Pre-Slash Hurt/Comfort featuring a new OTP, Shedric (Shelton/Cedric) and the first in my 'Black and Gold' series featuring The Hurt Business, also a part of the 'Tag-Team Turmoil' universe. Enjoy!
Only spending a few months as the newest member of the prestigious faction known as The Hurt Business, Cedric felt both nervous and ecstatic which was brand new to him, to say the least. It wasn't exactly the easiest choice he had made in turning against Ricochet who he would even refer to as 'Rico', not with their history both in-ring and behind the scenes.
They'd messed around a few times, nothing more than something high-schoolers would do with their crushes, but as a tag-team, they deemed it best to remain professional. Cedric was left mulling over whether anything could have developed between the two as Ricochet still gave those heartwarming smiles of approval whenever they won and kept Cedric happy when they were together.
But that was long gone now.
He wasn't nervous about Ricochet, instead, about what was next. There had mostly been wins for him since joining The Hurt Business and a few occasional losses but what he panicked about was if he really had a spot on their team. What would happen if he lost too many matches for them? Evolution believed they had made their best investment in Randy Orton and look how that ended.
It was only a matter of days until their Tag-Team Championship match, a week specifically, and the pressure was most certainly on for him. It would be his first title match under their representation and the young superstar couldn't help but think about what could happen if he not only lost the match for them but was the pinned man. He also dreaded to allow the thought of if it would all go down the drain if they turned on him.
Why was he thinking about his teammates like this? He should have been able to trust them with his life but in this industry trust was something that for most had an expiry date with minimal exceptions.
Right now he was in The Hurt Business' exclusive lounge while Bobby Lashley was facing Angel Garza Jr. in the latter's return. Cedric felt lonely but also comfortable in his own thoughts, anxiously chewing on his lip and twitching his foot against the ground as the intrusive and troubling thoughts seamed into his mind. The Charlotte-born superstar shifted worriedly on the couch and when the door handle moved down he quickly looked up.
Shelton and MVP were supposed to be at ringside so Cedric tensed up even more than he already was which he considered being impossible at this stage. But to his surprise, it wasn't someone who had gotten lost or arrogantly chose to enter the lounge. No, it was in fact the Gold Standard himself, Shelton Benjamin with a hesitant head peeking through the opening of the door.
"There you are," Shelton smiled. It was good to see someone appreciated being around him. He'd received compliments on both his suits as well as his in-ring abilities but nobody actually attempted to get to know him on a personal level as Shelton did. He didn't blame them, Bobby and MVP went way back, and usually sat next to each other, plus Cedric was the youngest of all of them and the newest member of their faction. He understood there would have to be a growth in their relationships as friends.
It quickly became clear Shelton was on his own and despite still fidgeting with his hands Cedric's feet patted against the floor slower until it stopped completely.
Shelton was also scheduled for some one-on-one action later in the night but he had more than enough time to check in on his friend. His beaming smile would trick others around him into thinking he was approachable but really Cedric knew that was not the case - at least not anymore. Shelton was someone who changed long before joining the Hurt Business, so he probably didn't carry the weight of guilt and anxiety the former Cruiserweight champion did.
"What's up? Don't you have a match tonight?" Cedric questioned while bending his head, barely making eye contact with the older wrestler. Before he knew it, Shelton was sat next to him and they were almost shoulder-to-shoulder. Cedric could tell Shelton had just showered from the citrusy, tantalizing scent that reminded the younger wrestler of fresh oranges. They were either closer than he thought or he was subconsciously smelling Shelton longer than he intended to.
"It's good to know you paid attention to the match card tonight," Shelton jested and he bumped Cedric's shoulder when he noticed the nervousness of his tag team partner.
Whatever Shelton's mannerisms did was like a brief poke to Cedric's ribs because no matter how awkward Cedric felt, his smile would grow quickly and even now he bubbled a laugh and returned his eyes to Shelton's.
"You've been acting a little strange recently. What's wrong?"
