Title: Whispers In The Dark
Rated: T (Teen)
Genre(s): Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Pair(s): Jeff/Adam, Jay/Adam
Summary: Jeff has been blatantly refusing intimate contact for over a month. It was all due to a careless comment by Karen Jarret. And now, Adam is losing the man he loves. But one night, he crosses the line of no return with his best friend, officially breaking his husband's heart. Can they be saved?
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, besides my OCs.
Warning: Slash
Part: 10/12
OOOO
The next day, Adam awoke to the sound of his phone ringing. It was an oddly familiar feeling. Slowly, he started to roll over in order to answer it, but quickly found himself unable to move very far. Sometime during the night, Daylee had climbed on top of him and had settled down on his stomach. She looked so peaceful lying there, contently sucking on her thumb as if she didn't have a care in the world. Adam didn't have the heart to move her. So, he settled back down and let her rest. Soon enough, the call went to voice mail.
Around noon, Daylee finally decided that it was OK to wake up. It was a trait that she had undoubtedly picked up from Jeff – the man who loved to sleep until noon and keep Adam up until 1:00 AM. She slid off of Adam, off of the bed, and onto the floor. With her Sylvester plushie clutched firmly in hand, she walked over to the basket of stuff that they had bought at the store the other day. Pulling out a DVD, the plastic wrapping already off, she tottered back to the bed and put it next to Adam.
"Papa!" Daylee called, unable to climb back onto the bed without assistance. "Papa, it's time to wakey-up! Movie time!"
"Wouldn't you much rather go back to sleep, baby?" Adam asked, his eyes still closed.
"No!" Daylee exclaimed loudly. "I wanna watch movie now!"
"Is that any way to ask for something?"
Daylee blinked back the tears that were readily forming. "Papa doesn't want to watch movie with me?" She asked, her voice squeaky.
Adam flinched. "Don't be like that, baby, please. I didn't get a lot of sleep and I have a killer headache. We'll watch your movie in a few hours, OK?"
Daylee didn't answer him. She just walked away. Sitting down in the corner of the room, she pulled her Looney Tunes plushies out of the basket and started to play with them. Adam recognized a few of them from when she was a baby. Jeff had gone a little crazy at the store and had bought her all of the baby Looney Tunes dolls. But many of them were new, like her Sylvester doll. Jeff had bought that for her to keep her company while he traveled. It always made her feel better when he wasn't near.
"Daylee?" Adam asked, now fully awake.
Silence.
"Daylee." Adam tried again.
Silence.
"Daylee Mari Hardy!" Daylee knew that the use of her middle name meant that she was in trouble, but she still didn't turn.
Finally, Adam climbed out of bed and made his way over to the toddler. She offered him a cursory glance, but that was all. He lifted her into his arms, and then the doll fell out of her little hands. He bent down and picked it up, handing it back to her. And then, he sat down on the bed and settled her on top of his stomach. She snuggled down, still not talking, but she made her plushie walk across his chest and neck. He offered her a little smile, which she returned wholeheartedly.
Then, the phone started to ring again. He was so tired, and he seriously contemplated just letting it ring. But something in his heart told him that he needed to answer it – that it could be a matter of life or death. With one hand slowly stroking Daylee's free-flowing brown curls, he answered. The man on the other end had barely gotten a sentence out before Adam's heart froze mid-beat. The phone fell out of his hand and hit the ground, hard. No. It was impossible. It couldn't be…
The man on the other end of the line was Matt Hardy, and he was calling to say that Jeff had had emergency surgery to reverse internal bleeding in his head over six hours ago, and still hadn't woken up…
OOOO
Matt had agreed to watch Daylee until Jeff's condition could be further evaluated. Adam sat at Jeff's bedside, afraid that if he took his eyes off of the younger man for a second, he would vanish. Jeff's heart rate was steady and his breathing was even, which the doctor said was a good sign. But Adam knew the truth. The longer Jeff was out, the worse his situation would become. Adam gripped the motionless hand, heartbroken and terrified. Silently, Adam pleaded with him to open his eyes.
And then, he remembered what was in his pocket. Jeff's wedding ring. In all of the hustle, he must've forgotten about it! Hastily, he took it out and stared at it in amazement. The simplest show of love, of eternal affection, with a single word inscribed on the inside. 'Forever'. He and Jeff were meant to be together forever, just like the ring said. Adam stared at it for a few more minutes, his eyes scanning the beautifully ornate surface. And then, he took Jeff's limp hand in his and slid the ring on.
"I'm so sorry, Jeff. I never meant to hurt you. I need you. I need you to wake up. I need you to make your stupid jokes that always make me laugh. I need you to be there for Daylee. I need you…" Tears streaked down his face as he stroked the motionless hand.
Adam liked to believe that Jeff could hear him, but to be honest, he wasn't sure. Jeff remained motionless, and soon the sound of his breathing was all that could be heard. He continued to pour out his soul to the man, only to receive silence in return. But soon enough, there were no more tears to be shed. So Adam came up with a new way to pass the time. He started to ask Jeff questions about what he was dreaming about, just to fill the silence, not really expecting and answer.
"Where are you? At the arena? The beach? At home?"
"Am I there? Is Daylee?"
"Are you happy?"
That seemed to be the question that was bothering him the most. Was Jeff happy? With him? Without him? Did it even matter anymore? He took a breath and ran a hand over his face, failing miserably at distracting himself from the truth. Fear turned his blood cold as he looked at the clock – it had been two hours. Two more hours! Jeff hadn't even so much as flinched! Adam took a shuddering breath, laying his head down next to Jeff's body and closing his eyes. Jeff's scent comforted him.
There was a knock on the door, but Adam didn't even notice. "Adam? The nurse told me you're in here. C'mon, it's time to go hom-,"
Jay's eyes widened as he beheld the scene. Both bodies seemed motionless to the untrained eye, but Jay knew Adam. He could see the subtle shake of Adam's shoulders that told that he was crying. Jeff's left hand rested on Adam's blond head, the lithe fingers and chiped black nails nestled in the soft locks. Jay wanted to speak, but he knew that now was not the time. Maybe he had been wrong to try and come between them. And with that thought, he silently backed out of the room.
If he was meant to be with Adam, then he would have another opportunity. But if Jeff fucked things up a second time, there would be no second chances. Adam deserved to be loved and appreciated for the rest of his life, and Jay wasn't afraid to do just that. Adam would always be his number one priority. And if taking care of that priority meant leaving him in someone else's care, than he would do just that. If only for Adam's sake… he would let him go one last time.
"Jeffy." Adam whined, fisting the sheets in his hands. "Please… don't leave me. I need you. I only want you. So please, please, don't leave me."
OOOO
A/N: Well, we're widing down with the chapters. Only two left! Please review, and look for this story soon!
Title: The Peacemakers
Rated: T (Teen)
Genre(s): Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Pair(s): Jay/Adam, Bobby/Jeff
Summary: Bobby and Jeff have reached a breaking point in their relationship, and their recent feud on TNA isn't making it any better. And then, when Jeff leaves Bobby, it'll take Jeff's best friend (and his reluctant boyfriend) to help piece the puzzle back together.