Thank You, I love you all for giving this piece a chance. HighflyinJeffHardy, this was not a test, hehehe. Thank U. I'm glad I did a good job keeping you interested. Glamagirl, Matty deserved to shoot Edge. It seemed right. I wouldn't kill Jay for the world :) I don't tire of hearing the word 'brilliant'. sevvysvampire2008, thank you. Chisato-chan, being bizarre is okay. It better be, b/c if it's not then that means I'm not okay, XD. Animal Luvr 4 Life, no offense taken. I wanted him dead too in this story, lol! NeroAnne, I told everyone to trust me. I wanted a happy ending for this one. Charisma Enigma, I know you've reviewed on chp 12, so you'll see this when U get here. Ha! It actually made perfect sense, I know the feeling :P Must put up disclaimer; Story may cause slight intoxication and the urge to rape Jeff Hardy. Pheonix-Syren, fluff coming your way.
Captive;
Chapter twenty-two/ 'Breaking the Chains'Rated; M/ L (mentions of violence/ disturbing sappiness)
Randy wheeled himself to Jeff's room. He was in shreds over what to say, how to react. So, much was left back at that house. He tapped his knuckles on the door as he came to the room's entrance. Matt gazed up. He shook his head as he got up and approached Randy. Matt stood, blocking his way. Randy looked up at him.
"Uh, hey, Matt? I, um.. can I see Jeff?" Randy's heart was in his throat. He swallowed, hoping that would help. It didn't.
"I don't think Jeff needs to see anybody right now." Matt folded his arms.
"I just.. um.. wanted to make sure he was doing okay." Randy said quietly.
"You know, Orton, I was never really clear on exactly what you were doing at Edge's little hideaway. What were you? His captive too?" Matt asked sternly.
"Uhhh..." Randy wasn't sure if Jeff had told Matt the whole Randy Orton story yet. Randy swallowed.
"Let him in, Matthew. I haven't had company in forever." Jeff called.
"You've had me." Matt pouted, sounding hurt.
"Yes, and with as much as I love having you constantly by my side. I need a break. Besides, Randy saved our lives, man. Cut him some slack." Jeff sat on the bed, looking at Matt pleadingly.
Matt gazed over at his brother, then back to Randy and sighed.
"Fine. I'm going to get some snacks from the vending machine anyway." He pointed to Jeff, "You. Call a nurse if you need anything." Matt turned to Randy. "You hurt him, I will toss your crippled ass out of the window. Are we clear?"
Randy nodded.
"Bring me back some Skittles." Jeff called as Orton drove the wheelchair into the room.
Matt sighed, "That's all you need."
Randy looked down at the square pattern on the floor, waiting for Matt to leave. The sound of the door clicking shut made him jump. Randy looked over at Jeff.
"You didn't.. tell Matty I was... that I...?"
Jeff shook his head. "No. I didn't tell anyone, just like I promised."
"You have every right to, Jeff. I deserve to rot for the shit I've done." Randy looked down, feeling contrite. He gazed back up. "For the shit I did to you."
Jeff looked out the window, watching a line of birds fly across the blue sky.
"I didn't tell because I didn't want to. Don't feel like you're holding shit over my head, Randy. You're not. You wanna confess to anything? That's up to you. Not me, dude." Jeff looked back his way.
"I really am sorry, Jeff. If I could take it all back, I would. You should never forgive me. I understand."
"What you said to me back at the house before Edge was shot; that you loved me? Was that the honest truth, or were you scared we'd both die?" Jeff said playing with the bed sheet.
"I'm not gonna lie to you, Jeff.... I thought we were both fucked.. but, I swear, it's the honest truth. I do love you, Jeff... I don't deserve to have it returned, but..." Randy trailed off sighing deeply.
"Did you love Edge?" Jeff asked quietly.
Randy shook his head.
"I'll understand if you did." Jeff's green eyes darted from Randy to the bed sheet and back again.
"It wasn't love. I was drawn to him. It wasn't even attraction. I just felt like I couldn't escape him. I felt like I owed him. I got buried in a hole I couldn't climb out of." Randy's eyes held a trace of tears. "I screwed myself."
"I don't want you to turn yourself in." Jeff whispered.
"Why not? Aren't you scared of me?" Randy choked out.
"Should I be?"
Randy shook his head, letting a couple of tears escape.
"You're not a monster, Randy. I didn't do anything I did as a survival tactic. I could have told him what you did to me after the first night. I chose not to. I didn't use your emotions against you." Jeff sighed.
"When you screamed at me that you hoped Edge killed me? Did you mean it? 'Cause he almost did."
