The Nexus had only been disbanded for a few weeks when the news began to spread. Wade Barrett and Alicia Fox were an item.
The first whisper of it he'd overheard had made Heath Slater roll his eyes, laugh a little, and carry on with his day. Until he'd turned the corner at Smackdown one night and found the two of them staring at each other in the hall, Alicia's long fingernail trailing down his bare chest as she giggles at something he's saying. Heath's eyes widen at the public display, so unlike Wade, and underneath all of the shock, another emotion swirls within him. He shakes his head, confused, and turns back, finding a different way to the ring. If Justin senses something is off with his tag partner, he doesn't seem to care, too wrapped up in his latest skydiving adventure to ask.
Corre, such a good idea at first, peters out as uneventfully as Nexus had in the end, and Heath finds himself alone before long, even Justin unable to handle partnering with him much longer. In hindsight, he realizes that part of it was seeing Wade and Alicia around more and more, passing it off as utter loneliness and a bone-weariness of being single with all of the couples in wrestling and out of it surrounding him. So many of his friends in and out of the business are getting married, moving in together, having kids, while he's still just... him.
Then he meets Drew McIntyre. It's nothing, really, but they're both lingering around the ring one day and he calls Heath in. "Hey, want to train together for awhile?"
Heath takes him in, tilting his head as he thinks it over. "Sure, why not?" he shrugs. Drew's a bit taller, maybe a little quicker on his feet, but Heath has his own advantages- stubbornness, determination- and before Drew knows what's going on, he's sprawled out on his back, Heath releasing his arm with a laugh.
They're fast friends. Similar tastes in music and TV shows and, if not for their vastly different origins, one would've thought they'd been close for years. Drew and Wade get along well too so sometimes the three of them go out, hang out at bars, relax after a grueling tour, but it's when Alicia tries to join that things start to feel wrong, too complicated. Heath thinks he does an ok job at keeping this suffocating sensation to himself, but one night, Alicia and Wade have left early to go back to their room and Heath's eyes are locked on the doors they'd walked through when Drew nudges him. "Hm?" He painfully draws his eyes away, staring up at the Scottish man.
"You have a thing for Wade, don'tcha?" Drew barks out a laugh at the horrified look on Heath's face, shaking his head. "Don't look so frantic, man. We're all friends here... and I won't tell anyone your secret."
"There's no secret!" Heath snaps at him. "Wade'n'I, we're just friends... he was my leader in the Nexus for a long time. Yeah, we're good friends, but nothin' else. 'Sides, he loves Alicia." Drew stares at him for a minute, Heath's face burning red enough to outdo his hair. Did that sound as bitter to him as it did to me? Holy hell...
"It's too bad," Drew says, shifting the drink on his napkin around with a vague smile. "When a guy likes someone else and he doesn't even realize until it's too late." He lifts the glass and downs the last little bit of alcohol before leaning forward and cupping Heath's face, pulling him in for a slow, tentative kiss. Heath freezes, not sure what to do, blinking slowly when Drew pulls away, a disappointed look in his dark eyes. "Yeah." He throws some bills down and gets up, leaving a plumbstruck Heath behind, now watching the door for an entirely different reason.
Heath's not sure who Drew stays with that night but he struggles to think, the silence of the room not helping him very much in doing so. "Dammit," he hisses, rolling over and facing the wall. The one-two punch of finally accepting that, yes, he may have some feelings for Wade and that Drew apparently has similar feelings for him leaves him struggling. He doesn't sleep at all that night, his eyes gritty and bloodshot when he budges up out of bed mid-morning. He finds both Wade and Drew in the hotel gym and he stops short, gaping at them as he considers turning around and leaving... but he's never been one to run from his problems so he pushes the doors open. "Hello, boys," he says cheerfully, dropping his bag down.
