#i firmly believe he would take her to the skate park and stuff like but would be so protective

[sukibenders]

Percy Jackson being the uncle to Uma and Ariel is so funny. Like I know those family reunions be a blast.

[legoflowrs]

HEAD CANNONS:

cw: tiny bit of nsfw, drug use, abuse, drinking, smoking

AGED UP TO 18 PEOPLE!!!

Kenny McCormick

- Kenny has a southern twinge thanks to his parents. They moved from Texas early on into Kenny’s life but thanks to always being surrounded by it he inherited it.

- Kenny works at least 2 jobs for most of high school. He has always been financially independent and wants to make sure he can take care of Karen.

- Lowkey a mamas boy always felt bad for Carol and tried to help her when he could.

- His Dad never hit him but he has always been pretty emotionally and verbally abusive, especially when he was drunk.

- This doesn’t deter Kenny from drinking but he’s the complete opposite of his Dad when he’s drunk. Kenny is a nice drunk, telling all his friends how much he loves them.

- Kenny has done all the piercings he has himself. Definitely had at least 6 in each ear and he’d probably have shark bites as well as a nose ring.

- Kenny LOVES tattoos. He’s done a few stick and pokes on himself but he met someone who did a professional one on him. He saved up for ages to get it. It’s a lark tattoo which is Karen’s favourite bird. He got it on his forearm.

- Karen is super into helping animals so every Saturday Kenny drives her to the animal shelter.

- His favourite cookie is snickerdoodles because his Grandma used to send them to his family every Christmas before she passed away.

- He has a truck that’s his passion project. I genuinely believe he went into a mechanic’s apprenticeship when school finished. He’s very smart and very handy with tools as he had to fix a lot of shit growing up.

- Kenny skates a lot. It’s a good stress reliever and it gives him adrenaline without the danger of him dying.

- Speaking of which he is still immortal but he got smarter with it when he grew up.

- I firmly believe in pansexual Kenny supremacy! He doesn’t care who you are if he likes you he likes you.

- WOLF CUT KENNY!!!!!

-Thrifting god! He’s what every tik tok girlie wants to be. I head cannon he goes thrifting with Heidi cause she’s super environmentally conscious.

- He’s friends with everyone! I think as they grew older he became super close with Stan. They bond over their shitty family’s.

- Eased up with the drugs over time after Karen found him after he overdosed in their bathroom once. Usually sticks to weed.

- Has hooked up with Henrietta (she thinks he’s the only somewhat okay conformist in south park and they usually smoke together after), Bebe (this caused a massive rift between him and Clyde), Red once or twice and Tammy.

- He flirts around a lot but doesn’t sleep around as much as people think.

- He would be extremely respectful in a long term relationship but he just hasn’t found the time to take care of anyone other than himself and Karen.

- Loves camping!!! He is very rugged and keen on doing heaps of stuff outdoors since he didn’t have that much to entertain himself growing up.

- Listens to all types of music but especially loves soft rock! It helps him mellow out.

- Would move out with Stan! Until him and Kyle started dating.

- Great with kids !!

- He pushed Stan to confess his feelings for Kyle and to this day takes credit for their relationship!

- Regularly works out! Made a makeshift home gym and Stan and Kyle join him often.

- Distanced himself from Cartman after he realised what a piece of shit he was.

- Was Majorines biggest support when she transitioned! They are super close and Kenny has a very soft spot for her.

- Hangs out with Craig to smoke and they talk about life (a little OOC for Craig but whatever lol).

- Kenny has a scar on his left eyebrow from the first time he died. It never went away and serves as a permanent reminder that he should be more careful.

- Defs a MILF lover lol.

- Drinks oat milk, Heidi put him into it.

- Him and Karen went vegetarian for a while!

- Super sporty, played football for a while but dropped it when he got bored. Stuck with track for most of high school.

- Smart but didn’t apply himself at school! Would skip often and was the guy everyone hated to be in group projects with.

- Plays the base. Did a stint with Stan in a band for a while. They still regularly play with Marj and Jimmy just for fun.

- A GOD at multiplayer video games. No one wants to verse him anymore.

- Still has his collection of playboys lol. Too attached to throw them out but would die if Karen saw them (she has seen them).

- Country music is his guilty pleasure.

- Smokes cigs but switched to vaping when Karen complained about the smell.

- Played Ice Hockey with Stan for a while.

- Was in the wedding party for both Creek and Style.

- Pre Karen complaining about the smell of cigs he smelt like cigarettes, motor oil and cinnamon.

Kenny in a relationship

- Physical touch!!!!!! That’s his main love language. Would always have his hands on your waist, the small of your back, holding your hand, stroking your hair!!

- He also loves acts of service. Your milk is running low? He runs to the store and tops it up. Light bulb went out? Changes it without even being asked.

- He’s pretty experienced with sex. Loves giving and making you feel good. It’s pretty much a reward for him.

- Whole heartedly loves you, would never even consider cheating. Super loyal!

- Loves going to the drive ins for a date! It was his first date with you and he has a soft spot for it.

- You cook and he cleans!!

- Wants to be friends with your friends and wants you to like his friends. His world is yours too when you guys are dating.

- You babysit Karen often even though she’s older now. I definitely think she’d love having a sort of older sibling to go to.

- Whenever Kenny sees you with Karen he gets instant baby fever lol and often you know what ensues.

- You bought him a record player for his birthday and he just about died. You guys slow danced for hours.

- He will be there any time of day or night to pick you up.

- I think he’ll know pretty early on he wants marriage. Keeps it to himself for a while until you guys have been in a committed relationship.

- Loves seeing the little fashion shows after you go shopping he thinks it adorable.

- Gotten to the point where if you aren’t in bed with him he doesn’t really sleep well.

- I think he has an anxious attachment style but that’s definitely worked on!

- Will take you camping even if you don’t like it lmao.

- Makes you a playlist on a CD because he’s an old man.

- Uses your body wash cause he’s a cheap bitch….

- Loves breakfast in bed.

- Would have double dates with y’all and Style and Creek occasionally.

- You get on with Majorine like a house on fire. At first you were very insecure of her because you knew at one point Kenny had a thing for her but he’s actually good at reassuring you, that you’re the one he wants.

- You guys aren’t prefect, when y’all fight it can be explosive and he usually goes for a drive but he can’t stop thinking about it.

- Decided to go to couples therapy when you got engaged to work some things out before y’all committed to marriage.

- Obsessed with you lol 10/10 partner.

A/N: first post kinda nervous lmao. kenny is my fav love him to bits. idk if any of these are kinda OOC but this is just for funsies! Also added his moodboard slay vibes.

[thisroyalthrone]

The Paranatural Activity Club at the Skate Park Headcanons

Because I thought of a few and now I can't stop thinking about them. I might do more with this later with other characters but at the moment this is all I have.

