Bring Me To Life By Dark-Angel-Stapplett
		Disclaimer: I own none of these people (unfortunately). ~* ~* ~* He stands at the top of the ladder, poised gracefully for a split second. His black pants are comfortably baggy, but he looks good in them. His shirt is long gone, thrown away a good ten minutes ago. This is it, he thinks. It's almost over. This was his specialty, his moment of glory before being pretty much out for the rest of the match. My moment of glory. He smiles as that song that he had been listening to on the radio on the drive over played through his mind again. "Too much is not enough\ Nobody said this stuff makes any sense..." His hair hangs over his face as he glares out from beneath the multi- colored locks. All this runs through his head in a matter of seconds as he stands poised on the ladder. The he falls. He flies. A momentary pause, then he's half-falling, half- flying through the air toward the tables below. He lands hard on top of Christian and is the only one to hear the blond-headed guy underneath him moan a little in pain. Everything was over in a matter of seconds. The tables are splintered around him, and he is dimly aware of the pain in his left leg from where he didn't exactly land like he was supposed to. He glances to the right, breathing hard. His breath is gone, the wind completely knocked out of him. But the thing is, he can't tell whether it's from pain or the impact of the fall or the sheer rush that it all gave him. His eyes go blurry for a minute, then focus on his brother. The person he loves more than anything else in the world. His older brother, who stands over Edge in the ring, who is lying on the mat at his feet. He leans his head back against Christian underneath him. Sooner than he expected, his older brother is running out toward him, a huge grin on his face. They've won. "Adrenaline keeps me in the game\ Adrenaline\ You don't even feel the pain..." Matt Hardy reaches down and hauls his younger brother from the splintered remains of the table. They embrace, the younger Hardy jumping around even as his leg felt as though it would fall off and, through it all, managing to keep his arms around his brother. "Wilder than your wildest dreams..." The fans cheered and the sounds of the crowd roared in Jeff's ears, but all he saw was his brother. They embraced again as the fans around them cheered, the entire crowd on their feet. Matt shoved his brother's sweaty, multi-colored locks out of his eyes as the two of them waved to their fans, girls in the front row screaming at Jeff, who acknowledged them with a high five and a Hardy Boyz sign with his left hand. "Going to extremes..." Jeff Hardy smiled at his brother, love, pride, and passion all shining in his eyes. Matt was the only one who saw it, and appreciated it for what it was. The Hardyz had done it again. * * * Jeff was still excited when they got back to their dressing room, although he was tired. He slowly changed into dark green cargos and his "Xpand your Imagi-nation" t-shirt. He sat down in a chair and drank the last of his water from his water bottle, tossing it across the floor. Jeff leaned forward in his chair, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes and watching as Matt, who had not yet put his shirt on, stretched his arm muscles in the corner. Jeff's eyes followed every curve, every perfect line on his brother's body. He pulled his eyes away and turned his head sharply. He closed his eyes, telling himself that this was his brother, repeating this in his mind over and over. Jeff felt, rather than saw, his brother sit down in the chair next to him. Turning, he saw Matt smiling at him. "Nice Swanton. Looked like the landing was a little off, though." "Yeah. I hurt my leg a little, but I'm okay." Jeff grinned at Matt. He had been watching, and he noticed the odd landing, even when it wasn't that obvious. It was the little things like these that made Jeff love Matt even more. Knowing that he had been watching out for him made Jeff smile. He looked down at his feet as he felt his face heating up. He knew how he felt about Matt, and sometimes he figured Matt knew. It also seemed that Matt felt the same way about Jeff. Sometimes. But they had never talked about it, never admitted to having shared feelings. They never acted on it. Jeff had thought about asking Matt about how he felt before, but then he always lost his nerve. He was so afraid of losing his brother's trust, of losing what mattered most, that he had never been able to bring himself to ask that question of his brother before. But now, as he examined his shoes, he felt the sudden, intense need to know the truth. "Hey. Are you okay?" Matt played with a blue strand of Jeff's hair. Jeff looked up into Matt's face. Matt could see that insanely desperate look in Jeff's eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking." But even as he said this, Matt could see the look in Jeff's eyes deepen. Matt knew that Jeff was thinking the exact opposite of what he was saying. Matt was silent for a minute, looking away from Jeff while continuing to play with his hair. Then Matt hesitantly looked back up into Jeff's face. "What about?" He thought he knew. He thought he knew how Jeff felt, and he thought he knew the answer to his question. But still, he had to ask. He had to know. "About... " Jeff looked up again, and their eyes met. Jeff couldn't look away. "Us," he whispered. Matt's breathing sped up, and he found himself moving closer without meaning to. "I think I already know." Jeff opened his mouth as though to say something more, but was silenced by Matt placing a finger gently on his lips. "I want to tell you now, more than ever, that I love you, Jeff Hardy. I love you, more than you could ever know." "I love you too, Matt. But are you sure that you mean the same thing I do?" Matt smiled, leaning forward and playing with Jeff's earring. "How could I not mean the same thing as you? Before you say anything, just tell me. Tell me if you feel anything." Before Jeff could respond, Matt leaned forward and pressed his lips against Jeff's. The kiss lasted several seconds, but when Matt pulled away, it seemed too soon. "Matt." Jeff's voice was barely audible, almost a whisper. His green eyes were wide, full of fear and...what? Hope? Excitement? Matt pulled his eyes from Jeff's beautiful face, looking down at the floor again as he shrank back into his chair. He mistakenly took the wide-eyed look to mean that his actions were unexpected, that he had been wrong and Jeff didn't love him the way that he loved Jeff. "You don't have to say anything," Matt mumbled, leaning down to pick up his jacket from the floor, as if to go. "No, Matt. You don't understand. Matt." Jeff leaned down, reaching out and taking Matt's face in his hand, turning it towards his own. "I love you, Matt." Matt sat up slowly in his chair, gripping the armrests as though they were his last lifeline. Jeff leaned forward, his eyes still wide and innocent-looking. When their lips touched, Jeff's eyes closed, and Matt slowly relaxed into his embrace. The fingers of Matt's left hand became entangled in Jeff's hair. Jeff reached down and placed his hands on Matt's sides and stood, urging him to stand as well. Matt opened his eyes and found himself looking into Jeff's green ones. The kiss broke as they gasped for air and Jeff pushed Matt backwards, toward the wall with the couch. The back of Matt's knees hit the edge of the couch and he fell back into a sitting position. His back sank into the soft cushions as Jeff stood over him, looking up and down, observing every inch of his body. Jeff leaned down and kissed Matt again before leaning forward to straddle Matt's waist. Matt reached out and again wound his fingers through the multi-colored hair, letting the other hand drop to rest on Jeff's thigh. Matt used the hair to pull Jeff closer, kissing him softly. Jeff deepened the kiss, and Matt felt Jeff's eager tongue playing across his lips. He parted his lips and enjoyed the feeling of Jeff's tongue against his own. One of Jeff's hands found its way behind Matt's neck, and the other rested on his chest. They were both breathing hard when Matt broke the kiss. "Jeff," he panted, his eyes wide. "Shhh." Jeff could feel Matt's hard bulge underneath his own, and he pressed his hips into Matt's, grinding against him. He kissed Matt hard, roughly shoving his tongue against Matt's before withdrawing it. He kissed Matt on the lips again before moving down to his neck, pressing his tongue hard into the side. Matt's breathing sped up even more as Jeff slowly massaged the warm skin with his tongue while still grinding his hips against Matt's. Matt moaned in pleasure, which aroused Jeff even more. Jeff slowly moved his tongue down toward Matt's collarbone. He paused there for a second before moving down even lower to his chest. He kissed Matt's chest, glancing up at his brother's face before taking the left nipple into his mouth. Matt wound his fingers deeper into Jeff's hair, gripping his brother's right hip with his free hand. As Jeff slowly kissed and massaged the left nipple, Matt moaned again, his back arching with pleasure as his right hand went from Jeff's hip to the waist of the green cargos. He slipped his fingers inside, pushing his hand down past Jeff's hip. He let his fingers linger there, tickling the soft skin before moving further downward. Jeff groaned, his lips still working against Matt's chest. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Jeff gasped, sitting upright on top of Matt. Matt quickly untangled his fingers from Jeff's hair as the door began to open. Jeff rolled sideways off of Matt and into a sitting position next to him on the couch. A blonde head looked around the door at them as they tried to control their breathing. "Hey, guys. Jay and I and a few other people were gonna go get some food before we went back to the hotel. You two wanna go?" Adam pushed his hair out of his eyes as he waited for an answer. Jeff leaned forward on the couch and glanced over at Matt. "Sure, Adam. We'll meet you in the parking lot as soon as we get our stuff." Adam nodded. "Sure thing." He then withdrew from the room, closing the door as he went. Jeff looked over at Matt, seeing the same surprised look that he was sure was still on his own face. They sat, looking at each other, and then they both started laughing. Jeff reached over and picked Matt's shirt up off the floor, tossing it to him as he stood from the couch. Then the two brothers retrieved their bags from across the room, grinning at each other as they walked out to the parking lot to meet Jay and Adam. CH 2 Matt Hardy sat at a long table at the restaurant, a little quick Italian place that Adam went to every now and then. The place was quiet and mostly empty. They had had to push two tables together to all be able to sit together. Besides Adam and Jay and the Hardy brothers, Shannon and Shane were also sitting at the table, eating and talking and laughing. Matt sat across from his brother, watching as the younger Hardy shoved a huge piece of bread into his mouth and chewed viciously. Matt's eyes widened a little as he watched, and he was extremely grateful that his brother at least had the decency to chew with his mouth closed. Suddenly, a chorus of laughter erupted from the opposite end of the table, and Shane was sitting there, laughing a little with his head down, his face turning a little pink. Adam was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down his face. Shane looked up, shrugging a shoulder and smirking, the pink tint gone from his face as he continued eating his food. Matt had tried to take part in the conversation. He had been listening attentively, trying to distract his brain from thinking about his brother. They had laughed about their interruption back in the locker room, but once they were out of the building on the way over to the restaurant, a nervous silence had engulfed them. Matt tried hard to act normal, and he could tell that Jeff was trying, too. But that's all it was. An act. The silence that remained between the two Hardy brothers was not a comfortable one, and Shane seemed to notice it, although he pretended not to. Still, Jeff caught Shane staring at him every now and then when he thought that Jeff wasn't looking. Jeff leaned forward, swallowing another large piece of bread. He decided to try and pay attention to what Adam was saying. Adam was already halfway through the story, but as soon as he heard the words, Jeff knew what Adam was talking about. Adam was telling the story of the time when Jeff had puked all over Jay right after a match a few months ago. "And Jeff goes, 'Jay?' really quiet and upset-sounding, and Jay turns around, and then Jeff just..." Adam trailed off as he began laughing. He swallowed his laughter in an attempt to finish the story. "And Jeff just, just, just like puked all over him!" Jay wrinkled his nose, apparently recalling the event. He started to take a bite of food, then put the food back on the plate as a sick look came over his face. "And Jay wasn't even wearing a shirt!" Adam was clinging to the table now, laughing so hard that he almost fell off the chair. Jeff tried not to laugh, but he couldn't help it in the end. He covered his mouth with his hand, but pretty soon, everyone was laughing except for Jay. Jeff looked up, still laughing, and met Matt's eyes. The smile remained on Jeff's face, but faltered a little. Matt swallowed his food, wrinkling his forehead. Were they always going to be like this? Laughing about things one minute, and then too nervous to even look at each other the next? Matt cleared his throat, looking back down at his plate. Next to Jeff, Adam tossed his hair over his right shoulder, hitting Jeff in the face. Jeff jumped as the hair met with his skin, and coughed as a handful entered his mouth. "Shit, Jeff's choking on your hair!" Shane pointed at Jeff, gesturing to Adam to help. Jeff was gagging, pulling the hair away from his face with his hands. Adam turned, his eyes wide. He attempted to help, but another strand of hair was stuck on his watch, so he actually ended up making the whole situation worse. "Fuck, Adam! He's gonna die!" Shane stood up, attempting to lean down to the other end of the table to offer his assistance. He leaned across Matt, and Matt shoved him away. "You stink, Hurri-Shane. Didn't you shower?" "Sorry, man." Jeff finally freed himself from the mass of blonde hair. "I'm not dying, Shane. Sit back down." Shane shrugged, sitting back down in his seat. "I'm really sorry. Are you okay?" Adam still had that frightened look on his face as he pulled his hair around on the other shoulder, away from Jeff. "I'm fine." Jeff smiled, laughing a little. Then he scrunched his nose, sticking his tongue out and picking a hair off the end. He held it up, examining it, then dropped it onto Adam's shoulder. "I think this belongs to you." "Eww, man. As if I want it back now that you decided to eat it." Adam laughed, brushing the hair off his shoulder onto the ground. "Yeah. Tasted great, too." Jeff wrinkled his forehead a little, shoving more bread into his mouth. When everyone was finished with their food, Matt stood up to stretch. The rest of the guys stood as well, grabbing coats and car keys. They all split the tab, leaving the money on the table once they had divided up the cost. They all walked out to the parking lot together, talking about what their plans were for that night and the next day. "I just wanna go back to the hotel and sleep," Jeff said, yawning. "Is that all you do, eat and sleep?" Shannon asked, grinning. Jeff turned his head to the side, pretending to think about the answer. "Pretty much, yeah." This brought a small laugh from Shannon. Then the group split to go their separate ways, walking off to different parts of the parking lot. Matt and Jeff walked off toward Matt's car, parked around on the left side of the parking lot. Matt unlocked the doors and they got into the car, Matt turning the key in the ignition. As the car pulled out of the parking lot, Jeff looked over at Matt's face. He opened his mouth to speak, then changed his mind and turned to look out the window in silence. Jeff watched the buildings roll by as the car moved ahead along the road. After a few minutes, Jeff turned to look at Matt again, trying to get up the nerve to