Disclaimer: I do NOT own the following wrestlers, or any of the events that actually happened on camera.

I respect the actual beliefs and sexualities of the following wrestlers.

Thanks for the reviews, everyone. Violence, threats of death, angst... the usual.

Well, here's part eighteen.

Matt knew he had to play by Adam's rules to keep Chris safe. He kept the phone on as he walked to Chris' room. It was the only way Adam would know for sure that Matt didn't call for help... And it was so late that no one was in the halls. It was perfect planning on Adam's behalf.

How could he not see that Adam was capable of this? How could he not know that Adam was capable of beating holy hell out of Punk and then hurting him? And then just allow Chris to take the fall, all the blame and hatred and blows that he should have taken?

How could Matt be so fooled by Adam?

"Adam. I'm at the door," Matt said.

"Look down." Matt looked down and saw a keycard on the floor. "Use it. Come in."

Matt bent down, picked up the keycard, and opened the door. He went inside and the door was instantly pushed closed.

"Dear God, Matt, I've missed you," Adam said. Matt was shocked to see a gun in Adam's hand. "Understand me already?"

"I can't understand you," Matt said sadly, "How... How could you..."

Adam pointed his gun at the bed. "Sit," he said.

"Where's Chris?" Matt asked.

"I said sit," Adam said simply. Matt nodded and he sat on the bed. Adam smiled and said, "Matt, I don't want to hurt you."

"Too late for that," Matt said.

Adam grinned and walked over to Matt. He caressed Matt's cheek with the gun. "My sweet Matt," he said, "I didn't hurt you. I was so gentle with you... I'm sure you would've cummed multiple times if it weren't for that little pill."

Matt's cheeks burned. "You raped me."

"I made love to you," he answered.

"Where is he, Adam?" Matt asked.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes it fucking does, now where is he?" Matt asked.

Adam sighed and walked to the closet. He opened the door and pulled Chris out. He threw him onto the ground. Matt stood up, thinking of helping Chris, but Adam pointed the gun at Chris' back. Matt sat out of fear for Chris, and he saw new blood and bruises. Chris was unrecognizable from the guy who cockily told Matt that they'd one day be together.

"I hoped we could talk first, love, but I guess we can't. Do you think I wanted to use this? Chris gave me no choice."

"Don't blame Chris for this," Matt said, "You beat up Punk. You framed Chris. You raped me!"

"First of all, I did not rape you. We already covered this... I made love to you. Second of all, you left me. You put me in this dark place. I would have done anything to get you back."

"Fuck you," Matt said.

"After we handle this," Adam said, "This little triangle has to end. It has to just be you and me again, the way it's supposed to be."

"You're nuts."

"You drive me crazy," Adam said.

Chris sat up and wiped some blood off his face. "You were always nuts, Adam. Matt has nothing to do with that."

"Shut up, Irvine. One of us has a gun, and he's in love with one of the remaining two. Do the math: who is he most likely to kill?"

"You're a monster," Matt said.

"Oh, that hurts, love," Adam said, "It hurts so much. But I guess it's time for you and Chris and me to speak, so we can stop saying and doing things to hurt each other."

"Start at the beginning!" Chris shouted, "Tell Matt the truth! About everything!"

"What don't I know?" Matt asked.

"The threesome, Adam." Chris said.

Adam smirked. "Fine. Matt, Chris was a shark. He was waiting to pounce on you, to take you from me. He was pretending to be your friend while he pictured you naked in his head. It was only a matter of time before he made his move."

"You knew about the crush," Matt said angrily.

"Everyone did."

"And you held me down and let him have sex with me," Matt said.

"You enjoyed it."

"That was because I didn't know what it would do to Chris!" Matt answered, "But you did. You knew, and you took advantage."

"Chris must have known it would be a one off. It wasn't like I was going to throw my arm around him and say 'My boyfriend is your boyfriend, fuck him whenever you get the urge'." Adam argued. "Chris was the one who was too thickheaded to just crawl under his rock again. He was going to fuck you sooner or later, whether or not I was there, and whether or not you wanted it."

"Let's keep straight who among us is the rapist," Chris spat.

"And how dare you think I'd betray you like that?" Matt asked, "Did my word mean nothing to you?"

"Your word is the only thing that matters to me," Adam said, "Matt, love, I did everything for you. For us."

"You did it for yourself, you selfish bastard," Chris growled.

"Shut up Irvine," Adam said, waving the gun.

Matt looked at Chris. "Why... why didn't you tell me?"

"You wouldn't have believed me," Chris said. Matt looked down, knowing that he was right. He hated Chris for saying that he loved him, and for hanging around, trying to push between him and Adam. He wouldn't have believed anything Chris said. "I had to show you, not tell you, or you'd have thought it was just a ploy to bed you. I just wanted what was best for you."

