A/N: When there aren't (m)any stories with your favourite pairings, you just gotta make your own. ^_^ Therefore I now present you my new Slariel story.
Disclaimer: If these two were mine, the WWE wouldn't be PG anymore.
"Hey Heath, are you alright?"
"You mean beside that jackhammer in my head? Ouch. Yeah, I think I'm okay. What happened?"
Slowly Heath opened his eyes. The room was very bright, but somebody was leaning over him so that he wasn't blinded by the light. Justin.
"There was this 10 man battle royal on Smackdown today. And when Sheamus threw you out of the ring you hit your head on the steps and blacked out. You've been out for about 20 minutes. Since I had already been eliminated earlier I thought I'd come see if you're ok."
"Some ibuprofen and a good night's sleep and I'll be as good as new. You know I'm rather thick headed."
When Justin showed a small smile at his last comment, Heath couldn't help but feel a little better already. When he tried to get up his vision blurred for a few seconds, but he managed to sit without being too obvious. At least Justin didn't seem to notice anything.
"Well, since you're awake now and seem to be fine I think I'll be going. Wouldn't want to miss my ride back to the hotel. You know that Wade and Drew aren't the most patient people. The trainer should be back any minute now." Justin stood up and Heath saw, that he was already fully dressed and ready to leave the arena. "Oh, by the way, I brought your things along so you won't have to go back to the locker room."
"Thanks, me and my headache appreciate it a lot." He smiled at Justin, but the other man avoided his gaze by bending down to pick up his bag.
"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you then. And thank you again for stopping by and bringing my things and everything."
"Don't mention it, we're friends after all. "
And with these words Justin walked out of the door.
When the door fell shut, Heath sighed. Well, since Justin had said that they were friends, it had to be true. He himself wasn't so sure anymore. Sure, they had been very close during Nexus and Corre Times, but when Creative had come up with the brilliant idea to split their team after just a few weeks things had changed. (Of course it had been inevitable, since there were so many tag-teams in the WWE that theirs wasn't needed.) After the split they had somehow grown apart. They never roomed together anymore and the times that they drove to the next show or the hotel together had become became rarer and rarer. Just like he had been reminded by Justin just seconds ago.
Heath sighed again. For all his loudmouthed personality that he portrayed on screen, he didn't seem to be able to find the right words when he was around Justin. For over a year he had tried and failed to tell Justin how he felt. He'd never had the guts to confess to Justin that he might be in love with him. A fact he now knew to be true. But maybe it had been better this way, because there was one big problem: unlike what many people thought, Justin was straight while Heath was the one lusting after his once best friend now acquaintance. And who knew, if he had told Justin how he felt, their friendship might have become very awkward. Which wouldn't be that much different from the situation they were in now. Life was just perfect.
"You will never get him into your bed if you just sit there and stare after him like some lovesick puppy."
Heath's head whipped around. There was somebody in the room with him? Somebody had caught him staring after Justin? Shit, he had to be more careful.
He looked around the room, but there was nobody. He was alone. But then who had just…
"Hey, down here."
Puzzled Heath looked down. There was nothing but his bag. Did the guys try to play a trick on him and had packed Hornswoggle in his bag?
Heath bent down, ignoring the pounding in his head. He opened the zipper, but there was nobody inside, just his clothes.
"Here, in your side pocket. Are you blind, man?"
Side Pocket? He never kept anything in his side pocket besides his keys and his… his action figure? And the one of Justin, if he had to be honest.
But that wasn't possible.
He took the figure out of the pocket.
"This might sound crazy but did you just talk to me?"
"Sure I did. Or do you think your keys started talking?"
Heath barely avoided falling to the floor, but his action figure wasn't as lucky when it tumbled down.
"Hey, why did you do that?"
The redhead was just lying there, staring wide-eyed at his counterpart. That wasn't possible. He had not just heard his action figure talk to him. No. Way.
"Well, don't you want to pick me up, seeing that you let me fall to this cold hard floor."
"Yeah… sure, I'll pick you up. I'll pick up my action figure that suddenly decided TALKING TO ME! Ow, my head." Deciding that his headache didn't like it when he was shouting he picked up his action figure to inspect it closely. There had to be some kind of speaker on it. The boys were just trying to mess with him. Which wasn't very nice considering that he had been out cold for about 20 minutes. There was simply no way…
Heath nearly would have let his action figure drop a second time when suddenly the door in front of him opened and the trainer walked in.