say something about what happened back in the dressing room after the match. The hotel was only about two minutes away, and Jeff began counting the buildings as they moved by them. ...ten, eleven, twelve... They stopped at a red light, sitting for a moment and waiting for it to change. Matt glanced over at his little brother, wondering why he was so quiet. He could tell that Jeff had something on his mind, and he thought he probably knew what it was. Matt was thinking about it, too. He was wondering where that courage had come from. They had never even discussed their feelings before, and Matt hadn't even known if they were mutual. Matt had thought about asking Jeff so many times before, but he had always been too afraid of how his little brother might take it. And he wasn't willing to ruin that relationship on a chance of something that just seemed so...wrong. So what had made him lean in and kiss Jeff like that? What had he seen in those eyes to make him feel that it was safe? Had he done the wrong thing? Jeff had been just as eager as Matt had back in the dressing room, but now he was so quiet. Was he having second thoughts? What if it had just been a "heat of the moment" type of thing? Or what if Jeff never thought of their relationship as brothers in the same way again? Would they still be able to keep that relationship and have this one as well? What was Jeff thinking about now? A car horn blaring jerked Matt back to reality. Looking up, he saw that the light had been green. He hoped that he hadn't been sitting there too long. He slammed his foot on the gas, and the car jerked forward. Jeff lurched towards the dashboard and threw his arms out in front of him to catch himself, clearly just as surprised as Matt had been. Another right turn brought them into the hotel's parking lot. Matt pulled into an empty parking space and turned the car off, putting the keys in his pocket but not moving from his seat. When Jeff reached for the door handle, Matt reached out and put a hand on his arm to stop him. Jeff turned, sitting back in his seat. He fidgeted a little, trying to get comfortable again. "Jeff, I think we need to talk about what happened back in the dressing room." Jeff felt the back of his neck heating up as a blush crept up toward his face. "Okay," he said hesitantly. "Look, Jeff..." Matt sighed, not knowing what to say. He looked at his brother, seeing a look of fear in his eyes. He saw Jeff's face tense up they locked their gaze, and the fear deepened. Matt realized with a shock what Jeff was thinking. He was afraid of what Matt was going to say, afraid that he was going to end it here in the car after they'd barely even had it an hour. Jeff was afraid that this relationship was going nowhere, that it had barely gotten started and that now it was ending. He was terrified that he had made the wrong move back in the dressing room, that he had moved too fast. So many thoughts raced through his mind in the space of a few seconds. "Jeff, this isn't what you think. I just want to know. If we're gonna make this work, then we can't keep acting the way we've been acting. We can't keep avoiding each other and not talking to each other. Back at the restaurant, Jeff. You barely said a word. And whenever I looked at you we were both so nervous that we couldn't even stand to look at each other for more than a second. If this is the way it's gonna be, then...I'd rather have you just as a brother." "Matt." Jeff's voice was soft but firm. "I love you. I don't want it to be this way. We can make it better, Mattie. We can make this work." Jeff reached out and put his hand on Matt's arm. Matt looked down at the hand and sighed. "I hope so, Jeffro." His voice came out as a whisper. Then he leaned over and hugged Jeff. He clung to Jeff's shoulders, not wanting to let go for the world. He decided in his head that he would live out here in the car forever if it meant that he didn't have to let go. Jeff pulled away after a few minutes. Smiling at Matt, he tilted his head. "Let's go in," he whispered, opening his car door and stepping out onto the black pavement, which glistened from an earlier rain. Matt got out of the car as well, following Jeff over to the little landscaped sidewalk and through the door of the hotel. They walked down the hallway together, stopping at the elevators and pressing a button. While they were waiting, Matt hummed a song that had been playing earlier on the radio. When the elevator doors slid open, the two of them stepped inside, having the elevator all to themselves. Jeff stepped forward and pressed the button for their floor, watching as the doors slid smoothly closed. Then he stepped back to lean against the wall next to Matt. Matt put an arm around Jeff's shoulder, turning his head and closing his eyes, just breathing in the smell of Jeff's hair and clothes. Then he gently leaned in and kissed Jeff on the side of the head, his lips barely brushing the multi-colored hair. Matt still had his arm around Jeff when the elevator slid open and they stepped out onto their floor. They approached their room and Jeff dug the keycard from his pocket, opening the door. They walked into the room together, Matt locking the door and turning on the lights as Jeff went and pulled the comforter down to the end of the bed. He sat down, taking off his shoes. Matt soon joined him, picking up the remote and turning on the TV. He soon found that there was nothing on the TV and turned it off again, standing up. Jeff reached down into the floor for his CD player and put it on the table. He put in a Nirvana CD and turned the volume down low, skipping past songs until he came to "Lithium." Jeff turned away from the table and began quietly singing along with the music, trying to look busy as he watched his brother from the corner of his eye. Matt was busy digging through his duffel bag, shoving things out of the way until he finally pulled out a pair of boxers and some socks. Then he emptied his pockets onto the table next to Jeff's CD player, piling his keys and change and other little things on top of his wallet. As Jeff watched from next to the table, Matt walked into the bathroom and tossed the boxers onto the floor in the corner, taking off his shirt and leaving it in a crumpled heap. Matt turned to say something to Jeff at that instant and found his staring. He caught his breath as Jeff quickly averted his eyes. Matt pretended that he hadn't noticed and picked up his razor from the sink. "I'm getting in the shower. You need in here before I do?" Jeff looked back up to meet Matt's eyes. "No, I'm fine. Go ahead." Matt nodded, turning to the sink and kicking the door closed with his foot. Jeff sat down on the bed and brushed his hair out of his face, closing his eyes and listening to the sounds that Matt made. Everything was echoed and quiet behind the closed door. There was the sound of running water, then a little metal sound as Matt put his razor down. Jeff smiled a little as he heard the muffled sound of Matt throwing his jeans into a pile in the corner, like he always did. Jeff got up, switching the Nirvana CD for Disturbed. He stretched his arms over his head as he moved over to his duffel bag in the corner, wincing a little as he bent down to open it. His left knee was sore from a bump he had taken in the match earlier, and the friction from his jeans on the carpet didn't help any. Jeff reached into his open bag and grabbed his red tiger-striped pants from the top of the pile. As he stood, his eye caught the little sliver of light shining through the bathroom door, which Matt hadn't closed all the way. He saw the reflection of his brother's upper body in the mirror, toying with the water faucet and testing the water temperature with his hand. Jeff stood up slowly, his eyes never leaving the mirror. Jeff couldn't help noticing how beautiful his brother looked as he stepped into the shower, his shirt off and his hair down around his face. Curls fell into his eyes and he pushed them away as he bent down, searching for the soap. Then he pulled the curtain closed. Jeff stood there for a moment in the dim room, looking at the mirror which now only showed him the reflection of an annoyingly patterned shower curtain. He turned away, taking his shirt off and tossing it on top of his bag. He then crossed the room, turning off the lights. He changed into his tiger pants, turning the music down even lower as he passed the table. He thought about going into the bathroom to brush his teeth, but the temptation was there, pulling like an undertow in the ocean. He decided not to risk it. He'd use extra toothpaste in the morning. Jeff climbed into bed, running his fingers through his unruly hair. He really wished that he had taken a shower instead of going with Matt and Edge to eat, but vowed to get up early enough to wash his hair the next morning. He turned over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. He put one arm behind his head and rested the other one on his stomach. He traced the lines absently, replaying the conversation that he and Matt had had in the car over and over in his head. He eventually fell asleep, still thinking about his older brother. Matt turned off the shower, emerging from the bathroom in his blue boxers. He turned off the bathroom light, leaving his clothes in the pile on the floor. His hair was damp and clung to the side of his neck as he moved toward the bed where his brother was sleeping. The other bed was empty, and he had no reason not to sleep there, on his own. He bit his lip as he stood next to the bed, looking down at Jeff. He couldn't help noticing how beautiful his brother looked as he slept, his shirt off and his hair down around his face. Matt leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on the side of Jeff's head. Then he climbed into the bed next to him, brushing a strand of brightly colored hair out of the way so that he could see the profile of Jeff's face. Matt eventually fell asleep as well, thinking about his little brother. Thinking about how he wasn't so little anymore. CH 3 Jeff woke up the next morning to find the sun shining in his eyes. He squinted, groaned, and looked at his watch. 9:49. For a minute he panicked, trying desperately to remember if he was late for something, then remembering that today was a day off. He sighed, letting his head drop back onto the pillow. He became aware of the warmth of another person lying next to him, and looked over into his older brother's face. He was sleeping peacefully on his side, his left arm encircling Jeff's waist. Jeff smiled as he watched Matt's steady breathing, enjoying the warm feeling of his brother's breath on his neck. He stretched a little, rolling gently out of Matt's embrace and leaving him to sleep as he got up out of bed to take a shower. He was still incredibly tired, and his feet dragged as he made his way to the bathroom. He grabbed his duffel bag on the way, not wanting to have to dig his way through it at the moment. He flipped the light switch as he entered the bathroom, throwing his duffel bag in the corner on top of the pile of Matt's dirty clothes from the night before and kicking the door closed behind him with one foot. Jeff leaned tiredly over the sink, reaching for his toothbrush. Making sure to use extra toothpaste to make up for the night before, he slowly brushed his teeth, tossing the toothbrush back at the sink when he was done. He stripped off his pants and tossed them next to his bag, making a mental note to wash them before he wore them again. He turned on the shower, checking the water temperature before he stepped in. He stepped into the shower, turning around to shut the shower curtain. As he did so, his arm hit the knob, sending a blast of scalding hot water onto his back. Jeff let out a short, loud, and abnormally high-pitched scream, slamming the knob back over to the right. This changed the water temperature from scalding to freezing, and Jeff screamed again. The second scream was even louder and higher-pitched than the first. Jeff finally managed to adjust the water temperature to somewhere in between the two extremes and relaxed against the shower wall. He picked up the shampoo bottle from the little ledge on the wall, squeezing a big puddle of blue shampoo from the bottle and lathering up his hair. He rinsed his hair and quickly got out of the shower, running a hand over his face. He slipped into a pair of boxers, looking into the mirror over the sink. Now that he was completely awake, he could see properly. He turned his head from side to side, examining the stubble beginning to form on his face. He picked up his razor from the sink, rubbing his eyes with one hand. The door opened, and Matt stuck his head into the bathroom. Jeff turned, slightly surprised, to see Matt standing in the doorway, looking tired with his curls hanging in his eyes. "You okay, little bro?" Jeff nodded, smiling, a little embarrassed. "What are you doing up so early?" Matt glanced around the bathroom, seeing that Jeff had already had a shower. "I was awake so I figured I'd let you sleep while I took a shower." Matt laughed. "What'd you do, burn yourself?" "Well...yeah. And then I tried to fix it, and it was cold." "So that's why you were screaming like a girl." Matt nodded his head, an amused look on his face. He looked into Jeff's face and then ducked his head as he tried to keep from laughing. After a few seconds of struggling, he couldn't help it. He burst out laughing and laughed for at least a good minute or two. When Matt finally stopped laughing, wiping the tears out of his eyes, he saw that Jeff was trying to keep a smile off his face. "Sorry, Jeffro. But if you had heard yourself screaming, you'd be laughing too." Matt turned and walked over to his duffel bag to get a fresh change of clothes, shaking his head. Jeff turned back to the sink and carefully shaved over the old design. When he was finished he turned to his duffel bag, digging out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He stepped into the jeans and pulled his shirt over his head, running his hands through his now-unruly hair. He searched desperately for a brush, finally finding Matt's on the floor under the sink. The brush was covered in Matt hairs, but Jeff didn't care. He slowly pulled the brush through his hair, gathering it into a small ponytail and securing it with a little black rubber band. He pulled his Hardy Boyz hat down over his hair and grabbed his duffel bag as he walked out of the bathroom. Jeff threw his bag onto the recently-made bed, grabbing a granola bar from the pile of food on the table. He unwrapped it, throwing the paper onto the floor and chewing as he slipped a CD into his CD player. As Metallica began playing out of the CD player, Jeff turned around and saw Matt walking across the floor to the bathroom, his pile of fresh clothes in his arms. He couldn't help but stare. Matt looked amazing, even though he had just woken up. Jeff blinked, trying to make it a little less obvious that he was staring. He turned around, looking down at the table until he heard the bathroom door close. Then he turned around and sat down on the bed to wait for Matt to emerge. He leaned back onto his elbows, nodding his head a little with the music and trying to come up with a plan for them on their day off. When Matt finally emerged from the bathroom, he was wearing jeans and a Hardy Boyz t-shirt. He was brushing his hair, occasionally stopping to pull blonde hairs from his brush. "Hey Matt, what do you wanna do today?" Matt stopped, looking at Jeff and thinking. "I dunno. It's our day off. You pick something." Jeff grinned, reaching over and turning off the CD player. "Well...can we go shopping?" "Shopping?" Matt raised an eyebrow doubtfully. "Please, Matty? It's been forever since we've been shopping. It's fun. You need new clothes, anyway." Matt rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess." Jeff jumped up from the bed, smiling. "Thanks, Matt. We'll have fun, I promise." "Okay, fine. But right now I want some breakfast. I'm starving. Have you eaten?" "A little, but we could go downstairs and get something off that breakfast bar thing." Matt nodded, putting his hairbrush down on the table and gathering up his keys and wallet and numerous other things. He slipped the key card into his back pocket, picking his jacket up from the other