My SECOND fan fiction. Yay! This was inspired by way too much sugar after 11, and reading horror stories after midnight…Strange combination for such a mushy FF, but, eh…

Warnings - Language, mentions of beatings…Just kissing and cuddling. Male/Male. Don't like, don't read it.

That's about it…Onwards, I guess…

How do I tell him I love him?…

The words rang through Heath's head, as he watched Justin jumping up onto the turnbuckle. They were training for their match tomorrow. Just like his Justin - never the one to take a break. They were using Wade and Drew, who had offered quite sweetly to let them attack them for practice - he had to admit, he liked Wade.

He was one of the most genuine guys he had ever breath caught as Justin performed his 450 splash with ease, smashing into Wade. He watched his friend jump back, clutching at his ribs.

"Ah! Heilige hel!" Justin whined. Wade sat up, rubbing his own ribs, while Drew and Heath slid into the ring. Heath dropped down by his best friends side, helping him to sit down properly, instead of leaning against the hard turnbuckle, which probably wasn't very good for his ribs.

"You okay?" Drew asked curiously. Justin shook his head, and Wade rolled out of the ring, fishing through Justin's training bag for his painkillers, and water frowned at him, as Justin struggled to inhale a decent amount of air. "Why do you do that move, if it keeps messing with your ribs?" He asked the South African. Heath cast him a scowl. Everyone asked Justin that, always when he was having troubles.

"Because, Vince won't let him have a persona change."

"Why?"

"Because, tha' means he has to change Heath's too. Justin's made it quite clear to 'im tha' he wan's to stay tag-teamed with Heath…He agrees, but he's too damn lazy…" Wade said to Drew, who nodded. Heath sighed, rubbing Justin's throat the way he always did when Justin got like this, helping to clear his airways out. When Justin let out a gasp, sucking in all the air he could, Heath gently patted his back, and Justin just about collapsed into Heath.

Heath's arms propped him up and leaned the currently grounded high-flyer against himself, to keep him upright, more than anything.

Wade offered Heath the water bottle and bottle of pills as he slid back into the ring. Heath accepted the pill bottle, and Justin shook his head.

"N…No…not yet." he rasped out. Heath sighed softly. "It'll help with the pain, Just…" He whispered softly, while Drew told Wade they should head back to the hotel - definitely, Heath couldn't help but agree. He'd go back himself, but not before he took Justin in to the doctor, once more. He was in nearly every second day, these days.

Not only were his ribs bothering him, but Justin was having weight problems. He'd just dropped ten kilos from no where, and no one knew how. He was always sleepy these days, and Heath was worried. As Wade and Drew left, Heath stroked Justin's hair softly.

"Come on, Just…you need to take these…" he said soothingly.

"Don't…know…can ." Justin choked out, and Heath frowned. Justin sounded like he had a broken rib…Not taking any chances, Heath lay him back against the mat and slid out, finding Justin's and his tracksuit pants and pulling them onto Justin, and himself. He found his jacket and wrapped it around Justin, who was shivering violently.

He gathered the pills and the bottle, and stowed them away in his pocket, and then picking Justin up and carrying him out. He knew Cody, or even Christian, would get the bags for him if he called up, and told them about Justin. Maybe even Beth…

Heath set Justin in the passengers side, and Justin stopped breathing again. Heath pinched his friends nose and breathed into Justin's mouth gently, until Justin breathed back out into him.

"Keep breathing, Just." He told his best friend, climbing into the drivers side, and driving off.

Heath cursed, as he paced the waiting room. He wasn't aloud in, while the doctor checked him over, and he was more nervous than ever. He took the opportunity to call Cody."Hello?" Cody asked into the phone on the second ring, panting heavily.

"Hey, Codes, it's Heath…"

"Yeah, found your bags…Evan and I packed them into the back of our car, we'll bring them back to the hotel, buddy…How is he?"

"Don't know…Wish I did. He 450-ed Wade,, and he couldn't breathe or anything…I'm not aloud in." Heath told Cody, who sighed softly.

"That sucks…Let us know when you two get back to the hotel." Cody said.

"Thanks…See you." Heath said, sighing, as he continued pacing. The woman at the desk frowned at him, before slamming her hand down on the desk.

"SIR. If you don't calm down, I will escort you out." She snarled at him. He growled at her.

