Title: Wonderwall
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I don't own shit.
Author's Note: So, this one takes place right before this year's 'Mania. It's kind of similar to the one before it, but it's kind of supposed to be, so. Either way, I hope you enjoy. =)
Warnings: None.
~Because maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me
And after all, you're my wonderwall.~
John's completely silent as he exits the hotel room, Justin right behind him. The high flyer isn't suprised; John has been quiet almost the entire time they've been in Miami, up in his own head from the moment the plane touched down. Justin has been waiting for the older to open up to him about his troubles, but it seems as if they've hardly even seen each other between everything John has been scheduled for. The time they have spent together has mostly been filled with silence, except during their love-making, which has been a bit more frequent than Justin remembered. Not that he's complaining, necessarily. He just wishes John would talk to him for once instead of trying to play Superman all the time. He hates the way his lover drags his feet all the way down the hall, not even looking ahead, but instead at his sneakers. It leaves a bad taste in the high flyer's mouth, and he speeds up a few paces to stand next to John as they wait for the elevator. Try as he might, however, he can't catch the older's eye, even as the doors open and they step inside, Justin not even a breath behind John. Once the doors are closed, Justin's reaching over and grabbing John's hand, threading their fingers together carefully. He knows it's not much, but it's a last ditch effort to just help his boyfriend the only way he knows how, taking a step even closer.
John is stoic for a few solid moments, still not even turning to face the younger, and Justin lets out a slow breath, feeling defeated. Just as Justin thinks he's not going to get a response at all, resigning himself to a post-match confrontation, John reaches out with his free hand and presses the emergency stop button. He's on Justin in an instant, wrapping his arms tight around his lover's shoulders as the elevator grinds to a halt. The shock combined with the force of the abrupt halt shake the high flyer off balance, tipping him backwards and almost off his feet. Thankfully, the elevator wall is right behind him, and he falls into it roughly, catching the older in the same breath. Justin's eyes widen as he takes in the now trembling form of John Cena, pinning him to the wall of a hotel elevator. He feels John's breath hot on his skin as the Superstar presses feather light kisses to the side of his neck, and he can't even find words, just holds him there. For a moment, he thinks John is actually going to break down, right here, right now, right before Wrestlemania. He worries briefly, even as he begins to rub the older's back in an effort to calm him, and his worry only increases as John breathes in a slow, shaky breath, lips moving against the high flyer's skin once more. He hears himself speaking before he even has a chance to process what he's saying.
"What's wrong, John?" he asks, voice just loud enough for John to hear it. The older just shakes his head, and Justin shivers at the way he can feel it in the crook of his neck.
"Nothing's wrong." John responds quietly. Then, softer, "Not yet."
He leans back just enough to look into his lover's eyes, holding Justin's face carefully as he continues.
"But in a few hours, I'm going to go out there in front of tens of thousands of people live, and countless people worldwide, and I'm going to lose, on the grandest stage of them all. And worse than that, I'm going to lose to the Rock." John lets out a pained sigh that makes Justin pull him close once more. The Superstar can't even resist, folds himself into the high flyer's comforting embrace. When he speaks again, it's right against the skin of Justin's neck once more. "Y'know, I never once, at any point this whole time, thought I was going to lose this match. I thought, surely, they won't make me do that. Not after all I do for them. Christ, how could I have been so fucking stupid?"
"You're not." Justin whispers, and he hears his voice crack.
He swallows thickly, tries to push the rage down. It's not as though the younger hadn't known what the outcome of the match was going to be. There was no other explanation for the way John had been acting for the last handful of weeks. Still, to have it confirmed, especially right here before the event, leaves a bitter taste in Justin's mouth that makes him almost nauseous. It makes the fact that Justin's due to win his own match completely bittersweet, and he hates the company they work for for doing this to them, continually. When John doesn't even make a sound, Justin clears his throat, tries again, louder.
"You're not, John. I mean it." he says, voice firmer than before. Justin gives the Superstar's shoulders a shake, and the older looks up at him, meets his eyes. "It's not your fault our idiot boss is caving to that diva's demands. John, you're one of the hardest workers this company has ever seen, and it's disgusting what they're doing to you. But, that doesn't mean you should let it get to you like this. At this point, what can you do about it, anyway?"
"Lose," John replies, almost a grumble in his tone, "in front of millions of people."
"So you lose. So what? Sweetheart...you're in the main event of Wrestlemania. Whether you win or lose, that's pretty damned incredible. Hell, I don't even have a real MATCH at 'Mania, just some dark match before the show-"
"That you're going to win." the Superstar corrects him swiftly. Justin rolls his eyes.
"Okay, so I'm going to win a dark match before Wrestlemania. Either way, then I'm going to watch you go out there and be absolutely amazing, like I know you are. And yes, you may lose. But after everything is said and done, you're going to be sore and tired, and you're going to come back to the room, and I'm going to be there. And I'm going to make you feel like every bit the champion you are." Justin tells him, smiling softly. "I love, you John. No matter what."
John's lips begin to turn up the slightest bit as well, and he pulls Justin closer, kissing him tenderly. Justin notes that there's much less sadness, much less desperation in this one, and he relaxes against his lover as John pries his mouth open. They only kiss for a brief moment before the older is pulling away, smiling down at Justin fully this time.
"Hey," he says, "wasn't this my job last year?"
And suddenly, Justin does remember something very similar from the year before, John consoling him after what he could only describe as a piss-poor excuse for a match. The Superstar had really been the only thing that had redeemed that night, the only thing that had helped him to get back to his feet the next day and face his mother after his painstaking defeat. Now, it seems the tables have turned. Justin can only hope that he's been even a fraction as helpful as John had been for him, and if the older's gently softening expression is anything to go by, he definitely is. He shoots John a grin.
"Yea, it was. So, how am I doing? You feeling better?" Justin can't help but ask.
John nods slowly, hugging the high flyer even closer to him and rubbing a firm hand up and down his back.
"You're doing fantastic, darlin'. I'm feeling much better. Thank you." John mutters against the skin of Justin's neck.
"Then, shouldn't we be heading down now?" the younger questions. "We've had this elevator stopped for an awfully long time now."
"Fuck 'em." John responds, kissing his lover's neck just enough to send a shiver up the boy's spine. "I want one more minute."
And Justin just nods, holds John close, since it seems to be what he really needs right now. It's not as if he could ever deny the older anything, anyway, especially when John's vulnerable like this. Eventually, they'll be forced to descend to the ground floor, finally head on to the arena so they can each compete in their matches. Justin will, unfortunately, get hurt so badly because of the loosened ropes that it will cost him the title that he'd come so very close to holding once more. John will be so distracted by the thoughts of his distraught lover, and so overwhelmed by the Rock's unrelenting ego that he'll put on what he considers a sub-par performance, leading right up to his inevitable defeat. All in all, it will feel like a disappointment of a night. But, at the end of it all, Justin will undoubtedly keep his promise, the two heading back to the hotel hand in hand.
As John lies in bed later, Justin's head tucked delicately right under John's chin, cheek resting on his chest, the Superstar can't help but think how lucky he really is. Justin was right; even if he did lose, he main evented Wrestlemania, and in one of the most highly anticipated matches ever. And, better than that, he thinks with a glance down at the slumbering high flyer, he's got the best boyfriend he could have ever dreamed of. Crowd at Raw tomorrow be damned, Justin will still be by his side, he knows, and it relaxes him enough for him to close his eyes. When he brushes a kiss across Justin's forehead, the younger snuggles closer to him. He smiles wider, just beginning to drift off. Yup, he thinks, life is pretty damn good.