bed. "Good idea. Then we'll shop." As Matt walked toward the door, he smiled at Jeff, who returned the smile as he opened the door and held it for Matt. They walked down the hallway, squinting up their eyes at the bright sunlight that filtered in from the wide-open window curtains. They rode the elevator down to the lobby, Jeff humming along with the elevator music as the doors closed. "So what exactly are we shopping for?" Matt asked, turning to Jeff with a suspicious look in his eyes. "Oh, I don't know. Just...anything." He smiled, attempting to look innocent, but failing miserably. As the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened, the two brothers saw Shane sitting at one of the little tables off to the side of the lobby. They stepped out, heading toward the breakfast bar. They loaded up a plate with a few bagels and cereal and apples and grabbed some juice, then headed in Shane's direction. They approached his table, which was empty except for him, and Matt leaned down a little to get his attention. "Is this seat taken?" Shane looked up from his food, cream cheese from his bagel smeared all over his face. "Oh, no way. Sit down, guys." He wiped his face on a napkin as Matt and Jeff sat down in the two chairs across the table from their friend. He looked up at them and grinned, apparently glad that they were there to keep him company. "So, what are you two doing up so early today? I figured you'd be sleeping in. Jeff looked about dead on his feet last night on the way back out to the parking lot." Jeff shrugged a little, taking a big bite of bagel. "Well, Jeff decided that we should go shopping." Matt turned to look at Jeff with one eyebrow raised. "Cool. Sounds fun." Shane nodded, taking another bite of his food. "What are you doing today, Shane?" Jeff put his food down long enough to question Shane. "I dunno." Shane shrugged. "Not too much of anything, I guess." Matt looked at Jeff, wondering what he had in mind. "Well, you wanna come with us? It'll be fun." Jeff smiled at Shane, hoping that he would say yes. "I dunno. I guess if you don't mind..." "So you'll come?" Jeff asked hopefully. "Sure. Why not?" Shane smiled, finishing his bagel. "When are you guys going?" "Right now sounds good to me," Jeff said, tossing the rest of his breakfast into a trashcan near the wall. Matt stood up, stretching his arms over his head and digging his keys out of his pocket. The other two boys stood up as well, walking out toward the lobby. "So," Shane asked, popping his knuckles. "What are you guys shopping for?" Matt sighed. "I have no idea." "Okay. Jeff, what are you guys shopping for?" Jeff shrugged, smiling. "Clothes? I dunno. Whatever I see." They left through the lobby doors, walking around to the side parking lot and piling into Matt's car. Jeff sat up front, leaving Shane to stretch out on the backseat as Matt put the keys into the ignition and started the car. As Matt pulled out of the parking lot, Jeff leaned forward in his seat and turned on the radio. He hit the preset buttons, switching from station to station until he finally found something he liked. Jeff cranked up the volume as a very high-pitched but pretty girl's voice began blaring out of the radio. "Well?" Jeff said, turning around in his seat to look at Shane, who was stretched across the backseat with his arms behind his head. Before Shane had a chance to answer, Jeff turned back around and rolled down the window. "I love this song," he said, talking a little louder than normal to be heard over the music. The song was 'Bring Me To Life' by Evanescence. Jeff hadn't really liked that song when he had heard that it was going to be the theme for No Way Out. Then the Daredevil movie came out, and Matt suggested that the two of them go together. It had only been a couple of weeks ago, but now Jeff loved that song. That song was also his favorite at the moment. Going to see that movie with Matt had meant a lot to Jeff, especially since they hardly ever got to do those kinds of things anymore. "Wake me up inside/ Wake me up inside/ Call my name and save me from the nothing I've become..." Jeff sang loudly and slightly off-key, hitting the high notes with ease. When he saw that he was getting a reaction from Matt and Shane, who were smiling and shaking their heads, he closed his eyes and put his whole voice into it. He also went into head-banger mode, causing Matt and Shane to burst out laughing. "That's definitely the career for you, Jeff." Shane said, gasping for air. Jeff nodded, giving Shane a glance before turning to look at Matt. "What do you think, Matt? Future rock star?" Matt turned his attention away from his driving for a few seconds to glance over at his brother before smiling and shaking his head again. "Definitely." Matt soared through a green light, making a right turn onto the little tree-lined road that led to the mall. He pulled into an empty parking space, turning off the radio and taking the keys from the ignition. "We're here, guys." Matt opened the door and got out of the car, locking the doors before slamming it shut. The other two did the same thing and the three of them began walking toward the mall entrance. "So, where first?" Jeff asked, turning to look at his brother and Shane. "It's up to you. It was your idea to come here, after all." Matt smiled at Jeff, stepping up onto the sidewalk and pulling open one of the heavy glass doors, holding it for the other two. "Okay, then. Let's see what's here." Jeff stopped in the entrance, bouncing up and down on his feet and scanning the crowds of people inside. The mall was big, but all one level. A long walkway stretched away, lined with shops. Then the walkway split into a food court and two more walkways, each heading off in a different direction. "See anything interesting?" Shane asked, stepping up to stand next to Jeff. "Yeah," Jeff said, walking off in the direction of a dark, gothic- looking little store. Matt and Shane followed him, exchanging a curious look as they walked along behind Jeff. When he reached the store, he walked in, looking around and immediately heading toward the back of the large store. The speakers were blasting heavy rap-metal music, and Matt winced as he walked through the door. Jeff walked over to a shelf and began going through the clothes. He pulled down a pair of extremely baggy pants with at least five chains wrapping around the waist and hanging down to knee level. "These are so awesome," he said, turning to Matt. Then a lime green pair of cargos caught his eye, and he went over and pulled them down from a rack. Making sure to find the baggiest pair possible, he tossed them to Shane. "These are definitely you," he said, grinning smugly at his friend, who looked absolutely horrified. "I dunno, Shane. Jeff does have a point there," Matt told him, trying to keep from laughing. That was when a third pair of pants hit him in the chest, and he fumbled to catch them, caught off guard. "What are these? I'm not wearing these." Matt held them pants out in front of him, examining them closely. They were made out of thick, heavy velvet material, and were blood red. The legs were huge, enough for at least three people's legs. "Try 'em on, guys. At least let me have a little fun." Shane was about to refuse when Jeff made that irresistible puppy-dog face. Shane sighed. "Fine. But then we get to dress you!" Jeff nodded. "It's a deal, boys." The three of them went around to the side of the store and into the dressing rooms. Jeff grinned as he entered one of the little cubicles, shutting the door and changing quickly. He took his shirt off, changing into the pants, which were hugely baggy but which he loved. Jeff threw open the door, jumping out into the main part of the dressing room as the other two doors opened. When Matt and Shane emerged, Jeff started cracking up. Both boys were shirtless, and Matt's pants were too big. They slipped down to below his waist, barely staying up while showing at least an inch of his boxers. The pants legs were huge, and they looked absolutely wrong on Matt. Shane's pants, however, looked exactly like something that he should be wearing. The lime green color matched his Hurricane personality perfectly, and the legs were loaded down with pockets. They were a little too baggy, but Jeff loved the way they looked. "What are you laughing at?" Matt asked, hitching his pants up a little, only to have them fall back down. "You, Matt." Jeff started cracking up again as Matt attempted to take a step forward, but found that he couldn't because of the insane length. "You look like a pimp, man." Shane said, smirking a little. "Look at you! You aren't much better." Shane laughed as Matt again tried to keep the pants from falling off. "At least I'm not lost in them." Matt frowned, then suddenly burst out laughing. This got all three of them laughing, and they stood there in the dressing room and laughed until tears were streaming down all their faces. "Okay. I admit, I did that on purpose. Shane, you actually don't look too bad. But Matt...you need to take those things off." Jeff wiped the tears from his face, grinning and walking back into the dressing room to put his jeans and his t-shirt back on, not bothering to close the door. He emerged in his regular clothes, waiting as Matt and Shane took off Jeff's choices of clothing. When the three of them walked back out into the store, Jeff decided to buy the huge black pants with the million different chains. Shane and Matt commented about how they wouldn't pay that much for a bunch of metal strapped onto some jeans, but then they agreed that it was completely Jeff's style, and that he was one of the few that could probably pull it off. As Jeff turned and walked away from the counter, Shane grabbed his arm and Matt walked closely on the other side. "Now it's your turn, Jeffy." Shane smiled mischievously as they headed back out into the main area of the mall, both Shane and Matt scanning the stores with their eyes. Suddenly, Matt's entire face lit up and he pointed across the walkway. Shane grinned and the two of them began pulling Jeff toward the store. When Jeff saw where they were dragging him to, he groaned loudly. "Oh, come on, guys. Not there! Anywhere but there." "Nope. Sorry, Jeff, but you agreed," Shane said, smiling at Matt. Jeff groaned again, sighing and giving in as they pulled him through the doors of Abercrombie & Fitch. As soon as they entered the store, Shane and Matt began running around, grabbing things off shelves and pulling items of clothing down off racks and comparing until they had found the perfect thing for Jeff. Then, arms loaded down with clothes, Shane and Matt pushed Jeff toward the back of the store, toward the sign marked 'dressing rooms'. They entered the dressing room, shoving Jeff into a little cubicle as he protested. "Hey, wait a minute. What in hell makes you think I'm gonna put this on my body?" Matt smirked smugly and shoved all the clothes into Jeff's arms, pulling the door closed. Then both he and Shane started laughing hysterically. After what seemed like forever, both of them had stopped laughing. Shane grinned at Matt and then turned around to bang on the door. "What's taking so long? You're not stuck or anything, are you?" They could both hear Jeff groan from inside. "I look like an idiot. A preppy idiot." "Come out, then!" Matt said, trying the door handle. It wasn't locked, so he shoved the door open. Jeff was leaning up against the wall, but quickly stood up straight as Matt opened the door. When Shane and Matt saw Jeff, they both started laughing again. Jeff was dressed in long khaki shorts, a navy blue polo shirt, and a preppy fisherman's hat. He looked so ridiculous standing there wearing those clothes with his dyed hair and black nails that Shane and Matt couldn't help but laugh. That's when Shane, who was wearing black cargos, seemed to remember something. He began searching in his pockets and pulled out a disposable camera. When Jeff saw what it was, his eyes grew wide and he opened his mouth to protest, but before he could say anything, Shane raised the camera and snapped a picture. Jeff blinked, realizing slowly what Shane had just done. Then he sprang forward, attempting to take the camera away from him, but sadly failing. "Go take those stupid ass clothes off, Jeffro," Matt said, laughing. Smiling a little and shaking his head, Jeff turned around and went back into the dressing room, returning a few minutes later in his regular clothes. The three of them turned around to leave the store, avoiding a few preppy girls who gave them strange looks. Jeff elbowed Matt, sticking out his tongue. Matt crossed his eyes at him and elbowed him in the side. Then Jeff turned to Shane, shoving him lightly. "Shane, man, I can't believe you did that. It's bad enough you two putting me in those clothes, even worse you taking a picture of it. I'll never hear the end of this." "You got that right," Shane replied, scrunching up his face and then laughing at his friend. Jeff shook his head again, giving his older brother a disbelieving look. As the three of them reached the middle of the mall, Shane suddenly stopped, motioning toward a huge plant in the middle of the walkway. Matt looked at him strangely. "Go stand there. Both of you." Shane motioned toward the plant again, and the two brothers exchanged a look before going to stand in front of the plant. As they neared the plant, Shane dug his camera back out of his pocket, and Matt and Jeff exchanged another look before leaning in toward each other. "There you go. Now you get the idea. Now smile. Yeah, Jeff, you too. Smile." The brothers smiled, Matt's arm around Jeff's shoulders and Jeff's arm around Matt's waist. Shane held up the camera and clicked the button. He wound the camera, depositing it back into his pocket, and walked over to join Matt and Jeff in front of the plant. "Now where, boys?" Shane asked, bouncing up and down on his feet. Matt shrugged, looking around. "I dunno, Shane. Where do you want to go?" Shane looked around, stepping to one side to be able to see around the plant. Suddenly, his entire face lit up. "Ooh!" The expression on his face was one of pure joy. "What? Shane?" Jeff leaned around the plant, trying to figure out what had Shane so excited. Shane grabbed Matt and Jeff by their arms and began running toward a store. When they saw where he was leading them, they both exchanged a look, laughing. He was dragging them toward a store called "Superheroes". CH 4 Hey guys. It's been a little while, and I know that a couple of people wanted me to continue with the mall thing, but I decided to just drop that and start the next chapter with something else. So, sorry about the dropped thread. I think the last chapter ended nicely. I really needed this chapter to lead up to what happens next. It doesn't seem huge, but it's really important to the story line, so just stay with me on this, k? Thanks for all those peeps that reviewed, I LOVE YOU GUYS! Nice to know I have some fans, know what I mean? Anyway. Sorry about all the talking. On with the story. ~*~*~* Jeff sat backstage, lacing up his boots. He glanced up every now and then at the monitor, watching as matches passed by. He sat up straight, stretching and glancing at his watch. Ten minutes to go. Matt came walking into the room, having been ready for quite some time. He smiled at Jeff and came over to sit down next to him, glancing up at the monitor as well. Not interested, Matt turned back to Jeff, who didn't seem as excited as usual. "What's wrong, Jeffro?" Matt asked, putting his arm around his little brother's waist and pulling him closer. "I don't know," Jeff said, leaning closer to Matt. "I don't feel too great." "Do you want to go back to the hotel?" Matt asked, his forehead wrinkling in concern. "No, I'll be okay," Jeff replied, leaning on Matt's shoulder. "I might just need some water." "I'll get you some," Matt said, standing to go find his little brother some water before their match started. Jeff watched Matt until he was out of sight, then leaned forward on the bench he was sitting on. He put his face in his hands, rocking back and forth. He could feel his skin beneath his fingers, and it was cold and sweaty. He took a deep breath, fighting down the urge to puke. He didn't know what was wrong with him, but he had been feeling really depressed for a couple of days. Jeff looked up as Matt returned with a bottle of water in his hand. Matt sat back down on the bench beside Jeff and opened the water before handing it to his brother, his face still troubled. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Matt asked. Jeff nodded as he ran a hand through his hair, staring down at the water for a few seconds before leaning back and taking a long drink. "I'm sure," he said, wiping his forehead on the back of his hand. A guy dressed in a black WWE shirt and wearing a headset stepped into the room from the hallway. "Matt, Jeff? You guys have five minutes. You need to be backstage." "We'll be right there," Matt said, nodding. When the guy left, Matt turned to look at his younger brother. "Last chance. Are you sure you want to go out there? You don't look too well." "How can you tell, around the paint?" Jeff asked, smiling. Matt grinned, shaking his head. "Let's go," Jeff said, standing up and putting the water down next to his bag. Matt stood as well, and the two brothers walked out of the room and down the hallway, toward the backstage area. They passed Test on the way back from his match, who nodded a greeting as he wiped the sweat from his face with a towel. When the two boys reached the backstage area, they stood around out of the way, watching the monitors. Matt looked over at Jeff as they waited for the music to end. Jericho and Benoit were walking down the ramp at the moment, making their entrance, which didn't interest Matt. He saw that Jeff's face was still a little pale, but he had that steely look in his eyes. He was determined to go out there, even if he ended up puking all over Chris Jericho. Matt snapped back out of his thoughts as the lights came back on. The crowd began cheering, and the lights dimmed again. Matt grabbed Jeff's hand and gave it a squeeze as they moved closer to the curtain, Jeff giving Matt a small smile. They both turned back to the curtain as their music began playing, and someone gave them both a small push from behind. As the two of them ran out onto the ramp, the crowd cheered louder. Matt smiled and looked over at Jeff, right as he leaped up into the air, landing squarely on both feet and giving the Hardy Boyz Gunnz. Then they both broke into a run, sliding into the ring. Matt pushed himself up, standing and looking over at Jericho, who was flexing his arm muscles with a conceited smile. Glancing at Jeff one last time, he climbed out through the ropes, standing on the apron as he heard the bell. Jeff bounced a little on his feet, staring Jericho down. Then the two men suddenly lunged at each other, Jeff grabbing Jericho by the hair. Jericho tried to swing Jeff into the ropes, but the move was reversed and Jericho was smashed face-first into the turnbuckle. When Jericho pushed himself away from the turnbuckle, he turned around to find Jeff's fist smashing into his face. Jericho fell, giving Jeff an open shot for a leg-to-groin. The ref had his back turned for a few seconds, so Benoit took this as his chance to dive through the ropes and grab Jeff from behind, hitting him with a German suplex. The ref turned and saw Benoit getting up from the mat as Jeff was lying there in pain, and the ref pointed for Benoit to get out of the ring. Matt climbed through the ropes as this was happening, executing a very pretty elbow drop to Jericho, who was still lying where Jeff had left him. Matt quickly slid back out of the ring, standing on the apron again as the ref turned around. Jeff rolled over, slowly pulling himself up onto his knees. He crawled over to where Jericho was lying, punching him squarely across the jaw. When Jericho didn't react to this, Jeff punched him again, this time with a little more enthusiasm. Matt watched as Jericho rolled over, falling out of the ring and onto the floor. Matt could tell that Jeff was trying, but he was still really pale. Matt was beginning to worry that all of what Jeff was doing might not be an act. Matt turned to look at Benoit, who was bouncing up and down on the apron across from where Matt was standing. As Jericho rolled onto the floor, Jeff crawled under the bottom rope after him, looking up and giving Matt a truly pitiful look. Matt's heart was breaking for his baby brother, and he knew that Jeff really didn't feel like being there at all. Jeff reached down, hauling Jericho to his feet by his hair. Benoit jumped down onto the floor and ran around to Jeff's side of the ring, where he attacked Jeff from behind. Jeff was expecting it, and he tensed himself for it, knowing how strong Benoit was. However, his legs were beginning to feel weak, and he wished more than anything that he could be back at the hotel, curled up in bed with Matt. Jeff wasn't ready for the impact, and as Benoit's body met his, his legs collapsed under him. Matt saw the surprised look on Benoit's face, although he did a fairly good job of attempting to hide it. This wasn't part of the script, and all four of the men in the ring knew it. Matt climbed through the ropes into the ring, climbing up onto the turnbuckle. Benoit made a show of bending down to pull Jeff up, but Jeff opened his eyes to see a concerned look on Benoit's face. The guy might be a rabid wolverine, but he was pretty decent when it came to other people. Benoit heard the crowd cheering suddenly, and turned to look over his shoulder. As he did, he felt the weight of Matt's body come down on his back, and he fell to the floor next to the younger Hardy brother. By now, the script had gone out the window. Benoit didn't know what to do. He was supposed to go and beat up on Matt, but what if Jeff was hurt? And Jericho was supposed to come down and beat on Jeff, but as he lay there in the ring, he was almost afraid to. He had also seen Jeff collapse when he was hit by Benoit, and it hadn't even been a powerful impact. They were all worried about Jeff, who was lying on the floor, dizzy as hell and trying to clear his head enough to stand up and keep going. Finally, Jeff pulled himself to his feet, grabbing onto the apron and watching as Benoit and Matt attacked each other. When he was positive that they would keep at it, he leaned forward, attempting to signal Jericho, who was still in the ring. Jericho crawled closer, grabbed Jeff's hair, and punched him, seemingly in the face. "Chair?" Jericho mumbled as Jeff pulled back, grabbing onto the ropes and delivering a punch of his own. "Yeah," Jeff mumbled back, stumbling backwards away from the ring. Benoit turned around, seeing Jeff stumbling away from the ring. It seemed as though the last few pages of the script had somehow managed to keep from flying out the window, and Jeff and Jericho were desperately trying to get back to it. Jeff leaned forward, resting his forearms and forehead on the apron, waiting for Jericho's chair shot. He could hear the sounds of Benoit and Matt beating on each other behind him, and he finally heard the scrape of steel on the floor as Jericho removed Lillian's chair. He tensed up again, lifting his head and turning, a little later than he was supposed to. Instead of the chair hitting him on the top and side of the head, it hit him squarely on the forehead, low enough so that it hurt more than it was supposed to. Jeff grabbed his head, stumbling back against a turnbuckle. He didn't have to sell this one. Jericho tossed the chair away, striding toward Jeff and grabbing him by the hair. Jeff was swung around, and his head hit the barrier. A few front-row fans gasped as he fell to the floor, still holding his head. He didn't have anything left to do from here except sit and let himself be beat on by Jericho. Matt was supposed to go for the pin, the Hardy Boyz were supposed to lose. This set up their match next week, a rematch of sorts between the two tag teams. Jeff raised his head to meet Jericho's punches, and he glimpsed out of the corner of his eye a flash of movement. He turned his head in time to see Benoit lift Matt over his head, going for a suplex. Jeff's eyes widened, and Jericho turned his head as well. He quickly forgot about the punches he was supposed to be delivering as he saw the same thing that Jeff had seen. Benoit had accidentally moved the steps when he and Matt had been fighting earlier. They were now in the way, and there was no way that Benoit could avoid smashing Matt into them. Benoit must have seen the steps out of the corner of his eye, and the entire crowd gasped as Matt's body came down onto the steps. At the last minute, Benoit twisted to attempt to avoid the steps, but instead Matt just landed on his side instead of his back. As Matt's ribs connected with the steps, he folded in half. Benoit rolled away from the Hardy Boy, and Matt bunched his body into a ball, grabbing his ribs and squeezing his eyes tightly shut. The four men were stuck again. Benoit was supposed to drag Matt into the ring for the pinfall, but he was apparently hurt. Matt Hardy was hurt bad, and there wasn't a thing they could do about it at the moment. Jeff leaned forward from where he had been sitting against the barrier. He slowly dragged himself toward the ring, and Benoit turned, seeing him. Benoit realized what he was planning and reached down, tossing him into the ring. Jeff rolled onto his back, lying still as Benoit quickly swept him into a pin, the ref seemingly counting more quickly than usual. When the bell rang, Lillian announced the winners of the match, but neither Benoit nor Jericho were listening. They were both worried about their two friends, Jericho more than Benoit. Jeff was still lying on his back in the ring, fighting down the waves of sickness that were once again threatening to overtake his body. Slowly, he rolled over and crawled toward the side of the ring, knowing that he had to be strong for his older brother. Matt always took care of him, but now the situation was reversed. Jeff half-fell, half-slid down onto the floor, almost falling but catching himself on the ropes. He stumbled over to where Matt was still lying, curled up into a ball on the floor, clutching at his ribs. Jeff knelt down next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist and leaning down so that Matt could hear what he was saying over the roar of the fans booing Jericho and Benoit, who were now both in the ring. "You'll be okay. I promise." The scared look in Jeff's eyes broke Matt's heart as he looked up at his younger brother, who was trying so hard to be strong for him when Jeff was so obviously sick and scared and wanting to be somewhere else. Jeff tightened his grip on Matt's waist and Matt put his arm around Jeff's shoulder, holding on tightly. Jeff clenched his teeth and pulled Matt into a standing position. Matt gasped in pain, but Jeff kept going, knowing that he needed to get them both backstage. The two brothers slowly stumbled back up the ramp to the backstage area, the crowd not as loud as they were before. By the time they got backstage, Jeff was shaking from the effort of supporting his older brother's body weight. From the moment they walked through the curtain, they were surrounded by people. People were running around in WWE t-shirts and shouting directions at each other, all of which made Jeff's head hurt. Jericho appeared out of nowhere, slipping his arm around Matt's waist and helping support him. "Are you okay, Matt?" Jericho asked, his face pale. "I dunno. I think...I think I might've broken something," Matt replied through gritted teeth. Jericho motioned toward an empty dressing room, and the two men helped Matt into it. They placed him on the couch inside, where he sat stiffly, still clutching his ribs. As soon as the weight of Matt's body was off of his shoulders, Jeff collapsed into a sitting position on the floor in front of the couch. "Jeff? What about you?" Jericho knelt down in front of Jeff, reaching out a hand and tilting his head upwards so that Chris could see into the younger Hardy's face. "I'm...fine," Jeff said, sitting up a little bit straighter and taking a deep breath. Jericho nodded, standing up again, and hesitated a moment before turning and running out into the hallway. There he proceeded to flag down the staff guy who was running around with an EMT, shouting for the Hardy Boyz. "They're in here," Jericho called, waving at the distracted staff guy. The EMT followed Jericho back into the dressing room, where he looked the two boys over. "Okay. So, what's the problem here?" The EMT looked from one Hardy to the other, attempting to decide who looked worse. "We think Matt's busted his ribs," Jericho said, stepping up behind the EMT. "And something's wrong with Jeff," Matt said, wincing a little as he spoke. The EMT leaned down and lifted Matt's shirt, examining the ribs that Matt had been holding. The area was swollen and a bruise was already beginning to form. He touched the wound gently, and Matt gasped sharply at the contact. The EMT stood up again. "I think they're only bruised, but there's still a chance they might be broken. The only way to tell is with an x-ray. We can give you a couple of pills to ease the pain for now, but you'll have to go get that checked out before anybody can write you a prescription." The EMT let Matt's shirt drop back down over his side and moved to where he was standing in front of Jeff. "And what seems to be wrong with you?" The EMT bent down, but Jeff pulled his knees up to his chest and looked straight into the man's eyes. "I'm fine," he said calmly. "Are you sure? You don't look fine," he said, eyeing Jeff suspiciously. "I'm sure. I just need to sleep awhile. I'll be fine," he said again, pulling his knees tighter against his body. The EMT sighed, standing up again. After giving Jericho instructions to bring both boys down to the medical room, the EMT left. Jeff glanced over at Jericho, then climbed up onto the couch next to his older brother. He leaned his head onto Matt's shoulder, his face still pale and his body still shaking. He was suddenly very, very cold. Jeff wrapped his arms around himself, attempting to keep warm. Matt noticed as he did this, wrapping his free arm around Jeff's waist and pulling him closer. "It'll be okay," Matt whispered. "I promise." * * * When they got back to the hotel, Jeff was dizzy and stumbling on his feet. Matt had gone to see the doctor, and his ribs had been taped up and a prescription written out for painkillers. The EMTs had urged him to get the prescription filled then, but it hurt to sit up straight, and he didn't want to drive any more than he had to. Not only that, but Jeff was paler than ever and swaying on his feet. No matter how many times Matt asked if he was okay, though, he was always "fine". Matt looked at his brother just then and saw how tightly his jaw was clenched and that insane determined look that he had in his eyes, and he didn't think it was possible to love a person as much as he loved Jeff at that moment. Jeff drove them both back to the hotel so that Matt could lie down in the backseat. "You really should let me drive you to get that prescription filled," Jeff said from the front seat. "No. I just wanna go back to the hotel." Jeff sighed. "Well then let me drop you off and I'll go." "No," Matt said, sitting up a little. Then, a little more quietly, "I want you there with me." Jeff smiled a little, nodding. "Okay. We'll go to the hotel." They stopped at a red light, then turned into the hotel parking lot. Jeff parked the car, pulling the keys out of the ignition and putting them into his pocket. He got out of the car and went around to the back, opening the trunk. He took both his and Matt's duffel bags out of the trunk and slung them both over his shoulder before closing the trunk. Walking around and opening the door, Jeff helped Matt out of the back seat of the car. He shut the car door and locked it, then turned and the two of them began to struggle toward the hotel's front doors. They struggled across the parking lot, walking slowly and Jeff making sure not to hurt Matt's ribs. They finally made it through the front doors and into the lobby. They went straight to the elevator, Matt reaching out to press the button. He was almost feeling sorry for Jeff now, having to carry Matt as well as both of their bags. Even though they were close to the same size, Jeff still managed to somehow be smaller. Matt knew that he was a bit bulkier, and not only that, but Jeff looked like he was about