In the Closet

"Are you insane?"

Dolph shrugged at the question, at the fury dancing in Punk's eyes. "Maybe. But we won't be let out of here until I tell Jack to let us out."

"Until you say so?" Punk had put as much space as he could between them in the small room.

"That's right. So, you know. If you knock me out, we might be stuck in here."

The look on Punk's face turned speculative and he crossed his arms. "And if I get you to tell Swagger to let us out?"

He looked Dolph over as he said it and Dolph could practically hear what he was thinking. He wouldn't put it past the man to try out a few of his submission moves but Dolph held up his hands.

"Or you could just hear me out," he suggested.

Punk only considered this for a moment. "I think I like my idea better."

"Come on. Just give me a few minutes. Then, I promise, we can beat the shit out of each other if you want. I just need a few minutes."

Punk eyed him critically a moment and Dolph didn't know if it was the almost pleading note in his voice or if Punk was just humoring him until he could attack but he relented after a moment. His stance didn't relax but he did wave a hand in Dolph's direction.

"Fine. You have a few minutes. Then you're going to tell your buddy to let us out or I'm going to make you."

Xxxxxxxxx

Randy wasn't sure if he'd ever felt more restless than he did at that moment. John had sat down, was eyeing him with distrust shining in his eyes as he shifted on his feet in front of the man. He'd been thinking about this conversation since John had walked out on him and he still wasn't sure what to say to make things better between them, to convince John that he could trust him again. .

"If you're just going to stand there, I'm going to leave," John prompted him.

"Right." Randy paused, ran a hand over his face. "Look, I know I'm an asshole and an idiot."

"Not going to argue with you there," John said, leaning back on the bench and crossing his arms.

"I know I shouldn't have accepted that bet from Ziggler," he continued, ignoring the jab. "I'm not happy that I did but I had been planning on approaching you for a while before it."

John shook his head. "Oh, yeah? Then why didn't you?"

"Because I'm not good at this stuff, believe it or not. I'm great at hook ups, at flirting and getting people into bed. I suck when it comes to real feelings."

"Real feelings?" John asked incredulously. "You want me to believe you had real feelings for me?"

"Yes, I did. I do. I've never had a stable relationship. A real one. You know how I was before." He paused as he thought back to that. That guy who had kicked Vince McMahon in the head, who had gone after Stephanie McMahon, who had put plenty of the roster in the hospital, including the man sitting in front of him.

"And, what exactly does that mean? That you're still the same asshole you were back then?"

"No…or, at least, I'm trying not to be. I'm pissed at myself for the bet but…I think….I think I'm falling for you."

Xxxxxxxxxx

"I'm sorry," Dolph started off with and reflected that he'd never apologized so much in his life as he had since he and Punk had started this thing.

"Not good enough," Punk answered calmly. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, waiting.

"I'm a bad guy, I get it. I'm an asshole. I shouldn't have made the wager and I shouldn't have run out on you." He'd already decided on how to approach this, decided that blunt honesty was the only way to go.

"Right. Is this it? I told you to leave me the fuck alone, Ziggler. You should have just listened to me." Punk's voice was flat and he started to move away from the wall.

"I think I might love you," Dolph blurted out and he succeded in stopping Punk cold.

"What?" If anything, Punk sounded angrier.

"Well, I've never actually been in love before but I figure I might be heading down that road with you. Anybody else and I wouldn't have felt a thing when I walked out of that hotel room."

"You really are sick, aren't you?" Punk asked with a scowl. His arms dropped to his sides and his fists clenched.

"I'm not lying. I swear."

Xxxxxxxxxx

"You're falling for me?" John repeated the disbelief clear in his tone.

"Yes," Randy answered plainly.

John studied him a moment. "How the hell am I supposed to believe that?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure what to do to make you believe it but it is the truth. John, do you really think I'd still be here if this was just about that bet. You said Punk overheard mine and Ziggler's conversation. Didn't he tell you what we said to each other? I regret it and I just want to be with you now."

Xxxxxxxxx

"You're not lying? Really? Okay, then. I mean, you are a very trustworthy person, aren't you, Ziggler?"

"And you are too? Aren't you the guy that took over Nexus? The guy that terrorized Rey Mysterio's family? That decided to leave the company last year with the WWE title?"

"Oh, no. You don't get to turn this around on me. I may not be the nicest guy in the world but I am not the one who made that bet and I'm not the one who lies to get people in bed."

"I don't usually lie to get people in bed and why exactly are you so angry with me? You know, that hatred? It usually means I did have an effect on you."

"Wait, now I'm not allowed to be angry without 'feeling' something else for you? Let me clear it up for you, Ziggler. I'm not feeling anything right now but disgust."

"You're just as big a liar as I am. You felt something for me, I know you did or you wouldn't have even gone to bed with me."

"Maybe I did but whatever it was, it doesn't matter now."

Both Punk and Dolph stopped then. Punk had moved away from the wall during the little argument and they were standing almost nose to nose. The unfamiliar feeling of desperation welled up in Dolph and he spoke next without thinking.

"It has to matter. I can't leave here until you believe me." He was sure, finally that what he'd told Punk was the truth because he was sure that, in that moment, and he'd do almost anything to get Punk to listen to him.

Punk just backed up from him again. "Then we're going to be here for a while."

Xxxxxxxxxx

"I wanna believe you," John said quietly. "But I'm kind of getting tired of getting taken advantage of because I'm a 'nice guy'."

"Yeah, I get that too but I'm not trying to take advantage. These speeches are not something I'm great at but I like you, maybe even love you and I don't want to lose you. I realized that…"

John nodded and sighed. Randy looked sincere enough. But he had before as well. And John still did have feelings for him. They hadn't had nearly enough time to fade yet. He wasn't even sure now if he wanted them to fade.

"I need to think about this," he finally said, standing and shouldering his bag.

Randy nodded, accepting that. "Alright."

John left the room. He needed to find someone he could talk this out with. Someone who would be completely honest with him…

Xxxxxxxxx

"What do you want me to do?" Dolph spread his arms. "What exactly can I do?"

"You can let me out of here," Punk suggested, watching Dolph's reaction. He saw the barely visible flinch and the flash of what he could have sworn was hurt in Dolph's eyes.

In fact, Dolph's reactions had surprised him for the entire time they were in the tiny room. He'd seen Dolph cocky, sure of himself. This was the first time he'd seen Dolph flinch; the first time he'd seen that kind of sincerity in Dolph's expression.

The urge to beat Ziggler into the ground had faded pretty fast for him and he wasn't sure what to do with that. He wasn't a forgiving person, had never been. It just had never seemed to be in him. But Dolph had the ability to throw him off balance like nobody else. He'd started this conversation wanting to beat the hell out of the man and now…

"Let me out now," he demanded as calmly as he could. Dolph sighed and turned to the door to call for Jack.

Xxxxxxxx

John was just unlocking the door to his hotel room when Punk rounded the corner in the hall and headed straight for him. John didn't even say anything. He simply opened the door and let Punk inside.