MAX - Okay so I know Max has a scooter in the comic, but I firmly believe he skateboards. Max would be that person at the skate park who zones out a little bit while he's practicing, to where he could be a potential danger but he's smart enough to stay out of people's way. I think Max would mostly focus on bowl tricks, and he has a really cool deck but he also always waits way too long to get new grip tape. His dad is also one of those parents who is constantly taking videos of his kid, and Max has to keep telling him to stop cheering every time he messes up on a trick (Peter doesn't do it out of malice, he just has absolutely no idea what skate tricks are meant to look like)

ISABEL - Isabel is a rollerblader through and through. She mostly skates street, but she'll try anything. Once she's tried something, though, she's not going to stop until she gets it right. She gets very methodical and deliberate about her practice. She also puts little charms and beads on her shoelaces and her skate bag (which is covered in buttons and decorative patches) matches her skates. She's also that person at the skate park who tries to give beginners tips and tricks to improve their skills. She has a grind box at home and is trying to figure out how to build a halfpipe (meaning she's trying to get max to help her).

ISAAC - Isaac makes no effort to hide the fact that he hates the skate park. Isabel let him wear her skates once because he was curious as to whether he would like it. He fell and managed to hurt half the bones in his body and decided he would never skate again. Despite his disdain for participating in any and all roller sports, he still goes to the skate park (and other skate spots around Mayview) to support and watch his friends. He sits on one of the little benches on the side and keeps track of peoples' water bottles, bags, and tools (both the skate and paranatural kinds). Sometimes when he's feeling generous he brings snacks for the rest of the club.

ED - Ed 100 percent roller skates. I will take no argument on this. He focuses a lot on street skating and ramps and jumps and stuff, but he also spends a lot of time practicing more style-oriented skate tricks and spins and complicated footwork maneuvers. He refuses to carry any sort of skate bag, so he comes to the skate park carrying heaping armfuls of skates and gear, and he has an obnoxiously large helmet that he painted some neon color (I'm thinking green). Ed also refuses to go anywhere near a bowl, much less do anything inside of it.

[miyagihawk]

it's not an ask, but i don't know if i can send it on your chat, so... i saw your post about a song and a character from cobra kai and automatically thought of sk8r boi (avril lavigne) and robby 😩😩😩 have a nice day and don't forget to drink water 💞

THANK U FOR THE REQUEST i love this song sm

sk8r boi | robby keene x reader

warnings: swearing, some catcalling

summary: he was a skater boy! she said see you later boy! he wasn’t good enough for her! (hehe)

“Come on Riley, Mom wants us home by 6 and we still have to get stuff from the store,” you crossed your arms, annoyed at your brother. He ignored you, dipping down, wheels first, into the concrete bowl.

You shifted on your feet, feeling uncomfortable standing at the skate park with your ballet attire still on. You’ve just come back from rehearsal, and you had to pick up Riley because Mom was working a late shift.

“Shit Riley, I didn’t know your sister was hot. Qué pasa ballerina?” one of his friends winked at you, making you roll your eyes in disgust.

“Hey, do a little twirl for us princess,” another boy whistled and you glared at the group.

Pigs. Boys are pigs.

“Riley, let’s go,” you said firmly, turning away and heading to your car, leaving him with no choice but to follow if he didn’t want to walk home.

Your brother’s friend group of skaters hollered and whooped as Riley caught up to you, and you had to focus on your breathing to calm your anger. You hate being made fun of, but you reminded yourself that they were just a bunch of stupid, hormonal, punks.

“Your friends are assholes,” you commented, and your brother only nodded in agreement.

“Hey,” a voice called from behind you, but you kept walking, assuming that it was just another guy trying to poke fun at you.

“Hey, wait,” the person said again, this time grabbing your arm to stop you.

You turned around quickly, pulling away from their grip. “What?” you snapped, meeting a pair of calm green eyes.

It was one of Riley’s friends, the one with long hair. You don’t remember him saying anything to you earlier; he seemed to be quiet.

“I just wanted to say sorry. About them. They don’t know how to talk to girls, I promise they’re not that bad,” he said, holding his skateboard at his side. His genuineness surprised you.

“So you do?”

He gave you a confused look, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Know how to talk to girls,” you clarified and he chuckled.

“I know a thing or two. I’m Robby,” the boy stuck out his hand for you to take.

“Wow you’re good,” you joked. “I’m Y/N,” you took his rough hand in your soft one.

-

After that day at the skatepark, you couldn’t stop thinking about Robby.

You don’t know what it was about him. Maybe it was his glittery eyes. Or his pretty hair. Or the way he smiled with his whole face. Or maybe it was how he talked in a way that told you he was smarter than most people.

Maybe it was all of those things that made you daydream like a schoolgirl with a crush. And all you wanted to do was see him again.

“Jenny doesn’t even deserve the variation, I mean we all saw what happened last time. She almost fell off stage! Anyone but her should have it,” your friend Abby ranted, sipping on her milkshake.

It was after rehearsal and your friend group decided to go to a diner to get food.

“It’s clearly favoritism. She could do the whole routine wrong and Ms. Adams would still choose her. I think Jenny’s parents are definitely bribing her,” your other friend Vanessa added to the gossip.

The whole time, you were half listening to the conversation and half thinking about a certain skater boy. You couldn’t even control it; your thoughts always somehow drifted to him.

“Oh my god. Skaters,” Abby whispered, making you snap out of your daydream. You looked up to see a pack of boys coming into the restaurant, holding their boards at their hips.

Among them was your little brother and your heart raced as you recognized all of them.

It was like your overflow of thoughts about him had somehow materialized right in front of you. Robby.

Your hands started to sweat and you contemplated if you should hide or say hello, or just act like you didn’t see him.

You decided to go for the latter, and you slumped down in your seat to make yourself less noticeable.

“God, look at them. Skater boys are the scum of the earth,” Abby uttered, making a face of distaste.

“I would never date one. Even that’s below me,” Vanessa scoffed in reply.

You felt your cheeks heat up at their remarks, now feeling ashamed for your growing feelings for the very thing they were so disgusted at.

“Same,” you replied, despite feeling conflict in your heart. You looked over Vanessa’s shoulder to see him laughing with his group, and his happiness made your heart warm.

Before you could look away, his eyes met yours. You cursed internally at your ruined plans of trying to ignore him, but the damage was done. You shot him a small smile and a nod before returning your gaze back to your friends.

It took everything in you to not look at him again, especially with the feeling of his stare on you.

“Holy shit. One of them’s coming over,” Abby said in a hushed tone, your stomach dropping at her words.

You looked up to see Robby heading over to your table as you panicked on the inside.

“Hey Y/N,” he said as he approached, and you looked back at his table to see his friends watching.

“Robby! Hi!” you greeted nervously. “Uh, these are my friends. Abby and Vanessa. Girls, this is Robby,” you introduced them.

