Soooo, there's an argument, broken glass, confusion, and general sappiness -.- yes, I did a girly move lol but don't worry, you'll spot Shane's mistake..If not, well, you'll soon find out in Billion Dollar Divorce...
"Honey, you're seriously going to ignore me? We have three days before..."
A.J. glared at the silver haired man next to him, trying his best to hold on to his temper. He was still pissed off at Shane, Clay, and Alex. Shane knew part of his history with Wellington, that he'd kept secrets from him and Shin. So for him to do the same... "You're an asshole for not telling me sooner. That shit ain't cool Shane, I love you but there's limits to what you can and can't hide from me."
"I wasn't trying to hide anything, sweetheart I swear I wasn't using Sadie or Clay to get to you. Not back then, I just really wanted your talent with WWE. It wasn't until later I realized how I felt, with the help of some friends but it wasn't the main reason. As for the situation with Faith, she tried to approach Bray and Juls, when she couldn't get to them she went after Sadie. They called me to help, I didn't now you knew her." Shane let out a rough sigh as he watched A.J. turn away from him, stomach twisting at the brunette's refusal to look at him. "Allen, please...I wasn't trying to hide her from you. I was trying to make sure you wouldn't get hurt by anymore of their lies or manipulations."
"Fuck you Shane, you still should have told me!" A.J moved to the opposite seat, needing to put some space between them. He wouldn't give in to Shane, not immediately. He couldn't without hearing Wells' taunting words in his head. You've never been able to stand up to me before. "You should have told me about the kid and my nephew, Shane. I had a right to know about both. I don't care why you sent Sadie to Japan, I should thank you..."
"You don't have to, my reasons were selfish, pure and simple. I wanted you with the company." Shane watched the flush that bloomed over A.J.'s skin and knew what he was thinking. "Forgive me sweetheart, I should have told you sooner, I admit that but I did not want to see you hurt! You can't fault me for wanting to protect you!"
"But I can fault you for hiding shit from me! I am Clayton's god father, his uncle buy blood and birth! Our families have known each other for years, if something is going on and I've got to be kept out of the loop there's a problem and don't think you're the only one I'm pissed off at!" A.J turned to look at Shane, realizing his mistake once he saw his face. He's never seen that expression before, Shane looked broken, worried about what was happening between them. "Shane, what..."
"I can not lose you, I don't know how to explain it but I can't. I'll do whatever you say to make this right, just do not leave." Shane searched the bright, blue eyes staring at him. "I love you Allen and I was only trying to protect you."
A.J sighed as he watched Shane's expression change. He's never seen fear in Shane's eyes before but he could now and he wondered why. "I'm not...god Shane I'm not leaving you I'm just...I have every right to be mad at you, ok? This is my life you're playing with not your kids but mine! You should have told me about this kid situation as soon as you found out. If she is mine do you know how much time I've lost with her? Do you have any idea what Wells could have done to her in nine years?" A.J. looked at Shane, could see the wheels in his head turning as he thought over what A.J said. "I love you to damn much to leave you but you're wrong for keeping this from me."
Shane watched as A.J. turned to look out the window. He had known he needed to tell A.J about Faith and her accusations sooner. Had known that he was going to have an issue if he didn't take care of it sooner but he'd gotten so caught up in their relationship...
"Shane?! Jesus what the fuck is wrong with you, don't you not feel that?!"
Shane glanced up at the man in front of him, frowning at the look on A.J.'s face. "Allen?"
"Your hand Shane, fuck, what the hell is wrong with you, are your fingers numb or something?" A.J looked at the bloody hand in front of him, moving to the seat next to Shane. "Open your hand Shane, I need to clean it."
Shane watched as A.J reached for the small medical kit, frowning as he looked down at his right hand in confusion. "When did I do this?" He whispered softly. The glass he'd been holding earlier was laying in his hand, broken pieces having embedded themselves into his palm as he'd tightened his hold. "How..."
