A Day in the Life of Fandango

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with the WWE or anything else mentioned!

Summary: Oneshot. A continuation of the "A Day in the Life of" series. A small peek into the daily happenings, and mishaps, of life on the road for Fandango, WWE's dancing sensation.

Characters: Johnny Curtis/Fandango, features Summer Rae and Seth Rollins

Pairings: None, though contains implications of Fandango/Summer Rae

Rating: T

Genre: Humor/Friendship

Author's Note: Hey, guys! Well, I'm back with another "A Day in the Life of" story. After "A Day in the Life of The Shield," we have Faaaaan... Daaaaan... Gooooooo. Sorry, couldn't help it, lol. Just a quick note with this one. I've been a fan of this guy since his Johnny Curtis and NXT days, but if I were to use that name, it'd be a different story altogether. So for the sake of this story, he'll be referred to as Fandango. Again, it was just fun to write out this side of him! So, read and review if you'd like, just no flames please. Enjoy! :)

The shrill sound of the alarm clock resounded from close to his ear at exactly twenty minutes after seven, though it took quite some time for Fandango to actually make the effort to roll over on the bed and blindly reach out to not turn it off, but to hit the snooze button. It took him a couple tries to find the right button to turn off the irritating noise, and he took a deep breath when he was rewarded with a few more minutes of blissful silence. Granted it was only five, but it made all the difference when it came to the long trip that was ahead of him.

All too soon, the alarm clock went off once more, and Fandango had no choice but to switch it off for good. He sat up and stretched, squinting slightly in the morning sunlight that was filtering into his bedroom. He then pushed aside the lightweight sheets and begrudgingly left the comforts of his own bed, a luxury that he didn't get nearly often enough with being on the road nearly all of the time. He stretched once more since he still felt pretty stiff, and after a loud yawn, he dragged his feet slightly as he made his way out of his room and down the hall to the bathroom.

After taking a quick shower and brushing his teeth, Fandango made his way back to his bedroom, slightly more awake now, and changed from the pair of boxers he slept in to a pair of athletic shorts and a white tank top to combat the heat of the Tampa, Florida summer. He grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand after he straightened out his bed, seeing that he didn't have any messages, before he left his room once again and made his way down the slightly spiraled staircase to the first floor of his comfortable, two-story house.

It was a little colder when he entered the living room since he had kept the air conditioning on not only for himself but for his housemate, who definitely always appreciated when he was home. He had been surprised to see that she hadn't joined him in bed the previous night when he had gotten home from the arena after the Smackdown taping in Miami, but he had the sneaking suspicion that she loved their air conditioning more at times, especially when it was as hot outside as it was. Fandango walked over to the cushioned armchair in front of the window, which happened to be beneath where the main source of cold air came from, and smiled when he saw she was where he expected to find her, stretched out basking in the sunlight with her tongue hanging out slightly. He crouched down and gently scratched behind one of her long, fuzzy brown ears, his smile broadening slightly when the sleepy eyes of his spaniel puppy slowly blinked open and turned to him. She yawned before she barked quietly and licked his hand in greeting, jumping off the chair and following him into the kitchen for breakfast.

Opening the cupboard above the sink where he kept the Puppy Chow, his puppy sitting close to his feet and wagging her tail expectantly, Fandango frowned slightly. There was a white slip of paper taped to the inside of the door. Never having seen that before, he reached out and took it down, seeing it was from his next-door neighbor's thirteen-year-old daughter, who he paid to puppysit whenever he was on the road. It was a simple note a couple lines long:

You're almost out of puppy food. And food in general. Time to go shopping! :)

Fandango set the note down on the counter before pulling out the bag of Puppy Chow, feeling that it was very light. Hearing the familiar noise, the puppy by his feet barked, and he smiled slightly as he crossed the room to where he kept her food and water bowl in the corner and poured some in. There was enough for breakfast, but his young puppysitter was right. He'd have to get some more.

After pouring some fresh water into her bowl as well, Fandango made his way to his refrigerator, chuckling quietly when he saw that it was stocked a bit more poorly than he remembered. It really was time for him to go shopping since there really wasn't much in it that could be considered a suitable breakfast. He shut the door again and left the kitchen, making his way down the narrow entrance hall to the front door where he kept his keys on a hook next to a coat closet along with his wallet and slipped on a pair of flip flops, about to step outside when he heard quick and quiet footsteps behind him. He glanced over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow, chuckling quietly when he saw his spaniel puppy sitting behind his foot with her tail wagging expectantly. Realizing she must have heard the keys, he grabbed her leash from the second hook and attached it to her collar, quickly petting her head before he got back to his feet and stepped outside.