to pass out. Finally, the elevator doors slid open and the two of them practically fell into the elevator. Both brothers leaned against the wall, giving Jeff some time to breathe before having to drag Matt down the hall to their room. Matt slipped his arm around Jeff's shoulders, pulling him close and kissing his forehead. "I love you more than anything," he whispered. Jeff carefully took Matt into his arms and leaned his head against Matt's neck. He breathed in the smell of Matt's hair, smiling. They were both perfectly content until the elevator doors opened and Jeff realized that they had reached their floor. Slipping his arm around Matt again, he helped Matt walk down to their room, which fortunately wasn't very far away. Jeff dug Matt's wallet out of the side of his duffel bag, searching around in it for the keycard. When he finally found it, he slipped the card into the little slot on the door and jammed the wallet back into the bag. His legs were shaking by now, and he felt sure that he was about to throw up. They made their way into the room, Jeff depositing Matt onto the bed before going back to lock the door. Jeff groaned as he made his way back over in the general direction of the bed where Matt was sitting. "Are you sure you're okay?" Jeff could hear the concern in Matt's voice. "I'll be fine," he answered weakly, dropping the bags onto the floor. He opened one and began searching for clothes before realizing that it wasn't his. When he came to this conclusion, he pushed the bag out of the way and began looking through the other bag. When he finally found a clean pair of pajama pants to sleep in, he went into the bathroom and quickly changed and brushed his teeth. He managed to make a huge mess in the sink with the toothpaste, and left his clothes in a pile on the floor as he turned to look out at Matt. Matt was staring at him, eyebrows raised critically. When Jeff saw this, he stepped out of the bathroom and picked Matt's bag up off of the floor, putting it on the bed. Jeff sighed, carefully helping Matt remove his shirt. Then he turned around and started pulling the comforter down off of the bed while Matt finished undressing. When Matt had stripped down to his boxers, he shoved his bag off into the floor. Then he slowly stood up and walked around to sit on the side of the bed. "Come on, Jeffro. Let's go to sleep." Jeff nodded, turning off the lamp and crawling up onto the bed next to Matt. The two of them maneuvered themselves down under the cool sheets, Jeff wrapping his arms around Matt as gently as he could. "Why so quiet?" Matt asked, running his fingers through Jeff's hair. "I dunno," Jeff said, his voice almost a whisper. Matt sighed. "I don't believe you." Jeff turned his head to look into Matt's eyes, which were bright and clear and beautiful. Jeff squirmed a little before looking away. "I've...I've just been feeling really out of it the last couple of days," he said, playing with Matt's fingers. "Anything wrong? You can tell me anything." Matt's voice was calm and loving, and Jeff looked back up into his face. "I know," Jeff said, not breaking eye contact this time. Matt examined his face for a moment. "Okay," he said slowly. "But what about that thing with Benoit today? What was that all about?" "I dunno, I...I just wasn't feeling great. I don't know what happened. I tried to be ready for it, I really did, but I just couldn't take it that time." The look in Jeff's eyes was desperate, as if he was pleading with Matt to believe him. Matt nodded, wrapping one arm around Jeff's back and pulling him close. With the other hand, he stroked Jeff's hair, listening to his calm breathing. It wasn't long before they were both asleep. * * * Jeff woke up drenched in sweat. He had kicked off the sheets, and he was shaking. Glancing over at the clock, he saw that it was almost three in the morning. Jeff sat up, pulling his knees up to his chest and rocking back and forth. He wiped some of the sweat from his face and took a deep, calming breath. He turned his head, looking down at Matt. He was still sleeping, his hair fanned out beautifully on the pillow. A sudden wave of nausea overtook him, and he struggled to get off the bed. He stumbled his way into the bathroom, slamming the light switch and barely making it to the toilet before he threw up. He stayed that way, bent over the toilet, for a good minute or two. He coughed and retched and, when he was finally finished, his knees gave out on him. He expected to feel the cold tile against his skin, but he was caught around the waist by two strong arms. Jeff struggled to stand up, and Matt led him over to sit against the wall. Turning to the sink, he turned on the water and held a washcloth under the running stream, then turned the water off. "You told me you were okay," Matt said, sitting down next to him with a wince. He leaned over and held the cool cloth against Jeff's forehead. "I thought I would be," Jeff said, still shaking. They sat that way a minute before Jeff asked, "How long were you there?" "Ever since you got out of bed," Matt replied. "I held your hair." Jeff turned to look up into his older brother's face and realized, not for the first time, how beautiful he was when he had just woken up. "What are you smiling about?" Matt asked suddenly. Jeff hadn't realized that he was smiling. "Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "Go back to bed, Jeff. I'll take care of this." Jeff stood quickly, helping Matt up from his sitting position. "No way. You're the one who's hurt, not me." Matt gave Jeff a look, hesitating. "You sure? You're sick." Jeff shrugged. "I know, but it's no big deal. You need to sleep." That concerned crease had managed to work its way back onto Matt's forehead. "Apparently it is a big deal. You were so sick that you didn't even know I was there." "But I know now," Jeff said, running a hand along the side of Matt's face. "And I'm not letting you tell me no. Go back to bed." Matt hesitated once more. "Go!" Jeff urged, turning Matt in the direction of the doorway. When Matt was back under the sheets, Jeff cleaned up the bathroom. Around five minutes later, after he had hunted up some aspirin for his aching head, he returned to bed to find Matt still awake. "You sure you're gonna be okay?" Matt asked, snuggling closer to Jeff. "I'm sure. What about you? Does it hurt much?" He touched Matt's bandage lightly, only to see him wince. "Not much," he said softly, but Jeff could tell that he was lying. Jeff sighed, burying his face in Matt's hair. "I love you, Matt." "I love you, too, Jeff." CH 5 Matt woke up the next morning to find that he was still holding Jeff in his arms. He looked down at the younger man, whose hair was splayed across the pillow in a rainbow of colors. Matt slowly slipped out of Jeff's grasp and out of the bed, easing himself into a standing position. He lightly touched his injured ribs, wincing at the slight amount of pressure. He made his way to the bathroom, turning on the light and picking his toothbrush up from the sink. As he brushed his teeth, he thought over the events from the night before, trying to remember when Jeff had first started feeling sick. He had been fine on the drive over to the arena, and he had then gone off on his own, promising Matt that he would be back in time to get ready for the match. Matt hadn't seen him again until he had located him in the locker room, alone. Matt finished brushing his teeth and put the toothbrush back where it belonged. He sighed as he splashed some water on his face and then dried his face and hands on a towel. Walking back out into the room, Matt dug through his duffel bag for some clothes. He found a pair of clean jeans and pulled them on, buttoning and zipping them and then picking his belt up from the table and putting it on. "Matt?" Matt turned to see a tired Jeff sitting up in bed. He walked around to the side of the bed, sitting down next to his little brother. Reaching over, he brushed a few strands of hair out of those pretty green eyes. "Hey, Jeffro. How ya feeling?" Jeff looked down at the rumpled sheets, shrugging. "I'm okay." He glanced back up at Matt. "What about you? Are you feeling any better?" Matt smiled, noticing Jeff's tendency to always worry about somebody else, even when he was sick. "I'm feeling pretty good at the moment. Still hurts, though." Jeff had been looking down at the bed again, but now he raised his head and looked at Matt with that deep, almost sad, look on his face that he got whenever he was really thinking about something. "What?" Matt asked gently. Jeff shook his head a little, the look disappearing. "Nothing," he said, looking at Matt for a few more seconds. Then he stood, looking back at Matt as he walked over to the table, attempting to find something to eat. "Where are you going?" Jeff asked, turning around to face his brother and talking through a mouthful of powdered donut. He leaned back against the table, holding on to the edge as he chewed his donut. "Nowhere," Matt said, standing up from the bed and walking over to lean against the table next to Jeff. "Why are you dressed, then?" Jeff had that suspicious look in his eye, but Matt looked away. "I was just awake, is all." Matt attempted to reinforce this statement with a small smile, but faltered and sighed when he saw how carefully Jeff was studying him. "You're lying," Jeff decided, rubbing his eyes. It was then that Matt realized how tired Jeff looked. He wasn't just leaning on the table, he was supporting himself against it, holding on to the edge so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. Not only that, but his eyes were red and his face was still a little pale. "Fine. I was going to go pick up those painkillers myself." Jeff was quiet for a few seconds, looking into his older brother's face. "You won't, will you? Let me change into some clothes and I'll drive you." Matt opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, Jeff had picked up his bag and locked himself in the bathroom. Matt shook his head, staring down at the floor for a few more seconds before bending over and digging through his bag again, looking for a shirt. He pulled out a Live For The Moment t-shirt and pulled it on, standing up and running his fingers through his hair. He made the bed as he impatiently waited for Jeff to emerge from the bathroom. When he finished with the bed, he grabbed a granola bar from the table with all the food and started eating slowly. Matt turned his head as he heard the bathroom door open. Jeff walked out, putting his bag down next to the newly-made bed. He was wearing loose jeans and a plain white t-shirt, with his hair held back away from his face by a green bandana. Matt swallowed a bite of his granola bar, putting the uneaten portion on the table and standing directly in front of Jeff. "I don't want you to take me," Matt said. "What? Why?" Jeff stood with his hands in his back pockets, looking at Matt with a slightly confused look on his face. "Have you looked in the mirror at all yet? You look awful. You're sick, Jeff. You need sleep." Jeff's face went from confused to defensive. "I don't look that bad, and I'm not going back to sleep. I'm driving you to get those painkillers. You can't drive yourself, you're hurt. You're worse off than I am." "I'm not, Jeff. I feel fine, I told you. You should sleep. You'll feel better." Jeff shook his head stubbornly. "If you feel so great, then why are you going to get the painkillers at all?" Matt opened his mouth to argue, but then he realized that Jeff had him stuck without an argument. "Fine. You have me." Matt turned and sat down at the end of the bed, motioning for Jeff to sit next to him. Jeff hesitated, but then joined his brother. "I'll let you drive me if you sleep for awhile." Matt put his arm around Jeff's waist, playing with the back pocket on his jeans. Jeff looked defeated. He turned to look at Matt, his face tired and his eyes dull. "You have to promise you won't leave while I'm asleep." "I promise. I'll sleep with you." Jeff smiled, looking down at the carpet for a few seconds before he shook his head and started laughing. It took a few seconds for Matt to realize what he had just said. He stared for a minute, looking lost. He slowly thought over the previous conversation and then began laughing as well as he realized what he had just said to Jeff. "Dude, took you long enough." As they both stopped laughing, Matt leaned over and kissed Jeff on the side of the head. Jeff turned to look at him, smiling and playing with the hem of Matt's shirt. Then he leaned in slowly and gently brushed his lips against Matt's. The kiss was soft and gentle, and Jeff slowly pulled away after a few seconds. He looked into Matt's eyes and smiled. "Come on, Jeff," Matt said, returning the smile. "Sleep now." Matt leaned back on the bed, pulling Jeff down with him. Jeff put his arm around Matt's neck and played with a strand of hair. "You promise you'll let me take you? I don't want you to hurt yourself." The request came out as a whisper. "I won't hurt myself, Jeff. I'll stay." This seemed to be enough for Jeff, who then closed his eyes. It wasn't long before he was asleep. When his brother had been asleep for about fifteen minutes, Matt slowly removed himself from the bed, careful not to disturb Jeff. Then he picked up his wallet and keys from the table, sliding one of the hotel room keycards into his back pocket. He took one last look at Jeff before slipping quietly out the door. * * * Matt stepped out of the elevator and walked slowly back to the room he was sharing with his younger brother, holding his injured ribs. Jeff had been right. He should have let Jeff drive him. He had been gone for a little over an hour, and all the standing and walking and driving had made his ribs start to hurt again. He was glad that he had gotten the painkillers. 'But if he had taken me, I couldn't have gotten him this.' Matt thought, looking down at the CD that he now held in his hand. As he reached the hotel room door, he held the CD behind his back with his left hand and opened the door with the other. He opened the door slowly and stepped in, hoping that Jeff would still be asleep but knowing that he wouldn't be. "Where the hell have you been?" Jeff turned away from the window and stepped forward until he was standing directly in front of Matt, their faces only a few inches away. Jeff was mad, but Matt could tell that he was hurt as well. He was seething on the outside, but Matt had seen that sad look in his eyes before. "I'm sorry, Jeff." "Don't give me that. Matt, you promised-" Matt suddenly leaned forward and stopped Jeff in mid-sentence by capturing his mouth with a kiss. He rested his hand on the side of Jeff's face, the other hand still behind his back. The kiss lasted for a few more seconds until Matt pulled away, smiling at Jeff. Jeff still looked hurt, but then he slowly returned the smile. "I got you something," Matt said quietly. Jeff looked slightly confused, until Matt pulled the CD out from behind his back. "Here," he said, handing it to his brother. "Because this is what you are." Jeff took the CD and turned it over, examining the cover. It was the Daredevil soundtrack. Jeff's eyes widened and he grinned at Matt, leaping forward and throwing his arms around Matt's neck in a hug. "Thank you, Mattie. I'm sorry." Matt pulled away to look into Jeff's face, smiling and giving him a quick kiss. "No problem. And don't be sorry. I love you." "I love you, too." Jeff stood there, bouncing up and down and looking at Matt for a moment, and then he turned and ran over to the CD player, putting the CD in and pressing the play button. It wasn't long before loud, angry music began blasting from the speakers. Jeff looked absolutely thrilled. * * * The two brothers left their hotel room, walking down the hallway and giving each other the same knowing glance. Shannon had called earlier to ask if Matt and Jeff wanted to come and eat at the hotel restaurant. Shane was coming, too, and they thought that it might do the Boyz some good to get out of the hotel room and socialize. The Hardyz had been out with Shannon and Shane before, and it usually ended up with at least one, and sometimes all four of them, fall-down drunk. They met Shannon and Shane down at the restaurant a little after 7:00. The two of them were already sitting at a table and waved