"All Shook Up"
A/N: Just a cute little random oneshot that popped into my head after watching the draft last night and talking to my girl Kat on MSN. Review and let me know what you thought :)
Dedication: For Kat. I love you girl. I hope you like it :)
As Jeff Hardy made his way from his locker room to the gorilla position, he tried not to think about the draft. It was very possible that he could be traded to ECW, which he would definitely not be happy about. ECW was generally thought of as the "C" show, whereas RAW and SmackDown seemed to be where every wrestler wanted to be. No one wanted to be drafted to ECW. He had heard a bunch of the other guys talking, and they were all just as nervous as he was. No one was too happy about the draft; it always changed things. Very often, friendships and relationships were ended as a result of the draft. For once, Jeff was glad that he didn't have to worry about that problem. The only bright side he could see to him being drafted was the possibility of being reunited with his brother once again on SmackDown. But Jeff wasn't about to get his hopes up. He knew the possibility of him and his brother being able to see each other and travel together was too much to hope for. He sighed a little bit as he continued walking, keeping his head down. He didn't want to run into anyone else and be forced to make small talk. He just wanted to go out there, end his match, and find out if he was going to be drafted or not.
Jeff continued to take deep breaths and cracked his knuckles as he took the final steps to the gorilla position. His music began to play and his heart was beating so loud that it threatened to come out of his chest. Jeff could feel his legs trembling and he wasn't sure if he would be able to walk down the ramp to the ring, let alone wrestle tonight. But he was teaming with Matt tonight, and Jeff was super happy about that. He and his brother hadn't wrestled in ages, and Jeff was feeling the itch to get back in the ring with Matt and bring back some of the Hardy Boyz magic, even if it was only for one match. Jeff had his fingers crossed that either he would be drafted to Smackdown or Matt would come to RAW, but he knew it wasn't too likely.
He could hear the crowd roaring. To some, it was distracting, but to Jeff it was the sweetest noise in the world. Each and every night was a high for him, a special high that no drug could give him, and he lived off of it. He craved it and it was a taste that he never wanted to get tired of. It's time, he told them. Now get your ass out there and make 'em all proud. Jeff was ready. Drafted or not, he and Matt were going to kick ass.
Jeff's nervousness was escalating more and more with each passing moment. He needed to know whether or not he and Matt were going to be reunited or not—the anticipation was killing him. He tried to remain optimistic. Earlier, before the show had started, Jeff had been talking to John Cena.
"Yo, Jeff, you think you're gettin' drafted tonight?" John asked.
Jeff shrugged and took a sip of water, letting the cool liquid flow down his burning throat. He really wasn't sure what to think about the draft. Each year it was nerve-racking, yet it ended before the shock really had time to set in with him. Matt had expressed to both Jeff and Shannon that a Hardy Boyz reunion was something he had been looking forward to for a long time. Jeff hadn't been able to spend much time with Matt at all due to their conflicting schedules, and he missed his brother. Being sent to SmackDown would be a dream come true for him, Matt, and Shannon. And when Shane came back, it would make things even better. The old gang would be back together again.
"Man, I don't know what to think," Jeff replied. He sat down on the bench and began getting ready, pulling his multi-colored hair back into a ponytail and slipping his armbands on. He looked up at John. "What about you? You think you might be gettin' sent to SmackDown?"
John nodded and took a seat next to Jeff. He removed his black and orange cap and rubbed his hand over the short stubble there. He wasn't sure what to think. There had been talk among the other guys in the locker room that John could possibly be getting drafted to the Friday night show. Many people felt that John was becoming stale and boring, and sending John Cena to SmackDown would not only be good for his character, but for the fans as well.
"I think so," John sighed. "I mean, judging by the fans' reactions when I come to the ring, and the harsh things people have been saying about me… that I'm boring and stale and all that…I think Vince feels it would be better for me to get drafted to SmackDown." He looked at Jeff. "I wouldn't mind it, though. I think it would be kinda cool."
Jeff nodded slowly, not really knowing what else to say. The draft had his stomach all in knots. He knew that he shouldn't be worrying, because it wouldn't be the end of the world if he didn't get to be on the same show as his brother, but he was really looking forward to it.
