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. Rolling to the end, sooner and sooner...

Well, here's part twenty-four.

The days seemed to move on slowly, and he was getting less and less patient. Sure, he wasn't even sure if he could see Adam without breaking down, but he had to test it. He had to put this to rest. Chris was helping him heal, sleeping in the same bed as him... and he couldn't be what he wanted.

But part of Matt wanted to be. So badly. And that's why he had to cut Adam out like a tumor, before it spread all over and it was too late. He didn't want to keep thinking about him like he had, stuck on someone who ruined his life.

Matt was sure of it now- it was Adam. Not Chris, not himself... they made mistakes, but Adam was the one who went too far. The one who treated him like property and then tried to blame the whole issue on Chris.

Adam had to go.

When Saturday finally rolled around, Chris was visibly happy. He couldn't wait to get his stitches removed. He was singing loudly, and Matt couldn't help but smile- he remembered how Chris' song played in the club they went to the night they went on that date. Matt couldn't remember having more fun on a first date. If he wasn't dating Adam at the time, he and Chris would've been together.

Adam... Matt couldn't help but compare the two. Chris was more demanding upfront, but Adam was just as demanding. He just hid it better. They were both proud like peacocks, but he saw Chris grow apologetic when it was broken. Adam just became more persistent, doing whatever he pleased to get what he wanted, forget the consequences. They were alike in so many ways, but also so very different. And the differences were what mattered.

"So," Chris said, "Can you believe I'm going to stop being Frankenstein's monster in a mere four hours?"

"You'll always be a monster, Irvine!" Matt shouted back.

Chris came out of the bathroom, crossing his arms. "You listen here," he said, "I am Chris Jericho. Many things describe me, but monster's not one of them."

"You just used it to describe yourself," Matt pointed out.

"It's different," Chris insisted.

"How?"

"Because I'm not a parasitic tapeworm," Chris said, sticking his tongue out. Matt stuck his tongue out, and they both began laughing.

Matt stopped laughing, realizing he had to tell Chris sometime. "Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't go to the doctor's with you," Matt said.

"What?" Chris pouted. "Come on. You know I don't like doctors, especially when they come after you with pointy stuff. Please?"

"I'm sorry, but I have something else I have to do," Matt walked over and poked Chris' head. "You'll be fine. I mean, the Great Chris Jericho, the best in the world at what he does, the Wrestler of the Year, afraid of doctors with small pointy stuff?"

"Right!" Chris stood straight. "I am the Great Chris Jericho! I don't need to be afraid of some creepy guy in an awful white coat coming at me with his pointy weapon meant to make me bleed..." Chris put his arms around Matt's neck, the facade falling. "Please blow it off?"

"You'll be fine," Matt said, pulling his arms off his neck, "And we can go out for dinner afterwards or something."

Chris smiled. "That'd be nice. So long as we don't invite Jeff and Mark."

"I swear they don't do that all the time," Matt said.

"Once is enough!" Chris shook his head. "No, I refuse to eat in a restaurant with the horny duo ever again."

"You try to tell the Deadman he can't go out with you," Matt said, "I'll attend your funeral."

"You wouldn't fight to save me?"

"It's Mark Callaway, man. You're on your own."

They laughed again and, a half an hour later, Matt was on his way to see Adam. He was sure Vince wouldn't approve of it, but he didn't care. He had to see Adam one last time before he put him away.

*************

"Yo, Copeland!" Adam looked up and saw the guard at his cell door. "You've got a visitor."

"Tell my mother I don't want to see her," Adam answered.

"Get up, Copeland. I don't care what kind of hotshot you thought you were out of here, but you follow my orders here." He opened the cell and began leading Adam out.

"Look," he said, "Last time she came, I refused to talk to her. It's going to happen the same way again. I'd rather she not see me."

"Who said it was a she?" The guard asked mockingly.

Adam snorted. "No one else is coming here to see me."

"You sure about that?" The guard opened the door to the visiting room, and Adam froze. Matt stood up from the bench, and Adam blinked, looking at him, trying to see if it wasn't just a mirage. The guard pushed him inside and said, "You've got ten minutes."

Adam walked forward and stared at him a while longer. Every detail was perfect. It was a damn good mirage, if he'd ever seen one. He raised his hand slowly and touched Matt's face. Matt jerked away, and Adam's head tilted to the side.

"Dreaming again." He slapped his head. "Wake up Copeland, wake up..."

"I'm really here," Matt said, "It's me."

Adam pinched his arm, to check if he was awake. Once he was sure, he said, "So you are." Adam sat on the bench and looked over him slowly. "I was sure the powers that be would've told you to stay away."

"They don't know I'm here," Matt said.

"No? Not even your brother or your best friend?" Adam shook his head. "Secrets are what got us here, Matt."

"And this last secret's going to end it." Matt sat across from him. "Was everything a lie, Adam? Everything?"

