A/N: Just letting people know I'm still around. I fell ill last week and just couldn't find the energy to write, but I'm better now, so hopefully I'll be able to start getting caught up in BtB, EuM, Team Work and WWDD soon! Sorry for the delay, and thanks for your patience. In the meanwhile, there's this:
It had been a long few months. Wade leaving WWE had been a decision he'd made back in the fall of 2015, so his chief comfort was that it wasn't like he was blindsiding Heath with the news or anything, but still. When the draft had been announced, and Heath's steady flow of texts that day dwindled, clearly losing hope slowly, for the first time Wade had almost doubted leaving all of those months ago.
7 PM: Draft's startin'! I wonder what number I'll get picked.
7:12 PM: Should be any time now!
7:35 PM: Maybe there's a biddin' war between Raw and Smackdown for me, ya think?
7:58 PM: This is borin'. No one good's gettin' picked, c'mon!
8:23 PM: There's gonna be a supplemental draft on the Network, I guess gettin' picked there wouldn't be a bad thing!
8:55 PM: Tunin' in right now... room's emptyin' out. Gettin' kinda quiet and dark in here.
9:43 PM: Well, 'm happy for Bo, maybe Curtis'n'me'll be next
He still has the texts in his phone, remembering how it'd felt to watch the show end with Heath alone, the lights getting shut off on him. Axel had been the last to be drafted, Raw taking him as well, and from there Heath's week-in week-out struggle to find a way in, to get a contract to sign, had begun. Sleepness nights (rivaling Wade's own insomniac streaks) full of worry and half-thought out planning had led to beat downs from Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, and so many other teeth-gritting things that Wade's amazed Heath had made it out with only scrapes and bruises.
Then Shane had told him if he'd find a tag partner, Heath could try for the new Smackdown tag belts. And if he could win, would finally get that contract that he'd been desperate to have for weeks. After striking out time and again, Rhyno being the one to agree to work with Heath had put Wade on even more of an edge, but it had worked out well. Rhyno seems sincere, as long as he's plied with plenty of cheese and crackers, and Wade is just relieved someone's in Heath's corner that can honestly keep him safe from people like the Usos, with their tendency to injure those in their way, and all of this. Not to mention the blue and white tag belts look good around Heath's waist.
It had been a relief to watch Heath win, to watch him sign the contract, and to even regain the titles in a rematch against the Usos a few weeks later.
So, when Heath returns home with Rhyno in tow, babbling about the pool party Heath had promised Rhyno for his birthday, Wade had exhaled, found the crackers and cheese and went to find his swim trunks. The above ground pool had been one of Heath's sillier ideas, but it fits, Wade thinks. The kids around their apartment complex like it, at any rate, and the apartment management had no problems with it once they realized Heath was donating the money for upkeep and things of that nature, meaning they only had to find a place to put it, and all would be good: Not to mention it'd upgrade their apartment complex to be so similar to many other complexes in the immediate area, and good competition for prospects looking to move in.
Wade quickly changes into his dark blue trunks and smirks at Rhyno as Heath belly flops into the pool, content to sit in one of the pool-side chairs, closing his eyes and enjoying the sun with a thick book in hand. Normally he'd be smoking one of his favorite cigars, but Heath had emphatically pointed at him when he'd installed a "No Smoking" sign by the front door. Which, with all of the kids running around, Wade figures it makes sense, grimacing as one of the darlings splashes him on their way into the cool water.
"Hey, Brit, c'mon, get in here!" Heath exclaims after awhile, shaking water from his messy orange hair and grinning as bright as the sun overhead, unencumbered by anything for the first time in months that even Wade can't find a way to deny him.
Sighing, he carefully places a mark in his book so he doesn't lose his place and rests it carefully under a towel so it doesn't get wet before diving into the cool blue water, locating Heath and proceeding to chase him gleefully around the pool while the kids around them shriek and yell encouragement, sometimes to Heath and sometimes to him, until finally Wade corners his significant other and smirks down at him, eyes dancing with smug mirth before he leans in and kisses him. Heath hums under him, wrapping his arms around Wade's neck and deepening the kiss before they remember just how many young eyes are on them, Wade slowly pulling away. "Later," he mumbles.
"Alright," Heath exhales, slipping under him and swimming away with a laugh as Wade turns and watches him go, shaking his head before diving after him, the chase on once more.
