Pyromania

Their relationship wasn't...conventional. Their relationship had high highs and low lows. One day they could be screaming at one another with such venom you would think they were worst enemies. Other days they were so loving and happy anyone would have thought that they were meant to be. They both lived by one motto and it was never more evident than in their relationship.

If you fight fire with fire, you're going to get burned.

You could say that Mariano Andujar and Reed Krueger's relationship was a bit of pyromania.

_____

Reed grabbed up her shirt off the floor and tried hastily to place it back on her slim frame. She found her jeans at the other edge of the bed and attempted to grab them. Before she could even attempt to reach out for them, Mariano them in his hands.

"Dammit, Mariano! Give them to me," she hissed as she lunged for them. Mariano being so tall, just held them above his head as he watched her struggle to get them, "you're such an ass."

"I'm an ass? You don't mean that," he looked into her eyes and cockily raised his eyebrow, "you love me."

"The hell I don't,"

"If you didn't love me, you would have left years ago," he pointed out as he took her jeans and threw them across the room and into the edge of the doorway. He pressed Reed up against his body and felt her spine lose its rigidness. Mariano bent down and kissed her hastily on the lips. Reed attempted to push him off, but her lust went against her brain as she put her arms around his shoulder and pushed against him. His hands traveled down her sides and rested on her hips before he was tempting to rip off her boyshorts then and there. Reed's hands tangled with his hair and she moaned slightly when she realized how much she wanted him. Then and there.

She let it continue on for a few moments, enjoying it more than she wanted too, until they were in just their underwear on their bed; breathing hot and heavy already. She gave him one more kiss, just enough to drive him wild and want more, before she jumped off the bed and ran around the room, grabbing her clothes.

"Bye sweetheart," she smirked at him as she pulled her clothes back on slowly. Reed stepped out of the room and grinned to herself. She had won that battle.

"Damn," was all she heard from their bedroom.

"Mrs. Andujar?" Reed flinched when she realized that the maid was talking to her. It made her feel so old to be addressed as Mrs. Especially since she was only twenty five-years-old.

"No, it's still Ms. Krueger," she hastily replied as she turned to face their maid. She was a small, old Spanish woman, that had been nothing but kind to her since she moved in three years ago.

"Sorry, miss. Your boss called. He wants you to work tonight," she delivered the message in rapid Spanish suddenly, rather than the normal English she normally spoke to Reed. Reed tried to comprehend the message and waved her off. Spanish was Reed's third language. French and English came first and second respectively. Reed was a news anchor for the local ESPN channel, so her work was pretty lucrative. Which is also how she ended up with Mariano. She had been sent to work in Germany at the 2006 World Cup and that's where she had met Mariano. During an interview. After their first encounter, they had quickly ended up as a couple. That's why she had to learn Spanish: she they could communicate better. It was something she had meant to do anyways. So now, they lived together in Catania, Italy, where Mariano played football. And Reed worked for the local ESPN section.

"Si," she called after her and walked into the East wing of their elaborate home. Her face instantly broke into a large grin when she saw their little girl sitting on the floor and playing with some stuffed animals. The live-in nanny took this as her cue to leave and stalked out of the room and picked her up, "hola, mi querida."

The little girl, not quite a baby anymore at two-years-old, smiled at her and gave her mother a big hug. Her dark curls bounced around as she started to giggle, "want to come to work with momma? Daddy's going to be busy this afternoon."

Natalia looked at her mother and smiled, and nodded her head fervently. Reed balanced her daughter on her hip and headed towards the door, when she saw Mariano coming down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" He asked as he walked over to them and kissed their daughter on the head.

"I've got work tonight. I'll be home by eight then," she replied and grabbed her bag.

"I should be home around the same time then," he nodded and opened the door for them, "just another day."

"Quit your bitching. You're just getting old. Retire then if you don't want to do it anymore," Reed rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. Sometimes he was such a whiner.