Wade looks at him curiously, Drew careful to keep his eyes down as he says a quick hello back. "Bloody hell, Slater, you look awful. Didn't get any sleep last night?" He looks suspiciously at Drew. "You two didn't stay up drinking for hours after Alicia and I left, did you?"
"No," he says honestly, lacing his shoes up and walking over to the weights to begin his workout.
Wade watches him go suspiciously before turning to Heath. "Well then? What was it, watch a ridiculous horror film and scare yourself until you were certain the boogeyman was under your bed, waiting to get you?"
Heath is lost in thought, staring at him and trying to determine when these feelings may have started, when Wade's thick accent might've started to make his knees feel a little weak and his teasing made him feel warm instead of beyond aggravated. "No!" he finally snaps, glaring at Wade. "Just was thinkin'. No big deal." He turns away from both of them, getting an early start on his cardio, watching in the mirror as Wade shakes his head before going over to work on the elliptical machine.
They quietly switch machines every now and again, not a word spoken between the three of them, until finally Heath collapses against the bench and stares at them. "I'm hungry," he declares.
Wade immediately puts the weights he was working with down and dusts his hands off. "I am too actually. What do you think, McIntyre? Breakfast time?"
"Fine," he says, stopping the treadmill. The three of them change clothes then collect their things and leave, relieved to see that the hotel breakfast is still available. Walking in a line past the dishes, they pile their plates high before sitting at a ridiculously small table for the three of them. Because of this, Heath can feel Drew's warmth against his side, the memory of his lips fresh in his mind as he tries to choke down some eggs, abruptly not hungry.
He's about to force another bite when he feels a gaze on him and looks up to find Wade staring, his eyes narrowed worriedly. "Are you alright, Heath? First you're not sleeping and now you're barely eating... what's going on?"
Ah, that old leadership worry, he reflects distractedly, picking at his eggs. He realizes he needs to think of something, not wanting Wade to know what happened between he and Drew last night, though... the thought of Wade learning that Drew kissed him and feeling maybe a smidgeon of the jealousy that Heath has been for all of these months almost makes him smile. Except that it's more likely that Wade wouldn't care, possibly even encourage them to explore some sort of a relationship, and Heath would feel worse than before.
"We were a bit buzzed and I said something I shouldn't have last night," Drew finally says, turning to look Heath in the eye. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your night or your breakfast. Really, eat. It's not that big of a deal." He even gets up and refreshes Heath's cup of coffee and dammit, it's so nice of himthat it makes Heath feel worse.
Wade is clearly curious but, after being a leader of seven men, and then part of a group of four, he'd learned to mind his own business and forces his attention on his own food, seeming to not notice when Heath reaches out for his cup and his fingers brush with Drew's, their eyes locking as something- understanding, gratitude, maybe a little more- passes between them. The rest of the meal passes on in comfortable chatter as the three of them regain their standard companionship, most of the awkwardness left behind them.
In the weeks leading up to the Raw 1000 episode, Heath starts antagonizing legends and getting beat down because of it on a weekly basis. Most people laugh or belittle him for it but not Drew. He simply waits by the gorilla position and, every time Heath stumbles through, catches his arm and drapes it over his shoulder, guiding him back to the trainer's office for the standard check up that never finds anything, thankfully, but is required just in case. Considering some of the blows Heath takes, Drew is glad for the trainer's due dilligence.
Then, a couple weeks into it, Cyndi Lauper is a special guest and Drew senses it's not going to go well when Heath interrupts her on Piper's Pit. She has a golden record and, before long, it ends up smashed over Heath's skull... which only becomes serious to Drew when he sees the blood. Considering the difference in their sizes, she'd hit Heath a good one and busted him open. Barely enough for stitches, the trainer poking carefully at the wound, but enough to put the Scot on edge as he sits next to Heath on the cot.
