing he wanted to do was endanger the connection he had finally managed to build with you. He shouldn’t be behaving like this, he shouldn’t let his mind fall back into old habits he knew were far from good. Least he goes back to the person he was before - and god only knew he really didn’t want that. So he got up, tearing his eyes away from the scene, leaving to try and keep himself busy enough, so his eyes wouldn’t find you anymore.

When you finally managed to break away from Ospreay’s relentless flirting, you made a beeline straight to the bar. Leaving when the guy headed to the bathroom maybe wasn’t the most elegant thing you could have done, but you were way beyond that now. You felt like a wild animal, willing to gnaw at your own leg to get out of a trap. Looking at your phone, you saw that you had probably only spent about an hour with him, but it sure felt like a goddamn eternity. Now you could only hope the insistent bastard wouldn’t come after you.

The minute you got your order, you almost downed half of the drink, the heavy alcohol burning down your throat and clouding your mind even more. Sure, you were already drunk, but there was something almost sobering about having to listen to a man with an ego bigger than his head talking for so long. Besides, if the bastard came after you now, you’d probably be drunk enough to just be straight up cruel to him. Maybe then he’d let you be. Desperate times truly do call for desperate actions.

Shaking your head, you got up from your seat, feeling the so familiar effects of alcohol on your coordination. That really was the first thing to go whenever you got drunk. Ironic, seeing as your whole life was spent relying on exactly that, so you wouldn’t die when jumping off the top rope. When you found your footing you started moving, better not to stay in one place right now. Looking around the party, you tried to spot Mercedes, but she had somehow managed to go missing. Fucking perfect timing she had.

You walked around still, drink in hand, as you threaded through the people with about as much grace as you could muster. It wasn’t much, but by this point most of the people around were too drunk to care. You made your way to the opposite corner of the long bar counter, and still no sight of Mercedes. Just as you were about to go look for her in the back tables, someone brushed their shoulder into you, making you stumble to the side. Your free hand looked for something to hold onto as your hazy mind prepared for a fall that never came. Instead, you felt a strong hand hold onto your side, its warm touch keeping you in place. For a second, you almost panicked, before you heard a familiar voice.

“Easy there,” Kenny’s smooth tone rang soft into your ear, feeling so close behind you that it had your heart leaping in surprise, body frozen for a moment as you heard your name spilling from his lips.

You feel his large palm move from your side to the middle of your back, its warmth spreading through the fabric of your clothes and onto your skin. You instinctively latch onto his arm, stabilizing yourself as your hand wraps around his thick bicep. Kenny finally comes up from behind you, broad frame appearing by your side through the corner of your vision. When you turn your head to the side, the first thing that greets you are those beautiful ocean eyes, their soft blue brighter than every light around. Maybe it’s the alcohol, but for a second you almost feel you could get lost in them, lost in the warm smile he gives you and the way his whole face lights up with it.

“Hope we aren’t having a Christmas party situation again?” Kenny asks with a laugh, but you can feel the legitimate concern in his voice, see the way it reflects in his gaze.

“No,” you respond softly, shaking your head as you try to gather your thoughts and escape the pull of his eyes. “No, no, I’m definitely not as bad as that day, trust me,” this time you speak in a stronger voice, despite the still present slurring of the words, chuckling as your fingers squeeze his strong bicep.

“You sure?” He asks again.

“I am,” you reassure him, looking into his soft eyes, smile tugging at your lips.

Thankfully, he seems to accept your answer, nodding in agreement with you. Slowly, you two begin walking again, your arm never leaving Kenny’s bicep as he uses the hand on your back to gently guide you forward. You don’t really know where you are going, but anywhere far from Ospreay was good enough for you. And having Kenny close by was sure to keep that bastard away from you. Now that you weren’t caught in the spell of those blue eyes, you manage to look him over, noticing the large plate with meat skewers he had in his other hand.

“Are those kushiyaki?” You ask, already knowing the answer.

Kenny laughs as he slows you two down, you can feel the vibrations reverberating from his body into yours. You look around, seeing that he was taking you to a corner booth with a sofa and a table, it’s just distant enough that the music doesn’t sound so loud to your ears anymore. When he comes to a stop, Kenny gestures for you to sit on the sofa with the hand holding the plate, soft eyes locking with yours again.

“I was gonna share these with Okada, but I guess he lost his chance now,” he says, voice warm and welcoming as you feel the rumble of his words spreading through his body.

