Notes: First, this (has great plans to be, anyway) a multipart fic, a series of vignettes from the POV of various pairings within TNA and how they're reacting to what's going on in TNA these days. The first part is MMG, because I love them and my buddy Fish has been bugging me to write some MMG. I hope this will do. I had a great deal of enjoyment writing this. I love writing their dialogue. Oh, for the record, if you couldn't figure it out, the game they're playing is GoldenEye for N64. If you've never played that game -- SHAME ON YOU IF YOU HAVEN'T! -- some of this might not make a lot of sense. GoldenEye is a first person shooter based on the James Bond movie of the same name. Proximity mines are mines that stick to stuff and go off whenever someone goes near them. Shelley's extreme dislike of said mines stems from my own experience playing GoldenEye with a friend of mine. So there's no confusion, Alex is the one who speaks first. Strong language warning. Hints at slash.
"Dude, where the fuck are you?"
"In the bathroom."
"My ass you are, like you'd even tell me."
"Well, why don't you go check just to make sure?"
"You've probably got the whole place rigged with proximity mines."
"Now why would I do that? That makes no tactical sense whatsoever. While I might blow you up with my proximity mines, chances are good I'd blow myself up too. Null score. No point."
"Not if you're hiding in the vent."
"Dude, seriously. Are we going to play this or are you going to sit there with your thumb up your ass? Shit or get off the pot."
"Fucker," Alex mumbled. He maneuvered Bond up the stairs and paused outside of the bathroom door, lightly tapping his thumb against the B button, not hard enough to push it.
"Well?"
"Shut up, I'm thinking."
"About what? How much of a pussy you are?"
"Fine." He pressed the button and the door swung open with a fwump. For a split second he thought Chris had actually been telling the truth… and then a series of explosions rattled the controller in his hands and Bond sunk to the floor as the screen turned red. On the top half of the screen, Trevelyan dropped out of the vent and into the bathroom stall below, unscathed.
"FUCKER!" Alex yelled, dropping the controller to his lap. "I hate you. You and your fucking proximity mines. Bastard."
Chris laughed. "What's the score now?"
"Five to four, your favor." Alex sighed and respawned, shaking his head. "Are we playing to ten or twenty?"
"I don't remember, I think it's ten."
They continued to hurl insults at each other and Alex managed to tie the score at five with an extraordinarily lucky headshot. He gave Chris a moment to find a gun before heading after him. They fell silent for a moment, the soundtrack playing in the background, and then Chris spoke, his eyes fixed on the screen in front of him.
"I've been thinking about ROH."
Alex risked a quick glance to his left, but Chris was staring straight ahead, his attention fixed on the TV.
"What about it? You're not going to leave TNA, are you?" Alex tried to focus on the game, but something about the direction of this conversation was making him uncomfortable. Actually, everything about the direction of this conversation was making him uncomfortable.
"No. I mean… You've seen the direction it's been going in the last couple of months. I just don't think it would hurt to keep the option open, you know? At least on a part-time basis. Just in case… something happens."
They were silent, Alex trying to digest this information. Chris was thinking about leaving. And so far the only word coming out of his mouth that Alex could hear was I. Not we. So Chris could go to ROH on a part time basis… that could be okay, right? It didn't mean they were breaking up or anything. But there was a heaviness in the pit of his stomach that had nothing to do with the Mexican they'd had for dinner. Probably.
"Alex? Your thoughts? You can tell me it's a shit poor idea, I won't be offended."
He nibbled his lower lip, trying to think of how best to word his thoughts so he didn't sound like a whiny baby or a fourteen year old girl, asking Chris if they were breaking up, why did he want to leave, don't you love me anymore?
"Well, the singles division is pretty strong in ROH. And I don't blame you for wanting to get out of TNA before it completely goes down the shithole. I know it's my fault we haven't been getting as much air time, but my back really has gotten a lot better."
Bond turned a corner and found Trevelyan standing in the middle of the hallway. Instinct took over and Trevelyan was dead in three shots before Alex realized he hadn't even been shot at.
"Dude, what was that?"
Chris was staring at him wide-eyed, looking at him like he had grown a second head or something. Granted, this was a look Alex saw on Chris's face at least once a day, but usually he knew why it was there. Hell, most of the time he caused that look on purpose. Alex glanced at the TV, where Trevelyan's half of the screen was encouraging him to press the start button.
"Are you going to press start or did you forfeit to my superior skills?"
Instead of pressing anything, Chris laid the controller on the bed beside him.
"When I said going to ROH, I meant with you, you ass. You think I'm going to let you rot in TNA by yourself?"
A foolish grin slowly crossed Alex's face. "Oh."
"And furthermore, will you quit blaming yourself? It's not your fault."
"Furthermore? Who even says that? Will you please for fuck's sake press start so I can continue to kick your ass?"
"We'll see about that. Sweet, proximity mines!"
"Fuck."
"So, you wanna come to ROH with me?"
"Sure. Dude, if you put those proximity mines anywhere, I'll fucking jam them up your ass. Oh wait, you'd like that."
"You're one to talk, Shelley. I'll give Cary a call in the morning and see if he's got room for us. Where the fuck are you hiding?"
"In the bathroom vent. I've got a bunch of proximity mines in my ass. Why don't you come check it out."
"You whore, I'll check out your ass later. In the meantime…"
"FUCK! God, I hate proximity mines. We're never playing with proximity mines ever again. I'd rather risk it with the golden gun."
"That can be arranged. After this set though."
Alex groaned, and then glanced over at Chris, who was smiling at him. They shared a quick grin and went back to the game.