Because I'm a glutton for angst -_- I still own no one, and I have no idea what the real parents of Chris Sabin are like. If you understand why both names are funny, kudos, you're a fan of Sabin's. This is getting too real for me, damn.

The lights in a city never go off. Even late at night, at a near abandoned gas station, there's enough light to see everywhere around. Chris Sabin could see everything around him, from the nozzle in his hand, to the gas pump it's attached to, to the car it's in. He could see the other car at the gas station, belonging to a man who looked like he was about to fall asleep right there at the gas pump.

He could see himself, his reflection in the car window, and he looked as empty as he felt inside.

He saw Alex Shelley approach behind him in the same car window, before Alex's hand even landed on his shoulder. Alex was worried, that much was clear; Chris was grateful that Alex wasn't pushing anything. Since they left his parents' house, he could tell Alex wanted to figure out what was going on.

And Chris wasn't entirely sure he was ready to talk about it.

"Got something for you, bud." Alex held up a bag as Chris pulled the nozzle out of his gas tank. "Microwave burritos. When's the last time we had some good gas station microwave burritos?"

Chris shrugged. He didn't remember, nor did he care much to try to. He knew Alex was just trying to help, but at that point, it was hard to bring himself to care much about anything. Alex's face fell, and he dropped his arm, deflated by Chris' flat response. He didn't say a word until they were back in the car again.

"I got you two. Had no idea how hungry you are." He pulled a bottle of Pepsi and a burrito out of the bag, and Chris quietly took them. He nodded in thanks before unwrapping the gooey burrito and taking a bite. Some sauce and cheese pushed out on the other side, soaking through the bag onto his palm- he'd forgotten how messy the greasy treat could get. But it tasted as good as it smelled, so he ignored the small burn on his hand and continued on his burrito.

Once Alex was sure Chris was satisfied, he pulled out his own burrito, getting to work on it. The two just focused on their burritos, Alex too afraid of saying the wrong thing to break the silence, and Chris reveling in the fact he could focus on anything but the events of that night. Once all the burritos were gone between them, Chris began to start the car, but then he stopped. He leaned back against the seat, letting his keys hang in the ignition.

"What's up, man?"

Chris sighed, putting a hand to his head. He could almost feel a headache coming on. "You must be curious."

"Well yeah sure I'm curious, you look like shit..."

"Thanks for the compliment, 'Lex."

"I'm being honest here." There was a slight pause before Alex continued, almost whispering; "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. But I feel I have to." Chris could feel his insides twisting; he couldn't believe how much had changed over the course of a few hours. On the way over to Michigan, Chris was in a great mood; they blasted a few CDs and they took turns driving. When it was Alex's turn and they reached an empty stretch of road, Chris would stick his head out the window like a dog and just enjoy the breeze. Between the music, some curly fries, a big gulp, and the breeze, Chris had almost forgotten the reason he and Alex were taking this road trip.

Then the signs pointing to Detroit had two digits on them, and Chris remembered. He was going to explain to his parents that he'd been in a serious- albeit secretive, but still serious nonetheless- relationship with another man for a little over three months.

It still hurt, thinking about AJ Styles. They'd last talked about a week ago, and that ended well- Chris called AJ a faggot and then AJ told him to go to hell. It wasn't the traditional way to talk to someone you loved, but hey, since when was Chris and AJ's relationship traditional anyway?

Even though that last meeting left a bitter taste, it pushed Chris into making some changes in his life. Such as the way he'd been keeping his own sexual preferences a secret. He'd stood out there, asking AJ to take a chance with him, when he'd gotten comfortable in the secret too. It was only when AJ wanted out that Chris even thought to make it known how much he wanted to further what they had.

He wasn't planning on announcing it to the whole world. It was his life, it wasn't their business. But Alex and his parents were different. Alex was his best friend and well, his parents gave birth to him. He figured all three of them had the right to know. Everyone else could think he fucked trees for all he cared.

"So... how did it go?" Alex asked, prompting him. Chris didn't answer right away, so Alex hastily added, "You know, you don't have to say anything, we can just..."