You hesitate for a second before letting go of Kenny’s arm and following his instructions, sitting down on the soft couch and placing your drink on the table. He follows suit, placing the plate besides your glass before finding a spot besides you. His warmth fills the small corner you were sitting at, his perfume infusing the air as he took his place by your side. For a second, you feel lost in his presence, the smell of him clouding your mind. Or maybe it’s the alcohol, seeing as you could still clearly feel your lightheadedness. Though, Mercedes’ words slipped back into your mind, echoing through your head, before a rumble from your stomach cleans your thoughts.

“I’m sure Okada can take care of himself,” you snicker, leaning forward to pick up one of the skewers from the plate and biting almost half of the thing off.

Kenny’s laughter sounds from behind you, the shaking of his torso traveling through the small couch. You didn’t even need to look, you could tell he was laughing at just how hungry you seemed. You could remember him laughing like that whenever you’d go grab food after one of your matches. He always found amusement in how voracious an eater you could be and if he hadn’t been treating you so well, you could almost get angry at him. But you’d give him a pass, he’d been nice enough so far to earn it.

“God, you really are hungry,” Kenny laughs out before finally eating a piece of his own skewer, watching as you went to your second one.

“Oh, I’m very hungry,” you shoot back in between bites, pausing only long enough to glance at him.

“Have you gotten anything to eat?” Kenny asks, worry laced in his voice as he leans forward himself, so his gaze can be level with yours.

You turn to the side, suddenly feeling self aware as you are met with the ocean of his eyes, brows furrowed as he studies your face. To your alcohol addled mind, his appearance by your side is almost sudden, as if he hadn’t been on the same couch as you the whole time. But damn, now he seems so close, voice cutting through the buzzing in your head and reaching somewhere deep inside. Shit, you can almost hear Mercedes’ again, bringing your mind back to just how attractive you found his lips and the sound of his voice. Blinking a couple of times, you look back to the plate, laying your empty skewer by the side before picking up a new one.

“Very little, to be honest,” you begin with a shrug, pausing to take a bite of your food as he does the same. “I mean, I was planning on getting something to eat when I was intercepted,” you groan, rolling your eyes and looking back at Kenny. “Honestly, Ospreay is either too annoyingly dense or too much of a stubborn asshole,” you finish your words with a deep sigh, shaking your head before going back to your food.

There is a pause in the air as Kenny takes in what you said. When he first saw Ospreay hitting on you, you seemed fine with it, laughing along with his jokes and what not. It had felt like a jab to his already shaken ego, and for the good of himself - and the newfound peace between you - he just chose to walk away. He found something else to do instead of feeding into his jealousy and insecurities. But the story you were telling now was a different one, and he couldn’t help his curiosity.

“You mean you weren’t,” Kenny paused for a beat, trying to find a way to phrase his question that wouldn’t sound like he was prying too much, “giving him your time willingly?”

“What? No,” you immediately scoffed in between bites, shaking your head as you finished your food before speaking again. “In the beginning I thought his flirting was kinda funny, but it got annoying real fast,” you say with an almost silent chuckle, words slurring together as you speak, when your eyes finally meet his own, he can see irritation written all over them. “I was just being polite, ya know. I wish he could have taken a hint earlier.”

“Really?” Kenny can’t help the question that leaves his lips, and for a second he is glad that you are still clearly drunk, you probably wouldn’t be able to think too much of his clear interest in the topic.

“Yep,” you snicker and nod your head to him, giving out a strange dry laugh as you look away for a moment before letting your gazes meet again. “Besides, I’m pretty sure he was hitting on me to try and get to you. Might have thought I’d be easy since I’m drunk,” you mutter the words in his direction, leaning closer to him, eyebrows raised in mock disbelief.

“Wait, what?” he almost stutters out the question, feeling tension burst in every muscle on his face, breath leaving his lungs in a heavy pause. If you were right about this, Kenny had good reason to start worrying about how transparent he is. “I mean, that makes no sense, it’s not like we are still together or anything,” the words rush from his mouth as Kenny tries to quickly recover from his breathless pause, hoping the dim light of the bar and your alcohol haze kept any redness in his face imperceptible.

If getting to Kenny through you had been the Ospreay’s plan, then he was pretty damn successful. Or he had been up until now, his plans foiled by your sheer drunken honesty. It was almost funny how you seemed even surprised that Kenny could have thought you’d even give Ospreay the time of the day. Almost as if the idea was impossible - almost as if his fears only really existed in his mind

Still, Kenny could only hope Ospreay had taken a shot in the dark with that idea - and if he was, damn asshole was right on the money. But what worried him was the chance that this wasn’t just a lucky shot. That Kenny hadn’t been quite as good at hiding how he felt as he thought he was. And that maybe you’d catch up to him sooner or later, and he’d be left without even your presence around.

