"I don't know, Shane," Molly said, looking away from him shyly, her face blushing slightly. She twisted a lock of her now brunette hair around a finger playfully. "Do you think it's a good idea to date someone you work with?"

"I used to think not," he smiled down at her, noting her cheeks darken a bit. She had very good peripheral vision, it seemed. "But all my relationships keep ending the same way, because of how much I travel. It leads me to believe that I would have better luck if I tried one with someone whose schedule matches mine. You know?"

"I guess that makes sense," she shrugged, looking back up to him. "I've had the same luck you've had."

"See? It only makes sense to at least try."

She laughed and nodded her head. "Okay, then. When do you want to … um … try?"

"No better time like the present."

"Tonight?" Molly's eyes widened like saucers as she gaped at him. "But … the show's over in less than two hours! How am I supposed to get ready that quickly?"

"Molly, Molly, Molly," Shane laughed, touching her hand briefly, and chagrined that he felt absolutely nothing. Maybe that'll come in time, he thought. "You look beautiful as you are," he went on. "Anyway, by the time we get out of here the only places open will be diners and dives. How dressed up do you need to be?"

"You have a point," she giggled. "Okay. Tonight it is."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeff finished wrapping the tape around his ankle then pulled on his sock before shoving his feet into his trademark shit-kickers. He was up and stretching for his match when Shane came through the door, on his way back from makeup. The black facemask was firmly in place and there was a twinkle in the Hurricane's eyes.

"You look ready to bounce off the walls," Jeff chuckled.

"Just excited is all." Shane picked up the tape Jeff had left on the bench and began taping his wrists.

"Why?" Jeff asked. "After this, you planning on cracking open a newly acquired comic book or something?"

"Nope. Got a date," Shane said, smirking up at him.

The jealousy hit Jeff in a wave he wasn't prepared for and the quizzical expression Shane's face had morphed into told him he hadn't concealed this fact, either. Crap! What could he do now? He could feel the question forming in his friend's mind before it even made its way to his lips. And sure enough, the superhero didn't disappoint him.

"Something wrong?"

"No."

"You sure?" Shane asked in a honey sweet voice Jeff had heretofore only heard him use on the women he was flirting with or dating. He froze at the sound. It was a tone Shane had perfected over the years, Jeff knew, and one that always seemed to induce the girl it was directed at into complying with the previous request – in this case, to answer the question honestly. And the younger Hardy brother found it nearly impossible to resist now that he was on the receiving end. What the hell is going on here, he thought. Shane had also caught Jeff in a searing dark gaze that he had no chance of breaking.

"R-really," Jeff stammered, trying hard to look away. "I was just … just surprised you looked for a date … so soon after you started … Um, here."

Shane held his gaze in place after he finished taping his wrist and Jeff didn't know what to do. Why can't I look away, he berated himself. This is Shane, my brother's best friend and a guy I grew up with. He shouldn't have this effect on me. But he still found himself locked onto Shane's eyes … helpless to break the stare until Shane let him go. And that appeared to be a while away.

"You nervous around me …?" Shane asked casually, using the tine again.

Jeff shook his head but Shane's expression hadn't changed. He didn't believe him and that meant that the conversation wouldn't end just yet. It was unnerving that Shane was using these tactics on him … like Jeff was a girl he was dating. Even more disturbing was the fact that he doubted Shane understood that Jeff knew what was happening.

"You never were so tongue-tied with me before," Shane murmured almost hypnotically.

"You never looked at me like that before," Jeff replied softly.

Shane's eyes widened a fraction before he suddenly broke the stare and looked into the mirror, fixing his hair. Jeff breathed a silent sigh of relief and went back to stretching.

"I guess I just get more intense before my matches these days," Shane said with a small grin.

Jeff just nodded and returned the smile.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What the hell was I thinking? Shane shook his head as he paced the locker room after Jeff left for his match. The kid was right to be nervous … he had been spearing Jeff with one hell of a possessive look. He didn't need to see it to know that. The emotions he'd experienced while he'd had the conversation told him volumes. It was just damned erotic to see how jealous Jeff got when he'd told him about his date. Shane couldn't mistake that look for anything else. Jeff wasn't happy about the date. And Shane wasn't happy about the kid's date with Randy either. But he knew he'd have to find a way to keep from letting those emotions take over again. He'd already decided he couldn't have Jeff, after all. He had no right to be jealous of Randy.

Still, it was one hell of a rush to know that Jeff responded to completely him on that level. Shane realized that Jeff couldn't look away once he'd locked his intense stare on him. Feeling his pants tighten around his groin, he groaned. It was going to be one hell of a long, uncomfortable night once they got back to the hotel later on.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeff smiled at Randy as they sat in the booth at the diner after the show. It was the only place open for food at this hour in such a small town and they knew they'd been lucky to find it. Randy grinned back at him as he snapped open a menu, handing it to Jeff before taking the other for himself. After some deliberation, they both ordered sandwiches and sodas. When the waitress left, they began making small talk until their food arrived.

"I swear I thought you were going to get a concussion from that move," Randy sighed, taking a bite of his roast beef hero. "Your head bounced off the mat."

"It only looked bad," Jeff countered. "I only hit it lightly."

The jingling of the bell on the door went by without much notice as Randy seemed to be ready to add a counterpoint to the conversation.