“Nice to meet you,” he nodded at them, and they waved. Their smiles were definitely fake, and you could tell how hard they were judging the boy in front of you.

“So, um, do you guys come here a lot?” you tried to make conversation, but the air was too awkward to be saved.

“Not really, our usual place was closed so we came here,” Robby explained, glaring at his friends who were starting to boisterously taunt. “I should go. Sorry about them. Again. Just wanted to say hey.”

“All good,” you laughed. “See you.”

As he walked back to his table your friends turned to you, mouths agape.

“You know him?! What was that?” Abby inquired, giving you a look of disbelief.

“He’s... he’s just my brother’s friend,” you shrugged, trying to play it off.

“Just your brother’s friend. He totally had heart eyes for you Y/N!” Vanessa nudged your side, making you shake your head in denial.

You rolled your eyes, but what she said gave you butterflies. “No way, I’ve only met him once.”

“Whatever, just don’t fall into the trap. You’re too good for a skater. They’re scum, remember?” Abby said, as she chewed obnoxiously on a fry. You found yourself suddenly annoyed at her.

“Yeah, of course. I would never,” you contradicted your feelings.

They were probably right. You don’t even know Robby, and you were from completely different worlds.

-

You told yourself that you would push away your growing feelings for Robby. But you couldn’t help but be excited when you have to pick up Riley from the skatepark. You couldn’t help asking your brother maybe too many questions about him, and you couldn’t help looking out for him every time you would go to the diner with your girls.

He would always talk to you, making you giddy for the rest of the day. You found yourself wanting to see him more and more.

“So how long have you been skating?” you asked the boy beside you.

You were waiting for Riley to finish so you could go home, but you let him take his time.

“I started when I was 11, but it’s been on and off,” Robby replied. “Have you ever skated?”

You laughed at the thought of yourself on a board. “Never. It looks cool though,” you watched as your brother skated off some stairs.

“I think you’d be good at it. I mean ballet and skating are pretty much the same thing,” he grinned at you, making you blush and look away from him.

“Ballet and skating couldn’t be more different,” you disagreed.

Robby shrugged. “Wrong. Both are centered around balance. Skating, if you think about it, is choreography. Sure we’re not as graceful, but it’s not as different as you think.”

You smiled to yourself at his wiseness. “I guess you’re right.”

There’s a moment of silence between you two as you both sat at the edge of the bowl.

“So when are we starting?” he spoke, making you tilt your head in confusion.

“Starting what?”

“I’m teaching you how to skate,” he answered nonchalantly, as if he wasn’t giving you a choice.

“What? I-I can’t skate,” you stammered. The thought of you embarrassing yourself in front of him made you want to puke.

“Which is why I’m teaching you. Come on, I promise I won’t let you hurt your pretty little ballerina face,” Robby smiled.

Your head suddenly felt dizzy at his small remark. Pretty. “I don’t know Robby...”

“Tomorrow. At 5. I’ll even take you to that diner you like after. It’s a date,” he said surely, making your cheeks warm up again.

A date? Your heart fluttered at the thought of him wanting to hang out with you. Alone. On a freaking date.

“Okay, fine,” you bit your lip, trying to hold back a huge smile. “But only because of the promise of food.”

-

“I hate you,” Robby huffed as he watched you effortlessly roll past him on his skateboard.

“I can’t believe you compared this to ballet, this is so easy,” you jeered, laughing at his defeated look.

“Oh calm down Ms. Black Swan, you haven’t learned any tricks yet,” he stood up, walking over to you. “I’m going to teach you an ollie.”

He grabbed the board and stood on it, leaning down on the edge with one foot so that the board was wheels up on the other side. “Just do that.”

Robby handed you the skateboard, and you copied everything he did. Except you lost your balance and the wheels slipped from underneath you. You grabbed onto his shoulders as a reflex.

Your breath hitched as Robby’s placed his hands on your hips to steady you, and your faces were inches away. He was so close that you could feel his breath and see the pattern of his eyes.

“Not so easy, is it now?” he said softly, still holding onto you. The air was now filled with a thick tension and you felt woozy from being so close to him.

“I... I guess not,” you fumbled over your words, feeling incredibly nervous looking into his eyes.

None of you were pulling away, and you weren’t sure if you should be the first to do so.

“Can I kiss you?” Robby whispered, making you breathless. You were sure that he could hear your heartbeat, because it felt like it was consuming you.

You only nodded, feeling speechless, and he leaned in to press your lips together.

It was everything you’ve ever dreamed of. And you dreamed about it a lot.

-

“You’re so much different from your friends. How come?” You chewed on a fry, questioning the boy sitting in the diner booth in front of you.

Robby tapped his lip in thought. “I don’t know. Maybe I just balance out the group. You’re different from your friends too. I mean I’ve only met them once, but I don’t think they like me,” he replied, and you cringed at the memory of your friends being so judgmental.

“That makes sense. And sorry about them. They can be... mean,” you apologized on their behalf, almost in the same way that Robby would for his friends.

“Speak of the devil,” Robby looked behind you, making your eyes widen. You turned around and there they were. Abby and Vanessa. You didn’t even care that they were hanging out with you; you were worried that they would see you with Robby.

You slumped down in your seat like you did when you were trying to hide from Robby before. “We should go now, right? It’s getting pretty late.”

Robby gave you a weird look, “Um... sure.”

“Y/N?” a dreaded voice called your name before you could make your escape.

You faced your two best friends. “Hey guys,” you said sheepishly as they walked up to your table.

“What are you doing with him? Oh my god, are you two on a date?” Abby gasped.

Vanessa joined in, “You said you’d never date someone like him. Oh come on Y/N, you know he’s not good enough for you. What happened to boys like him are below us?”

Robby’s face flashed with pain, but you were so selfish that you didn’t even notice.

“No- I- We’re just friends, I swear it’s not a date. I would never-” you stuttered, trying to save yourself, and you didn’t even think of Robby’s feelings at all. In the moment you only cared about your reputation and what your friends thought of you.

The boy you liked so much got up from the booth, throwing a wad of cash on the table. You felt your heart break as he walked away without a word and clenched fists.

You got up to follow him, but your friends pulled you back. “Just let him go Y/N. He’ll just break your heart,” Abby said coldly.

You ripped your arm away from their grip, running through the diner to catch up to Robby.

“Robby! Please, stop, I’m sorry,” you called after him, trying to keep up with how fast he was walking.

He ignored you the first time, increasing his pace.

“Please, Robby, can we just talk about it? I’m stupid, okay? Don’t go,” you pleaded, and he finally stopped in his tracks.

You’ve never seen his face like that, a mixture of anger and pain. The fact that it was directed towards you made you want to just melt away.

“You want to talk? Am I even good enough to talk to you? I’m sorry, should I be on my knees right now your majesty?” he said angrily, and you felt like crying.

