Noam paced the length of the cruiserweight locker room anxiously.  For once, he wasn't talking to Alicia.  For once, he wished he had been.  "Come ON, Sam, this is the third fucking time this..."  He shook his head.  "I'm just about... ye cannae ask Maw or Paw... oh don't give me that.  Then no.  You can sort your own shit out this time.  I'm done."  He stabbed the screen with his finger and threw his phone back into the bag, ignoring the looks from his fellow cruiserweights.  He looked at the call sheet.  He was wrestling tonight, that was good.  Against someone he'd never heard of; hopefully that wasn't bad.

-

It was bad.  The kid was more suited for his first day of wreslting school than being in front of a crowd of any size.  Noam had to walk him through all of it.  The crowd was getting pissed, and not in the good way.

Noam climbed the top rope as the kid wandered outside.  Noam shouted a boast to warn him, but the idiot moved in the wrong direction.  A thought started to cross his mind then:  Just catch me, you ba-

-

He woke up in the trainer's office, dazed and sore.  They weren't looking at him.  Noam heard the word 'hospital' and snuck out before they noticed.  A short term solution, but god damn, he did not want to end his night in a robe with his ass hanging out, getting poked and prodded.

-

"Noam," he winced when he heard the familiar voice.

"Finn."  He returned neutrally.

"That was a hell of a spill you took out there, I'm surprised they're letting you walk off without- ahhh, they're not, are they?"

Fucking hell, he hated how well Balor could read him. "I'm fine."

"Still, you ought to get checked out."  Finn's voice softened, then lowered in tone.  "Go on, Star-"

Noam whirled around.  It made his head spin.  He planted his hands on Finn's chest and shoved him back.  "Don't you EVER call me that.  You don't fucking ever get to call me that, Balor, you hear me?!"

People were looking.  Finn held up his hands in surrender.  Noam turned on his heel and walked off, quickening his pace to avoid the doctors.

-

A cab ride he couldn't remember later found Noam in his hotel room, sprawled on the bed, covering his face with a pillow.  It occurred to him that he was still in his ring gear, right down to his boots and wrist tape.  Fuck it.  Just fuck it all.