Disclaimer : I do not own any of the characters mentioned herein. This is pure fiction, written for entertainment only.

Chapter 10

"Mark! Glenn! Hold up!"

Both men turned around when they heard their names called. Shane McMahon hurried forward to meet them.

"Hey Shane," Mark shook hands with him, followed by Glenn. "What are you doing down here? I thought the meeting has been cancelled."

Shane looked puzzled as he responded, "What are you talking about? We had the meeting as scheduled but you guys didn't turn up. Who told you it was cancelled?"

Mark and Glenn gave each other puzzled looks.

"Kurt told us that Austin got a text …" Mark stopped suddenly as he realized they had been duped; Kurt had lied to them for some reason. "Sorry, there must be some miscommunication, we thought it was cancelled." He decided to have a personal chat with Kurt when he saw him next.

Shane quickly briefed them on the gist of the meeting. "So, we will see you guys tomorrow in California." He glanced at his watch, "I have to go. Dad's waiting in the car for me. We still have a lot of work to do." He noticed their pale pallor. "Both of you should get a nice tan in sunny California. Enjoy the weather," he grinned before departing.

Glenn shook his head, "I'll look like a cooked lobster if I get under the sun too much. I like the way I look right now."

Mark grinned, "You always look pale as a ghost and hairless as well. I believe you don't even need to shave."

Glenn shrugged, "I hardly have any facial or body hair, saves me a lot of trouble having to shave that frequently."

Both men sat down on a sofa in the lobby to wait for Jeff who had gone up to see Matt. Jeff didn't call Matt or left him a message to say where he was last night. He was afraid Matt might come for him. It was his opportunity to spend some time with Mark and he didn't want Matt or anyone to rob him of that chance. But, he couldn't stay away forever and knew he would have to face his brother sometime or other. He tried calling him but Matt didn't pick up his calls so Jeff thought he might as well go up and check if he was in their room. He promised to meet them in the lobby as soon as he was done. They intended to go to a bar for a few drinks later.

Glenn took advantage of Jeff's absence to talk to Mark.

"I've been waiting to talk to you alone. Mind telling me what you think you're doing? You said you won't start anything with him but you did."

Mark scowled. "Glenn, I don't need you breathing down my neck as well. Besides, I don't see if it's any business of yours. I know what I'm doing!"

"Are you sure about that? You haven't made up your mind but yet …" but Mark cut him off. "I have, and that's why I'm with him."

Glenn looked surprised at his admission but he was glad his brother finally came to a decision.

"Well, in that case, congratulations are in order. Looks like things are working out pretty well after all. You've saved us all a lot of trouble," he smiled approvingly.

"What do you mean?" Mark was puzzled by his words.

"Now, Shawn and everyone else will stop bugging you and we can all finally have some peace!" Glenn grinned.

Mark's timely decision couldn't have come at a better time. Glenn didn't have to worry about Sable trying to hook her claws into Mark again, and he didn't have to feel guilty either for not conveying her message to him. Mark accepted his explanation and didn't pursue the matter.

"So, now that you and Jeff have hooked up, I take it that it's official?" Glenn asked for a confirmation.

Mark hesitated. "I wish I can say that for sure, but I'm not a hundred percent sure as yet, but I'm inclined to go in that direction."

Glenn was not exactly thrilled to hear his reply.

"We are talking about the kid's feelings here, Mark. You have to be sure before you embark on a relationship with him. So, what I'm asking is, are you in a relationship with him or not? There's no two way about this," he gave him a disapproving look.

"Look, things just happen between us and I'm not saying I'm regretting what we've shared. Jeff has opened up a new window for me and probably given me the answers I've been searching for. I'm quite certain I've made the right choice but I need more time to be absolutely certain."

"In other words, you still haven't made up your mind," Glenn said wryly.

Mark let out an exasperated sigh. "Can you leave the subject alone? I have enough problems without you adding on to them!"

"I'm concerned about the kid. He deserves to be treated right, so you make sure you treat him right! So, what are you, a bisexual?"

Mark nodded, "Yes, I'm almost certain about that."

"And you decide to start a relationship with him. Why did you pick him, why not a woman?" Glenn asked curiously.

