A/N: Just a little something I found on my hard drive.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. It's all them and their perfect little family.
Shine
He hurt all over, but nothing more so than his heart. He felt each blow connect with his body, such was the way of a professional wrestler, hurt came with the job. His heart hurt for entirely different reasons though, it was shattered into pieces and he couldn't even fathom how to start piecing it back together. He brought his arms up to defend himself from the blows that were attacking him, but they felt heavy and it was too late anyway – he looked up in time to see Paul's fist flying towards him. He managed to blink once, and in between the time it took for his eyelid to close and then re-open, he was hit and now he was falling.
Falling was meant to be freeing, but to Chris it felt like chains were pulling him to the ground, they'd gripped him around his wrists and with each passing second pulled him closer to the mat. She flashed through his mind, he could see her so clearly that he wanted to reach out and hold her and then his head bounced off on the mat just as his body had a moment before. He couldn't see her anymore, he couldn't see much of anything if he were honest - his vision was blurry – but he could hear Paul fall in front of him and lean close.
"You're pathetic." He sneered. "She's mine. Stephanie will always be mine."
That's the last thing Chris remembers hearing and Paul may as well have stood on his shattered heart and crushed it into dust. He already knew that Stephanie wasn't his, but to actually have it confirmed hurt more than any of the blows he'd taken. He was happy in the dark, he could live here peacefully and never go back to anything that reminded him of Stephanie or the man she called her husband.
Well, that was the plan.
He was jolted back to reality when a bright light shined in his eyes.
God that light burned. He screwed his eyes shut tight and pushed the offending hand and light away from his eyes. "Leave me the hell alone." He bit out, his head thumping.
"Mr. Irvine that's not advisable…"
"I don't give a damn if it is or isn't, you can't keep me here and I'm leaving." He was sure as hell wasn't staying here to be pandered to. He hated being poked and prodded, he was fine. It's not like they could prescribe anything for a broken heart, could they? Nope.
He stood up, and yeah he was shaky but he was fine. He was. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot. See, this was easy. He was out the door before anyone could stop him and he just kept repeating left foot, right foot. If that was all he thought about then he couldn't feel the pounding in his head that matched the breaking of his heart.
Left foot, right fo- oh, floor meet face, how nice to see you again.
This was not his night.
"C-Chris?"
This was really not his night.
He closed his eyes and with a groan he pushed his palms into the floor and tried to push himself up, but yeah like he could catch a break tonight, he was flat out on the floor seconds later and this was just fucking perfect.
He felt her hand on his shoulder and it burned and he sighed.
He missed her touch.
She helped him to his feet and put his arm around her shoulders.
He could smell her. She was pressed up against him, how could he not?
He couldn't think of that, it was over, so over.
Left foot.
He remembers when his lips touched hers for the first time.
Right foot.
He remembers her gasping his name as he moved.
Left foot.
He remembers telling her he loved her.
Right foot.
He doesn't remember her telling him it back.
He fell to his knees and he braced his hands out in front of him to stop his fall, but she caught him before he fell completely.
"Come on, there's a bench over here." She tells him as she helps him to his feet one more time and guides him over.
"You don't need to help me."
"You can barely walk."
"I'd manage."
He would, he'd managed this far hadn't he? He managed to remember how to breathe since she left, that was something wasn't it? He was so managing and Stephanie helping him right now? Well, that was just throwing him off balance.
"I know you can, but I want to help you." He felt her hand slip into his.
"Why?"
"Because, don't you help the people you love when they're hurt?"
Okay, now his head was spinning for an entirely different reason. "What?"
"I love you Chris, I do."
"This is just the concussion talking isn't it?"
"No."
He kissed her then and she kissed back.
He felt her hand grip his tighter and he smiled into the kiss, he'd missed this.
At least he knew now, how you pieced a broken heart back together.
End