Locking the door after them, Fandango led the way down the couple steps from his porch and down a smooth path that led to his black Camry in the driveway. He unlocked the passenger side first, allowing his smaller companion to jump onto the seat and made sure she was completely inside before he shut it again and jogged around to the driver's side. He put on his seatbelt and opened the windows, allowing his puppy to stick her head out, before he started the car and turned up the radio. He slipped on a pair of sunglasses and backed out of the driveway, opting for the more scenic route rather than the congested downtown traffic as they made their way to the grocery store.

There were many people outside enjoying the warm summer weather that day, having picnics under the shade of beautiful trees or enjoying time out on the hot sand of the beach or catching cool waves. Fandango smiled as he looked around at the city he loved and called home, and his puppy was equally as content wagging her tail as she continued to stick her head out the window to get all the sights and smells.

When they reached the grocery store, Fandango found a spot to park near the back of the lot. He left the passenger and driver's side windows open a crack so that enough air could still get into the car before he locked it and made his way through the automatic doors. Grabbing a cart, he slipped his sunglasses up to sit on top of his head as he started to make his way through the aisles, searching for what he needed in order to restock his refrigerator. After signing autographs for quite a few people who recognized him, and being told that he couldn't dance or wrestle by a few others, Fandango found his cart filled with two bags of different flavored Puppy Chow, a carton of eggs, a gallon of one percent low-fat milk, a carton of pulp-free orange juice, a box of waffles, a loaf of wheat bread, a couple boxes of wheat cereal, a jar of low-fat crunchy peanut butter, a couple packs of ground beef, a block of sharp cheddar cheese, a jar of dill pickles, a box of four sticks of lightly-salted butter, and a tall can of sparkling strawberry water for when he went to the live show at the arena downtown later that night. He sighed with frustration when he realized he had sixteen items, one over the limit for the express lane, and when he saw that the only other open lane was already longer than he would have liked. Grumbling quietly, he joined the back of it, sifting through his items to see if there were any that he could put back, but he unfortunately needed everything.

After nearly ten minutes, Fandango's frustration only began to increase since he had only gotten a couple feet further in the line. Not knowing what else to do, he picked up a copy of US Weekly since his only other option was Soap Opera Digest because of how poorly stocked that particular line was at the moment and began skimming through articles to see if there was anything interesting to keep him occupied. He was only starting to read about a supposed miracle weight-loss supplement when he realized what the hold-up was, seeing the man at the register was going through a stack of coupons to get as much money off as he possibly could. Normally this was smart, Fandango reasoned, but from the sounds of it, the customer wasn't sure which ones were expired and which ones were still usable. He sighed with resignation as he went back to his reading. Even though it was before noon, it surely couldn't be a problem for someone to open another register.

Finally, he saw another light a couple aisles over turn on, and Fandango seized his chance when he realized that his silent hopes had been answered. He set aside the copy of US Weekly he had grabbed and excused himself from the line, getting behind a few other people who had previously been standing behind him and had also migrated over to the newly opened register. He signed another autograph for a family with two small kids in front of him, both of which, to his amusement, proceeded to do the "Fandango" dance afterward with their short, thin fingers in the air, and patiently waited. He glanced at the candy selection next to him, and after some thought, he grabbed a pack of fresh mint gum and put it in his cart on top of the carton of eggs. Since he was already one over the limit for the express lane anyway, he figured another one couldn't hurt him at this point.

However, this line was also taking quite a bit of time, and Fandango glanced around the people in front of him curiously to see that a woman at the register was having quite the difficult time deciding on whether or not she wanted a head of cabbage she had picked up. It was amazing to him how many times she went back and forth on this apparently important issue, and he sighed with defeat as he picked up a copy of Soap Opera Digest since there was nothing more in US Weekly.

He was just starting to get caught up on the happenings of the melodramatic programming on early afternoon television when the line started to move, and Fandango looked up hopefully. It appeared as though the woman had wanted to take the cabbage after all, and he quickly set the magazine aside as he pushed his cart forward a few inches. But it was still progress, and even a small amount of it was a good thing.

The rest of the line went pretty quickly, and Fandango considered himself fortunate that he had gotten in this line when he did because the man behind him had his cart completely full, and he approached the register with a small smile. The blonde woman working the register gave him a flirtatious smile in return, which made him chuckle, and after ringing up all of his items, decided to inform him that her credit card reader was down. Fandango's heart dropped. He had a few singles and some change in his wallet, which he mainly used for tolls, but it wasn't nearly enough for his almost forty dollars worth of groceries. However, he forced a smile and excused himself, making his way over to the front of the store where there was an ATM near the automatic exit doors as fast as he could. He quickly withdrew the forty that he needed and hurried back to the checkout line, just telling her to keep the change as he hurriedly set his bags in the cart and left the store.

