A/N: Well Wrestlefan4 steps up with the next chapter to our shipbourne fic. Things are really heating up now it seems.
As always thanks for the reviews and to those of you taking the time to read this unique fic. Things can only get more interesting as we go along.
Anyway, on to Sail Away pt 21, enjoy.
Phil still stood out on the deck at the railing with a wobbly Kelly Kelly. She was singing quietly to herself off key. She sounded worse than Jillian put on, and so Phil was grateful she was at least singing softly so only the two of them could hear it. Phil looked down into the glassy water. It caught the moonlight and rippled softly with the rock of the boat. He was having second thoughts about going to hang out with Jeff and the group tonight. His nerves were beginning to get the better of him. He wasn't known to be a chicken and he was never nervous around women but this was quite different. These feelings were so strange and unfamiliar to him that he didn't really know how to handle them. What if he did something stupid tonight? He could see himself acting like a crushing little schoolgirl, blushing every time Jeff looked his way and stumbling over his words. He would just make himself look like an idiot and suspicious on top of that. A cruise ship full of fans is not the place or the time for a curious superstar to go poking around trying to figure Phil out. Maybe he should just keep doing what he had done for years now, just hide the feelings tight away. No one would know no harm would be done. That's the difference between you and Jeff, you work hard to keep your emotions in check, you think of what everyone would think and let it influence you too much. Jeff wouldn't do that; he'd risk it and to hell with what people thought.
"I'm not him…" Phil mumbled.
"What?" Kelly swiveled her head to regard Phil's face, which was half-shadowed in the moonlight. His hair hung into his perplexed face and he chewed on his lip ring nervously. "Philly don't stand here with me, you're suppose to go with…" Kelly cocked her head and blinked as if trying to think. She pulled on her blonde hair. "The hair guy." She stated. That made a smile creep onto Phil's face.
"Jeff." He said quietly liking the sound of the man's name coming from his mouth.
"Yeah, Matt." She said and waved her hands in a shoo motion. "Go!"
Phil gave a heavy sigh and hung his head.
"I don't know Kel, maybe this isn't a good idea."
"All you're doing is going and having some fun, it's not like you're going to go suck his face off…are you?"
"No!" Phil exclaimed scowling at her slightly.
"Then what's the big deal? It's just a group of dumb guys hanging out and doing dumb guys stuff." Kelly looked down at the tops of her breasts. "My chest is all sticky…" she whined.
"What about McMahon's rules?" Phil tried.
"What about them? Since when does anyone take him seriously?"
"He has a schedule." Phil said ignoring her giggles at her own question. "We're not supposed to be just going off on our own and doing whatever we want."
"Good grief, you're such loser. You're scared!" She poked her finger at Phil's chest. He shrank away from her and formed an expression that was almost a pout.
"I'm not…scared." He smiled. "But I am a loser."
"Just go. Just go, that's all. It's easy being sleazy."
Phil raised an eyebrow at her.
"Why are you quoting Edge and what does that have to do with the issue at hand?"
Kelly shrugged.
"If you don't go then what are you going to tell him? Make up some dumb lie or what? You'll probably regret it. Just go you'll have fun. You don't have to be boring just because you're straight-edge."
"So we've established that I'm a scared, boring, straight-edge loser. So he would like me why?" Phil teased Kelly and she slapped his arm playfully.
"On a more serious note, there are other reasons this isn't a good idea." Phil turned his warm brown eyes back over the inky glittering water. He watched as a wisp of cloud meandered over the pale, naked, face of the moon.
"You haven't even gave me one good reason yet not to go, and don't say you have to stay and babysit me. I'm a big girl, I can take care of my—hic—self." Kelly pressed a hand to her lips to suppress her hiccups and giggles.
"If you say so. But I'm really nervous, and see if I say something I shouldn't say then that will just ruin things. It's not a good time or place. That's not only because of what I said earlier, but Jeff is still down over Beth. It's too soon to have me come gushing over him like a love-struck puppy."
Kelly turned to Phil and grinned at him and pinched his cheeks.
