A/N: This chapter is a little smaller but it came faster so hopefully you all don't mind. :x

Vindictive John Dark Fantasy: Gave you a little teaser for what you love so much in here bb. Hope you catch it xD

Ondra J: Thank you, darling. And thank you for that shoutout too on your fic. I appreciate it.

UnholyVengeance09: Ah yes.. glad someone is rooting for this as hard as I am xD I can only hope the buildup is worth it for you, bb.

Xenarocks99: I know. I am SO SORRY. Like I cannot apologize enough. Writer's block coupled with personal problems and a shitty schedule was my undoing.

On to the story! :D

By the time Punk managed to put Dolph's seatbelt on and slide into the driver's seat, the older man was asleep and Punk tried to wake him to get the man's address out of him but all he got was grumbles and giggles. "Son of a bitch.." he muttered, rubbing his face before sighing and making a split decision to let the man sleep in his apartment.

Punk started up the car and headed home, hoping he wouldn't regret this decision later.

Getting Dolph up to the apartment was a struggle. He was sure at some point a few of his neighbors thought he was going to take advantage of the blond. Punk grimaced at the thought. He shook his head and helped Dolph to his bedroom, just removing the man's shoes and leaving him on the bed because he didn't want to make him think that he was felt up. He huffed as the man curled up into a ball and started mumbling things about drinking and Punk being amazing and Alex being perfect.

The blond couldn't help but roll his eyes at the gooey feely crap Dolph was spewing out though he'd been there not too long ago so he understood. Punk quietly walked around to get his sketch book and a few comics to read through the night because despite the fact that it was already one in the morning and he'd had an eventful day he didn't expect to fall asleep any time soon. Punk sighed as he brought up a water bottle and some painkillers for Dolph, leaving them on the nightstand.

He brought a blanket downstairs after changing into shorts and a t-shirt and read for a good chunk of time before he sketched some panels of Deadpool and Thor just because he could.

Sometime between four and five in the morning, the blond fell asleep sitting up, the blanket draped over his waist as he caught up on much needed sleep.

…

Dolph groaned softly as the light hit his eyes, curling up against a pillow and yawning sleepily. He sat up suddenly when he realized it wasn't his room, looking around and praying to god that he didn't fuck some stranger after leaving Punk at the bar. He relaxed when he realized he was still in his clothes and rubbed some of the pain off his head until his eyes fell on the water and aspirin.

His cheeks were flushed with embarrassment as he stumbled downstairs and saw Punk was curled up on the couch with a notebook and a stack of comics next to him. He bit his lip and debated leaving but that would make the situation more awkward.

Dolph ate some cereal and started brewing coffee, hoping Punk wouldn't mind too much. His hair was tied up into a pony tail with a hairband he found on the floor of Punk's room and he was sitting on a barstool waiting for the coffee when he heard steps towards the kitchen. He stared at the doorway with a sheepish smile when the blond peeked in, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "…I hope I didn't wake you."

Punk chuckled despite the grogginess he was feeling, untying his hair and retying it because most of it had fallen out of the bun. The younger man glanced at the clock and huffed when he saw it was ten in the morning. "…I should thank you for making me coffee." He teased as he got down two mugs and handed one to Dolph. "..did you sleep okay?"

The flush was back on his cheeks as he nodded and laughed nervously "Yeah. Sorry for takin' your bed."

"…I don't sleep much anyway. Figured it was being put to better use with you."

Dolph smiled and nodded though he was still feeling guilty but he did remember that Punk had trouble sleeping. "Why don't you sleep much?"

Punk blinked at the question, not used to being asked about that. He thought for a moment:

xx

He whined in his sleep, hands reaching up to clutch at his ears as he tried to block out the noises that were causing nightmares to rise up.

"You're a dirty slut! .. I know you've been suckin' his dick! No one would give ya a raise just like that!"

Punk's eyes shot open, sitting up in bed and leaning back against the wall as he hugged his knees and covered his ears, trying to block out the screams. His father continuing to demean his mother before a few slams and crashes ensued.

"No.. no.." he rocked a bit, reaching over for his headphones and sliding them in before blasting the music until his mom's screams weren't heard anymore. Punk couldn't sleep now. Not knowing this was happening and he couldn't do anything.