"She's so annoyin'," Heath is explaining, waving his hands and disrupting whatever the trainer's doing, and it's all Drew can do to focus on his words as he stares at the bandage placed on his now disinfected wound. "Thanks, doc." He hops off, ignoring the trainer's warnings, and immediately sways. Drew is up and holding him steady within a blink of an eye, the two of them staring up at each other once more. "Oh, hey, thanks," he mumbles. "Got kinda dizzy there for some reason..."
"I was trying to tell you," the trainer grouses, but he's not heard.
Drew and Heath are the only ones in the world, Heath much more receptive when Drew leans in towards him this time, the kiss slow, soft. "Whoa," he mumbles when Drew pulls away, pressing his forehead to Heath's.
"Yeah, whoa," Drew agrees with a laugh. They stare at each other for a few moments, questions clearly on Heath's lips, but he shakes his head. "Let's get you back to the hotel. You look wiped out, man."
They need to talk, both men know it, but right now... doesn't seem like the time. So they quietly head to the hotel and, when Drew settles in next to Heath on the bed, he doesn't say anything, relieved for the company to distract him from the dull headache still haunting him.
Days pass, weeks even, and they never quite find the words for a conversation, much less the time. There are kisses, experimental, uncertain things every now and again, but beyond that, things remain the same. They eat meals together, sometimes with Wade, rarely with Alicia too, and Heath thinks things will be alright with the four of them. Drew seems content with letting him be, Wade continues to be oblivious and Alicia... well, she's just there. Until...
"... we're moving in together."
Heath's picking at some albums, barely listening to Wade talking to Drew as he looks over what kind of music to add to his collection now, when Drew repeats the words. Their meaning finally clicks with Heath and it truly feels like cold water's been dumped over his head. He abandons the records and turns back to his friends, staring at Wade incredulously.
"Yeah, Alicia thinks it's time and I agree with her. We've been together long enough and it'll save us from paying for both places, so the extra money will be nice." He turns to Heath. "What do you think, mate? Have I lost my bloody mind?" he laughs, not seeming to notice Heath's lack of response.
"Er, yeah," he chuckles awkwardly. "Your funeral, man." He forces himself back over to the records, picking one blindly before walking up to the register to ring out. Drew and Wade follow, neither coming to buy anything but just to keep him company before they have to return to the arena for the night's event. He can feel Wade's heat against his back but, worse than that, Drew's all-knowing gaze is locked on him, and he's not sure which is making him more uncomfortable right now.
They return to the arena and Wade goes off to find Alicia, leaving Heath and Drew by their lonesome. He anxiously taps his new album against his knuckles before turning to walk to the locker room, gasping when Drew grips his arm and presses him against a wall, staring curiously at him. "You have no poker face," he says simply, tapping Heath on the jaw. "It'd be funny if it wasn't so sad."
Heath stares at him, feeling strangely vulnerable and weak right now. "What do you want from me, man?"
"I want you to stop avoiding talking with me," he says quietly. "I want you to stop looking at Wade with all of this bittersweet intensity and notice me for once."
It's a punch to the gut. Heath stares at him, attempts to say something, then hangs his head, not sure what move to take. "Dammit... I'm sorry, Drew." He blinks when fingers gently cup his jaw, lifting his face once more to stare into his eyes. "You prolly hate me pretty heavy right now, huh?"
"No," he says honestly. "I just want you to talk to me. Figure out what's going on between us, if anything." Heath doesn't say anything right away and Drew sighs, drawing him away from the hallway towards the exit. They walk slowly towards the car, Heath allowing him to lead the way, but neither move to enter it, leaning against the cool steel. "So..."
"It's like... an uncomfortable itch under my skin," Heath admits lowly. "That he's movin' in with her, and I don't wanna hurt you, but it's the truth." He pauses for a moment before laughing bitterly, swatting at Drew. "This is kinda your fault, man. I was happily unaware of how I was feelin' till you actually said somethin'. Now I keep noticin' all of these things, these moments between us in the past and currently..."