"What's with all these questions? You know I don't discuss my personal life with anyone." Mark looked displeased.

"I never make it a point to interfere in your life, but I'm making an exception in this case because I like the kid. He has emplaced his trust in you. You're my brother and I would hate it if you betray that trust. Did you explain to him about the implications of getting involved with a bisexual?"

"Do you really expect me to stop everything in the heat of the moment and sit him down and start explaining the A to Zs of getting involved with me?" Mark said with exasperation.

"Under the circumstances, yes, you owe it that much to him before you start sleeping with him. Being as young as he is, he may not fully comprehend the implications," Glenn gave him a disappointed look.

"I tried to explain to him but he wasn't prepared to discuss it at that time. You're probably right but I can't change anything now. I will talk to him, so will you please get off my back?" Mark grumbled.

"Just tell me this, why did you pick him? And, don't tell me it's because he was a convenient lay because, brother or not, I'll punch your lights out if you were just using him!"

"Do I strike you as that kind of guy?" Mark looked offended.

"No, but it would be assuring to hear you say otherwise and I guess you just did. So, tell me why did you pick him?"

"I don't know exactly myself. He has been on my mind a lot lately and he strikes me as kind of special," Mark couldn't help smiling at the mere thought of him.

Glenn grinned, "I see you're falling for him already."

Mark was taken aback. "What makes you say that?" he asked warily.

"You have that goofy smile on your face and that mellow look when you talk about him," Glenn said teasingly.

"I don't have a goofy smile!" Mark retorted.

His attention was suddenly drawn to Brock and Sable coming out from the lift. Sable saw him first and she flashed him a quick smile before Brock noticed.

Mark nodded politely in response but he looked quite confused that they were together.

"Jeff has been up there a while. Why don't you call his room and check if he's coming down yet." Glenn cut into his thoughts to draw his attention away from Sable. He prayed that she wouldn't come over and when the couple walked past them without stopping, he breathed out a sigh of relief.

Mark remained quiet, seemingly distracted by his thoughts.

"Mark? Did you hear what I say?" Glenn nudged him.

"Huh?"

"You should call Jeff and find out if everything's alright," Glenn prompted him to action.

"Let's just go up and check on him. Maybe, he's still waiting on Matt." Mark got up and Glenn followed him to the lift. Glenn couldn't help but noticed that Mark looked distracted.

"Are you alright?" Glenn asked with concern.

"Glenn, enough with the questions, I'm fine!"

They rode in silence to Jeff's floor and Glenn just had to know. "Tell me that it's over between you and her." He wanted him to confirm it out loud as he didn't like how Mark was behaving after seeing Sable.

"Why are you asking me that now?" Mark frowned.

"You seem distracted since you saw her with Brock. She's with him and I don't want you entertaining any thoughts about getting back with her. Nothing good will come out of it, just leave things alone, will you?"

"And now, you're reading my mind and knowing what I think! Well, if you must know, I won't do anything stupid!" Mark retorted. Somehow, his words didn't quite put his mind at ease.

The lift stopped and they got out with Mark leading the way. As they approached Jeff's room, they could hear angry voices coming from within.

"What's going on?" Glenn looked on anxiously as Mark banged on the door unceremoniously.

Matt had a thunderous look on his face when he flung the door open. When he saw who were standing outside, he composed himself and forced a smile on his face. "Hey guys, what can I do for you?"

"Where's Jeff?" Mark asked brusquely, doing away with the pleasantries. He thought he heard Jeff crying.

Before Matt could respond, he was shoved out of the way and a tearful Jeff rushed into Mark's arms.

"What happened? Why are you crying?" Mark asked as he held the boy in a comforting embrace.

"Nothing! We have some disagreement, that's all," Matt said quickly.

"Jeff," Mark forced him to look at him, the boy was in obvious distress, "tell me what's wrong."

"There's nothing wrong," Matt answered but Mark snapped at him, "I'm talking to him! Do you mind?"

Matt clammed up. He looked on in grim silence as Jeff struggled to compose himself and finally told Mark the problem, "He…he wants me … to stop seeing you …" he sniffled loudly.

Mark turned to Matt, "Why are you forbidding Jeff to see me?"