"I'm what's best for him," Adam said, "You should've just left us alone."

"I'm a grown man!" Matt shouted, "Why can't I decide what's best for me? Why the fuck do you two get to?"

"I..." Chris shook his head. "I'm so sorry. I didn't... I didn't mean to come off like that."

"Matt, we were happy before Chris interfered."

"You manipulated him for your own benefit," Chris said.

"Oh wow, pot, like you didn't do some manipulating yourself," Adam snapped. "You forced Matt to go on a date with you." It was Chris' turn to look down. Yes, he used some questionable tactics before, but he could never... not like Adam did.

"It wasn't a date!" Matt yelled, "I didn't do that to you."

"And I didn't force him to do anything," Chris said, "Sure, I might of did some manipulative things once he said yes, but he always had the ability to say no. Something YOU didn't give him when you forced that pill into his mouth..."

"Oh Chris, please, please give me a reason!" Adam said, pointing the gun firmly, "I beg you, give me a reason to fucking end this bullshit!"

"Adam!" Matt yelled, "Adam, don't. Adam... shooting him won't make me love you!"

Adam turned to Matt and stared at him. Then, he laughed. "Make you? Make you? Matt, I don't have to make you do anything. You already love me. You told me so many times, with the same look in your beautiful brown eyes that I have when I talk about you. You love me. That's what this all boils down to... I love you, you love me. Chris is just getting in the way."

"God, stop blaming Chris!" Matt yelled, "This was never about Chris. It was about you and me. This was about me slowly falling out of love, and you being unwilling to let go. Chris just sped things up a little. I do love you... just not like I used to."

"You're wrong, Matt," Adam said. He walked forward until there was only an inch of space between him and Matt. "You do love me. You do, and I can prove it."

Matt just glared at Adam, but then he angrily tackled him to the ground. There was a scuffle, and Chris watched helplessly as Matt and Adam fought. They separated, and Matt was now holding the gun, pointing it at Adam. "What was that, Adam?"

"Alright, then," Adam said, "You're holding the gun. If you really don't care about me... then go ahead. Shoot me. At this distance, there's no way you can miss. You could kill me, and then you could get Chris medical attention. You'll have your happy ending."

Adam took a step forward. "Or maybe," he said, "Or maybe I'm right, and you do love me. If that's so, then you can't kill me. You won't. You'd just care too much to see me die. If this is true, then just give me the gun. I'll put everything right. I'll show you that you can trust me."

"Matt, don't let him any closer," Chris said.

"You'd kill Chris." Matt said softly.

"Maybe I don't have to. All we'd have to do is ignore him from now on. The rest of the WWE universe will eventually run him out. And he'll retire, and you and I could move on." Adam took another step closer, and then another.

"Matt! Don't listen to him!" Chris said. But Matt's hand was shaking. Adam meant so much to him. Chris meant so much to him. He couldn't shoot Adam... but he couldn't let Adam hurt Chris.

"Just trust me, love," Adam said, "I'll make it right..."

BAM!

Matt gasped, unable to believe what just happened. He dropped the gun and ran over to Adam, who leg was bleeding faster and faster. Chris crawled over to the phone, ready to call the police.

Matt took off his belt and used it to stop the bleeding. Adam laughed and Matt looked at his rapidly paling face.

"What's so funny?" Matt asked, "The fact that you're bleeding, or the fact that I shot you?"

"No..." Adam slowly lifted his hand to caress Matt's face. "I was right. You do love me." Matt started breathing deeply. Did this mean he still loved the man who raped him? But Adam was so much more to him, so much more amazing than what he was now. How could he still care about him?

"You can't... you can't change it," Adam said, "No matter what you might want, you... you'll still love me. Lord knows when this crush of mine manifested... I wanted to be rid of you. But you came back anyway... because I love you. And I'll always be yours, and you mine."

Matt's head pounded, and he said, "No..." Chris turned and saw how dizzy Matt looked.

"Matt, just take a deep breath!" Chris shouted. Matt shook his head and just walked to the wall, punching it. It made no goddamn sense... it just didn't make any goddamn sense. He was able to destroy Chris so easily. He knew Adam was insane, and that he'd probably, kill Chris, and he could barely shoot him. Adam took advantage of him, manipulated him, lied to him... and yet still he loved him.

"Matt love, calm down," Adam said.

"Matt, breathe!" Chris was now next to him. "If you keep on like this, you'll..."

"Shut up! Just shut-" Chris barely had enough time to catch Matt as he fainted, half out of shock, half out of his erratic and uneven breathing.

Chris looked from Adam, who was looking worried about Matt and angry at him at the same time, to Matt's unconscious body. He never meant for this to happen. And yet here they were. All three of them, all damned in their own different ways.

Reviews deeply appreciated