"Yeah, I guess," he said, fidgeting with his armbands. "Well, John, I better get out there." Jeff stood up and patted John on the back. "Good luck…guess if we both get drafted, I'll be seein' ya on Friday nights."
John smiled and returned the gesture. "Yeah, good luck to you too, dawg." He placed his cap on his head and shoved his hands in his jean shorts. "I'll see ya later."
Just get it over with already, Jeff thought to himself. No sooner had that thought passed through his mind than the entire WWE roster popped up on the Titan Tron. He looked at the crowd, which was just as nervous as he was, and then back to the screen. The next few minutes seemed like hours, until finally, the constantly moving pictures came to a halt. Jeff's face was now up on the screen, indicating that he had been drafted to SmackDown. The crowd was now roaring and Jeff was completely in shock. SmackDown. I'm gonna be on Smackdown. It took a while for the fact to register in his brain, and then happiness set in. He would be reunited with his brother. A wave of relief shot through Jeff's body, and he was suddenly anxious to see Matt. He wanted to share his happiness with his brother.
Then another thought, a much different one, ran through his mind. What if Matt gets drafted to RAW? Jeff wanted to hope that Matt wouldn't, because in the past champions had been exempt from the draft, but this year everything was different. Vince wanted to "shake things up," and there was no telling what could happen tonight. But Jeff pushed that thought aside for a moment. All that mattered right now was that he no longer had to worry. It was over for him—now he could relax.
Jeff made his way out of the ring and walked up the ramp, still feeling the adrenaline high from earlier. He needed to relax before his match with Matt later against the WWE Tag Team Champs, John Morrison and The Miz. He quickly glanced at his watch and decided that he would have time for a quick nap and a shower.
While Jeff was making his way to the backstage area, Matt was getting ready for their tag match later that night. He had just showered and was feeling pretty good about the draft. Unlike his brother, Matt wasn't really worried about the draft. He had been having a pretty good year and he felt that, whatever happened, he would continue to have a good year. After being gone for so long, Matt was just glad to be back in the ring, entertaining his fans each night. Like Jeff, he was hoping for a Hardy Boyz reunion, and that happening would make him really happy, but he wasn't going to worry about it. He had been going over the match for hours in his mind, and hoping that he and Jeff would be able to put on a great show and entertain their fans even more.
Matt wished that he could talk to his brother before the match. He knew that Jeff was worried; he had seen it in his eyes earlier. Jeff had told him a couple of days ago that he really wanted both of them to end up on the same show so that they could be together on the road. Matt had to admit that he was hoping for the same thing. He missed his little brother—talking on the phone just wasn't enough. He needed to be able to see him every day, to ruffle his hair in the morning when he got up, to play Scrabble with when Shane and Shannon got sick of losing. But even if it didn't happen, Matt knew he and Jeff would be okay. Their brotherly bond was strong enough to get them through anything.
Matt took his shirt off and threw it carelessly across the room, his thoughts still focused on the match. He had no doubt that he and Jeff could beat John Morrison and the Miz pretty easily. He only hoped that their fans would enjoy watching the match as much as he enjoyed being in it. Showtime. As soon as Matt heard "Oh yeah!" his heart began racing. He was more than ready to go out there and deliver an awesome performance. He would worry about the draft later.
Matt was pissed. Jeff could tell that he was by the look in his eyes. As soon as the match was over, Morrison and the Miz had rolled out of the ring and darted up the ramp to the backstage area as fast as they could. Jeff didn't blame them—he knew first-hand how dangerous Matt could be when he got mad. He'd been on the receiving end of Matt's fury quite a few times, and it wasn't something he enjoyed. Jeff had held back a laugh at the expressions on the faces of their opponents—Morrison's had been one of confusion, while the Miz looked like a scared little child. Their loss to the WWE Tag Team Champions meant that ECW would get their very first draft pick, and Jeff had a sinking suspicion that Matt would be the one drafted to ECW. He wasn't worried, because he knew that he was on Smackdown. But Matt…if he was sent to ECW, Jeff knew it would piss him off. What would be the point of making the guys think they were going to be reunited once again if Matt was in fact going to be drafted to ECW all along? Jeff thought it would be cruel to do that. Then again, it wouldn't surprise him. It would just majorly piss him off.
