When Life Gives You Lemons

[Trine Larsen]

Trine’s face lit up as KG explained the situation for the tag team and the opportunity they had gotten for cross promoting. Actually going out into the world outside of the company and the ring and just being around people, being around civilians, was always such a breath of fresh air. It was crazy how small your world got when everyday was focusing on shows, training, driving to shows, flying to shows-

Wait.

Blue eyes slowly moved from Kid’s face to the arm that had wrapped its way around her waist and raised an eyebrow. That seemed strange. Granted Tony had done something similar to that a few times before and each time Trine had politely excused herself from his grasp- via moving whatever had been draped around or on her off. For the most part she just assumed Tony was just the kind of person that wasn’t too adverse to contact to begin with so it wasn’t in any way alarming or inappropriate...she just didn’t see a reason for it to stay there.

So, she had gently taken a hold of his wrist and unwrapped herself, giving his hand a squeeze as if to say ‘no hard feelings’, before letting go.

”Oh, how cool! Makes sense you guys are such a good team in the ring it ha-aa-a!”

Then Rayven spoke and the blonde nearly fell over. It was so matter-o-factly that it took a minute for Trine’s system to catch up and actually start forming legitimage thoughts.

Like:
Breathe.
Stay upright.
Do not melt into a puddle of mortification.
That would be the WORST way to play this off.
Why is your face hot?
Stop.
Stop doing that.
I disown you.

Why would she do that to her?! Granted Trine barely wanted to admit there was anything there to herself, let alone Rayven, but that woman had a real knack for hitting the nail on the head.

”Oh! Uh- that doesn’t seem very fair at all. Bro code and everything! So...I….we...there are probably straggler tickets. Maybe we just pick up some extras at the door if….they….allow it?” she shrugged, trying to will the red out of her cheeks, ”If not there are other things out there to do while you guys do your thing. And there will always be laser tag for another time.”

[The Losers]

Trine moved Tony away from her body. Tony had realized that Trine had a problem with physical touch which Tony thought was weird for someone who worked in a wrestling company. Then again Tony was always talking about her in less than platonic ways so maybe there was something to that. He hoped she wasn't weirded out by him or anything. Tony a touchy feely guy, he said what was on his mind, and he tried his best to always be honest with himself....or at least pretend to.

Kid Genius looked at Rayven suspiciously as she talked about her and Tony's conversation. Not only did he find it odd that Rayven would ever advocate for anything remotely selfless but then...

Hold on wait what did she just say!?

KG: HAHAHAHA

So kid was laughing out loud in the least cool and chill way possible. He put both of his fists on his hips and he couldn't help but feel like Peter Pan but he was so nervous he had no idea what to do with his hands. Trine's face turned super red and....wait did her face turn red? cuz KG knew for a fact he looked like Jason Todd's helmet right now and there nothing he could do about it. He felt himself twitch as he tried to stand there as cool as possible...an action at which he was rapidly failing at.

KG: Um...ha..yeah i mean...yeah

Kid responded to Trine as she spoke. He managed to pry one of his hands away from where his nerves had glued them and even made to point in her direction as if to valid her statements. Kid did everything but scream trying to hold back the jumbo jets inside his stomach and chest. As Trine was talking Tony stepped behind her and made a face at Kid. Tony nodded his head toward Trine and KG kept smiling and nodding to the former champions words while giving him a look that screamed "Don't do this to me man"

The following was exchanged in a series of rapid eye movements and a few hand geustures between two men who have been glued at the hip for years:

Tony's Eyes: This is your chance dude! make the move

KG's Eyes: No Way Dude

Tony's Eyes: Kenny! Are You kidding me?!

KG's Eyes: La La La i'm not listening

Tony's Eyes: If you don't ask this girl out right now i swear i will give her a wet willy.

KG's Eyes: you...wouldn't...dare...

*Proceeds to stick finger in mouth and cover it with former tag team champion saliva*

Tony's Eyes: You know who i am

KG: OR...

