Wrestling One Shots

Adam Cole - Best Friend (F)

"So what now?" I asked my friend as we sat in his locker room.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Austin ... you're single for the first time in like 5 years. You've been single for six months and you're just working. Let's go out, let's do something." I insisted.

"Kaitlin ... I don't want to go out." he sighed, handing me the brush.

"Sit, child." I smiled.

We've known each other since we were teenagers. As we've grown and matured and remained friends, we have our own little things. We got a little distant during his relationship with his ex because she didn't like how close we were. It created a little too much chaos so I stepped away.

Now, we got close again in the months leading up to him breaking up with his girlfriend, another wrestler for the company we currently work with. I got hired here and as much as he denies it, I know that our friendship had something to do with them breaking up.

"Just brush my hair ... please." he said, sitting on the ground in front of the sofa.

As teenagers, we figured out he really likes my brushes and I've been untangling his hair after events and matches forever. Our own little ritual after work. It's just one of our things and I'm happy that we're back here because it felt weird not talking to him every day.

"Why don't you wanna go out?" I asked.

"I don't want to go to a club and have a bunch of random women throwing themselves at 'Adam Cole'." he sighed.

"Austin ..."

"No, it's okay, if you wanna go out that's fine. You go out with the others, I'm just gonna go to my place." he said.

"It's fine, I didn't really wanna go out either." I admitted.

"Then why the insistence?"

"Because I think you need to socialize."

"Kaitlin ... I figured it out weeks before we broke up that I wasn't in love with Britt anymore. We were together because we were comfortable but I wasn't comfortable anymore anyway. She was getting too jealous and demanding and clingy, that's not what I want." he said, looking up at me.

"You've been single for six months now. How do you feel?" I asked, handing over the brush so he could get dressed and put it away.

"I feel fine, liberated really. I'm happy and at peace." he said and I could see it in his eyes and tone when he turned to look at me.

"Not lonely?"

"Nope, I've got my friends and my family and I've got you. My constant in all parts of my life."

"And I'll always be here to be a pain in your ass." I said, making him laugh.

"You are a pain in the ass though. You coming over to my place?"

"SpongeBob marathon?" I asked.

"You bet."

"Let's go."

We came to work separately so we drove our respective cars to his house, thankfully this week's show was in Florida and close to home. We're not always that lucky. I have clothes here so I went to take a shower while he ordered some late-night takeout for us. There are no doubts that he'll get me something good so I know I'll like whatever he gets me.

"Austin ... where are my pajama pants?" I asked, walking out of the guest bathroom in an oversized shirt of his.

"I don't ..." he turned and just stared at me.

"What are you staring at?" I asked as I let my hair out of the messy bun it was in for my shower.

"When did you get hot?" he asked, making me laugh.

"I've always been hot according to my Instagram comments, it's not my fault that you never noticed."

"Well damn, you are gorgeous Kait." he said, leaning in to kiss my cheek.

I don't think I've ever blushed at anything he's said to me but this time I did.

"Thanks." I muttered.

"I'm gonna shower, food should be here in 30 minutes." he said, walking off.

I just stood in the same position for a few seconds, rooted to the spot. Austin has told me before that I look beautiful but it's always when we got dressed up for a work event. He's also never looked at me the same way he just did. What the hell was that?

Knowing my way around his apartment, I took out plates and utensils, placed them on the coffee table in the living room, and grabbed our drinks. He had the food spread out and we sat next to each other to eat.

"Why did you never like Britt?" he suddenly asked me.

"I think it's more she never liked me so I didn't put in any effort to like her. She's a cool person but I don't like how she was with you." I told him.

"What do you mean?"

"She saw you more as a career enhancement than a boyfriend. Everything was for the cameras and she took you away from your friends, not just me. Took you long enough to figure it out but you got there."

"Britt was jealous of you." he said.

"Why the hell was she jealous?"

"You were always there. Whenever I did something big, I called you. Whenever I did something small, I called you. It's just the way we've always been. She told me she was tired of fighting the ghost of a relationship that never happened." he said, turning to look at me.

"What? Come on, she was ... she thought you had feelings for me?" I asked him.

"Yeah, she did." he sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"That's crazy ... right?" I asked, feeling my heart racing.

"Kait ..."

"Austin please ..."

"Remember when we were 15 and we said we'd date each other if we reached a certain age and we were still single." he said, reaching in to cup my cheek.

"We were young and stupid." I said, grabbing his wrist.

This wouldn't be the first time that we kiss, it's happened multiple times throughout the years but it's always remained there. Just kisses. I had the mandatory crush on Austin at multiple times over our life because he's just good-looking. I never expected anything to come of it and our kisses were always in celebration of something. This is confusing me.

"Every time I've kissed you, I've wanted to ask you out. It never seemed like the right time ... or we were interrupted ... I started dating someone ... you started dating someone. I'm tired of pretending that I don't want something more than friendship with you and I think you do too. Please tell me that I'm not going crazy." he pleaded.

"Austin ... you're not going crazy." I whispered.

"Thank you, God." he sighed, pulling me in for a kiss.