The Chronicles of Carter
Act 1; Scene 1
Carter stood in front of the full-length mirror in the bedroom that Miles Kasey had allowed him to stay in for as long as he wished, until he had saved up enough to once again have a place to call his own. Carter had gotten out of the shower in the adjoined bathroom not ninety minutes ago, and had taken a painstaking amount of time just deciding what to wear. He was cutting this close, as he had finally decided on a lavender, button-up shirt, dark gray dress slacks and a matching pair of dress shoes that had only seen the light of day once, maybe twice before this day. And just in case anyone out there was wondering…
No, Carter was not getting ready for a date with Miles. Not this early in the day, although one could be forgiven for coming to such a conclusion. Carter had spent more time getting ready today than he had for any evening out with his boyfriend; reason being that while Carter loved looking nice for his man, even expected it of himself, Miles was not the judgmental sort and would be just as happy at his not wearing anything as he would be with him dressed up - and we mean that! But where he was going, well - he was going to be judged. In fact, not only was it expected, but he was paying the person to do so.
Trust me, you’ll understand soon enough.
Running the fingers of both hands through his freshly washed, lavender scented hair, Carter reached over blindly to grab the fine tooth comb to run one last time through his blonde tresses before he considered himself satisfied. Setting the comb down, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out, not looking forward to where he was going and for what reasons. This day was not his own idea, but a personal request of his mother’s, seconded by Grams which only sealed the deal further.
Grabbing his purple, faux fur jacket with white and gold accents from the back of the chair, Carter took the garment in the bend of his arm and exited his bedroom. He stepped out into the hallway and made his way toward the foyer when he heard the tell-tale whistle from Miles that did his ego proud, as Miles was appreciative of what he was laying his eyes on. In fact, Miles came up from behind Carter and snaked his muscled arms around his waist from behind, reeling him in for a close cuddle.
“Now how come you don’t dress up for me like this more often?” Miles teased, his chin nestled on the curve between Carter’s neck and shoulder.
To which Carter answered cheekily, “Mostly because it seems pointless to get dressed up when you usually have me out of my clothes in record time anyway!”
“Hunh…” Miles paused for a moment, before he nodded in a relenting gesture of acknowledgement, saying “Fair point.” Before finally prying himself away and going back across the living room to retrieve his gym bag. Miles was something of a gym rat, hitting the weights several times a week in order to maintain his taut, impressive physique. So color him surprised when Carter had informed him that this time he would be unable to go with. Carter always did his work outs at the GO Gym, but that fact never stopped him from attending Miles’s workout sessions – usually with a pair of binoculars and something cool to drink to keep from overheating.
"You sure you don't want to go to the gym with me?" Miles asked, standing upright and turning about face with that familiar coy twinkle in his sapphire-blue eyes. The corner of his lips turned upward as he offered, "We could do that trick with the mats while I do my squats?"
THAT certainly caught Carter's attention at full spring- er, swing, as he stood upright and asked with an arched eyebrow, "The same trick that almost cost you your gym membership?"
Miles chuckled as he walked past Carter, pausing long enough to whisper in his ear, "It would have been so worth it!" Gaining an involuntary shudder from the delightful chill running up the spine of young Carter.
“Well, you know I’d love to.” Carter admitted. “But I’ve had this doctor’s appointment scheduled two weeks ago.” As he slipped an arm into his jacket sleeve, allowing Miles to ask him, “Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
“It’s not necessary.” Carter replied, turning around to face a concerned Miles. “It’s not for anything serious. If it was, I’d tell you.”
“Promise?”
“Cross my heart!” Carter laughed as Miles pulled him into his arms for a quick cuddle. Miles held him tight and said, “Well, so long as you’ll be at the doctor’s, make sure to get up to date on your vaccines.”
“That came from out of nowhere!” Carter laughed. “Why do I need to get updated on that?”
“Well, you know how I have to head home to London for that show this coming week?” Miles asked, to which Carter nodded that he indeed did remember. Miles competing in his home city of London for the first time in what had to be forever was a big enough deal, but tack onto that he was a participant in the PWS: Apex Demon’s Rum Rumble just made the excitement soaring toward the heavens above.
“Well,” Miles answered thoughtfully, with a touch of hope on his face. “I was thinking that if you didn’t have any other commitments, that maybe you’d like to go with me?”
“Go with you?” Carter’s eyebrows slowly rose toward the hairline as Miles’s words were sinking in. “You want me to go with you to London?”
Miles didn’t answer outright. He had little to no need. The smile on his face spoke volumes. Carter seemed uncharacteristically speechless, prompting Miles to laugh and ask, “So? You told me once you’ve never been…”
“I know, Miles.” Carter started to stammer. “B-but I’m supposed to be saving for my own place and…”
“Ugh!” Miles threw his head back and rolled his eyes, doing so both to show his amusement and to hide the disappointment at the idea of Carter feeling the need or desire to move out and into his own place. Having him here with him in Vegas had been nothing short of fulfilling in heart and soul. “I figured you’d play the money card but that’s not something you need to worry about!”
“Miles, you’re not paying my way.” Carter shook his head. “You know me. If I can’t pay my own way for something, then I just don’t do it.”
“Well, I AM paying for our flight to New York.” Miles stated matter-of-factly, not giving Carter the chance to deny the fact. “But that’s the beauty of being on the in with people who have their own private jets. I already got the all-clear. Vegas to New York, and then New York to London where you can be my personal cheerleader…”
Carter quipped, “I prefer to think of myself as your athletic supporter.” And causing Miles to choke on whatever he was going to say next. Miles just smiled and shook his head at Carter’s wit before continuing, “So? You’re going with me?”