Kid said out loud quickly putting his hands up. He felt his heart trying to push his rib cage out of his chest and down the hallway. The room was so much hotter than it was a second ago and he knew that any moment we would start sweating.

KG: or...you...could just...come with me?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH come back words! Come back to my brain where you were safe before you shatter my whole world!

KG: i mean...your flight would be a little tight...with the pay per view and everything...but...if...you wanted to...i meean you are a former world champion...so...i mean...it would be cool to go..with you...not just cuz your champion! but you know...cuz it would just be fun to go with..you..if you wanted.

Tony: unless you'd rather go with me?

Tony bounced his eyebrows and Kid Genius was to busy trying to keep himself from shaking to give him the intense look he wanted.

 

[Trine Larsen]

For the most part Trine looked like she wanted to just curl into herself and disappear. She had been so focused on just trying to keep it together instead of taking off down the hallway in a perfect and probably less than graceful display of her (admittedly) stellar flight or fight response. Cardio was a big deal when it came to their line of work and the tiny, blonde could run when she wanted to.

When she took her attention off of the floor there was some kind of strange silence and while it hadn’t lasted too incredibly long there was a strange feeling...like imminent danger was lurking just behind her back. It didn’t make any sense really. The blonde had just shifted to look over her shoulder when-

”OR!”

Trine turned her attention back to Kid. That bizarre feeling seemed to pass as she listened to him talk. What did not pass, however, was the colour in her cheeks- in fact by now she was almost certain the heat in her face had just taken over her entire being. It felt hot. Too hot. It was stuffy in here right? That couldn’t just be her. KG looked like he was about to start sweating bullets so she couldn’t be that crazy, right? Right.

”R-right! I mean yeah I could go with you. I mean, I would love to go-” Stop talking. STOP TALKING RIGHT NOW. ”the flight isn’t a big deal...it would be fine...it would be worth it anyway just t- to get some fun in! You know? All work and now play and all that-” why is everything coming out of my mouth sound like there is some silent “if ya know what I mean” behind- maybe I’m just being paranoid. What is wrong with me?! ”and who could say no to laser tag, with you, i mean with anybody laser tag is pretty great- in general. So, I mean add half of one of the most loved tag teams in the business and- uh-”

She finally took a breath, turning to look over her shoulder at Tony and then to Rayven.

”But what are you guys going to do then?”

[Kira Starlight]

Tony::
"Unless you'd rather go with me?"

And that caught Tony a not-too-rough-but-not-too-gentle-either elbow to the ribs from Rayven.  Trine recovered near-flawlessly and then posed that question of what Tony and Rayven would do while they were playing laser tag.

Rayven::
"Oh, don't worry.  I'm sure we'll find something to do."

Rayven turned back to Tony and raised a brow.

Rayven::
"Laserama, that's the one that has cameras inside the arena and shows the matches on CCTV out in the lounge?  Maybe we should go too.  I'll buy you a Shirley Temple and we can watch those two and take bets on who pulls a hamstring first."

[The Losers]

When Rayven hit Tony Kid Genius was momentarily shaken from his nervous manic state. Sure HE could hit Tony when he was being stupid but that was because HE was family. It didn't help that he already wanted to lock Rayven away in a small trunk like in indiana Jones. However Tony, knowing his best friend, put a hand up.

Rayven spoke and Tony felt the all to familiar tingles one feels when someone you very much want to see naked says something even remotely suggestive. She turned to him with a raised eyebrow and for a moment Tony completely forgot that she was basically a sociopath. He was about to say something witty, or at least something that Tony thought would be pretty witty when Rayven made her suggestion on what they could do with their time. Kid Genius looked at Tony who returned his look...

Tony: um...well...Here's the thing sugar plum. I don't know about you but I don't have the money to fly all the way out to Miami, get a hotel, and be there for all the phew phew phew

Tony made finger laser motions toward Rayven

KG: WWG was pretty much paying for us to go out there. It was basically a work trip.