"It was fucking terrible." Chris looked at Alex, a sad shadow of a smile crossing his face. It was devoid of any happiness, and Alex immediately wanted to stop Chris from going any further, but then Chris just started recounting the events that happened after they'd parked the car in front of the apartment his parents lived in and Chris left Alex to go speak to them. Once Chris began his story, he couldn't stop himself, nor could Alex bring himself to stop him.

About an hour earlier, Chris rang the bell to his parent's house. He turned back, putting on a wide grin and shooting a thumbs up to Alex; his stomach was doing flip flops, but he figured if he put on a show of confidence for Alex, some of it might rub off on him and he'd actually feel some strength.

The buzzer went off, and he opened the front door, walking up the flights until he got to his parents' apartment. The door opened and there was his mother, smiling widely as soon as she saw who it was. Chris opened his arms wide in anticipation, still walking forward, until he reached his mother. Rene Sabin was a head shorter than her son, so Chris leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead after hugging her.

"Chris! What a pleasant surprise!" She smiled at him, before grabbing his hand and pulling him into the house. She called out her husband's name, telling him to come quick, and soon, Chris found himself in his father's embrace.

"How've you been, champ?" Joshua Sabin asked, putting a hand on Chris' shoulder, smiling proudly at his child.

"I've been good, pops."

"You should've called before you came, we could've prepared something special for you."

"Don't worry about it, I'm not here to steal your food." Chris sniffed the air; it actually smelled kind of nice. "Okay, maybe I am. Mom, what is that?"

"I fried some chicken, sweetheart. Would you like some?"

Chris was sorely tempted to ask for some chicken, but then he reminded himself why he was there. "I'mma have to pass on that for now."

"What? You love my chicken." She looked a little offended, and Chris nodded.

"Of course I do, Mom, it's just... I came here to talk to you two." Chris motioned over to the couch, barely six feet away. "Can you guys sit down?"

"Sit down? Chris, people only say that when they have bad news..." His father's eyes widened. "Chris, have you heard something we haven't? Is someone hurt?"

"What? No..."

"Are you hurt?" His mom interrupted, bringing her hands up to Chris' face, "Oh God, did someone really hurt you?"

"Ma, I'm a wrestler, I get hurt on a consistent basis..."

"I told you, didn't I?" She said, talking more to his father than to him, "They're bleeding around each other, what if my baby got a disease..."

"Mom!" She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden outburst. "Mom. Listen to me for a moment, okay? I don't have a disease. No one's hurt. This isn't bad news. I just want you guys to sit down for me, okay?"

His parents both still looked apprehensive, but they did as he asked. Once they sat down, Chris walked over in front of them, looking from his mom's to his dad's face. He breathed in, telling himself he could do this; if he could tell Alex, he could tell his parents.

"Chris honey." Chris' eyes met his mom's, and she smiled sincerely. "You know you can tell us anything, right? If you're in trouble..."

"Mom. It's not bad news, I promise. I'm perfectly fine." He shook his head. "Actually, not perfectly. I recently went through a break up and it's still kind of fresh in my head. In fact, that's what I'm here to talk to you about."

"That's your big announcement? You broke up with someone?" His father shook his head. "Chris, I didn't even know you were with someone!"

"Dad, this is hard enough as it is, let me finish."

"Hard? Chris, I thought you said..."

"Josh." His mother laid a hand on his father's arm, hushing the elderly Sabin. Once he was quiet, she looked at Chris. "What is it, baby?"

Chris had their attention. There were no more delays; all he had to do know was just tell them. He should've thought about what he was going to say on the way over, but it had been so much easier to goof off, to forget, then to actually think about that moment right there. He wished he'd asked Alex to come up with him. Heck, he wished he'd come under different circumstances, standing there with AJ instead of feeling alone under his parents' eyes.

Chris couldn't even remember what he said. It felt like the whole world was on mute. He could remember his parents' reactions, though; his father stood up, a dumbfounded look across his face, while his mother remained seated, her eyes widening with shock.