Fandango reached his car, finding that his spaniel puppy was waiting for him none-too-patiently in the passenger seat. He set his bags of groceries in the backseat before returning the cart to the location closest to him before climbing back behind the wheel and sliding his sunglasses down over his eyes. He gently nudged his puppy when she started to sniff toward the backseat, no doubt drawn by the meat, as he made his way out of the parking lot. He opened her window a little more, and she was once again distracted by all of the different smells outside as he once more took the scenic route back home.

Once there, Fandango stuck everything that needed to be chilled or frozen in the refrigerator and freezer respectively before stocking his cupboards with everything else. He poured himself a bowl of cereal and milk and sat down at the kitchen table, taking a quick glance over that day's paper he had picked up from the porch. Almost fifteen minutes later, his puppy rose to her feet from where she was lying near him and trotted into the entrance hall, and he stood as well, knowing that the mail had arrived. He left his bowl in the sink before he walked to the front door himself and stepped out onto the porch. Offering the older woman who lived next door, who was sitting on her porch drinking her late morning tea, a friendly smile and wave, Fandango grabbed the pile of mail he found in the metal mailbox under the doorbell and walked back inside, locking the door behind him before making his way back to the kitchen with his smaller companion. He quickly sifted through the various envelopes, tossing the junk ads and sales and keeping an invitation to a friend's wedding that he wasn't completely sure he could attend due to his hectic road schedule but wanted to hold onto just in case. Not too bad for not being home for a while.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon consisted of getting a couple hour workout done in the basement where he kept his home gym. After washing up and changing back into his tank top and athletic shorts, Fandango headed up two flights of stairs to his bedroom and checked the time, seeing that he only had a little over an hour before he had to get to the arena. He ran a quick comb through his wet hair before he stood in front of his tall mirror and took a deep breath, setting his shoulders back as he held a hand out in front of him. He then proceeded to practice saying his name correctly, making sure to allow the "A's" to breathe, so that he could tell everyone else how to pronounce it before he laughed at how ridiculous it sounded. After a couple more attempts, he went back downstairs to find his spaniel puppy once more stretched out on the chair under the air conditioning, and he sank down onto the couch with his laptop to book his morning flight for the show in the next city.

Fandango was just about to confirm the purchase when his puppy jumped up onto his lap, accidentally causing him to hit the back button on the page. He sighed quietly with frustration before he smiled slightly at the spaniel, scratching behind her ears as she curled up on top of his keyboard. He couldn't blame her for wanting to spend time with him when he was actually home, but that didn't mean that he didn't have to get his flight booked. He carefully pulled her a little closer to him so that he could reach the keys, chuckling when she snuggled against his arm, as he restarted the process of booking his flight. This time, he was able to do so without incident, and he set his laptop aside as he leaned against the couch to make himself comfortable with his fuzzy comrade as he turned on the television, finding a marathon of Breaking Bad to watch for a short time before he had to leave.

Unfortunately, that time came much too soon, and Fandango carefully picked up his puppy, who had fallen asleep on his lap, and walked across the living room to set her back in her favorite spot. She blinked sleepily up at him when she found herself back on her chair, and he muttered an apology before assuring her that he would be back after the show and started rubbing her tummy. The small spaniel stretched out again, and he only stopped when she had fallen back to sleep. He then quickly made his way back upstairs to his bedroom, grabbing the gym bag he always brought with him to arenas and packing everything he needed for the show that night, including his colorful ring gear, before going back downstairs to get his wallet, keys, and the can of sparkling strawberry water he had bought earlier. He slipped on his flip flops and pair of sunglasses before stepping out onto the porch and locked the door behind him, waving to the thirteen-year-old who lived next door and puppysat for him when he was gone. She was running a lemonade stand in her front yard to raise money for her school's music program, and he stopped over to buy a glass. After drinking it and giving her a dollar, Fandango made his way over to his black Camry, tossing his bag in the backseat before climbing in behind the wheel and starting his drive toward the arena.

Due to time constraints, he couldn't take the scenic route this time, and he found himself in the drive-thru of a fast food restaurant downtown to pick up something small to eat before the show. It was relatively short, which he found himself grateful for, and he ordered a chicken sandwich with no fries. He pulled up to the first window and paid for his order, only having to wait for a couple more minutes until he pulled up to the second to pick up his food. The young woman there recognized him, and Fandango chuckled before pronouncing his name the correct way after she handed him the bag before he drove away from the restaurant. He came to a stop at a red light, quickly reaching into the bag and pulling out the sandwich, holding it in one hand to eat it as he waited.