You shook your head, “No, no Robby I swear I don’t think of you that way. I said things that I don’t mean and I’m so sorry. I- I just... my friends were saying all this shit about-”

“Just- just stop. You’re saying different things to different people, and I’m just supposed to trust you? And what, was I just going to be a secret? Look, I have to go,” he turned around to keep walking but you took his hand.

“I was going to tell them Robby, I like you so much and please, I’ll fix it. I’ll talk to them and-”

He cut your frantic rambling off again, “Y/N... I like you too alright? And I get it. I get wanting to fit in with your friends, even if you don’t agree with them. I learned from it myself. I just need time to think about all of it.” He sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

You nodded in understanding, but your heart was hurting. “I’m sorry,” you said one last time before he took off on his skateboard.

a/n: why was that sm longer than i planned... also sorry for any mistakes im too lazy to edit. there probably won’t be a part 2 because the song doesn’t have a happy ending lol hope u enjoyed!!!!

[whatsseobb]

More Than Meets The Eye (Crystal x Gigi Fanfic) - Chapter 3

AO3 Link

[A/N: Hello! I’m sorry this took over a week to be updated. Real life is just getting too much for me but I’m trying my best to write. However, please expect for slow updates. I’m sorry. Thank you for waiting. I hope you enjoy this chapter. 

I hope you enjoy this fic and leave me your thoughts!!]

Synopsis:

Too bad that you couldn’t see

See the girl Crystal could be

There is more that meets the eye

I see the soul that is inside~

Based from Avril Lavigne’s Sk8ter Boi but with different twists.

Chapter Three - Under the Moonlight 

Two vehicles parked along the edge on the hilltop, the overlooking view of the city below them painted their scenery. The lights from below lighted the small cliff, enabling them to have a little source of brightness under than the luminescence brought by the moonlight.

The two groups merged once more as Heidi blasted the music coming from the car’s radio louder for them to all hear. They all gathered by the pick-up truck, getting their red cups once again and cheering.

They were all partying by the back of the car when they realized one person was left inside the car, silently staring at her phone. Jackie went in and talked to Daegen silently which the others tried not to listen to.

It didn’t take a while before the pink-haired girl joined them, bumped her cup and downed her drink before screaming by the cliff, “Fuck all guys! They are all pieces of worthless shit!” She yelled at the top of her lungs which gained a few giggles from the girls before they all said “Yeah!” in agreement to her.

“You know, I don’t think I’m gonna be dating anyone in a long time. I’m going to focus on myself, love myself and all that.” Daegen said in a tone that seems to be trying to convince herself rather than being extremely sure about it.

“What happened back there anyway?” Jan asked as if reading the minds of the whole bunch. True, they were clueless to what took place and they all had no courage to ask during the car ride to the cliff.

Lux was the first to explain, assuming what she might have seen that moment from the party. “Well, Noah suddenly appeared in the party… and was dancing with another girl.” She looked at Daegen to confirm her statement which the pink-haired girl continued.

“Yeah, he told me he was going to rest for the night because he fried his brains out from the exams but…” She shrugged before taking another sip of her drink. “I saw him dancing with this girl from our PE class. She’s not even good at sports. What’s to like about her?”

Widow cleared her throat before she stood up in the middle of the two cars, bopping to the beat that was being played from the radio. “Forget about boys. Speaking of dancing, you should all join me here and dance along.”

Soon after, half of the group joined Widow while the rest stayed at the back of the car, watching their friends. Gigi was sitting at the edge of the truck, letting her feet dangle as she looked at the overlooking view in front of them. Crystal went to sit beside her, joining in her silence. She dug her hand inside her pocket and picked up another cigarette, lighting it up and taking a puff. The blonde just looked at her, tilting her head to the side as she observed the teenager.

Gigi was trying to pinpoint where she might have met her before. The sapphire waves coming down from her head, the silver nose ring, the black and silver earrings on her earlobes, the black blouse topped with a denim jacket, a short black skirt over a stripped black and white tights. They all looked like she have seen it before. The girl beside her looked like trouble, with her blue-hair being the accent against her black and white outfit. She appeared to be like someone Gigi would choose last when asked to pick partners in their PE classes but here she was sitting beside her by the cliff.

“What? Do you want some?” Crystal offered, handing her the roll of cigarette in her fingers. Gigi refused politely, offering her a small smile.

“I don’t smoke. Isn’t that bad for you? Plus you’re also drinking.”

“Well, Ms. Goode, thanks for your concern but I’ll be fine.”

“How did you know me? Do we have classes together?” The blonde tilted her head to the side as she glanced at the person beside her.

“The question is do I attend classes? Haha kidding. I think we used to have History back in second year. Now I’m not entirely sure. Maybe English or Literature?”

“Mhm.” The blonde hummed under her breath, playing with her cup that was placed on her lap. “Since when did you start smoking? Do you always have that with you? Is it like a thing for someone like you?

“What do you mean someone like me? Am I like an alien or something?” Crystal darted her eyes towards the blonde beside her, watching her laugh at her question. “What’s funny about it?”

“No no, I mean, like you. Uhm, people who skates and likes metal rock stuff.” The ballerina was fiddling with her cup, staring at the clear content inside it. She watched the ripples as it bounced against the wall of the container.

“Metal rock stuff? Me? It’s not a match. Wait, do you mean because I dress up like this I like dark stuff already? I mean it’s not offensive but woah with the stereotype.” The sapphire-haired girl placed her hand on her chest, her lips turning into an O-shape as she imitate a hurt gasp, making the girl beside her chuckle lightly.

“Oh my, I’m sorry. It’s just th-“

“Yeah, I know I look like someone who likes those kinds of stuff just because of the way I dress and what I do with my skateboard, but believe me, I’m not. Not that they are not good choices of music tho, it’s just not my style.” Gigi looked down again at her cup, frowning. “Hey, it’s fine. I’m not mad.”

“But I’m really sorry for assuming things. I-“

“I said it’s fine. Come on, chill.” Crystal nudged the girl beside her with her elbow. She took another inhale of her joint before she puffed it out. The other girl just glanced at her with a faint smile on her face before looking at the view in front of them once more. She adjusted her pink jacket wrapping around her shoulders, pulling it tighter closer to her body to feel warmth. Crystal couldn’t help but notice the shifting beside her. She scooted closer towards the blonde. “I have an extra jacket in the truck. Do you want me to get it for you?”

“Oh no need. You can use it later cause I think it’s gonna get colder soon.” The blonde responded as she swing her legs while looking at the horizon. The blue-haired girl jump down from the back of the truck and jogged to get her coat. As Crystal returned back to Gigi’s side, she put it over her shoulder and let her hands rest on them firmly but not too tight.

“I’ll get it from you later when I need it. You can use it for now.”

 Meanwhile, in the makeshift dance floor, the bunch of girls were enjoying the time of their lives. They all cheered, dancing along to the songs in synchrony as if they were all part of a dance group. It was a Britney Spears song that everyone was familiar with. Their giggles and singing echoed the area as they had their little party.