"Mark, I mean no disrespect but you shouldn't be dating my brother in your situation," Matt said reluctantly.

"And who are you to decide what I should or shouldn't do? I'm not toying with your brother, if that's what you're worried about. Or, is there some other reason I should know about?" Mark asked.

Matt shook his head, "I'm sorry. I'm not implying that you're toying with my brother but Jeff's too young to get involved in a relationship, especially with you. You have issues and I just don't think you're the best person he should be seeing. Please try to understand that I'm just looking out for him, I mean you no offense at all."

"Stop telling me how to live my life! I'm almost twenty and I can take care of myself!" Jeff burst out. Scrubbing away his tears furiously, he scowled at his brother. "I don't care what you or the others think! I am going to continue to see Mark and no one is going to stop me!"

"Until you're twenty-one, you're going to do as I say!" Matt grabbed him by the arm to pull him away from Mark but Jeff fought him.

"Let me go! I don't have to listen to you, you're not my parent! Let me go!" he struggled to free himself.

"Calm down, both of you!" Glenn ordered as he caught hold of Matt's hand in a grip. "Let him go, Matt, you're making things worse by forcing him to do something against his will."

Matt reluctantly released his brother. "I'm just trying to watch out for him, I'm not doing anything wrong! You would do the same thing if you were in my shoes!"

"We understand but you're going about it the wrong way. You can only give your brother counsel but you can't dictate to him how to live his life," Glenn said before looking to Mark to say something.

Jeff had him wrapped in a fierce grip and wasn't about to let him go. It was evident to Glenn that Jeff loved his brother and for a brief moment, he wondered if Jeff would be able to deal with the consequences of loving a bisexual man. Bisexuals are prone to wavering tendencies and they are most likely to explore negotiated or ethical non monogamy, such as polygamy or other forms of open relationships. As a result, complex issues of trust, jealousy and commitment often arose between couples. Jeff was relatively young compared to Mark and most probably perceived things differently from him. Just how much did he understand about bisexuality? And, given the short time he and Mark had known each other they had yet to learn much about the other. Glenn hated to admit that Matt was justified in his concern over his younger brother seeing Mark.

"I understand your concern, Matt, but let me assure you that I could never hurt Jeff," Mark set about putting his mind at ease. "I know you've heard the rumors about me and yes, I'm at a crossroad. Jeff understands my situation and he's willing to give me time to sort myself out. We're not going into this relationship blindly. We are all adults here and we know what we're doing."

"That's not good enough for me. What you're saying is that you will be sleeping with him but there's no commitment on your part. That's just not right," Matt voiced his objection.

"Aren't you in the same situation? You're sleeping with Torrie, but have you committed yourself to her?" Mark rebutted.

Matt looked humbled as he admitted reluctantly, "You have a point, but I can't help being concerned about my brother. He's only nineteen and he has never fallen in love. How do you expect me to react when he told me he spent the night with you? You had past relationships and all with women, and now, you're getting it on with my brother, I can't allow it."

"I can't promise more than I've just said. As Jeff's older brother, you have every right to voice your concern, but you need to understand that you can't force Jeff to stop seeing me, or stop me from seeing him. Everyone has a right to make their own choices, Jeff is no different. He's old enough to make up his own mind and you just can't decide for him."

"I will make the decision for him as he's only a kid!" Matt argued.

"Screw you, Matty!" Jeff was furious at him. "Stop treating me like a child!"

"Then, stop acting like one!" Matt snapped at him.

Mark shushed Jeff up as he was about to give Matt a piece of his mind and turned his attention back to Matt.

"You stand firm by your opinions and that's exactly what Jeff is doing, yet, you expect him to follow and adhere to your expectations because you're a few years older than him. Have some faith and give him some leeway to start making decisions for himself. If you keep dictating to him, he'll never learn to be independent," Mark said.

Matt frowned. "I don't dictate to him all the time," he disagreed with him.

"Yes, you do, every single time!" Jeff pointed out. "I do your bidding always, but not this time! This is between Mark and me and you're not butting into my personal life!"

Matt scowled, "Oh yeah? Watch me! Get in here right now!" he reached out to grab him again but Jeff kicked him in the shin, making him yelp in pain.

