AN: Big thanks to the people reviewing! I really appreciate it!
I'm think about how long I want this to be and I have no idea, so y'all are just going to have to bear with me.
Keep reviewing,
-FortheloveofWrestling
The ride back up to their floor had been a quiet one. Neither one of them really knew what to say. Mark didn't see what the harm was, he was only upset because he knew Brian was probably thinking that something bad was going to happen from it. He didn't know what he could say to Brian to make him see things differently, that he hadn't already tried saying. There was nothing that he could do or say to make Brian understand how silly it was to think that everyone had it out for them, simply because they were together.
Brian on the other hand, knew that Mark must be feeling a bit guilty or maybe even felt sorry for him. In Mark's mind, there was no reason for him to be upset or feel so cautious about their relationship, but in his mind, he knew exactly what the reason was. And it was a horribly good reason. But nothing he was willing to talk about, at least not to Mark because then he'd surely want out of the relationship. Brian knew that it wasn't very fair of him to judge Mark on his own opinions; Mark was nothing but kind and understanding, but Brian was just so afraid that if he told Mark why he was afraid starting a relationship with him, he knew Mark would wise up; how could he not?
He was actually surprised that Mark hadn't already asked why he was so timid and scared of opening up. Deciding not to test the gods, he shook the thought out of his head, he didn't want Mark to ask, he didn't want Mark to know why. He'd just think what everyone else thought.
Ding.
The bell of the elevator brought both men out from their thoughts. Mark walked out and took hold of Brian's hand. When they stopped at Brian's room, Brian reached up and kissed mark's cheek.
"Thanks for going swimming with me." he said.
"Thanks for making me. I knew we'd have fun in a private pool." Mark smiled.
"So much for privacy." Brian snorted.
"You look tired, eat and go to sleep, kid."
"What are you doing later?"
"Ordering in. Watching some horrible movie on TV. Wanna join me?" he asked.
"Gee. Real romantic." Brian said with his goofy smile. "Yeah, i'll join you. Maybe I can bring over some movie that isn't horrible?"
"Sounds like a plan." Mark smiled, "Are you alright?" Mark asked, his concern getting the better of him.
"Yeah, i'm fine." Brian nodded.
Mark took a second before answering, "Okay. i'll see you later then."
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Brian's POV
After a quick lunch, Brian had fallen asleep. Thankfully when he woke up, Matthew was no where to be found. Brian sat up and looked at the clock, he still had a while before he needed to go. He grabbed his laptop from his bag and opened it up. As he was scrolling through his email, he suddenly felt the emotion that he felt at the pool. He closed the laptop, and sat there with his head in his hands.
How the hell am I supposed to go into this relationship when I still have so much stuff going on. I can't even handle something that happened years ago. What the hell am I doing trying to start something with Mark. He's the only one who is going to get hurt from all of this. I know what I need to deal with, but Mark is the innocent one here. If I tell him, he'll probably say that it isn't a big deal, but how could it not be? I'll end up ruining things anyway. And if I don't, then i'm risking our friendship. Once I do tell him, he'll know that this isn't something he wants anymore and he'll break it off. Who could blame him? I'm a grown man, and i'm still hung up on such stupid things that I have no idea how to keep from happening again.
Brian wiped the few tears that had spilled over, took a deep breath and composed himself. He knew he had two options and a couple of days coming up, to decide what he should do.
He opened up his laptop and began looking through his email once again. You've got mail. Brian switched windows and looked at his new email and laughed. He opened up the mail and read it,
Haha. Will you do this for me sometime?
Brian bust out laughing watching the video clip that Mark sent him. It was a clip of him doing his strange little dance in the ring. He read the email over again a few more times, laughing each time. Finally, he started his reply.
Yeah, that's not creepy at all. The Undertaker looking for clips of his new boyfriend on Youtube.
But you never know, THE Brian Kendrick is pretty crazy like that too. If you're good enough, THE Brian Kendrick will treat you to THE dance.