It's not until later, when they're back in the apartment and Rhyno's dried off- Heath had eventually gotten him to give up on the cheese and crackers and work it off in the water by having a belly flopping contest, which the 'refrigerator with a heart of an angel', as Heath describes him, had won easily- that things begin to quiet down, Rhyno finally making his excuses and leaving. Wade's humming under his breath, staring at the shopping list for the week. "How many boxes of crackers and cans of cheese do you want to get this week?" he asks jokingly, poking at the paper with his pen while he waits for Heath's response.
Heath's up to his elbows in soapy water, cleaning plates and pans off, when Wade turns to look at him, curious about his silence. "Um," Heath mumbles. "I, I think-" His words fail him, possibly for the first time in ever, and he stands there for a second, looking distant, lost.
"Heath?" Wade walks up to him, worried questions forming on his lips as he reaches out for Heath, his brows furrowed, when everything happens at once: Heath lets go of the plate, which crashes back under the soapy water and hits the side of the sink with a noise that makes Wade jerk, and his legs give out on him, sending him rapidly towards the floor. "Hey!" he snaps, gripping Heath around the waist and drawing him into Wade's side as he controls the fall, sinks down, bracing Heath's body and keeping him from hurting himself.
Scooping him up into his lap, Wade snuggles against him and searches his features, alarmed to find his eyes closed, lips parted slightly. He's pale... and there are dark rings around his eyes. Pressing a kiss to Heath's sweaty temple, Wade winces. "I told you to get more sleep," he breathes out. "You haven't been listening, have you? Idiot..." After debating with himself, he finally just hoists Heath upright and carries him out to the car, not wanting to wait for an ambulance.
The drive to the ER is almost as torturous, Wade biting his lips and watching Heath's unresponsive form at every red light. Finally they arrive and he parks as close to the building as he can, leaning in and hoisting Heath up into his arms once more before carrying him inside. "Hey, we could use some help over here," he calls out, relieved when nurses flock around them, helping him to put Heath on a cot. After giving Heath's information to them, he explains what had led to this moment, and stares as they drag Heath through some doors and into a room straight ahead.
"We'll examine him, and let you know what we find," a woman promises him before bustling off, leaving him to sit in the waiting room.
He picks at his lips, his foot tapping impatiently against the tile floor. He can't believe that barely three hours earlier, he'd been chasing Heath around that damn pool without a care in the world. He searches through Heath's wallet for want of something to do and swallows, staring down at his driver's license, the wide grin on Heath's face for even that bit of minituea. There are pictures scattered throughout the wallet, of the Nexus, of the Corre, of 3MB, of Social Outcasts. There's even an old, grainy picture of Slater Gator that makes Wade roll his eyes when he sees it, certain that Titus had had no clue of it even being taken at the time. Not to be outdone, there's a recent picture of Heath and Rhyno floating around in amongst Heath's cards and his money and Wade stares at it before finding a safe place for it in the plastic sleeves, giving the wallet a good shake to make sure nothing will get dislodged and fall out too easily before folding it back up and stuffing it into his pocket for safe keeping.
He stares at the clock for awhile before coming to the hesitant conclusion that he should probably call Rhyno. It's not great, because Rhyno should be halfway back to Dearborn by now, but Wade thinks he deserves to know. Heath's phone has his contact info so Wade finds it and dials it, adjusting everything so he's more comfortable as the phone rings in.
"Heath? What's up?" Rhyno asks, sounding brisk and hurried, the sounds of an airport raging on behind him.
Wade exhales. "It's not Heath. It's, it's Wade."
"What's going on? Where's Heath?" Rhyno demands, his voice immediately growing steely.
"He passed out after you left; I'm at the ER waiting on them to tell me what's going on with him."
Rhyno doesn't say anything for a few moments and Wade can imagine him cycling through the same thoughts Wade had- of the afternoon, how Heath had seemed normal, and everything else... "Dehydration maybe," he suggests slowly.
"Could be," Wade admits. "I'm still waiting but I felt like you should know. When the nurses tell me more, I'll call you back."
"Right. Yeah. Tell Heath if he needs anything, I'll be on the first flight out," Rhyno promises, Wade exhaling softly.
"I'll do that. Thank you," Wade says, finding himself once more relieved that Heath had found a decent tag partner after so many years of failing at that very thing. He's hung up and been sitting there quietly for another ten minutes before a nurse comes up to him, a small smile on her pale pink lips.
"You brought Heath Slater in, right?"
"Yes," he exhales, standing up to feel less vulnerable while looking up at her. "What's the verdict?"
"Well, he's suffering from a pretty severe case of exhaustion," she explains. "Has he been going through stress lately? At home, or at work?"
