Chapter 8
Glenn had followed the squeezing up close, ready to intervene in case of actual harm done to Jeff, he wasn't sure of what was happening and what his brother was about to do, but even in his state he clearly came to terms with fucking with his brother, it was a no-go and he'd better stop, and by the way, get back into the good graces and be able of sleeping in a bed, "Yo Mark, can I stay in our room, please, I'll keep my mouth shut", there was a little laughter before a growl interrupted it, "No", Mark was in no mood for discussion, and this was his way of giving his baby brother a lesson, knowing well he wouldn't have to sleep in the cold, but his feelings towards Jeff started messing with his head, he wasn't sure if there had been a connection or whatever, but he too had been lost in Jeff's eyes, and the anger at his brother was raising with the realisation that he may have been right all along, "I may be nice enough to give you your stuff, but now don't push it bro, I've had it", better say something about it before they all start guessing again and all, he looked at Jeff who was playing with the beer bottle, gaze lost into the nowhere…
But instead of immediately slapping him back into reality, Mark contemplated the younger man for a little moment, taking good measure, feeling nearly save to do so, Batista following what was happening from the opposite side of the table and smiling, wondering what had happened between those two and thinking about asking Mark on their way to Boston, maybe just to tickle a little information out of him, Dave was in no way as obviously curious as Hunter or Shawn, or even as Glenn for the matter, he was a lot more subtle and ingenious when it came to getting the right informations from the right people, and seeing the glances those two were having, one staring a hole in the table and the other one one in Jeff, they had gotten him intrigued, intrigued enough to dearly want to find out…
Mark sighed, and slapped him in the neck, "Wake up punk", and Jeff snapped out of his reveries, looking at him, taunting him, "Ouch, what", his eyes locked with Mark's again as his hand was massing his neck, and a warm fuzzy feeling started flowing through him as he tried to decypher Mark's thoughts, feeling he thought came from the booze and all, "What are you looking at punk?", Mark was definetely a little at a loss, there was no reason for him to enjoy Jeff looking at him that way and still he couldn't help but feel at ease with it, "Nothing… You…", Mark couldn't believe it, "You're calling me nothing?", "No, that is not what I said, is it?"…
Dave chose that moment to interrupt them, "What time did you want to leave for Boston Mark", it took Mark a good twenty seconds, they all counted in their heads with taquin smiles on their faces as Mark was staring some more at Jeff, to let his gaze move and to look at Dave who tried to hide his smile to obviously but failed, "What are you grinning at Dave? And what the hell do I know, when does the plane take off?", he gave Jeff's hand a slap as he saw it crawl up to take the Tequila, "And you have had enough punk"
Dave ignored their little games and continued, "There was talk about two different flights, one tomorrow", he checked his watch, "well today in the afternoon and one tomorrow morning", Jeff tried again at just that moment and caught the bottle, glaring at Mark, "Don't, you're such an ass", making him smile, "We need to get a babysitter for Hardy first Dave, I don't think leaving him alone with noone to teach him a lesson will work out fine", he gave Jeff a glare and murmured, "Brat"
Mark earned himself a nice pout and an elbow in his side, Hunter decided to intervene, "We'll watch the kid, you're heading straight for Jersey Jeff?", leaving Jeff quite speechless, he couldn't shed the feeling that he was the center of the next mockery "Yeah", "Wednesday's Flight?", "Yup", "Cool, you can join Shawn and me, the more the merrier, we'll give you some insights…", he looked at Glenn, "And you? Coming with us too?" , Glenn aknowledging by downing a Tequila with Hunter, "Yes, cool, nobody will have to travel alone… Hey, Jeff", Glenn looked at him, "You're rooming with you're bro in what the hell that place is called?"