Had it been that obvious?
Shelton might have been one of the nicest people in the world if he could easily tell that Cedric was feeling off and still did his best to make him more comfortable. Whenever Bobby and MVP would lose themselves in conversations about being the best United States champions or even having a bit too much to drink and focusing more on impressing each other while completely disregarding the others, Shelton would spend the nights talking to Cedric.
The mature man had plenty of stories to tell and truth be told Cedric relished in listening to every single one of them. Each tale was like a calming sea in the storm of emotions spinning around both Cedric's mind and his stomach. Unlike the others, Shelton kept himself composed but something Cedric noticed was how the South Carolina-born man constantly assured Cedric that he would have his own stories to tell and probably already did.
"Nothing, what do you mean?" Cedric forged with a feigned smile.
Shelton pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes, not buying the facade Cedric was offering. "Now come on, what kind of tag team partner would I be if I couldn't detect bullshit?"
Backed into a corner, Cedric hesitated and sighed. Sooner or later he'd have to tell someone, and he'd prefer to sound stupid than look it because he couldn't keep his head straight during their match. And more importantly, he would hate himself for allowing Shelton to either think he was a liar or that he didn't trust the man enough to confide in him.
"Okay, okay, fine," Cedric proceeded, tightening his jaw and sighing before looking into Shelton's eyes. "What happens if your investment isn't worth what you thought? Would you swap it for another?"
Cedric struggled to keep his eyes on Shelton after that. His eyebrow was perched and he swallowed, going back to fidgeting nervously while chewing on the tip of his thumb. It took a few seconds for Shelton to think of an answer which didn't put the most confidence in Cedric but once he figured out what Cedric was referring to, he did a double-take and tilted his head.
"I'm guessing you're the 'investment'," Shelton stated instead of ask. He could already decrypt that from Cedric's held breath, twitchy behavior, and lack of eye contact. "Look at me, hey, look at me."
His insistence alone would have been enough to lift the man's head but instead, Cedric was shocked to feel Shelton's hand cup his jaw, two fingers on the right side, and a thumb underneath the lower left side. His eyes opened not widely but enough to show his surprise at the gesture and after a few seconds, Shelton's hand returned to his side and Cedric was confused about what was causing his heart to jump out of his chest.
"I was your age once. And in the same situation. Wondering if WWE would release me when the crowd stopped reacting to what I did or said. Listen to me, you are without a doubt the future of this industry and you'll always have a spot in The Hurt Business. I liked what I saw about you, and I had MVP scout you, but don't let him know I told you that. He likes to think you were his idea," Shelton chuckled gently.
Shelton picked him out of everyone? Something about that made Cedric's heart leap and now he didn't have any problems looking into the man's trustful eyes.
"I get I might have kicked you in the chest a few times, but your pride was making me question whether or not you'd join. I couldn't take that risk, I know, call me selfish."
Cedric's mouth lifted in the corner, offering a small smirk and he even nodded his head.
"I mean, you never apologized for that..." Cedric grinned, feeling much more comfortable now. "Or all the other times you guys tried to jump me."
Shelton had regretted how far it had gone in getting Cedric to join the group. He felt no pleasure in stomping on the vulnerable wrestler's chest and their exchanges between matches, but over time he had grown to enjoy Cedric's presence. Spending more time with him allowed him to understand Cedric better and if he could rewind time he would find a different way to get Cedric in The Hurt Business but he couldn't.
"I thought you were an 'investment'? Don't those come with a cost?" Shelton quipped, humoring Cedric into a hearty laugh.
"You got me there..." Cedric admitted, raising his hands and giggling. Now Shelton had him giggling like an idiot but he didn't feel stupid but rather happy.
"Besides, I can't give up on you now, we've got a Tag-Team Championship match next week," Shelton said as a hand found itself around Cedric's shoulder, leaving minimal space between the two. Cedric's stomach was doing circles and being this close to Shelton shouldn't have felt as weird as it did but it was a good weird. An exciting weird. "You're too valuable to me now - us now. The group."