"Shane?" A.J looked at the dazed expression, frowning as he tried to open Shane's hand. "Shane, come on open your hand." When he did as asked, A.J let out a soft sound of surprise. Was Shane upset enough to actually have broken a glass? Looking up at the blank expression, A.J frowned. "Shane, what's going on?"
"Nothing...I-I don't..." Shane broke off as he watched A.J clean his hand. He wasn't sure what was happening, his over possessiveness, his neediness. This man was bringing out the most primitive responses in him and it was worrying him. "We, uh, w-we have a tournament coming up. I usually..." Shaking his head, Shane felt a shudder move up his spine. A frown of confusion curved his lips down as he watched A.J in silence.
"Are you always like this before them? I mean you're scaring me with the whole zoning out thing, you know? You're usually more in control than this."
Shane watched as A.J cleaned his hand, listening in detached wonder. Shane knew why he'd broken the glass, what had been on his mind at the time it happened. The idea of A.J ignoring him, of him not speaking to Shane, bothered him. "Please, Allen, I didn't mean to upset you. I just..." Shane felt his brow furrow as he tried to keep from saying the wrong thing. "I was wrong in keeping this from you and I'm sorry but please..." Shane tried to control the tremor that raced along his arm. Jaw clenching, he remembered the stories Bray and Juls would tell him. How he had laughed at their descriptions of falling in love. Bray had said it was a literal fight with Dean and Juls said it was instant but Sadie put her through the ringer. Both described the feeling as a loss of control, however, the fear that they were losing themselves to their partner...scared them. Studying the silent man next to him, Shane was slowly beginning to understand what they meant. "You're still coming to the house?"
A.J frowned as he glanced up at Shane, worried by his question. "Why wouldn't I? I mean we have plans with the kids this weekend so, yeah." He cleaned Shane's hand, fighting to keep his from shaking. What was going on in Shane's head for him to literally break a glass in his hand?
"You're not leaving me."
A.J looked up at Shane in surprise as a bubble of laughter rose in his throat. "How could you ask that? This isn't enough to make me leave you Shane. I'm pissed off you hid this from me. Wells did that shit, you're, jesus Shane, you're supposed to be different from him. You're supposed to trust me."
"I do, honey I do but I didn't want to see you hurt by this. I swear I had planned to tell you once I could verify the story." Shane watched as A.J struggled to stay angry, saw the moment he gave in, when he let out a soft sigh. "I wasn't trying to hurt you Allen, I swear I was..."
"I know, you control freak, fuck I know but it hurts that you didn't seem to consider my feelings in this." A.J bandaged Shane's hand, grateful that the cuts hadn't been more serious. "Loving you makes it hurt more because you're supposed to trust me. I'm not a child Shane, I've been able to take care of myself for years. I keep telling Sadie and Dre the same shit."
"And yet they still can't help it. I trust you, Allen, I do and I did consider how you would feel. I just wanted solid proof first." Shane glanced up and out the window, frowning at the scenery. Their last trip to the house had been filled with laughter and plans. This trip...this trip was different and Shane knew he was the cause of it. "Just, if you have to, yell at me but don't stop talking to me." He didn't understand why, but A.J.'s silence bothered him. Reminding him of when they had first me and A.J simply walked past him without acknowledging him. It had driven him wild, the way the brunette would walk past him, glance at him but say nothing.
For months after A.J and Chris' break up, it happened. They would be backstage and he'd look up at the sound of laughter. Watching in wonder at how A.J.'s face would light up. Their eyes would meet and A.J would flush before looking away. By then, things were in the beginning phases. They were learning each others habits and now...
"I'm still mad at you Shane but..." A.J watched Shane, not missing the slightly dazed look on his face or the small puffs of air leaving him. He had a feeling he knew what was going on. Shane's reaction was almost the same as Dre's before he'd gotten married to Kristy. "We're almost at the house, I knew we should have flown instead of having Al drive us. It's a fucking long ass ride out here." Running a finger over the bandages, A.J sighed. "Just give me some time, ok? I'm not...i-it's not that easy to hear you have a nine year old kid and that your nephew is still with his boyfriend who almost got him expelled from school."