That was the first night he started drawing what he was feeling. The negative feelings making most of his sketches dark and monster-like but .. his art was actually expressing his emotions now.. emotions that would cloud and weigh him down for the rest of his life.

xx

"..sorry." Dolph muttered when Punk got that faraway look on his face, feeling he'd pushed some boundary.

Punk blinked the terrible memory away and shrugged as he looked at the man. He wasn't upset and strangely enough he didn't want to hide it from Dolph. He felt the man was trustworthy enough and especially if the other blond cared about John as much as he did. "Nah.. don't be."

Dolph nodded and smiled at the man, tilting his head at him as if waiting for an answer.

"…I don't sleep 'cause I still have nightmares." He commented, meeting the man's gaze and waiting for the mocking stare he always got from people when he said that. When it didn't come, Punk continued "Since I was a kid.. I think about seven the first time I realized what was happening. It's usually screams from my mom.. feel guilty about that shit I guess.. though it doesn't make much sense." He laughed nervously, untying his hair and running his fingers through the messy blond locks before keeping his fingers on the red tips.

Dolph didn't ask for more details; he didn't have to. He was able to piece most of it together. Thankfully, his family situation was nothing like that but he'd heard enough stories from friends that he understood why Punk couldn't sleep. He didn't comment on the actual situation, instead just reaching over and giving the blond a quick hug before the coffee machine signaled it was ready and he had to pull away. "..it does make sense why you'd feel that way. But hopefully after spendin' enough time around my arrogant ass that will rub off on you and you'll realize you shouldn't feel that way." He smiled at the man and turned to pour coffee in both of their mugs.

Punk smiled, easily hugging the man back after the genuine smile Dolph sent his way. "Thanks." He muttered, knowing the blond knew he was thanking him for many things at once.

…

{Message:}

John, you have nothing to be sorry for. I shouldn't have let you get that far. I was dating someone then. I made a mistake. Not because of it being you but just because I should've been more responsible. I care about you, John. But if that ever happens, I don't want it to be while I'm in a relationship and you're feeling so vulnerable.

Punk

{Message:}

I want to spend some time just hanging out. Maybe grab some lunch if you don't have meetings or business to take care of on Sunday.. I'm free then too. Guess that's another bonus of the gala, huh? Get back to me when you can.

Punk

John smiled softly at the message but it felt hollow to him. He sighed and shifted in bed, his stomach twisting and turning as he hadn't eaten anything since Saturday morning. The only thing in his stomach at this point was liquor and water. But he wasn't hungry so he drank more water and ignored it. He wanted to spend time with Punk today but part of him still didn't think that he deserved it because he was still feeling inadequate after 14 hours of torture with Brock and the four merciful hours that he got to sleep after the man left him like a piece of garbage on the floor.

Filthy. John was filthy. Every inch of his skin was raw with how many times he'd scrubbed and rescrubbed until the skin was red and the hot water was starting to scald him. He didn't even want to think about what it would be like tomorrow when he met Randy for his night. The man would see what he'd done to himself by viciously cleaning every inch of himself.

"Can't.." He muttered to himself, eyes shutting tightly as he ran his hand over his arm, trying to resist the urge to take another shower. John jumped when his phone buzzed, glancing over at it cautiously and shuffling over to pick it up.

[Text] John boy! I know you read my messages. That email is a bitch like that and tells me when you read them.

[Text] I miss you. Seriously. I want to make sure you're okay and want to hang out.

[Text] Please? Just lunch.

[Text] Anywhere you want. My treat. :)

John shook his head at the last message and gave a genuine smile for the first time in what felt like years. He sighed as he typed back:

[Text] Anywhere?

Not even 30 seconds later the reply came:

[Text] YES!

He smirked.

[Text] Your place. I don't feel like dealing with people today and my place is a mess.

[Text] If that's okay with you.

This reply took much longer and John was starting to worry that Punk didn't think of him any special way and would not invite him over to his house. Not when John was so .. wrong.

The older man started scratching his arm, further aggravating his skin. He didn't stop the annoying picking until his phone buzzed again.

[Text] I love you. I hope you're okay and you're only ignoring my calls because you're tired not because you're mad at me. I'm sorry, Johnny.

He frowned in confusion until he read the initials 'RKO' on the top of the screen and he smiled softly. His heart felt fluttery and as he was typing out a reply:

{Unsent Text} I love you too, baby. Miss you. Really tired.. gross too. I'm sorry. Not mad. I'm ju

Punk's message came in:

[Text] Yeah. If you don't mind me ordering in Thai food. I don't feel like cooking today. Had a rough few days. Come by when you want.

