Post by Alex Kiseragi on Aug 13, 2009 8:55:33 GMT -5
Her car pulled up, pulling to a neatly controlled stop a few feet from the back of his own. Alex had been waiting patiently for her, leant back on the door of his own vehicle, arms folded and a look of content satisfaction across his face. He looked up at the presentable tower block in front of him with satisfied approval.
He hadn’t been home again this week. It felt like it was becoming a more and more regular occurrence. The increasing strain of his work and training schedule as GIW entered into it’s big final run of the year, combined with the constant back and forth from his home in San Francisco and the arena here in L.A. had started to take their toll on him and he decided it was time to stop denying it and start doing something about it.
Her car door opened, the sound drawing his vision away from the building as he now looked down along his shoulder, his face naturally drawing into the warm subtle smile it always seemed to when she was around yet he had never been able to explain. Katie got out of the car, slamming the door closed behind her and started walking towards him, using her hand to shield her eyes from the summer Sun that now glared freely into her eyes.
Those eyes.
He waved, sort of, it was really more a lazy flick of the wrist with his hand raised in a reasonably wave like position but it did the job. Her arrival acknowledged he turned back to the tower block, shielding his own eyes now to get a better look at the upper most levels. Not that they were any different to the lower levels. Not from where he was standing anyway, but that was beside the point.
“Hi.” she said, her voice cheery despite being clearly laced with curiosity and a hint of confusion.
“Hey.” he replied, not looking down.
“Don’t you have sunglasses?” she asked, squinting up at him.
He shrugged slightly. “Left them at home. What about you?”
“Broke them.” she said casually and purposefully not going into how, hoping he wouldn’t ask.
“Fair enough.” he said. She quietly sighed her relief.
She looked at him, his gaze still on the building. She tried to follow his eyes, looking back and forth between them and any possible point of fixation in his field of view. Unable to figure it out, she slumped back against his car next to him, lowering her arms from her face as his body shielded her.
“So uh, what are we looking at?” she asked.
He looked back down along his shoulder at her, his face contorted in a strange frown, dumbstruck by the, to him, odd question. “That.” he replied, matter-of-factly, with a half hearted sideways nod of the head towards the building.
“Well, yeah.” Katie said, turning to look at the building again in case the answer was about to leap out at her. “But why?”
Alex turned back too and shrugged. “What do you think of it?”
“Looks pretty nice.” she observed with a shallow approving nod before looking up and down the street. “Not in a bad spot. The arena’s just down that way.” she added, pointing down the road, only to confirm a fact Alex was already well aware of.
There was a short pause as both of them returned to their leaning and gazing before Katie spoke up again.
“So you called me to stare at the outside of an apartment block with you?”
He looked down at her again. “Would you prefer inside?” he asked, reaching into his back jeans pocket and withdrawing a single key on a professional looking key ring, otherwise only adorned by a laminated tag with a building name and room number written on. He dangled it from his finger playfully as he flashed her a brief broad grin.
“Ok.” was all she could think of in response. He pushed off the door, she did the same and the pair of them headed into the building.
Cool air flowed over them as they entered the lobby, providing all too welcome relief from the outside heat. It was impressive, in a minimalist kind of way. On the left hand side, dozens of small post boxes were nestled together within the warm terracotta painted walls, cleaned to a dull shine and devoid of rust. To the right sat a guard. A well dressed man in an almost military dress uniform in a similar colour to the walls who, despite his well turned out appearance, exuded an aura of badassery that even Alex would hesitate to tangle with, given a choice. The guard, a powerfully built Hispanic man with a thin, neatly trimmed beard and crew cut hair do inspected them from his seat. Alex held up the key and the guard nodded once in affirmation, then again towards the elevator. Alex raised his hand in a thankful wave and the pair moved on.
Conveniently, the elevator was waiting for them by the time they’d reached it on the other side of the lobby and they entered, noting the smooth wood finish and expensive looking, if slightly vulgar gold trimmings inside. Alex hit a button and the room jerked into motion.
