Post by Sloane Taylor on Aug 14, 2022 17:14:05 GMT -5
A wild television screen appears, filled with static, before it suddenly shifts to an image and a narrator’s voice is heard.
The screen shifts again to show what appears to be Las Vegas in early January, Seb and Sloane in evidence along with Thaddeus Duke and Matt Knox. There’s a montage of shots of them drinking together and having fun, along with a few of Thad and Sloane off to themselves with Seb watching.
Another shift, this time to a screen scrolling with a Twitter exchange, not long after the Vegas trip. Seb and Sloane argue back and forth until a declaration from Sloane stops the argument in its tracks… and thus, Seb and Sloane went from best friends to one of the most powerful and dynamic couples in the business.
The screen shifts again, and we see Sloane winning the PWV Disavowed Championship against Jason Cashe, blood running down her chin from where she’d bitten him. Another shift, and we see Seb winning the UGWC Chaos Championship. Another shift, this time showing flashes of Seb and Sloane moving from Chicago to New York, inviting the camera into their penthouse in Chelsea.
Beside them through it all, scenes flash of moments spent with their best friends, Thad and Lauren Duke, along with antics courtesy of their pet hedgehogs, Lord Quilliam and Lady Hedgewig.
And now that you’re all caught up…
The state-of-the-art gym inside the Duke home in New York City was decked out to the max with every single piece of equipment you could possibly find. Cardio, weights, resistance training. There were even some pieces of equipment that Sloane had never seen before. Some, she’d gathered, were unique designs made to Thad’s liking, and some were prototypes not available in the mass market. Then there were the newer pieces, designed to help with Thad’s rehab following surgery that hadn’t been taken away once he’d recovered. Sloane had considered that perhaps they were being kept just in case they would ever be needed again. Either way, it was an impressive set up.
But the part of the fitness center that would likely surprise all but those who knew Thad best was the ballet studio. A full studio, complete with bars and mirrors. Sloane definitely hadn’t wondered whether or not any of his other rooms had mirrors, too, and she’d definitely not blushed at the thought. She shook away the redness in her face as she stood in the middle of the wide open space with Thad by her side.
This hadn’t been her first lesson, but it was still new to her. It had been something she’d wanted to try since she’d been a little girl, but the lessons had always been a little out of reach for her parents. After her dad had died, the idea that she would be the next Prima Ballerina had slipped away, too. Then she’d learned of Thad’s proficiency in the art, and the idea of learning had started to burn a small hole in the back of her mind. As soon as he knew, he’d offered to train her, and the rest, as they say, is history. Ballet was fantastic for her endurance and flexibility, not to mention that it was helping to improve her balance to no end. And despite her newfound hobby taking place flat on the ground rather than the rooftops of a city, it appeared to cause Seb no less trepidation.
What had caught Sloane off guard was just how seriously Thad took her lessons. He wasn’t mean or anything, but he was structured and persistent. She’d tried single movements dozens and dozens of times before he'd been satisfied that she could move on to the next. While she was getting better, her natural proclivity for fun and the ease with which she became distracted sometimes had given him more than one opportunity to bite his tongue. And yet, he was patient with her and never asked more of her than he thought she could give.
Thaddeus Duke was a good teacher.
But boy did he dial up the seriousness when it came to stretching, before the lesson and after the lesson. Stretches were a must, and when she was slacking, he’d keep adding in new ones until she gave in and did what he’d asked.
“It’s for your own good, Sloane,” he said, as she extended her hamstring as far as it would go. She was sure it would snap at any minute. “You have no idea how many injuries people could have avoided just by stretching properly.”
“I know, I know,” Sloane groaned. “But I’m pretty flexible, and I don’t very often get those kinds of injuries.”
She was hot and sweaty from her lesson and felt like every single muscle in her body was as stretched as it possibly could be. And yet, here she was, trying as she might to push her body just that little bit further than she usually would.
“I know you are, but imagine how flexible you could be…” Thad said before pausing. Seemingly, he’d drifted off into something of a fantasy.
“Thaddy!” Sloane exclaimed with a chuckle as she stood up straight. “There. I’m stretched. Are you happy?”
“Not yet,” said Thad.
“Oh, come on!” She protested, her hands flailing in a mini tantrum. “I just want to go and get in the shower.”
“I mean if you’re offering…” Thad said with a smirk.
“Mmhmm.” Sloane replied. “I’m honestly tempted just so we can be done for the day.”
“That’s the only reason?” Thad asked, placing a hand on his chest. “I’m wounded.”
“Very funny,” she said. “Sooooo can I…”
“I said not yet,” Thad reiterated, shaking his head. “Lay down on your back, left leg straight, right leg bent at the knee.”
“I bet you’ve said that before,” Sloane teased before slowly lowering herself back to the ground. Thad smirked before lowering himself to one knee. He lifted her leg, and rested her calf against his shoulder, before slowly starting to lean forward.
