Ayla [WWE]

Chapter 52

"Higher, higher" Shawn instructed and Ayla aimed higher before delivering a high kick.

"Yes, that's it" Shawn commented. "Keep it coming"

"Shawn, enough. You're gonna kill the poor kid" Hunter rolled his eyes. "She's been training for 4 straight hours. If I were her, I'd whooped your ass already" 

"Come on. She gotta stay fit. She has to do it" Shawn said and he trained Ayla for a good 30 more minutes.

"You okay?" Hunter asked as she came crashing into his arms after her workout. They both sat on the bench with Ayla on Hunter's lap. 

Ayla nodded as she catches her breath. Shawn was even monstrous as a physical health trainer compared to Taker. 

It's been 2 months since Ayla's debut on screen and she's been training with Shawn and Hunter ever since. Taker said he'd some other stuff to do and she'd never seen him since that day on the plane. When she asked him if everything is okay, he'd avoid the topic and not talk about it. Something is weird with Taker.

"Tired?" Hunter asked and Ayla nodded. He helped her to wipe off the sweat all over her face. 

"You hungry?" Hunter asked.

"Hell yeah" Ayla's eyes shined. She knows what this calls for.

Shawn chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Go get a shower and we'll leave for lunch" Shawn said, sitting beside Hunter on the bench.

"Give me 10 minutes" Ayla winked and ran upstairs to her bedroom.

The men watched as the tiny figure ran like a 5 year old, chuckles escaping their lips.

Shawn looked at Hunter. He's seen a lot of changes in his best buddy ever since Ayla's came into his life. He is a lot more calmer, a lot more jovial than he already was. A lot more caring and wiser than before. He has changed a lot that Stephanie hardly ever needed to call Shawn to come over and calm Hunter down like before. Shawn needed to come over at least twice a month to calm Hunter from his tantrums. He'd fly from San Antonio to Connecticut just to calm his best buddy down. To be his emotional support.

Now, Shawn had only came once in 3 months to calm Hunter down. That too was only settled through the phone. He didn't come in person like he used to. Hunter definitely is in a better mood with Ayla around. 

"Stop staring, Shawn. Goodness gracious, I'm a married man" Hunter chuckled, breaking Shawn from his thoughts.

Shawn chuckled, looking away for a moment before looking back at him. "You really have changed"

"What?"

"You changed a lot"

"What do you mean?"

"You really love that kid, don't ya?"

Hunter looked down with a smile before facing back his best friend of 23 years. 

"Yeah" He admitted. What would he gain by lying to Shawn. Shawn knows him better than anyone else.

"You really are different from before she came into your life. In a good way that is" Shawn said.

Hunter smiled. Truth to say, he does feel himself a lot more happier than before. Although stress at work is more or less the same, but being around the kid, he feels like all his problems flies  away. He does loves Stephanie and he is happy with her. He's never felt otherwise. But with Ayla in his and Stephanie's life, he feels like a complete man. Although she isn't his daughter, but he'd already thought of her as one.

"I like this side of you" Shawn said as he patted Hunter's back.

"Me too" Hunter smiled and the two had a bro hug. The conversation was brief but it was deep enough to touch their souls.