Bobby's POV
Savannah is not a hard girl to impress. So picking out a Valentine's Day gift for her shouldn't have been hard. Granted, I had ordered it weeks ago and picked it up from the store last Tuesday while Savvy helped Rhea move.
Now, anxiety flowed through me as I prepared to see her for the first time today. This wasn't about giving her the gift or even about seeing her for the first time in two days, which I was so ready to do. Damn, I missed her so much.
This was about still working to make up for hurting her so much before we got together. It had been two months since my surgery. That night was one of the hardest and most nerve-wracking I'd had in a while. First was Savannah's War Games match, which I had been nervous as hell for. I had paced the floor from the moment she entered the match until I had my arm around her backstage. The guys threw me out of our locker room as soon as she had texted me so I could go see for myself that was okay. Then there was my War Games match. I loved it. The adrenaline, the crowd's reactions, the feeling of knowing that I was part of the most iconic team in NXT's history, but I had felt the moment my tricep tore. The adrenaline made it easy to ignore, but I knew bad news was coming.
Past that everything seemed to pass by in a blur; the ride to the hospital, Savannah's hand in mine the entire time, the tests, the doctor explaining the injury, then being in my room with Savannah.
That's when she finally cracked. Those few days before War Games had been perfect, but we both knew we were just digging ourselves in deeper. Then, as I was waiting for the cage to release her during the War Games match, I realized that I loved this girl. Regardless of everything; the gossip, our age difference, and all the ways that she and I could go wrong, I loved her and I wouldn't...couldn't let her go.
Seeing her sitting in front of the huge window of the hospital room with dark circles under her eyes as she lost sleep for me, just solidified the feeling more and slapped me in the face with the fact that she loved me too. Then she spoke. Each word had been full of pain, and I knew I was the reason why.
I had wanted to ask her to try this relationship thing with me after the surgery when we could actually talk it through, but if I hadn't told her then I would have lost her for good.
Two months into the relationship, and I can't even remember why I had thought it was such a bad idea. She was perfect. She didn't even hold the months before against me, which she was a saint for. I was certainly holding them against myself. I'd made her doubt herself. I'd made her cry, she thought I hadn't seen her tears as we laid in bed together. Technically she was right. I had felt her body shake as she cried. I'd been drunk and had let things go way too far, so I'd just held her, feeling absolutely horrible.
I parked in her driveway and grabbed the small box from the seat beside and the ridiculously large bouquet of roses that Kyle had insisted that Savannah would love. I think he was more nervous about our first Valentine's Day together than I was.
"Hey there," Savannah smiled at me as I entered her door. Her eyes flitted from me to the huge bouquet. "Those for me?"
"Obviously," I said handing her the vase. "Although, full disclosure, Kyle picked them out."
"Well tell him thank you for me. They're gorgeous." She said and leaned in, pressing our lips together for only a second. I wanted to pull her back to me, but she was already gone. I followed her into the living room, stopping to check her out as she bent over the coffee table to arrange the flowers just as she wanted them.
"Stop staring at my ass," She said, still messing with the flowers.
"And why do you think I'm staring at your ass?" I chuckled.
"Because you're behind me...not hard to figure out." She smiled as she turned back around to face me. She was the prettiest woman I'd ever seen. Her long brown hair framed her face, making her blue eyes brighter. Her lips were pink and full, begging to be kissed again. She was wearing a UE tshirt and jeans that hugged her in the best way. "Bobby, you're just gawking at me."
"No, I'm not." I said, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her tight against me. "I'm admiring the most beautiful work of art in the world."
She choked out a laugh. "Oh okay, sure." She wrapped her arms around my neck and cocked her head to the side. "I mean, I'm pretty and all, but you're laying it on a bit thick, don't ya think."
"Nope, I'm just telling you the truth." I kissed her. We moved together effortlessly. I cradled her face with one hand, intending to break us apart, but then she moaned into me. My body reacted before my mind caught up.
Our tongues tangled. My hand moved from her cheek to her hair, forcing her into me harder. Our lips were going to be swollen after this. My other hand moved across the small of her back then underneath her shirt.
Her hands trailed over my shoulders then down to the hem of my shirt. Our kiss broke just long enough for us both to take a breath. Her lips landed back on mine, and my hands settled on her hips. Just as I was about to pick her up, she pushed against my chest.
I immediately stepped back and tried to catch my breath. She ran her hand through her silky hair, breathing hard and smiled up at me. "As great as that was, I have to be at the arena in an hour."
I ran a hand over my face. I needed a cold shower, but I nodded at her anyway. She was right. We didn't have much time before she had to go to NXT, and I had my last physical therapy appointment before meeting her there. "Yeah," I sighed. "We have to fit a whole Valentine's Day into an hour so let's go."
