A/N: I have a ko-fi page now! If you want to help me stay caffeinated to keep the words flowing, my account name over there is corneroffandom. Thank you! Either way, enjoy the chapter.
Rehab is agonizing, but somehow worse than that is the first time in the ring officially after a lengthy injury. Wade grits his teeth, eager to prepare for his in-ring return, but also not thrilled with just how sore his body feels after a few basic moves. He shakes it off, looks up to find Heath staring at him from the chairs in the audience area, smiling faintly at him before he moves in to crossbody one of the rookies loitering around the Full Sail halls that had been thrown into the ring for him to have target practice.
Heath's presence encourages him to go further, fight hard, work at rebuilding strength all the quicker. Finally the trainer calls it and Wade looks up, sweat dripping down his face as Heath makes his way down to ringside, looking up at him from the apron. "Hey, Brit, that looked great," he calls into him. "How are you feelin'?"
"Rough," he admits, voice gravelly. "Thanks." Taking the bottle of water Heath offers him, Wade downs almost all of it at once, only stopping when Heath pushes the bottle down, looking up at him knowingly. "I'm sore, but I feel good. First step is always the hardest, huh?"
"Yep, it is." Heath's not been in the ring for a few weeks either, this lengthy legal problem hanging over his head and making it hard to do anything more than going to the gym a few times a week to work off some stress and tension. He'd only been allowed here as long as he promised to stay out of the ring and not do anything in any sort of an official capacity. Wade thinks his standing even this close is a little risky, but everyone around knows Heath, has sympathy for him, and keeps their opinions to themselves.
Rolling out of the ring, Wade drops an arm around Heath's shoulders and sits down on a chair, Heath joining him a moment later. "I probably shouldn't have invited you here, I bet you miss it," he mumbles, drinking the rest of his water while staring at the ring pensively.
"I do," Heath admits. "I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't. But..." He hesitates. "I wanted to be here for ya. Especially with it bein' your first time back in the ring. Figured you could use some support, even if I could do nothin' but sit and watch."
Wade feels the warmth of affection for Heath spread through him, lips twitching up into a soft smile. "Yeah? Well, thanks, ginger," he says. "It definitely seemed to help some things click easier." He casts a quick glance around, seeing that no one is really paying attention to them, before curling a hand around the back of Heath's head, drawing him in and kissing him gently.
Heath blinks a few times, then grins, kissing him back. "What was that for?" he wonders when Wade slowly pulls away from him, eyes soft and fixed right on him.
"A preview of the gratitude I'm going to show you later," Wade responds faintly and Heath's jaw drops in amazement.
"Well, hot damn," he says. "When can we leave?"
"After I shower," Wade promises with a laugh, slowly standing up. Heath's eyes are still locked on him, so gentle and affectionate, that he doesn't even care, leaning down and planting another slow, soft kiss to his lips. "Just a couple minutes."
"Take however long ya need," Heath says with a twinkle in his eyes. "I can be patient."
Wade chuckles. "Yes, I know you can be. More so than I. I'll be out in a minute." He pulls away and walks with a purpose back towards the locker room. He glances over, when almost there, and glances back at Heath, to find that happy kind of smile on his face, and he marvels at just how he could've possibly gotten this lucky for a moment before turning and continuing on his way, eager to celebrate his return to in-ring training.