cEnd
It's not that he's dense or anything and he really should have paid more attention but Adam was just too happy to meet with Jay again to notice anything amiss- so what if orton seemed too close to Jay for Adam's own comfort- he'd tag teamed with the viper and while he didn't really trust the man enough- orton was as good a bulldog as Adam was when around Jay and that was all he needed to know.
And then as the day wore on, Adam began to notice little things- he'd dismissed that first hand-to-back-of-neck-brush because he himself had done it a few times, but then Jay didn't blush or turn pink or become a stuttering mess, or the way they seemed to look at each other just a bit too long with a certain kind of something that seemed to raise the hairs on Adam's neck with a feel of ickiness- and the way they seemed to press close- jays knee sometimes touching randy's own leg- and while Adam admitted to the familiar gesture he'd also showered upon Jay- it just ticked him off because it was orton and not himself doling out the fond action and he was none to pleased- especially when orton would get too touchy- holding jays elbow or hand- almost intimately that it made Adam want to cut that hand off orton with a rusty buzz saw.
and Adam just had to raise a disconcerted brow when Jay looked forlornly at orton's back as the man left their company
"alright Jay, spill. I've never seen you pull that face before." Adam demanded, pulling his chair close to Jay, who, he realised, had opted to sit across him with randy rather than beside him like always.
Jay stared at Adam, "what face?"
"don't lie either, that face! The one that makes you look like an abandoned small animal!"
Jay seemed to look offended at that, "I'm not a small abandoned animal addie"
"your face says otherwise so spill! Why so buddy buddy with orton?"
"um... We're feuding?"
Adam stared at Jay. The gall of jay to believe he could lie expertly to his face. Then stared some more. "seriously if you do not tell me now I swear I'll head over to randy-"
"alright alright! We- we got together!" Jay confessed, not wanting Adam to obliterate orton's existence
Adam sat back with disbelief, "you and randy? Seriously?"
"well... Yeah...?"
"did he..." Adam gestured vaguely, "you know... Touch you or some-"
"Adam!"
"what? It's hard to believe he has a relationship with you without blackmail and force! Him of all people- why him?" he was baffled beyond confusion- orton who was well famed for his one night trysts couldn't hold anything like a serious normal functioning relationship with his dear best friend
Jay shrugged and fiddled with the napkin, "I don't know... It just kinda happened I guess...?"
"and how long has this thing been 'kinda happening' behind my back?" Adam asked, outraged, drumming impatient fingers on the tabletop.
"um three months? Since that whole camping trip with shawn?"
"uh huh... Three months... And you couldn't email me or text me that you and orton have been fuck buddies-"
"Adam!"
"fine- whatever word used to define you lovebirds- you couldn't even tell me? It's less than a hundred and fifty words on twitter! I'm your best friend for crying out loud! Did randy put you up to this?" if orton thought he could hide from Adam's wrath then he thought wrong. He was dead. Oh so very very dead.
"no... He wanted me to tell you but... I just kept putting it off..."
Adam looked appalled, "why? I retired from wrestling Jay, not as your bestfriend!"
"well... It's just... You scare away every single relationship I've ever had!" Jay complained
"and good riddance! Have you looked at your list of exes?"
"Adam they all left because you threatened to-to I dunno- tear their lungs out or something!"
"hey you call it threatening I call it protecting you from all those losers- Jay you deserve better than every single one who has stepped out of your life and so help me of orton does not meet my expectations then-"
"your expectations? Adam he's my boyfriend!"
"and you're my precious best friend! bros before whores- if he can't stare me in my face as I tell him in great detail about how I'm goin to peel the skin off his conscious form the moment he does something remotely untoward your so called relationship then I decree him worthy. I sure as hell am not letting that whore into your pants"
"..."
"you didn't... Please tell me you didn't."
"well..."
"argh! He's dead! More than dead!" Adam roared, shooting up from the chair and stomping out the cafe Jay stumbling after him in a panic
"Adam no! Stop!" Jay yelped, running after the vengeful wraith- the very image Adam, hair and trench coat billowing, portrayed as he stalked into the hotel scouring the premises for orton, "Adam damnit!"
"Jay?"
Oh no.
Jay paled when orton reared up from where he'd been sitting, and Adam was zoning in on him like a guided missile.
"you!" Adam bellowed
Randy frowned, "what?"
"the fuck have you been doing to Jay?"
"didn't Jay tell you?"
"I did!" Jay yelped, standing between orton and Adam who had half a mind to spear down the taller man "Adam stop it!"
"no- you and I are going to have a very long talk orton!" Adam snarled, trying to push Jay away, "Jay get outta my way damnit!"
"hey- " orton growled angrily, carefully extricating Jay away to his side, "you dont talk to him that way"
"yeah? Would you respect my wishes when I tell you not to fuck him ten ways?"
"god Adam stop!" Jay begged, the argument drawing the attention of several passerby
"I'm not gonna stop until this bastard knows the ground rules!"
Randy scowled, "what rules? In case you haven't noticed, I love Jay and that's all there is-"
"and all I hear is blah blah blah sh't up orton!"
Jay looked fearfully at them, orton's hands balling into fists- clenching and unclenching- and Adam looked like he was going to bite randy's head off any second, "guys calm down!" oh god it was like pitting two dobermans at each other
"in a minute Jay" randy said quietly, brushing his hand against Jay's arm comfortingly
"yeah in a minute" Adam mocked, "you're gonna stroll out of here on a stretcher in a body bag"
"whatthe hell is your problem copeland?" orton demanded, practically stepping in front of Jay. He'd heard about Adam's over protectiveness but this was goddamn ridiculous
"you're my problem!" Adam glared, teeth clenched tight, "I won't let my best friend go through being suckered by assholes like you!"
"is that what this is? Some kind of Jason-complex?"
"maybe. I'm entitled to protect my best friend"
"no- you're entitled to make him happy" randy countered, "I make him happy"
"for now." Adam seethed
"no. You listen to me copeland- I don't care how many guys you've chased away, because I'm not leaving- and if I break jays heart so help me I will put it back together myself or die trying because that's how much I love him and no amount of psychotic torture will change that"
There was an odd silence and a soft sniffle from Jay who stared wide eyed at randy when they both broke their glares from each other to look at him
"I... Is that-" Jay felt awfully embarrassed at how his voice broke and he looked at his shoes to hide his watery eyes
Randy didn't give a flying fuck if Adam meant to gut him then and there and drew Jay close to him and pressed a kiss to his forehead and temple and whispered in his ear, "of course. Anything- everything for you" he murmured, brushing a thumb against a wet cheek.
Adam crossed his arms over his chest somewhat stubbornly, watching randy console a deeply moved Jay and his look softened, and his stance against orton wavered- so maybe he wasn't like those jerks who were with Jay for kicks. And maybe he'd been too blinded with hell's fury to notice that.
"take care of Jason for me orton."
Jay and randy looked at Adam who wore a thoughtful grin, "that's all I've been doing."
"good. Coz that's all I want."
"addie..."
"I think you got a good one this time Jay" Adam nodded approvingly, "c'mere"
Jay looked at randy who seemed floored by the change of heart and let Jay walk over to Adam who encompassed him in a hug, "I'll always be just a phone call away alright? Remember that."
Jay nodded, burying his face into Adam's shoulder, "thank you Adam, really."
As randy eyed them both with a sense of satisfaction, Adam's eyes snapped open and behind jays back, made a motion of slitting his throat, Randy smirked at that,
"bring it on copeland"