Road to Ruin [AEW Oneshots]

old friends

Pac was not a jealous man. Jealousy, he believed, was bred solely from insecurity. For someone so sure of himself, someone like Pac, jealousy was therefore impossible.

He wasn't jealous of anyone. He had no reason to be, did he?

Pac was strong. Attractive. He had traveled the world, collected championships in several different companies in several different countries. Death Triangle was the most impressive stable in All Elite Wrestling, and that was because of the hard work that Pac and his friends had put in to get them there.

He was also lucky enough to have an amazing, talented woman by his side during it all. Even if the world didn't appreciate Elizabeth's talents, Pac himself sure did. She was one of a kind, a special sort of light that he hadn't been sure he would ever see in this life.

Elizabeth loved him. Long before the bastard had accepted his own feelings for the woman, he had known how she felt about him. It was hard not to, between the soft, fond expressions and the way she had always gravitated towards him. She had been infatuated with Pac long before the two became a couple.

"... and it's just going to be great to see him again, you know? If you'd have told me at the beginning of the year that me and Will would be working the same show on the same night, I'd have told you that you were fuckin' crazy," The excitement in Elizabeth's voice was impossible to miss.

"How long has it been since you two saw each other? In person, I mean," Maxine prodded.

"It's been... Well, I guess it's been over three years now. Since before the pandemic. I think I was still working for NXT at the time, actually," Elizabeth recalled.

Pac was not a jealous man, not at all, but something about the way his girlfriend's face lit up whenever she mentioned her childhood friend stirred his stomach in a way he didn't quite enjoy.

Two months had passed since it had been made common knowledge that AEW and NJPW would be working together. It had been three weeks since the talent of AEW had been informed of when the first of those crossover events would be taking place.

Only one week had passed since Will Ospreay's announcement for tonight's card; in this one singular week, Pac had heard far more about Will than he had ever hoped for.

"Hey Bastard, you good?" As Elizabeth and Maxine continued their conversation, it was Hangman that called out to Pac from across the table. Their ladies were sitting across from each other and so were the two men.

"The fuck are ya talking about? I am fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Pac wasn't much interested in having a conversation about this with anyone, let alone Hangman.

"You just look grumpier than usual, that's all I'm saying," Hangman said coolly. Pac could feel the cowboy's eyes watching his every move curiously.

"Have ya ever seen me not look like this?" Pac met Hangman with the type of cold gaze that was typical from the bastard. "I'm not exactly the most happy fuckin' person."

Hangman rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm well aware, thank you. I just meant..."

Before Hangman could finish his train of thought, he paused upon noticing that the girls had gone quiet. Maxine had motioned behind where Elizabeth and Pac sat and upon following the women's gazes, Pac felt his brows furrow even more.

"And here he is," Pac grumbled. "The fucking Billy GOAT."

He knew that his tone was even more venomous than usual and that Elizabeth must've caught onto it, even if she chose to remain quiet about it for now.