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banannabethchase · 2 years ago

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Take a Chance on Me Chapter 5: Gimme Gimme Gimme (click for AO3)

Mox tells Wheeler about his encounters with Chuck and Bryan, and we learn about Mox's reaction when he found out Wheeler was on his way.

A heads up - there's a discussion of dealing with one's deadname professionally, but no one is deadnamed or forced to interact with said deadname. This is also the chapter where Mox discovers he's pregnant, if that's something that makes you uncomfortable. Also. Heed the tags.

“Alright, kiddo, where were we?” Mox says, sitting back down on the couch.

“Regal’d just left, and you and Seth were I think about to go make stupid decisions at a bar.”

“Ah,” Mox says. “right.” He wrinkles his nose. “Don’t judge me for this one, okay?”

~~~

Within a few hours, they’re at a local bar with glasses of soda in their hands.

Mox is twitchy, hands flexing as they ache to grab a glass of beer or a shot of whiskey. But that’s not the kind of bad decision he wants to make tonight.

“Mox, if you’re not comfortable here, we can leave,” Seth says, half yelling to be heard over the music.

“No,” Mox says, bouncing on his toes like he’s looking to fight, not fuck. “Best place to pick somebody up who isn’t gonna hate crime me halfway home.”

Seth shrugs, taking a sip of his Sprite. “Honestly, not a bad policy.”

The gay bar is loud, rambunctious, and full of pretty people. Mox doesn’t have a type, exactly. Warm body is kind of his game, and there’s plenty of those here.

“That girl with the long hair over there?’ Seth says, pointing with his glass. “She seems DTF.”

“Please never say that again,” Mox grumbles. “And she’s here with that girl, yeah?”

Seth squints. “She stole my look.”

“Nah, you’re half-blonde is on one side. She’s got the blonde in the front.” He bumps his shoulder against Seth’s. “No, I’m looking for somebody a little more butch tonight.”

“Don’t say -”

“I wanna get railed,” Mox continues. “Just, like, absolutely fucked up by somebody who might actually hate me a little bit.”

Seth rolls his eyes. “You are,” he hesitates, and Mox raises an eyebrow, waiting for whatever’s about to come next, “fucking weird, you know that?”

“No, I’m 22 and stupid,” Mox says. “You’re the one who’s weird, Mr. Married.”

“Engaged,” Seth says. He holds out his hand, admiring the sparkly stupid ring on his finger. He sighs.

“Stop thinking about getting railed by Roman,” Mox demands. “I’m the only one getting railed tonight.”

“Says you,” Seth mutters, but they continue scanning the bar.

“I’m gonna get another soda,” Mox says, “I’ll be back in a second.”

The bartender won’t look at him, busy tossing his stupid fucking boyband hair out of the way as he flirts with some guy. Hmm.

“Hey, flippy hair!” Mox yells, as loud as he can. “What’s a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?”

The bartender turns to him. “Not be a bitch, that’s for one.”

“Takes one to know what,” Mox fires back. “Give me a soda.”

“I’ll spit in your drink.”

Mox grins. “Hot. I’ll take two.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“Only if you come with.” Mox is having too much fun to quit. But the bartender, after looking him up and down a few times, slides him a drink. And winks.

Mox knows exactly how this is going to go.

“Oh, no,” Seth says, when Mox comes back. “I know that look.”

“I’m gonna fuck the bartender,” Mox says, a little giddy.

Seth sighs. “That’s what I worried you were going to say.”

Mox catches the bartender around twenty minutes later outside on a smoke break.

“Shit, it’s you,” he says, rolling his eyes. “You don’t have somebody else to harass?”

“Nah, you’re good.” Mox leans up against the wall. “You up for a quickie?”

He opens his mouth, closes it. Then stubs out his cigarette. “Why the fuck not. Never gotten laid on the clock before.” He throws the cigarette on the ground. “You got a place, or?”

Mox pulls out Seth’s keys. “My friend’s got a car.”

Chuck shrugs. “Works for me.” They make their way to the car. “You got a name?”

“Mox,” he answers. “Moxley.”

“Chuck,” says the bartender. “Taylor, if it matters.”

Mox unlocks the car and Chuck shoves him up against the door. The man kisses with the kind of focus Mox loves – relentless, demanding, and so fucking mean.

