What Now?

Valley sat there and looked on with rapt attention, not diverting her gaze for a moment as her girlfriend spoke. She could tell this was something a bit more serious that usual - most of the time, Ace had this light, happy tone when she spoke, almost as if she chirped every word she said, but now her tone was deeper and darker. There was a point to this, even if Valley couldn’t see it right away.

She was all too happy to have Haley’s feet on her lap, and she welcomed them with some light rubbing. It reminded her a bit of the first time they met, playing a little footsie under the table. Really, this whole situation did. With everything they’d been through and all the nights they’d spent together, it was so easy to forget that they’d started so simply, just too hot women talking about wrestling at a table in some bar.

Her first reaction was to be mad at this nameless woman who was Haley’s first, not like the idea of her life’s love getting used like that. Valley couldn’t say she never benefitted from the largesse - it would be hard to make that argument when she was pretty much living rent-free in her girlfriend’s apartment - but she never took much advantage of it beyond that. She wasn’t rich, but she made enough money as Entropy champ to pay bills and buy groceries and contribute on her end. There was so much appealing about Haley, but her wallet wasn’t a big factor

Still, Haley didn’t seem that resentful. If anything, she seemed happy for that time. Which brought up a question of where she was going with this.

”I’m...glad you got to experience that, really.” Her head tilted, as if she had to shake her own memories lose. ”Honestly, I never really went through anything like that. I was into a lot of sports in high school, had the cheerleading and a little volleyball in there, and I was always training or working out and just going one. When I got out, it was pretty much right into the Slamazons. I had a handful of boyfriends, but they never lasted for too long, couldn’t keep up with the schedule. No real girlfriends, just little flings. You’re by far the longest relationship I’ve ever had.”

Whether that said more about how poor of a girlfriend she made or how good of a girlfriend Haley made, she wasn’t sure.

Either way, it got a little chuckle out of her, befere she shrugged. ”I guess I’m a little jealous. Skipped that phase.”

Haley had leaned her head back, enjoying the light rubbing and massaging of her feet. It brought her back to the night she met Valley, how they played around...didn't feel like 4 years ago.

Good memories, ones she'd never stop cherishing. But she blinked, snapping out of her little lull and blushing a bit.

"Sorry...I kinda rambled on for a bit. My point though Valley, is exactly that. You never GOT to have that phase, and THATS whats effecting you now. You spent your youth and career under your moms thumb or shadow, then even when you finally got free, and we hooked up right away. Minus like, 4-5 months or so, you've been tied down by either loyalty to me or pressure from being near your mom, ya know?

I think you've had these feelings yourself, and you've been pushing them down or ignoring them, and Kaylee, who also had to deal with being a generational wrestler and being around her mom all the time, but managed to get away from that and discover herself, brings those feelings out in you.

It's not so much that you just want Kaylee, or that she reminds you of me, its that like...freedom you could've had or something. She represents something important, that triggers these feelings in you...I think. Does...does that sound right?"

Haley giggled a little, clearly a little more affected by the icewine, though not in total drunk territory yet.

Valley had gone to see the AFW’s resident therapist once, back when she and Haley had split up for a little while. It was a few years back, but from what she remembered, she hadn’t found it terribly helpful to get through the morass of her life at that moment. She didn’t like the feeling of being mentally dissected, of having someone pick her apart and come up with diagnoses like she was some sort of lab rat. Maybe it was good for some people, but not her.

This with Haley, though, was different. And not just because the woman analyzing her happened to be her girlfriend.

Valley paused, ceasd her massaging, as she took a moment to think, really think about what she was saying, and she could see how she wasn’t wrong. As much as she loved Haley and treasured their time together, she’d be lying if she said there weren’t days where she wondered what her life would’ve been like if fate had a different whim, if she’d had the chance to sample the AFW’s lewd side before she began her relationship.

”That makes sense, yeah.” She looked down as a soft smile played on her lips. ”I guess I’m kind of jealous of her, in a way. She broke away from her mother in a way I never did, and still can’t. I’m Valley Doll Jr. at the end of the day. I wrestle different from my mother, but I still have that legacy.” She chewed on her lips, then shrugged. ”The truth is, I look up to her just like she looks up to me. She’s the person I never got to be.”

Valley went back to Haley’s foot, tracing her fingers down the instep, feeling over the bones. ”There’s not much good in talking about ‘what-ifs’, though. I can’t go back and roll the dice again.”

Haley listened, enjoying the little foot massage she was being given, letting her girlfriend vent. She wasn't 100 percent certain she was accurate in her attempted psychology, but she had a hunch from her own experiences. They both stayed quiet for a bit, Haley wondering just how she could help her lover. There was one way...but she didn't entirely enjoy it.

She sighed, pouring another drink and taking a nice sip. "...Alright...I think I know what to do here...This is the only time I'm ever going to say this...buuuuut...I think you should do it. Kaylee, I mean...I feel like...you need that experience, to help you kinda...whats the term...put it behind you, ya know?"

Valley was fairly certain that, if Haley’s head had opened up to reveal her body being under the control of small alien, she wouldn’t have been more surprised than she was with what actually occurred.