Jeff smiled sweetly to himself, Glenn was right, it was the first time since he had fought with his brother that he wouldn't have to travel alone, maybe he could lose that feeling of loss and hurt with people around him, even if Marks way of treating him sometimes annoyed him, he had always admired him, and Shawn even more, so being able of hanging out with them, hell, being invited to hang out with them was just too good to be true, and it started now, he really didn't feel in the mood to speak about his troubles with Matt now, not with them, not with the reasons of their dispute, he glanced at Glenn and shook his head, trying to hide his hurt, "Nope, I don't even know if he's going to be there, haven't spoken to him for some time", only Glenn saw the flicker of hurt cross the emerald eyes and patted him on the shoulder, even if he and Mark had had scenarios that pictured them as ennemies, they never took it backstage, "You can room with me, I lost my roomie today", he glanced at his brother pulling his tongue in the most childish way he managed, "and I don't like to be alone, so if you don't mind we could share a room, and I swear I don't snort", he didn't even know why the Hardy-freak had told him that earlier…
"Sure, ok, why not, maybe it will do me some good to be around people", it had slipped him and had been just a murmure, barely audible but for Glenn and Mark, Glenn ignored it, happy to have found a new roommate, at least for the next show, after that he'd have to crawl up his brother's ass to be forgiven, and Mark did his best not to flinch at the sadness he had sensed in those words…
"God I'm glad I'm not in that plane", Mark got the bottle back and served himself, "Wednesday morning sounds fine to me Dave, if that's ok with you that is", Dave couldn't help but wonder if Mark had chosen that flight too if he hadn't known that Jeff was departing that day, but decided not to stand in between whatever was going on, "Sure, fine with me, means we can get wasted to death and rest tomorrow, first one fainting or vomitting loses", leaving Mark a little shocked, "the mature one has spoken it seems"
There was another laughter, but Shawn who had been counting something on his fingers suddenly screeched, "18 Tequilas, I lost the count of the beers and the shots we had before you all got here", he sighed, "Hunter, this might well become an new record of after Raw-drinkings, jeez… Hand me that Tequila back guys"
Glenn got the bottle and served himself, than gave Jeff a glance who was still efficiently pouting at the Deadman, the alcohol on the empty stomach took it's toll on him and pouting seemed to be the right answer to the comments the older man was giving him all the time, and served him too, shaking his head and then gave the bottle to Shawn, "And please don't get sick Shawn, feeling proud of such an amount ain't mature you know", Glenn was laughing at him, Jeff interjecting, "Yeah, but he doesn't get your brother's wiseass remarks now does he", only to have Mark sigh again and growl, "This can't be true" and Shawn giggle, "Yeah, but I'm older, way older than you sprite and he knows that annoying me will get him into trouble, right Mark"
Everytime he heard Jeff open his mouth it felt like a waterfall of feelings that washed over him, and the only way Mark could explain that was that the alcohol made him more receptive and that he had never really bothered to talk to the boy, so he wasn't used to the timber of his voice, period, what else should it be, "Whatever kids", Dave found Marks way of coping with the punks remarks too weird, never had he seen the mighty Deadman so lost nearly, yeah lost semed to be the right way to explain it, like he didn't know what to do and how to react in front of Jeff, and since he was as straight as they come, he didn't understand, some guys had some fun backstage, but as far as he knew Mark had never been part of any of those acts, so it couldn't be infatuation could it, maybe the fact that Jeff didn't care who Mark was, who the Undertaker was and just treated him like the next best opponent, not giving a rat's ass about the consequences, like a month ago, well he finally had gotten the beating he deserved, but that seemed to only have fueled the kid more.