“Yeah,” you respond plainly, your calm voice breaking Kenny away from the whirlwind of his thoughts, “but I’m still your ex, a lotta people would think it should still make you angry that he is trying. Kinda like, encroaching on old property,” you look at him with soft eyes shining in the dim bar, words coming out slow and slurred in a way that Kenny even finds cute.

He hadn’t thought of it like that, and it’s actually kind of a relief, despite being a stupid line of thought. But you were probably right - and Kenny was clinging almost desperately to that belief, even though he sort of felt like shit for that. If this was Ospreay’s idea, then he was treating you as little more than a tool, a disrespectful ploy that quickly saw the previous burn of Kenny’s jealousy being replaced by that of anger.

“That sounds ridiculous. And a fucking childish move,” he spat out, trying not to let his emotions show through his voice.

“Tell me about it,” you scoffed, chuckling as you slapped his shoulder playfully. “Tho, he was shit outta luck. I may be drunk enough to not really remember much tomorrow. But I’d need to be a lot drunker to fall for the bullshit of a guy that looks like he still needs his momma to tuck him in at night,” you slur out the words with a small laugh that sounds warm and real, body leaning to his side as your face scrunches in a way that has Kenny smiling from ear to ear.

“Good to see you can still take care of yourself,” he laughs along with you, the soft sound of your chuckles mixing with his low laughter. It sounded right to his ears, an easy symphony of spontaneous joy that made his heart flutter.

“Hey,” you drag on the word, slurring heavily as you try your best to give him a menacing look, though Kenny just laughs more. “What do you think I am?”

“Come on,” he pleads, stifling his laughter as you almost pout in his direction. “I’m just looking out for your drunk ass,” Kenny says as softly as he can, chuckling when you scoff at his words.

“Thank you for the worry, but I’m not that bad. I’m not even drunk enough to dismiss that annoying accent of his,” you groan out, rolling your eyes at the mention of Ospreay’s very British accent.

“What, mate, you mean you don’t like his accent, bruv?” Kenny says in his best imitation of Ospreay.

“Stop, that’s torture,” you almost cry out, closing your eyes as you rub your temples, Kenny laughing as you take a deep breath, your gorgeous eyes finding him again. “He is really lucky I was just drunk enough to be patient, otherwise I’d have said something so terrible to him, he’d be crying right now.”

Kenny laughs, throwing his head back at just how irritated you seemed to be. Yeah, he couldn’t blame you, Ospreay was already insufferable, and his accent didn’t help it. Knowing you now, it was really surprising that you hadn’t just snapped on him. And Kenny couldn’t deny that he’d pay to see you tear that annoying prick down. When he recomposes himself, coming back to face you again, he already finds your powerful eyes on him, a smile on your face. God, you were just too beautiful.

“Not gonna lie, seeing you snap at him would probably be pretty funny,” he admits, shrugging as he watches you chuckle at his words.

“He’d deserve it too,” you snicker, shaking your head with a grunt. “He was acting like he was such a big guy. Bet he was sure he’d manage to piss you off and get some at the same time,” your voice comes out tainted with disgust, the sneer in it clear despite the slurring of your words.

“Guy had no idea how close to danger he was. If he knew you, he would have known he was biting off way more than he could chew,” Kenny adds with a laugh.

“Man, I really thought that after you mashed his face against that table he’d learned some humility, but he still talks like he is big shit. Despite, you know, eating the Tokyo Dome floor not even three days back,” you sneer again, rolling your eyes.

“I don’t think he is smart enough to learn humility quite so fast,” he responds, watching as you pick up your glass from the table and drinks, eyes following a droplet of your drink that spills past your bottom lip.

“Then he is annoying, self centered and stupid,” you say, slamming the almost empty glass on the table, making Kenny shudder as he realizes he was staring. You turn back to him before speaking again, voice low as you lean closer in. “If this is New Japan’s replacement for you, they really are doing bad.”

For a moment he feels lost in your proximity, eyes still drawn towards your mouth like a moth to a flame. It was like time had slowed, his heart beating loudly in his chests as a fire burnt within him. Breathing hard, Kenny recenters himself with a long exhale, his gaze finding your warm half lidded eyes.

“I’m not so sure,” he says with a short laugh. “That match was harder than I thought it would be, I’m still feeling it. I mean, can’t say he isn’t a good wrestler.”

