Dark Circle Fractured Tales #0: Full steam of the New Year

Now he was out there and all four of the women were celebrating the fact that despite what Bloody Fairytale had done, they were all getting that shot at the forthcoming pay per view at the tag team champions.

And as he watched them celebrate, the icy cold that had been creeping into his heart following the last few weeks with the set backs that kept happening in his own career melted at the honest warmth he was feeling among the four women and he quickly found himself caught up in the celebrations because not only was it the aftermath of a kick ass main event… but it was also the end of this decade and the start of the next!

The more that the thought about how the past year had gone-the wins, the losses...the heartaches even-the more he realized that he had let himself become stuck in a rut lately and he hadn’t actually enjoyed himself in any way and it was starting to show, but none of that really mattered at that moment because he was honestly happy despite everything.

It was during all of this he turned and saw Katrina Cage standing there-sweaty and looking very tired but still so full of energy that it was almost radiating off of her like a physical heat and with that killer smile on her face...before he knew it he was quickly lifting her up by her waist easily and spinning her around while he laughed with joy, enjoying the feeling.

“You did it, despite everything you and Sammi did it!!” Jake said happily before setting her down at which point he quickly leaned in and kissed her fully on the lips.

In that instant-two things happened.

One was the moment that his lips pressed against hers, he could feel the heat coming from her as almost like he was apart of it and for what felt like an eternity, he was lost in that brief kiss….

...but then just as quickly the realization hit him that he was kissing Katrina and quickly broke the kiss, every inch of his exposed skin was now a bright shade of candy apple red and was burning hot with a deep embarrassment as he tried to get the words to come out in proper order but something about the level of embarrassment that he was feeling kept him from getting the right sounds out to really say anything.

The second thing was he was trying to understand why he kissed her… yes she was a beautiful woman and they had spent some time together, but nothing that would even hint that she had any kind of attraction to him like that and for him to just up and kiss her like that…

His skin became even redder.

He wasn’t the only one, as Katrina stood frozen in place as the show went off the air, red in the cheeks as her fingers touched her lips and she tried to register if that really happened. She saw the concern on Jake’s face like the man was wondering if he had just crossed a line. Far from it, in her mind, really as they had been hanging out a lot together since he and his tag team partner had signed with the company. Katrina wasn’t sure what spurred her response on, nor was she even sure if her own tag partner, Sammi was looking or had even noticed what happened; but before Jake could step back too far, Katrina stepped right up, threw her arms around the man’s neck and pressed her lips to his in a return kiss. Whether the pop from the audience was in reaction to that or whether they were still elated about the pay per view announcement, she couldn’t tell. It was New Years Eve, she’d just been told her and her best friend had a huge opportunity being given to them. On top of that; again, it was New Years Eve and she’d just gotten a kiss. One she rather liked. She wanted another one.

Jake watched her turn a lovely shade of red in the cheeks and then slowly touch her lips at which point he felt his stomach go out from him at which point he opened his mouth as his brain quickly started to say his utmost apologies-she did something he wasn’t expecting;

Katrina moved with that impressive quickness of hers and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him right back, the sounds of a massive crowd pop (or so he assumed) and instantly he once more felt embraced by her heat as his eyes closed at the same time that his strong arms wrapped around her lithe figure, pulling her closer to him as he returned the kiss-never daring to deepen it or anything, just enjoying it and her.

And it was like this that he simply kissed her, a little thought crept into his head as his right hand slipped up and his fingers slipped into her rich mane of dark, sweaty hair to the base of her skull before it moved to the right side of her face as he broke the kiss and looked into her half-lidded eyes and smiled warmly at her. “Hey Katrina?” he mused softly.

The second kiss felt even better than the first one as she felt Jake return the one she’d given him. She thought she felt a little flutter in her chest when he brought his hand up to her face. Katrina kept her arms around his neck as the kiss broke. She was still red, but smiling a little. “Yeah…?”

He was slowly stroking her cheek with his thumb as he asked “Two things, um..the first one is can I take you out? Dinner or breakfast...something?” he asked her, his eyes looking deeply into hers as he was smiling, but still very red.

Katrina closed her arms around Jake’s neck, having to come up on her tip toes as she just stared back up at him. The first question made her smile and laugh a little as she nodded. “Why not both?”

His smile was warm and honest, “Then I’ll do both, plus lunch and all the snacks in between.” he said with a laugh of his own as he continued to look into those eyes of hers, the arm still at her waist pulling her in just a little bit closer as he felt her arms encircle his neck more. “I’m serious about asking you out… just like I’m serious about this other thing involving you.” he said, his face staying a bright red as his smile became a bit more playful.

Katrina leaned back some so she could tilt her head down but keep her eyes up on Jake. Her arms never left his neck. It was that playful, questioning look you gave somebody as if to say just what came out of Katrina’s mouth next. “Oh, really now? And what might that be?”

He didn’t say anything at first but he never broke eye contact with her as he stopped caressing her face long enough to gently cup her chin and tilt it upwards just enough so that she was comfortable as he leaned in and kissed her in a very tender manner, letting her know that he was indeed serious about her and asking her out, his right hand caressing her jawline as he did so as he simply held her in his arm.

He kissed her like that, not deepening it or anything for the time being before breaking the kiss and whispering “That” against Katrina’s lips, just softly enough so that she could hear him easily.

Katrina completely relaxed against Jake as he placed a third kiss on her lips. His arm around her and the hand gently touching her face felt nice, to say the least. Kat responded by closing her arms around his neck completely this time and happily returned the kiss before she felt his lips break from hers. Only then did she open her eyes and smile a little blissfully. The soft giggle that escaped her was almost breathless. “I like ‘that’....” She answered with a smile.