Author: Shanyn
Disclaimer: Don't own any of these guys, none of this ever happened.
Warnings: *mild slashiness, implied incest* My Edge and Christian muses aren't always brothers, but they are in this story.
Notes: Takes place directly after the Judgement Day PPV. I was in a bit of a funk about not seeing enough of Christian lately...
~~~Regrets~~~
Edge was making his way out of the arena, feeling ridiculously pleased with himself for a great job on Angle, when the soft sounds of crying made him come to an abrupt halt. He had thought the hallway was empty; most of the lights down here were burned out and it was obvious that the hall in this arena wasn't normally used much, if at all. Edge looked around and spotted a half-open door, and peaking inside he was floored by what he saw. It was dirty, run-down little dressing room, lit by a single low-watt bulb swinging from the ceiling overhead- the shadows it cast concealed more than the light it shed. The tiny room was made more cramped by the old moth-eaten couch that had been shoved in it, most likely as an afterthought. A small blonde form huddled in a miserable ball on the sofa, shoulders quaking with the force of sobs. Edge paused in the doorway, caught between smug satisfaction and regret. He took a hesitant step into the room, the door creaking as he pushed it open.
Christian looked up at him; eyes rimmed red with tears. Edge expected him to say something, yell, scream insults, anything, but Christian simply buried his head back into the sofa's cushions and continued crying. Edge stopped halfway in the room in shock, looking at his brother in surprise. He was torn between the desire to gloat at seeing Christian so obviously miserable and the desire to comfort his baby brother. After a moment's hesitation he quickly made his way over to Christian and kneeled on the floor beside him. He reached a hesitant hand out and smoothed Christian's hair back from his face and leaned in to kiss him gently on the cheek. Christian sniffed and gave the tiniest of smiles, meeting Edge's eyes with a scared yet hopeful look that almost made Edge's heart break.
The two brothers shared an almost telepathic link, so Edge didn't have to ask to know why Christian was so unhappy. He'd been at the meeting before Judgment Day and seen the disappointment in his brother's eyes when Vince had told him he wouldn't be having a pay-per-view match for the second time in a row. He'd seen the frustration in his face as his brother had watched his primetime TV time reduced to pointless spots standing around and watching other men get the pushes he so badly wanted.
Edge's overprotective sibling instincts momentarily overcame his desire to carry on their feud, and silently he pulled Christian into his arms and held him as the sobs wracked through the smaller man's body. Except for Edge murmuring the occasional soothing sounds and Christian's soft whimpers and sobs, neither brother spoke or made a sound. Gradually the force of Christian's crying lessened and he grew quiet. Edge kept holding his brother tightly, stroking his hair and murmuring to him.
Christian pulled away slowly, then leaned back in and timidly touched his lips to Edge's. Edge felt a thrill of longing and fear at the familiar gesture. He looked down at his brother, who had fallen back against the couch and was now watching him with hopeful eyes. Did he really want to give his heart back to this man who had only recently shattered it so completely by turning on him? The silence grew heavy as Edge hesitated.
"Will you come back to me?" Christian finally asked, in a tiny whisper.
Edge looked down to where his brother lay, looking so lost and forlorn. He reached down and stroked Christian's hair sadly.
"I'm not the one who left."
Christian looked away, tears forming in his eyes. "Then will you let me come back?"
"...what we had is lost, Christian. I don't think we can ever go back to what we had before..."
Christian reached up and grabbed his brother's hand, pulling himself up on the sofa and pulling Edge down to him at the same time. "Edge, I'm sorry," he said desperately, the tears beginning to spill down his face again.
Edge reached over and captured Christian's lips in his one more time, the natural sweetness of his brother's mouth mingled with the salty tears, then he pulled away and stood up, crossing over to the other side of the dressing room. Christian's soft sobs followed Edge as he pulled the rickety door open and stepped into the hall.
"So am I," he whispered, not looking back.