"You're... joking, right?" His father put his hand on Chris' shoulder, this one a lot less affectionate than the one he got before. "This is another one of your idiotic pranks, right?"

Chris shook his head, and, as soon as he did, the hand fell from his shoulder. Chris opened his mouth to say something, but, before he could, his father just walked away. Going deeper into the apartment, leaving the room.

"Dad?" Chris shouted out, "Dad, you can't be serious!" He gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to punch something. He turned his attention to his mom, trying to find some glimpse of how she felt through her shock. "Mom, say something. Please."

Her eyes closed for a moment, and then she whispered, "Are you sure? This isn't some... phase?"

"This isn't a dye job or some stupid trend, mom. I've really thought about this. It's who I am."

"But, have you tried... not to be? How do you know that you are?"

"I just do, mom."

Suddenly, Chris found himself in her arms, her head against his chest. Her chest heaved as she sobbed against him, tears clinging to his shirt. He didn't know what to do other than put a hand on her back, rubbing it as she cried. As if he did tell her someone died.

He must've. Yeah, that's the only thing that could explain his mother clinging to him like a life raft. He pussied out in the end and said that Uncle Patrick died. Yeah, it didn't make sense for Rene Sabin to ask if Uncle Patrick dying was just a phase, but she was upset. She was probably speaking crazy.

That had to explain it. Because really, telling his parents that he was with a guy couldn't have caused that... could it?

"So, after a bit, she tells me she's gonna check on my dad, and perhaps it would be best if I left. And what was I supposed to say, between the waterworks and my mom giving me the boot I just... left." Alex nodded, wanting to do something, anything, to get through to his friend. He leaned over and put an arm around Chris' shoulder, unsure of what else he could possibly do.

"That sucks man. I'm sorry."

" Yeah, me too." Chris shook his head. "I mean, they're my parents. They gave birth to me. Aren't they supposed to love me unconditionally or something like that?"

"I'm sure they do."

"My dad walked away without a word. My mom told me it'd be best if I left. Yeah, unconditional my ass."

"It was just the shock, Chris," Alex tried again, "I'm sure they'll call you soon to fix things."

"Or maybe they're up there de-Chris-ing the house. We don't need a fag in the family, right?" Chris threw up his hands in defeat. "Now I know why people get all repressed and shit. I didn't want this." In that moment, he couldn't even be mad at AJ anymore. His parents weren't even that religious; he couldn't imagine AJ trying to explain to his devout mother what he'd been up to. He'd said, all that time ago, when AJ first told him that he was going to give Taylor a shot and that what they were doing was over, that they could be brave about this together.

But was it really worth it? Having the people who loved him and raised him reject him just because he wanted to be with AJ? Was it worth it for AJ to lose his family all over Chris? He never really thought this far. It was just supposed to be 'I like you, you like me, let's do this'. It wasn't supposed to be this hard.

"Look man, just give it time." Alex patted his shoulder before moving his arm away, "Every thing'll be alright..."

"No. No, it won't be." Chris wasn't shouting, but Alex could still hear the amount of anger and sadness in his voice, "Fuck. They're my fucking parents, man. Shouldn't it just matter to them if I'm happy? Shouldn't they support what makes me happy?"

"But you're not happy, dude. Not anymore. Haven't been for a long time." Alex sighed; he knew Chris wasn't going to like what he had to say next, but he had to say it. "And... man, it's not that simple."

"What do you mean? It should be that simple. I'm their kid, they support me. Where's the part when it gets complicated?"

Maybe he should've waited for another time, a time when Chris was calmer. But now that Alex started, he was going to finish. "You just told them that they'll never get to be part of that big white wedding parents secretly plan when their children date someone for over five months. You just told them they'll never have grandchildren the way their friends will have grandchildren-"

"I can adopt when that time comes."

"It's not the same."

"I can get a surrogate..."

"Not. The. Same." Chris' face became cold with that last word; this was not what he wanted at all. Not then, and not from the only person that accepted who he was. He turned his face to the windshield, but Alex kept talking. "I mean yeah, they should support you, but you kind of took all their plans for you and ripped them to pieces. Give them a while to process. They'll come to their senses."