Carter found it damn near impossible to say no to Miles on any given day under any circumstance, even if he wanted to - and in this case? He didn’t want to say anything of the sort. Carter found himself feeling that smoldering sense of warmth whenever Miles had him in his arms. Carter just nodded, that simple gesture being more than enough. Until, that is, he piped up with, “But I’m NOT eating steak and kidney pie!”
“Oh come on!” Miles pouted. “You told me you wanted to try authentic British food and that’s a must!”
Carter cringed, “Hey, say what you will about Ari’s cooking but at least she stays away from the urinary tract!”
“Hey!” Miles playfully slapped him on the ass before stealing a kiss and ushering him toward the door so that he wouldn’t be any later for his doctor’s appointment than he already was.
“I hate this. I didn’t lie to Miles, but I wasn’t entirely honest either. I am going to the doctor - a doctor rather, but for different reasons than I’m sure he thinks. Gabriel and Odette expect an annual physical for the use of their gym, even from students who had long since graduated, but I had that done at the very start of the year. Dropped my drawers, coughed - the whole routine. And while the doctor said I could use more muscle on my body for the hell I put myself through inside of the ring, that’s not something I’m really looking to accomplish. But I digress…”
“I didn’t tell Miles about this and what’s been troubling me because that lovely man has a heart the size of the state of Nevada, and if he thought anything was wrong, he’d do whatever it took to make things right. Which isn’t a bad thing when it comes to a boyfriend or even a friend. But when one of those things he does to make you feel better is to take your pain and your problems and make both his own - well, that’s where I start acting the protective role myself. With as much hell as I’ve been through since last year, this was just something I had to do and I didn’t want him feeling that he had to step in and protect me from something that right now, I can’t even put a finger on. The problem is, right now even I don’t know what’s wrong with me deep down. I can’t put him through any more unnecessary drama. I won’t.”
“Carter McKinney?” The voice drew Carter’s attention up from his phone and toward the older woman standing at the open office door. Carter stood up and she smiled a welcoming smile as she stepped back and gave him the space to walk into her office, closing the door behind her…
Gail Delacore
LMHC - NCC
“Austin James Mercer.”
“Three words I never thought I’d hear after my introductions with the words ‘and his opponent’! And for that, I have to admit I had been eternally grateful. There was a point in time that I would have said I was looking forward to getting my hands on Austin - pun intended. There was a point in time where I have to say I wouldn’t be as worried then as I am now at stepping inside of the ring against him. Not for confidence or arrogance on my part in believing I’d win, but more so for personal preservation. A couple of years ago, I would say with confidence that were I up against Austin, he’d fight to win but he wouldn’t go out of his way to hurt me or any opponent that he set foot inside of the ring with. Unfortunately, I can’t say that any longer.”
“Austin now fits the moniker perfectly as a monster here in SCW. His stature, his strength - and just his general ‘go out there and main every opponent’ attitude that he carries with him these days. Austin wants to hurt anyone he’s up against, taking his own anger and pain and frustrations out on any poor schmo he’s booked against with the misguided belief that if he has to be in pain emotionally, then his opponents have to suffer physically. And unfortunately – this time I’m the poor schmo.”
“Austin… what happened to you? You’ve changed, and not for the better. I mean, granted I didn’t know you personally before save for random locker room chatter and that was all just hearsay from my days in SCU. By the time they closed down and SCW snatched me up, it was already too late to say or do anything that might offer you any comfort from friend or peer alike. I hate to admit it but I’m not a friend, because I can’t say I really know you as a person. Just as a peer, but I can say what I do see, what I have come to know… man? It scares me. Not because of what you could do to me in our match, and that is a little intimidating I admit, but because of the road you’ve been down with no end in sight! You’ve even practically abandoned your own friends in Wolfslair, Austin! Alex and Alicia and Miles and Lachlan … they’ve been there for you through the good times and the bad and you’ve turned your nose up at them! They’re your brothers and sisters… you have an entire locker room filled with men who respect you and would be there to help if you’d just let them - myself included! But the only thing you seem to be interested in is driving people away, and the faster and more pain inflicted, the better! You’re better than that, Austin! Better than this! The things you’ve done to the men you've been up against, the battered bodies and broken bones … that’s not the real you. The pain that you inflict on others who are just trying to earn a living the exact same way that you are – do you seriously think that will help? Do you think it’s going to accomplish anything - make you feel any better? You have a hole inside of you, a hole that you think violence is going to fill. But all that violence is going to manage is to make that gaping void bigger and bigger with no hope of healing it.”
“But here’s the thing; intimidated as I am and I won’t lie and say I’m not concerned, I am not going to just roll over and show belly. If you thought there was any chance of that happening, then you haven’t paid even the slightest bit of attention. I haven’t even been a full fledged member of the SCW roster for a full year yet, but I am pretty proud of everything that I’ve managed to accomplish so far. I’ve gotten a few wins against some credible vets and former champions. ‘Bulldog’ Bill Barnhart? My match against him showed I can handle a fight with a grizzled veteran who is as great a brawler as he is a technical wrestler. And my latest singles win? Against Vinnie? Austin, he is the same size and weight as you are, and then take a look at me; I’m half his size. I’m half YOUR size! And I still won! Granted, you might have more of a killer instinct than what Vinnie has, but the fact is I was able to go all David on that Goliath and if I could do it once to the man that had your number, I can do it to the man himself!”
“Do you know what the key is to beating your fears, Austin? It’s not burying them deep down. It’s facing them, and beating them. The real Austin James Mercer is still in there - somewhere. I’m going to find the man I joked with and bring him back out if I have to do it kicking and screaming.’