Drew shrugs with a weary smile. "I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not. If we were gonna be anything, you had to see the truth. And I'm not going to force you into something if you're still hung up on him. I just want to know where I stand."
Heath stares at him, swallowing hard. "And if things don't work out, then what?"
Drew stares at him, lips twitching. "I'll handle it. We'll still be friends, it just might take some time for me to be alright with that. Ok?"
Heath nods blankly, surprised when Drew cups his face and kisses him lightly. "I'll try to work through things, Drew, and not make ya wait for long. I know how that feels and I don't wanna do that to you."
Drew nods. "I'll wait for you. Whether you believe it or not, I think you're worth it." He smiles at the surprised look on Heath's face before pulling away. "C'mon, let's go get ready for the show."
Heath tries. When they're not at the gym, not with Wade, not at an arena, he tries to sort through his feelings. Figure out a way to get over Wade. And he thinks he's close to succeeding a time or two... until he sees Wade again, listening to Alicia, her arm curled around his possessively, and everything falls apart again. Drew is painfully patient, merely smiling at him whenever he grows frustrated with himself. "I just don't know what to do. I wanna move past this, commit myself to seein' what could come of us, but part of me... I dunno... I just..."
"Hey," Drew tells him, resting his hands on his shoulders. "Relax. We're gonna be ok, no matter what happens. Just breathe." When he inhales, Drew smiles a little. "Believe me?"
"Yeah," he murmurs on the exhale, glancing up at him. He's sore following all of the legends beating him down at Raw's 1000th episode celebration, his soul feeling as weary as his body, and he's never been happier to be at a hotel room, alone with Drew, no crowds, no noise. Just them. He flickers his eyes at Drew and presses his palms into his eyes, giving himself a minute to think, process. "I know this is prolly asking a little too much, considering... but I don't wanna be alone tonight." They had shared beds before, yeah, but it had always been with distance- Drew on one side, Heath on the other, so he hesitates.
"What do you want, Heath?" Drew asks quietly, picking at his arm.
He winces, then licks his lips, looking away. "Would ya be alright just... holding me tonight?" He's never felt this vulnerable before, and dammit, he hates it so much, but the thought of laying alone, with no one to be there for him when he's in so much pain seems even more unbearable.
This must bleed over because Drew nods quietly, walking over to him and hugging him. "C'mon, let's go to bed." He leads Heath the few steps over to the mattress, settling him and shaking out sheets over him before stretching out next to him, wrapping his arms around him snugly. "This alright?"
"Mm hmm," Heath whispers, blinking against Drew's throat. He could never imagine how it would feel, to be in Wade's arms for hours, the brief embraces they'd shared while in Corre and Nexus never enough to give him that added sensation. This feels... nice, he thinks. Maybe not as engulfing as he thought it would be with Wade, but still. It helps and before long, he's yawning lazily, barely able to keep his eyes open. "Thanks, Drew," he mumbles.
"Any time," the Scotsman breathes, brushing his fingers through Heath's hair lazily. Heath falls asleep quickly and Drew smiles, pressing a faint kiss to the top of his head, thinking about how he could easily see doing this every night for the rest of his life.
When Heath wakes up, Drew's still there and he lays for a few minutes, listening to the other man's breathing. He feels even worse for dragging things out for so long, the guilt welling up painfully. He closes his eyes and shakes his head, biting his lip. Sitting up, he hovers over Drew until his eyes flutter open and they stare at each other for a few minutes. Drew looks like he's about to say something when Heath leans in and lightly kisses him.
"Whoa," Drew laughs, used to being the one who usually initiates these things. "What brought that on?"
"I don't deserve you," Heath admits, brushing his fingers through his hair. "You should hate me for everythin' I'm still doin' to you." Drew's warm hand massaging down his back causes him to shiver and he glances over his shoulder at the other man. "Why don't you?"
"Because the way I feel about you is how you feel about Wade. It's messed up but I couldn't hate you for it," he says honestly. "And I'm willing to be patient for awhile longer... so don't worry about me, just focus on yourself. I'm a big boy, I'll be fine."