Tony: A work trip where two co-workers can really bond.

KG: Yeah

Tony: just really get close ya know?

KG: yeah.... *eyes narrowed*

Tony: Two fun work mates just really getting an in depth knowledge of each other. Forming memories that will last a night tim..Life time.

Tony took a step outside of Trine's direct line of sight and gave Kid an exaggerated wink. KG looked as if his mother just pulled out his dirty laundry in front of his senior prom date. Tony gave the "ok ok i'm done" gesture and Kid tried to smile in a way that didn't make him seem like his heart had exploded and been replaced by a live steel drum orchestra.

KG: So...i mean..yeah....i know they were expecting The Losers....but...i mean....If you want to come with Trine i would....i mean it would be super cool...for them to see you and just...also....it would be super cool...In...general

Kid looked at Trine the way one were to touch a hot stove. He could only linger for a second before he felt super hot and he felt he had to look away somewhere else. but...even despite his feeling of absolute free fall...he was happy.

Tony: it would be just "super cool" wouldn't it?

Tony put his arm over Rayven's shoulder without looking at her. He did however give his tag team partner a look. It was very rare that Tony had the upper hand with Ken. Ken was smarter than most people even understood, he was more confident, he was more collected, he was...just as talented as Tony was but people for some reason tended to like to see him more...which was fine. But the one thing he could never do that Tony always did better than him was talking to women. Sure some woman made him nervous but he never let that stop him from just being himself. Ken would see a girl he liked and he would be in his head to much. That's why he needed Tony here, to help him. 

[Trine Larsen]

The more Tony talked the more suspicious Trine grew. It wasn’t just Rayven they were both up to something. She started to narrow her eyes, looking from Tony to Rayven and that last “slip up” had not gone unnoticed. Tony Mann stepped to the side and she didn’t bother to watch him. She had already caught on to what exactly was going on here and she was about to thwart Rayven and Tony’s shameless attempt at forcing the two bumbling wrestlers together when...she looked up at Kid.

Her eyes met his for a brief moment before he found something else to occupy himself with and-

”It...would be super cool,”  she smiled, but found she had the same problem of not being able to keep her eyes focused on KG for very long before she needed to stare at her feet again, ”I’ve never actually spent any real time around Miami. Could be a good reset before Shockwave…..haven’t seen you in a while….and it would be nice- To spend….sometimewith *pause* - and who doesn’t like laser tag!”

There was no real way to get back at two completely shamless individuals when it came to this sort of thing. Anything she could have suggested to put the two in any kind similar situation; Rayven would take advantage of and Tony more than likely would not complain (even if he spent half the time trying to decide if Rayven terrified him, if he liked her, or if he liked her because she terrified him.) He may have been the tag team’s underdog type, but he had his own versions of game.

A version that was leaps and bounds beyond Trine’s and Kid’s resoective game- which judging by the way things were unfolding probably was not that hard.

”So...I….guess I have a bag to pack…” she laughed akwardly and started a slow series of backwards steps.

[Kira Starlight]

Tony draped his arm around Rayven's shoulders, and the smile that had been on her face faded before, with no warning, she ripped Tony's arm out of socket and tossed it down the hallway.

Ahem.

No, that didn't happen, but the scene did flash through Rayven's mind for a brief second.  Instead, she kept the pleasant look on her face and even leaned her head against Tony's shoulder.  Right now was about getting Trine and KG laid.  Or hooked up, at least.  Whichever.

She pouted a bit when Tony mentioned that the laser tag was in Miami.

Rayven::
"Oh, Miami?  I'm not allowed back there.  Don't ask why."

The smile returned and she looked back to Trine.

Rayven::
"Yes yes, go pack your bags.  And be sure you take that cute sundress you bought a couple weeks ago but haven't found an excuse to wear yet.  We'll uh...we'll figure out some way to pass the time while you kids are getting up to whatever it is you're going to get up to."