It struck Dave that the more this evening passed, the more Mark seemed to look at Jeff, and the more he provoked him too, because whenever Jeff was quiet, Mark seemed to be the one searching for the next bickering by pushing the kid some more, and he didn't want to see his friend nearly helpless, so he decided to bring up a subject that would have everybody involved…
"So Mark, fighting Angle this Friday right, the next fool to challenge you", giving a friendly smile to Jeff trying to show him this was just a sweet little provocation and no real verbal attack, "ready to lose your title Deadman?", Mark just gave a little snort and shaking his head, "That match will get a lot easier than the one I had today, well yesterday, since it's passed midnight by long, so no, I'll just get in there and get out, no real risk of losing my pretty belt this time", Jeff just gazed at him amazed at what he had just heard, thinking that the next mockery would follow for he couldn't believe he actually meant that, but nothing, as if Mark was so sure of what he had just said that he didn't need to continue talking about it, he started chewing on the ring that ornated his lower lip and mumbled, "Stop fucking with me man", only to have the Taker look at him equally disturbed, "Hein? What are you talking about Hardy, if I had fucked you, I swear you'd still feel it, so what now", "Stop mocking me, why is it that everybody always has to pick on me, I'm really tired of that, so tired", downing the next drink that just added to his now mellow mood, why did he have to come here, whenever he started like feeling as if he belonged, Mark made sure he knew he didn't…
Dave read the dispair in Jeff's eyes faster than Mark, Hunter just looking at the kid trying to figure out what had happened in his life to make him doubt like that, Glenn and Shawn were busy annoying each other about the bottle and still quite oblivious to the down toll the general mood had just taken, "I think all Mark wanted to do, Mark correct me if I'm wrong, was to give the merits to the one who deserved them, like I said, I haven't seen your match, but they all were amazed at what you accomplished Jeff, hell even I was amazed at their amazement"
"I still lost didn't I", Jeff sighed sadly at that fact, and Mark snapped, his fist went slamming on the table, making the bottles cling, "Enough", he added much more softly after having seen him flinch, Glenn and Shawn glare, "Yeah you lost, so what Hardy? Get over it, many of us lost matches they dearly wanted to win, you'll get that damn title one day, so why do you need to rush things, and stop chewing on you lip you're bleeding already", the fact of seeing the hurt in his eyes and the blood drip from his lip nearly made him even angrier and the fact that Mark couldn't explain that to himself made him snap even more, "Behave like a man for fuckin' sakes", he nearly had lost and now Jeff tried to act as if that hadn't been the case, man, Mark thought he was losing it with the kid…
Jeff just continued playing with his piercing, staring down the bottle then refilled his glass, drank and refilled, once he'd be drunk enough the pain would leave, at least that was how he usually did it, Glenn patted his shoulder, "You smoke too right, how about going out and killing our lungs a little more, I think you could use something to calm your nerves punk", "I'm perfectly calm Glenn", "Yeah right, bro, move and let us out please" , Jeff couldn't even object, he somehow felt to empty to care at this point…
Mark just got up and Glenn pushed Jeff out of the booth, they both had some trouble standing straight, but managed somehow to get to the lobby and exit under the eyes of the others, Glenn pointing to a bench next to some trees, "Let's go and sit there, wouldn't want to end on my ass", and pushed him over, not even giving him time to object. Once he had sat down, he took out his cigarettes and offered one to Jeff, lighted them both and inhaled deeply, "Yeah, I knew I should have come out here earlier", Jeff didn't even smile, he just got his legs up and wrapped his arms around, his head on his knees, "Jeff? Can I ask you something", it took a couple of more puffs to have him turn his head, still laying on his knees toward Kane, he wouldn't be able of stopping him anyways and shook his head affirmatively, "Don't get pissed at me or anything, please, ok", again Jeff shook his head, too tired and to hurt to care, and Glenn recognized that in his eyes, "Man, Jeff, what's going on in that head of yours", only to have him laugh bitterly, "Nothing Glenn, I think that's the main problem, too much, that is second and not the right things coming in a short third"