“Turn around,” Chuck says, hand gripping the back of Mox’s neck.

“Hold up a second,” Mox says, and the grip loosens. Pity. “Just – I’m trans. Want to make sure you’re cool with that.”

“Yeah, cool, two holes are better than one or whatever. You still want me to fuck you?”

“Yeah.”

Chuck shoves his jeans down his hips and slides a hand between Mox’s legs, laughing a little at the slickness already pooling. “Jesus, you’re easy for this, aren’t you?”

“I had a goal,” Mox says, twitching when Chuck crooks his fingers, “goal achieved.”

Chuck fucks him rough and fast, hand between the two of them to bring Mox off twice in rough, uncontrolled orgasms that nearly take him out of at the knees. Chuck bites, too, and Mox flies to the moon and back by the time it’s over. There’ll be marks all over his neck after this, he knows it.

“I’m – I’m gonna,” Chuck says.

“Go for it,” Mox mumbles, head still spinning. And Chuck kisses him when he comes, something sweet underneath the mockery.

Chuck is surprisingly careful, when they’re done, helping Mox find his feet before stepping away. “Alright, well,” Chuck checks his watch. “That’s one for the history books. I gotta go back to work.” He raises an eyebrow. “You good or…?”

“I’m good,” Mox says, feeling his breathing level out. “That was fucking great.” He wants to ask for a number, but resists the urge. One night is one night. “Thanks, man.”

Chuck salutes, smile crooked but a lot kinder than anything else he’s given Mox through the night. Well. Except for that kiss. “Drinks on me for the rest of the night?”

Mox winks. “Sounds great.” He swaggers back into the bar, flashing his ID at the suspicious bouncer, and slides in.

Seth takes one look at him and groans. “Please tell me you didn’t fuck in my car.”

Mox tosses the keys back to Seth, who looks at them horrified. “Not in your car,” Mox says. “Against your car.”

“I hate you,” Seth whines, downing his diet Coke.

“So, you got it out of your system?” Seth asks the next morning. He’d crashed with Mox, the two of them fighting over blankets throughout the night like they’d done since they were in high school. “Is my car safe from your bullshit?”

Mox puts his hands behind his head, gazing up at the ceiling. “Nah.”

Seth groans, shoving his face into a pillow. “Oh, fuck.”

“What?” Mox asks, poking Seth in the ribs. “You love it when I do stupid shit.”

Seth smacks him with the pillow. “Yeah, when I’m not involved. Just. Don’t drag me into it this time, okay?”

Mox turns his head, grinning at Seth. “You think Roman would be game for a threesome?”

Seth legitimately tries to suffocate him with his own pillow. Mox thinks it’s worth it.

His good spirits, though, plummet when he walks into work the next day. There’s a shorter man in the main office, with long hair tied into a bun and a beard so bushy it makes Mox’s haircut look neat. He’s going through paperwork and frowning, like something’s wrong.

“Oh, Christ,” Mox mutters. He goes to pull Seth back, to ask him if he knows anything, but Seth’s already with his morning client. Interrupting, while compelling, feels like a dick move.

He doesn’t get himself out of range in time, though, and the person who’s in the office waves him in before he can escape. Hesitantly, Mox walks into the office.

“Hello,” says the man in the office, eyes kinder than Mox expected. “Are you Mr. Moxley?”

“Mox,” he says, shaking his hand. It’s a firm grip. “Yeah, that’s me. And you are…?”

“Interim manager. Corporate sent me once Regal sent in his request to transfer.” He frowns at the office. “Everything appears to be in order, but I think this extension would benefit from some reorganization.” He claps his hands. “Tell me, Mox, what do we know about this place?”

Mox gives him the run down, very aware of the way the guy makes constant and intense eye contact, and still hasn’t given Mox his own name. He glances at the clock from time to time, wishing his first client had signed up for a nine instead of a ten.

The interim manager tilts his head. “You have a knack for this stuff, Mox.”

Mox shrugs. “I like the business. I like helping people get stronger and meet their goals. And I like that, when somebody pisses me off, I can go off on the heavy bags.” He pauses. “Or, I can call them into the ring and beat the shit out of them there.”

The man raises his eyebrow. “You fight?”

“I do,” Mox says. “Submissions. Suplexes. Throwing a guy around a ring until he begs for mercy.”