Shane nodded, not trusting his voice. He kept his gaze fixed on the man in front of him, ignoring his phone when it rang. When A.J glanced over at the device then Shane, he simply shook his head. "I'll call them back."
"It could be work Shane, you can't ignore..."
"I can and I will. As long as I'm with you right now, you take precedence over anything else other than the children." Shane watched as a flush spread across A.J.'s cheeks. Pulling his hand back, Shane looked down at it, wondering how he was going to handle the next three weeks. "If I can't control myself around you, I'll have to..."
"You're not fucking moving out, we just got here! Why are you even thinking about..." A.J glared at Shane, stomach churning at the look on his face. "Look, I have no idea what's going on with you but you need to stop, please. Shane this...you're beginning to scare me a-and you know I don't scare easily."
Shane grabbed A.J., kissing him hard. He felt the shiver that moved through the other as he slid his hands up and down A.J.'s sides. How did he explain this driving need to protect him, to keep him safe? Shane couldn't understand how things had gotten so intense between them. This desire to make sure nothing and no one stood in the way of him claiming A.J was twisting Shane in knots.
Slowly pressing forward, Shane eased A.J back onto the seat, moving from his lips down to his neck, his hands mapping out every inch of skin he could reach. When a soft moan left A.J., Shane pulled him closer, pressing his face against A.J.'s neck. "I don't know what's happening to me, Juls and Bray...the stories they told me, I thought they were kidding but now..."
A.J sucked in a quick breath as he tried to focus on what Shane was saying. "Juls and Bray? Y-you mean the Circle of Fireflies?" At Shane's nod, A.J frowned, trying to calm down his racing heart. "Shane, were you...you didn't get married while..."
"I was already married when we started the group." Shane answered softly. "I never thought I'd go through the hell they went through."
A.J let out a startled laugh, running his hands over Shane's broad back. "Oh god, you have no idea then what you're about to go through." At the questioning look from Shane, A.J sighed. "Dre went through it before he got married a-and I saw what Juls went through. She was murderously crazy about Sadie and Wyatt is already crazy so if he went through this with Dean..."
"What the fuck is it." Shane asked softly. If A.J had the answers then Shane hoped he would share them. "H-how do I control this desire to kill everyone that touches you or looks at you or just, fucking wants to..."
"Hey, hey calm down now tiger. I don't really know, it's different for everyone. My mom said for her, dad used to beat up anyone who said anything hurtful a-and Aunt Marie said Uncle Lavalda would uh, he would shoot people, I think? I can't remember but he hurt anyone who upset her." At the tightening of Shane's arms, A.J shivered. "You're going to get worse with your possessiveness, aren't you?" At Shane's small nod, he sighed. "I'm in trouble then."
"How do I control it Allen, we work in public not behind desks. There is no way I'll be able to hide my feelings at work. I'll get us both in trouble."
A.J.'s expression turned thoughtful. "I don't think you can, it gets worse until you complete the Rites. The final stage is the Circle which is all Wyatt and Juls."
"There has to be some way, I can't walk around molesting you every time I see you or the urge hits me. It took everything in me not to snap that bastards neck for touching your ass." Shane tightened his hold on A.J., pressing his lips against his neck. "I'm in trouble if I watch one of your matches."
"You're the commissioner, you have to watch them Shane." A.J understood better than Shane thought. Remembered the stories his mom and Aunt told, how Sadie and Kristy had acted. He could understand because he was feeling close to the same thing. "If it will make you feel better, I'm not immune either. I don't...it's not easy seeing you with other people so close to you. I mean Alex and Al yeah but like, your secretary o-or even Danial..."
"Danial's in love with Brie and I'm in love with you. My secretary is over sixty and has been married for twenty-eight years. There is no way I'd want them when I have you." Shane glanced up as the car came to a stop. He frowned at the number of cars sitting in front of the house before glancing down at A.J. "Talk to anyone about us coming out here early?"
"No, I left when you left, why is there..." A.J. broke off when Shane pulled him up and turned him towards the window. "What are they doing here?" He frowned as he studied the array of cars. "Dre, Sadie, Seth, a-and Shin?" Turning to Shane, he frowned in confusion. "Shane what..."