“Oh god…” Sloane gritted out as she felt every muscle in her leg tighten. It was painful, but felt kinda good.
“... For the last time, Lauren, that is NOT the kind of Creme Brulee I’m craving!” Came a loud voice from the door of the studio. The noise startled them both, Sloane turning to see the back of Seb’s head as he called to Lauren. As she did, her leg slipped from Thad’s shoulder, and he lost his balance and fell forward. Sloane turned her head at the last minute to see him falling towards her, moments away from their heads clashing together.
It happened in unison - Thad placed his hands on either side of her body to brace himself, but Sloane reached up and caught his face in her hands. For a second they hovered, looking into one another’s eyes, and Sloane’s fingers moved slowly against Thad’s cheek for a second before…
“Ah… HEM.” Came a sound from the doorway. Sloane blinked and turned her head to look at Seb who had an Appletini in one hand and an iPad in the other. “Am I interrupting?”
“Seb!” Exclaimed Sloane as Thad pulled up to his knees. Sloane saw Seb looking at the closeness between them as she pushed back and jumped up to her feet. “It’s not what it looks like…”
“What exactly does it look like, Sloane?” Seb asked.
“Well if you ask me…” Thad started.
“No. You. Shush.” Sloane said to Thad. “Thad was helping me with some stretches and slipped.”
“Oh, I bet he did…” Said Seb with raised eyebrows.
“Not like that! He fell! We almost banged our heads, and we just…” Sloane said, fumbling.
“Mmhmm…” Said Seb, before raising the drink to his lips and swallowing the whole thing in one go. “I’m sure you… Just.”
Sloane quickly walked towards him and reached up to cup his face, realising too late that moments earlier she’d been in the same position with Thad. For a second he flinched, and her cheeks burned. But then she felt him relax into it as she stepped up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips.
“It was an accident. Promise,” she said.
“Alright,” he sighed before flashing a look in Thad’s direction. Sloane couldn’t see what her ballet teacher was doing, but she imagined whatever it was did nothing to make the situation better.
“We’re not done stretching, Miss Taylor,” Thad said. Sloane closed her eyes, trying hard not to turn around and throw the iPad at him.
“It’s alright. Go finish up,” Seb said, smiling. This time, Sloane caught the grin on Thad’s face and she did her best to silently admonish him for it. “I’ll be sat just over here… Doing something productive, like watching some OCW matches.”
“This is productive,” said Thad, defensively. “Ballet improves balance, endurance, stamina. It’s given me the edge in those moments when I need to give just a little bit more.”
Sloane was trying very hard not to read between the lines as she walked back to the middle of the studio. She turned to face Seb again and noticed the direction of his gaze - Thad’s leotard, which she’d had to try very, very hard not to notice. It left little to the imagination.
“Yeah, I’ll pass, thanks,” said Seb. “But if Sloane thinks it helps, she has my full, unwavering support.”
She gave Seb an appreciative look just as Thad threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into him. She could have sworn she could see a vein throbbing in Seb’s temple.
“I never invited you anyway,” said Thad. “This is our thing.”
“Mmhmm,” Seb mused as he sat down on a nearby bench and lifted the iPad onto his lap.
“Speaking of our thing…” Thad began as Sloane turned to face him. “When’s our friend date?”
“What?” Asked Sloane.
“What?” Asked Seb.
“Come on, Seb, you took Lauren out on a friend date, so it’s only fair I should get to return the favor, right?” Thad asked.
“Oh my god that sounds like an amazing idea!” Said Sloane, the fact that she’d just been found in a compromising position with Thad less than five minutes earlier giving way to the overwhelming excitement of an actual friend date with actual Thaddeus Duke.
“I mean, you two are already so close… Mine and Lauren’s date was just about the two of us getting to know each other a little better. One on one…” Seb said cautiously.
“Exactly, and what’s wrong with the idea of the two of us getting to know each other a little better?” Thad asked. He didn’t wait for Seb’s answer. “Oh, I have the perfect idea. You just tell me when you can do it, and I’ll start planning.”
“Anytime. I can change things around to fit in. Whenever is fine by me.” Sloane beamed. “Omg Thaddy, this is going to be so much fun!”
“It really is…” said Thad.
Without so much as a second thought, the two of them returned to the floor of the studio, Sloane’s calf resting against Thad’s shoulder and him leaning into her to continue their stretches. As they worked, they talked, about potential dates, and all the surprises that he’d have planned.
Neither one of them noticed Seb in the corner, his eyes still focused upon them, his jaw clenching and unclenching. There was an unspoken concern written all across his face. Every joke, every little moment in which Thad was trying to get under his skin had been punctuated with that little look and the smirk.
Yet from the moment they’d started talking about the date, he hadn’t cast Seb a single look.