Like it’s automatic, the guy licks his lips. Mox follows the movement, transfixed. “Well then.” It’s like a switch flips in his brain. “Pardon me, I forgot to introduce myself.” He sticks out his hand again. “Bryan Danielson.”

“Jon Moxley’s my full name,” Mox says. “It, uh. It may say something else on the paperwork.” He won’t blush about it. He won’t react.

Bryan frowns as he checks the paperwork. “Well, that’s stupid of them. Corporate and I are close, I’ll have them fix it.” He looks at Mox. “Your ID have your real name or your dead name?”

Mox fidgets. “I, uh. Haven’t had the money to get it changed yet.” He’s saved up almost enough, he forces himself not to say. He’s almost there.

Bryan strokes his beard for a minute. “I think I can allocate some funds.” He looks back at Mox. “Corporate is very LGBT friendly, and we have some foundations that support people like you. Especially for such a highly rated employee.”

Mox blinks. “Highly rated?”

“Mr. Regal reported you were his best employee,” Bryan says, checking the files. “Ah, right here. Prior to his departure, he rated you 90 out of 100 or higher on all scales.”

The world feels like it’s spinning a bit around Mox. “He – Regal gave me a good review?”

“One of the top 15 in the company, I believe.” Bryan adjusts some of the papers, files them into something. “Now, I’m only here for a few days to aid in the transition, but, I assure you, all paperwork to support you in your name change will be provided.”

Mox nods. “Uh. Thanks. Thanks a lot.”

“Of course.” Bryan’s eyes crinkle when he smiles. The kindness bleeds through into his words. “Anything for such a star employee.”

Bryan is only kind when he wants to be, Mox soon finds out. The man is a drill sergeant during classes, working the clients until they’re sweating buckets. He spars with Mox when they have down time, and leaves him with bruises and bloody knuckles by the end of the first day.

“He’s like a fucking animal in the ring, Seth, I don’t know what the fuck is this guy’s deal,” Mox mutters as he and Seth wipe down the treadmills.

“He doesn’t do that with me,” Seth says. “I mean, sure, we sparred earlier.” He wiggles his finger, the diamond glittering. “Maybe it’s because he knows you’re single.”

Mox raises an eyebrow. “You think he’s hitting on me?”

“I think,” Seth says, “you are obtuse and you’re bad at realizing when people are hitting on you.”

“Am not!”

“Mox, you didn’t realize Regal was into you until he was literally in you.”

Mox exhales. “Fuck. Fair.” He smacks Seth in the face with the towel. “But you didn’t notice, either.”

“You,” Seth replies, smacking Mox in the back with his own towel, “never asked.”

Mox is a little twitchy around Bryan for the next couple of days. He gets it out by sparring with Seth, who pouts every time Mox plants him on his ass.

“You usually get out your weird feelings by fucking somebody,” Seth says, groaning as he rolls over. “Why the hell are you taking it out on me?”

“Because,” Mox says, aiming a kick at Seth’s head that he ducks, “you judged me the last, like, five times.”

Seth pulls himself to his feet and flips over the ropes, balancing like a bird on a tree branch. “I never judge you,” he says, and he jumps onto Mox’s torso, taking them both down onto them mat. Mox tries to catch his breath. “And, plus, this one makes sense. He’s leaving soon. You can have, like, a cool little workplace romance or something.” Seth kicks at Mox’s hand when it comes up to grab him. “Do the Regal thing, but right this time.”

Mox lets Seth pin him, out of the kindness of his own heart, and slowly gets to his feet. Seth’s not wrong.

On Bryan’s last day, before the new manager is supposed to start, he and Bryan end up closing together.

“Jon,” Bryan says, after lengthy silence as the wipe down the equipment, “I wanted to tell you, I put your name in for manager.”

Mox drops the weight on his foot, and, as he hops around swearing, he’s glad it was just a two pounder. “Fuck. What?”

“It was Regal’s recommendation, and I concur.” Bryan adjusts the stacks. “You’ve been here for, what, eight months? Stellar reviews, highly rated by clients and coworkers alike. There will be some corporate level training, of course, but you would do well in the position and it would allow for the location to seamlessly merge into a new era.”

“Uh,” Mox says, not a bit like the employee Bryan thinks he is, “that’s amazing. That’s – that’s really amazing. Sure. Yeah. Of course.”

“And, if you don’t mind,” Bryan leans against the office desk, “I have to ask something. I’ll kick myself if I don’t.”