the two brothers over when they saw them standing in the doorway. It did both Matt and Jeff a lot of good to talk to two of their best friends, which they hadn't really done in a few days. Shannon and Shane were both concerned about Matt, but he assured them both that he would be fine. "Are you gonna skip your tag match next week, or what?" Shannon asked from across the table. Jeff looked over at Matt, waiting for the answer. Matt shrugged as he chewed his food. "I don't really know. I won't wrestle if Mr. McMahon doesn't want me to, but otherwise I might just wrestle anyway if it doesn't hurt too bad." They ate and talked and laughed for over an hour, and then Shannon and Shane decided that they wanted to grab some beer. Jeff and Matt usually weren't big drinkers, but they decided to get one, although they knew they probably wouldn't finish it anyway. One beer each for Shannon and Shane soon turned into two, then three, and then four. Pretty soon, the two of them were halfway drunk, while the two Hardy Boyz sat across the table with their first beers still in front of them, perfectly sober. They laughed for another hour, mostly Matt and Jeff laughing at the two others as they attempted to talk coherently while racking up the bill with numerous beer orders. When they finally left the restaurant, the Hardyz decided to walk Shannon and Shane back to their hotel room. The four of them stood in front of the elevator, Jeff reaching out and pushing the button. When the doors opened, Shannon swayed on his feet and Matt caught him, leading him into the elevator. Shane pretty much fell into the elevator, just barely catching himself on the wall. It was the longest elevator ride of Matt's life as Shannon clung to him, trying to keep from falling as the elevator moved. He jarred Matt's ribs a couple of times, causing him to wince. Jeff noticed, but didn't say anything as Matt gave him a pleading look. As the elevator came to a stop, Shane fell over backwards, grabbing onto Jeff and pulling him down with him. The two of them were lying in a heap on the floor as Matt tried not to laugh. Shannon, however, starting cracking up, doubling over with laughter. Pretty soon all four of them were laughing as Jeff attempted to pull himself and Shane back up into a standing position. When he had finally accomplished this, they all moved out of the elevator and into the hallway. "What's your room number again, Shannon?" Matt asked as they moved down the hall, trying to find the room. "378," he managed to slur out. "You dipshit, it's 389," Shane corrected. "Are you sure?" Shannon asked, looking over his shoulder at Shane and stumbling into Matt. "No," Shane said, laughing again as Jeff tried to keep him walking in a straight line. Matt sighed and reached into Shannon's back pocket for his wallet. Shannon started giggling uncontrollably, wriggling around and prolonging the wallet search. When Matt finally freed the wallet from Shannon's pocket, he dug through it for the room key. When he found it, he discovered that they were both wrong. They were in room number 308, right down the hall from himself and Jeff. Matt stopped in front of the door when they came to it, slipping the keycard into the lock. The light turned green and the door opened. Matt helped Shannon inside, Jeff following closely behind with Shane. Shannon broke free of Matt's grasp and stumbled over to the bed, sitting down at the end and then falling backwards onto the mattress, where he stayed. Shane soon joined him as the Hardy Boyz said goodnight and left the room. As soon as the door closed, they both started laughing, not stopping until they reached their own room. They walked into their hotel room, Jeff flipping the first light switch as they entered. Matt sat down on the end of the bed as Jeff went over to his CD player. Before long, the Daredevil CD started playing. Jeff turned it down low, just loud enough to be able to hear it at all. Then he went and sat down next to Matt. "How do you feel?" Matt asked, pushing his hair out of his eyes and looking at Jeff. "I feel fine," Jeff said, looking over at Matt, seeming slightly surprised. "What about you?" Jeff reached over and touched Matt's ribs gently. "Does it hurt bad?" he asked, looking up into Matt's brown eyes. Matt shook his head. "No, not bad. It could be better, though." Matt looked into Jeff's face for a few seconds before leaning forward and capturing his lips in a kiss. His eyes automatically closed and he wrapped his arms around Jeff's waist, enjoying the kiss. Jeff leaned forward, pressing close to Matt. Matt deepened the kiss before pulling away slightly to take a breath. Jeff pressed his lips to Matt's after only a few seconds, running his tongue along Matt's lip. They gently parted and Matt leaned back, pulling Jeff down onto the bed. Jeff rolled him onto his back and kneeled over him, never breaking the kiss. Matt's hands fumbled for Jeff's shirt, pulling it up. Their lips were forced to separate as Jeff's shirt came off over his head. Matt tossed it away into the floor as their lips met again. Matt's hand slid into the waist of Jeff's pants, carefully exploring. Jeff broke the kiss for a moment, breathing heavily. "No, Matt. I'm doing you." He grinned down at his older brother, an unfamiliar look in his eyes. He slid off the bed, digging desperately in his bag for something. When he returned, Matt saw that he had retrieved a bottle of lube from underneath all his clothes. Jeff tossed the lube onto the bed next to Matt and gently removed Matt's shirt. "I won't hurt you," Jeff whispered as he exposed the tape on Matt's ribs. "I know you won't," Matt whispered back as he leaned forward, pulling Jeff back down and struggling to undo his jeans. When they were finally undone, Jeff scrambled out of them, tossing them to the floor and kneeling over Matt in only his boxers. They met for another kiss, Jeff's hands traveling lightly down Matt's sides and tickling his stomach. This caused a sharp intake of breath from Matt as Jeff's hands quickly moved down to Matt's pants. His hands shook as he fumbled to get them off. He finally had the button undone and jerked them down to Matt's knees, where Matt kicked them off into the floor with the rest of their clothing. Then Matt broke the kiss yet again, letting his tongue travel over Jeff's neck and down to his collarbone. Jeff rested his hands on Matt's thighs as he found his face covered by Matt's hair. He reached up to move it out of his face just as Matt moved his tongue lower. He kissed Jeff's chest tenderly, then pressed hard with his tongue against the nipple. Jeff gasped, inhaling Matt's hair. He started choking again, causing Matt to look up. Then Matt started laughing. "What...you enjoy eating people's hair now?" Matt whispered mockingly. As Jeff attempted to regroup his brain enough to reply, Matt suddenly took Jeff's nipple back into his mouth, nipping it gently with his teeth. This caused Jeff to jerk forward, moaning and grabbing onto Matt's shoulder. Matt leaned back onto the bed to look up at Jeff, who kissed him again. He pressed close to Matt, feeling his erection against his own. Jeff reached down and jerked Matt's boxers off, tossing them over his shoulder before stripping off his own. "My turn," he said, grinning mischievously before propping his older brother's legs onto his shoulders. "Jeff...are you sure?" Matt managed to choke out. "I'm sure, Mattie," Jeff said, reaching down and rubbing his finger around Matt's opening. Matt gasped, his back arching and a deep moan escaping his lips. Jeff groaned as well, reaching for the lube and pouring some out into his hand. He gently inserted one finger into Matt's opening, pausing to allow Matt's body time to adjust. He then added another, and then a third. "You ready?" He asked, looking up at Matt. Matt raised his head, his hair hanging damply in his face. "I've been ready for this, Jeffro." Jeff removed his fingers and poured more lube into his hand, slicking himself up. He then slowly inserted himself into Matt, closing his eyes in pleasure as he did so. When he was in, he slowly began thrusting. He was vaguely aware of the Daredevil soundtrack still playing somewhere in the background, and his hips unconsciously began to take on a rhythm in time to that of the music. "Jeff..." Jeff's name came out as a moan as Matt gripped the bed, tensing his legs on Jeff's shoulders. "Harder, Jeff..." Jeff fought to keep the thrusts steady so as not to hurt Matt, especially in his injured condition. "Harder, Jeff, please!" Matt was begging now, his grip tight on the comforter underneath him. Jeff gave up on trying to keep control and began moving faster, thrusting harder into his older brother. "Matt," Jeff panted, gripping Matt's thighs as he thrust hard into him. "Matt!" he said again, more forceful this time. Matt's only reply came as a deep-throated moan, which escalated into a sound which deeply turned Jeff on. Jeff could feel himself nearing his orgasm as he continued to thrust into Matt. "Matt, I'm gonna...I'm gonna..." His warm seed finally spilled into Matt, which caused Matt's back to arch wildly. "JEFF!" Jeff's orgasm fueled Matt's own release, which spilled onto the space between their two bodies. Jeff leaned down and began licking, licking Matt clean before collapsing onto the bed next to him. "I love you," Matt whispered, out of breath, as he pulled Jeff close to him. "I love you, too," Jeff whispered back, panting heavily as he ran his fingers through Matt's hair. They simply lay there together for several minutes before Matt rolled off the bed, pulling Jeff up with him. "Come on," he said, pulling the comforter off the bed and into the floor. Jeff pulled the sheets down and the two of them climbed under them together, pulling the sheet up over their heads. They lay together, their faces inches apart, simply staring into each other's eyes, until they both fell asleep.
				CHAPTER 6
	This chapter looks like it's going to be kinda short, and I wish it wasn't because it's probably the most important chapter until the last few come around. Thank you, Amanda! My story's been up over at her site from the very beginning, and I've been meaning to thank her. Go check it out. If you like this story, you'll love her page, Twist Of Fate, at ~*~*~* Matt and Jeff sat on the ledge, high above the city, looking down at the lights. They could see everything, and the faint sounds of the city below drifted up to them on the light breeze. Jeff swung his feet, looking down at the sheer drop below them. They were up on the hotel roof, sitting on the ledge and looking down at everything below them. Matt had brought Jeff up here to just be alone together, and Jeff was loving it. The feeling was the same as it was when he was standing on top of a ladder in a match, above everyone else, knowing that he was in control of whether he jumped or not. The feeling was the same, and it gave him that same rush that he felt every time he got in that ring. They sat close together, Matt's arm loosely draped over Jeff's shoulders. Jeff shivered a little, causing Matt to tighten his grip. Jeff hadn't said very much since they had been up there, and Matt could tell that he had something on his mind. "What's wrong, Jeff?" Matt asked the question quietly, not turning to look at his brother, not even really expecting a reply. He didn't get one, as Jeff continued to sit in silence and stare out at the world beneath him. The breeze blew his hair back away from his face, and he squinted down at the ground below him. After a few more minutes of silence, Jeff spoke. "I'm gonna go in, Mattie. You coming?" Jeff turned to look at his older brother for the first time since they had been up there. "No, you go ahead. I'll be down later." Jeff nodded, pulling his legs back up onto the ledge and turning around, sliding off onto the roof. He left his brother on the ledge, walking back over to the door that led to the stairwell that would take him back down to his floor. As he walked down the steps, he considered stopping off at the top floor and taking the elevator down, but then he shrugged and kept walking. The stairwell was empty and quiet, and it gave him time to think. He found himself thinking about Matt, and wondering why he never saw it before. Now that he had this, it seemed so obvious that it had been there for so long. Before long, he found himself standing in front of the door that led out to his floor. He stood there for a moment, considering going back up to be with Matt, but then deciding against it. He pulled open the heavy door, walking into the hallway and letting the door slam shut behind him. He turned a corner and nearly ran into Shane, who was walking with his hands in his pockets and his head bent low, a mirror image of Jeff himself. "Hey, Jeff," Shane said quietly. "What's up?" Jeff shrugged. "Not too much. What about you?" Shane shook his head, looking back over his shoulder. "Same. Trying to figure out where the hell Shannon disappeared to." Jeff nodded. "I'll tell him you're looking for him if I see him." "Oh, before I forget, I got that film developed from the other day at the mall." Shane grinned mischievously and pulled a couple of pictures out of his jacket pocket, handing them to Jeff. Jeff looked down at them, smiling and shaking his head. "You two oughtta have your asses kicked for that one," he said, tapping the picture of himself in Abercrombie. "Yeah, well, who's gonna kick 'em? You?" Shane laughed, then punched Jeff's arm jokingly as he walked past. Jeff put the pictures into his back pocket before continuing on down the hall to his hotel room. As he neared the room, he saw Shannon coming around the corner. "Oh, hey, Shannon," Jeff said, stopping to talk to the smaller blonde. "Hi Jeff," Shannon said, not meeting his gaze. "Shannon? What's wrong?" Jeff asked quietly, looking around. Shannon sighed, shaking his head. "Jeff, can I...um...talk to you?" Shannon looked up and finally met Jeff's eyes. He looked sad and depressed, which was extremely unlike himself to be. "Sure, Shannon. You uh, you wanna come in?" Jeff gestured toward the door a few steps away, pulling his keycard out of his back pocket. Shannon didn't say anything, but followed Jeff when he began to move down the hallway. The two of them stopped in front of the door as Jeff opened it, holding the door and gesturing for Shannon to enter. Jeff let the door swing shut, walking over and slipping Matt's copy of the pictures Shane had given him into the duffel bag lying on the floor. He then walked over to the bed, sitting down on the edge and motioning for Shannon to do the same. "So, Shannon, what's goin' on?" Shannon fidgeted around a little before glancing up at Jeff. In that one glance, Jeff could see unshed tears in Shannon's eyes. "Shannon? Are you okay?" Jeff reached out and put his hand gently on Shannon's arm. Shannon sighed, looking down at the floor. "Jeff, it's really hard for me to tell you this, but I think...I think it'll be better...for me...if I do." His voice broke on the last word, but he cleared his throat and went on as Jeff looked at him, concern apparent on his face. "Jeff, I..." Shannon looked up from the floor, looking straight into Jeff's eyes as a single tear spilled over and ran down his cheek. "I've loved you, for so long. Even when we were younger, when we still messed around in the backyard on that thing we built, I thought you were so amazing...and when I got older, it turned into something different, and I knew that I loved you, Jeff. I still do. I know you're with Matt now, and I won't tell anybody, because it doesn't involve me, but I just wanted...I've always wanted one thing..." Jeff reached out, taking Shannon's face in his hands, his face creased with concern and sympathy for his young friend. "Shannon, I...I never knew...Anything you want, just tell me." Shannon took a deep breath, reaching up and wiping a tear away. "Let me kiss you, just once." His voice was no louder than a whisper, and Jeff had to strain to hear it. Then he nodded, looking down into Shannon's face, streaked with tears. Jeff could see Shannon take a deep breath, then lean forward. Jeff closed his eyes, waiting. He felt Shannon's lips gently brush his own, and then Shannon's hand was resting on the side of his face. Jeff could feel Shannon shaking, and he was moved by his words. He