"And what if they don't?" Chris whispered, eyes still staring upward. "What if they never accept me? What then?" Alex didn't answer. He had no answer. He didn't want to even think about Mr. and Mrs. Sabin shunning Chris like that. "Shit, dammit. My parents don't want me now. Allie doesn't want me now. Heck, if anyone at work found out about this, I bet they wouldn't want me there either. Why the hell does it have to be this hard? I'm still the same guy."

"Give them time," Alex repeated, "They'll come around. As for the locker room, fuck them. They don't need to know where your dick goes. If you're not gonna go bragging about it, I won't. They won't find out anything." He blinked; suddenly, it hit him. "Oh, fuck. Fuck. Allie, Chris? As in... AJ?" Chris nodded. "Allen Jones. You were with Allen Jones." Chris nodded. "Well fuck me. You and AJ Styles. That... that's unexpected."

"What can I say, I like the guy. And the guy likes me. But the guy likes his soul more." Chris shrugged. "What can I do, it says laying with another guy is wrong in fucking Exodus or something."

"It wasn't Exodus."

"I don't care. Either way, God says we're wrong and AJ's all about being right. Doesn't matter how we feel, he wants a family and he wants kids and he wants to be all squared away with JC and he can't do that if he's with me. So... fuck me, I'm going to hell, and he's trying the domesticated thing with Taylor Wilde."

"Shit man."

"That's not even the best part," Chris added, sounding slightly manic, "I can't bring myself to hate him. No, not even a little. He fucking yanked me around for three months and dumped me so he can do his Christian thing, and I can't hate him. Because I understand where he's coming from now, I don't fucking want this anymore. And because fuck, I still want to be with him. All the time." He laughed, the empty sound unsettling Alex. "I'm a fucking fool."

"No you're not."

"Yes I am. And don't tell me I'm not, because I know I am."

Alex stared at him for a moment. He felt like he was letting Chris down, but he really had no idea how to make things better in the least. Finally, he said, "Alright, move out. I'm driving. You're in no condition to drive, and I'm in no condition to die. Come on, let's go." Chris didn't put up a fight, opening the door and moving to the passenger seat while Alex climbed over to the driver's seat. Once they were settled in, Alex said, "Just get some sleep for now, okay? We'll talk more in the morning."

"I don't know if I can sleep," he muttered.

"Yeah, well, try Sabin." Alex started the car, shaking his head. He needed a drink. Or maybe five.

Somewhere else, in a quiet hotel room, Allen Jones was sitting alone on his bed. Lucky him, Taylor was invited out with some other women to party, so AJ had some space tonight to think... the time to try to plan his next step forward.

In his hand was the ring he'd bought earlier. He studied it, moving it from side to side, the diamond shining every time the light caught it. He had no doubt that Taylor would love the ring, though he had no idea if she'd even say yes. He didn't even know what to say to her. They hadn't been together for long, but they'd known each other for a while now, and they were pretty damn serious. What if she thought he was moving too fast? Was he?

This wasn't how he visualized this at all. He thought there would be a moment when it became obvious that he would propose, yes, but he didn't expect it to be in a church talking about the thoughts he'd been having about a man.

Ah well. Sometimes, plans change. He could work with what he had. He just had to figure out what he would say, and how he would say it... after all, he couldn't just say 'will you marry me' randomly on a Tuesday. It didn't feel right.

If only it didn't seem so hard.

No words came. None. All he had was will you marry me, and those four were a given.

He kept twisting the ring between his fingers, hoping for any kind of inspiration. Finally, he just placed the ring back into the small box on the bedside table, defeated. He had time, right? He didn't have to propose to Taylor right away. He could think about it for a while, until he found the right words.

He walked over to his bag and pulled out his CD case and player, hoping some music would clear his thoughts. He flipped through them carefully, but then he stopped. Right there, next to his old Willie Nelson CD, was a 311 CD shoved into the pocket. He pulled it out, remembering the time Chris told him he 'needed' to educate his ears with 'real' music. Chris had carefully handpicked three CDs, poking AJ in the side until he promised- swore- that he would listen to all three of them in entirety.