Mox blinks. “Uh. Sure.”

Bryan steps up to him, crowding into his space. “Can we have a real fight?” he asks, and it doesn’t like that’s all he’s asking. “You. Me. The ring.” He’s shorter than Mox, yes. But his presence makes Mox want to drop to his knees for him. “Nobody else watching. Right now.”

Mox licks his lips. “Okay.”

They start out simple, trading holds and taking each other out by the knees, but the tension in the room is making Mox want to rip off the rest of his clothes. Sweat stains his skin, his and Bryan’s, as they take each other to the mat, the ropes, to the point of exhaustion. Mox won’t quit, though. There’s something behind this he’s determined to finish. He won’t let it go without a goodbye like with Regal. They trade suplexes, lariats, until Mox has Bryan pinned to the mat, covering him.

“One, two, three, bitch,” Mox laughs, but it’s not funny. “Uh.” He moves to pull away, but Bryan pulls him back down, fingers laced with Mox’s.

“Jon,” Bryan says, seriously, “I would never want to overstep a boundary.” His eyes flicker down to Mox’s lips and back up. “But I have to ask.”

Mox swallows. “Ask it, then.” But he doesn’t give Bryan a chance. He leans down, kissing him, and immediately Bryan’s hands fly to Mox’s hips.

They fuck without reservations in the middle of the ring, and it feels like an extension of their fight. They trade kisses like punches, press shoulders to the mat like a pin, and Mox rides Bryan like it’s a submission hold of a whole new kind.

“Don’t stop,” Bryan gasps, fingers biting bruises into Mox’s hips. “God, you feel so fucking good.”

“Same to you,” Mox laughs, but, in the second he allows his eyes to close, Bryan gets the best of the moment and flips him.

“Jon,” he says, lips sucking hard at the side of Mox’s neck, “can I come in you?”

“Yes,” Mox chokes out, “fuck, yes. I gotta come first though, you dick.”

“Duly noted,” Bryan says, laugh harsh and almost as bruising as his teeth. He pulls out so suddenly that Mox almost cries out, but then his head is between Mox’s legs, lips against Mox’s clit, and any complaints are dead and gone.

Bryan eats Mox out like he’s a drowning man desperate for water, and Mox has nothing but Bryan’s hair to grip onto as he grinds up against Bryan’s mouth.

“Jesus Christ,” Mox moans, “fuck, right there”

Bryan sucks one last time, hard, and Mox comes, seeing stars scatter across the ceiling of the gym. He’s never seen the ring from this angle. He probably never will again.

Bryan doesn’t let up, though, and, through Mox’s desperation and whimpers, brings him off again, fingers stroking inside Mox.

“Fuck,” Mox whines, oversensitive but desperate for more.

“Not done with you yet,” Bryan laughs, and he begins pounding into Mox’s body with single-minded determination. Mox can hardly do much but hold on, riding the aftershocks, but when Bryan comes, it feels like a victory.

Bryan slumps against him, face buried in the space between Mox’s shoulder and neck, as he breathes heavily. “Fuck,” he laughs.

“Yeah,” Mox says. His eyes lock up into the beams in the ceiling. “Fuck is right.”

Bryan pushes himself off of Mox, and gathers their clothing. He tosses Mox’s clothes. “For when you’re ready.”

“Oh, I’m good now,” Mox says, and he feels like a god. “So, like. You’re not gonna be here tomorrow?”

“Nope,” Bryan says. He pulls his shirt on, then extends a hand to Mox. “It’s all you from now on, Mox.”

Mox takes his hand and leaps to his feet. He feels a lot more relaxed, more calm than he’s felt since he found out Regal left earlier in the week. “Thanks, Bryan.”

There’s a knowing little smile on Bryan’s lips. “For what?”

“Oh, fuck, don’t be smug, you asshole,” Mox says, rolling his eyes. “For recommending me.” And then, because he can. “And for fulfilling one of my gym fantasies. Always wanted to fuck in the middle of the ring.”

Bryan throws his head back and laughs. “Yeah. It was fun.” He holds out a hand. “It was great working with you, Mox. We’re glad to have you in this position.”

And, Mox wouldn’t swear it, but he thinks Bryan winked.

The next two months are a whirlwind – Mox is caught up in running a business, the financial system and HR trainings from corporate sucking up more of his time than he expects. It’s not until eight weeks after Regal left that he realizes something isn’t quite right.