squeezed his eyes closed tighter, telling himself that he couldn't cry. He couldn't cry. "Jeff?" Jeff's eyes flew open and he turned his head sharply to look at the figure standing in the doorway. Matt stood, not moving, an unreadable expression on his face. Jeff looked back at Shannon, who was crying harder now. "Shannon, leave." Matt's voice was dangerously quiet. Shannon quickly stood up, looking back at Jeff with fear in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered, before turning back to Matt and leaving. When he was gone, Matt shut the door behind him and walked over to the bed, not bothering to turn on the light. "Jeff?" There was a certain tone in Matt's voice, a mixture of fear, uncertainty, and anger. As Jeff looked up at his older brother, a single tear ran down his face. "Matt, you don't-" "I don't what, Jeff?" Matt cut him off, mid-sentence. "You don't understand, Matt." Jeff angrily wiped the tears from his face as he looked down at the carpet. "What's not to understand? You were kissing Shannon, right?" His voice was still quiet, with that low angry tone underneath. Jeff didn't answer. Matt suddenly stepped forward, grabbing Jeff's chin and jerking his face up, forcing Jeff to meet his gaze. "Right?!" "Right!" Jeff spat angrily, reaching up and shoving Matt's hand away from his face. Matt's voice went quiet again as he began pacing. "So what now, Jeff? Is that why you decided to come down early? To meet up with that little faggot? After last night, Jeff?" "It's not like that!" Jeff stood up quickly, standing directly in front of Matt, pressing close to him. "What's it like then, Jeffro?" Jeff could see the anger burning in Matt's eyes. Jeff stood in front of Matt, not moving, but not answering. "How long have you been doing him? How long have you two been together?" Jeff's face was starting to turn red as he stepped closer to Matt. Both brothers were trying to force the other to back down, and neither of them would. "Leave Shannon out of this, Matt. This isn't about him." Jeff's voice was low, and he spoke through gritted teeth. "Oh, I think it's about him. It's all about him." Matt placed both hands firmly on Jeff's chest, shoving him lightly. Jeff stumbled back a little, but firmly stood his ground. "Tell me, Jeff. Why Shannon? Why that little shit, after so long?" Matt shoved Jeff again, stepping forward and getting right back up into his face. Jeff was viciously gritting his teeth now, his nose wrinkling up in anger. "I am not with Shannon, Matt. You should know this, after all this time. We've all been best friends for years, and now, the first time I screw up, you're gonna take it out on him? You don't even know what was going on, Matt." Matt shook his head, smiling coldly. "Defending your little fuck, Jeffy?" Matt's smile grew wider as he saw Jeff's eyes widen in shock, then narrow again as he became furious. Jeff stood, attempting to find words. When this attempt failed, Jeff raised his fist, hauling off and hitting Matt as hard as he could manage, square in the jaw. Matt fell back, landing on his back on the floor. Jeff stood, looking down at his brother lying on the floor, breathing hard and clenching his hands. Matt was rubbing his jaw, looking up at Jeff, until he suddenly leaned back and kicked Jeff in the knee with both feet. Jeff crumpled, ending up in a pile on the floor next to Matt. Jeff rolled over and managed to get his hands around Matt's neck, squeezing as hard as he could. Matt somehow managed to do the same thing, and they rolled on the floor between the two beds, each brother attempting to choke the other. Matt kneed Jeff in the stomach, forcing him to let go and rolling him onto his back. Matt then sat on Jeff's chest, pressing down on his neck. Jeff pried at his hands as his lips began to take on a blue tinge. He was gasping for breath by this time, and when he couldn't force Matt off of him, he punched him in the face. Matt let go with one hand as his head snapped back, but still managed to keep the pressure on Jeff's neck. Jeff punched him again, this time in the nose. Matt rolled off of him as his nose began bleeding. Jeff sat up to breathe, and they both looked each other straight in the eye. They were both breathing hard, sitting on the floor. Matt looked down at the blood on his hand, wiping his nose on his sleeve before sitting up and launching himself at Jeff. Jeff attempted to stand, but was knocked backwards onto the bed. Matt followed him, punching him in the stomach and again sitting on him. Jeff rolled over, sending Matt sprawling onto the bed. Jeff kicked at Matt's back, then turned over and grabbed Matt's leg, putting him into a half Boston crab. Matt rolled over, kicking Jeff in the ankle with his free leg, causing him to fall sideways and off of the bed into the floor, between the bed and the wall. Matt then rolled off the bed, standing next to the table and executing a very painful elbow drop. Jeff groaned in pain, turning onto his side. He then reached up and grabbed Matt's head, bashing it into the table leg. When this seemed to have no effect, he repeated it several times, until Matt shoved Jeff's hands away. As Jeff tried to stand, Matt grabbed him and pulled him to his knees. He then put both hands squarely on Jeff's shoulders and slammed him into the wall, Jeff's head coming into sharp contact with the wall as Matt punched him in the face. Jeff saw that Matt was still bleeding from his nose, although his forehead was now split open as well. Matt grabbed Jeff's hair, banging the back of his head into the wall. "Have anything to say now, Jeff?!" Matt screamed the words into Jeff's face. "Fuck you, Matt!" Matt beat Jeff's head into the wall a few more times before Jeff started to once again fight back, punching him repeatedly in the neck. Matt gasped for breath, turning Jeff around and shoving him painfully into the table, where his face connected with the edge, a painful cut opening up above his eye. Jeff reached out and grabbed onto the table edge, supporting himself on it as he struggled to his feet. He turned around and barely dodged another punch from Matt. Jeff then reached out and grabbed Matt's hair, swinging him around and into the opposite wall. Matt put his arms out to catch himself, but still ended up hitting his already-damaged forehead. Jeff ran at him, but Matt stepped aside and Jeff's shoulder hit the wall. The two of them locked up again, Matt eventually forcing Jeff to his knees. Jeff then kicked Matt's feet out from under him, and the two brothers were once again rolling on the floor, each trying to get an advantage over the other. "What the fuck?!" The voice startled both of them and soon strong arms were pulling them apart. They clung to each other, still seething with anger. They soon found themselves being pulled to their feet and away from each other. Matt attempted to lunge at Jeff again, but was unable to do so. "What the hell is going on here?" Edge looked between the two brothers, a frightened look on his face. "None of your business," Matt snapped, jerking away from Christian's grasp. Christian looked at Edge, raising an eyebrow. "How the hell did you get in here?" Matt asked, turning to look at Christian. "The door was open," Christian replied quietly. "We heard you guys fighting and we came to see what was going on." Edge's voice was a little more assertive, and there was an angry tone in his voice. "Well you can leave now," Jeff said, still not taking his eyes from his brother. Edge shook his head, looking up at Christian. "I don't think so," he said quietly, shoving his hair out of his eyes. "I'm staying with Matt," Christian said, ignoring the annoyed look that the Hardy boy gave him. Edge nodded. "Come on, Jeff. You can come stay with me. You don't really think we're gonna leave you two here alone when we just had to pry you away from beating the shit out of each other?" Christian shook his head, smirking disgustedly. Edge put his arm around Jeff's shoulders, leading him over to the door. "I'll bring your bag over in the morning," Edge said to Christian, who nodded as Matt, who was beginning to calm down a little, sat down at the end of the bed, watching distantly as Edge led his little brother away, closing the door behind him. Edge kept his arm around the younger Hardy as they walked down the hall to Edge and Christian's room. They didn't speak until Edge unlocked the door and led Jeff inside, where Jeff sat down on one of the beds, putting his face in his hands and pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes. Edge came over to sit down next to him, sighing a little. "Jeff, I don't know what all that was about, and it's none of my business, but, you know, you can talk to me." Jeff nodded, not looking up. Edge sat with him for a moment before beginning to stand up from the bed. "Wait," Jeff said, raising his head. Edge sat back down, concern apparent on his face. "Don't go." Jeff's voice was small and childlike, and it broke Edge's heart to see his friend this way. Jeff leaned his head onto Edge's shoulder, a tear sliding down his cheek. Edge sat with Jeff like that for a long time, holding him and letting him cry, resting his chin on top of Jeff's head, looking off into space and wondering what it all meant. ~*~*~* Jeff was sitting in front of the window with the curtains open, looking out at nothing, just staring and thinking. He didn't know Edge was awake, although Edge had been sitting up in bed, watching him, for at least five minutes. "Jeff." Jeff was startled, turning to look at Edge with wide eyes. "I didn't know you were awake," Jeff said quietly, standing up from his seat at the window as Edge rolled out of bed. He blinked, shoving his hair out of his eyes and looking down at his watch. "Jeff, it's 6:30. Why are you awake?" Jeff shrugged, looking down at his feet. His face, however, betrayed no emotion. Edge rubbed the back of his sore neck as he waited for an answer. "I couldn't sleep." It took a moment for Edge to process this information. "At all?" Jeff shrugged again, this time looking back up at his friend. "A couple of hours. I've been awake for awhile." Edge sighed, nodding. He made his way into the bathroom, looking back over his shoulder at Jeff, who was still in his jeans, which he had apparently slept in. His shirt was lying on the floor next to the bed. He hadn't even taken off his shoes since the night before. Edge brushed his teeth, glancing up and seeing Jeff leaning against the doorway, watching him and looking lost. "There's some food on the dresser somewhere, if you're hungry," he said, spitting toothpaste into the sink. Jeff nodded, crossing his arms and wandering over to the dresser. Edge heard the rattle of plastic, glad that Jeff was eating. He still didn't know what had happened between the two brothers, but Jeff seemed to be taking it pretty hard. Edge walked out into the room, wearing only his boxers. He began digging through his bag, throwing on some clothes and running a brush through his long hair, grimacing as he yanked at the tangles. Jeff was leaning against the dresser now, slowly chewing whatever it was that he had found to eat. "Catch," Edge said, picking up an Edge-and-Christian t-shirt from the top of his bag. Jeff turned to look and Edge tossed him the t-shirt and the hairbrush. "Thanks," Jeff said, a faint smile playing on his lips as he saw that the t-shirt had "Edge and Christian" largely printed across the front. He pulled the shirt on over his head before brushing out his hair and walking back over to where Edge was bending over putting his shoes on. Jeff slipped the brush back into Edge's bag, straightening and walking into the bathroom. Edge looked up to watch as Jeff picked up the toothpaste, flipping the cap open and leaning his head back, opening his mouth and squeezing some of the toothpaste onto his tongue. He then worked the toothpaste around in his mouth with his tongue for awhile before spitting it into the sink and rinsing his mouth with water from the tap. Jeff turned off the light as he came out of the bathroom, giving Edge a faint smile. Edge followed him as he walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. "Is there anything you want from your room? I can go get your stuff for you," he said, sitting down next to Jeff. Jeff shook his head, staring off out the window again. "No. I'll go get my stuff later, before we leave for the airport." He was silent for a few seconds after that, before attempting another smile. "I'm gonna go for a walk. You wanna come?" Edge could see that although Jeff was trying to be nice, he really just wanted to be alone. "No, that's okay. I promised Christian I'd take him to see that movie before we left." Edge smiled as Jeff nodded, hesitating a little. Then Edge stepped forward, wrapping Jeff in a hug. "Take care of yourself, Jeff. Don't do anything stupid, okay?" Edge stepped back to look at Jeff's face. "Yeah, okay." "And you're rooming with me when we get to the hotel tonight." Edge placed a hand firmly on the small of Jeff's back and pushed him gently toward the door. Jeff opened the door and stepped out, starting to close it behind him, but then stopping. "Hey, uh, Edge? Thanks." Jeff dropped his eyes and closed the door without waiting for an answer. Edge sighed, sitting down at the little table in the corner. He turned to look out the window, following Jeff with his eyes. ~*~*~* Jeff walked down the street, not sure where he was going or why. He just wanted to get away, to be alone for awhile. His steps were heavy and his hands were shoved into his pockets. He was tired and his body was aching, but he was filled with a kind of nervous energy, just trying to find a way to fix things again. He had lied to Edge, he had been up all night. He couldn't remember sleeping at all, but the time had all faded together and he hadn't even realized that it was morning until Edge woke up. He wanted to blame somebody, to make it anybody's fault but his own. He wanted things to be okay when he went back to the hotel room, but he knew that none of it could happen. Jeff's thoughts were disconnected and conflicting. He couldn't seem to make himself think straight, and he couldn't seem to decide if he had done the right thing or not. He had messed up big, by kissing Shannon. He had ruined the best thing he'd ever had. What was he supposed to do now? Matt didn't believe that it was an innocent, first and last kiss. But what about Shannon? Jeff couldn't say no to Shannon, he never could. He especially couldn't bring himself to do it then, with Shannon crying and confessing his love for Jeff for the first time ever. He had lost Matt, but without having kissed Shannon, he would have lost a big part of his life. Which was more important? He didn't know anymore. At the moment, he didn't know anything. He didn't even know where the hell he was. He kept walking until he didn't think he could find his way back even if he wanted to. He passed parked cars, buildings, and people who gave him strange looks. He didn't acknowledge any of them, just glanced up every now and then and kept walking. The sky was growing darker as he kept going, trying to forget everything that had happened. ~*~*~* Shane knocked on the bathroom door again, carefully turning the handle when he didn't receive an answer. He leaned into the room, looking into the bathroom and seeing that Shannon was still in the shower. "Shannon? Are you okay?" Shane heard the water shut off, and Shannon reached out from behind the shower curtain to grab a towel before pulling the curtain open. He stepped out onto the cold tile, his towel wrapped around his waist. "I'm fine, Shane. I haven't drowned or anything." Shannon attempted a smile, but Shane could see the look in his eyes. Shannon turned away, looking into the mirror. Shane studied him carefully, noticing how red his eyes were and how pale he seemed. He had been crying again, he could tell, but he would never be able to get him to admit to it. "Okay, Shan. Just checking." Shannon met his eyes in the mirror. "Thanks." Shane nodded, removing himself from the bathroom and shutting the door. He went out into the bedroom, sitting down on the edge of one of the beds. He absently ran a hand through his hair, sighing. Shane had tried to pretend like he didn't know where Shannon was going, but he had known the truth for months. He saw the way that