And that burned more deeply than any smirk or knowing wink could ever have.
The screen shifts again to show what appears to be Las Vegas in early January, Seb and Sloane in evidence along with Thaddeus Duke and Matt Knox. There’s a montage of shots of them drinking together and having fun, along with a few of Thad and Sloane off to themselves with Seb watching.
Another shift, this time to a screen scrolling with a Twitter exchange, not long after the Vegas trip. Seb and Sloane argue back and forth until a declaration from Sloane stops the argument in its tracks… and thus, Seb and Sloane went from best friends to one of the most powerful and dynamic couples in the business.
The screen shifts again, and we see Sloane winning the PWV Disavowed Championship against Jason Cashe, blood running down her chin from where she’d bitten him. Another shift, and we see Seb winning the UGWC Chaos Championship. Another shift, this time showing flashes of Seb and Sloane moving from Chicago to New York, inviting the camera into their penthouse in Chelsea.
Beside them through it all, scenes flash of moments spent with their best friends, Thad and Lauren Duke, along with antics courtesy of their pet hedgehogs, Lord Quilliam and Lady Hedgewig.
And now that you’re all caught up…
The state-of-the-art gym inside the Duke home in New York City was decked out to the max with every single piece of equipment you could possibly find. Cardio, weights, resistance training. There were even some pieces of equipment that Sloane had never seen before. Some, she’d gathered, were unique designs made to Thad’s liking, and some were prototypes not available in the mass market. Then there were the newer pieces, designed to help with Thad’s rehab following surgery that hadn’t been taken away once he’d recovered. Sloane had considered that perhaps they were being kept just in case they would ever be needed again. Either way, it was an impressive set up.
But the part of the fitness center that would likely surprise all but those who knew Thad best was the ballet studio. A full studio, complete with bars and mirrors. Sloane definitely hadn’t wondered whether or not any of his other rooms had mirrors, too, and she’d definitely not blushed at the thought. She shook away the redness in her face as she stood in the middle of the wide open space with Thad by her side.
This hadn’t been her first lesson, but it was still new to her. It had been something she’d wanted to try since she’d been a little girl, but the lessons had always been a little out of reach for her parents. After her dad had died, the idea that she would be the next Prima Ballerina had slipped away, too. Then she’d learned of Thad’s proficiency in the art, and the idea of learning had started to burn a small hole in the back of her mind. As soon as he knew, he’d offered to train her, and the rest, as they say, is history. Ballet was fantastic for her endurance and flexibility, not to mention that it was helping to improve her balance to no end. And despite her newfound hobby taking place flat on the ground rather than the rooftops of a city, it appeared to cause Seb no less trepidation.
What had caught Sloane off guard was just how seriously Thad took her lessons. He wasn’t mean or anything, but he was structured and persistent. She’d tried single movements dozens and dozens of times before he'd been satisfied that she could move on to the next. While she was getting better, her natural proclivity for fun and the ease with which she became distracted sometimes had given him more than one opportunity to bite his tongue. And yet, he was patient with her and never asked more of her than he thought she could give.
Thaddeus Duke was a good teacher.
But boy did he dial up the seriousness when it came to stretching, before the lesson and after the lesson. Stretches were a must, and when she was slacking, he’d keep adding in new ones until she gave in and did what he’d asked.
“It’s for your own good, Sloane,” he said, as she extended her hamstring as far as it would go. She was sure it would snap at any minute. “You have no idea how many injuries people could have avoided just by stretching properly.”
“I know, I know,” Sloane groaned. “But I’m pretty flexible, and I don’t very often get those kinds of injuries.”
She was hot and sweaty from her lesson and felt like every single muscle in her body was as stretched as it possibly could be. And yet, here she was, trying as she might to push her body just that little bit further than she usually would.
“I know you are, but imagine how flexible you could be…” Thad said before pausing. Seemingly, he’d drifted off into something of a fantasy.
“Thaddy!” Sloane exclaimed with a chuckle as she stood up straight. “There. I’m stretched. Are you happy?”
“Not yet,” said Thad.
“Oh, come on!” She protested, her hands flailing in a mini tantrum. “I just want to go and get in the shower.”
“I mean if you’re offering…” Thad said with a smirk.
“Mmhmm.” Sloane replied. “I’m honestly tempted just so we can be done for the day.”
“That’s the only reason?” Thad asked, placing a hand on his chest. “I’m wounded.”
“Very funny,” she said. “Sooooo can I…”
“I said not yet,” Thad reiterated, shaking his head. “Lay down on your back, left leg straight, right leg bent at the knee.”
“I bet you’ve said that before,” Sloane teased before slowly lowering herself back to the ground. Thad smirked before lowering himself to one knee. He lifted her leg, and rested her calf against his shoulder, before slowly starting to lean forward.