"No." Adam smiled softly. "I never lied about how much I care for you." Adam pushed his hair back. "Not once."

"How could you even believe everything you did was alright?" Matt asked, "How could you go to sleep at night and think, for one second, that you are anything less then cruel and sadistic..."

Adam shook his head. "I'm not. Everything I did, I did for you."

"I never asked for it."

"But I wanted to give it to you. I wanted you to be safe. I wanted you to be happy. Chris was in the way of both things."

"Chris was my friend," Matt said, "You were just too jealous to see it. And he's still my friend, seeing me through everything you did to me. Even with all you did to him, he still sticks around for me. He's a better man than you'll ever be."

"Then what's the problem?" Adam snapped, "If he's such an amazing person, why aren't you with him right now? Why are you right here, with me? I'll tell you why... you miss me just as much as I miss you."

"That's ridiculous!" Matt protested.

"Is it? I'm out of your life, Chris is yours for the taking. I'm sure Chris would happily take any scraps you give him, like the vulture he is. If you really wanted Chris, then you'd be with him. I could never stop you from doing what you wanted, Matt, even if I was out of the bin."

"You know what?" Matt asked. He nodded. "You're so fucking right." He stood up. "Maybe I had to hear it from your mouth to realize it, but you're right. You can't stop me at all." Matt leaned forward and pressed his lips into Adam's. But, before Adam could react, he pulled away.

"I kissed Chris after our date," Matt said, "Then, I kissed Punk."

"Punk's straight," Adam said, confused.

"I know. And I felt nothing when I did it. But what I felt when I just kissed you was even less than that."

"Is that so?" Adam said, standing up.

"You don't even compare to what I felt when I kissed Chris," Matt said, "Maybe once you did, but... not anymore."

"You can't just forget everything that happened between us," Adam said.

"I know!" Matt shouted. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Look, I'm not naive enough to say I'm going to leave here and never think about you again. I'm probably going to think about you for the rest of my life. But... I'll just laugh. I'll just laugh."

Adam crossed his arms. "If you really believe that, then you are naive."

"You'll never understand," Matt said. "Goodbye Adam. I hope you have a good life. I'm going to try to do the same."

"Matt..." Adam grabbed Matt's arm. "Listen to me for a moment."

"Actually, I'm done listening to you." Matt pulled his arm away and said, "I wish I could say I lost a friend, but you were never who I thought you were, so I lost nothing." Matt signaled that he was done, and the guard came out, grabbing Adam.

"I meant everything I said in the letter," Adam said, looking at him, "Every word."

"I'm sure you did," Matt said, "And I meant everything I just said, including goodbye. This is the last time you'll ever see me."

Adam looked away, squeezing his fists together. He had so much he wanted to say right then and there, but he couldn't find the right words to say them. Matt shook his head, watching. It was sad, that Adam would never get it.

"Goodbye, Adam."

*************

Chris felt like the Evil Queen from Snow White. He just kept looking at himself in mirrors, in windows, smiling at his reflection. It was as if the way his face healed represented his heart, no longer haunted by the incident. He was free, and it was all because of Matt. He hoped Matt was doing as well as he was.

"And check the new and improved Chris Ir-" Chris went inside the room and saw Matt holding a pair of jeans. He recognized them- it was the jeans that held the letter. Matt pulled it out and said, "Hi."

"What's that?" Chris asked.

"Nothing important," Matt said. As he walked to the bathroom, he ripped the letter into pieces. Once they were little shreds, he threw them into the toilet and flushed it. Chris walked in after him, smiling. Something was changed in Matt; he was now free.

Matt turned and saw Chris smiling there. "What's got you smiling?"

"Well, someone promised me dinner," Chris said.

"So I did." Matt stepped closer, until there were only a few inches separating him and Chris. "But let me give you something first."

Matt leaned forward and pushed his lips into Chris'. It felt so comfortable, so perfect. Chris pushed him away, eyes wide. "What're you doing?"

"What I should've done ages ago," he said. He pushed forward again, but Chris stopped him.

"Matt, I don't want you to rush into something you're not ready for..."

Matt smiled. "I'm ready." He grabbed Chris' hand and pulled it up to his lips, the gesture Chris did so much. "I haven't been more ready for anything. All I know is that it feels right whenever we're together."

Chris smiled and squeezed his hand. Matt squeezed back, and then their lips met. Matt brought his hand up to Chris' face, pushing him closer. Then, their lips moved faster, massaging against each other, taking their breaths away.

They finally pulled away to breathe, but their hands never parted. Chris looked into his eyes and said, "You better be sure, because... I'm not sure if I could stop myself from loving you."

"Then don't." Matt squeezed his hand one last time before letting it go. "Now, it's your turn not to worry about money. Hope you don't mind if I lavish on you." They went out to dinner, and, for one night, everything was just right.

Just Matt and Chris, just right.

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