A Daredevil's Pint-Sized Pixie

Candice And Daniel's Training Session Gets Intimate.

Candice and I were training for her first match back since her injury at the hands of Dakota Kai before Takeover Portland. I've been in NXT for at least a month. But the highlight of my time here was when I met Candice.

I met her the night I debuted. My first match was against Roderick Strong of the Undisputed Era.
And considering my reputation for going to very, life threateningly extreme lengths to win the match or make sure my opponents remember their encounter with me.
I passed her on my way to catering. She was with her hubby Johnny Gargano. As her match against Dakota Kai was before mine. Nobody wanted to talk to me. Which was fine by me.

When her match came up, I paid real close attention. I cheered internally when she mounted a comeback towards the end but then Dakota started kicking her in the face even slamming her face into the ring post and the ring apron. I wanted to tear her apart. But considering I was the new guy. I knew that would be frowned upon. So I decided to make an example of Roderick Strong. And nobody would know what hit them.

When my match came up I walked over to the gorilla and waited for my cue as Roderick and the rest of the Undisputed Era were already out in the ring and were boasting how Adam Cole was the longest reigning NXT North American Champion. I breathed in and out slowly making my heart rate slow down. When I opened my eyes. I was focused on my match and the moment I hit the curtain I was The Man Without Fear and just tore into Roderick Strong and tossed his Undisputed Era buddies out of the ring along with him. Once they got up. I ran from into the rope near them, to the ropes on the far side of them and performed a Tope Con Hilo which took out all of them.
I pulled Roderick from the pile of bodies and tossed him into the ring. Then scaled the ropes to the top rope and performed a 450 splash. Got up rather quickly and held my ribs and had this sadistic smile on my face and started to climb to the top rope and performed a corkscrew moonsault. But Roderick was able to get his knees up a split second before I landed. Causing me to roll out of the ring. After a moment, the pain was replaced with anger.I slid into the ring and when Roderick went for a clothesline I ducked under it and delivered a knee buckling barrage of left and right, I even irish whipped him into the corner and went to the opposite corner, ran at him and hit him in the gut with my shoulder. Then just ran my shoulder into his gut repeatedly. When I stopped and stood back a bit. Roderick slumped into the corner. I looked to the crowd and went to the apron opposite him and gripped the top rope and did a springboard coast to coast that nearly took his head off. I kipped up and looked to Roderick  who was having trouble getting up. When he did I shotgun dropkicked him back into the corner and lifted him up to his feet, turned him around and lifted him up onto the top turnbuckle and leapt in the air and performed an avalanche poisoned frankensteiner DDT, went for the cover and only got a two count. I lifted him up, placed my right leg over the back of his head while clutching his left arm and when I went to perform overdrive. He lifted his head up and caught me in his double knee back breaker. I rolled out of the ring and attempted to catch my breath. When the ref got to the count of seven I got back in the ring and stood up only to be tossed into the ropes and I reversed a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker into a tilt-a-whirl guillotine choke. Roderick tried his best to reach the ropes only for me to shift my weight back and turn it into a DDT which knocked him ou as I still had the guillotine choke locked in. The ref called for the bell and declared me the winner.

Once I reached the back. I decided to at least check on Candice. Gargano and Candice were in catering when I approached them.
"Hey. Is Candice okay?" I asked.
"Yeah. She's fine." Gargano said.
"Nice match out there." Candice grinned.
"Thank you." I bowed my head. "Were your injuries serious?" I asked.
"No. Just a broken nose." She said. "I'll be fine though."
"Alright. Well I got to go and get checked out by the trainer. I'll see you later guys." I walked away and headed to the trainers.
When he found no bones broken or torn muscles or ligaments, I left his office and after changing into some clean casuals, headed to my apartment in Orlando. I ran through what happened tonight. The one thing that I didn't expect was that I actually cared about someone else. But for some reason. I felt differently about Candice. I wasn't sure what it was. But for the first time in my life, after having absolutely no fear with whatever came my way. It seemed that after having no love of my own nearly my entire life. I finally found a girl who peaks my interest. And even though she's married. Doesn't mean that I can't be friends with her for the time being.

