Stolen Moments (For LARIATO)

Drake didn't want away from Julia. Well, he did, but he didn't. He was screwed over - he knows that. But it's no less crushing to have one's hopes and aspirations stolen away, no matter the method. It's embarrassing; he's wounded, deeper than the beating he's taken.

That's not to say he isn't physically hurting. The teen's carrying himself with a slight wobble and stagger as he pushes open the door to his locker room, his hair mussed, skin still slick with sweat. He makes his way to a wall-mounted bench, rather than the bed (oh, those hentai elements), and plops down into a heap. He wants to text Julia to make sure she understands, but he can't bring up the energy to actually open his locker and fetch the phone.

Ugh, Amy saw that fight, too, probably. He let everyone down tonight. What a wretched, sickening feeling.

Once she’d made her way backstage following the ending of the Showdown main event, Julia had quickly made her way to the locker room, where she knew almost for certain Drake would be. But once she was outside the door, there was a moment of hesitance. She’d suffered losses in some big matches, and knew there was a good chance Drake might just need some time to himself.

But what kind of girlfriend would she be if she didn’t at least try to make sure he knew she was there for him? So, she opened the door and stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind her. Sure enough, Drake’s tired body was perched on a bench against the back of the room. Julia walked slowly toward him, before taking a seat right beside him.

In these kinds of situations, it was easy to want to try to say something comforting, only for it to backfire and further aggravate the person instead. But Julia didn’t try anything like that. She didn’t try to assure him everything was “ok,” knowing it clearly wasn’t. The blonde just wrapped her arms around his closest arm, and leaned lightly against his body, not caring one bit about the sweat coating him. Sometimes actions speak louder than words, and she just hoped that would be the case now.

The moment the door opens, Drake perks with anxiety. There's no telling who it might be; reporters, Reira looking to do more damage, Julia...

When it turns out to be Julia, Drake remains rigid, his eyes wide and trailing her like a nervous cat. He doesn't budge when she sits next to him. When her arms loop around his bicep and she settles against him, he simply melts, leaning into her in return. The tension in his frame is released, sagging on the bench and letting his head drop like a weight against her shoulder - or atop her head, depending.

He's silent for several seconds, save for the heavy sound of his breathing. It's better that she's here. It gives him something else to think about, and this gentle, affectionate physical contact is soothing.

He suddenly whispers, "Sorry I bailed..." It had to be weird for her to be left there in the ring.

Feeling his head lean against hers, Julia felt a small sense of relief. Considering what Drake had just been through, there were lots of different ways he could’ve reacted to her right now, and she was glad he reacted the way he did.

“You don’t need to be.” she replied. True, it had certainly been awkward to be in the ring alone in the final moments of the show, especially considering she was there as a spectator. A part of her hoped there wouldn’t be any sort of consequences against her for attacking Reira like she had, but now didn’t feel like the time to worry about that.

“You were great out there, you know. I’m proud of you.”

"Really...?"

Drake lifts his head to face her, searching her eyes. "I shouldn't have let that chick distract me. Should've just gone through with it." Though there was the very real threat that she might have stormed the ring, and if he dropped, he would've been defenseless. It's a mess, and he can't even clearly remember what happened right now. But the one thing he thought was certain was that the results tonight weren't impressive to anyone.

“Mhm.” she replied, lips curling into a soft smile. Even if things had gone south in the end, she still completely meant it. He had looked great, and given a performance worthy of a world title match.

Feeling his head shift, Julia looked up so that her eyes met his. “Anyone would’ve reacted the way you did. You couldn’t have known something like that was coming.” It was true, too. Reira’s only singles match prior to this had been the match in which she’d won the belt in the first place. It would’ve been almost impossible to know what sort of tactics she’d had up her sleeve.

Drake breathes a sigh, slow and measured, in an attempt to breeze off the weighty shackles mounting over him. Julia's words are comforting, at least. She might even be right. He can't think straight right now. His mind keeps focusing on only the fact that he was close to his dream and it was stolen away.

Stolen. Freakin' dirty, cheating, underhanded...

Drake shuts his eyes and forces out another sigh, this one a little rougher and rushed. Those turbulent emotions are pushed down, way down for now. His eyes open again to focus on her face. "Meant the world to me that you came tonight. Really did. And you... when she... did you hit her?"

Obviously nothing she said was going to change what had happened out in the ring, but Julia was relieved to sense her words seemed to be easing his mind, at least. “You know I wouldn’t have missed it for anything in the world.” she replied with a smile.

When he asked his question though, a slightly awkward smile formed on Julia’s face, followed by an equally awkward chuckle. “Yeah... She was gonna hit you with a chair, so I kinda took it and hit her with it first...”

Drake blinks owlishly at her, followed by a soft laugh. A hand lifts to set to the side of her neck and he tilts his head to bump his brow to hers affectionately. "You're awesome. Best girlfriend ever." He's had his share of them, but Julia's the first who'd ever get violent on his behalf. Especially given that they've not been together long. It speaks of her character and what he means to her. Though his words could be taken jovially, he meant them - her protective behavior has further cemented her place in his heart.

"I was kind've freaked out, seeing you over me with a chair, looking all savage..." His head tilts back to flash her a weak smile. "Glad you weren't so disappointed in me, you wanted to... like, bean me."

Julia couldn’t help but giggle at Drake’s reaction to what she’d done to Reira. Any thoughts of potential consequences for her actions for the moment left her mind. She was just happy she’d managed to keep her boyfriend safe, and that the news of what she did was seeming to lift his spirits a bit. “I know.” she replied teasingly, smiling cutely while tightening her arms around him.

“Yeah, guess that must’ve been a bit awkward, huh? Sorry about that...” she said, only now realizing how strange that must have been for Drake to just look up after everything he’d been through only to see an enraged Julia standing there with a steel chair in hand. “Of course I’m not disappointed. Well, maybe in that girl, but not you. You went out there and fought with everything ya had. I’m proud of you for that.” Julia said, before leaning her head up to give him a peck on the cheek.