[The Losers]

Tony almost flinched as Rayven put her head on his shoulder. His whole body buzzed and tingled and he realized now that this was the closet he had been to Rayven physically when she had not actively been kicking his ass. He pushed his nerves out of his mind and focused on how nice her hair smelled.

Touching Rayven was like holding a live power line. Tony could feel the energy coming off her and it...was...something alright. Talk about a massive shock to your flight or fight response. Tony thought of it like what it would be like for a gazeel to cuddle up to a lioness. Every part of your body, your primal self preservation instincts are telling you that this is a BAD IDEA. However the lioness is so soft and has such long legs, and tight body, with these cute little perky...Tony realized the anology had gotten away from and that Trine was backing away. Rayven made mention of a dress and Tony turned his head to Ken.

Tony: You hear that KG? Maybe you could bring your sundress?

Kid looked at his partner's smug grin and gave him a glare in return.

KG: I left it at your moms place

He replied. Tony shrugged the side of his shoulder not holding Rayven's head.

Tony: Well then maybe Trine will let you borrow her's when she's not using it. I wouldn't want you to miss a chance to looky purdy.

KG rolled his eyes at his tag team partner and turned back to Trine who was backing away. Part of him was happy she was leaving. Just looking at her made him want to break into a bunch of little pieces. At the same time he was terrified that something he had said was making her want to escape, that he had overstepped, That Rayven and Tony's antics had turned her off on this whole thing and...him...if she was even thinking that which....was she? no she couldn't.

KG: Um...you could bring a swimsuit, IF YOU...want i mean cuz it's...they have a lot of water over there and maybe we could go out and see it...while we're out there.

Go out and see the water? Kid was seriously considering changing his name to Kid "Idiot" and gluing his foot to his mouth to shave the time.

Tony tilted his head down to talk to Rayven.

Tony: So...what activities did you have in mind? We could play checkers, go catch a movie, we could even watch some of it if you're into the plot. I also have ten versions of monopoly as well as every gaming system ever soooo....i'm down to clown with whatever.

[Trine Larsen]

”Right! Yeah! Water! Florida has tons of that stuff….for sure...and nice beaches. And I mean a bathing suit would...would...make sense!” The blonde paused in her backwards retreat. ”and you can wear the sundress. I’m not a big dress person anyway.”

Trine laughed, but it was somewhat over the top- like it was the first time she had ever played along with a joke and wasn’t sure what to do with herself. She had started the slow back away in an attempt to try and save herself any further embarrassment at the hand of her own awkward tendencies. The fact that her entire chest had started to ache from the sheer ferocity of her heartbeat wasn’t helping much either.

Going from not having seen either of The Losers for months to getting situated with a Laser Tag promotion, alone with Ken, in Miami was not- in anyway, keeping it simple. Infact it was far from simple and it was bound to get very complicated. Part of her was more than happy with that idea. The other part wanted to skip town before she made any other last minute decisions.

Every time she looked over to KG, however, the latter part of her seemed grow quieter and quieter. Maybe it would work out and she could have a good laugh at how unreasonable she had been.

Or their friendship would crash into the burning flames of a failed relationship and she would find herself with no one left to turn to. Yeah, there was always that.

”Y-you have my number right? Maybe just text- or call, y’know whichever, and let me know the detail. So, I don’t miss the flight and...what….not….”

Tony had started talking about plans with Rayven and the comment about the plot line of the movie had hit her just right. She looked at Rayven with a face that clearly displayed her complete amusement at the line.

That. Was clever. And kind of amazing.

[The Losers]

KG: I wouldn't want you to have to walk there so i'll be sure to call you or text you...or both...hey i might even send a carrier pigeon HAha...but that...would probably take to much time to train so...maybe just the phone...related...

So KG had reached his limit. Kid was pretty sure at this point he had crossed the line of being so awkard that he actually felt it around his neck like a noose. He had literally stared death in the face dozens of times over in handfuls of scenarios and come out on top. Sure he felt like his world was actively being shaken to the core by the sheer ferocity of his lack of game and sure he had definitely been over thinking EVERYTHING. But....this had to stop at some point. Kid tried to think of it like a match, like going for a title...cuz, when he thought of it, it kinda was. There COULD be a title change involved if he somehow became the luckiest man in the world. So maybe, just maybe, if he could manage to get out of his own head for one solid minute he could actually salavage this whole thing.