Matt and Jeff remained in the ring, awaiting the draft pick. Jeff looked over at his older brother, trying to find any signs of nervousness, but he could see none. Matt's face was expressionless, like stone. Jeff instinctively reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it gently. He wanted to be prepared for the worst. He closed his eyes and silently hoped for the best. Maybe he was being just a little bit overdramatic, but he didn't care. This was much more nerve-racking than earlier, when he had worried about being drafted to another show. Now, all he cared about was Matt. Hopefully he wouldn't be drafted.
He felt Matt squeeze his hand tightly, and that's when Jeff knew that his worst fears had been confirmed. He dared to open his eyes and look at the Titan Tron, and when he did so, he felt his heart drop into his stomach. Matt had been drafted to ECW. Jeff didn't know whether to be pissed or sad. Jeff looked over at Matt to see if he was mad, but his brother seemed surprisingly calm. Jeff knew that he was pissed, and he was sure that his face showed it. But Matt just seemed so calm and unfazed by the revelation. It wasn't what Jeff had expected from Matt, but then again, he'd always been a worrywart. Maybe he was worrying too much. He and Matt would make sure to see each other on the road; they always found a way to work around that problem. It still pissed him off, because Jeff had really been looking forward to being on the same show as his brother and Shannon. But there was nothing that he could do about it, except suck it up, accept it, and move on.
Jeff felt his brother turn to him and kiss his cheek softly, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. He leaned into his brother's embrace and hugged him back, trying his best to keep an upbeat attitude. He didn't want the fans to see that he was disappointed and pissed off beyond relief. As Vince would say, it wouldn't be very "professional."
"It's okay, Jeffro," he felt Matt whisper into his ear. "We'll make this work. I promise." Hearing his brother say that made Jeff feel a lot better—he knew that Matt would do everything he could to make sure they got to see each other as often as possible. Jeff had to chuckle at the fact that Matt was the one drafted to ECW instead of him. After, ECW was "extreme", and Jeff had just always thought that if one of them ended up going to ECW, it would be him. He was famous for doing crazy and often foolish things that came back to haunt him in the end. But Jeff wasn't worried—he knew that Matt would shine on ECW. He shined no matter where he was.
"I'll miss ya though," Jeff whispered back, his face still buried in his brother's neck. He placed a small kiss there and finally pulled away. "Now let's get the hell outta here. I'm hungrier than a damn pitbull with a case of worms." He looked up and saw Matt grinning, trying not to laugh. "Plus I'm sore as hell and tired."
Matt wrinkled his nose up. "And you smell. You need to take a shower as soon as we get backstage." He laughed.
Jeff pouted and shoved Matt. "I don't smell that bad." Gingerly, he raised an armpit and sniffed. Okay, so he did smell bad, but he wasn't about to admit that Matt was right. Really, all Jeff cared about now was taking a nice, hot shower, and then getting back to the hotel to crash. He was majorly tired, and his body was sore as hell. Right now, he didn't think anything sounded better than a hot shower and curling up in a soft, cool bed. He poked Matt in the elbow as they made their way backstage.
"So I guess I'll talk to ya in a little while?"
Matt yawned and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't shown it, but his body was worn out too. He just wanted to go to bed and forget the whole night. It had definitely been a long one and he was anxious to get back to the hotel room and hit the hay.
"Yeah. Maybe. I might fall asleep, though."
Jeff sucked his lip ring into his mouth as he and Matt continued walking. They passed John Cena on their way to the locker room, and Jeff threw up his hand in a wave. He's gotta be pretty happy, he thought. But Jeff wasn't nervous anymore. Another draft had come and gone, and thankfully he wouldn't have to worry about it for another full year. He was glad. Vince had been right, this year's draft had definitely "shaken things up." But now it was over. Thank God, Jeff thought. He was more than ready for everything to be calmed down again.
OK, so what did you guys think? I really hope you enjoyed it. I thought it was too long. Let me know what you think though :)