Title: Over
Fandom: TNA
Pairing: AJ Styles/Christian Cage
Synopsis: Christian and AJ can't survive without each other. So they finally decide to try their hardest to salvage what's left of their broken relationship.
Author Note: I wrote this just before Christmas, and it's set just after the Thanksgiving episode of iMPACT. It's also the first AJ/Christian I ever wrote! Hurrah! Oh, and this doesn't have as completely blatant slash in it as my other AJ/Christian fics do. I mean, it's implied (cos you know, duh) but only slightly. This could actually be read as a non-slash, if you're someone who would prefer to read it that way.
Lying in bed with the covers wrapped around him, Christian Cage turned to his right to look at the alarm clock on the bedside table. 2.30am. He sighed, turning back around, burying his face in his pillow. His eyelids were heavy and he felt tired, but somehow he was having problems getting to sleep. His mind would not switch off. As hard as he tried, he couldn't get the days' events to stop replaying in my mind.
…AJ as a freakin' turkey! He almost laughed out loud at that. The poor guy had lost the Turkey Bowl match, and had been forced to dress up as a turkey. It had been almost humiliating to watch. I knew he would come up short, Christian thought to himself; He can't handle big matches like that. Hah. Underachiever.
Christian had decided that he was not ready to forgive AJ just yet. Because the problem was, as much as he tried to tell himself it wasn't true… he was jealous. Jealous of that bastard Kurt Angle. AJ had told Christian his goal in bringing Kurt in was simply to make the Coalition stronger, but that didn't matter to Christian. He just didn't want anyone else to join the group. He liked things just the way they were. Honestly… he didn't want to share AJ with anybody else. Hell, it was bad enough he had to share him with Tomko!
…Of course, he wasn't about to tell AJ that.
Christian rolled over to lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling, even though he couldn't see it in the darkness. All his eyes found was seemingly endless pitch black, and nothing more.
The sudden bleeping noise made by his cell phone startled the blond-haired man a little, but he didn't move. He knew he daren't reach for his phone. It would be another pleading voicemail from AJ; and Christian knew he wouldn't be able to handle that.
He slammed his eyes shut and shifted over onto his side. He wasn't going to lie awake and worry anymore. He'd be damned if that idiot AJ would keep him from sleep any longer.
"So, you press that button there? The one with the X on it?"
"Yes! Dang it, Tomko, I just told you that a minute ago!"
"Sorry."
It was ridiculously early in the morning. Did that stop AJ Styles from playing his video games? Hell no. In fact, he was as alert as ever as he sat in front of the big-screen TV in his living room, bashing the buttons of his Xbox controller as he played Halo 3 with his tag team partner, Tomko.
Tomko took a second to glance over at his partner and friend, who was giggling childishly and bouncing up and down as he played his video game. His eyes found their way to the space on the floor between them. There were 4 empty Red Bull cans; none of them had been consumed by Tomko. He fought back the urge to sigh. AJ wasn't even close to getting tired yet. This was going to be a long night.
"Tomko, you're not even playing!" AJ whined, grabbing the game controller out of Tomko's hand and waving it in his face. Tomko flashed AJ a dirty look and snatched the controller back, turning his attention to the television screen again.
They continued playing for a few more minutes, until…
"Tomko! What did you do that for?"
On the video game, the character AJ was playing had just been shot and killed. Tomko's character was stood next to the now-dead body of AJ's character, wielding a huge shotgun.
"What? You told me to shoot!" Tomko exclaimed.
AJ rolled his eyes. "Not at me, you dumbass! At that guy!" He pointed to another character walking about on the television screen. "Holy cow! You suck!"
"Right, that's it." Tomko dropped the video game controller down on the ground, and got up from the floor. He began making his way over to the front door, only stopping when AJ got up and rushed over, grabbing his partner's arm and tugging at it.
"No, stay! I'm sorry! Fine, if you wanna keep killing me with friendly fire, go ahead. I'll let you."
Tomko pulled his arm away out of AJ's grasp. "Look, AJ. It's late. I'm tired. I just wanna go home, alright?"
Tomko saw the obvious disappointment in AJ's eyes, but he decided he would not let it sway his decision. Not this time. He understood that AJ was upset at what had happened between him and Christian, but what simply started out as a little support for his friend had gone too far. Tomko knew he had to draw the line somewhere.
"I'm sorry, man," he said quietly. "I can't be your substitute for Christian. I won't be."
AJ opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He didn't quite know what to say to that.
"Take it easy, partner, and I'll catch up with you later," Tomko said. He reached out to pat AJ's shoulder in a friendly gesture, and gave him a sympathetic smile before turning around and making his way out of the front door. AJ was left stood there, still racking his brains, still trying to think of something to say.
"Damn it."