“What’s this all about?” Katie asked, clearly getting frustrated by her friends unusual behaviour.
Alex shrugged. “I dunno, I’m getting a little tired of having to go back and forth to San Francisco and arena twice a week.”
“Ok, but, that doesn’t really answer the question.”
With a chirpy little ping the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened to reveal a corridor, similarly designed to the lobby. Doors lined either side, well spaced from one another, hinting at the spaciousness of the rooms they allowed entrance to.
“So, I’m thinking of moving.”
She had been starting to get an idea, even if she didn’t let on, possibly not wanting to get her hopes up at the possibility. She didn’t need to feign surprise. The excitement in her voice more than making up for any suspicion she may have had.
“Really!?”
“Mmmhmm.” Alex replied with a slow nod.
“So you’re going to stay in L.A. permanently?”
“Maybe, more or less. I’ll still go back from breaks and stuff. It’ll be nice being able to just go back and forth from the arena in a few minutes. It’ll give me more time to train too if I’m not travelling all the while.”
“Cool! Is this your new place then?”
They stopped outside one of the many identical doors and Alex unlocked it, stepping aside as he opened it to allow Katie inside first. “It’s an option. I thought I’d get your opinion on it first.”
She stepped inside. “It’s beautiful.” she said, that broad shining smile being brought the fore as she looked around. It was white mostly with a soft dark aqua green carpet. A large sitting area with a high ceiling was the centre point, leading off to a small but functional kitchen and a couple of bedroom, one at each end. The back wall was formed entirely of windows that allowed all the early afternoon sun to fill the living space and lead out to a small balcony that looked out on the city. The décor may need some working on but it was certainly a start.
“I’m going to look around.” Katie announced before bounding across the floor towards one of the bedrooms.
“Ok.” Alex replied, also starting to look around a little more closely, though with somewhat more restraint. He headed the opposite way to the second bedroom. It was a modest size, about equal to his one back home. Whether it was meant to be the master or not he’d have to find out but either way, it’d do.
“Alex! Alex!”
He heard Katie shouting and the familiar sound of bounding across the living room outside.
“I’m in here!” he called back.
A moment later and the charged through the door. Just as he turned he watched her trip and stumble towards him. Her arms flailed in the vain hope of finding some kind of support. A leg tried to get forward to counter her shifting momentum but only got caught in the other and they both remained where they are as her head tried to keep moving forward. It was reflex when Alex dropped onto one knee, sliding forward beneath her and caught her in one arm, little more than a foot from the ground.
Time seemed to freeze. Slowly Katie’s body recovered from the distressed state of falling and she registered where she was again. She looked down at the ground. Her body rested against a strong toned arm that had grasped her across the shoulders. Her knees had hit the ground though the soft carpet had absorbed the worst of the impact. He was so close she could feel his warm breath brush over the back of her neck and it sent a exhilarating chill down her spine. She shifted her arms, bracing her hands against his arm and pushing herself up. Her body shifted, her head turning up and she came face to face to with him again. She looked up at him and fought the urge to allow herself to fall back into his arm. The world around them seemed to disappear as only the few inches that separated their faces, their lips, seemed to matter any more. Then he spoke.
“Wow, smooth move there slick.”
His arms shifted, his hands bracing her beneath the arm. He pushed himself up, lifting her up as he did so, taking her off the ground for a second before unceremoniously planting her back down.
“What did you even trip on?” he asked, peering past her for any protruding objects that may have hindered her.
“Um, I…” she stammered, violently torn from her fantasy and thrust back into the real world. She ran her hand through her hair, stopping at the back to ruffle in. She turned to look back the way she’d come, letting her hair purposefully fall over half her face as she prayed for the blood to flow away from her now bright red cheeks. “…Just myself I suppose.” she forced an awkward laugh as she turned back.
Alex laughed too. “Wow, the bloods gone right to your cheeks. You ok?”
She cursed inside. “Yeah fine, just, I dunno. Anyway um, where were we?”