Inside, Mark had sat down again, lost in his thoughts, Shawn was happy to finally have the bottle to himself, Dave was a little worried and Hunter was thinking about the options they were left with, he had never let someone drown in his sorrow, but he didn't know Jeff well enough to even start thinking about how to help, "Guys, we have to help the kid", Dave gave him a aknowledging look, Shawn too and Mark, after realizing what Hunter had just said, "How?", amazing himself, he wasn't the caring type, but something about the younger of the Hardy brothers just touched him, "He's an immature brat, completely fearless and so broken on the inside I don't think this lifetime will be enough to save him, so you wanna lose some time on him?", Hunter couldn't but answer "Yeah", "Why", "Hell I don't know Mark, I think there's another question that's more important to be answered first, what is it with you and him", "Nothing", "Right", "Watch it Paul", Hunter gazed at him, "Aah, we've got to Paul know, wanna take it outside big guy", Dave looked at them, "Yo guys, calm it, now, or I'll take you outside, both of you, jeez, we're all drunk, we're all tired, I don't think fucking our minds up is going to be helpful to anyone", he added a lot calmer, "Jeff probably is just very upset about losing, and the booze ain't helping it, so leave him alone, he just thought you were mocking him Mark, nothing else", "To the point to nearly rip his own piercing out, great", finally Shawn snapped out of his reveries, "He's extreme, and hot by the way, he has that", Dave slapped him in the neck, "No, don't Shawn, please, this is serious", "Yeah, and I am, he's a little like I was in the past, he won't take it from any of you, no chance and shit, we've all been in worse shape, both mentally and physically than he is tonight, hell I remember crying my eyes out one time I lost, so leave him alone, plus, it isn't as if he was used to hang out with us and so, he needs to get to know us, really know us not just in the ring and maybe he'll start to understand our jokes and comments"
"When did you become this reasonable Shawn, if it's the booze, please stay drunk forever", Dave gave him a smile, "I think Shawns right, he needs time, he never was one to be around us, let's show him we appreciate him", Mark mumbled, "And if I don't appreciate him?", only to be laughed at, "What?", "Nothing Mark, nothing"
Meanwhile Glenn had been staring at Jeff, his answer not really a shock, "Yeah, I know that, it's tough sometimes you know, to be the younger one", "Leave Matt out of it", "Ok, sorry, still I think you give yourself not enough credit Jeff, you've accomplished something very big tonight", "Yeah, I lost, great", "Jeff… Don't, sometimes it's not about winning or losing but about how you play it, and let me tell you that not many got that kind of attention from the Undertaker, your match really got to him, and you were very close to really beat him, again nothing many can say they achieved, so I, hell we all understand your bitterness Jeff, your sorrow, your pain, I think you need to be a little around us all, you may understand how things are sometimes", "So you're saying I don't get things right", "No", "That's what you said", "No Jeff, argh you really are some piece of work man", "Yeah, why don't you leave me before I bore you to death", "Nope, no luck tonight pal, and I find you interesting, anybody making my brother look like that strikes me as very interesting"
Jeff looked at him, not understanding, "What are you talking about", "Nothing, just that maybe you've got more friends around than you actually believe you have", "I doubt that", "Well, than give it a try, what's there to lose?", on that Glenn got up and waited for Jeff to join him, slowly getting up wincing, "You're ok punk?", "Nooooo", "Right, can you walk on your own", "Yeaaah, why, wanna carry me Kane", he should have better kept his mouth shut, Glenn grinning got him in his arms and lifted him, "If that's what you want"
They all could here Jeff's screams and complaints, some things like castration and death, bloodbath beeing issued, and Mark sighed, "Man, that punk never keeps it quiet", "It's your brothers fault though Mark, look", Dave laughed as he pointed towards the two men that were crossing the lobby, apparently Jeff was ok again, trashing in Glenn's grip, screaming for him to let go of him and Glenn grinning like an idiot not letting go, Shawn stared a while before he got a laughing fit and Hunter just thought about how that could traumatize the kid some more, "Well he definetely will get used to us if your brother keeps his job up like that", Mark only mumuring, "Unfortunately"
Glenn went straight to the table, apologizing to some other guests of the bar as Jeff, trashing, nearly sent there drinks flying, "Man, could some one please take this package out of my hands, I got it outside on the tree, a gift to us all, but it's not behaving", that did it even for Jeff who burst out in a laughter, "Stop it Glenn, my ribs hurt", "Sorry" and he sat him down, trying his best to shove him into Marks arms, "Sorry again", Mark sensed Jeff fidget next to him, "Feeling better punk?", the defiance was back in his eyes, "Yeah, but not thanx to you", Mark glared at him, "I see you're still as… as… as… well yeah as before your smoke", Jeff, just smiled at him, "Yeah, that being cute or great or what word are you're searching Deadman?"
Glenn was somewhat proud he had managed to get that defiance back into the kid and smiled at Dave who returned the smile and gave him a sign with his head he had done good for once, Hunter just grinning like a madman at the whole situation…
(Boston, the Smackdown Show on the 4th, Jersey the Raw Show on the 15th ), mixed up the date with Regal, so I just switched those two weeks, but from now on it will stay the way it actually happened, besides that nice jump which plays muse with my brain lol)
( Took me many thinking if I liked this chapter or not, still thought I'd post it since my crazy mind had offered it to me, hope you'll enjoy the reading )