But, I warn you, only a select few get special shows. You will become one of the elite.
Send.
That's why i'm willing to fight through the pain. Because my boyfriend rocks. He smiled. It's early, but hopefully he won't mind if I come over now.
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Knock.
Mark opened the door to see that amazing, goofy smile across Brian's face. He had to admit, even with all the drama that was hanging above them and the short period that they had been 'together', Mark was falling pretty hard for him. It hurt him to see Brian upset over things like what had happened earlier. He knew there had to be something that Brian wasn't telling him, and although he wanted nothing more than to just fix whatever was bothering him, he knew he had to leave it up to Brian to make the decision of bring 'it' up.
"I know we haven't made this exclusive or anything, but exactly who else gets these 'special' dances?" Mark asked.
Brian broke into another laugh as he walked into the room.
He knew that his problems were looming over their relationship, and knew that they would be until he opened up to Mark about it. He didn't want to ruin what they had started. Mark was amazing, he knew that Mark cared about him, and since he and Adam talked, he could see how much he cared, he could feel it. There were a ton of different little things that made Mark so amazing. The way he made no effort to show his affection, it just kind of happened for him. It was a natural thing for him. There were other times when Mark would look at him and he could see the concern in Mark's eyes. It was obvious to Mark that there was something keeping them from fully getting close. And he could tell that Mark wanted to fix it, but Brian figured once he knew, he wouldn't see that anymore. That it would be replaced with regret and disgust.
"Hey, when I signed up for this gig, I didn't know we'd have to tell all our secrets." Brian chuckled, but Mark could see the twinge of pain it took from him, but he decided to ignore it.
"So, what did you bring to watch? Better be something good."
"Dang, when did you get all 'bad-ass' and demanding?" Brian laughed.
Mark paused at the comment and raised an eyebrow, "Boy, i've always been bad-ass."
Again, Brian burst out laughing. After a moment, so did Mark. "I don't know if I'm liking this. I think you're making me less bad-ass." Mark said.
"No, you're still bad-ass, just not all bad-ass. I can see some good guy in you too."
"Really? That's good, i'm glad you can see it." Mark said with a bit of a blush and looking down at the table. Everyone always thinks that he's so tough and hard, of course he is, but that wasn't all he was. He was capable of caring about other people too.
"Pfft." Mark looked up and saw Brian turning red from holding in his laughter. "I, Brian Kendrick, made the Undertaker blush." he said, his laughter getting the best of him and he fell onto the couch holding his stomach.
Mark looked at him and smiled, then walked over to the couch, grabbed a pillow and proceeded to smack Brian with it. In retaliation, Brian said "And now I got him into a pillow fight" as he reached for another pillow and smacked Mark's arm with it. The two spent the next few minutes battling each other with pillows.
"Okay! I surrender! I surrender!" Brian said, arms raised in defeat, face beet red from laughing.
"That's what I thought. No one, gets the best of the Undertaker."
"Please, Mark, i'm about to crack a rib here. Don't make me laugh anymore." Brian said, trying to regain his strength.
Mark sat down next to him on the couch and wrapped his arm around Brian's shoulder.
"Seriously though, Brian. When do I get to see the dance?" Mark asked and sent Brian into another fit of laughter.
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While they sat and talked for a while, Mark got a call from Hunter asking if they wanted to give him another chance at catching up to Mark's tab. Mark looked over at Brian who shook his head, Mark told him that he'd give him the chance next week, when they got back on the road. Mark wanted to question why Brian didn't want to go out, but afraid whatever answer he gave him would just be a cover for something else, he let it drop.
They ordered their dinner and ate, still learning about each other. When they finished, Mark took Brian's hand and led them to the couch. The second they sat down though, Brian remembered that he forgot the DVD player for the movie. Brian said he would be right back, he was going to go get it, but before he left, Mark suggested, without really thinking, that they could go to the bedroom.
"The television in there has a DVD player." he noted.
Brian stood silent for a moment, unsure of what to say.