“You were getting very excited about something. Is the Browns on?”
“Oh yeah, um, no. The main bathroom, it’s huge and I think the bath doubles as a mini Jacuzzi.”
“Sweet.” Alex says and brushes past her, sending another chill down her spine as he goes to see for himself. Katie recomposes herself and follows a few steps behind.
“Are you sure this is the best time for this by the way? Moving I mean.” she calls after him.
Alex slows down, looking back as she catches back up to him. “Seems so to me.”
“But we’re going into Battlegrounds. You’ve got a title to defend. Isn’t this wasting time a little. I mean, what about this week?”
“It’s ok. I mean, I’m not actually going into the Battleground match this year for a start. But that’s why I want to do it now. Get it out of the way before things really hot up going into Horizons.”
The two of them reach the main bathroom and walk in, Alex admiring the pristine white tiling that characterises the comfortably sized room. “I see what you mean.” he said, taking a seat on the toilet. “I’m liking this place more and more.”
Katie follows, taking a seat across from him, perched on the end of the bath tub. “You were saying?”
“I was?”
“This week?”
“Pfft.” Alex rolled his head back nonchalantly and back up to face her. “It’s hardly worth mentioning. It’s only Prescott.”
“Only Prescott?”
“Yeah it sounds weird to me too. I mean, like Brandon and Savana last week, this is the first time me and Declan will go one on one. Last year I wondered what this moment would be like. I mean, nine months ago, this match could have been big. Now? It’s just beating the empty shell of a man.”
“That’s a bit harsh.”
“True though. He went from being the top man in the company to living in a piss stained studio apartment with Andy Savana, or so I hear. Hard to see how he’d fall any further. He doesn’t even have the drive anymore. You can see it in his eyes. There’s nothing there. This weeks going to be just like last. Brandon and I are going to overcome whatever drunken antics they try and be done with it.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“You coming with?”
“Sure.” she smiled.
“Cool. Ok, let’s get out of here. We’ll put this one down in the definite possibility list.”
On which note, they made to leave. Sentinel was only days away and it would prove one simple fact. Brown and Kiseragi are going to be the Tag Team Champions for some time yet, and it’s going to take more then two drunken has-beens to change that.
He hadn’t been home again this week. It felt like it was becoming a more and more regular occurrence. The increasing strain of his work and training schedule as GIW entered into it’s big final run of the year, combined with the constant back and forth from his home in San Francisco and the arena here in L.A. had started to take their toll on him and he decided it was time to stop denying it and start doing something about it.
Her car door opened, the sound drawing his vision away from the building as he now looked down along his shoulder, his face naturally drawing into the warm subtle smile it always seemed to when she was around yet he had never been able to explain. Katie got out of the car, slamming the door closed behind her and started walking towards him, using her hand to shield her eyes from the summer Sun that now glared freely into her eyes.
Those eyes.
He waved, sort of, it was really more a lazy flick of the wrist with his hand raised in a reasonably wave like position but it did the job. Her arrival acknowledged he turned back to the tower block, shielding his own eyes now to get a better look at the upper most levels. Not that they were any different to the lower levels. Not from where he was standing anyway, but that was beside the point.
“Hi.” she said, her voice cheery despite being clearly laced with curiosity and a hint of confusion.
“Hey.” he replied, not looking down.
“Don’t you have sunglasses?” she asked, squinting up at him.
He shrugged slightly. “Left them at home. What about you?”
“Broke them.” she said casually and purposefully not going into how, hoping he wouldn’t ask.
“Fair enough.” he said. She quietly sighed her relief.
She looked at him, his gaze still on the building. She tried to follow his eyes, looking back and forth between them and any possible point of fixation in his field of view. Unable to figure it out, she slumped back against his car next to him, lowering her arms from her face as his body shielded her.
“So uh, what are we looking at?” she asked.
He looked back down along his shoulder at her, his face contorted in a strange frown, dumbstruck by the, to him, odd question. “That.” he replied, matter-of-factly, with a half hearted sideways nod of the head towards the building.