"Hey Heath, playing with yourself again? How's the head?"
"Haha, very funny. I got a headache, but I think it's getting better already." Heath watched the trainer critically, looking for signs that he had heard his crazy rant just seconds ago. Carefully he put his action figure back into his bag.
"Any problems with dizziness, balance or your eyesight?"
"No, right now nothing but the headache." And small plastic figures that suddenly started talking. But since he didn't want to end up in an institution he kept that small detail to himself.
"Ok. Well since you only have been unconscious for about 15 minutes and seem to be completely lucid I think there will be no problem with you going to your hotel. Just stay awake for at least three more hours. You can take some painkillers if you need them for your headache, but you shouldn't drive for the next 48 hours, just in case. If you still have problems by tomorrow, just come back and I will make some tests."
"Got it. I notice anything unusual, I'll come back"
-x-
Back at the hotel the first thing Heath did was fall on his bed. And who could blame him after the last two hours. Which brought him right back to his "little problem". Luckily his roommate had decided to go for a drink and he had the room all to himself.
Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time that day he pulled his bag onto his bed. He opened his side pocket, took out his and Justin's figures and put them in front of himself on the bed, next to each other. Then he simply sat there and looked at them. It didn't take long before…
"Man, took you long enough. I nearly started think you had forgotten about us."
"How could I forget it when a piece of plastic suddenly started talking to me?"
"Piece of plastic? How dare you? I'm a true-to-life Mattel action figure. Probably one of the most sought after ever." Heath was sure that if an action figure could puff out his chest, his would have done exactly that.
"Yeah, whatever. Wait a second. Did you just say 'us'? Does that mean that Justin's figure can talk, too?"
"Of course I can talk. I just sometimes prefer not to." He suddenly heard Justin's voice.
Heath blinked. "So let me get this straight: you two are action figures and suddenly you start talking to me. But why? I've never heard of something like this." He hated sounding so whiny but he just couldn't help it. This whole thing was simply crazy.
"Maybe it was because you hit your head." Justin tried to explain. "You know how some people think that humans only use a small part of their brain? So maybe when you hit your head you somehow changed the connections in between your brain cells so that you now can use some of that unused capacity to communicate with us."
"Or maybe you hit your head and now you are plain crazy." Gee, wasn't his figure just a sweetheart? "But more interesting than our talking is your talking. Or more precisely your not talking to Justin."
Heath couldn't help the blush spreading across his cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was talking to him just a few hours ago"
"Sure, you were telling him that you have a headache. And when he left, you were staring after him like a lovesick puppy."
"I do not look at Justin like a lovesick puppy! I don't… I… ok, you're right. Maybe I do." You just couldn't win a staring contest against a unanimated object. Damnit! "Ok, I admit it, I love him. But what do you expect me to do? Go to him and tell him? Sure, that will work out just great. He'll just laugh at me. If he doesn't punch me first." He couldn't decide if he wanted to be angry or resigned.
"Why would you think that?" Figure-Justin's question caught him of guard.
"You ask why? Because he doesn't like me. At leas not the way I like him. Hell, we are barely friends anymore." Sad but true.
"He loves you."
"What?"
"He loves you. Believe me, he does."
Could it be? "But, how can you say that? How do you know? Like I said, we barely even talk." Oh how wanted to believe him. As crazy as it might sound, believing in the opinion of an action figure.
"How I know? I'm his action figure, of course I know how he feels. So you can trust me when I tell you that he really loves you. He just doesn't show it. But I can't really blame him, since you're just the same."
Heath fell back on the bed. So he had been wrong all the time? Justin reciprocated his feelings? All those sleepless nights. All his sorrow because "Wait. If what you say is true, then why did he distance himself from me? I always had the feeling that he was pushing me away lately. Except for today maybe." He had sat up and looked enquiringly at Figure-Justin.
"That's just his way of dealing with the situation. He thinks he has no chance with you so he avoids you in the hope that his feelings will go away. Kind of like a defence mechanism."
"So you say that the reason he's been pushing me away is because he loves me?" It made sense. Well, kind of.