"I am not bitching, stupid," the nanny had sensed what was coming already and stepped in as she took Natalia from her parents, "it gets kind of hard on your body to do vigorous work on it everyday. Not that you would know."

"Shut the fuck up, Mary," she hissed at him as her eyes narrowed.

"Doesn't take much to sit behind a desk all day," he pushed it even further.

"At least I'm not a washed up has been football player!" Reed yelled back at him.

"At least I've had a career! Better than yours, anyway,"

"I hate you,"

"I'll see you tonight then," he smirked as he slapped her butt before heading back to their bedroom to get ready for his day. Reed glared at him and wished he would trip or something. Their nanny walked back in and handed Natalia back to Reed.

"Bye Miss,"

"Whatever," she sighed as she walked out the door and into her car.

______

"Late again Andujar?" Mariano's teammate, Nicolás Spolli, rolled his eyes dramatically when he saw him march onto the field.

"Shocker, right?"

"What did you two fight about now?" Everyone knew that Mariano and Reed had a very...unique relationship, but to them, it seemed normal by now.

"Careers," he left it plain and simple.

"Ah, I see. You ever going to wife her?" Nicolás asked as they started doing their daily drills. Even though Mariano was goalkeeper, he was still subjected to as much hard training as the rest of the team.

"My young friend, that's where you come in," Mariano grinned when Nicolás' eyes grew wide, "tonight. She's working and I was thinking about her."

"She'll kill you!"

"Not on national television!"

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah. I was thinking during one of her...unimportant segments we could...go on and do it,"

"How the hell do I fit into any of this?!"

"Well, it would look silly if it was just me! You'll be with me for support," Mariano grinned as Nicolás' uncertain face cringed.

"Fine," he reluctantly agreed.

_____

"Just watch her for me, won't you?" Reed asked one of the backstage hands that worked at the ESPN center.

"Of course Ms. Krueger," he sighed and picked Natalia up and headed to "play" with her. Well, she would be playing and he would be watching. Fun times, being an intern.

"Thank you," she smiled sweetly as she sipped her coffee and sat down at the desk from where she reported.

"We're live in 5...4...3...2...1,"

"Good evening and welcome to ESPN news. I'm Reed Krueger and tonight the breaking news is the ongoing Petacchi going under formal investigation for the use of dope. He won the July 7th stage of the Tour de France and has remained a contender for one of the top slots in the overall Tour. There'll be more on that as the story unfolds," Reed concluded her opening story. Mariano and Nicolás watched from the wings. They were just waiting to make their move.

"Why don't you get our daughter? She won't hurt us if Natalia's with us," Mariano suggested. He obliged as he walked to find the small child.

"In other international news, David Villa has just been traded to Barc-"

"Reed!" Mariano's voice boomed as he and Nicolás walked onto the set, along with Natalia. Reed's face was shocked as she took in the scene. Why now?!

"What the hell are you doing here?" She hissed through gritted teeth. Marian walked over to her and kissed her right on the lips.

"I love you, Reed," he smiled as he pulled away.

"This is live-"

"And I want to marry you,"

"How dare you mess up my show-"

"So, I'm asking-"

"Get off the set-"

"Will you marry me?" Reed's jaw fell when she saw that Mariano was serious. He pulled out a blue box and presented her with a phenomenal ring.

"Seriously?"

"Of course,"

"Yes, yes, yes! Of course I'll marry you," she practically screamed as she jumped into her arms. The camera crew was just staring and not doing anything. This had to be more interesting than David Villa's transfer to Barcelona, "I freaking love you."

"I love you too," Mariano grinned as he kissed her once more before he placed the ring on her finger.

______

Even after they were married, their relationship was as...crazy as ever.

But they knew they were meant for each other, because no one else would put up with their of their personalities. They were just made for each other.

"I love you, you crazy ass," Reed smiled as her eyelids started to droop. She snuggled in closer so Mariano's body heat would rub off on her.

"I love you more you psychopath," he pulled her tighter against him and started to doze off.