When he finally made it to the arena after pushing his way through the slow-moving traffic, he was finished with his makeshift meal and was looking for a spot to park. There were quite a few people there already, and Fandango pulled into a spot near the back. He grabbed the can of sparkling strawberry water from the cup-holder next to him and took a sip as he climbed out of the car, grabbing his bag from the back before locking it up and making his way toward the building. He nodded slightly to acknowledge the fans who had chosen to wait around in the summer heat before walking into the air-conditioning, slipping off his sunglasses to rest on top of his head as he walked through the maze-like halls to the locker rooms.

Fandango stretched a bit before he changed into his colorful pants and vest and slipped on his boots before he started to go through his bag to find his wrist tape. For a moment, he was afraid he had forgotten it at his house, but he sighed with relief when he saw that the spool had only gotten tangled and buried under his tank top. After he wrapped the tape around his wrists, he frowned slightly when he came to the realization that he had, on the other hand, managed to leave behind a Sharpie permanent marker. It wasn't the biggest deal in the world, usually fans had something to sign with if they caught up with him somewhere, but that day happened to have special significance to him.

He glanced up when he heard footsteps drawing closer, watching as Seth Rollins, a member of the faction The Shield who he had known well since his days in FCW, walked in wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of black athletic shorts with his headphones on. Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns couldn't have been far behind. Fandango approached him, causing Seth to smile in return and lower his headphones, and wondered if he possibly had a permanent marker on his person. The two-toned Shield member dug around in his bag to look before he pulled out a black one from where it was hidden toward the bottom, and Fandango took it gratefully with the promise to return it shortly. Seth didn't seem to mind regardless.

Fandango pulled the cap off the black permanent marker and carefully started to write something over the tape on his left wrist. It was simple, one word and five letters. Kevin. A small, sad smile appeared on his face as he put the cap back on the marker and found where Seth had claimed a spot in the locker room as he waited for his best friends and on-screen teammates and handed him the marker back. A matching look appeared on the other man's face as he nodded and tossed the marker in his bag. Fandango knew that Seth was aware of the significance of the simple word on his wrist tape, and he figured that since there would be no cameras for the show that night, it wouldn't be a big deal to have it there. Not that he would have cared if there would have been anyway since he still would have written it all the same. He thanked Seth again before he left the locker room and made his way toward the main part of the arena, sitting down at the top of the ramp and looking around at all of the empty seats that would soon be filled with cheering fans.

It was the birthday of a man who had been his best friend for years before he had joined the WWE. They had even trained to follow their dreams as wrestlers together, and it was a dream he had nearly given up when Kevin's life had been claimed in a terrible motor accident. But after some time, he kept going since he hadn't wanted to live with the regrets that would have followed if he hadn't continued to chase the childhood dream that he and his best friend had shared. He had devoted his win on NXT to Kevin, had written his name in red on his wrist tape for his Wrestlemania debut, and he wasn't ashamed to do it again on this day that should have been celebrated. It was how he could still share in these moments in his career with him.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Fandango glanced over his shoulder to see Summer Rae walk out onto the ramp wearing tennis shoes, sweatpants, and a pink tank top with her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail behind her head. Knowing that she was there to get a last minute practice of their dance routine entrance in, he sighed and rose to his feet, but he stopped in surprise when she tore a chocolate chip cookie she must have gotten from catering in half and offered one of the pieces to him. Pleasantly confused, he took one anyway since he was never one to turn down a chocolate chip cookie, and he only understood the gesture when Summer smiled as she pointed to the name on his left wrist and muttered a quiet "Happy Birthday." Surprised that she had remembered, Fandango found himself grateful as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close in a light embrace.

Once they were finished with their cookie, both Fandango and Summer stretched a bit to loosen up before they began to practice their entrance. For the most part, they were able to keep time, even without the music, but they both chuckled when Summer nearly lost her footing once. He held her up to prevent an injury, and once they were both settled, they continued with the routine, making it to when they got to the ring without any more incidents. Fandango nodded in approval, knowing they'd be good for that night, and he gave Summer's hand a small extra squeeze as he took it to pull her to her feet from where she had been sitting in the splits in front of him. She simply gave him a knowing smile before they both climbed out of the ring and jogged up the ramp so she could change into a dress and heels before the show started.

