Contract Negotiations

"Huh?"

Mercy didn't hear Clyde enter until he cleared his throat. She lifted up her head, looked around and then turned around to face the door. She gave him a weak smile.

"Oh, hey Clyde." She said and sighed. "Did you forget something?" Why else would he be there, right? Though her tone held only sincerity. It was light and sounded drained. Her eyes flickered softly as she looked him over. All in all, she looked placid, if not a bit run down, almost like she was medicated and looking past Clyde.

Clyde was taken aback. Now that Mercy wasn't acting professional anymore, he got to see her real self and she looked off. Sounded like it too.

And here he was about to ask what Allison wanted, but he couldn't.

"You okay? You look tired."

"I'm fine Clyde." Mercy said and ran her fingers through her pink hair. "I am tied, but I'm fine.' She smiled a little more warmly. "How are you?"

"I'm alive." He replied softly. It was the nicest way to put how he felt. "But if ya don't mind me pryin', what's got ya all tired? Avalanche is over, Lilly's outta yer hair. I'm... Outta yer hair. You should be havin' it real easy." He said.

"'Less makin' this match has been more stressful than I thought. I wasn't real keen on you playin' Referee neither..." He would add before walking over to that table, grabbing a chair and plopping it beside Mercy, sitting down beside her, but keeping his eyes forward, leaning back casually.

"Yeah." She said and shrugged. "I wasn't expecting all of ... this..." She was waving her hands around. "I'm certainly not looking forward to being a referee either. I don't really know anything about it. I don't like wrestling. I guess I don't have a choice though. I'm not even really sure if things are going to work out. Everything seems so... tenuous." Mercy sighed.

"Well, I guess there's nothing to get too upset over." She said with a shrug. "Shouldn't you and Bonnie be heading back home?" She asked as she grabbed her briefcase and stood up.

"Uh huh." Clyde nodded along with everything to Mercy had to say, this side of her, he was more accustomed to rather than her Professional side.

"Right." Nothing to get too upset over. "We don't live together." He said as if that was the reason he was here.

He stood up with her, most likely blocking way to the door. She'd have to go around him. "....So... What'd she want?"

"Huh?" Mercy blinked at Clyde's words. Mercy wrinkled her brow as she tried to process them before she turned her head and blushed deeply. She tightened up her face and then looked back at Clyde.

"She just wanted to mention something to me, Clyde." Mercy said with a rougher voice. "Something she obviously didn't want you to know about." Mercy hugged her briefcase and took brisk steps towards Clyde.

"And here I thought that you wanted to catch up or see how I was doing." She growled and shoved his chest as she stormed past him.

"Good day, Mr. Gastin."

Clyde raised an eyebrow at Mercy's peculiar behavior before she turned to face him and sounded actually defensive. Like she was on HER side. Clyde was shocked. The fact she was turning this back on him was another slap in the face. She was being downright unreasonable!

she shoved him, he grabbed her wrist to turn her back towards him, gripping her arms just below her shoulders, but never squeezing looking her in the eye with firmness and fear.

"I AM trying to see how you're doin! You just barely ever tell how you're really doin! You think I'd leave you up here with her and not give a damn? Why you gettin' like this with me all of sudden? Since when you start defending her C-Confidentiality?" It was a big word but Clyde got it out.

mercy tugged when she felt her arm grabbed and growled when it held fast. She turned around and looked at Clyde and yanked her arm free. She looked at him crossly. "Getting like what, Clyde?" Mercy said, crossing her arms under her chest and tapping her foot irritably.

"Since legal matters are involved!" She said back. "Do you know how bad of a position this is for me, Clyde?!" She leaned forward, slipping her hand out to point a finger at him. She blushed. "I just want it to be over. Do you really think coming in here and asking what Allison's asking me about is going to help the situation?"

Mercy shook her head. "All it's going to do is piss you off and all THAT'S going to do is piss me off! Is that what you want, Clyde? Both of us angry and pissed off!?"

Mercy threw up her hands. "Congratulations, Clyde! Your wish is my command!" Mercy sighed "Ugh! To think that for a second I was actually happy to see you came back." Mercy shook her head and turned around.

"Good. Bye. Clyde."

Clyde was taken aback as Mercy growled and yanked her arm free, giving him a stern glare that left him speechless and confused, not knowing why she was getting so defensive! way. He didn't even get a chance to answer her before she leaned forward, stuck her finger at him and scoldingly reminded him of the legal matters involved that she clearly didn't enjoy.

Her question on Allison made him quiet, huffing through his nose as he turned his head away, feeling frustrated and guilty, wondering if Allison was right and this entire crapfest WAS his fault. Her defensive statement on Allison gave Clyde an idea on what she and Allison talked about, making him huff angrily before he lowered his head and clinched his fists.

"...No..." He muttered bitterly. Clyde was already angry and pissed off thanks to the vile Brit. He didn't care about how he'd feel, but Mercy's expression of her feelings if he got pissed off, made Clyde feel guilty and angered... She wasn't giving him a chance! Instead she would let Clyde know exactly how she felt and He'd look at her wide eyed with an open mouth as her words cut into him. She was happy to see him. Was.  Suddenly he didn't want to argue, he didn't want to trouble her and clearly she wanted him out. She didn't want to talk anymore, she wanted him gone and it hurt more than any hit, slam or fall he had ever taken.

Clyde looked at Mercy with a bitter wounded gaze, feeling as if nothing he'd say would matter. She didn't want to listen to him anymore. Only the clacking of his loafers would be heard as he walked around the table to go past Mercy and headed for the door, slowly opening it up where he'd stand there searching for something to say between all the frustration, guilt and heartache.

"...It's all gonna be over soon." He muttered before going quiet again. "Good bye." He'd say before softly closing the door behind him and walking out hurrying into the elevator down the hall, striking the metal doors with his foot and fist when it closed before slumping against the wall behind him, burying his hands in hair as he stared at the floor.