"Yes," Wade sighs. "He has. The bloody fool, I've told him to take care of himself, but..." He trails off, a bit embarrassed, but the nurse merely smiles at him before leading him down hallways to Heath's room. "Has he woke up yet?"
"For a few moments while we were running tests, but he's back out now. Which is good, sleep is what he needs," she tells him. "We'll probably release him once he wakes up again, as long as you promise to make him eat and rest once he does."
"I definitely will do that," Wade sighs, leaning against the doorway and watching Heath sleep for a few moments. Squaring his shoulders, he walks inside and kneels by the bed, scooping Heath's hands up and squeezing them. "Bloody idiot, never scare me like that again," he mumbles, resting his forehead against Heath's cool fingers.
He's not sure how much time has passed before Heath's fingers twitch. "I won't," Heath mumbles, accent thick. "'m sorry."
Wade exhales, relieved just to hear that voice once more. "Well, it's about time you woke up," he sighs. "I was considering leaving you here if you took much longer.
Heath's eyes, dark and weary, are locked on him as he chuckles sleepily. "Yeah, right. Like you'd want to deal with Boodah and the new kitties all on your own." He shifts and squeezes Wade's hand. "I didn't know I was feelin' this lousy. Just kinda hit me all at once."
"Exhaustion does that, I suppose," Wade murmurs. "It's not all your fault, however. Rhyno should've been making you take care of yourself while on the road. It's what a good tag partner does." He presses Heath's knuckles to his lips, eyes downcast as he admits, "I failed as well, at making sure you were sleeping and eating properly when we were both at home. I'll do better from here on."
Heath's fingers wiggle, tickling Wade's nose until he looks up and stares into Heath's face. "Not your fault," he sighs. "Just one'a those things, yeah? Little rest, little food, I'll be good to go."
"Well, absolutely not this weekend," Wade says. "I'm calling headquarters and telling them to give you at least up to Tuesday off. I'm not letting you out of my sight this weekend." Heath looks like he wants to protest but the nurse walks in and she basically backs Wade up, encouraging Heath to take advantage of a few days off.
He sighs and grimaces. "Some tag team champion I'm turning out to be," he says with a pout.
"You're a great champion, but even champions need a break now and again," Wade says simply. "Now I'm going to see about getting you released so we can go home and Boodah can sit on you to keep you from doing anything else rash and ridiculous."
"Rash'n'ridiculous is my middle name," Heath calls after him, his teeth flashing in an innocent grin when Wade peers back in at him warningly.
Thankfully it only takes a few minutes for the nurse to return and give Heath his discharge papers, waiting patiently for him to sign them. This goes smoothly, unlike the last time, and Wade nudges Heath's foot. "I'm relieved you didn't confuse the nurse for your sister or something ridiculous like that."
Heath rolls his eyes at Wade before gingerly sitting up. "Well, are we headin' home now?"
"Yes." Wade casts a quick glance around, making sure nothing is being left behind, before following Heath out of the room and guiding him to the exit, a hand resting on his lower back. The drive from goes a lot faster than the drive to and Wade breathes a little easier once Heath is safely back in their apartment, Boodah panting eagerly up at his owner.
"Straight to bed with you then," Wade says, his fingers digging into Heath's shoulders as he guides him into the bedroom and helps him to kick his shoes and jeans off, Heath yawning as sweatpants are slipped on and sheets are draped comfortably over his body. "I'll be back in a few moments."
"Kay, Brit," Heath mumbles, sounding half-asleep already.
Wade wanders the apartment, casting a quick glance over everything- doors, windows, just making sure everything is locked and secured. He checks the clock and decides due to the hour to text Rhyno that Heath's home and on the mend but probably won't be on the road again until Tuesday and, after brushing his teeth and washing his face, he returns to the bedroom, looking forward to crawling in next to Heath and just holding him for awhile. Except, when he enters, it's to find Boodah sprawled out next to Heath, the two new kittens kneading Boodah's back in an attempt to find somewhere comfortable to sleep as well. "You mangy mutt," Wade grunts. "I was going to sleep there."
He toes his shoes off and lightly pushes at the dog, making the cats hiss in complaint as the group of them inch over enough for Wade to move Heath and then spoon up against his back, wrapping an arm around him and breathing in and out quietly.
Heath makes a soft noise deep in his throat, Boodah whimpering in response, but slow, gentle strokes of Wade's fingers down Heath's arm and Boodah's nose calms them both, the kittens already fast asleep and quickly followed by the dog. This is a ridiculous family, the five of us, Wade thinks, pressing a quick kiss to Heath's shoulder. But I wouldn't change a thing.