Author: pandora1017
Rating: PG-13
Content: Corruption! Slash! Mwahaha!
Notes: Aha! Did I win? Am I the first with this pairing? This is my first Matt Cappotelli fic, and it's also the first I've seen. I was hoping to set a bar of some kind, but I couldn't figure out how to end it, so this is what I got instead. It's... eh. It's finished.
Characters:
Matt Hardy
Matt Cappotelli
Adam Copeland = Edge
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"Don't do it, Matt."
There was a sense of urgency in his voice, but I ignored it, still watching the young man across the table from me. He was hard to see through the thick smoke and the dim lights, as Adam was hard to hear over the loud music pounding through out the VIP room of the skeezy club we were in - but I managed, enthralled by his every feature. Curly, bleach blond hair framed his face, hanging just above his broad shoulders, and warm chocolate colored eyes - that just happened to match my own - danced over the faces of the boys at the table. They hadn't yet found mine, but they were working their way over. He smiled at jokes, but wasn't really in one particular conversation, just watching from the outside. I felt an elbow in my side, and grudgingly pulled my eyes off of him.
"What?" I demanded, sounding harsher than I intended to my friend. He recognized this and frowned at me.
"Don't do it," he repeated, as if I hadn't heard the first time. "He has no idea."
I rolled my eyes at Adam. "We didn't force him t'come with us."
"He's new, he wants to get in good with the guys - not in bed with the guys."
"How d'you know?" I smirked at him, causing him to frown back at me.
"Matt..."
Knowing that Adam didn't have anything more to say, I looked away from him and back to the new kid. Adam, me, and some friends had decided to go out after a house show, and invited the new 'Tough Enough' winner who was touring on SmackDown! brand with us. He had been eager... excited. I'm not sure why, he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol all night. He seemed just content to be with us. Perhaps that was what drew me to him - his youthful excitement of just receiving his contract reminded me of my own, however many years back. He was innocent and genuinely excited to be here - and we were happy to have him. Or, at least, I was. I watched him as he continued to examine his environment, still trying to find his niche. His eyes trailed over my friends slowly, but he seemed ill at ease. Not uncomfortable, yet still on the edge of his seat. He looked... nervous. Yes, that was it, I realized as his eyes finally met mine. He smiled hesitantly, obviously not expecting to find me staring at him with my unsettling smirk. But here I was, just the same. He only watched me for a moment before pulling his eyes away cautiously. I knew he wanted to fit in, but wasn't sure of how to manage it.
I could help him.
I set one foot on the ground as I climbed off the high stools we were perched on, then felt a hand on my shoulder. "Matt."
"Yes?"
"Just..." Adam sighed as I looked back to him, flatly. "Just go easy, ok?"
My lips curled back into that trademarked smirk, and Adam frowned, taking his hand off my shoulder. Go easy? You got it. I dropped my hands into the loose pockets of my jeans and calmly walked to the other side of the table, placing myself behind the new kid. When I finally snuck up next to him, I leaned forward and whispered - just loud enough for him to hear, but not Jamie Noble next to him - "Do ya dance?"
He almost fell off his stool. When he turned to me, his eyes were wide - definitely surprised - and his jaw was working as if he was planning on speaking, but - nothing. I smiled. It had been a while since I'd had this effect on one of the boys. "Matt, right?"
He nodded slowly, still appearing edgy, and I held out my hand. "Me, too."
"I... know, I know," he answered quickly, taking my hand, finding his tongue, and trying to smile. "I'm a fan."
I smiled again. "So, d'ya dance?"
"What?"
"D'y'want a drink?" I tried revising my approach. He smiled as if he thought he had simply misheard me the first two times.
"Oh, no, thanks, man, I don't drink."
"Water," I corrected quickly, and his eyebrows raised with understanding.
"Oh... uh, sure."
We watched each other expectantly for a moment. He looked like he was waiting for me to go get it for him and I looked at him as if I didn't intend to leave his side for the rest of the night. Which, in all actuality, I didn't. I raised a brow at him, indicating that he should come with me, and he looked surprised again but now making the connection. He slid off the bar stool he was sitting on and we left the table, not receiving any attention - save Adam's. A few steps later, we were at the bar and I ordered for him, just to show him where I stood at the beginning. One of those hints that meant nothing to him now, but he'd understand before the end of the night. Perhaps I was looking too much into two bottles of overpriced water, but perhaps my paying for them as well would clue him in. I mean, Adam was right - the least I could do was give the poor kid a heads up.
"So... uh..."
"Y'looked bored," I explained after I wet my throat with the nice, icy water. He nodded at me as if that made sense to him and took a drink himself. "I thought I'd try t'alleviate that. D'ya dance?"
He froze, with the bottle halfway to his mouth, watching me and finally realizing that I wasn't planning on letting this drop. I nodded towards the dance floor and he frowned slightly, looking in that direction. "I'm not a very good dancer..."
I smiled and set the not nearly empty bottle on a table. "Me either. C'mon."
He followed - albeit, hesitantly - but followed just the same. The VIP room dance floor was crowded and sweaty, looking like a mass of tangled limbs, breathing in time to the rhythmic beat. It was tight, it was compact, it was alive - it was perfect for getting lost in the middle of and leaving him no escape.
Heh, just don't let him know that. Hey - why wasn't he following? He was looking over the crowd slowly with a slight frown. He was looking for... a girl. I frowned impatiently and went back to the edge of the floor, calling over the music, "What's th'hold up?"
"I never know who to ask to dance with..." he shrugged, not bothering to acknowledge the obvious answer. I moved myself into his glance and saw that nervous look once more. He just watched as I stepped even closer, leaning in and bringing my mouth towards his ear.