Jan and Jackie paired with each other as they danced to the song. They grooved and swayed their hips to the song as they had a little chat over the loud music.

“You are good at dancing, Jan.” Jackie commented, watching as the other girl in front of her bopped to the beat of the song from the radio.

“Well, of course. I am part of the dance group, remember?” The short blonde took a swig of her drink which caused her to cough a bit as she felt the alcohol run through her throat. “Woah. This is strong. But anyway, you are not bad yourself. You have some good dance moves. You should join us, maybe. So we could get to hang out more!” Jackie shook her head at the suggestion as she took her hand and twirled her around, which made the two laugh.

“I don’t want to embarrass myself any further. Plus, I have the school magazine to focus on to. I like peaceful spaces more.”

“But it’ll be fun. Come on, I can teach you our dance routines some time.” Jan offered as she continued her mini dance.

“No, but thanks, really. I just like dancing here with all of you. Plus dance while drunk is much more fun.”

“Should I always give you drinks just to let loose? I think that would be really bad for you, we both know that.” Jackie took her hand again and spun her around.

“Oh no, I’m sorry.” A light-headed Jan accidentally stepped on the Persian girl’s foot, making her slightly wince in pain. She bent her knee and reached for her foot which Jan held as well, trying to caress it. “I’m really sorry, Ja-“

“Jackie, my name’s Jackie.” The brunette offered her a kind smile as they both tried to sooth the pain on her foot.

“Wait, let me get something cold. Just stay there.” Jan looked around as she tried to locate the pick-up truck with her blurry vision, which was behind Jackie. She hurried towards the car only to bump against Jackie once again. “Oops, I did it again.”

That made the brunette roll her eyes with the joke she tried to share, letting out soft chuckles. “I think it would be best if I go with you. Who knows how many feet you’re going to bump with and step on your way to the car.”  

“Hi Lux. Are you having fun?” Jan noticed Gigi approaching them who was gently swaying her hips as she danced along the music. She met eyes with Jackie who shook her head at the statement of the tipsy girl.

“She surely is drunk. It was Gigi, Jan.” Jackie led the way towards Widow’s car, settling Jan inside before she went to get a cold drink for her feet.

Gigi found Widow and Heidi on their makeshift dance floor as she felt the alcohol kicking in to her system. It helped her loosen up, allowing her to enjoy the music and bop along with her friends even with the company of people she just met. She lifted her arms into the air, feeling the melody flowing through her veins.

Back at the truck, Daya was hanging out with Crystal, the two of them standing and leaning at the roof of the car, watching their friends in their dancefloor. They silently stood by each other, passing the cigarette as they let the other enjoy the winter breeze paired with their joint.

“That Gigi doesn’t seem to be that quiet, hm?” Crystal broke the silence, turning to Daya as she pass the cig to her.

“Is she not? Oh yeah, I saw you two talking earlier. In all fairness, you made her laugh. I thought she’ll be a tough cookie to break even though she seem really soft.” The taller girl commented as she poured some drink onto Crystal’s cup. Daya then followed where the other was looking at before laying her eyes on the girl beside her, letting out a soft sigh.

“She’s quite something…” The smaller one trailed off as she locked her eyes on the ballerina, watching her dance with the bunch of girls. Her hair was flawlessly bouncing against her shoulders as she jumped around to the beat, her giggles echoing onto their small spot by the cliff. Crystal noticed the moonlight reflecting on her as if her skin was glistening under the moon’s touch.

  Present Day, 2020.

 The group were all at their large table by the stage, waiting for the program to officially start. They knew they had come earlier than the time but they did that as to have a longer time to be with their girlfriends as well as to update each other with their current lives. It had been some years since they all came together in one place. They were always incomplete for the past years that they had gathered. Sometimes it would be Lux, Daegen, Daya, and Crystal when they all went to visit Crystal and Lux in California. Sometimes it would be Daegen, Jackie, Jan, and Gigi in the East Coast to watch a musical. There was also a year when they almost were complete. It was during a tour Gigi and her dance company did back in their hometown. Everyone was available that weekend except for Crystal who was having her hell week for her finals in her art degree.

That reunion party was the first time after years that they were complete. Surely, they missed each other. They were all in relief as they all didn’t lose touch of each other especially with the growth of social media back in their college days which made it easier for the group to keep in touch. It also made them be as close as they used to be back in high school. It was as if they were never apart. At least for most of them.

 “I’ll be right back. The band is calling me, I think there’s something wrong with the instruments. Later.” The dark-haired vocalist bid a short goodbye to her girlfriends as she walked back to the side of the stage and approaching her bandmates.

“So Lux, how has it been with you? I heard you started your own small boutique. When we go to San Francisco maybe we can all visit your store.” Jan mentioned as she picked up a piece of nacho chip and shoved it in her mouth, turning to look at the small blonde girl across the table.

“Business is going great, really. Lately, people have been fond of the vintage dresses that I make. They were asking if I also do customized pieces.”

“Do you also do wedding dress, Lux?” Heidi asked from one side of the table, smiling from ear to ear as she shifted her eyes around the table. Eyes darted back on her in confusion. “What? I’m just asking.”

“Is it for a movie? Wow, I thought you have a lot of costume designers already. That would be a pleasure to work in your movie tho. But I don’t make wedding dresses. I can give you some of my friends’ number from college.” Lux took her phone from her small purple bag as she looked for her friends’ contact information.

“Something is fishy here…” Widow shot a look towards the actress as she playfully looked around while whistling. “Hey, don’t tell us…”

Heidi then showed a flashing diamond ring that she wore on her left hand which surprised the whole table. It earned loud squeals and cheers from her girlfriends as they ran towards her. “Oh my gosh, Di, I didn’t know you are getting married!”

“We are so happy for you!”

“Congratulations!” A few of the people around their table looked at their direction since their noise were getting louder but the group didn’t mind. They are used to all the stares they get when they are all having fun.

“Wait, does the media know already? I’m pretty sure I follow all news about you. How come this didn’t come out yet?” Daegen said as she wrapped her arms around Heidi excitedly.

“Well well well, I made sure you all are the first ones to know. He proposed just this last week for our 11th anniversary. Can you believe it? I’m getting hitched!”

“Oh gosh, finally. It’s about time, don’t you think?” The group chuckled at Widow’s statement.

 Out of nowhere, Jan burst into fits of laughter, covering her mouth as she tried to silenced herself but to no avail. The whole table looked at her in confusion as she continued laughing on her own. “Wait wait, hahahaha. I’m sorry. I just… hahahaha…remembered something.”

“It better be worth the laugh or you have to find your new table, Janette.” Daegen threw a table napkin towards her direction but it landed on Widow’s plate. This made the blonde laugh some more. Jackie had to offer her a glass of water to help her calm down.