John didn't bother replying and instead looked at the screen. It was already two in the afternoon so that was a perfect time for lunch, right? His stomach seemed to think so.

For the first time since Brock told him to clean himself up, John didn't scrub himself until he started crying. He showered in five minutes and just cleaned the essentials before dressing up in his favorite jeans and a loose-fitting button up shirt because he didn't need to hurt his skin and on top of that he didn't want Punk to worry about him more than he was sure the blond already was.

About half an hour later, John was ready and he grabbed his keys to one of his other favorites: the black 1969 Chevy Camaro. He sent out a quick text:

[Text] About to leave my place. Be there in 30.

Punk smiled down at the text after he hung up with the Thai place. It'd take them about 40-50 minutes to deliver so he knew he'd guessed it right when he decided to call. He was slightly nervous for John being there but he didn't want to say no mostly because he understood the man's desire to stay isolated for as long as possible and –truth be told- he didn't want to deal with stares either.

This way all he had to do was change out of his sleeping wear and into casual jeans and a t-shirt. He was glad Dolph had left not too long after they finished breakfast. It wasn't because he didn't enjoy time with the other blond but he needed a break in between these things to gather himself. He was an introvert at heart and though he enjoyed random nights out he'd much rather curl up with a movie or a comic and just stay to himself when he needed to unwind.

The knock on the door to his apartment came not too long after Punk had put a few sodas up in the freezer. He walked over and let John in, smiling at the blond like he did after the baseball game.

John smiled back at the younger man, walking in slowly and looking around himself before showing Punk the small chocolate pastries he'd purchased on his way over "Got these since I figured we'd need something sweet after the Thai." He stepped aside as the Chicagoan closed the door behind him. John grunted in surprise as Punk's arms wrapped around him, but quickly melted into the hug and squeezed the man softly. The hug hurt because of the soreness of his body but it was a welcome pain.

Punk smiled brightly as he pulled away from his boss "Thanks, John boy." He whispered before leading them to the living room and handing John the x-box remote. "I figured I'd let you choose what we're watching before I whoop your ass on MK and teach you why it's better than Street Fighter."

John laughed, the sound odd to him after days without using his voice for anything other than to scream and cry. He set the sweets on the coffee table then took the control and tossed himself on the couch, launching Netflix up and grinning at Punk "Just 'cause I like Fighter more don't mean I don't know how to play MK. You're gonna regret this decision." It was odd how easily he relaxed around Punk but the man just made him feel safe and that was something he was only used to with the short sessions with Randy. John looked at the man with slight awe before noticing Punk was expecting him to choose a movie and laughing softly as he scrolled through the selections.

Punk lifted a brow when the man chose a movie, "A classic. I'm impressed." He teased as the title card for The Breakfast Club started up. Punk was about to ramble on but their food came and he had to excuse himself to go get it.

John got comfortable on the couch as Punk went for their food, groaning slightly when his stomach made those annoying flips again as the smell of the spicy food reached him. "Damn I'm hungry."

Punk chuckled and handed one of the containers to John "Good thing I got us enough to feed a family."

The older man shook his head and heard his stomach rumble, looking at Punk sheepishly but noticing the man had gone for the sodas. Well, at least he could avoid the scolding for a while longer. John tucked into the food to quiet his stomach before Punk came back, almost choking on a noodle as he heard Punk's indignant scoff.

"Couldn't even wait for me, John boy? I'm offended."

John swallowed after a few coughs and looked at the blond "I was serious when I said I was hungry."

"How long has it been since you haven't eaten!? A week?"

John bit his lip and moved the food around with his fork before shrugging at Punk "Nah. Just about 2 days?"

Punk gaped at the man and shook his head as he scooted over to John so their knees were barely brushing against each other as they ate "…no more of that. Promise me."

John considered just promising the man without meaning it but something in the tone of Punk's voice made him look up. When they locked gazes and he saw the concern there and the worry, John bit his lip nervously. The older man shifted uncomfortably before sighing "..I promise." It was firm, stronger than he felt and there was determination there. As if he didn't want to fail Punk too.