"I hated that you thought I was using your emotions against you. You saved me. You kept me alive. You didn't have to." Jeff softly said.
"I'm sorry, Jeff... this all went too far.. I'm sorry." Randy turned the wheels to roll out of the room. It all hurt too damn bad. More so than the wounds that he had to endure. Those parts were healing. Slowly, but healing.
Jeff jumped off of the bed and grabbed the back of the chair, spinning him around.
"Don't, Jeff. It's wrong for me to, after what I helped put you through, after what I did to you."
"I don't give a shit, Orton. I'm tough. I'm a survivor. And so are you, goddamnit. Don't give me that bullshit. I am not fragile and I'm a big boy. Edge raped me. It was rape because I didn't want sex from him. You didn't rape me, Randy. I wanted you then. I want you now." Jeff confessed locking eyes with Orton.
Randy shook his head. "It's just Stockholm Syndrome, Jeff."
"Fuck you, Orton, you bitch." Jeff grabbed Randy's head and crashed their lips together.
Randy ignored the voices in his head and kissed back. Supporting himself on his chair arms and raising up easily, standing erect. He wrapped his arms around Jeff's waist and forgot all else. Jeff broke the kiss.
"I'm the bitch?" Randy asked.
Jeff snickered. "Yes, you are. You're my bitch."
"Really?" Randy allowed himself to smile through his tears.
"Y'huh. You can't go to jail and be some biker dude's bitch, because you're mine."
"You're full of shit, Jeff." Randy smirked as he stared down in to Jeff's green eyes.
"No, I'm crazy." Jeff corrected, using his thumbs to wipe Randy's tears away.
"Yes, you are." Randy agreed.
"Crazy over you. I love you, Randy Orton."
"I am majorly in love with you, Jeff Hardy."
Randy pressed his lips to Jeff's again. They broke when they heard a bag of Skittles hit the floor. Matt stood in the doorway, blinking, his mouth a gape. Trying in vain to process what the hell he was seeing.
Jeff turned back to Randy and giggled. "It's just Matty."
"Jeff.." Matt squeaked, he cleared his throat, "Something... something I should know?"
Jeff sighed and helped Randy back down into the chair.
"No." He said innocently.
"I just saw you... kissing... dude... Orton.. uhh... I think I'll call that nurse and issue a cat scan." Matt picked up the call button. Jeff grabbed it and tossed it on the bed.
"Me and Randy were both in a terrible place and found love. What's the big deal?" Jeff asked. He leaned against the bed, tapping his fingers on the side.
"I didn't know you.." He looked at Randy, "either of you, were gay?" Matt turned back to Jeff who shrugged.
"Well, I don't know either." He replied after thinking about it for a second.
Matt put his hands on his hips.
"I love Randy, I don't care that he's a guy." Jeff finished.
"Jeff, you went through this traumatic thing with Edge. You had sex forced on you by another guy. Do you seriously think this is the healthiest road to recovery, after what you went through?" Matt asked concerned.
"After what I went through? I'm sick of people telling me about what the I went through. I'm tired of everyone acting like I should break. Edge tried to break me. He failed. I went through hell, Matt. You don't need to be clued in on all the shit that maniac did to me. And because I survived that hell, I have decided to live life how ever the hell I want to." Jeff reponded. He wasn't really being belligerent.
"You haven't spent your whole life doing that already? Motocross, wrestling, being a 'dare-devil'? The way you dress? Art? Poetry?"
"Emoetry." Jeff corrected.
"Don't care. Music?" Matt threw out another option as he threw his hands up trying to make a valid point.
"I'm gonna go." Randy finally spoke. He had been quiet and uncomfortable as all hell.
"What about you, Orton? You gay?" Matt folded his arms.
"I'm not gay. I'm bisexual, thank you. And yes, such a thing exists. And shit, don't start acting like Jeff's Mother Teresa now. You and the rest of the world have always accepted that Jeff's a little weird. How is this any different?" Randy tried pleading his case.
"Am I weird." Jeff asked quietly.
"Jeff, you know you're weird. In a good kind of crazy way." Matt smiled.
Jeff stared at his brother, the older Hardy exhaled and rolled his eyes.
"I.. see what you're saying, Orton. I.. just.. It just came as a shock on the toes of. I'd love my brother even if he was gay. I'm just saying.. I don't want it to be because he's traumatized." Matt fumbled, he'd dug himself a ditch.
Jeff shook his head. "It's not because of anything Edge did, Matty. I love Randy. It's my choice to follow my heart. Not Edge's." Jeff nearly whispered.
Matt sighed, but nodded. He gave Randy a discerning look.
"If you hurt him.."