“Okay, so here it goes. I suddenly remembered this thing back in high school. I am not sure if we were friends already but it did happen during dance rehearsals and the table napkin is so funny as if it read my mind because it was a story about Widow.” The taller girl shot daggers through her eyes towards Jan’s direction, murmuring “don’t you dare.”

“I love you, Widow.” Jan mouthed back before continuing with her story. “Alright, so dance rehearsals. We were all there, of course practicing and then suddenly, we heard a very loud ‘WHERE IS MY GODDAMN PHONE’ from the front of the stage. We were about to have a run-through of our routine but her phone was “missing”.” She did some air quotes with her fingers.

Gigi, who was on her phone, started giggling as well as she remembered the story Jan was referring to. “Widow just got mad at us and we have no idea why because we were all on our own groups stretching and warming up for the rehearsals.”

“Then Widow said, ‘I swear, if you all don’t bring out my phone right now, y’all have to stay here and do ten extra laps around the auditorium. ‘ We all looked at each other, then Heidi started laughing. I swear I thought my cheeks were burning that time because I was so scared for her.” Jan reached out her hand and placed it above Heidi’s who gently caressed it back. “We were all trying to stop Heidi from laughing until she pointed to the metal box Widow was holding back then. I swear she was so scary but it was so funny watching her get mad at us for that.”

The whole table started to burst into loud cackles as they listened to what Jan shared to them. They didn’t even notice Gigi excusing herself as she half-ran towards the exit with her phone in her hand, hurrying towards a much quieter place.

She reached the outside of the building, standing beside a small tree as she answered the call from someone. She talked for a few minutes before she turned back aiming for the door until a figure at the corner of her eyes caught her attention. She was wearing sparkly silver jacket and some tight leather pants, paired with black boots which was hard to miss. In the middle of her finger was a thin stick of cigarette, its smoke fuming into the air. Gigi was supposed to ignore it and go back to her friends when she heard, “Hey.”

She was stopped on her tracks, her mind wandering aimlessly as she looked down at her phone. She inhaled a deep breath, fixing the strands of hair falling onto her face, before glancing to the direction of the voice. “Oh hi.”

“I just came out to get some fresh air. Are they all having fun inside? Uhm, do you want some?” Crystal offered her a stick which Gigi politely refused.

“You know I don’t smoke.” Gigi glided towards where Crystal was, leaning her side against a column.

“Oh yeah, Ms. Goode.  I remember that.” The smaller girl exhaled a chuckle as she shook her head before taking a puff of her stick.

“I thought you stopped.” It came out more like a statement rather than question as Gigi focused her eyes on her shoe, her right foot rocking back and forth as she waited for a reply.

“There are just some things that are harder to quit.”

Silence enveloped the atmosphere as they both slowly realize what Crystal’s words meant. It had been a really long time, years even, since they have been left alone with just each other’s company. The first time they met were similar to their situation now, awkward, back in the first party they attended together but things quickly changed between the two. They grew close together, comfortable with each other’s’ presence. They were friends, to say the least, always looking out for each other, searching for one another when times of need. However, they seemed to be back to square one.

They both were caught off guard when they heard some footsteps towards their spot. Crystal then felt a pair of long arms hovering over her shoulder, wrapping her into a back hug. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you. We’re about to start performing again. You should go back inside,” said the person behind her.

[spine-buster]

Chapter 25 - The Beginning and the End of Everything (Finn Balor)

A/N: IT’S THE END OF AN ERA, Y’ALL!

I cannot thank you all enough for liking, reblogging, and commenting on this story.  This was definitely a labour of love, and although the updates at the end were few and far in between (thanks, work, you heartless bitch), I hope you all enjoyed the ride that was Gemma and Fergal.  Be on the lookout for some future one-shots with those lovebirds.

I’m going to be taking a bit of a break from multi-chapter fics right now because I am working on developing my next Adam Cole fic -- more on that to come in the future!  One shots will still be posted and I’m going to try and write Defensive III in the meantime.  

Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart.  You guys are the best.

@wrestlewriting @thegenericluchadora @thewriterformerlytaggedas @fan-fiction-galore @anerdysouthernbelle @spot-of-bother @amaranthine-reign @baleesi @flnnbalor @smuppies @sarahmatthews7 @daintymissdevitt@newjapan @corey-renee @running-ropes @balorsomega @karleedaniels27 @kazuchika @ileana0300 @alexahood21 @ohcristimhookedonhavocimsodunne@fembxt @heelturn-timesten @kaitlynwwefan @50shadesofadamcolebaybay @50shadesofkennyomega @chasingeverybreakingwave @thyestean-feast @thecandicej @devittsbalor @sp00kylesley @danahart @sietefinns@kaydee-kayyyy @powerbombshell @swedish-strong-style @blondekel77@irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @nickysmum1909 @houndofjustice-imagines @wwesmutdonedirtcheap @wweximaginesxd @indywrestlinglover-life @mandi512 @kakakatey @ourscratcheddreams @sleeplessandcynical @badame124 @thevixeniris 

Fergal was positive he had never been more nervous in his entire life.  He wasn’t this nervous the first time he got into a ring.  He wasn’t this nervous before his first match.  He wasn’t this nervous before any Best of the Super Juniors Tournament, sold-out match at Korakuen Hall, debut in WWE – nothing.  That was all trivial now.

Gemma was finally allowed back on the ice.

He knew whatever he was feeling paled in comparison to what she must have been feeling.  He knew that she had waited a year for this; that every breakdown, every temper tantrum, every stretch, every squat, every lunge, culminated in this moment.  This was the moment for her.  

He was with her in Toronto, obviously, for the big moment.  Paul had allowed him to take some time off, and he’d be back in Toronto next weekend too, to help with logistical stuff pertaining to Gemma’s hockey camp.  It was going to be a busy week, and definitely an emotional week, where a lot of things would change for Gemma.  He was almost sure she was ready…and he wasn’t sure if he was ready.  

He could feel the excited and anxious energy radiating off of her as they moved about her parents’ house, getting everything ready.  Gemma had packed her hockey gear, and chose her Team Canada jersey to wear for the occasion, since it was the jersey she played her last game in.  James had already packed it into the trunk of her car – he and Nabilah were taking their own car to the Ricoh Coliseum, where everything was going to go down.  Fergal was standing in the living room, holding Gemma’s stick, as he watched her mull about the kitchen filling up her water bottle and contemplate out loud about bringing snacks.  She was definitely nervous.  The last thing on her mind should have been snacks. 

“You almost ready?” he asked softly, taking into account the time.  Her coach, Jane, and her teammates from Team Canada were going to be there for 11.  It was already past 10 and they needed to drive all the way downtown to get to the arena.

She looked at him like she had forgotten he was in the living room.  “Yeah, just about,” she said.  “Do you think I should bring an extra water bottle?”

“I’m sure they will have that there.”