KG knew what he wanted.
Yes he knew he was stepping into a potential minefield  but at this point...wasn't the rewards eclipsing the risk? Thanks to Tony and...ugh....Rayven's help he was all but at the lip of the cliff's edge.
At this point if he didn't have the guts to jump...than every fear that was screaming in his head would be right. And the one thing KG had said from day 1 was that he could not, would not, let fear run his life.
Sure you put someone like Trine next to someone like him and people would say it was impossible

But he was the prince of impossible. It's what he told himself every time he climbed up that top rope.

KG: HEy.*cough clear throat*...Trine

....ok so the obvious nervous voice crack was not the best way to start things off true But Kid Genius smiled and chuckled to himself. He took a few steps closer to Trine.

KG: Here let me w-walk you. We can talk a second without...

Kid hooked his thumb over at the two instigators

KG: Bonnie and Cylde over here.

Kid Genius had closed the distance between the two of them and held his hand out to usher her back down the hallway where she had been backing away. His heart pounded and being this close to hear he could honest to goodness feel how nervous he was in his bones but...he looked at her, right in the eyes and gave her a knowing look. It was a look that basically said "please, i'm sorry about them" but he wasn't sure how it translated over the torrent of fear that was raging in his body.

[Trine Larsen]

Trine fell still as Kid stepped over, closing the distance between them, before holding an arm out to sort of steer her into the hallway she had started to slink her way down. Why did this feel so different from ring work? It didn’t seem to make any sense considering they were wearing far more clothing and in all honesty hadn’t even touched, but she still felt her chest tighten as she looked up at him. It was like her entire body was vibrating from the nervous energy, she could swear it was physically visible from how violent it felt, but no one had said anything.

She had about the same look on her face. Although in her case she was just sorry about Rayven’s antics seemingly getting Kid’s entire system into nervous malfunction mode- because Tony wasn’t exactly her half of the mischievous equation. The look on Kid’s face was a little hard to read, mostly she was just picking up on the fear that was there- which worried her.

Maybe he’d just been nervous because he really just wanted to go with Tony, but he was too nice to just say it. They were friends, but they hadn’t talked in a while, now he was one the spot. Tony and Rayven had all but figuratively cornered them with the tickets and going together and- how awkward this must have been for him. He must have felt like he couldn’t say no and now that the plan had gotten more solidified the panic was setting in.

The blonde nodded, taking the hand of the outstretched arm, before picking up a fast paced walk to try an put some space between them and the dynamic duo.

”Are you okay?,” she spoke quietly, ”it’s fine if you don’t want me to come. You two have been friends way longer and I don’t want to be in the way of that just because you got put on the spot.”

[Kira Starlight]

As Kid and Trine walked off down the hallway and out of earshot, Rayven gave Tony another nudge w/ her elbow and glanced at him.

Rayven::
"We did good here today.  We did good."

She then looked back at the two further down the hallway, the total awkwardness between them evident even from this distance.

Rayven::
"They'll be alright, right?  Like...we don't need to send someone to keep an eye on them, do we?"

[The Losers]

KG: NO! i mean...sorry...aRRGH! hold on.

Kid Genius took a deep deep breath and held it for a second before blowing it out, steeling himself for whatever in the world he thought he was doing. No, not thinking, he wasn't thinking right now. Kid was shutting his brain off and letting his body, heart, and will take him where he needed to go. Just like every dirt bike he raced, just like every board he road. If he thought to much about it he would fall. This was like that....only a billion times worse and he wanted to scream every second.

KG: What i meant to say was...that......I want to go...with you. I have my whole to play laser tag with Tony. If you want to i would....really like to...play laser tag with you... as friends...