“Oh god…” Sloane gritted out as she felt every muscle in her leg tighten. It was painful, but felt kinda good.
“... For the last time, Lauren, that is NOT the kind of Creme Brulee I’m craving!” Came a loud voice from the door of the studio. The noise startled them both, Sloane turning to see the back of Seb’s head as he called to Lauren. As she did, her leg slipped from Thad’s shoulder, and he lost his balance and fell forward. Sloane turned her head at the last minute to see him falling towards her, moments away from their heads clashing together.
It happened in unison - Thad placed his hands on either side of her body to brace himself, but Sloane reached up and caught his face in her hands. For a second they hovered, looking into one another’s eyes, and Sloane’s fingers moved slowly against Thad’s cheek for a second before…
“Ah… HEM.” Came a sound from the doorway. Sloane blinked and turned her head to look at Seb who had an Appletini in one hand and an iPad in the other. “Am I interrupting?”
“Seb!” Exclaimed Sloane as Thad pulled up to his knees. Sloane saw Seb looking at the closeness between them as she pushed back and jumped up to her feet. “It’s not what it looks like…”
“What exactly does it look like, Sloane?” Seb asked.
“Well if you ask me…” Thad started.
“No. You. Shush.” Sloane said to Thad. “Thad was helping me with some stretches and slipped.”
“Oh, I bet he did…” Said Seb with raised eyebrows.
“Not like that! He fell! We almost banged our heads, and we just…” Sloane said, fumbling.
“Mmhmm…” Said Seb, before raising the drink to his lips and swallowing the whole thing in one go. “I’m sure you… Just.”
Sloane quickly walked towards him and reached up to cup his face, realising too late that moments earlier she’d been in the same position with Thad. For a second he flinched, and her cheeks burned. But then she felt him relax into it as she stepped up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips.
“It was an accident. Promise,” she said.
“Alright,” he sighed before flashing a look in Thad’s direction. Sloane couldn’t see what her ballet teacher was doing, but she imagined whatever it was did nothing to make the situation better.
“We’re not done stretching, Miss Taylor,” Thad said. Sloane closed her eyes, trying hard not to turn around and throw the iPad at him.
“It’s alright. Go finish up,” Seb said, smiling. This time, Sloane caught the grin on Thad’s face and she did her best to silently admonish him for it. “I’ll be sat just over here… Doing something productive, like watching some OCW matches.”
“This is productive,” said Thad, defensively. “Ballet improves balance, endurance, stamina. It’s given me the edge in those moments when I need to give just a little bit more.”
Sloane was trying very hard not to read between the lines as she walked back to the middle of the studio. She turned to face Seb again and noticed the direction of his gaze - Thad’s leotard, which she’d had to try very, very hard not to notice. It left little to the imagination.
“Yeah, I’ll pass, thanks,” said Seb. “But if Sloane thinks it helps, she has my full, unwavering support.”
She gave Seb an appreciative look just as Thad threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her into him. She could have sworn she could see a vein throbbing in Seb’s temple.
“I never invited you anyway,” said Thad. “This is our thing.”
“Mmhmm,” Seb mused as he sat down on a nearby bench and lifted the iPad onto his lap.
“Speaking of our thing…” Thad began as Sloane turned to face him. “When’s our friend date?”
“What?” Asked Sloane.
“What?” Asked Seb.
“Come on, Seb, you took Lauren out on a friend date, so it’s only fair I should get to return the favor, right?” Thad asked.
“Oh my god that sounds like an amazing idea!” Said Sloane, the fact that she’d just been found in a compromising position with Thad less than five minutes earlier giving way to the overwhelming excitement of an actual friend date with actual Thaddeus Duke.
“I mean, you two are already so close… Mine and Lauren’s date was just about the two of us getting to know each other a little better. One on one…” Seb said cautiously.
“Exactly, and what’s wrong with the idea of the two of us getting to know each other a little better?” Thad asked. He didn’t wait for Seb’s answer. “Oh, I have the perfect idea. You just tell me when you can do it, and I’ll start planning.”
“Anytime. I can change things around to fit in. Whenever is fine by me.” Sloane beamed. “Omg Thaddy, this is going to be so much fun!”
“It really is…” said Thad.
Without so much as a second thought, the two of them returned to the floor of the studio, Sloane’s calf resting against Thad’s shoulder and him leaning into her to continue their stretches. As they worked, they talked, about potential dates, and all the surprises that he’d have planned.
Neither one of them noticed Seb in the corner, his eyes still focused upon them, his jaw clenching and unclenching. There was an unspoken concern written all across his face. Every joke, every little moment in which Thad was trying to get under his skin had been punctuated with that little look and the smirk.
Yet from the moment they’d started talking about the date, he hadn’t cast Seb a single look.
And that burned more deeply than any smirk or knowing wink could ever have.