“What about Gatorade?  I should bring Gatorade, right?”

“Gemma, they’ll have Gatorade,” Fergal smiled.  He walked towards her as she opened the fridge, put the old water bottle she had taken out two minutes ago back in, only to pull out another one.  “Gemma.”

“It wasn’t cold anymore.”

“Gemma,” he said more sternly so that she would look at him.  When she did, he put his hand over hers.  “I know you’re nervous, but this is going to be great, okay?”

“I know,” she nodded quickly.  “I’m sorry…I’m not usually this…”

Fergal furrowed his brows.  “Who’re you kidding?  Yes you are.”

Gemma snorted.  “Shut up.  I’m a basket case, I know, but I’ve never gotten nervous about hockey before.”

“So why are you nervous now?” he asked.

Gemma took a deep breath.  Fergal’s earnest baby blues were too much for her to handle at this point, so she focused on the water bottle instead.  “It’s…it’s been a year, Fergal.  An entire year since I’ve been on the ice…since I’ve played hockey.  Do you know how long that is?”

Fergal knew it felt like a lifetime, that it was a lifetime for her.  That she was robbed of the one thing she enjoyed most and now it was being given back to her, however small.  He nodded his head as she leaned in to kiss her temple.  “I know.  I know how long it is.”

“This is going to be insane,” she let out a forced chuckle to try and hide the strain in her voice.  The tears were already forming.  “I’m so happy you’re here to see it.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

She turned towards him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders before giving him a kiss.  “I only wish you could have seen me when I was in my prime.”

“That’s where you’re mistaken, Gemma Saad-Fitzgerald,” he kissed the tip of her nose.  “You are in your prime.”

“No…I mean like the prime of my career.”

“I mean what I said,” Fergal smiled.  “You are in the prime of your career.  Just because you’re not playing hockey doesn’t mean you’re not in your prime.  You’re starting this hockey camp, you’re giving a once in a lifetime opportunity to thousands of girls across this country…and who knows what else is going to come your way.  I would say that’s the prime of a career.”

Gemma scrunched her face to hide back the tears as she his her face in the crook of Fergal’s neck.  “What did I do to deserve you,” she mumbled.

“You were you,” he whispered in her ear.  “Now let’s go so you can be you again.”

The car ride to the Ricoh Coliseum was eerily reminiscent of Fergal and Gemma’s early car rides through the streets of Orlando.  She was mostly silent, looking out the window at all the houses and buildings on the way.  The only time she spoke was when she directed Fergal through the streets, bypassing what the navigation system was telling him so they could take the quicker route.  Once they arrived, they were ushered to the private parking area.  Fergal didn’t bother finding a spot close to the door this time.

Once he parked, he turned off the ignition and looked over at Gemma in the passenger seat.  She was staring straight ahead, deep in contemplation.  She was mere steps away from the rink – steps away from her moment.  

“You alright?” he asked.  She nodded her head.  He reached across and grabbed her hand in his, stroking her fingers with his thumb.  “You wanna go in?”

“Ferg?” she ignored his question.

“Hmm?”

“Before we go in, can I talk to you about something?”

“Of course.”

She took a deep breath, collecting herself before squeezing his hand gently.  “I just…I want to let you know…when I started this, rehab…I was so…angry at everything.  At the world, at hockey, at my physiotherapist, at you, but most importantly, at myself.  And you helped me not be so angry.  You helped me remember the good things in life…and you…you helped me…” she began tearing up, her voice cracking, “you helped me smile again.  And that’s the most powerful thing anyone could have ever done for me.  I know it hasn’t been easy for you – I know how difficult I can be – but you never gave up on me, even when I gave up on myself,” she was crying at his point, her cheeks and eyes red as tears rolled down her face.  “So before we go in there, I need you tell you…I need to tell you how much I appreciate you, and admire you…and how much I love you,” she took a deep breath.  “I love you so much Fergal.  So much.  I can’t picture myself with anyone else but you.  I can’t picture anybody being able to do what you’ve done.  I love you.  I love you.”

It was Fergal’s turn to cry.  It had taken Gemma a few months to say those words after he said them, but it was worth it.  God, everything this past year was worth it.  All the highs and lows, the deep talks to the blow-out fights, every phone call, every message, every car ride – he would do it one hundred times over if it meant he could hear those three words come out of her mouth again.  “I love you too, Gemma,” he mumbled, leaning over to kiss her.  It wasn’t a new sentiment, at least for him – he had kept his promise when he told her that her not saying it wouldn’t make him stop saying it – but now that he heard it once, it was all he wanted to hear for the rest of his life.  “I love you so much.”

“I love you.  I love you,” she repeated.  “And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you for what you’ve been able to do for me.”

“But you don’t have to,” he affirmed.  “Being you is enough.  You getting to this moment is all the repayment I’ll ever need.  Seeing you succeed and be happy is the best thing in the world to me,” he said, kissing her again.

She took a few deep breaths, letting his words sink in.  When their tears ceased to fall, she bit her lip.  “Ready to go in?”

“Are you ready?”

With a nod of her head and a final kiss, Fergal opened his door.

Fergal firmly believed that what he was witnessing before him was magic.  There were no words to describe the happiness, the delight, the exuberance that was on Gemma’s face as she skated along the ice.  He remembered the videos he watched of her when she won her gold medal and thought to himself that she might even be happier now than she was then.  Her laughs were so loud and infectious, he could hear them from where he sat in the penalty box.  Her teammates were all smiles as they skated with her, passing around a puck and taking light shots towards the nets.  Media had showed up from some of the major sports outlets to film.  On more than one occasion they had gotten in the way of the hockey players, who virtually trampled them over.  

“Hey Fitz!” her coach called out.  “You think your shot held up?”

The smile on Gemma’s face stretched from ear to ear.  “You bet your ass it did.”

“Let’s find out, shall we?” he smirked.  “Hey boys!” he pointed to all the cameramen.  “You’re gonna wanna catch this.”

Two of her teammates skated back onto the ice with targets that they placed on the net in specific areas.  Two at the top, two at the bottom, and one where the goalie’s five-hole would be.  They cheered as a bunch of pucks were brought towards Gemma, who set herself up in her regular shooting position. As the cameras rolled, Gemma took pucks and began shooting the targets. 

Cheers erupted every time one was hit – and in a mere 15 seconds, it was all over.  She’d been able to hit all five targets in only 15 seconds, using only 10 pucks.  Her teammates surrounded her in cheers and congratulatory headbutts.   Fergal noticed her coach setting up pucks in a pyramid at the opposite end from where he was sitting in the penalty box.  He motioned over for another camera man to get in behind the area so he could film.  “Hey Gem!” he called out to her again.  When she looked his way, he pointed towards the pyramid.   “Is that the best you got?”

Fergal watched as Gemma’s face changed from happy to competitive.  She saw the challenge and wanted to rise to it.  It was apparently easy to hit targets in a net, and she wanted to go one step further.  