She brightened, "speaking off. I got you a present!"
I chuckled at how happy she seemed about that. She grabbed my hand and pulled me with her into the kitchen. "By the way, I like the UE shirt. I guess, you finally gave Damian his shirt back."
"Actually no. It's still in my closet. But this shirt is actually Adam's. He left it here and I haven't given it back either."
"Why don't you ever take my clothes?"
She pursed her lips, "I do."
"No, you don't." I said, sitting at one of the bar stools at the island.
She grabbed a gift box from the counter behind her then turned back to lean against the island. "Yes, I do." she enunciated each word carefully.
"Like what? You never wear my shirts. The only hoodie I have is my UE one, which is in the locker room at the arena...isn't that a girlfriend thing? Stealing hoodies?"
She laughed again, "Yes, but like you said you only have one and it's at NXT." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "But yes, I do have some of your clothes. I sleep in your boxers that you left here a few weeks ago. I also have one of your UE t-shirts and a plain black t-shirt."
"I literally heard nothing after you slept in my boxers. That's so sexy."
She rolled her eyes. Her cheeks reddened. I caressed her cheek as I stared into her bright eyes. Her smile fell as she stared back. Her voice cracked as she spoke, "stay over more and you might get to see it."
A low growl escaped me, "adding that to my to-do list."
"Now open your gift." She ordered, pushing my hand away from her face.
I took the ribbon off the box she'd put between us then lifted the lid off. I stared down at the copper key sitting on a bed of tissue paper, confused. "It's a...key...to...?" I looked up at her.
"My house."
I felt my jaw drop. That seemed...too soon? But then again, we'd both been waiting for this for nearly two years. I scrambled to say something. She looked worried and I needed to make her feel secure, but no words were forming.
Her eyebrows raised, "if you don't want it then,"
"No! I do. I just...um, I'm surprised. But in a good way."
A sigh of relief whooshed out of her, "I figured you're here a lot anyway, so now you can just get in yourself if I'm stuck at work or whatever."
"Thank you." I said, clutching the key tightly. It meant more to me than I could explain to her. It was such a big deal. She trusted me. She loved me, even if neither of us had told the other yet. I stood up and grabbed my keyring out of my pocket to add her house key to it. She watched me with a huge smile on her face. "I don't have the words to explain this..."
"I know what you mean." She said, winking at me.
I chuckled. "Come here." I said, motioning for her to come stand next to me. She did and I pressed a kiss to her forehead. I grabbed the box out of my pocket and handed it to her. Her breath hitched. She probably thought it was a ring, but she opened it anyway.
She paled as she stared at the rose gold heart-shaped Pandora bracelet charm. She had a charm bracelet that her parents had bought her after her high school graduation. She adored it more than anything else she owned.
She'd showed it to me once and explained each charm. Her sister had gotten her once after their first runway show together. Her ex-boyfriend had contributed the mickey mouse charm. Her best friend from Texas gave her a Texas-shaped one when she moved to Florida. Rhea had given her an R when they had become best friends.
"I thought I should get to be part of your bracelet."
She looked up at me with tears in her eyes, "thank you." She picked up the charm, looking it over. "This is beautiful."
"Read the inside," I told her. She laughed as she did. The inside of the heart was inscribed with "War Games". It was the night that changed everything for us so it seemed like something we'd want to remember.
"Absolutely perfect," she whispered. Suddenly, she was pressed up against me, with her lips on mine. She kissed me hard for a long moment, "You're perfect."
"Pretty sure you're wrong about that. But thanks. I just want to make you happy."
"You make me so much more than just happy."
**
Adam sat next to me, leg bouncing furiously as we watched Mercedes Martinez throw Savannah across the ring. He had been fidgeting for the past ten minutes, and it was starting to get to me.
"What is wrong with you?" I asked.
"Hmm?" Adam finally stilled. "Oh, nothing."
"Yeah, okay. Just admit that you're nervous about this new direction."
"I don't want to." Adam said, running a hand through his hair then typing it in a ponytail.
"Fine then don't. But it's just like any other night. We're still going to be friends...brothers. And fans are going to go insane." I said.
"We've been the UE for nearly four years." Adam said barely above a whisper.
I clapped my hand against his shoulder. "All good things must come to an end."
Adam sighed, "I guess. It's time for this, I know it is."
My eyes snapped up to the screen, blocking Adam out. Toni tossed Savannah into the turnbuckle and ran at her. I tensed up as Toni's body met Savannah's smaller frame. Mercedes grabbed Toni as she went for the pin. I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"We're going to have to take down our tapestry." Adam said, looking up at it.
