"What the fuck, Mike?"

Well, Michael had made two mistakes. That much was clear to him. The first mistake was actually agreeing to let Austin do that to him. He really regretted that now, as he was sore as all hell. Austin really was pissed, it seemed, to some extent, about the comments about Vince, and Michael felt it. Wonder what Vince would think if he knew that his bitch actually cared about him enough to defend him like that? Oh well, anyway...the mistakes. Second mistake, and he was really feeling bad about this one, was neglecting to tell Pete that he was doing it. Which brought him back to the question that Pete had just asked.

"Umm...well..."

"Well? Mike, how could you not tell me?"

"Because I knew that you'd react this way?"

"Mikey...he really hurt you! Look at this!" He ran a finger over one of the bruises marring Michael's pale skin.

"Well, if I had known he was going to make it quite so damned personal, I probably wouldn't have done it!"

"That's the whole thing, Mike...you never know what Austin's gonna do! That's why I can't believe you agreed to this!"

"Pete...I don't treat you this way when you get hurt."

"I'm a wrestler, Michael! I'm supposed to get hurt! You're a commentator. *Just* a commentator."

"Just a commentator? So now you're not only treating me like a child, you're insulting me?"

"Aww geez Mikey...you know what I mean! I'm just saying...you're not supposed to get hurt like that."

"Working this closely with wrestlers makes it a definite possibility to get hurt, Pete. DX used to torture me all the time!"

"They never did anything like this, and you know it. I'm sorry you think I'm treating you like a kid, but..."

"Yeah?"

"You're hurt. I love you, and I hate it when you hurt. This didn't have to happen. Shouldn't have. What if I had been there?"

"Then I probably wouldn't have been at risk because you would have known about it and not let me do it. As it was, I knew you wouldn't be. Now...I wish you had been."

"Not as much as I do. Look at you, babe...dammit...what *he* did to you!" He looked at each bruise on Michael.

Austin was definitely going to get a visit from Pete. And it would *not* be a friendly one.

"Pete...are you going to do something?"

"You'll just have to see, won't you? Now let's go to sleep, okay babe?"

"No complaints here." He kissed each of Michael's bruises softly, careful to make sure it was a gentle touch, not something that would make him hurt worse. Then he cut off the lamp next to the bed, wrapped his arms around Michael, and whispered two simple words.

"Never again."

***

"So, I guess you really are my hero."

"You expected anything less from me?"

"Not really," Michael laughed. "And look where it lands you."

"I've taken worse, and I would have taken worse to stick up for you any day."

Michael smiled. "And as if that weren't enough, the very person you were being a hero for walked out on you when you needed them..."

"Aww, come on, Mikey! You know I woulda wanted you to anyway!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot...*just a commentator*, right?"

"Now don't start this again! You know I didn't mean that the way you took it!"

"Okay, explain it to me then, oh mighty commentator/wrestler!"

"I meant that it's in my job description to get hurt, and it's *not* in yours! I meant that I meant that it kills me to see you hurt! I meant that I LOVE YOU MICHAEL!"

Michael looked down, eyes averted from looking at Pete. He knew he had taken it a too far. Pete and he always argued playfully, but somehow he had made this go beyond that. God...now he felt like a total asshole.

Pete for his part, was looking around the room, wondering exactly what had just happened.

Suddenly, Michael spoke. "God...I'm sorry Pete...I don't know why I'm being such an asshole. You've done nothing to deserve this from me...I should be thanking you, not yelling at you."

"I think I have a clue to why you're being an asshole, Michael...pardon my term, but you said it first. Would it have anything to do with the fact that I stuck up for you and made you feel helpless and weak? Like you couldn't do anything for yourself?"

"Uhh...could have something to do with it." Michael blushed, totally embarassed that Pete had his insecurity all figured out.

"I've told you, Mike! I do this because I love you! If I made you feel like less of a man because of it, I'm so sorry babe. I just couldn't see him hurt you and do nothing in response."

"Oh Pete...I know...I'm so glad you understand how I feel. It's okay...I can try to get over my insecurity..."

"You know you don't have to hide the way you feel from me."

"I know..."

"I mean it...no matter what it is that's bothering you or whatever, I want you to tell me. Especially if I, for whatever reason, caused it. I need to know, because if you're hurting I want to be able to try and make it better for you. Don't ever forget it."

"Okay Pete...I'll try to always do that."

Pete wrapped his arms around Michael and kissed him on the cheek. "No matter what...I'll always love you. Don't forget that either."

"It's the only thing I need in the world...I'll never forget that."