Finally, he popped open the CD player, putting the CD inside. The first track began playing moments after he put the headphones on his head, and he laughed- he knew this one. He could vividly remember Chris hitting his hands on the dashboard to the beat of this very song, singing along as they drove around town late one night, trying to find a bar. Chris knew the lyrics by heart. Or maybe he was just really good at ad-libbing. Either way, AJ could remember that look on his face as he sang the song; it was pure elation.

AJ banged his head like Chris would, the words coming easy to him; he'd heard Chris sing them enough times in the past. He beat his hands against his legs, enjoying the movements he was making- and the memories they brought up- much more than the song.

"C'mon, Allie, it won't kill ya to sing with me."

Thinking of the nickname snapped AJ out of the moment. He snatched the headphones off his head, pressing the stop button on his player. He grabbed it and the ring box, walking to his bag and roughly throwing both inside of the bag. He kicked his bag carelessly before grabbing a sweater. He needed to get away from this, from Taylor Wilde, and from Chris Sabin.

All he wanted was some peace, and yet that seemed so far out of his reach.

He walked along the hall quietly, happy for the complete emptiness the night brought to it. He didn't have much of a destination in mind, but he didn't care. He just needed to walk. Escape.

He got on the elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor. He had to admit, if there was one thing he didn't miss, it was the secrecy. Between back staircases, the long way out, and watching his words around his friends, just getting together with Chris was a bother. Once they were together, that was another story entirely, but getting together was always a hassle.

"Wait just a minute, hold the damn elevator!" AJ leaned forward, pressing the open button, and soon Chris Harris and James Storm were inside. "Hey there Styles. Going down?" AJ nodded, waving at Harris. Harris returned the wave, and Storm continued, "So, where you off to this late in the PM?"

AJ shrugged. "Just had to get out of the room."

"Whaddaya know, Wildcat n'me was having the same predicament. We were thinking the hotel bar was callin' our number. Wanna join us?"

"Sure, why not?" The doors opened, and Storm threw one of his arms around AJ and the other around Harris.

"We have ourselves a plan! First round's on Wildcat, save your pennies Styles." He began leading them out of the elevator, ignoring the angry look Harris was giving him and the overwhelmed look on AJ's face.

"Forgive him, he's already a little drunk," Chris whispered.

"Nah, Styles doesn't mind me, do ya Styles?" Storm's hand clapped on AJ's side, and AJ nodded. It was somewhat sincere; after all, he and Storm had both been there when TNA had it's debut show. He was used to Storm's shenanigans. "See, me and Styles have an understanding." He turned to AJ, pressing a loud, slobbery kiss to AJ's temple. "This guy's a real pal, here. Ah, don't look green Wildcat, you know you're number one."

AJ brought a hand up, wiping his temple in disgust, while Harris smirked at him. If that was the cost of a free drink, AJ would've offered to buy the first round.

Soon, they were sitting at one of the tables, and the first round of beers was placed in front of them. Storm picked up his mug, holding it out. "To pals like Wildcat and Styles here." Harris and AJ both ignored the toast, and Storm flipped them off as he began drinking along with them.

"So," Harris said, turning to AJ, "You didn't have anyone to come down with? What about that girl you've been hanging around?"

"Taylor? She went out tonight."

"And you didn't accompany the lady? What're you, some kind of queer or something?" AJ tipped his cup, focusing on drinking, pretending he didn't hear Storm. "Ah, don't be like Wildcat now. You know I like t'fuck around."

AJ put his mug down, giving Storm the most relaxed gaze he could. "Yup. Queer. So queer I'm with one of the best looking women around here. And you're with... who again? Wildcat?"

"Oh hell yeah, I cook up Wildcat's clam real good." Storm blew a kiss at Harris, causing him to shake his head.

"Why do I put up with you?"

"You know you want you some, Chris Harris." Storm put a hand on his own chest, squeezing his pec.

