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I stared at the screen backstage, my jaw dropped. Pete had done it. He’d won. I shouted, jumping up and down as he was claimed the UK Champion. I jumped up and down in excitement, watching as my brother proudly raised the title above his head before doing his signature move, biting the belt and putting his fist to his jaw.
I saw his opponent, Tyler come through the curtain and shake hands with Hunter before hugging a larger man I recognized as Trent Seven. I waited for Pete before introducing myself to them. I’d been at university while Pete was learning to wrestle, as he put it, I was the smart kid in the family. I’d seen enough of his matches at local places to be proud but I’d never forced him to have me around, wanting to let him focus and grow on his own without his little sister tagging along.
When Pete came through the curtain everyone clapped and cheered for him and he shook hands with Hunter before he and Tyler collapsed against each other, hugging and speaking in low whispers. Pete and Trent hugged too and then Pete spotted me through the crowd.
“Y/N, get over here!”
I complied, blushing a little as the crowd parted the way for me and I walked over, hugging Pete tightly.
“You did it big bro,” I whispered, feeling my eyes mist up.
“I can’t believe it,” he said.
“You deserve it,” I said, smiling as I pulled back.
“Who is this?” Trent said, smiling down at me.
“Guys, this is my little sister Y/N. Y/N this is Trent and Tyler, the rest of British Strong Style.”
“Oh, the mysterious Y/N. If your parents hadn’t swore to us Pete wasn’t lying to you we’d have thought he made up your existence,” Trent said, taking my hand and shaking it politely.
I laughed and turned to Tyler, extending my hand to him. Our eyes met and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up, my heart immediately racing as I stared into his gorgeous, gray eyes.
“Nice to meet you,” he said, his voice soft.
I smiled at him, knowing my cheeks were red and was pleased to see his were as well.
Pete was pulled off for photos, an interview and a talk with Triple H, leaving me with Trent and Tyler.
“So, Y/N, are you going to come out with us? Celebrate?” Trent said, his smile wide, his happiness for his friends written all over his face.
“Depends,” I said, my eyes tracking to Pete down the hall.
“Why?” Tyler asked.
“Pete and I are close but he may not want his baby sister partying with him, ya know?”
“Oh fuck ‘im,” Trent said. I laughed as he chuckled and Tyler smirked.
“Yeah, fuck him. You’re invited by us, he doesn’t get a say in it,” Tyler added on. I laughed and nodded once at them.
“Okay, count me in.”
--
Hours later we were at a nearby bar. Tyler and I, both the youngest of the group, had been given crap by the bouncer at the door for our IDs but with Trent, Pete and many others vouching for us we’d eventually gotten in. The first round was ordered and we all raised our glasses to Pete and Tyler for stealing the show. We all drank to the future of UK wrestling and immediately everyone broke into groups, talking excitedly about upcoming matches, tours, storylines, and title defenses. I found myself next to Tyler and he smiled at me, one of his hands on his drink, the other on my shoulder as he leaned in to speak to me, to be heard over the noise around us.
“So, any chance you’ll follow in Pete’s footsteps?”
I laughed. “Wrestle? Me? No way. I couldn’t get the rhythm down, didn’t get the chemistry right with anyone. I’m better as a cheering section.”
“Any chance you’ll cheer for me one day?” he said, a sly smile on his face. I felt my heart race a little at the look he was giving me.
“It could probably be arranged,” I teased.
His smile grew, his eyes sparkling slightly as he looked me over. “So, any idea why Pete never introduced us all before? It seems a bit odd.”
I shrugged and took a sip of my drink, thinking over my answer. “I guess he wanted to find his own way, without his family too intertwined, in case it didn’t work out.”
Tyler nodded. “Yeah, my family worried a bit, that if I got into this and my career didn’t happen I’d lose my friends,” he said, eyeing Tyler, Mark, Pete and a few others. He eyed Pete who nodded our way and we nodded back before Tyler let out a chuckle.
“What’s funny?” I asked.
“Maybe he didn’t introduce us because he didn’t want us to get…intertwined.” I stared up at him before the meaning worked its way through my understanding and I snickered, hoping the blush I felt could pass for the alcohol.
Tyler eyed me and he smirked, leaning down to press his lips against my ear, the contact along with his breath making me shiver. “Maybe he was right to be worried about that, hmm?”
--
Months later, despite Tyler’s teasing words and the tension between us he hadn’t made a move. I was simultaneously grateful and upset by that. I didn’t want to upset or worry Pete or cause friction between them.
Still I thought about Tyler more than I should. When Pete would call to video chat and Tyler and Trent were in the background I would be thrilled to see all three of them and to catch up with my brother but my eyes inevitably drifted to Tyler throughout the conversation.