"Don't force it," I murmured, close enough for him to hear my suddenly quiet voice. Close enough to smell his musky cologne. Close enough to let my breath tease his neck and gently disturb his curls. He, of course, flinched and pulled away from me, that look of surprise never failing. We watched each other for a moment before he nodded and took a step onto the dance floor. I took his wrist and set his hand on my shoulder, so I could lead and not lose him. He flinched almost unnoticably at my touch, but let me guide him and - after a moment - even gripped my shoulder slightly. We were quickly swallowed by the seething crowd and I decided we were far enough in, then turned to him.
"What are we doing?" he yelled over the music. I looked at him blankly as if I couldn't hear, forcing him to come closer. And he did, leaning in and yelling again, "What are we doing?"
"Dancin'?" I asked, leaning towards him myself, leaving just one small inch of air between us. One jolt from any side and we would be pressed up against each other. I think I was waiting for that jolt. He, however, was oblivious, and leaned towards my ear again.
"With who?" he asked, making eye contact with a girl who smiled at him while dancing with her also female friends. I decided to finally make my purpose clear and slid my hand down his forearm to his fingers. That got his attention, and he snapped his eyes to mine, looking like a deer in headlights. Despite his best efforts to look completely and utterly shocked by my touch, there was still a sparkle in his eyes that he couldn't hide. There was something about him that wanted to be smiling, I could see it. I liked the feel of his skin under my fingertips and I'd be damned if he didn't -
"I can't do this," he said quieter than he hand been speaking and abruptly pulling his hand away from mine. I tried to not look too offended.
"Why not?" I asked, leaning in again so as not to have to yell.
"I don't want to look gay," he answered quickly. I pulled away abruptly this time, watching him levely. He faltered under my glance, then lifted his hand and pointed behind him with his thumb. "Maybe I'd better... go back and..."
"I'm sorry," I apologized quickly, making him stop mid-turn. He looked to me slowly. "I didn't mean t' - gimme another chance."
He didn't respond, just stared at me, slightly nervously, then turned his glance to the floor.
"We can go somewhere else," I coaxed, leaning towards him again, but not as aggressively. He flashed his warm brown eyes back towards me for a second in response. "Off th'dance floor..."
"Where?" he asked, rocking towards me for the one short word.
"There some empty couches over there," I gestured, leaning in once more but not moving back this time. He didn't respond, just watched his own shoes. His stillness in the moving crowd made his discomfort that much more obvious and I sighed. "Would'ja rather stay here?"
He didn't bother responding to this, he just turned away from me to leave. Before that, however, he took my wrist and set my hand on his shoulder. I smiled, and held on to the thick muscle for the short ride. As soon as we reached the edge of the crowd, he subtly - though not subtly enough - pulled away from me as he turned to face me. Dropping my hands back into my pockets, I nodded towards the couches that were pushed back in an alcove next to the floor and he lead me that direction. He seemed to have chosen one, so I sat down in the corner of it, leaning back and throwing my arms along the back, getting comfortable. He sat down just out of arms reach, sinking into the couch and flicking his eyes towards me tenatively. The music was quieter over here, conducive for conversation.
"So you're...?"
"Gay?" I frankly supplied for him. "Yeah."
"Oh," he nodded in understanding and remained frozen in his position. I couldn't help but smile at his discomfort, compared to my calm. He started again, weakly. "Do you have a..."
"Boyfriend? No."
"Oh."
"Are y'homophobic?" I asked, flippantly.
"No!" he answered quickly, jumping slightly. He finally met my glance, as if to prove he wasn't, then started sputtering again as he looked away, "I.. just..."
"Like girls?"
"Yeah," he sighed, and frowned as if he was almost apologizing to me. There was a silence while I watched him shift in his seat. I started to smirk again, and he tried to speak once more. Out of curiosity or fear of silence, I'm not sure. "Are you... uh... were you... um..."
"Hittin' on ya?"
"Uh," he breathed with yet another quick glance, "yeah."
"Yes."
Now I had his attention. He turned to me slowly, completely blown away by my bluntness. I couldn't help but laugh slightly at his naivity, and that startled him out of his silence. "I thought you were with..."
"Adam?"
"Amy."
"Ah," I nodded, knowingly. "Lotsa people do."
"You do that on purpose?"
"Teenage girls scream louder when they think they got a chance."
He nodded, understanding. I took this opportunity to lean forward, a little closer to him, and rest my elbows on my knees. He studied me from the corner of his eye, as if he was trying to not look obvious. I smiled. "Are ya uncomfortable?"
"Uh," he stuttered, "no..."
"Honestly?"
His chest rose and fell with a deep sigh before he responded quietly, "A little..."
"It's all right," I assured him, brushing my fingers lightly over the fabric along his side. I could feel a sharp intake of breath from him and continued. "I won't hurt'cha."
"I know... I just..."
I started smirking again when he failed to pull away. "I'm not contagious..."
That elicited, finally, a weak smile. "I know."
"Matt."
We looked up in unison at our name, him with his shocked look and me with my slight scowl. Adam acknowledged me first. "Everyone's clearing out. Want to go?"
"Do I get a choice?" I smiled softly, getting to my feet. Matt stood up next to me with a slight frown.
"Did Jamie already leave?" he asked, sounding slightly worried.
Adam frowned and nodded. "I told him you could come with me and Matt."
I fought my smirk, though I know it was a losing battle. Adam caught that and pursed his lips distastefully as he kept his eyes on Matt. "If you don't mind..."
"It's all right," he answered, more resolutely than either of us had expected. I looked up to see the kid standing taller - somehow different. As if Adam's presence made him feel safe. Perhaps he had reason to, but... perhaps he didn't, I thouhgt to myself, refraining from speaking. Adam raised a brow at him, then nodded.
"All right, let's go then."