"Wade?"

The Brit sighs, closing his eyes tiredly. "Yes, Slater?"

There's a lengthy pause as Heath stares over at him, wincing slightly at the already clear exasperation in his voice, well aware that he hates being interrupted before a match, especially one as wild as a battle royal tends to be when a chance at a title is on the line. "Um, eh. Never mind, it's nothing."

But it's clear by the tone of his voice, the look in his eye, that it's far from nothing. Wade grunts and turns completely towards him, giving up for now on his pre-match preparations. "What is it? Just spit it out, Ginger."

Heath still hesitates until Wade looks like he's about to storm over and smack him- or worse- so finally he swallows and admits what's been bugging him off and on since they'd heard what match they both were in this evening. "I guess... I'm kinda dreadin' this."

Wade almost laughs. Until he looks at Heath's face, a lurking fear in his dark eyes that he'd only seen a time or two before, and realizes he's not lying, nor over-exaggerating. "Oh. Why?" he wonders, brows furrowed as he stares at him incredulously, surprised that he would open himself up to the level of teasing such a statement would ordinarily bring.

Heath looks like he's about to answer but ultimately he shakes his head. "Naw, you would just make fun of me."

Barrett rolls hie eyes. "Slater, tell me or I'll eliminate you first from the battle royal, and then make fun of you.." They stare at each other, equally as stubborn to uphold their stances until one of them cracks.

Finally Heath loses the will to stay quiet any longer, knowing that Barrett means what he says, and slumps against a trunk behind him, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. "Fine," he sighs. "I'll tell ya." But he still struggles to get the words out, grimacing as Wade stares expectantly at him. Finally the taller man leans next to him, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, and this enables Heath to finally find the words, somehow. "Matches like these come up'n'I remember when you dislocated your elbow," he admits grimly. "I wasn't used to seein' ya hurt that bad, is all."

Out of everything Wade had expected, that wasn't it, truth be told, and he suspects if he hadn't been sitting against the trunk, he'd have to before he could even respond in any sensible fashion. "I see." They remain like that, awkwardly quiet, until finally Wade looks over at him. "That night was just a mess, Slater. A once in a lifetime mistake. It won't happen tonight. I'll be fine. So will you," he adds as an aside, though, knowing Heath, his own welfare was far from his thoughts, as always. Wade smirks slightly, shaking his head. "You'll see."

Heath sighs, eyes narrowing as he stares back at his former leader. "Yeah, well, ya better be right," he drawls lazily, trying once more to seem like he doesn't care as they watch the rest of the other competitors begin to fill the area.

"Have I ever steered you wrong?" he sneers, pausing to ponder how many times he's said that to the younger man over the years, waiting for the expected answer.

"Where do I begin?" he asks, grinning smugly when Wade rolls his eyes, unsurprised at the typical answer..

"Shut up," he mumbles, pushing Heath ahead of him roughly when it's time to go.

Neither of them win, but he's right- they make it out without a scratch, Heath smiling a little as they walk past each other later on that night, eyes locking for a moment. Wade doesn't react vocally, but Heath notices his lips twitch into a bit of a smirk, and knows what he means.

Yeah, yeah, you smug British bastard, he thinks. You were right, as always.