Soon, one beer became two, and two beers became three- or six, in Storm's case. Storm was leaning against the chair, muttering nothings while Harris and AJ capped off their last beer. "That's James Storm," Harris said, pointing his mug at Storm, "I'll have to carry that load of dead weight back up. But I have to admit, never a dull moment with him."

"I could imagine."

Harris nodded. "So... did you just want to hang around alone? I know James can be overbearing, so I gotta know if we dragged you here..."

"Nah man, don't worry about it. We had a good time," AJ said, waving him off.

"That we did." Chris clapped a hand on AJ's back. "I'm sorry, I had to ask. You looked a little preoccupied when we got to you."

AJ nodded. "Yeah. Guess I was. Just some stuff with Taylor."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Something like that."

"Whatever it is, you're wrong. She's right." AJ looked at Harris curiously, and he said, "Look, Taylor's a catch and you're an idiot. So if you're fighting, just know she's right."

"It's nothing like that." AJ shook his head. "No, me and her are fine..."

"Too fine?"

"How can something be too fine?"

"Easily." Harris pointed at Storm, who kept mumbling, completely oblivious to the two men watching him. "Look at him. He's drunk as fuck all the time, and I'm the one who has to take care of him when he gets a hangover. He's irresponsible. I end up paying for shit I didn't want to pay for. He leaves his belt around, and I'm the one who has to find it before we go out to the ring. But listen when I say this; I will never get bored with this guy. That's what keeps this friendship strong. Same with women. If a woman never bugs me, then she's not the woman I should be screwing. Because if you can't get angry at your woman, you can't have fun with your woman. More you can get angry at a person, more you actually care about them."

"EWWWWWWW!" Harris and AJ looked up, and they saw Storm bent over the chair. Orange spew splashed over a woman's shoes, and she was looking at them horrified.

"M'apologies, miss," Storm grinned, and the woman ran off, squealing. Probably to find a bathroom.

"You must really like James then."

Harris rolled his eyes at the statement, muttering, "Shut up, Styles!" He stood up and walked over to Storm, wrapping his arm around his body. "Come on buddy, you're done for the night." Harris started picking up Storm, who was coughing and protesting about how he could go for another round. "No, you're done. Hey AJ, you can go if you want. I got him."

"You sure you don't want any help?" AJ looked at Storm, who latched his arms around Harris' neck. Harris wasn't kidding when he called him a load of dead weight; at this point, he doubted Storm remembered his own name.

"Nah, we're good here." Harris smiled sheepishly. "But if you wanna follow us up, just in case..."

"I'll do it," AJ chuckled, nodding. He pulled one arm off of Harris' neck, bringing it around his, and he and Harris began carrying Storm towards the exit.

"Hey!" Harris yelled out to the bartender. He looked up, and Harris pointed to their table. "Charge everything we got up to room 421." The bartender nodded and went back to work.

Fifteen minutes later, Storm was sitting on the bed, somewhere between drunk and passing out. From his seat in the corner, AJ watched him mumble about random things, a little worried. "Is he... is he gonna be okay?"

"Oh, him? He'll be fine. Probably won't even have that bad a hangover, that son of a bitch. He'll be up and sexually harassing random backstage workers at ten." Harris dropped down on the armrest of the seat AJ was in. "Thanks for the help."

"Don't mention it."

"Well, if you insist." For a few moments, they just watched Storm talk into his pillow, laughing at the more random things that came out of his mouth. Finally, Harris said, "So, I heard they're thinking about making you and Chris a pair."

"What?" AJ tried to keep controlled, but his voice still went a little higher.

"Man, relax. I thought you knew about you and the Fallen Angel being a team."

He meant Daniels, AJ. Of course he meant Daniels. Who else would he mean? "Oh, of course I knew. Just didn't know you knew yet."

"AJ, if you're going into a program with America's Most Wanted, know that Chris Harris is on top of things. James might not be, but I am. I knew before they even thought you and Chris Daniels were a good team." Harris smirked. "Just wanted to wish you luck. I mean... it's gonna be a shame when the poster boys get their asses handed to them."