"I haven't spoken to anyone, nobody knew we were coming out early unless..." Shane frowned as he tried to remember when everyone was supposed to have been at the house. "Maybe..."
"Clay would have called Dre or Sadie and Chris would have made Seth come out and check but Shin, I don't..." A.J broke off as Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared behind Shinsuke. "Hiroshi is here."
Shane studied the group standing outside. "They weren't expecting us. Sadie was getting the house cleaned up before we got here, we got in earlier than planned." He could see the cleaning supplies, sighing until he saw Juls, Bray, and Natalia. "Somethings happened if they're here."
"Well, I guess we'll find out what because the cars stopped and everyone is looking at us, waiting."A.J fought back the urge to pull Shane back to him as he moved away. "Shane..."
"We'll talk when we're alone, I know I messed up but I'd rather it just be us to figure this out."
A.J nodded as he smoothed down his shirt, stomach fluttering when the door was thrown open and his best friend's head appeared. "Dre?"
"Jones! Ki sa ki pran depi lontan? Sadie te di ou de te okipe men mwen pa t sèten? Ou se isit la byen bonè menm si, nou pa gen vinn tout bagay netwaye ankò!" (Jones! What is taking so long? Sadie said you two were busy but I wasn't sure? You're here early though, we haven't gotten everything cleaned yet!)
Grinning as he exited the car, A.J shook his head. "You're nosey as fuck, Dre. We were just talking." Turning back to look at Shane, he gave him a small smile. "I'll catch up with you in the house?" At his nod, A.J watched as Shane left the car, giving him a quick, tight hug before turning to where the other three stood. "Maybe..."
"Allen?"
Turning, A.J grinned at Shinsuke as he walked over. "What the hell are you and Hiroshi doing way out here? How did you find out about the house?"
"Your sister asked us as your friends to come help. Seth and Chris were invited as well."
A.J glanced up to find Chris standing next to Seth, face flushed as they appeared to be in the middle of an argument. "What's going on with those two?"
"I am not sure, they have been in the middle of their discussion for a while." Shinsuke frowned before turning away from the pair. "It may have something to do with the club."
"In three weeks man you're going to be in the Circle, do you know what the hell that means?"
A.J looked from Shinsuke to Dre with a frown as an arm was thrown around his shoulders. "Don't start Dre, just because Kristy let you..."
"Hey, who says she let me? Everyone knows that woman won't do anything she doesn't want to. If she participated it was because she wanted to not because she let me frè."
A.J felt his face heating as he looked away from Dre. He remembered how the ceremony went, how public it was and how turned on he'd been. "Fuck you Dre, Shane doesn't have that type of shit in him. He's not..."
"I don't fucking care Seth! You promised and I'm holding you to it!"
A.J looked up in surprise as they stopped about a foot away from Chris and Seth. "Hey you two, everything ok?"
Chris turned to A.J., lips curved down in an angry pout. "No, my asshole of a boyfriend feels it's better to reschedule date night than it would be to reschedule boys night."
"It's not like I have a choice honey you already knew this. With all four of them here I have to go. Trust me if I had my way I'd bring you with me, I don't trust your safety to anyone else right now." Seth reached over and pulled Chris close, letting out a soft sigh of relief. "If you're here with Styles and Nakamura then I know you'll be safe."
"Doesn't matter, you promised we'd have a date night..."
"I'll make it up to you, I swear but if I don't go..."
"He runs the risk of further punishment."
Everyone turned to look at the soft spoken man, surprised at his knowledge of what was going on. "Hiroshi?" A.J asked hesitantly. "What, uh, what..."
"The fight club rules, Seth is a champion, yes? With the primary four here, he is obligated to go where ever they are. He is second to Shane third to Bray through Dean, his obligation is to Shane however."
A.J frowned as he looked from Hiroshi to Seth and back. "How in the hell do you know that and I..."
"Fight club rules, until I can get the rest of this mess taken care of I can't bring you in and Seth can't bring Chris in."