“Well, yeah.” Katie said, turning to look at the building again in case the answer was about to leap out at her. “But why?”
Alex turned back too and shrugged. “What do you think of it?”
“Looks pretty nice.” she observed with a shallow approving nod before looking up and down the street. “Not in a bad spot. The arena’s just down that way.” she added, pointing down the road, only to confirm a fact Alex was already well aware of.
There was a short pause as both of them returned to their leaning and gazing before Katie spoke up again.
“So you called me to stare at the outside of an apartment block with you?”
He looked down at her again. “Would you prefer inside?” he asked, reaching into his back jeans pocket and withdrawing a single key on a professional looking key ring, otherwise only adorned by a laminated tag with a building name and room number written on. He dangled it from his finger playfully as he flashed her a brief broad grin.
“Ok.” was all she could think of in response. He pushed off the door, she did the same and the pair of them headed into the building.
Cool air flowed over them as they entered the lobby, providing all too welcome relief from the outside heat. It was impressive, in a minimalist kind of way. On the left hand side, dozens of small post boxes were nestled together within the warm terracotta painted walls, cleaned to a dull shine and devoid of rust. To the right sat a guard. A well dressed man in an almost military dress uniform in a similar colour to the walls who, despite his well turned out appearance, exuded an aura of badassery that even Alex would hesitate to tangle with, given a choice. The guard, a powerfully built Hispanic man with a thin, neatly trimmed beard and crew cut hair do inspected them from his seat. Alex held up the key and the guard nodded once in affirmation, then again towards the elevator. Alex raised his hand in a thankful wave and the pair moved on.
Conveniently, the elevator was waiting for them by the time they’d reached it on the other side of the lobby and they entered, noting the smooth wood finish and expensive looking, if slightly vulgar gold trimmings inside. Alex hit a button and the room jerked into motion.
“What’s this all about?” Katie asked, clearly getting frustrated by her friends unusual behaviour.
Alex shrugged. “I dunno, I’m getting a little tired of having to go back and forth to San Francisco and arena twice a week.”
“Ok, but, that doesn’t really answer the question.”
With a chirpy little ping the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened to reveal a corridor, similarly designed to the lobby. Doors lined either side, well spaced from one another, hinting at the spaciousness of the rooms they allowed entrance to.
“So, I’m thinking of moving.”
She had been starting to get an idea, even if she didn’t let on, possibly not wanting to get her hopes up at the possibility. She didn’t need to feign surprise. The excitement in her voice more than making up for any suspicion she may have had.
“Really!?”
“Mmmhmm.” Alex replied with a slow nod.
“So you’re going to stay in L.A. permanently?”
“Maybe, more or less. I’ll still go back from breaks and stuff. It’ll be nice being able to just go back and forth from the arena in a few minutes. It’ll give me more time to train too if I’m not travelling all the while.”
“Cool! Is this your new place then?”
They stopped outside one of the many identical doors and Alex unlocked it, stepping aside as he opened it to allow Katie inside first. “It’s an option. I thought I’d get your opinion on it first.”
She stepped inside. “It’s beautiful.” she said, that broad shining smile being brought the fore as she looked around. It was white mostly with a soft dark aqua green carpet. A large sitting area with a high ceiling was the centre point, leading off to a small but functional kitchen and a couple of bedroom, one at each end. The back wall was formed entirely of windows that allowed all the early afternoon sun to fill the living space and lead out to a small balcony that looked out on the city. The décor may need some working on but it was certainly a start.
“I’m going to look around.” Katie announced before bounding across the floor towards one of the bedrooms.
“Ok.” Alex replied, also starting to look around a little more closely, though with somewhat more restraint. He headed the opposite way to the second bedroom. It was a modest size, about equal to his one back home. Whether it was meant to be the master or not he’d have to find out but either way, it’d do.
“Alex! Alex!”
He heard Katie shouting and the familiar sound of bounding across the living room outside.
“I’m in here!” he called back.