At Takeover Portland.
I didn't have a match to speak of. So I just hung out in the back. Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly approached the table I was sitting at. I remained relaxed as Adam started, "Hey man. That was a spectacular match you put on Wednesday night." I just continued to drink my sweet tea and read the reactions of the matches were going on.
"I've never been put through a match like that since the indie's." Roderick said.
I nodded at the compliment.
"We can see that your reputation is well deserved. And even though you may not believe us we would like to be your friends off camera." Adam said.
I looked at Adam and Roderick. Then said, "I don't have many friends. I trust you Adam and Roderick. But I don't know you two." I pointed to Fish and O'Reilly. "However, Strong and Cole seem very trusting of you. So I'll give you two the benefit of the doubt. But I have very little patience so if either of you, swerve me. You will not like the ramifications that follow." I looked to a monitor on the far side of catering and noticed that Tegan and Dakota's match was near its end when I saw a woman step up on the apron. I ran out, into the ring bouced off tha ropes camera side and speared the giant off the apron leaving Tegan to perform a picture perfect elbow drop on Dakota and go for the cover and win the match. Tegan rolled out of the ring and I escorted her to the back and was met by Regal.
"Mr. Boyce." He started, "I applaud how you handled that. I'd really hate to try another way to end this feud between Tegan and Dakota. But I feel that this is personal for you. Could it have something to do with Dakota's attack on Miss. LeRae?" I simply nodded. "Right. Well. Just make sure you keep your hatred back here. Unless you're evening the odds." He patted my back. "Good showing out there." He walked away and I I headed to my locker room and sat on the bench only for Dakota and Raquel to barge into my locker room. "Well. If it isn't the NXT Women's divisions version of Laurel and Hardy or is it Abbott and Costello. Ah I'll figure it out someday."
"You have no right to interfere in my match against Tegan." Dakota complained.
"And what was the second 'Giant' Gonzáles doing. Taking in some sun?" I said. "Besides. I owed you for breaking Candice's nose." I stood up and walked over to Dakota. "Make no mistake. That stunt you pulled, breaking her nose. Was cute but deadly. And if you ever do anything like that again. Nobody not even your muscle. Will be able to save you. So if I see you doing anything like you did to Candice. The gloves are off and my calm and peaceful demeanor, vanishes." I packed my arena bag and headed to the hotel. Leaving a very scared Dakota and Raquel in my locker room.

When I arrived at my hotel room, a knock on the door and answered it and found Candice. "Miss. LeRae. Come in." I opened the door wider and stepped aside letting her in. "How may I be of assistance today?"
"Johnny and I were wondering if you would be interested in training me?" I gestured to the chair and she sat down.
"Courtesy of your medical restriction. Of taking it day by day?" She nodded. "Hmm. Well, I see no harm in it. So. First thing Monday morning at the Performance Center. Don't be late. We'll start at 930 am." She smiled. "I trust you find that agreeable?"
"Yes. I do." She grinned. After she left I headed to bed.

Over the next few weeks, Candice and I met at the Performance Center for training. I put her through weighted braces chin ups, and leg lifts, and even worked on his springboard work.
But parallel to that. I could feel myself getting closer and closer to Candice. And I wasn't quite sure but I got the impression that Candice was growing closer and closer to me as well.

One morning while I was grappling with her and doing arm drags and hip tosses on each other. Gargano walked into the Performance Center and walked up to one of the practice ring. And I had hip tossed Candice. We were laughing and I looking at one another. "You've done really well these past few weeks."
"Had a good teacher." She grinned. We leaned in close only for Gargano to clear his throat. "Johnny." I got off  of  Candice.
"Sorry for interrupt your training with DanieI. But we do have a meet and greet in two hours." She looked to me.
"Same time tomorrow?" She asked. I nodded. She sIid out of the ring and headed to the women's locker room. While I stayed with Gargano who joined me in the practice ring.
"The training sessions will continue. On one conditition." I looked to him. "Keep your distance from my wife."
"Ha, ha, ha, ha. " I laughed. "Gargano. I think Candice can handle herseIf. But make no mistake Gargano. If I see Candice come in with a black eye, a bruise on her arm or a bloody nose." I looked at him as he looked at me. "Your a deadman. Not maybe, not possibly. Your gonna be."
Johnny swallowed hard.
"I'm ready." Candice said as she came up to us, dressed for the meet and greet.
"Yes you are." I smiled.
"Let's go." Gargano said.
"See you, tomorrow morning." She smiled. I waved as she and Gargano left. Gorgano looked to me and a sliver of anger flashed across his face as a smirk crossed mine.
I then changed and headed to my apartment and just relaxed for the rest of the day.