Punk smiled and nodded as he patted John's shoulder "Atta boy." He teased, snorting when John blushed and tucked back into his food. Punk figured he should do the same and began eating, humming a bit at the spicy flavors but managing to get through a good chunk of it before he needed a drink of soda. He sighed happily as he leaned back against the couch, watching the movie and shifting a bit when Bender started talking about his family.

John noticed the shifting, though he didn't say anything about it because there wasn't much he could offer the younger man other than a warm hug. So that's exactly what John did. He set his food down and carefully wrapped his arms around Punk, nuzzling into the man's neck only briefly before catching himself and instead just giving him a firm squeeze as he pulled away.

Punk felt oddly okay with the show of sympathy. It felt nice just accepting something after giving so much his whole life. He looked at the bigger man "It's okay. We all get shit thrown at us in life. Just some of us at different times than others."

John understood that perfectly, worrying his bottom lip again until he felt Punk's hand on his arm. His blue eyes locked with the olive orbs and he smiled sadly "And some of us deal with it better than others."

Punk gave a sad smile as he laced their fingers together "…you know you're never alone, John. I'm here for anything. And Dolph.. he misses your friendship.. and I know there's others that care about you, you just don't see it."

John shifted uncomfortably under the man's intense gaze but he couldn't break the stare. He nodded slowly, some of the words sinking in. Though all he truly believed was that Punk cared because he was the only one that sh—RANDY.

John almost jumped as he rummaged around for his phone, staring at the screen sadly when he saw the other messages from Randy. Most of them were asking for forgiveness but there was one that was him saying that if he could pull John out of this life and keep him safe for all eternity he would even if it cost him his life. His pulse pounded in his ears, lip tucked between his teeth as he finished the reply he'd started out and explained to Randy what was happening before he thanked him for caring.

Punk had pulled away long ago, just staring at John as the wheels spun in his head. He hoped the man wasn't doing something he'd regret like contacting Hunter or McMahon right now. When John finally did look up, the older man was crying silently and Punk didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around him "I'm sorry, John.. I know I said a lot but I meant it. It's not something you like to hear but you have to realize that sometimes what you think is real isn't."

John shook his head at the apology and muttered out between small sobs that he knew Punk cared. "R..Ran.. he.. does too."

Punk let out a small breath when he realized that John's tears were out of relief. He rubbed the man's back soothingly, massaging small circles against John's back but stopping when he heard the older man's slight whine of pain. "Sorry." He moved his hand and instead just held the back of John's head, not thinking much about the fact that John's back was hurting bad enough where even light rubs were hurting him because he was reeling over the small breakthrough he made with his boss today. "You're worth the caring, John."

John bit his lip at that, not even remotely believing that but not commenting on it as he worked on calming his breathing back down. He sniffled a bit as he pulled away from the younger man and gave Punk a chaste kiss on his cheek "..thank you." John smiled wide enough it actually hurt his face before rubbing the back of his neck nervously and grabbing a napkin to clean his face then pushed the mostly empty container away from him.

The Chicagoan smirked and gave a quick nod before getting up "..No problem. We both needed that today, John boy." He snorted as he picked up their trash and disposed of it. Punk sat down closer to John now. Both men just sipped their sodas and ate the small pastries while they watched the rest of the movie.

John would randomly comment on the movie and wipe silent tears from his face on the most touching parts as well as pretend that he didn't see Punk doing the same because clearly both men had their own reasons to feel attached to this movie. By the time the legendary song played and the credits rolled, John was smiling and rubbing his eyes at the same time as Punk sniffled and got up for the other control.

"John.. stop your blubbering and get ready to get your ass beat."

John rolled his eyes playfully but still sniffed really loudly "I'm gonna make you cry for a whole other reason soon." He teased back, feeling thankful that he'd come to Punk's for the night instead of just continuing his self-hate for the day. It all seemed too good to be true.

Punk grinned, glad John was calmer now as he set up the game now and got ready to pick his character. Just as he was about to fight John for choosing Scorpion, there was a knock on his door. He frowned and got up, looking at John apologetically. He wasn't sure what he was expecting what he opened the door but when he saw Morrison dressed like he was ready to spend the night out on the down, he blinked a few times and responded brilliantly "..uh.."

John heard Punk's slight hesitation and glanced over, seeing JoMo looking flashy as ever and feeling something twist in his gut. He got up and walked over to the door, intent on leaving until he heard the brunette's voice:

"I hoped you were here too."

A/N: Welp.. there you go. Review, please?