Kid could feel his heart in his throat.

KG: but maybe....

THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP

KG: in between games or something...

THUMP THUMP THUMP
THUMP THUMP THUMP

KG: I could...take you out for a victory dinner...as...possibly...more than that

Kid's vision went completely white for half a second. He felt in his body that feeling when one jumps out an airplane only right now he was free falling. The next couple of seconds, which already felt like years, would decide whether or not his parachute was filled with trap or lead.




Tony moved to the side with Rayven's little nudge and rubbed at his side with a smile on his face.

Tony: We make a great team.

He said to the black haired goddess

Tony: Depends. If you are trying to make sure nothing happens than nah we have got nothing to worry about. If you are trying to get them to do the horizontal monster mash...that's looking like it would be easier to get to pandas to mate.

[Kira Starlight]

Rayven made a face at the comment about pandas.

Rayven::
"Those things should just go extinct already.  If you're too dumb to ****, you don't deserve to live..."

[Trine Larsen]

Trine had been caught off guard by then sudden no. She watched silently as Kid took a breath, held it, and then exhaled like he was getting ready to bungee jump off of a bridge or try to tame a lion- which seemed like a lot of preparation for having a conversation with a friend.

Then something struck her; what was he getting ready to say?!

”...if you want to i would....really like to…

Trine could feel the heart in her chest pick up a frantic beating. Her mind had started going a million miles an hour performing some sort of twisted mental version of add-libs- only this was not a fun, back of the school bus, making funny sentences version. No, it was the possibly on the cusp of a minor heart attack what happens next sort of versio-

”play laser tag with you... as friends…”

Oh! Okay, geez well all of that freaking out really seemed like a waste of energy. Her posture relaxed and the beginnings of an embarrassed smile (because honestly she had gotten worked up over nothing like a goof) had started to form and then…


”but maybe....”

Okay, alright, not really all that foreboding. “But maybe…”you know, let management known about the change. That seemed like a reasonable sentence continuation. Or…”but maybe”....try not to be so weird about everything. She was being sort of spastic- so that was a possibility. Oh man, he must have thought she was beyond strange...


”in between games or something…”

Unexpected! UNEXPECTED! He’d taken the ad-libs script and gone rouge!!!!!

”I could...take you out for a victory dinner…”

Was...was he about to ask her on a- no! Don’t be so full of yourself! Seriously?! He was so effortlessly cool and sometimes downright adorable. Easily one of the best looking guys on the roster (the best if you asked her specifically, but let's not get too specific here). He could get anyone and she was just so….so…..nowhere even close to his level. Just a weird, emotionally constipated, goofy-

”...as…”

THUMP. THUMP.THUMPTHUMP

”possibly…”

WAS HE TRYING TO KILL HER WITH THESE PAUSES?!

”...more than that.”

.



.




.

Trine either melted into a human puddle, or passed out, because it felt like that singular blink had taken an entire lifetime. Blue eyes looked down for a moment, just checking to make sure she was still on her feet. She was. And that she hadn’t just blacked out. She hadn’t. Then there was a heat in her face similar to when you roasted marshmallows on a campfire, but the stick was too short. It started small enough, just a little warm, but the longer the heat was there the more it started to burn.

At this point the heat had been so intense she might as well have been a Batman villain.

”Uh-” she had tried to speak, but it came out as more of a squeak than anything intelligible.

Get it together. What is this? Prom? No. This is the real world Trine Larsen! And you?! You are a strong, independent….somewhat competent….woman! So, put on your big girl pants and just say what’s on your mind!

”I…” she looked confused for a moment when it felt like she had used up all of her air on just one word.

And don’t forget to breathe!

”...I….would like that.” she smiled, still trying to calm the beast of an organ her heart had become over the last few minutes and will away the screams of protest her mind had started on an incessant loop. ”so, if it’s a “victory” dinner that means we have to win. That’s a lot of pressure to put on girl for the first friend outing, possibly more than friends, after party type...thing…”