"Yep. And today he got scared when you blacked out after falling out of the ring. That's why he came to look after you. Apparently his plan to forget about you hasn't been very successful yet."
For several minutes Heath just sat there and stared at the bedcovers. So during all that time together none of them had noticed the other's feelings? Had they both been so blind? What should he do to change this frustrating status quo? And why the hell did every hotel he had ever been use white bed sheets?
"So what do you suppose I should do about it know?"
"How about you grow a pair and finally ask him out you coward?" Figure-Heath piped up. Was his character really that annoying?
Justin's action figure was a bit better behaved. "Well, I wouldn't have phrased it quite like that but he is right: why don't you just go and talk to him?"
Just talk to him? Easier said than done.
-x-
He got his first opportunity when he went to the hotel gym. The two action figures were stored securely in his bag.
When he had woken up this morning his first realization had been that he had some pretty strange dreams. Then Figure-Heath had complained that he had slept so long and all his hope had been crushed.
And now he was standing here and watched the man of his dreams come out of the locker room. Together with Wade and Drew. No way was he going over there and make a fool of himself in front of the others. He would have to wait for another opportunity.
He was surprised when Justin came over when he spotted Heath.
"Hey Justin."
"Hey Heath, how are you? How's the head?"
"Other than the swelling at the back of my head I'm fine."
"Well, that's good to hear."
They both smiled a bit awkwardly during the following silence, neither man knowing what to say.
"Listen, Justin, I-" "I Think I should go now. The others are waiting for me. I'll see you later." And before he could even blink, Justin had turned around and vanished through the door, out of the gym.
Well, that didn't go quite like he had planned.
He thought he heard a muffled "wimp" coming from his bag.
-x-
He didn't have more success during the day. When Justin had said that he would see him later, he had apparently meant much later because he hadn't had a single opportunity to talk to the man. No matter where he was looking for Justin or who he was asking, he simply seemed unable to find him. And when he managed to catch a glimpse of the other man, Justin managed to vanish faster than any excitement when 'Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Monday Night Raw' John Laurinaitis entered the arena.
When he entered his hotel room that evening he didn't know what to do. Sure, he could try to find Justin tomorrow, but when Justin didn't want to be found, he probably wouldn't be much more successful than today. He had to find another way. But first…
"Phew, about time you got us out of this bag. Do you know how bad your ring gear stinks?" Did death glares work on action figures? "Maybe that's why Justin has fled from you the whole day." Apparently not.
"You don't have something like a Good – Evil switch, do you?"
"What?"
"You know, there is this one Simpsons episode where Bart gets a doll that… oh never mind. I must be going crazy when I'm trying to explain classical cartoons to my action figure. Even more crazy than I already am."
"Don't listen to him. You know that what he said is not true." At least Figure-Justin was a bit more sensitive.
"Yeah, I know." He put the two figures on the bed and flopped down. "But that still doesn't change the fact that he apparently doesn't want to see me. I've been looking for him all day."
"If he doesn't want to see you, you have to convince him that he does."
"That's all well and good, but I still have to find him first." And Justin seemed to be a master in playing hide and seek.
"Well, why don't you try his room, Sherlock?"
-x-
He knocked on the door and didn't have to wait long for Wade to open.
"Hey, Wade. Thanks for your help."
"Let me get this straight: you want to talk to a man that is supposed to be your friend, who you can't get a hold of because he apparently doesn't want to talk to you. So you call me because you know that we share a room. You hope that I can help you to trick him so that you can surprise him in his room and he has no other choice than to talk to you?"
"Well if you put it like that…" With the look on Wade's face he now knew why many people said that he was an intimidating person.
"He's in the bathroom right now. Good luck, I'm out of here. I hope you two finally talk it out and stop dancing around each other."
With these words the Brit went through the door and down the floor. Heath stood there and looked dumbfounded at the spot where Wade had stood not seconds ago. Apparently not everybody had been as blind as them. He stepped into the room, closed the door and looked at the door to the bathroom, waiting for Justin to come out. He didn't have to wait long.
"Hey Wade, what do you… Heath?" When he spotted Heath, Justin stopped dead in his tracks.
"Hi Justin."
"Heath, what are you doing here? Where's Wade?" Justin looked suspicious and a little bit nervous. When had Justin stopped being comfortable in his presence?