"Ma'am, my best friend EVER is having trouble breathing, and he couldn't even take his painkillers. So why don't you leave me alone, and let me panic?" He snarled at her, backing up and walking again. She glared at him, until a doctor came out to him.

"Are you the man who admitted Mr. Gabriel?"

"Yes…Is he alright?" Heath asked curiously, and the man nodded his head. "Yes, he's fine…He broke a rib, and it was prodding his lungs…You're lucky you got him here when you did, he could have choked on his own blood otherwise…You can go in and see him now…He's got a prescription for better painkillers…He is not, I repeat, NOT aloud to use that…flippy thing he does."

"450 Splash." Heath said absently. "I'll tell him…Thank so much for seeing to him so quickly doc…" He added, before sliding into the right room. Justin was sitting upright, biting on his lip absently.

"Hey…" He said quietly to Heath, who sat down beside him.

"You alright, Justin?"

"Yeah…he tapped me up, and I've got this…" Justin said, waving his prescription at Heath. Heath took hold of it and read it.

"This stuff is absolutely magic…" Heath couldn't help but say, reading what Justin was going to need. "You'll be right on this stuff…Only problem is, you're not aloud to do your 450."Justin frowned softly. Not aloud to do his 450? That made him feel a little emptier inside, knowing he couldn't do his favourite move for so many years…He wasn't ALOUD to do it…That made him feel everything…even sicker. Heath put an arm around Justin and sighed.

"Just until your ribs are fine…" He said softly. Justin nodded, and Heath helped him up, and signed him out of the hospital. They went back to the hotel in silence. Justin was more than a little upset. He called Vince to tell him he wasn't aloud to do his 450 for a little while, and to mostly keep him out of competition mostly. Vince complained about it for ages, until Heath took hold of the phone.

"Sir? Justin's tired, and he needs to sleep. We'll call in tomorrow for you." He said to Vince, who seemed shocked that Heath would talk to him like that. "Good night." He hung up, and Justin stared up at him gently, before glancing down at his phone, realising he had a few missed calls.

He went through the list…All from his ex-boyfriend Jack and Michael, teasing him about how Jack was dating Michael now, and how they'd beaten him up…Justin flinched. That was part of the reason he was getting so badly injured lately…He didn't notice Heath peeking over his shoulder.

"You never told me you went out with Jack Swagger…" The West Virginian stated quietly, just a little stung at the thought. Justin always told him everything…

"…I'm sorry, Heath…I was a little scared, that was all."

"I'm your best friend Justin…Why would you be afraid?…And why the fuck are they beating you up?" Heath snarled suddenly, and Justin shut his phone.

"…Rubbing it in my face mostly."

"Justin…"

"Don't say anything Heath…I don't need it." Justin snapped at him. "I'm tapped up, practically doped to the wah-zoo on painkillers, and I don't need YOU making me feel worse about…EVERYTHING then I already do." Justin stood up, and marching into the bathroom, making a good show of slamming the door shut behind him, leaving an upset Heath behind.

Justin turned the water on in the shower, before sliding down the door, sobbing hysterically. It wasn't fair…He was battered, and bruised, and his heart was aching for the, now probably very upset and confused, ginger haired man on the other side of the door.

He lightly pounded on the floor as a way of relieving his frustration, before stepping into the shower, letting the scalding hot water relax him.

Heath was more than a little upset. He frowned, wondering what he'd said wrong. He hadn't meant to make Justin snap like that. He was…his heart froze. He had been going to tell Justin he loved him. That would have been bad…No one could ever know about that, not even Justin!

Damn it, it wasn't fair! Why did Fate have to curse him like this? He mused this thought, over and over again, before Justin's phone rang again. He picked it up and growled when he saw who was calling. He answered it, holding the phone to his ear.

"Wah, wah, wah! Poor Little Justin, can't even do hith thoopid 450 splath!" Jack yelled, faking baby crying noises, before Michael Cole's annoying voice rang through the phone.

"My names Justin, boo-hoo…"

That was all Heath could take.

"Why don't you two losers find something better to do with your time? I don't know, like…Get a life?" Heath growled at them. He could tell, by the silence on the other end of the phone, that they were surprised Heath had picked up and not Justin.

"What are you doin' with Justin's phone?" Cole asked angrily.