An hour and a half had passed, and still Christian was not asleep. In fact, he was even further from it than he had been ninety minutes before. He was in the kitchen, sat up on the counter, staring out the window. The only light was a small lamp he'd switched on, which was placed on a table near the back of the room. It was still pretty dark, and Christian was okay with that. He liked the dark. It felt rather comforting, in a strange sort-of way.
His mind seemed to be on overdrive; millions of thoughts were buzzing around in it so much at one time that it was almost giving him a headache.
If he had to be completely honest with himself, he knew that he really did actually miss having AJ around. The guy was pretty much his best friend. His only real true friend, as a matter of fact. Not that he needed friends – he could take care of himself quite fine – but he liked having AJ by his side. It was pretty obvious that AJ loved him. In fact, the guy had publicly admitted it. Christian knew he could ask anything, anything from AJ, and he would do it in a heartbeat. That was a kind of friendship, a kind of love that he'd never felt from anybody else in the world. And he liked that.
But Christian knew he was selfish. He knew, somehow, it was wrong that he wanted AJ for himself, and for nobody else to so much as get near him. He knew it wasn't right, how angry he felt whenever he saw that 'schoolboy with a crush' look AJ gave Karen every time he looked at her. He knew it was ridiculous that, even though he and Tomko were supposed to be comrades, he wanted to hurt the guy for being AJ's tag team partner, for winning those title belts with him.
Sometimes, Christian felt like all he wanted was for him and AJ to be the only two people in the world.
Christian began to wonder to himself just how he had gotten that way. He thought back to all those years ago, when it had been him, his brother Edge, and a mysterious vampire who went by the name of Gangrel. Christian had been young and naïve and looking for a role model, and found one in the form of Gangrel. Gangrel had taken Christian under his wing, and then Edge too, and showed them the ways of his vampire lifestyle. Christian remembered how he hung onto Gangrel's every word, did whatever he was told, followed him around like a puppy dog. He'd always wanted to have power like that.
Now he did. He had his very own puppy dog, in the form of AJ. He liked how strangely powerful it made him feel, to have someone who followed him around, hung onto everything he said, did whatever he told them to do.
But now Kurt Angle – that bastard – had somehow managed to take AJ away from Christian. It was Kurt that AJ was following around now. Kurt had pretty much single-handedly snatched all of Christian's power away from him, and that pissed him off. Big time.
A sudden shrill, high-pitched ringing sound broke Christian out of his deep thoughts. He glanced over at the table in the corner. The phone was ringing.
Who the hell would be calling at this…
Christian didn't even bother to finish that thought. He knew damn well who it was. There was only one person who would ever dare try to call him at nearly 5 o'clock in the morning.
He jumped down from the kitchen counter, eyes still transfixed on the ringing phone. He wondered if he should answer it. He wondered if he'd know what to even say.
Before he could make a decision, suddenly he heard the sound of his own voice. "You have reached the answering machine of the one and only Instant Classic. Leave me a message after the tone, and maybe I'll get back to you, if I think you're worth my time."
There was a sudden beep, and then:
"Christian, it's AJ. I know it's pretty late and I'm sorry if you're asleep and I wake you up or something – I mean, I really don't want to give you more reasons to hate me, but… listen, I know you don't wanna hear this, but I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Really really really really really sorry! Times infinity! And one! I love you, man, and I miss you. Please at least just think about calling me back?"
Christian was stood over the phone now, staring at it intently. This is your one chance… just talk to him, for god's sake, a voice in the back of his mind told him.
He picked up the receiver and put it to his ear before he could give it another thought.
"What do you want, AJ?"
There was a short pause on the other end of the line. "Christian? I thought you'd be asleep."
"Can't sleep." I've been too busy thinking about you. He pushed those words out of his mind before he could say them.
"Oh." Another pause. "Can we talk?"
Christian rolled his eyes. "We're talking now, aren't we?"
"No. I mean, face-to-face. Wanna come over?"
"It's 5 in the morning, AJ. Don't be so retarded."
"I'll come over there, then. Just… please?"
5.30am. Christian couldn't believe that AJ had travelled all that way, to come visit him, at 5.30 in the morning. And now they were sat in his living room, on the couch, both surviving on zero sleep and neither of them knowing who should say the first word.
"So?" Christian and AJ were sat at opposite sides of the long, white leather couch. Christian on the far right side, AJ on the far left. Christian was looking down at the floor. AJ was staring right at him.
"So what?" Christian said bluntly.
"So…" AJ's voice trailed off. "I don't know what to say."
Christian suddenly looked up. "Well, you know what? I do. How could you side with that asshole Angle? How could you stab me in the back like that, AJ? How?!" he said angrily, his voice getting louder with every word that came out of his mouth.