Heath sighed. "Justin, we need to talk."
"I don't know what about." Justin was avoiding his gaze.
"Well, how about the fact, that you have been avoiding me for weeks? Justin, we've been best friends for years and suddenly you don't even talk to me any more? And don't you dare deny it. I've barely seen you the last few weeks. I have tried to talk to you the whole day. I even had to ask Wade for help just to get a hold of you." He had to take a deep breath to calm down again. He had let his feelings get away with him. "I miss you Angel!"
Justin's shoulders slumped down. He saw him sit down on the bed and bury his head in his hands.
After watching the other for about a minute, Heath walked to him und sat down next to his friend. When he put his arm around Justin's shoulder, the other leaned against him.
When Justin spoke again, it was so quiet that Heath could barely hear him "I'm sorry Heath, but I just can't do it. You're right, we've been best friends for years and it's been both the best and the worst time of my life. But I can't do it anymore. There are some things that make it really difficult for me to be your friend."
"Why don't you just talk to me? I'm sure we can solve all your problems."
"No, I can't. I am… it's just that… I just can't do it."
Originally he had planned to bring Justin to confess everything, but this was getting them nowhere. "You mean you can't tell me that you love me?"
He nearly fell over when Justin pushed away from him. Heath had never thought that the saying 'eyes as big as saucers' was anatomically possible, bit his friend had just proven him wrong.
"Yes… I mean no…I mean…" Justin's gaze fell to the floor. "You were never supposed to know. You always said that I was you your best friend. And I thought that if I told you that I felt more towards you than best friends that you would hate me." The south African shook his head. "I've had these feelings for years. And eventually I simply couldn't take it anymore. And I thought that when I avoided you, it would finally go away. It was better that way."
"You never got the idea that I might feel the same, did you?"
Justin's head whipped up. When Heath saw his eyes, he couldn't help but notice that the other was holding back his tears.
"Hey, Angel. Don't cry." He slid closer to the other man and cupped his cheek in his hand. "I never would have thought that I could make somebody cry because I confessed my love for them."
He had to smile when he heard the older man chuckle. "Heath, you are incorrigible."
"Maybe. But you love me nonetheless."
With these words, Heath leaned forwards to kiss his best friend and hopefully future lover for the first-
-x-
"Hey Heath, are you alright?"
"You mean beside that jackhammer in my head? Ouch. Yeah, I think I'm okay. What happened?"
Slowly Heath opened his eyes. The room was very bright, but somebody was leaning over him so that he wasn't blinded by the light. Justin.
Wait, didn't he know this from somewhere?
"There was this 10 man battle royal on Smackdown today. And when…" While Justin told a story that seemed awfully familiar, Heath looked down at the side pocket of his bag. "…had already been eliminated earlier I mph…"
Justin's explanation was cut off when Heath grabbed the back of his head and tugged him down into a passionate kiss. He could feel the resistance and saw that Justin's eyes were as big as saucers. Just when he thought that he just might have made the biggest mistake of his life, he felt the other's resistance crumble. And when Justin reciprocated the kiss and closed his eyes, Heath would have smiled had his mouth not been occupied otherwise.
When they broke for air, Heath just lay there and waited for the other man's reaction.
"Wow. That was… unexpected." The older man looked a bit flustered. But suddenly a huge smile spread across his face. "Not that I mind though."
When Heath saw this he couldn't help but grin and give Justin a peck on the lips.
"But why did you… I mean…"
"You wanna know how I know that you love me?" I was really cute how Justin was blushing now. "let's just say, a little Angel told me."
A/N 2: If anybody wants to know how somebody can come up with something like this, here is the story behind the story. I've been on holiday in Ireland some time ago. In Germany you need a magnifying glass to find WWE action figures in the shops. So instead of the usual souvenirs I got some action figures. (I didn't find the Heath & Justin pack but I found Justin. *yay*) When I looked at my action figures lying in my room I had a though process thaw went something like: "Wouldn't it be cool if they were alive?" then "I wonder how the superstars feel about their own action figures." and finally "How strange would it be if the superstars had their own living action figures?". And the idea was born. And since Heath and Justin have such a wonderful on again off again feud I got motivated to write this story about them.
Constructive criticism is always welcome. ^_^