One night as I was crawling into bed my phone rang with a video request from Pete. Checking the time and wondering why he was calling at such a random time, normally him and the guys were getting finished at the gym now while they were in the states, training at the Performance center.
I swiped to answer the call, shocked to see Tyler’s face instead of Pete’s.
“Tyler, what are you calling me on Pete’s phone for? Is he okay?” I asked, feeling my heart begin to race as I contemplated the hundreds of reasons Tyler could be calling to tell me about from my brother’s phone.
“He’s fine, Y/N. I just had a question for ya.” He glanced over his shoulder, like he was checking for Pete.
“What is it?” I asked as my heart rate returned to normal.
“I didn’t want to assume it was okay and didn’t know how to ask him but, is it alright if I have ya number?”
I blinked at the screen, processing his words. “What? Why would it matter if you ask Pete for it?”
Tyler smiled ruefully and looked down at the floor on his side of the world before his eyes found me again. “Well, I don’t think he’d like the fact that I want your number because I can’t get you out of my head since we met at Takeover.” I stared at Tyler, shocked into silence.
“Any kind of answer would be appreciated,” he mumbled, his face heating a little under my gaze.
“Oh, right. Yes, you can have my number, just take it out of Pete’s phone since you’ve already stolen it.”
His face brightened and he smiled. Voices in the distance that sounded like Trent and Pete were heard and Tyler smirked mischievously.
“Talk to you later gorgeous,” he said before ending the call.
Smiling to myself I put my phone on my bedside table and slid deeper under the covers. As I was drifting off there was a text alert as my screen lit up.
Tyler: Sleep well, gorgeous.
--
Weeks later after many calls, texts, video chats and voicemails the guys were coming home. Pete had called me, asking if I wanted to grab dinner the night they got in but I told him I had plans with a friend since he hadn’t confirmed his arrival time with me previously.
That was…almost completely true.
Tyler was a friend, so that wasn’t a lie but there was the issue that I knew their arrival time, because Tyler told me. They’d be getting in at 10 in the morning, doing a redeye home. The guys would all go to their places to crash for a few hours and Tyler had told Pete he was going to see a friend he hadn’t seen in a while so our lies, while small, were sold to Pete and he took them as fact. I felt bad, lying to Pete and I could tell Tyler did too but it was something we felt we had to do, until we knew whatever was going on between us was.
That night I was nervous. Tyler was going to be arriving any minute at my apartment and my hands were shaking. We’d picked a casual restaurant, so we could both be comfortable and not feel the pressure of a first date because, well, we weren’t sure it was a date.
The buzzing on my door, to buzz Tyler in, made me jump. I pressed the entry button and waited, pacing slightly across the living room floor. When he knocked on my door I took a few breaths before opening it, my heart racing as I took in Tyler’s appearance.
Jeans, a simple polo and simple shoes, he looked completely comfortable and relaxed as he smiled at me. I felt my lips split into a smile at the sight of him.
“Hey Tyler,” I said, hoping my heart rate would slow.
“Hey Y/N. Ready for dinner?”
I nodded, grabbed my bag and closed my door behind me. Once it was locked Tyler casually, as if it was something we’d done all the time, took my hand in his as we left my building.
--
Dinner had been fun, my nerves had slipped away slowly and soon we were laughing, our eyes locking more and more and I could feel the blush creeping up my cheeks. Tyler had spotted it and smiled, his eyes scanning my face, his lips upturned as he took a sip from his drink.
We’d shared bites of our dishes and talked for hours, all of it surprisingly easy. I was shocked that I didn’t feel the need to put on a show for the man in front of me, that I wasn’t pretending to be anything I wasn’t around him.
When we’d gotten back to my apartment Tyler walked me to my door, holding my hand the entire way and at my door he held my hand tighter, as if he didn’t want to let go.
“I had a great time tonight, Tyler.”
He smiled, bright and big, his chest puffing out slightly with pride. “I’m glad, Y/N. I had an amazing time with you too.”
The silence that filled the space between us wasn’t overrun with tension, there was just enough to tempt me into not turning to unlock my door. There was just enough to give me a measure of hope. Tyler’s weight shifted slightly towards me and his free hand came up slowly to brush a single strand of hair that had gotten in my face. His fingers were light along my skin and when the hair had moved out of my way I could feel my hands shaking slightly, my nerves on fire from his simple, sweet touch. Tyler smiled, tightening his hold on the hand he already held, the hand leaving my face coming down to take my free hand.
He smiled softly and his voice came out as a whisper. “You’re shaking a little.”
I let out a breathless laugh. “Can’t help it.”
His smile grew a little more. “Is it a bad thing that you’re shaking? Like shaking with rage you want me away from you or…?” We both laughed at that and on instinct I tugged his hands a little closer to me and he followed, now inches from me.
“I think I’m shaking because I’m terrified of you getting closer and of you not getting closer at the same time.” His eyes met mine then and I could see he was taking what I said seriously.