"...or you could go and get it, if you want." Mark said with a bit of sadness because Brian didn't feel that comfortable with him yet and that he had even suggested it.
Brian saw it in his eyes, and wanted to show Mark that he trusted him and their relationship, even if he was still very unsure of things. "No, that's fine."
Mark questioned his answer and said, "Brian, i'm not trying to pressure you into bed or anything, I just thought it would be easi-"
"It's fine, Mark." he cut him off, "Really. I know you wouldn't do such things." he chuckled. And he did, he knew Mark wasn't that type of guy, but it was still something Brian wasn't quite expecting.
Mark smiled at him and then got up from the couch.
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In the bed room, Mark sat on the bed, back against the headboard and watched as Brian nervously put the DVD in and started towards the bed. Mark had to chuckle as Brian sat as far as possible from Mark on the bed.
"Sure you're not going to fall off way over there?" Mark teased?
"Huh? Oh." Brian smiled. "I just don't want to get the bed dirty with my shoes or anything, you know?"
"This ain't my bed, we can get these sheets as dirty as we want." Mark said, hoping to relax Brian a little and succeeding.
Brian moved a little closer, and took up the same position Mark was in. Mark handed him another pillow and the remote. Brian took the pillow and got a little more comfortable and then started the movie.
Much like the last time, somehow, Brian ended up curled next to Mark, his head on Mark's chest and Mark's arm wrapped around his shoulder. Mark couldn't care less what the movie was about anymore, he was quite content to have Brian next to him. No worries about who might see them and make some harmless comment that would send Brian into his shell. Brian felt the same. He was happy they hadn't gone out with the other guys, he was glad he was able to spend the time with Mark, here in his arms.
Brian looked up from his position and placed a small, sweet kiss on Mark's lips. Mark looked at him and asked "What was that for?"
"Just because."
Mark smiled and started running his hand in small circles over Brian's back. For a second, he let his thoughts drift away and he hated that he thought it, but he told himself that this might be as close as Brian lets him get. It frustrated him how much Brian was letting this thing get to him, and he hated even more that Brian wouldn't say anything about it.
Brian sighed into Mark's chest and enjoyed Mark's ministrations. Mark could feel Brian relaxing even more. Once the movie ended, Brian and Mark stayed where they lay and Mark continued his massage, until Brian stiffened in pain.
"Brian, you've got a knot in your lower back." Mark said with concern.
"You're telling me?" Brian said as he sat back.
"I'm sorry. Here, lay down and let me work it out." Mark told him.
"That's okay, i'll be fine, Mark."
"No, I hit it so now it's going to hurt even more." Mark moved over to give Brian room. "Come on, babe. Lay down, please?"
Brian sighed and laid chest down on the bed. It had been hurting him, and now it was hurting more. "Okay, but don't think you can just call me 'babe' and get me to do whatever you want."
"We'll see." Mark laughed as he kneeled on the bed.
Mark began to massage Brian's back and work out the know he had.
"This will probably be easier if you take your shirt off." he suggested.
"Is this what you say to all your boy-toys before you seduced them?" he joked.
"Ha-Ha. Funny. Now, take off your shirt, babe." Mark punctuated the word and Brian both laughed and obliged, putting his shirt aside.
Looking at his back, Mark chuckled.
"What?"
Mark traced the small scratches on Brian's back, making the younger man shiver.
"You've got a bunch of little scratches on your back, probably from the pool." he said with a smile.
"Really? Battle scars." Brian said.
Mark leaned over and placed his lips over Brian's, loving the way Brian's mouth felt. "Hopefully that battle isn't over yet," Mark said as he pulled away began massaging Brian's back again.
Brian gave a small moan as he felt relaxed and happy there with Mark, as he soothed away his back aches and for the time being, the internal argument he'd been having with himself, over their relationship.
I felt the guys needed a little laughter in this chapter, so I gave it to them.
How am I doing so far? Review and let me know.
Thanks!