A moment later and the charged through the door. Just as he turned he watched her trip and stumble towards him. Her arms flailed in the vain hope of finding some kind of support. A leg tried to get forward to counter her shifting momentum but only got caught in the other and they both remained where they are as her head tried to keep moving forward. It was reflex when Alex dropped onto one knee, sliding forward beneath her and caught her in one arm, little more than a foot from the ground.
Time seemed to freeze. Slowly Katie’s body recovered from the distressed state of falling and she registered where she was again. She looked down at the ground. Her body rested against a strong toned arm that had grasped her across the shoulders. Her knees had hit the ground though the soft carpet had absorbed the worst of the impact. He was so close she could feel his warm breath brush over the back of her neck and it sent a exhilarating chill down her spine. She shifted her arms, bracing her hands against his arm and pushing herself up. Her body shifted, her head turning up and she came face to face to with him again. She looked up at him and fought the urge to allow herself to fall back into his arm. The world around them seemed to disappear as only the few inches that separated their faces, their lips, seemed to matter any more. Then he spoke.
“Wow, smooth move there slick.”
His arms shifted, his hands bracing her beneath the arm. He pushed himself up, lifting her up as he did so, taking her off the ground for a second before unceremoniously planting her back down.
“What did you even trip on?” he asked, peering past her for any protruding objects that may have hindered her.
“Um, I…” she stammered, violently torn from her fantasy and thrust back into the real world. She ran her hand through her hair, stopping at the back to ruffle in. She turned to look back the way she’d come, letting her hair purposefully fall over half her face as she prayed for the blood to flow away from her now bright red cheeks. “…Just myself I suppose.” she forced an awkward laugh as she turned back.
Alex laughed too. “Wow, the bloods gone right to your cheeks. You ok?”
She cursed inside. “Yeah fine, just, I dunno. Anyway um, where were we?”
“You were getting very excited about something. Is the Browns on?”
“Oh yeah, um, no. The main bathroom, it’s huge and I think the bath doubles as a mini Jacuzzi.”
“Sweet.” Alex says and brushes past her, sending another chill down her spine as he goes to see for himself. Katie recomposes herself and follows a few steps behind.
“Are you sure this is the best time for this by the way? Moving I mean.” she calls after him.
Alex slows down, looking back as she catches back up to him. “Seems so to me.”
“But we’re going into Battlegrounds. You’ve got a title to defend. Isn’t this wasting time a little. I mean, what about this week?”
“It’s ok. I mean, I’m not actually going into the Battleground match this year for a start. But that’s why I want to do it now. Get it out of the way before things really hot up going into Horizons.”
The two of them reach the main bathroom and walk in, Alex admiring the pristine white tiling that characterises the comfortably sized room. “I see what you mean.” he said, taking a seat on the toilet. “I’m liking this place more and more.”
Katie follows, taking a seat across from him, perched on the end of the bath tub. “You were saying?”
“I was?”
“This week?”
“Pfft.” Alex rolled his head back nonchalantly and back up to face her. “It’s hardly worth mentioning. It’s only Prescott.”
“Only Prescott?”
“Yeah it sounds weird to me too. I mean, like Brandon and Savana last week, this is the first time me and Declan will go one on one. Last year I wondered what this moment would be like. I mean, nine months ago, this match could have been big. Now? It’s just beating the empty shell of a man.”
“That’s a bit harsh.”
“True though. He went from being the top man in the company to living in a piss stained studio apartment with Andy Savana, or so I hear. Hard to see how he’d fall any further. He doesn’t even have the drive anymore. You can see it in his eyes. There’s nothing there. This weeks going to be just like last. Brandon and I are going to overcome whatever drunken antics they try and be done with it.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“You coming with?”
“Sure.” she smiled.
“Cool. Ok, let’s get out of here. We’ll put this one down in the definite possibility list.”
On which note, they made to leave. Sentinel was only days away and it would prove one simple fact. Brown and Kiseragi are going to be the Tag Team Champions for some time yet, and it’s going to take more then two drunken has-beens to change that.