Their entrance in front of the packed audience a couple of hours later went off without a hitch, and Fandango was victorious in his match before he danced his way back up the ramp with Summer in tow. Once backstage, he gave her one more quick hug and thanked her a second time for her earlier small gesture of good will for his best friend's birthday before they went their separate ways, and he hurried back to the locker room to shower and change into his tank top, athletic shorts, and flip flops to watch the rest of the matches. The crowd was electric for the rest of the show, and Fandango couldn't help but smile as he watched and slowly unwound the tape from around his wrists.

Once the show was over, Fandango grabbed his bag and made his way out of the arena and back out to the parking lot. He again nodded his acknowledgement to the fans as he walked over to his car, putting his bag in the backseat when his phone vibrated to alert him that he had gotten a text. He saw it was from Summer asking what his plans for the rest of the night were, to which he told her that his agenda was simply to sit at home and relax. She wondered if he would be all right without company for a while, to which he assured her that he would be just fine. Fandango then climbed in behind the wheel and started the car before he rolled down all his windows and turned up his radio, putting on his seatbelt as he backed out of the parking space and began his drive away from the arena.

He opted for the scenic route home again since it was much quieter, gazing out at the dark water of the beaches and the trees that were swaying slightly in the warm breeze as he drove. Tomorrow would be much more hectic, he knew, since he'd be leaving for another state, but it was all part of the business that he loved and lived for.

When he got home, Fandango pulled his Camry to a stop in the driveway and walked inside with his bag. He was immediately greeted by his spaniel puppy, who he suspected had been waiting up just for him, and he picked her up after he slipped his flip flops off and made his way into the living room. He dropped his bag by the end of the couch since he would be needing it in the morning anyway before walking into the kitchen, setting his small companion down as he opened his refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of beer. He opened it and took a sip, leaving it on the table and pulling out one of the packs of ground beef he had bought earlier. He then grabbed a pan and set it on the stove before opening the meat and dumping it in, planning to cook it for part of his late dinner.

The ground beef was only starting to brown, however, when his doorbell rang. Confused, Fandango turned down the heat slightly before he followed his puppy to the entrance hall. He opened the front door, a small smile appearing on his face when he saw Summer Rae standing on the other side once more in the casual clothes that they had practiced their dance routine in. He invited her inside, not wanting to be rude and turn her away, and she slipped off her shoes before following him and the spaniel back into the kitchen. Fandango continued to cook the ground beef, adding seasonings as he went, and Summer proceeded to check his cabinets to see if there was anything that they could have with it. She settled on a bag of mashed potato mix that was still good, and without asking, pulled the milk out of the refrigerator and another pan to start making them. Fandango didn't mind in the least since he knew his friend and onscreen dance partner was just concerned about him, and he hoped that she would eat some of the food as well.

Fortunately for him, Summer grabbed two plates once the beef and mashed potatoes were both finished, and they divided the dinner between them. They took two chairs at the kitchen table after his guest grabbed a beer herself, and they talked and laughed about how the show had gone that night and about the ones that were coming up in the next loop as well as potential plans for the days off that were coming up for them soon.

Once they were finished eating, Fandango put the leftovers in the refrigerator and quickly washed the dishes while Summer stayed in the kitchen and played with the small spaniel. They then made their way into the living room and sat on the couch with the puppy between them, making themselves comfortable as they caught the last couple hours of the Breaking Bad marathon that had been on earlier.

Summer left about a half hour afterward since it was almost midnight, and they had an early morning ahead of them. Fandango wished her good night and thanked her for the unexpected company, to which she told him she'd see him in the morning when they caught their flight, and he waited in the doorway and waved goodbye to her until she drove away. He then stepped inside and locked the door behind him, smiling down at his small companion as she followed him into the living room. He turned off the television and the lights, which was her cue to stretch out on the chair beneath the air conditioning for the night, and he kissed her on top of the head and scratched behind her ears before he turned off the light in the kitchen after making sure everything was cleaned up and made his way up the slightly spiraled staircase to the second floor. He washed his face and brushed his teeth before he yawned and made his way into his bedroom, changing into the boxers he wore for sleeping. Fandango then set his alarm for six since he had to be at the airport and climbed under the covers of his bed, stretching out and searching for that perfect comfortable spot on the pillow.

He closed his eyes, indulging in the luxury he wouldn't have again for a while, and it wasn't long before he was fast asleep.

The End

Author's Note: All right, that's the end of that one! After this one and "A Day in the Life of The Shield," which has already been posted, there will also be "A Day in the Life of Damien Sandow," which will be up soon. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Thank you!