“You still won, you are a better wrestler,” you respond with intensity, pointing a finger towards him, almost jabbing his chest with it. “Hell, you were a better wrestler when you were his age. At least you are smart, no use being strong and stupid,” you lift your glass again as you speak, taking a moment to finish what was left of your drink. “And you look better too.”

“Man,” Kenny laughs, eyes darting out staring into nothing as he speaks, “I barely even remember what I looked like when I was that age. Ten years feel so fucking distant.”

“I was talking about now, but that too I guess,” you add with a shrug, voice low and warm as Kenny looks back at you.

Despite the casual way with which you say the words, Kenny can’t stop his heart from leaping at the compliment. He chastises himself for reacting so intensely to something so stupid, you seemed so nonchalant that he was pretty sure you didn’t even think about what you said. Hell, you were too drunk to be thinking that much into what you say, so it was stupid for him to do that himself. Still, his heart did not care. Shaking his head, he tries to recompose himself, an anxious laugh leaving his mouth.

“Now, I don’t know if a lot of people would agree with you on that,” Kenny runs a hand through his hair, awkwardly laughing as he shrugs. “I mean, he isn’t even thirty, and I’m pushing forty. I’m already getting old.”

The minute Kenny finishes the word, he feels your hand pushing his head to the side, fingers digging into his cheek and the side of his face. It wasn’t a slap, most definitely not, you just turned his head to the side with your hand, but it still took him by surprise. When he looks to the side, Kenny can see your judgmental scowl from the corner of his eye. Gently, you pull your hand away, the gesture almost feeling like a caress to his stubbled skin. Kenny turns back to face you just as you lean in closer to him. He can smell your perfume, scent taking a hold of his mind, his eyes lost in the depths of yours.

“Don’t you start, I told you I’m gonna start feeling old myself,” you shake your head as you speak, fitting him with the most menacing gaze your hazy mind could muster.

“You aren’t,” Kenny starts with a soft laugh before you cut him off again.

“Then you aren’t old either. And even if you are a decade older than him, you still won, shame on him for that. He still can’t fill your shoes, he isn’t strong or intelligent enough for that,” you shoot back, words slurring as you speak progressively faster. When you stop for a moment, you take a deep breath, brows furrowed together as your eyes stare into Kenny’s wide ones. “And if you try to debate me on that, I’m gonna stab you with a skewer.”

There is a pause for a moment, you two staring at each other in silence, before Kenny starts laughing. The intensity in your voice somehow chasing his anxieties back into the darker corners of his mind. His heart almost feels lighter, like he was finally breathing freely. He raises his hands to the sides of his head, chuckling as the scowl cleared from your face.

“Okay, okay, you are right, you are correct. I won’t say I’m old anymore, I promise, please don’t stab me,” Kenny can’t help but laugh again as you huff, almost pouting in his direction before mouthing a silent okay. “And thank you.”

“Just telling the truth,” you reply, smile gracing your face again, and it has Kenny’s heart melting. “Besides, you weren’t the one who had to stoop so low as to try and hit on your rival’s ex to get to him. I think he is too dumb to realize that being seen kissing me would only make him look more like a bad copy of you,” you finish with a shrug, laughing softly, the sound feeling so close that it’s almost the only thing he can hear, despite the packed bar.

“Yeah, he was shooting himself in the foot with that one,” Kenny nods in agreement, giving a small laugh as silence falls between you for a beat. “Though, he could still just be doing it for you. I mean, I don’t think anyone can say you aren’t beautiful,” he almost mutters this last part, laughing again to try and hide how he felt, gaze falling away from your powerful eyes, although he can still feel them roaming over his skin.

“Nah, I could tell he was up to something,” you say in a soft voice, lazily shaking your head and laughing along with him. “But believe me, you are great. Way better than Ospreay,” your voice lowers, but remains just as soft and warm as he slowly turns back to look at you again, and, god, you feel almost closer now. “I wouldn’t really mind kissing you.”

You say the words just as his eyes find yours again, trapping him in the undertow of your darkened gaze. The line is an almost whisper, but as all sound seems to vanish around him, it feels clear as day, your voice smooth and inviting - flirtatious, even. The words wash over his body, gripping at his throat, and for a moment, Kenny forgets how to breathe, air being cut from his lungs. There is tension running thick through his blood, making his heart beat erratically, despite your warm smile never faltering. A silence hangs between the two of you, it seems so long to him, even though he knows it’s just a moment.