Her head tilted to the side, canted at an angle, as she tried to properly process what the beautiful, young, and possibly intoxicated woman across from her was saying. Sleep with Kaylee? It wasn’t like that would be a punishment or anything. The young wrestler clearly didn’t lack for experience in the bedroom, so they could have a fun romp. It was just a strange thing to have her girlfriend of all people suggest.

She righted her head, blinked a few times, then reached across the table and wrapped her fingers about Haley’s bottle. ”Yeah, I think you’ve had enough.”

Icewine, noooooo!

...okay, admittedly, Haley wasn't exactly known for her legendary drinking ability. In fact, she was something of a lightweight when it came down to it, and she had already had about as much icewine as she usually liked to have.

"No look, I'm...I'm serious. I mean...I know it sounds weird as hell, but, I think you should it. You...how do I say this...you NEED this. That freedom...that feeling of just breaking out of any and all chains...its amazing. I got that. Kaylee gave up a lot for that, but you never got to have that.

Look, Normally, I'm...frankly just as surprised I'm suggesting this as you are, alright? Normally, I would say to let this go, like you are...but these feelings your having? I've had them before, Kaylee's had them for certain, from what you've told me. They don't just go away. Now that Kaylee's stirred them back up in you, they are going to sit there, in the back of your head. Taunting you, never ceasing, until finally you feel like your going to snap.

I don't...I wouldn't...I'm not saying you ever would, or anything like that, but, like, I don't want this sitting in your head and risk having it affect you. When it was me, I felt I was going to go crazy if I didn't get some kind of release. This is the kind of thing that can easily end up, if unchecked, like, wrecking peoples relationships and making them do crazy shit...and while I'm not thrilled over it, I would rather you get that freedom you never got before, and get this out of your system, in a...whats the damn phrase...controlled! A controlled situation, you know?"

Her long spiel over, Haley went and tried to tug the icewine away, wanting another glass.

The life of a wrestler could be so weird, sometimes.\

Valley listened as Kaylee explained her reasoning, hanging on her every word, as she used them to create sentences she never expected to hear coming from those cute, pink lips. On face, it sounded like crazy talk - her girlfriend allowying, nay, encouraging her to have sex with another one, one who bore a disturbing resemblance to a younger version of herself. The sort of thing that would’ve ended the relationship outright if it had been done behind her back.

But, to look at it another way, it made sense. It made all the sense. This was something that wasn’t going away, and it was silly to think that Kaylee leaving would fix it. It would just suppress the problem, not erase it, and that was the sort of thinking that had caused them trouble in the past.

Still…

Haley tugged on the bottle for a few moment, before Valley let it go and allowed her to sip away at her leisure while she thought. Weighed the pros and cons. Through it all, though, one startling realization struck her.

”You…” She bit her lip, hesitant to ask, before she plowed through and asked it anyway. ”You really trust me that much?”

Haley stopped, put the bottle down before getting another drop out, looking at Valley.  This follow up question, frankly, was by far the simplest and easiest question they had faced all night, and required the simplest and most minimal of thought before answering.

"Thats not even a question. Yes, of course!"

She poured another glass, swishing it a little before taking another taste. So much better than Beerwine, for sure.

"I admit, its not my favorite choice, but I think its the best one. The alternative would be that you let those feelings linger, or try to shove them back down...and that wouldn't be healthy. They would just come back, stronger each time, messing with your head, making you feel...trapped and isolated. I don't that. I'd rather you indulged it, had the experience I did, and got it out of your system. It's healthier , and you deserve that kind of freedom just as much as Kaylee and I did. "

She took another drink, pointing her finger at Valley, though she kept a smile on her pretty face. "Now, if I thought there was any chance you'd run off with her back to California, I'd never allow it. I'd nullify our agreement to handle our own messes and kick her out of Japan myself...It's because I have complete trust and faith in you, and in our relationship, that I want you do this. You'll be better for it, and when you come back, we'll be better together for it."

Well. There was only one proper way to respond to that, wasn’t there?

Valley stared at Haley for a moment, not sure what to say, before she decided the best way to react was to simply get up and walk around the table, moving until she stood by her girlfriend’s side and looked down on her. Up came her hands to caress those lovely blond hairs, rubbing them, giving them tender caresses. She held Haley like she was the most precious thing in the world, because she was - Valley could never ask for someone more caring, intelligent, kind and understanding. She knew she was lucky to have her, but times like this reminded her just how lucky she was.

”I love you.”

She leaned down and took Haley’s lips into her own, indulging in a caring kiss, soft and sweet, closing her eyes as they touched.

Haley was a blusher, always had been, something Valley and her other friends (and past lovers) had always liked to tease her about. She had thought she was getting better about it...except when it came to Valley.

She put her cup down, sitting quietly as her girlfriend caressed her hair and held her, gazing down at her with such emotion...and just like that, she felt her cheeks heat up, turning bright red, about to proclaim her love for Valley back, when her lips were sealed by the older blondes, a soft, loving kiss, which she was quick to return.

When they finally split, and time seemed to return to its normal setting, Haley held Valley close. "Love you too Doll."