"Jeffrey Nero Hardy! You haul your ass in here right now or you'll be sorry!" Matt said in a threatening tone. Jeff hid behind Mark and gave him the middle finger. Glenn snorted with amusement.

"That's it! I'm going to call dad and tell him what you have been up to! Now, are you going to listen to me, or would you prefer to speak to dad?"

Jeff stepped out from behind Mark. Matt smirked, thinking his threat worked but then, Jeff stomped on his foot and ground down hard for good measure.

"Owww…! Owww..!" Matt hopped about, nursing his squashed toes.

Glenn couldn't hold it in any longer and roared with laughter. Mark looked on, clearly amused.

"If you call daddy, I'll tell him that you've been sleeping with that skank! I'll tell him that you didn't come back for nights on end and she even moved in with you and I got kicked out of the room! See what he'll do to you then! He'll probably fly down and tar your hide for always thinking with your cock!" Jeff threw down a threat of his own.

Matt's jaw dropped with disbelief. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me!" Jeff challenged him.

Matt was livid. His brother never challenged his authority before and he was shocked by his sudden rebellious nature. He turned to Mark and Glenn.

"See what I mean? He's being childish! How can I treat him like an adult when he talks and behaves like a child?"

He turned back to Jeff. "I am going to tell you for the last time, you get your ass in here or I'll drag you in here myself!"

"There's no need to get physical," Mark intervened. He had heard enough. "What can I do to put your mind at ease? I want to continue seeing Jeff and if I have to talk to your father to get his permission to do so, then, I will. I can call him now in your presence, if you will just give me his number."

Mark waited for Matt's response. Matt hesitated but finally said grudgingly, "There's no need to call our dad."

He knew that getting his dad involved wasn't a good idea. Gilbert Hardy was a harsh disciplinarian and even though they were grownups, their dad's word was law if he put his foot down on something. Jeff was right, their dad would not hesitate to fly down if he thought it was necessary, and Matt did not want his dad to be there. He decided to compromise with Mark.

"I will let you see Jeff, but you are not allowed to sleep with him."

Glenn snorted with laughter, knowing that would be hard for both Mark and Jeff to swallow. Jeff was looking none too pleased with the condition laid down by his brother.

"Are you serious?" Mark gave him a look of disbelief and when Matt nodded, his expression turned thunderous. "I'm trying to be cordial but you're testing my patience! Well, what if I don't agree to your terms? What are you going to do about it?" he jabbed his finger hard at Matt's chest in a threatening manner, he was done playing nice! He wasn't going to put his sex life on hold just because a young punk said so!

Mirth escaped Glenn. He waited gleefully to see how Matt would respond to the threat.

Matt gulped as he rubbed at his chest, Mark's jab actually hurt.

"I can't force you to do what I say, but I seriously hope you will cooperate. Please don't make it any harder for me, I'm doing this because I care about my brother," he reiterated.

"If I want to make things hard for you, you will know it!" Mark said pointedly. "I don't see why I have to listen to you! I'm trying to come to some sort of agreement with you because I don't want to see Jeff behind your back! But, if you really insist that I stop sleeping with him, I will agree but on one condition, that you stop sleeping with Torrie as well!" Mark asserted his authority.

Matt looked stunned. "You must be kidding me! What right do you have to tell me who I can, or, cannot sleep with? And, how the hell did Torrie get dragged into this?"

Mark smirked. "I'm the locker room leader and I call the shots. I'm doing this for your own good, boy. That girl might give you something at the way she's working through the whole roster. You should thank me for watching out for you!"

Loud snorting noises escaped Glenn and even Jeff giggled at his brother's expense.

Matt realized he had lost. "Fine, you can be with my brother, but you have to use protection!"

"Yes, we don't want Mark to get Jeff pregnant, do we?" Glenn spoke between bouts of laughter.

Jeff turned red with embarrassment but was nonetheless pleased that Mark had won the battle to keep him. He leaned up on his toes to kiss Mark on the side of his mouth, beaming proudly at him. Mark smiled down at him before turning back to Matt.

