THE LONELY HEART BEATS

Authoress Note: This is my first attempt at writing in the wrestling fandom so tell me if it's confusing or anything. Obviously this is an AU and slash. This is a one-shot, but if I get enough feedback/time I might make a wip or a series of vignettes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing put the simple plot.

I

After all these years he stood before the place where it all started. The gas station was long since deserted and the weathering of the harsh Carolina storms took its toll on the structure. Nimble fingers traced the grime on the window of the abandoned Murphy gas station hazel green eyes snuck a peak inside.

A voice from behind yelled; "You done looking princess?"

Jeff rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder giving the one finger salute before turning back. The taller of the two chuckled as he sat back on his bike. He would let his princess get away with that, for now.

It was like a movie being played before his eyes. This was the spot where he had first met Shannon, his only friend from this town that made something of himself besides his brother. This was the first place his brother ever took him to, to hang out. This was where he kissed his first girl and boy. This… this was the place he first met Mark.

Mark, god he loved that man more than life but it took him a long time to get to this point. He couldn't decide when his feelings for the older man changed, but changed they did with a vengeance. Back in '88 or '89, Jeff still wasn't sure, he had came to the station to poke around with Shannon after school had let out. He remembered wanting to raid the racks of magazines and get a slushy.

'I wondered what would have happened if I hadn't of wanted to avoid going home that day,' he thought to himself. That was also the day he got his first tattoo on his leg by Shanny an he wasn't looking forward to answering The Legend.

Mark had strolled into the building looking around like one of those outlaws in the movies. Shannon bout had a heart attack when they both realized who he was; THE fucking Undertaker was in their small town…in the very same gas station as them!

When Mark's eyes landed on him he felt nervous, wasn't everyday when a celb walks into a store you're in after all. But what he didn't realize at the time was that Mark was feeling something totally different that glancing at just another person.

Things got weird when they tried to leave the gas station. One minute Jeff was besides Shannon and the next he was on Marks' Harley speeding down the country road. An for nearly a month Jeff was scared shitless about what Mark was going to do. He never talked, just drove from city to city. Went to the ring after locking Jeff up in the hotel room and came back to eat later on. No one questioned them and Jeff, poor Jeff didn't say a thing until one night when the power went out at a motel they were renting out because of the bad weather.

"Why?" Jeff whispered, not daring the look at the man in the next bed.

The man grunted in response.

"Why me goddamn it? Why fucking me, there's millions, billions of others out there….why?"

There was a long pause and for nearly an hour the room was bathed in silence. Just when Jeff was dosing off, long since giving up, did the man speak in a soft whisper.

"I'm tired of being alone. Tired of being tired of this,"

After those words were spoken Jeff was sent back home on a plane. His brother was beyond hysterics and Jeff told a story of an illicit trip that he just didn't want to stop but on the inside all he wanted was to know more about the dead man. He had always loved wrestling; he was born into it after all, so when the opportunity came to his brother and himself he didn't mine playing heel if it meant seeing the man once more.

It wasn't long before he was stolen away again and again by Mark and each time he couldn't bring himself to care.

"I'm ready," Jeff finally said as he made his way back to the bike.

Mark tossed him his helmet and he slid on behind the bad ass he came to love dearly.

"Think you brother will mind this visit?"

Jeff snorted as Mark started the engine; "He had better not!"

Wrapping his arms against the body in front of him he traced the simple silver band on his ring finger. Yeah Matt wouldn't like this but he didn't care, it was his life after all. An to think this had started out as a primal need for love.