Heath sighs and settles back against his shoulder, staring up at the ceiling with troubled eyes. "Alright." He thinks he can live with this for awhile, as long as it doesn't seem to be causing Drew any serious heartache- he hopes he can read when it's becoming too much for the other man, since he doubts Drew will actually come out and say so-, and barely blinks an eyelid when they go down together to meet Wade for lunch.
Drew gets him his first morning coffee and he smiles, even continues talking cheerfully when Alicia joins them. Wade casts him a searching glance but keeps his thoughts to himself. Things are normal. It feels nice. The four of them even go on a couple of double dates the next few weeks, Drew and Heath slowly getting closer.
It all falls down around them, however, when Heath cheerfully sits down next to Drew one morning and turns to smile at Wade just to falter, finding him pale and worn out. "Insomnia, huh?" He looks sympathetically at his former leader before checking the menu, then glancing around the room for the waitress. Noticing something, he frowns. "Hey, Alicia is sittin' over there."
"Yes, very observant of you, Slater," Wade says coldly, Heath faltering and looking hurt at his tone, turning his attention back to his menu. Drew rests a hand on Heath's arm, squeezing soothingly, when Wade continues to speak, sounding defeated. "We broke up."
This attracts both of their attention, Heath staring at him while Drew stares at Heath. "You... what? What happened?"
"It didn't feel right," Wade says quietly. "The longer we lived together, I just... didn't see having a real future with her. And it wasn't right to string her along, and live this lie, so I broke up with her." He stares at them, Drew's hand frozen on Heath's wrist, and sighs. "At least you two are still making it work."
Heath stares at Drew for a moment before turning back to Wade. "What are you going to do? I mean, have you moved out yet?"
"I was going to look for a place when next back in Florida, but it's hard with our travel schedule-"
"Stay with me." It's sudden, and impulsive, and Heath curses internally when he feels the weight of Drew's stare on the side of his head but he's already gone this far, can't exactly stop now. "Seriously, I got room, I won't bother ya while you're lookin' for an actual place of your own, and we tend to get along, so what's the harm?"
Wade peers at Drew for a moment before turning to Heath. "Ok, yeah, sure. Thank you, mate."
Heath grins, his eyes lighting up. "Great, we'll get ya all moved in, settled, and you'll be in your own place 'fore you know it." Drew is quiet for the rest of the meal, Heath starting to worry when he doesn't even say a word on the way back to the locker room. "Hey, Drew, y'alright?"
He stares at Heath for a moment, slowly shaking his head. "No, I'm not. I know we don't live together, but you couldn't even run it by me before moving Wade in with you?" He sits down heavily, unsurprised when Heath drops down next to him. "I'm not jealous, really. I'm just sad. I thought we were getting somewhere, but as soon as he's in need, you jump right in... and don't say it's because you two are friends, I know it's still more for you."
"I dunno what to say," Heath says, numb. His ears are buzzing, his eyes are stinging. He feels awful, especially with the warmth that still remains in Drew's eyes and voice just for him, even now. "I just..."
"I know. I understand more than you realize," Drew sighs. "As much as this hurts, at the foremost, I want you happy, Heath. And I'm not sure I can give that to you anymore. Not without you constantly searching out Wade. Now that he and Alicia are done, maybe you have a chance at something more. Who knows, but I'm not going to be the one to stand in your way." Leaning over, he cups Heath's face and kisses him and, although it's similar to their first kiss, slow and gentle, there's also a ring of finality to it, as if Drew's saying goodbye. "We'll always be friends," he tells him somberly before pulling away and leaving.
Heath stares blankly at the door, each breath hitching in his throat around the burn of unshed tears.