"Protecting it from losers like you. Piss off." Heath grumbled at them. "And if you two beat him up again, you'll have me, an English and Scots man, all with raging tempers, to deal with. Got it?" He asked them, not waiting for an answer, before he hung up.

Justin was standing in the doorway. He'd heard the whole exchange, and was more than a little mortified that Heath would stand up for him like that, at risk of getting himself attacked by the Dramatic Duo.

Heath turned his head, seeing Justin standing there, and lowered his head, ashamed for a second or two, letting Justin get changed.

"You…you had a call…" Heath murmured to him, and Justin couldn't help but to smile just a little bit.

"I heard…I also heard you threatening them." Justin informed Heath, who blushed a little bit. Well…there went any cover he had left.

"I…I just don't like the idea of anyone beating you up." Heath admitted quietly, and Justin smiled down at him. How was it Heath always made him feel better?

"That's sweat, Heath…But I still don't understand why you would do something like that." Justin said to him, and Heath lowered his head gently, smiling for a second, before his mouth opened, and spoke words his brain had demanded otherwise…

"Because I love you." He said, just loudly enough for Justin to hear. It was also enough to make Justin trip over his pyjama legs, landing, luckily, on the bed behind him, instead of on the hard floor, or the unforgiving hell that was a couch.

Heath clasped a hand over his mouth, cursing himself under his breath. Justin laughed softly, but was still just a little shaken. Heath had to be messing around with him. There was no way Heath could love someone like Justin, no way!

But when he heard Heath cursing like a sailor, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Thanks Heath, but I doubt it." He said softly. Heath flinched, and crossed the room, kissing Justin softly for a few seconds, before retreating, leaving a stunned man behind.

"Believe me, I'd have done anything not to have said those words…Especially when you're in…such a state." Heath said sadly, and Justin let him continue.

"But it's been killing me, Justin…I don't know how much longer I could have held it in anyway." Heath whined softly, and Justin smiled a little at the ginger man

"I…I love you too, you know." Justin said softly, and Heath looked up, a little surprised. Hadn't Justin just said he doubted Heath loved him? His head swam a little bit.

"I just…I'm scared, Heath." Justin said quietly. "After Jack…and you know he beat me while we were together as well, even though you didn't know we were together…and I just…I don't…want to risk that all over again…He knew things no one else knew about me, but you, and he did that to me…I don't think I could trust anyone like that again."

"But you do…You trust me that way…Otherwise, I wouldn't know all those things about you too…Justin…" Heath went and sat by Justin, putting a hand on Justin's shoulder.

"I promise, I will never be like that. I swear, I will never hurt you like that, ever. I won't just leave you like Jack did. When I give my heart…I mean it." Heath said quietly. Justin rested his head against Heath's shoulder.

"Promise?" Justin asked meekly, glancing up at Heath with his deep brown eyes. Heath smiled down at Justin, and nodded his head.

"Promise." He said, and Justin smiled meekly, linking his fingers with Heath's. Heath kissed Justin's hand softly, before brushing his lips against the South African's gently. Justin held him there for a minute or so, pulling apart when little black spots started showing up behind his eyes.

Heath's friendly eyes sparkled at him, and he wrapped his arms around the ginger's waist, resting his head against Heath's chest. He'd never felt so happy, or so comfortable, in his life.

Heath kissed Justin's head gently, wrapping his arms around his hopefully very long-term lover. He knew Justin had problems, but he wanted to help them. He would fix his broken Angel piece by piece. And judging by how Justin snuggling against him now, Justin would help him too…

Justin pressed a much more innocent kiss to Heath's lips, before, pulling the red head up his end of the bed, flicking the lights out.

Heath wrapped his arms around Justin comfortably, smiling at how his arms seemed perfectly shaped for Justin's body. Justin snuggled against his chest once more, breathing deeply.

"You'll still be here when I'm awake, won't you?" Justin asked suddenly, a little afraid he'd wake up, and Heath would be gone, nothing but a cruel heard Heath laugh a little.

"Of course I'll still be here…" That was all Justin needed to hear. He was asleep soon after that, with a smile on his face. He'd be alright. He had his Ginger Ninja to protect him, and love him, now…

Finished! What did you think? Love it? Hate it? Reviews are appreciated, but not really necessary.