With the way Shelton cleared his throat awkwardly yet still smiling in Cedric's face, the younger superstar was ambushed by the flurry of feelings going across his mind and through his gut.
And there it was again, that damned strong citrusy smell. It was beautiful, intoxicating even.
"Are you implying I'm only valuable when it benefits you?" Cedric questioned, half-serious, and half-humorously. Shelton's body vibrated with laughter which Cedric felt from the arm still being around him. His glare became smoother as his eyes were still fixed onto Shelton's and it was almost a familiar experience to him with Ricochet. Only that ambition he was experiencing now was never there before, or at least the way it was present for him now, which was likely why they only messed around.
"Of course not," Shelton replied.
"So, you think I'm valuable then? Like some prize you won, or a twenty-dollar bill you find in the street?"
"Definitely a prize," Shelton retorted with a tight-lipped smile and Cedric couldn't stop beaming.
"That means a lot coming from the Gold Standard himself... I guess that means you'll be keeping me then if I'm such a prize?"
Now it was Shelton's turn to be unprepared for the abrupt jump in his heart. If he didn't know any better, Cedric's teasing smile was an indication that he was flirting. There was only one way to find out.
"I wouldn't want to be called greedy, now, would I? I guess Monday Night Raw can have you on Mondays," Shelton shrugged. Why hadn't he moved his arm from around Cedric after all this time? But now he didn't care much about it - and could see Cedric didn't either. Or maybe he did care, just in a positive way.
Their back-and-forth conversation between the two lightened Cedric's mood highly and he felt no pressure whatsoever. Well, maybe the smallest but that wasn't to do with The Hurt Business anymore. Now it was about whether he tried something out or not, but he couldn't work out what exactly that would be. He could feel his cheeks burning mildly and shit, was he blushing this whole time?
"Mrs. Benjamin raised a gentleman," Cedric chuckled.
"She also raised a good cook," Shelton assured, sounding like he was making an invite.
"Well, you can't make such a strong statement like that and not have someone to judge your food. Maybe the guys and I should test your skills..."
In reality, he'd only intended for himself to be there. But he couldn't make it that obvious, so he was polite in referring to the other two members of their group. And with Shelton's help, now it did feel like their group.
"Bobby'll eat anything with protein in it, and Montel always has something to say about anybody's cooking. 'Bit more lemon, where's the flavor?'" Shelton explained, perfecting an incredibly realistic imitation of MVP. Both Cedric and Shelton laughed deeply and Cedric's giggles escaped again at the very end yet he didn't care. "Maybe it should only be you judging it."
Cedric froze in his tracks at the invitation and his nerves were doing a number on him. With Shelton's arm around him, Cedric swallowed and breathed softly.
"I'd like that," Cedric agreed, barely pushing past a whisper. His fingertips were clammy, hands themselves tingling with anticipation and Shelton was experiencing the same thing. Taking one of the biggest risks of his life, something his job came with, he moved his face forward and Shelton did the exact same, turning his head and they moved in until their lips were delicately pressing against one another's.
Cedric's heart pounded at how soft Shelton's lips were against his, grazing them with a prolonged kiss that stole his focus from him. Shelton's thumb rubbed against Cedric's shoulder before his hand found itself coursing down Cedric's body to his hip. It may have been about ten seconds after that but it felt like an hour in Cedric's mind before Shelton slowly pushed away, keeping his hand on Cedric's hip. Cedric shifted but not enough to draw Shelton's hand away.
"I'd like that too. How about you join me at ringside for my match? It would really help me out."
With a nod, Cedric was more than happy to join Shelton and show his support. Shelton gave him one more delicate kiss on the lips before stroking his thumb against Cedric's cheek and giving Cedric time to get changed into more formal attire, something The Hurt Business members all did when they weren't in a match. As he got dressed, Cedric's heart was thumping with excitement and all he could think about was taking the suit off when he and Shelton got some alone time.