"I'm glad I can convince you to see things my way. By the way, I'm taking Jeff out for a few drinks. It's best you don't wait up for him," Mark said smugly before turning on his heels, his arm wrapped around Jeff.

Glenn patted Matt on the shoulder, "Wise decision, you don't want to mess with him," and followed on the heels of Mark and Jeff.

Matt closed the door and sat on the bed, looking glum. He wasn't looking forward to telling her that things didn't go as planned, but she was waiting for his call. He picked up the phone and dialed her number.

"It's me," he said solemnly.

"How did it go, Matt?" Torrie's voice drifted excitedly over the line.

"Not the way that you want," he told her reluctantly.

"What do you mean? Tell me what happened" and Matt told her everything.

"You agreed to let him see Jeff? What the hell are you doing, Matt? It's a simple matter and you botched it! What am I supposed to tell Terri now? I promised her that I will help her get back with Mark! You're completely hopeless!" she was livid with rage.

"You don't understand, I did it because of you! I won't be able to see you if I don't agree to his terms!" Matt spoke in his own defense.

"You're not only hopeless, you're dumb as hell! I don't want to see you anymore!" and she slammed down the phone.

Matt was stunned, was she for real? He considered going to see her but changed his mind, deciding to give her time to cool down. "You just ruin my life for me, Jeffro," he said out loud as he lay back on the bed, thinking. The next second, he sat back up and checked his watch. The shops were still opened. He decided to go out and buy something nice for Torrie to earn her forgiveness. Grabbing his wallet and cardkey, he raced out the door.

-ooo-

Chris was drinking with Rob when Mark entered the bar with Jeff and Glenn. One look at the way Mark was holding Jeff told him that something had changed between them. Rob followed his gaze and suddenly realized what was going on. He turned back to him and said, "Why didn't you tell him that you like him? You had every opportunity."

"He's not interested in me," Chris informed him. His plan to get Mark jealous worked out well enough and Jeff was finally with him. So, why was he feeling like shit?

"That never stopped you before. The Chris Jericho I know won't give up that easily."

Chris said wryly, "We're talking about Mark here, the kid is besotted with him. If I stand a chance, I might give it a shot but not in this case."

Rob nodded, seeing his point. "Cheer up. With your charisma and good looks, someone will come along soon enough."

Chris's eyes fell back on Jeff and somehow, he didn't think he would meet anyone like him again.

"They're waiting for a table. Should we invite them to join us?" Rob suggested.

After spending some time with Glenn, he liked the guy and wanted to get to know him better.

"That's not such a good idea, Mark hates my guts," Chris reminded him.

"I don't think so. He only has a problem with you because you were his competition, but I'm sure he will behave cordially with you now that Jeff's with him."

Rob raised his arm, about to call them over but Chris pulled it down. "Don't, it will be awkward. Besides, Austin just asked them over to his table. Come on, drink up," he refilled both their glasses with the cold jug of beer.

Rob drank some and set his glass down. "I've been here for almost a year but I don't know much about Mark and Glenn; they are quite the recluse. What can you tell me about them?"

Chris gave him an interesting look. "Hmm… why the sudden interest in them, or is it just Glenn that you're really enquiring about?" he grinned mischievously at his friend.

Rob gave him a sheepish look. "I would like to get to know him better. We got to talking yesterday when we were at the races and he's really a nice guy."

"Glenn is alright but not Kane. Glenn is quite the gentleman and surprisingly has a gentle nature. But, once he steps into the ring with you, he doesn't hold anything back. I've been in the ring with him several times and let me tell you, he's stronger than he looks," Chris fed him some tidbits on Glenn.

Rob was obviously intrigued by the Big Red Machine and Chris decided he should lend a helping hand to get them together. "Why don't you go over and invite him over to our table?" he suggested.

"You won't mind?" Rob wanted him to be sure.

Chris shook his head. "I don't have any problem with him. Go ahead and ask him over, or you can join them, I really don't mind. I should be heading up soon, have to pack since we're flying off tomorrow."

"I'll be back," Rob assured him as he got up. He spoke to the party at Austin's table for a few minutes and Glenn finally got up and followed him back to their table.

"Hey Glenn," Chris greeted him.

"Chris," Glenn acknowledged him and sat down with his drink.