He tries to convince himself that he shouldn’t think too hard about it. You are drunk, you probably wouldn’t even remember this, you said it yourself. It was the alcohol speaking, clouding your mind and making you do things you wouldn’t while sober. He should disregard this whole thing as a drunken mistake. Still, Kenny’s heart wages a war against his reason. Begging his mind to reconsider, trying to plant a seed of doubt, to nourish a hope he knew he shouldn’t let take root. He begins to laugh, yeah, he’d better ignore this.

“That isn’t happening, you are very drunk,” Kenny says softly, closing his eyes and shaking his head as he laughs openly now, hellbent on forgetting this whole situation.

“Would you kiss me if I wasn’t?” Your question cuts through him, making Kenny open his eyes, finding your gaze burning into him. His heart is raging inside his chest now, and it’s like he can hear his own heavy breathing, every fiber of his body feeling like it’s on fire. But before he can answer, you two hear a loud voice coming from behind him.

“There you are,” Mercedes' tone rings loud, reaching over the music and making you both almost jolt as you turn towards her. “I was looking for you everywhere,” she whined, plopping down on the couch beside you.

“What? You were the one that went missing,” you shot back, furrowing your brows as she pulled you in for a hug.

“Doesn’t matter, the girls are going for a karaoke, come on, we gotta leave,” she spoke in a haste, some of the words slurring together as she released you from her arms just to grab your hand. “You don’t mind if I steal her away from you, do you, Kenny?”

Mercedes was drunk, for sure, but Kenny almost felt some sort of malice coming from those last words. She had turned to him fully now, smiling from ear to ear in a way that made him feel trapped - just like Okada. You had your eyes turned to him too, and he felt like a deer in headlights, trying his best not to show how his heart was racing right now. He was frozen for a split second before finally managing to react, laughing awkwardly at the taunting look in Mercedes eyes.

“Me? Hey, that’s with her,” Kenny replied with a chuckle, gesturing towards you.

“Merce-” you began, turning your face to her before she cut you off.

“Come on, you are coming, babe,” she whined again, pouting as she looked into your eyes before turning to him. “Oh, you wanna come, Kenny?”

“Thanks, but no, I’m good here. Probably gonna call it a night soon, I’ve had enough partying,” Kenny responded with a shake of his head and a wave of his hand. To be honest, he’d had more than enough partying.

“Alright then. Bye, Kenny,” Mercedes exclaimed as she got up, pulling you up along with her and moving you both towards the door.

“Well, see you, Kenny,” you said as she started dragging you, shooting him a playful smile that had Kenny’s heart shaking again.

“Take care out there,” he added, worry tainting his voice. No matter what had just happened, seeing you both drunk heading out like that still had him a bit on the edge. Despite knowing that you’d be with a group and that you could take care of yourselves.

“Don’t worry, I’ll personally take care of her,” Mercedes said over her shoulder with a laugh that, once again, felt weirdly malicious.

When Kenny got back to the hotel room from the party, he was exhausted. He’d stayed a bit longer, but the night had truly felt way too long. Your words still echoed in his mind, fueling the raging storm of his heart. You were drunk - he repeated to himself, trying to reason his way out of his messy feelings. He would be better forgetting that whole thing, cause come morning, you wouldn’t remember it as well. Still, his heart yearned.

After a long cold shower, Kenny finally managed to put his feelings in check. Or at least enough so that he could be reasonable again. Sitting on the hotel bed, he checked the hour on his phone, it was already past midnight, a part of him wondered where you were. Beyond everything that had happened, he still worried about you, worried about your safety. With a sigh, he pulled your messages on his phone, wanting to check in on you. For a minute he argued with himself over whether he should send that text, waging a war on his mind before his worries about you won.

Once more sleep avoided Kenny, his mind running a mile a minute leaving him awake for a while before exhaustion started to settle in. He had been watching whatever of interesting he could find on the hotel TV for over an hour by now, trying to silence his anxieties and the constant screaming of his heart. He was almost drifting off to sleep when he heard his phone vibrating on the bedside table. Pulling it up, a part of him hoped to see an answer from you, but instead, it was a message from an unknown number. When he checked the picture, he saw it was Mercedes.

When Kenny went back to look at the message, he noticed that it had an attached picture. He hit the button to download it and went on to read the text itself. ‘She wanted to tell you she was fine, but her phone ran out of battery and now she just dozed off in my room. Honestly Kenny, you act so sweet around her, it's fucking adorable ;)’ As he finally looked at the picture he saw you, wearing an oversized shirt, head buried in one of the pillows on Mercedes’ bed. Despite the teasing tone that Kenny could feel coming even from her message, he couldn’t help but feel the photo warming his anxious heart. Fuck, he really had fallen hard already.

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