Turning in surprise, A.J watched as Shane walked over and kissed him. He shivered as a broad hand moved over his back. "Shane..." He groaned, fighting back the desire to keep him close. A.J bit back the harsh sound that rose in his throat as Shane pulled back. "Wait, where..."
"Juls and Bray need us to take care of something, we'll be back in about two hours. Please, stay here, if you leave call me. We both know this bastard will do anything to get to you and if he followed us..."
"Two hours?" A.J frowned as he struggled to keep his temper in check. He didn't want Shane leaving to do god knows what but he also understood why Shane needed to leave. "You promise, just two hours."
"If I'm late I will let you know, I swear, I just need to take care of this then I'll be back." Shane searched the tan face looking up at him. "I swear I won't be to long, most of it is the drive."
A.J nodded, aware that they weren't alone. "That's why Seth is going with you?" At Shane's nod, he sighed, turning to glance at Chris. "Yeah, ok, as long as you're coming back."
"I have every reason to come home, one of them being right here in front of me." Shane sighed as he leaned down to kiss A.J. "I'll see you soon." He pulled back, glancing at Seth and Hiroshi. "Let's get this done."
A.J watched as Seth sighed and Hiroshi shook his head. "Wait, Hiroshi is going with you as well?"
"He's needed for his skills."
The group turned to see Juls standing next to a dark blue SUV. A.J frowned at the dark windows, his hands tightening in Shane's shirt. "Shane, y-you said..."
"Two hours, I mean that." Shane knew what the vehicle looked like, hated they had to use it but for what they had planned it was needed. "You have my cell, call me if you need to. I love you and will be back soon." He reluctantly stepped away from A.J., stomach twisting at the look on his face. "Don't look at me like that, I swear I'll be back."
"Yeah, well your ass better because I'm still pissed at you and you fucking owe me." A.J tried to still the fluttering of his stomach. He tried to keep his voice even, watching as Shane turned and headed towards Juls. "Shane?" When he stopped and turned, A.J moved forward. "Be careful please, right now I don't enjoy the idea of you not being around. I love you to much for that."
Shane grinned, relieved at the soft statement. A.J may still be upset but it was enough to hear his admission of love. "You won't ever have to worry about that."
A.J nodded, aware that Chris stood behind him along with Shin and Dre. "I sure as hell hope not. I'm not planning on unpacking all of this by myself."
Shane laughed, shaking his head at the comment. "Honey, if Sadie hasn't already got it done I'm sure Nattie did."
A.J chuckled, watching as Shane opened the door of the SUV and got. He wanted to go with him, something telling him that he wasn't going to see Shane again. "Shane?"
Shane turned, a smile curving his lips. "I'll be back, trust me. We have plans this weekend and I damn well plan to keep them."
A.J nodded, watching as the door closed behind Shane. "You better you asshole or I'm going to be really pissed." He wanted to know where they were going and why they had to do it now but he didn't ask the question. Turning to Chris, he saw how pale his friend was, knew he was worried about Seth and let out a sigh. "Hey, let's go see what Sadie's done inside. Maybe she has something for us to eat?"
Chris nodded, eyes still on the dark vehicle until it disappeared down the rode. "He'll be back, Seth always comes back."
A.J searched Chris' face, aware that his probably looked the same. "Yeah, he'll be back, Shane will make sure of it because that's the type of asshole he his." He chuckled at Shinsuke's soft huff, turning to look at his friend. "Bout time Hiroshi got here."
"He was uncertain is if would be best."
"Well, right now it's for the best. Come on, I smell food and I'm hungry. We've been on the rood for two days." Shaking his head A.J turned towards the front door and pause. "Well hello Sadie darlin'."
"I did not wish to see them leave. It's not as easy as it once used to be."
"Yeah so we see, well what do you and Nat have on the stove, I'm starving." A.J laughed as Dre agreed, pulling him into the house. Glancing back towards the drive, A.J tried to push back the hollow feeling in his chest. Shane would be back, he's never broken his word to A.J and he wouldn't start now.