"Hey, guys," Molly's bright voice interrupted. "Imagine running into you here!"

Jeff turned his head to acknowledge her but stopped in mid-breath. Shane stood next to her quietly … with another thunderous scowl directed right at Randy. Actually, now it was more murderous than it had been back in the catering room the other day.

"Um … hi … Molls," Jeff greeted her after an uncomfortable moment of silence and another fight to redirect his gaze. "How about that, huh?"

Molly gave him a quirked eyebrow before she took the seat offered her by the hostess. The table was conveniently located right next to Randy and Jeff's. Oh, now this won't be awkward at all, he thought dryly. But he smiled at the two nonetheless, trying for a friendly atmosphere. He glanced over at Randy, who he could see hadn't missed Shane's scowl, but had donned a matching smile of his own, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"What brings you two out at this hour?" Randy asked, directing the question to Shane.

"We could ask you the same," the superhero, now maskless, grunted.

"We're on a date," Molly added with a blush.

"A date, huh?" Randy chuckled. "Same here," he said, gesturing to Jeff, whose eyes widened and cheeks flushed a bit.

Shane locked a ferocious gaze back onto Jeff but said nothing. There was nothing he needed to say, though, Jeff realized. The look talked enough for the both of them.

"I knew Jeff was … well …." Molly said uncertainly, looking away in embarrassment.

"Gay?" Randy supplied for her with a smile.

She nodded, ashamed.

"No need to worry about it, Molls," Jeff said softly, taking pity on her. "I don't hide it so why should you feel bad asking about it."

"Yeah, I don't either," Randy added, slanting Shane a mischievous wink.

Oh no, Jeff silently pleaded with his date. Please don't do that. I have to room with him later. But as he looked back to Shane, he saw the stony face replaced with a smirk. Uh oh. That can't be good. Shane was looking at Randy, too.

"You the uke, then?" he asked.

Randy looked like he swallowed something very bitter. "Uh … don't you think that's a little TMI?" he croaked. Shane only shrugged in response.

Jeff saw that he and Randy had both about finished their sandwiches and decided that it would be better to cut this interaction short. He gestured to the waitress for the check and then speared Shane with an angry look of his own.

"I think you and Molls need some time alone for your first date, don't you?" he asked in a tone that brooked no argument.

Shane shrugged and smiled innocently back at him. Molly gave him a grateful little grin. Jeff shook his head at her and smiled as he reached for his wallet in his back pocket.

"I got it already," Randy said with a smile, plunking a fifty down on the table. He got up and waited for Jeff to do the same. Then he spared another glare at Shane and tugged Jeff away toward the door.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What was that all about?" Molly asked after she'd placed her order and gave the waitress her menu.

Shane had already ordered and waited for the waitress to retreat to the back for their beverages before answering. He didn't know how to explain himself to her, especially since he couldn't even do so to himself. Oh, but he wanted to punch that guy's teeth in. The smug demeanor didn't help any, either. Randy Orton was bad news, he'd decided. Really bad news. The thought of his hands on Jeff's beautiful body made the bile in his stomach rise up his intestines.

"I just don't trust that Orton guy," he replied neutrally. "And Jeff's my best friend's little brother."

"Oh, so you're watching out for him," Molly nodded in understanding. "Well, for what it's worth, I haven't seen Randy be anything but a gentleman since I've started working with him."

"I guess seeing is believing," Shane muttered.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm so sorry Shane's being an ass to you," Jeff sighed as he and Randy got into the elevator back at the hotel.

"I just don't get why," Randy replied.

Me either, Jeff thought. But he just shrugged in response.

The elevator stopped at Jeff's floor first and Randy got out with him, seemingly determined to at least end the date right. When they got to the door, Jeff turned to say goodnight but found himself wrapped in Randy's powerful arms instead, his lips covered gently. The kiss wasn't long or aggressive … just enough to be romantic, yet it still didn't bring the flutter back to Jeff's insides.

"I had a great time tonight … despite the interruption," Randy said, looking into Jeff's eyes.

"Me, too," Jeff sighed.

"Can I assume we can do this again sometime?"

"Yeah," Jeff nodded then pecked Randy's lips again. "Definitely."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shane stood over Jeff's bed silently when he got back to the room. He'd purposely kept Molly out later with dessert to be sure the Hardy brother would be asleep when he returned, not wanting a confrontation just yet on what had happened earlier. Jeff was even more beautiful in repose, he decided as he watched the kid's chest rise and fall with each breath. He knew though that in the morning Jeff was going to demand answers about what why Shane had behaved the way he had in the diner, and truthfully, Shane wasn't sure the protective excuse was going to hold up much longer if the scenes got any more intense than they had been. All he knew was that he wanted Randy Orton to keep his filthy hands off Jeff, and no amount of reasoning seemed to be able to keep these emotions from rising to the surface. He'd better come up with something to tell Jeff tomorrow morning though. And he'd better find a way to keep from acting on the impulses he was getting every time he saw Randy around Jeff.

Shaking his head in frustration, Shane reached his fingers out to touch Jeff's silky hair … his body reacting immediately to the sensation … before walking back to his own side of the room. Yep, definitely a long, aching night.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: If you've read this story, you may be wondering why I've been away so long. Um. It's a long story. Anyway, I'm back. Tell me if you still like this.