AJ shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He hated when Christian shouted at him. "I didn't stab you in the back, Christian! I was trying to bring us all together! I –"
Christian cut him off. "Bullshit, AJ. If you want to go ahead and break up the Coalition, then fine. I don't give a damn. We're through, as far as I'm concerned." He sat back in his seat, crossing his arms and turning away.
"I don't want to break us up! Karen said this would be a great opportunity for all 5 of us!"
Christian snorted at that statement. He turned to face AJ again. "Really? And tell me, AJ, when was the last time Karen Angle thought about anybody but herself or that cock-sucking husband of hers? I didn't realise she'd become Mother Te-fucking-resa all of a sudden. Did she convert from her religion of 'Bitch Whore'? Cos if she did, I sure as hell missed it!"
"Karen's not like that! She's nice, really!"
"Oh, gimme a break, AJ. What did she do, get down on her knees for you too, huh?"
AJ's jaw dropped. Christian raised his eyebrows and flashed AJ a knowing look.
"You know, it's obvious you've made your decision, AJ. So you can go. If you love the Angles so much, why don't you just fucking marry them?"
There was an awkward moment of silence between them.
"Look…" AJ finally spoke, moving along the couch a little bit to get closer to Christian. Christian didn't bother looking at him this time; instead, he found a spot on the wall to focus on and stare at instead. "I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that! And if you don't want Kurt to join the Coalition, I'll just talk to him. He'll understand. He's a good guy, you know."
"I don't think it's possible for you to be any more naïve than you already are, you know that?"
AJ was confused. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
Christian didn't bother to look at AJ, but he still continued talking. "You really think you can just get us out of this mess by having a little pyjama party chit-chat with Kurt and Karen? Well, newsflash, AJ – you can't. You made a deal with those two. And if you break it, they're gonna come after you. And if you're with me, it means they're gonna come after me, too. I don't want to be paying for yet another mistake that you made. So I'm done with you. You made your choice – now go deal with it yourself."
AJ sat there, completely stunned, not knowing what to say. "I…" He felt as though Christian had just stabbed a knife through his heart. "So this is it, huh?" His voice was cracking; he had to try his hardest to maintain his composure. "You're just gonna turn your back on me, when I did this for us, to help us, to help you, Christian!"
Christian didn't respond. And with that, AJ jumped up from the couch, suddenly furious.
"Why can't you have just a little bit of faith in me, Christian? Why? Why is that so damn hard for you?!"
Christian knew he couldn't avoid the confrontation anymore. He got up from the couch, standing face to face with AJ, looking him right in the eyes. He was trying so hard not to be affected by the hurt look on AJ's face. It was too much to bear. He hoped and prayed he would succeed in trying to ignore it. Trying to ignore the fact that even though AJ was yelling and seemed furious, Christian could just about see the tears prickling in the corners of his eyes.
"Why can't you have faith in me, AJ? Am I really such a bad leader that you felt the need to bring Jerk-off Angle into our team?"
"You know that's not true!"
"Well, why did you do it then?"
"I DON'T KNOW! Okay?! I guess I just wasn't thinking. I told you that. I told you I was sorry." AJ sighed. "I don't know what else you want me to do. But I'll do anything. Anything you ask of me. Just please… forgive me?"
Christian's eyes met the floor. He knew he wouldn't be able to look at AJ once he spoke the next words he knew were going to come out of his mouth. "Get out."
AJ's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he'd heard. "What?"
"You heard me. Get out. I want you to leave. Now."
There was more silence between them. AJ opened his mouth to speak, but he wasn't quite sure what he wanted to say. He wasn't sure what there was left to say. He stood there, waiting for Christian to look at him, to say something that might make things easier. But he didn't.
AJ turned around and began making his way toward the front door. Christian just stood in the same spot, not moving, as if he was frozen solid.
Suddenly, a thought came to AJ, and he stopped in his tracks. He knew there was no point looking back. But he knew now what it was he needed to say.
"Remember back when you told me the story about your brother, Edge? About how you turned your back on him, and how you've always regretted it?"
His words were met with silence, but he continued talking anyway.
"I'm begging you, please, don't do that to me. Don't turn your back on me, Christian. Don't push me away like you pushed Edge away. I couldn't handle it. I can't do any of this without you."
Christian didn't move, or speak. AJ hung his head sadly and sighed, realising that maybe he wasn't going to be able to get through to Christian this time.
He made his way to the front door, reaching out for the door handle and turning it. The door made a slight creaking sound as he pulled it open. He stood there in the doorway for a few moments more, hoping and praying that maybe things would be different.
Please, just say something… anything…
When AJ stepped out into the open air less than a minute later, he came to the realisation that he'd never felt so completely, utterly heartbroken and alone before in his entire life.
What he didn't know, however, was that Christian – who was still standing in the living room, trying to make sense of what had just happened – had just come to a realisation, too. And it was completely, exactly the same as AJ's.