She pushed five pucks in front of her, organizing them all in a line.  Fergal watched in anticipation her first shot, which knocked the top puck off.  Her second shot completely wiped out the puck on the left.  Her third shot hit the remaining puck so hard it crashed into the glass behind it.  Her fourth was a slapshot to the rest of the period, causing it to explode and leaving one sole puck rolling along the boards.  With her last shot, with sniper-like accuracy, she shot her last puck and knocked the rolling puck off the boards. 

Once she was finished, she looked at her coach with her eyebrows raised.  “Still the best shot in the game, huh?” she smirked.

“Atta girl,” Fergal mumbled to himself proudly.

It had been a week since Gemma had gotten back on the ice, and it was like she was a completely different person.  Fergal could see and sense the difference the second she stepped off the ice at the Ricoh Coliseum last week.  Since then, the two videos of her target practice had gone viral, showcasing just how much of a true talent she still was, despite not having been on the ice for an entire year.

Now, her main focus was the hockey camp.  She and Fergal had met with some Hockey Canada executives last night and were scheduled to meet up with John and some guys from the Toronto Maple Leafs for dinner to talk sponsorship opportunities.  She had gone out to lunch with her mom earlier in the day before she came back to rest and get read for that night.  Nabilah had gone to get her hair done; James was playing a round of golf with his buddies.  Gemma was sitting at the kitchen table, painting her nails, while he was sprawled out on the couch, watching TV.  It was a rare, quiet moment in a life that was a whirlwind from the moment he opened his eyes to the moment he shut them to sleep.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gemma standing in the doorway.  “Ferg?”

“Hmm?”

She walked over to the couch slowly, sitting down facing him.  He pulled himself up from lying down so he could look at her.  “We…we need to talk.”

The four words any person walking the earth would dread to hear.  He gulped.  “About what?”

“When I…when I said I was going out with my mom today, I was lying,” she began.

Sirens began going off in Fergal’s brain.  She wasn’t exactly off to the best start.  “Okay…where did you go instead?”

“I uh…I went for a job interview,” she revealed.

“A job interview?”

“Yeah.  With Hockey Night in Canada.”

Fergal calmed down considerably, but there was still some skepticism on his part.  “Okay…”

“About a week ago, they had called me and asked me to come in.  I didn’t tell you because I had no idea what it was about.  I thought maybe they just wanted an interview after those videos went viral.  But they…they asked me to be on Hockey Night in Canada.”

Fergal could barely process the words that were coming out of her mouth.  She had known about it for a week?  Hockey Night in Canada?  “Gemma, that’s amazing,” he finally let out.

“You think so?”

“Of course!” he exclaimed.  “Gemma, Hockey Night in Canada is like…an institution.  This is…this is like everything you’ve ever wanted as a kid, besides being a hockey player.  This is your dream.”

“It is…this does mean a lot…” her words sounded unsure.  Fergal became nervous at how hesitant she sounded about this.  “But I’m putting what it means to me aside for now, okay?  It just means a lot in general.  It means I’m going to be based in Toronto long term.  It means both of my jobs are here.  It means that I can’t move, even if I wanted to --”

“Gemma --”

“It means that you’ve gotta be willing to be here.  To move to Toronto,” she deadpanned, her voice quivering.  Fergal knew there were tears coming because she had already thought about how this talk would go in her head.  She’d give the proposition to him.  He’d say no.  They’d break up.  She’d be alone and lonely.  She’d work her job, and be happy about it, but her personal life would be void.  He’d go on working in the WWE.  Soon, they would become distant memories for each other.  One day, down the road, she’d flip on the TV and WWE would be on, and she’d see him in the ring, and remember their short, fleeting relationship.  But it would all be over.  

“So if you’re not committed, I need to know now.  Before anything goes forward.  So that I know where we stand.”

“Gemma…” he said softly, holding both her hands in his.  “I’ve been committed from the beginning.”

She came to a slow realization of what he had just said.  “So you’ll stay.”

“Yes.”

“You’ll move to Toronto.”

“Yes.”

“You’ll…you’ll…” she tried to get out, but tears interrupted her.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Fergal embraced her.

When she broke down and cried into his shoulder, grasping at him as if he would float away, he realized the magnitude of what had just happened.  It was what happened over the last week, really, that culminated to this moment, to her crying on his shoulder, overjoyed.  She had said ‘I love you’ before she knew anything official about his willingness to move to Toronto for her.  She had exposed herself, made herself vulnerable, made herself susceptible to heartbreak, all before she knew his decision.  She had taken the biggest, greatest risk of her life, not knowing if it would lead her to sadness or happiness.  

She hadn’t let fear get in the way of making a decision.  And it had the best payoff.

“I feel like I’m walking into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory,” Gemma declared as Ron MacLean escorted her and Fergal throughout the Hockey Night in Canada studios.  She had called that morning to let them know her decision, and not even ten minutes later Ron had called her, offering to show her around her new workplace.  She ‘dragged’ Fergal along, but he was just as willing as she was.  After all, he wanted to see where his girlfriend would be working a majority of the year, and he wanted to meet her colleagues.  

“It is a bit magical, isn’t it?” Ron nodded his head as they walked on set.  “Elliotte should be here any second to give you the crash course in teleprompter reading.  Why don’t you take a seat?”

Gemma looked at Ron like he had two heads.  “You serious?”

“Better get used to it now, right?” he smiled.  

As Gemma walked around the desk, taking everything in, Fergal had to stifle his laugh.  She really did look like a kid in a candy store.  Soon a man emerged – Elliotte, probably – who began to talk to her all about the set up and production, pointing out each microphone, camera, and teleprompter on set.  

As Fergal stood off to the side, watching Gemma take it all in, Ron ended up standing beside him.  “You must be Fergal, Gemma’s boyfriend,” he extended his hand.

Fergal loved how when he was in Canada, he was simply ‘Gemma’s boyfriend’.  “That’s me.”

“The wrestler,” Ron went on.  “I saw you at the NHL Awards.  PK Subban told me who you are.”

Fergal chuckled.  “Yeah, PK and I are making a buddy-cop movie.  The Rock is going to produce it.”

Ron shook his head.  “That boy comes up with the craziest ideas.  But hey, he did tell me a little bit about you.  Guy from Ireland?  Lived in Japan?  Moving to Toronto now?” Ron smiled.  Fergal nodded his head at it all.  “You must really like Gemma.  No Irish guy I’d know would choose to go through Canadian winters.”

Fergal chuckled, but kept his eyes on Gemma looking at the teleprompter and messing up her lines already.  The smile that took up half her face stretched from ear to ear.  “I know.  It’s not the easiest or the most straightforward of paths.  And Gemma…this past year.  She hasn’t been the easiest or the most straightforward either.  But I love her.  And she loves me.  And that’s the beginning and the end of everything.”