Business or Pleasure?

Alaina thought about what Mamouru said. Maybe he was right, no matter how good she became she would have to do something to stand out. Right as she was about to speak, she saw him smack the back of his head and fall over.

"Oh shit, are you all right?" She asked as she ran over to help him up. "Listen, I'm going to help you get home in one piece. The way you are stumbling around you are more likely to get run over by a car than you are to make it back. Where do you live?"

Alaina realized Mamouru had a point. A dime a dozen amazon, or the one and only Alaina Sanders? Besides... if she couldn't be herself what was the point? As thoughts of her career flashed through her head she helped Mamouru to his feet and tried to comfort him. "All right big guy, just take it easy and we'll get you home safely."

"I'm fine." He said in an annoyed tone as she helped him up. He tried to push her away but all he managed to do was fall into her arms, his face pressing against her collar and the top of her chest. He panted for a few seconds before he pushed off her from the hips and hung hunched over.

"S-Shit..." He muttered as he closed his eyes. What the hell was wrong with this girl?

"Alaina-san. I can make it home on my own. There's no need to worry about me." He said, waving her off as he turned around and started walking away from her.

"I don't know if its the booze or banging your head but you can't even walk straight. Second, you really need to get it through your thick skull that I'm not going to just walk away from someone who needs help!" She scolded. The lonely drunk seemed plenty happy to hang out in the bar but once they talked wrestling all he wanted to do was point out how everything she did was pretty much wrong.

Hell, he wanted her to walk away from the AFW. Alaina simply shook her head as she walked up next to Mamouru. "I will help you home, that is a certainty. The only thing up for debate is if I help you along, or you make me carry you over my shoulder against your will."

"I'm fine." Mamouru said as he continued to walk. "You're too damn stubborn." He added, trying to push her away, his palm pushing against her breast as he tried to keep her at arms length while he kept walking. He could feel the softness and cursed at the way this night was going.

"S-Shit." He muttered under his breath.

"Why DON'T you wrestle as Plain Jane Mundane?" He questioned, throwing his head back to look her int he eye. "If you're not some psycho bitch or sex freak or ... or punk ... bitch or expert grappler, then isn't actually BEING normal unique around here?" He said, trying to keep her away desperately while doing his best not to try and grope her.

"Whoa, watch the hands Mamouru..." Alaina said, but in a much more polite tone as his hand pressed up against her breasts.

"You know what? I would have no problem just going out there under my real name. I'd rather just be myself instead of compromising who I am or playing up some sort of lie!" She said back to him as the two kept walking. "Am I naive? I sure am in the wrestling world. Do I need guidance? I'd say so, and I was raised to never scoff at anyone who offered a helping hand." Alaina said in a matter-of-fact manner as she looked at Mamouru who was still trying to keep her away. Her stare intensified as she continued to speak to Mamouru. "The only thing you don't seem to realize is that you need some help too! If you had everything figured out would you be drinking away your problems at a bar? I think you need help just as much or more than I do! I don't know exactly what happened or who it happened to but I'm pretty sure just pushing everyone away isn't the answer!"

Alaina had never wanted to both smack someone in the jaw and hug them at the same time before. Mamouru may have been right about Alaina being stubborn, she hated to quit on anything whether it be a task, a challenge, or a person. As far as Alaina could tell, Mamouru was just as stubborn as she was which probably accounted for him not really getting her message. Before she knew it, her mouth opened and she was speaking from the heart more than from her brain.

"I think we both need each other right now." Alaina said without thinking. Had she been a less "heart on her sleeve" type she likely would have waited until her brain thought of a better wording for what she wanted to convey. "Just think about everything I just said. If you want to be left alone and keep wallowing in self pity thats fine. I will walk away and leave you alone like you told me to. However, if what I'm saying is finally getting through to you lets get you home and work together! Besides, what's out there that can stop two stubborn fools like us?"

Mamouru stopped as Alaina began speaking. She heard the woman's words and she was saying everything that she could to make the situation even worse than it already was. Who WAS this girl?! Mamouru pushed his fingers through his hair and brushed the bangs from his face.

"Fine... Alaina-san." He said and looked at her seriously. "The only woman I ever cared for could no longer tolerate the fact that I am a monster." He said flatly and stared at her. "I think that deserves a drink. I'm not an alcoholic."

Mamouru pulled out his keys and tossed them at Alaina. "If you want to follow me back to my apartment, then fine." He said. "I'll help you with your career, I'll manage you tot he best of my ability because that is my job. But, stop and think about what you're getting into. I'm not making any promises beyond that, Alaina-san." He said and began walking forward again.

There it is... it was all about a woman. Alaina could understand, sort of. She found that a lady could just as easily be driven to drink over a guy. She caught Mamouru's keys as she continued to walk with him.

"You say you are a monster? Is this because you believe you are one, or just because someone else said you were one?" Alaina had her share of bad boyfriends, and there had been times that she beat herself up for what she thought was a mistake when in reality, she wasn't at fault for anything. "I know that sometimes the past can hurt, but its all behind you. There's nothing you can do to change it, but it can only control your future if you let it ya know?"

"Both." He said simply, not turning back to look at Alaina. "I am one. You'll see if you stick around with me long enough." He said. "Why are you so keen on helping me anyway, Alaina-san?" He asked. "What do you think you're going to get out of it? Do you think you can fix me? That is what she thought too."

"Maybe its a nurse thing, but when I see people who are hurting I'm inclined to help them plain and simple." Alaina said. "Is me being such a pain in the ass just made worse because I remind you of her?" Alaina asked, even though she already knew the answer. Maybe him saying it plainly would be good for him, a way for him to vent?

"First thing when you get inside is we'll get you water, lots of water. Second order is business is I want to see you smile or hear a good laugh." Alaina said with a grin of her own. "That's the best medicine for the soul after all."

"It's different." Mamouru said. "You're not a pain, Alaina-san." He added. He continued to walk and shook his head at her. "I'm sure you'll manage it somehow." He said, sighing again. He felt like he was being walked to his execution.

The walk to his apartment was about a half hour of walking. He'd moved back to Tokyo from Kyoto after he decided to manage Cassie. He had wanted to stay close to her for lots of reasons but when things dissolved, he never moved back. He still more or less managed more than he wrestled.

When they got to the apartment, he grabbed the door handle and it was, of course, locked. He fumbled in his pocket for the keys. Nothing was there. His head drooped. Alaina still had his keys. What the hell was he doing letting her inside? Into his life?