"Oh shut up, Chris and me can wrestle circles around you and-" He pointed at Storm with his nose. "Well, I think anyone can wrestle circles around him now."

"Don't worry about him, he takes the job seriously. If nothing else." Harris nodded. "Yeah, us four? We're gonna put on some good matches."

"You bet... hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure Styles, go for it."

"When you were talking about relationships, and being bored- do you really think that's true?"

"Oh, yeah. If you don't care about something, or someone, you can't get mad at them." Harris looked over at AJ, "That's... not what's up with you and Taylor, right?"

"No!" AJ stopped himself, seeing Harris' brow raise. He must've sounded way too defensive. "No. Me and Taylor are fine. And it's not like we haven't fought..." I just can't think of the last time right now. "I really care about her."

"Well then, don't stress about it. Whatever your issue is with Taylor right now, you two can fix it. Bet on it." Harris stood up, pushing his hair back. "Well, I'm going to get a shower. You should get back to your room."

"Alright." AJ said goodbye to Harris and soon found himself back in his room, back where he started. Except there was a new thought crossing his head. Had he and Taylor ever fought? And if they hadn't, did that mean he didn't care about her?

No. No. He cared. She was a great girl. She was his girl. And what the heck, so they haven't fought in a while? That didn't change the fact he cared about her.

He kept trying to think of the last fight he had with Taylor, but he could only think of one fight... the one he had the last time he saw Chris Sabin. One of the worst fights in recent memory.

"I'm not going to feel bad for ending something that was going nowhere quick."

"You act like I'm the only one who wanted it quiet. Stupid hypocrite."

"Go to hell, Chris."

If what Harris said was true, then he really cared about Chris. And when it came down to it, he missed his friendship. He couldn't leave things like that, telling Chris to go to hell. His whole being told him he had to apologize, had to make things right. But could he? Chris made it clear they couldn't be friends again, so could AJ fix matters without touching unwanted territory?

AJ sighed. Maybe it was time he looked up some more of those testimonials.

Taylor Wilde walked, barefoot, to her hotel room, holding her heels in her hands. She couldn't believe she was being treated like one of the girls, invited out with everyone else; she was one of the newer girls, and she was hardly used, yet she was able to be part of the group.

It was one of the reasons she was so surprised when AJ said yes to her; she was young, she was new, and yet he gave her a chance. At this rate, she would no longer be the rookie around the arena.

She opened the door, seeing AJ at the computer. "Hey there hun!" AJ's hand automatically clicked on the mouse, and he turned around, smiling.

"Hey Taylor." AJ stood up, walking over and throwing his arms around her. She hugged him back, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "How was your night?"

"Great." She grinned. "So, Mr. Shifty, what're you trying to hide?"

"What?"

"I saw that." She punched his arm gently. "What were you doing, watching porn?"

"What... no!"

"You were watching porn, weren't you?" Taylor poked his chest, still grinning. "Such a pervert." She walked over to her bag, pulling out of her shirt before looking back at AJ. His cheeks were so red that she couldn't help but chuckle. "You're really blushing! You've never watched a porn?"

Well, no. He hadn't. Ever. He couldn't even imagine watching a man and a woman having sex; it wasn't something AJ thought should be shared with the world. But what was worse... explaining that he watched a porn or explaining that he was reading testimonials from reformed homosexuals? "Well... it kind of popped up..."

"No need to be shy about it, hun. Everyone watches porn. You, me, your mother... okay, I probably shouldn't have said that, but yeah, it's natural." She slipped her skirt off, kicking it into the bag. She walked over to AJ, kissing him again, before saying, "I'm going to the shower. Want to join me?"

Something felt wrong here, and AJ knew it, even as he smiled back at Taylor. But he swallowed it, standing up and putting his arms around her bare waist. "Sounds great. Let's go." A giggle escaped Taylor's mouth as AJ began leading her to the bathroom, holding her steady as she backpedaled.

This could work. They could work. He could make it work.