"Adam, we can leave the thing up if it makes you feel better." I suppressed my laugh. He was taking this way too hard. It was a storyline. It was our job, and, as much as we all love being the UE, this was best for all of us. "Besides, we might not even completely break up. We don't know yet."
Adam gave a look as if to say "yeah, right." and I laughed at him. Adam stared up at the screen, in an effort to ignore me. He gasped causing me to look back up. Toni pinned Savannah the mat. The referee had counted to two. Savannah wasn't moving. "Kick out," I muttered under my breath. "Come on, kick out."
A nanosecond before the referee's hand hit the mat for three Savannah kicked, tossing her and Toni to the side. Relief washed over me.
"That was too close." Adam said.
I nodded. Savannah got to her feet before Toni. Mercedes tried to spear her but Savannah moved, causing her to go through the ropes. She hit hard against the barricade. Savannah looked back at Toni. Her expression shifted from pained to determined. I knew that face. It was the one she gave me during every argument. She always won.
She climbed to the top turnbuckle and landed a crossbody on Toni. She picked her back up and locked her into a complicated submission. Toni fought it, eventually getting enough leverage to pull herself out. Savannah knew Toni wouldn't tap. She was ready for her counter.
Savannah ducked underneath Toni's attempted clothesline, grabbed her and landed her finisher. She glanced over to Mercedes, who was still knocked out on the ground and pinned Toni.
"And still...NXT Women's Champion..."
"That's our girl." Adam said.
I raised an eyebrow at him. "My girl."
"Whatever I knew her first...our girl."
"Yeah, my girl is still the champion." I said, standing up. "Besides, she won't even like you after she sees what you do."
Adam glared at me. "Where are you going?"
"To kiss her," I pointed at the screen, the referee raised Savannah's hand. She was smiling and holding onto that championship belt like it was the last item on earth.
**
Kyle, Roderick, and Adam left the room. It was almost time for the fans to get a shock of the lifetime. Savannah moved over to sit next to me now that the guys were gone. I hadn't told her about Adam turning tonight.
She was going to be upset. We all know it's a story. It's for entertainment. But some things just hurt. Your favorite group of guys hating each other is one of those things, even if it's only for the cameras.
"Why do you look so sad?" she asked, threading her fingers through mine.
I kiss her hand, "I'm not."
"Shock the System," played and our guys ran down to the ring chasing off Pete, Danny, and Oney. Kyel help Finn up. I watched the screen, trying to keep my face expresionless. I glanced at Savannah out of the corner of my eye, she was watching too with a smile on her face. She loved watching her friends work.
The guys lined up in the middle of the ring and made the UE sign. I tensed. Adam superkicked Finn. Savannah gasped as the guys argued.
"What the hell?" She nearly yelled as Adam's foot connected with Kyle's chin.
And just like the UE as we know it imploded.
"Why didn't you tell me that was going to happen?" She smacked my arm.
I chuckled. "Because I wanted you to be surprised." I pulled her to me and kissed her temple.
She huffed, "I'm not surprised. I'm pissed."
"It's just a story."
"I don't care. There are just something that shouldn't happen. You guys not being together is one of those things." She leaned into me. Her body against mine was comforting while I watched Adam stomp back up the ramp and Roddy look over Kyle and Finn on the mat. It was a bittersweet moment. "I mean, I get it, but I don't like it."
"This will open us up to a great storyline with Adam and Kyle if they run with it." I said quietly.
"Yeah, I get it. Still mad." She laughed. She sat up straight. I immediately missed her being next to me.
"Mad I didn't tell you?"
"Yes! But I still love you though."
I froze. What did she just say? She didn't look any less shocked than I felt. I opened my mouth to say something, but I was speechless. I wasn't sure she'd meant what she said. At least, I wasn't sure she'd meant to say it.
"I mean...um...no. Yeah." She stammered then took a deep breath. "I love you. I meant that."
"I love you too, Savvy."
Her eyes widened even more. "For real?"
"I kind of thought it was obvious." I said quietly. "But yes...for real. I love you."
Her body crashed against mine, connecting us in a deep kiss. The door opened and Savannah jumped backward. Adam walked in. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Please, don't hate me." He said, looking straight at her and fighting a smile.
"You know you shouldn't be breaking people's hearts like that on Valentine's Day." She said.
An amused smile broke over Adam's face, "my bad." his eyes flicked between the two of us. "And sorry for interrupting."
Savvy and I both rolled our eyes. Within the next minute, Roderick and Kyle were back too. Savannah sat on me and I wrapped my arms around her as the guys talked as though this was just a normal night for the UE.
I ignored them. I whispered into Savannah's ear, "Happy Valentine's Day. I love you."
She smiled in a way that melted my heart as she whispered, "I love you too."
This was my new normal, and damn it felt good.