-x
Wade doesn't speak of Alicia, their breakup. Keeps to himself as he unpacks his things at Heath's place, not saying a word about how it was when he went to get his stuff from her place. Heath stays in his room, not wanting to push Wade into an uncomfortable situation, playing music through earphones and looking over WWE schedules for the next couple of weeks.
He also stays quiet about Drew, not wanting to talk about something that feels like another personal failure, the darkness of his phone still something he's getting used to. Drew was always calling or texting with sweet messages or pictures of silly things he'd found online or in his random explorations in reality. He's so lost in thought that he almost misses the black shape in his doorway, jumping and pulling his earphones out. "Oh, hey, Wade, done packin'?"
"Basically," he sighs, walking inside and settling at the bottom of Heath's bed. "You didn't need to come in here and hide, it's still your apartment, after all. I would've been fine with you underfoot a bit."
"Eh, you didn't seem eager to talk, so I was gonna leave you to it till you felt like supper or somethin'." He taps his fingers against his phone before looking up with a small smile. "So, y'hungry?"
"Somewhat." He pauses and sighs, running his fingers through his dark hair. "Is Drew joining us?"
Heath feels like his heart stops. "Uh, no," he says, looking away. "Drew'n'I, we're done too."
Wade freezes. "Bloody hell, I'm sorry. What happened? You both seemed fine before I..." He stops short, staring at Heath as he continues to refuse to look at him. "Heath. Was it because of Alicia and I?"
"No, not... I mean, not entirely," he struggles to explain. "It was just-" His eyes are still everywhere but on Wade, and the Brit reaches out and grabs his jaw, forcing Heath to look him in the eye. "Dammit," he breathes out, tears filling his dark eyes. "Let me go, man."
Wade is flummoxed as he stares at Heath, the depth of emotions warring in his face startling and scaring him. "Heath, you... what..."
"I love you," he breathes out, lips numb. "I have for awhile, and Drew knew. When you were with Alicia, I thought I could move on... but now you're single and everything's messed up and I can't take it..."
Wade's hand is wet with his tears and he's sure the Brit will start complaining soon, but no, he sits up and tugs Heath into his chest, holding him close as he cries harder. "Idiot," he sighs. "The bloody ridiculous thing is that's part of the reason I broke up with Alicia." He stares at the top of Heath's head. "Things never felt right with her, because whenever I was with you, it all just clicked. You annoyed me, you challenged me, and I always left wanting more. With her, it was always quiet and calm, our temperment blended together perfectly, we got along too well... She's a great girl, no lie, but..." He drops his head to rest against Heath's hair. "She wasn't you."
Heath cries and shakes, trying to understand Wade's words, their meaning. Pulling away weakly, he stares into Wade's blue eyes and sniffs. "Wha- what?"
"I suppose, Slater, what I'm saying is I bloody well love you too."
Heath stares at him for a few moments longer before tangling his fingers in Wade's hair and drawing him down, kissing him. It's warm and intense and makes him feel like he's weightless all at once, and he sighs into it, never wanting it to end. "Took you long enough," he breathes against Wade's smirk.
Things aren't always easy. They run into Drew while holding hands at the next live event, and he barely blinks an eye, but Heath still feels horrible. "Hey, Drew."
"Hullo." He turns to leave but Heath lets go of Wade and follows him. "Heath, I'm fine, really. I just need time."
"I'm so sorry," he says to the other man's back.
"I know you are," Drew sighs. "And I accept your apology. I really do. Just go, be happy." He turns to look at Heath. "In time, I'll come back around and we can hang out like we used to. Just give me that much, please."
"Sure," Heath says, nodding vigorously. "Take care of yourself, man."
"I will." Drew peers over Heath's head at Wade. "And you take care of him," he says to the Brit.
"Definitely," Wade agrees. Heath falls back, stands next to him, and they watch together as Drew leaves, Wade's arm snaking around Heath's shoulders once he's out of sight. "He'll be fine."
"I hope so," Heath mumbles, leaning into him as they walk side by side towards catering.