“So if I try to kiss you…”
“I just might let you.”
He moved slowly and when our lips did meet it was light, simple and, without a better word, perfect.
--
A month later we were at my front door again. Tyler had taken me to dinner and we’d lingered at a coffee shop nearby, spending our time together and not wanting the night to end. Between his travel schedule and my work schedule we spent a lot of our time talking on the phone, texting and skyping but with the guys home this week I’d seen Tyler every night.
I had only seen Pete for lunch once this week, his own schedule at home taking up a lot of his time but I still felt guilty.
As we kissed I felt my phone vibrate in my bag and simultaneously Tyler’s phone beeped signaling he had a message as well. We pulled back slowly, reluctantly, and looked at each other smiling.
“You got a message,” I said, my voice light.
“Seems like you did as well,” he said. We both fished out our phones, a late message rare for us both so urging us towards checking to ensure it wasn’t an emergency.
“It’s Pete,” Tyler said.
“Yeah,” I said, checking my own message.
Pete: Dinner tomorrow? I want everyone together, got some exciting news.
I stared at my screen and turned it to show Tyler as he turned his to mine, showing the same message.
“What would he want family and friends together for?” Tyler said.
I shrugged, my mind going over everything. “Maybe he’s finally proposed to Demi,” I said, letting out a hopeful squeak.
Tyler laughed. “Yeah, that’d be about time for sure.” I responded that of course I’d be there, Tyler sending a thumbs up emoji and soon his hands were cupping my face once more.
“Do you think maybe there is something else it’s about time that happened?” he asked.
I felt my heart race at the suggestion. “You mean,” I said, running my hands over his shoulders and around his neck. Tyler nodded once.
“I hate lying to him about where I been. I hate saying that I’m talking to some girl when it’s you. I hate him asking to meet this girl, I hate Demi teasing me that maybe I’ve found a good one when she knows you, when she knows you’re good. I hate lying to Trent too.”
I nodded, sighing. “I hate it too. He asked where I’ve been all week and I said I had a date and when he asked who with I just lied, said he didn’t know the guy.”
“So…” Tyler started. “Tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Tomorrow.”
--
Dinner was not what I expected. Tyler sat across from me at the packed table of friends and family and when he stood at the end to finally tell us why we were all there I nearly fell out of my chair when he held up the sonogram and Demi started tearing up.
“I’m going to be an aunt?” I screamed. Meanwhile our parents were jumping up and hugging Pete and Demi, then they hugged Demi’s parents, and soon everyone was hugging and laughing and shaking hands and a lot of the women were crying. I was wiping at my face constantly and as I hugged Pete I was laughing with such joy and shock I didn’t even realize Trent and Tyler had come up behind us.
“Congrats mate,” Trent said. I pulled back from Pete as Trent and Pete hugged before Pete and Tyler embraced, slapping one another’s backs.
“I thought you’d proposed,” I hissed in a whisper at him.
Pete laughed. “Soon, was thinking about that but this came first and I don’t want her to think I’m proposing just because of the baby, ya know?” I nodded, wiping at my eyes. I felt Tyler’s comforting hand on my lower back and turned to look at him, taking the offered tissue.
“Thanks Ty,” I said smiling at him. He smiled back but Pete stood there, staring between us.
It was then I realized that Tyler hadn’t moved his hand from my back and that I’d subconsciously leaned into him a little.
“Uhm,” Tyler said, clearing his throat. “Yeah, we were gonna tell you tonight, actually,” he said, straightening his back but keeping his hand on me. I locked my eyes on Pete’s face, trying to read it but it was impossible. He was analyzing the situation quickly, I could see the gears turning behind his eyes.
“How long?” Pete asked.
“Not long, a few dates each time you guys have been home. Tyler’s been a gentleman and we just wanted to see if it was worth talking about before we said anything, in case it wasn’t really important.”
“And…you’re both happy?” he asked.
We nodded. Trent let out a low chuckle. “She’s the girl you been texting? Slipping away to talk to while we’re on the road?”
Tyler nodded.
Pete was frowning slightly, looking between us before he shook his head slightly. Demi had come to stand beside him, a smile on her face.
“So, you two finally told him, yeah?”
“You knew?” Pete asked.
“You didn’t notice both of them suddenly so happy? Talking to someone privately? Not wanting to tell any of us anything? Me and Y/N tell each other practically everything,” she said, laughing.
“Except for my dating Tyler and you and my brother having a baby,” I said, smiling.
Demi laughed and shrugged as if to say ‘what can you do?’
Letting out a long sigh Pete walked over and pointed at Tyler. “I beat your ass to get your title and we were friends for that. You hurt my baby sister I will beat your ass for real, and not in a ring, got it?”
Tyler smiled. “Got it.”