"I know, out the window. Trust me, Matty. I'd toss myself out before I'd let any harm come to him ever again." Randy nodded, staring up in Matt's eyes before directing his attention to Jeff.
"I've been here three weeks now, Matt. I miss our friends, co-workers. All I ever get to see are doctors, nurses, and you and dad. I miss Shannon, and Shane, and everbody else. I miss home." Jeff changed the subject.
"Oh, no. You're not going home. Infact, I'm permanently moving your shit here." Matt said dead serious.
Randy laughed.
"Can it, Orton." Matt snapped.
Jeff giggled.
"Fine. We'll see if we can get you moved in with me." Matt sighed.
"What?" Jeff raised his eyebrow at him.
"You heard me, Jeff. You'll not leave my sight ever again. I'm hiring a 'Big Show' sized body guard to travel everywhere you go. I want him standing outside the toilet waiting on you."
"Matt!"
"What?" Matt realized Jeff had been attempting to get his attention.
"I was Adam's captive. Edge is gone. I'm not gonna be your captive. I'm not gonna shatter. I survived a horror movie, man. Now let me live." Jeff begged.
"Okay, but I still want you to move in with me, just for a little while until you're completely healed and back to being one-hundred percent." Matt bargained.
"Can I move in with you to, Matty?" Randy smiled.
Both Hardy brothers looked at Randy. The Legend Killer was resting his head on his fist as his elbow was propped up on the chair arm. Randy continued to smile sweetly.
Matt looked over at Jeff, who gave an equally sweet smile.
"Ohhh, nooo. They'll be none of that at my house." Matt threw his hands up and walked over and picked up the forgotten bag of Skittles.
"Bigot." Jeff muttered, jokingly.
"Yeah, bigot." Randy repeated.
"Fuck you both. I don't give a shit if you're both men, male and female, or two hot chicks. No." Matt smiled and handed the candy to Jeff. He stuck his tongue out at his brother, but happily took it and tore off the top.
Matty didn't care either way. He had Jeff back, and Jeff was safe, and Edge was dead. And that's all the fuck that mattered.
Randy watched Jeff as he munched on his candy. And no, he had no intentions of ever hurting Jeff ever again. He nearly died protecting him and he'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Jeff had no intent to crumble, like he felt everybody wanted him to. He wouldn't shatter. People live through worse and he wasn't going to be a pity story. He was a survivor. Breaking into a million pieces would mean that Edge won. Whether he was dead, or not. Edge was not going to win.
All either man cared about was the future. The past could, as DX says; Suck it!
--xx--
Matt got Jeff released from the hospital, under his watchful care. Jeff agreed to let himself be moved temporarily to Matt's until he was 100 percent. He wasn't completely ready to go back to wrestling, but he wanted to very badly. Randy was irritated that he'd have to miss the Rumble. He might've won that thing. He might be able to make a special appearance at Wrestlemania. He was healing nicely, but didn't want to do anything to agitate his recovery.
As far as the WWE title; they really hated to strip Jeff of the championship. And Jeff hated to be stripped. But since it would be awhile before he returned, they had no choice. They declared the title vacant and had a special match at the Rumble. It was a three-way including; Vladimir Kozlov, Triple H, and The Big Show. Triple H won, like that was a shocker (hint sarcasm). Chris Jericho won the Rumble match. Now that was a shocker.
Matt threw Jeff a hospital release party that included all their friends and co-workers. He was happy to see everyone again. They even went and visited Jason who was still recovering himself. Randy was released from the hospital a few weeks later. Thanks to some persuasion by Jeff, Randy will be staying with the Hardy's during the rest of his recovery. They sleep in seperate rooms and to their credit haven't done anything funny.
Well, not with Randy being hurt and him not wanting to pressure Jeff. A nurse was hired to help out when Matt couldn't always be there. Their dad added an extra eye when Matty was at work. He didn't want his son out of either of their sights either. Jeff was irritated somewhat by the lack of privacy, but at the same time, it doesn't bother to feel loved to much.
OMG, so freaking sappy! I wanted it to be. This story has been so dark, a little lightness won't hurt.. I hope.
Matty doesn't know about Randy's involvement in Edge's derangement. If I was gonna have more chapters, or a sequel, I was going to explore that. But who knows what I'll come up with? If you were Matt, would you let Jeff out of your sight ever again? And no, Randy wouldn't dream of hurting Jeff ever again. Triple H would so win the title back. But as my fantasy, Chris Jericho was my Rumble winner. Randy won it for real this year and that makes me just as shocked, and happy :)
I have one more special chapter to go. ;) I dedicate it to all who love the Randy/Jeff pairing. Oh, and Happy Valentines Day!