“Mox!” Paige says, walking into his office. “We’re out of the good tampons. How did we run out of tampons?”

Mox frowns. “We are?”

Paige nods, throwing open the random drawer of the file cabinet in the front of the office. “See? Empty.”

Slowly, like through water, Mox checks. And it strikes him that it’s been a while since he’s even had to go into that drawer.

Panic floods him. “Paige, I’ll talk to you later.”

He rushes out onto the floor as she asks after him, but, mercifully, she doesn’t follow him onto the floor. “Seth,” Mox says, anxiety coursing his entire body. His heart feels like it’s about to beat out of his chest. “Seth, I gotta talk to you.”

Mid laugh, Seth walks over. “What’s up?”

“When’s the last time I complained about the secret store of tampons being raided by Paige?” he asks.

Seth frowns. “Oh. Weird. I don’t know.”

Mox stares at him.

Seth’s jaw drops. “Oh, fuck.”

“It’s fine. I’m fine.” Mox waves it off. “I’m probably late or something. I’ve been working out more or whatever.” His hands are shaking. “I’ll get a test or something.”

He texts Eddie I need you to come over tonight without context, though. He’s gonna need all the help he can get, whatever happens next.

Seth is sitting on the couch, leg bouncing frenetically, and Eddie is pacing the living room when Mox comes out of the bathroom later that night. The stick is trembling in his hand, but not from fear. Somehow, he’s excited.

“Guys,” he says, “it’s positive.”

Eddie brings his hand up to cover his mouth, and Seth goes completely still.

“What do we gotta do?” Eddie asks, steady and calm in a way Mox has never seen. “Totally your call, man.”

“Of course,” Seth says, gentle. He stands, hand on Mox’s shoulder. “And you don’t have to decide now, okay?”

“No, I’ve decided,” Mox says. He rests his hand on his lower belly, wondering if he hasn’t just been bloated from all the Little Caesar’s lately. If it’s from whatever has made its way into his life. “I – guys, I’m gonna be a dad.”

Eddie flops against the back of the sofa, exhaling so hard his lips wobble. “Jesus Christ, Moxie,” he says, shaking his head.

“I know,” Mox says. “But – I kind of.” He looks at Seth, who’s got a knowing little smile on his lips. “I didn’t realize how much I wanted this until it happened.”

They’re silent for a few moments. Mox is pretty sure Eddie is having a near existential crisis, and Seth might be crying, just a little bit.

“I gotta ask,” Eddie says, “who’s the – other dad?”

Mox frowns. “Well…”

Eddie groans, rolling over to face plant into the couch cushions. “Please tell me you aren’t fucking Chris again.”

“I haven’t fucked Chris in a year,” Mox retorts. “And, uh. No. It’s – I don’t know which of the three of them it is.”

Eddie leans forward on his knees. “Three?!”

“I had a rough week! I was sexually irresponsible!” Mox says, throwing his hands in the air. “So sue me!”

“Okay, well, we know it’s Regal, that Chuck guy from the bar, or Bryan, right?” Seth says. “Why don’t we just – talk to them?”

Mox considers it. He doesn’t even know if Chuck still works at that bar. Regal left without a trace, didn’t even tell him he was going. And Bryan’s long gone to another part of the company.

“No,” Mox decides. “No, I’ve got this. I want to do this on my own.”

“Fuck you are,” Eddie says. “Uncle Eddie, bitch.”

The next months are chaos, with Eddie moving in to be a support system and Mox’s life turning upside down and inside out in ways he couldn’t have imagined. But, when he holds his son in his hands, ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes and big brown eyes so warm they melt his heart, he decides it’s all worth it.

“I’m getting my titties chopped off and my uterus yanked out of me, ASAP,” he says, exhausted, when Wheeler is eight weeks old and miserable with colic.

“Whatever you gotta do, man,” Eddie says, rocking from side to side as he feeds Wheeler. “I got you.”

#Another one of those where I don't know how to tag this chapter #There's literally no ClaudiYoots in this one #It's all flashback except for mild snark #And also features the first MoxChuck fic on AO3 #Yay for new things!#And also my first time writing MoxBry which was #Interesting #Bryan was harder to write than I expected #wtf i like wrestling now???#in which sara writes #Mamma Mia AU

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