"As, Philly you're such a cute wittle wove struck-puppy, aw, just look at his big brown eyes, Chris."
Phil's eyes suddenly grew wide and he pulled away from Kelly's grabbing fingers. He had completely forgotten that he and Kelly were not alone. This whole time Chris Irvine had been there with them in the shadows. Phil had the immediate desire to throw himself overboard and into the sea where he would hopefully sink to the very bottom and be relieved of his monumental embarrassment. He felt his cheeks burn hot with red.
"Chris--I didn't mean--I don't--" Phil stammered helplessly. He brought his fist down hard onto the railing sending a quiver through the metal and a sharp pain through his hand. "Damn it!"
"Phil, it's okay. I kind of suspected. You're not doing a very good job of being discrete. You were staring at him at dinner. I could almost see the little red hearts swarming circles around your head. It's no big deal."
"It is!" Punk nearly shrieked. "It is a very big deal!"
"Look, I'm not going to go blab to anyone. But Kelly's right, just go."
"What if other people have noticed? What if you're not the only one? I thought I was hiding it better…" His voice wavered with near panic. He could feel that he was losing control of the situation as fears and all kinds of horrible scenarios raced through his mind. This was not typical for him and he didn't like it. Why did Jeff have to unknowingly screw with him?
"Calm down Brooks, I don't--"
Phil interrupted the blonde haired man as his mind ran away from him with so many ideas.
"He must know. Jeff probably knows, I bet Shannon knows, he's been acting really weird today like he's just waiting to set someone up for something. Why would Jeff ask me to hang out with them anyway? What if they're just setting me up for something embarrassing?" Phil shook his head back and forth adamantly. "I'm not going. Nothing you can say will change my mind." He turned to go to his cabin but Chris stopped him.
"Phil, come on, quit freaking out. I'll go with you."
"No, it's not just that…it's…it's…" Phil racked his brain to try to find something good enough to get Chris and Kelly to just lay off and let him be. Wouldn't it be bad for Phil's character if fans saw him spending a lot of time around Jeff? Surely those two could understand that, and it would save some face if he could get his emotions under control and give them a credible reason rather than his nerve induced ramblings. Phil calmed himself and looked Chris square in the eyes. "Look, to tell you the truth, I don't think I should be getting all buddy-buddy with Jeff."
"Uh, Phil--" Chris started but Phil quickly cut him off.
"No Chris. I mean, you know what kind of trouble he's been in and how he is. Don't you think that would be a bad idea for the straight-edge superstar to be with--"
"Phil!" Chris pointed over Phil's shoulder, but a bit too late.
"What, the locker room druggie? Is that it Phil?"
Phil froze with his eyes still glued to Chris's bright blue ones. The slightly southern and more than slightly angry voice of Jeff Hardy spoke from behind him. He had heard only the tail end of the conversation and now Phil had really fucked things up. He turned to the other man who was burning holes through from under a furrowed brow.
"Jeff, I didn't mean--"
"I think you said enough Phil, Mr. Straight-Edge. I can respect you for your choices on how to live your life, if you want to chose that kind of life then what do I care, but that's not me Phil." Jeff took a step closer to Phil and poked his finger into the other mans chest. "Do you know what my motto is? It's your body use it, amuse it, because some day you're going to lose it.
"Jeff--"
"You know what kind of person I am and if that bothers you then you can stay the hell away from me. All I was trying to do was be a nice guy by inviting you tonight, but I see what being a nice guy gets you. I don't care what you do Phil, just don't insult my choices whether they're good or bad they're mine and I own them and I wont hang my head because of it. You can think what you want to think about me, but don't go hanging your self-righteousness over my head!"
With that Jeff turned on his heal and stormed away. Phil's shoulders slumped and a few tears sprang to his eyes making the back of the retreating man waver and blur. He had really screwed things up. How do these things happen? Chris tried to offer some words and Kelly began to sing again but Phil just brushed Chris's hand from his shoulder and slinked away to his cabin. Maybe he would just stay there they rest of this damn trip.