Shannon looked at Jeff, and it hurt him to think that he might get his heart broken. It wasn't that Jeff didn't love Shannon, they had been best friends all their lives. It was just that Jeff wouldn't love Shannon in that way. At least, Shane didn't think so. When Shannon came back, Shane had pretended to be asleep. He didn't want to make Shannon uncomfortable, but as soon as he walked in, Shane knew that he had been turned down. Not only that, but he could hear Shannon's sobs as he buried himself beneath the blankets in the opposite bed. Shane had stood up and walked over to the bed, climbing in next to Shannon and leaning over him, wiping tears from his cheeks with the sheets. "It's okay, Shan. You'll be okay." Shannon had looked up, into Shane's eyes, and the look on Shannon's face made Shane feel like crying. His heart broke for his young friend, and he only wished that he could make it easier. Then Shannon had wrapped his arms around Shane's waist, and the two of them had fallen asleep that way. Now it was daylight again, and Shannon was taking a shower at six in the morning. It had woken Shane up, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep anyway. Shannon walked out into the room, fully dressed with the ends of his hair still wet. He avoided Shane's gaze and sat down next to him, staring at the floor. "Look, Shane, about last night." Shane cut him off. "Shannon, you don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I don't want to make you feel like you have to tell me what happened. But if you need to talk about things, you know I'll always be right here." Shannon looked up, fresh tears in his eyes. "Maybe, Shane. Just not right now." Shane nodded, wrapping an arm around Shannon's waist. "Okay, Shan. You know where I am if you need to talk." Shannon reached up, wiping his eyes. "I know. Thanks." Shane smiled at the smaller man, reaching over and pulling him into a hug. ~*~*~* It was pouring down rain as Jeff walked back in the direction of the hotel. The sky was dark, he was alone on the streets, and he was soaked through with icy water. If he didn't get back to the hotel soon, he wasn't going to make it to the airport on time. "Shit," he cursed under his breath as he glanced down at his watch, water dripping from the ends of his hair. He was almost to the hotel, just a few blocks away. Suddenly, a car pulled up next to the curb and Jeff stopped as the passenger side window rolled down. Jeff bent down to look into the car, and saw that Edge was sitting behind the wheel. "Get in," Edge said, a concerned look on his face. Jeff opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat, cold and wet from the rain. He slammed the door shut and Edge pulled back out onto the street. As they stopped at a stoplight, Edge sighed and glanced over at Jeff. "Do you have any idea how long you've been gone?" Jeff stopped to think before shaking his head. "I don't know." Edge shook his head as he gripped the wheel, waiting for the light to turn. "Four hours. You didn't come back, it was raining, and nobody else has seen you since yesterday. I thought..." Jeff looked up sharply at Edge. "You thought what?" Edge closed his eyes for a second before opening them again and looking back over at his dripping wet friend. "Jeff, I thought you'd done something...well, stupid." Jeff looked down at the floorboard. Yeah, it had crossed his mind as he had been out walking in the rain. But he wasn't that stupid. Not yet, anyway. "You know I wouldn't do anything like that." "Yeah, I know. But, you know, I worry about you sometimes." Jeff looked out the window, staring at nothing. "A lot of people do," he said quietly. The light turned green, and they rode the rest of the way in silence. When they finally reached the hotel, Edge parked near the front door and left the car running. "My stuff's all packed, Jeff. Most of the others have already started out for the airport. Christian said Matt left about an hour ago, and I guess your stuff is still in your room. I can go get it, if you want me to, but we'll need to hurry if you want to have time to change into dry clothes." Jeff looked over at Edge, opening the car door. "No, I'll just go get my stuff. I'll change at the airport. But..." Jeff looked down at the floor again. "I don't exactly have a ride," he said hesitantly. Edge smiled. "No problem. You can ride with Christian and me. Now come on, or we'll miss the flight." Jeff tried to return the smile as he got out of the car, following Edge up to the front door and into the hotel lobby. They walked over to an elevator, pressing the button and stepping inside. Jeff leaned back against the wall as Edge pushed the button for their floor and then stepped back next to Jeff. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air between the two of them, and they didn't say a word until the elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the hallway. "I'll go on down and get my stuff from my room. I'll meet you back in your room, okay?" Edge nodded as he and Jeff went separate ways, Jeff digging in his back pocket for his keycard. He turned the corner and approached the room, feeling grateful that Matt had already gone, but also feeling alone. He managed to fit the card into the little slot with shaking hands, opening the door. The room was warm as he let the door close behind him, and it was then that he realized just how cold he was. He was shaking as he walked into the room, water dripping from his clothes. Looking around, he saw that the room was bare and empty. His bag was still sitting in the corner, but it was the only thing left. Sighing, Jeff walked over and picked the bag up, throwing the strap over his shoulder as he walked into the bathroom. His toothbrush and razor were still sitting out on the sink, along with a few other things. He picked everything up and shoved it into the bag, turning to leave before he noticed something else out of the corner of his eye. Turning back to the sink, he bent down and picked up the little pill bottle from the floor. Examining the label, he realized what they were. They were Matt's painkillers, and the bottle was still full. "Little fucker didn't even take any," he said under his breath, an ironic smile passing over his lips for a split second before he shoved the painkillers in his bag as well, turning and flipping off the light as he left the bathroom. Taking one last look around the room, he ran a hand through his hair, opening the door and walking out into the hallway. He made his way back down to Edge's room, finding the door standing open. He put his bag down near the doorway and stepped into the room, watching as Edge tried to help Christian find his lost shoe. He couldn't help but smile a little as he watched the two Canadians running around the room. "Christian, it's time to leave!" "I know damn well what time it is!" Edge got down on his stomach and forced his upper body underneath the bed, kicking one foot against the carpet in an effort to reach something. When he emerged from under the bed, he was holding one heavy black boot, which he handed to Christian. "There's your damn shoe, now put it on so we can go!" Edge stood up, grabbing his bag and turning, walking over to join Jeff in the doorway, grumbling to himself. "Damn Christian, always losing his damn shoes." Between the look on Edge's face and his frequent use of the word "damn", Jeff couldn't help but laugh. When he did, Edge looked up at him in shock, attempting to find something to say but failing. Christian then came running up behind Edge, pulling the strap of his bag onto his shoulder. "Okay, let's go," Christian said as the three of them moved out of the doorway. Jeff grabbed his bag and they walked down the hallway toward the elevators, Edge still mumbling about how they were going to be late and Christian could never keep up with his damn shoes. They reached the lobby and Edge checked out while Jeff and Christian loaded all of their stuff into the trunk of the car. "You can have the backseat if you want it," Christian said, closing the trunk. "I don't mind. I'll sit up front." Jeff moved to open the passenger side door, but Christian stopped him. "No, really. I'll sit up here and listen to Edge's bickering. It's no problem." Jeff hesitated a minute, then nodded and smiled at Christian, who returned the smile before opening the door and sliding into the passenger seat. Jeff got in and stretched out in the back as Edge came running around to the driver's side of the car and got in, mumbling about the gas they wasted by letting it sit out in front still running. Then he floored the gas, pulling out onto the street, barely missing a passing truck and receiving the one-fingered salute. Christian turned around in his seat to look at Jeff, giving him a knowing look before reaching up and fastening his seatbelt. A hint of a smile played on Jeff's lips as Edge took them down the road and to the airport. It wasn't long before Jeff fell asleep. He hadn't gotten any sleep the night before at all, and Christian wasn't surprised when he saw Jeff's eyes close. ~*~*~* Jeff was lying in the bed with Matt, their arms wrapped around each other. Jeff was trying to forget the fight that they had had, but he couldn't. "What's wrong?" Matt asked, looking down into his brother's eyes. "Nothing," Jeff said, getting up and walking into the bathroom to splash some water on his face. When he looked up into the mirror, all he could see was fog. Turning back to the bedroom, he stopped suddenly as he looked out into the bedroom. "Sorry, sugar, but you shouldn't have left," Matt said, his arms wrapped around Shannon. Jeff walked over to the bed, staring down at Matt as he tried to find words to say. "What's wrong, Jeffro? Don't like how it feels?" Matt reached out suddenly and shoved Jeff, hard, sending him flying back into the wall. He let out a sharp cry as his head hit the wall, and his eyes flew open. Looking around, he saw that he was still in the car with Edge and Christian. "I told you to wear the seatbelt," Christian said, looking down at him. They were at the airport now, and Edge had apparently slammed on the brakes. Jeff, who was asleep across the backseat, had gone flying into the floor. "Sorry," Edge said, throwing the door open and running around to the trunk, where he began pulling their bags out onto the ground. Christian sighed, shaking his head and unbuckling his seatbelt, getting out of the car. Jeff climbed up out of the floor, detangling his foot from the opposite seatbelt, and did the same. Jeff and Christian took all of the bags through the front door and down to their terminal while Edge turned in the rental car. When they had finally found the terminal that their flight was leaving from, Christian checked his watch. "I think you have time to change," he said, looking around for people that he knew. He waved at Matt before realizing his mistake and glancing quickly at Jeff, who ducked his head and mumbled something about clothes, grabbing his bag and wandering off in the direction of the bathrooms. When he found a bathroom, he ducked into a stall, putting his bag down on the floor. He stripped off all his wet clothes, shivering in the cool air. Digging through his bag, he managed to find a pair of semi-clean jeans and another t-shirt. He looked down at his wet shirt, the one printed across the front with "Edge and Christian". It had made him smile that morning, but now it only seemed to make him sadder. He slipped into the dry jeans, pulling the t-shirt over his head. He slipped into his shoes and picked up his bag, still freezing cold. Opening the door and stepping out into the bathroom, he found himself face-to-face with Shannon. Jeff took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Shannon." Shannon's eyes were immediately wide with fear, and he seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Jeff," he said, his voice soft. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do this, Jeff, if you'll just-" Jeff cut him off by grabbing his shoulders, surprising him. He could see the fear growing in Shannon's eyes, and he hated it that he made Shannon feel that way. "It's okay, Shannon. It wasn't your fault. None of this was your fault." "What happened?" Shannon whispered, looking away. Jeff sighed, causing Shannon to look up. "You don't have to tell me." Jeff ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe when it's all over with, okay?" Shannon nodded, and Jeff reached out and embraced the smaller man, who tensed up for a few seconds before relaxing into Jeff's arms and burying his face in Jeff's shirt. "I'm sorry," he said again before letting go. "I'll, um, I'll see you later. Bye Shan." Jeff turned away from Shannon and walked out of the bathroom, finding his way back to where Edge was now sitting with Christian and sitting down in a chair across from the two of them. Edge looked up, smiling at Jeff, who didn't return it, causing Edge's usually-unwavering smile to falter. "What's wrong, Jeff?" Edge asked in a quiet voice. Jeff leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. "I'm fine." "Are you sure? You don't look fine." They were interrupted by the call to board the plane, and they all stood up, picking up their bags and walking toward the terminal. They walked down the hallway and eventually boarded the planed, where Jeff found himself in an awkward situation. He stood, looking at the empty seat next to Matt, before giving a pleading glance to Edge. Christian saw it as well, walking over and sitting down in the seat next to Matt. Matt looked up and smiled upon seeing that it was only Christian, and the two of them immediately struck up a conversation. Edge guided Jeff over to their seats, letting Jeff sit by the window. Edge sat down next to him, fastening his seatbelt and looking around the plane, which was mostly filled with WWE Superstars. Jeff leaned his head back against the headrest, drifting off to sleep as he waited for the plane to take off. Christian and Matt were sitting two rows up, across the aisle. Christian turned around, waving until he caught Edge's attention. Pointing to Matt, who was staring vacantly out the window, Christian spoke just loud enough to be heard over the noise of the other people talking. "What happened?" he asked, giving Jeff a worried look. Edge turned to look at Jeff, whose face was creased in what appeared to be frustration, even though he was asleep. Edge shook his head. "No idea." The pilot came over the intercom then, asking everyone to fasten their seatbelts and keep their chairs in the upright position. The stewardess went by, checking seatbelts and asking people to turn off their electronic equipment. The plane began moving across the asphalt, then turned as it picked up speed. They moved down the runway, the front wheels of the plane lifting just a little, and then they were in the air. Edge leaned back into his seat and stared out the window as the plane took off. It was oddly quiet, and Edge realized that it was because he wasn't surrounded by Christian, Jeff, Matt, Shannon, and Shane. They usually sat as close as they could to each other, talking non-stop about all kinds of different things, from the matches they had just had to the color of the sky. Edge glanced down at Jeff, who was still sleeping, although fitfully. The captain turned off the "fasten seatbelt" sign, then came on the intercom to announce this, which woke Jeff from his sleep. Jeff unbuckled his seatbelt, pulling his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. Edge noticed that Jeff was pale, and he was shaking like a leaf in the rain. "Hey, Jeff? Are you okay?" Jeff turned to look at Edge, seeing the concern in his eyes. "I'm cold," he said quietly, hugging his knees tighter in an attempt to get warm. "Here," Edge said, pulling his sweatshirt off over his head, revealing a t-shirt underneath. He handed the sweatshirt to Jeff, who gladly took it, pulling it on and continuing to hug himself. "Thanks," he said, smiling a little. "Hey, no problem," Edge said, returning the smile, although he was worried about his friend. Jeff leaned back into his seat again, and soon fell into another fitful sleep. Edge turned away to see Christian staring in their direction, obviously just as worried as himself. Their eyes met, and they both knew that something was wrong with Jeff Hardy. TBC