"We don't see you and Mark hanging out often with the rest of us," Chris remarked casually.

"We are not very sociable," Glenn agreed.

"So, what do you usually do after a show?" Rob asked in curiosity.

"We stay in our room to read or watch tv, we both like it quiet," Glenn informed him.

"Must be a special occasion if you're down here tonight," Chris said.

"I guess you can say that. Mark and Jeff have started seeing each other and that's a good enough reason to celebrate," Glenn said.

Chris nodded; Glenn just confirmed it for him. He finished his drink and said, "I'm going to have an early night. I still have to pack as we are flying off tomorrow. Enjoy yourselves," he patted Rob on his back before leaving.

"Did I say something wrong?" Glenn asked, wondering at Chris' sudden departure.

"No, but he might be a little upset. He likes Jeff but his feelings were not reciprocated and now, Jeff is with Mark. But, don't worry, I know Chris, he won't do anything to get between them," Rob assured him when he saw his anxiety.

"I hope you're right," Glenn said, still a little concerned. He remembered the kissing incident in the restaurant which lit a fire under Mark's ass. So, it wasn't a stage-on after all, Chris was genuinely attracted to the kid.

"Hey guys," Ric greeted them as he and Dave came up to them. "May we join you?"

After they were seated and served by the waitress, Ric said happily, "I see Mark finally got his ass moving, we should all drink to that!" he raised his glass in a toast.

Dave laughed, "You should have just gone over and offer him your well wishes."

Ric grinned. "All in good time, but I think it's best to stay out of his way tonight. Mark might think I'm prying and won't take too kindly to it."

"Amen to that!" Glenn said and raised his glass. They toasted and drank.

"I didn't show up for the meeting today and I heard from Dave that we're flying to California. The weather is great at this time of the year! Gorgeous tanned women wearing tiny bikinis …" Ric whetted his lips. "The Nature Boy is going to have himself some glorious sun, sea and will be on babes watch!" The guys laughed with him.

The night went by quickly and it was almost one when Mark finally got up, indicating to Glenn that they were leaving.

Glenn got up, "I'm calling it a night, thanks for the company, I will see you guys tomorrow."

Rob spoke quickly, "Say Glenn, do you want to join me in a meditation session in the morning? We can have breakfast after that."

"Sounds good, what time do you want to meet?" Glenn was agreeable to his suggestion.

"Eight o'clock in the lobby," Rob said with a grin.

"I'll see you there," Glenn said and left.

Ric studied Rob intently. "Want to tell me what's going on between you and him?"

"What do you mean?" Rob feigned ignorance. "He's interested in the Zen teachings and I promise to be his teacher. You want to join us for some meditation?"

"No thanks, I don't need to meditate, I just need more sleep," Ric quipped. He looked at his watch, "Let's call it a night and head to bed. We won't have to leave till noon, so we can all afford to sleep in a little longer," he stifled back a yawn.

They settled the bill and headed for the exit. While they were waiting for the lift, the doors opened and Brock hurried out. "Hey guys, did you see Sable?" he looked worried.

"We came from the bar and she wasn't there. Did you two have a fight?" Ric asked.

Brock let out a frustrated sigh. "Not exactly. I told her to stay in but she left while I was in the bathroom. I waited for her but she never came back. That was almost an hour ago and I'm beginning to worry. It's late and if she's out alone, she might get into trouble."

"She'll be fine, probably catching up with friends since you guys just got back. Check with her friends first, you can ask the front desk for assistance. They can call them for you."

"You're probably right," Brock agreed. "Thanks, I'll do just that" and he made a beeline for reception.

"Brock holds a pretty tight leash over his girl," Dave remarked once Rob got off on his floor, leaving him with Ric.

"Sable's a feisty one, I don't blame him one bit. Maybe he's exactly what she needs to stay grounded," Ric said.

"Hope she's not in any trouble," Dave said and added as an afterthought, "Maybe we should go back downstairs and help him look for her?"

Ric laughed. "Trust me on this, Sable can very well take care of herself. Brock's just worried that she might be doing some hanky panky behind his back. Now, let's get to bed ourselves, I'm exhausted."

-ooo-

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