When they got to the venue, or high school rather, Punk was still pretty pissed off. He had been promised he wouldn't be bothered the few days he had off yet here Cary was dragging him in. Jeff had been quiet the whole time probably because he knew that Punk was mad and did t want to deal with it. Thinking about it he guessed he could be considered selfish right now but all he had wanted to do was be at home with his new boyfriend. Going to the locker room of the gym, he noticed that Jeff wasn't walking beside him anymore and when he looked back he saw Becky seemingly flirting with him. She just couldn't leave any male alone could she? He trusted Jeff though so he let the older man take care of it while he changed it to his gear. His match was the first one up and he just wanted to get it over with so he could leave. When he came back out it didn't escape his notice that Becky and Jeff were still talking although it looked like she was about to leave. Punk waited until Jeff's new friend left before he went up to him.
"Looks like you've gained a friend." He stated humorously Jeff turned around and guffawed.
"She's funny but I might like her better if she wasn't trying to get me to hook you two up the entire time we talked."
"She what?" Punk asked in disbelief even though to be honest he wouldn't put it past her.
"You heard me." He scowled obviously annoyed with what happened. It was kind of cute, how jealous he was and everything. Chuckling Punk shook his head and leaned in t whisper in Jeff's ear.
"Don't worry baby. She's not my type." Jeff raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"And that would be…?" he prompted.
"Well let's see." Punk turned around acting like he was looking for someone else. He heard Jeff scoff and playfully shove him.
"Oh there. That's my type." He pointed at Jeff but the man turned around like he was pointing at someone behind him. Jeff looked confused as he turned back to face Punk but then the confusion switched to realization.
"You smooth son of a bitch." Jeff smiled making Punk chuckle and shrug innocently in return.
"Come on, I gotta go make the money." Okay so, yes he knew he wasn't the one in their relationship to make the big money but still, he had to say it. When they got to the curtain just before he went out, Jeff gave him a small kiss and he didn't think anything of it. Why should he? All of a sudden it dawned on him though that, while he didn't care what people thought of him, what about Jeff? If someone had seen them then that meant they could ruin Jeff's image if they decided to tell someone else. Pushing that thought into the back of his head, Punk stepped through the curtain to his match.
While Punk was out doing his thing Jeff didn't really have much to do besides watch him. But if he wanted to do that he'd have to sit out front or peek around the curtain. Opting out of either, he decided to just sit down and wait out the match. It couldn't be that long right?
Not long turned out to be ten minutes later and right when he came back, Punk made his way to Jeff first. He knew he had won his match because of all the congratulations he got while walking towards him.
"Good job, baby." Jeff said softly as Punk finally reached him. Punk rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless.
"I'm gonna go change then we can leave." They started to the dressing room when someone called out Punk's name. His boyfriend turned around, a little annoyed but compliant anyway.
"Sup Cary?" He called out from maybe five feet away.
"I need to talk to you… alone." Jeff looked over at a worried Punk and gave him a sympathetic look. Being called into the boss's office always made him a nervous wreck even though most of the time it was good news. Punk told him he'd be right back and once again Jeff just waited. Not that he minded or anything but he really just wanted to get back to where they were before they were interrupted by Colt. Not even five minutes after Punk went to talk to his boss Jeff heard him yelling. Okay so that wasn't good. Standing up just as the 'second city saint' came through the office door again, slamming it open he asked what was wrong.
"They're firing me." He stated venomously. Jeff didn't blame him either. If he had come in on a day off just to be fired after he'd be pretty pissed too.
"Why? What happened?" Jeff asked genuinely concerned and confused, if he was honest.
"Apparently some of the guys aren't comfortable working with 'someone like me'" Punk all but growled, even doing the finger quotations.
"Straight-edge? Haven't you always been like that?" Still confused as hell Jeff was startled when Punk let out a non-amused bark of laughter.
"I mean gay, baby. They don't feel comfortable working with me because I'm gay." His voice was quiet, which was something Jeff totally wasn't used to. Punk was so lively and fun to be around and to see him like this made Jeff's heart break. He was also extremely pissed. Here was a man they've known for years and all of a sudden they turn their back on him because of his sexual orientation? Wait how did they even find out? It wasn't like Punk yelled it from the rooftops and they had been very careful because Jeff didn't want this to happen to his lover. Sure Vince McMahon didn't care nor did most of the guys in the WWF locker room but he knew it'd be different for Punk although he didn't think it would be this dramatic if they had found out. Because no matter how careful they were eventually it would come out. They would come out. He wanted to say something, anything to make him feel better but honestly he had no clue what to say. He had never been in a position where people didn't accept him for who he was. It was just him to be different, it was just Jeff Hardy. Sighing Jeff followed as Punk went into the locker room not even bothering to shower, just putting his pants on over his trunks and boots along with putting on a shirt, gathering his things then they left. The bus ride to his little apartment was quiet, Punk still not saying anything and Jeff still not knowing what to say. Once they were inside though, Punk lost it. He started throwing things, breaking things and just all around tearing the place up.
"Baby stop!" Jeff yelled side stepping some things as he made his way to him. Grabbing his shoulders he shook him a bit, yelling again.
"Stop it, Phil! This isn't going to solve anything! Just calm down." Punk pulled away from him and kicked things out of his way before plopping down on his already abused old couch.
"You know what I keep thinking?" Punk asked, his voice a dead calm. Jeff shook his head prompting him more into sharing his thought.
"If I just would have stayed home like I wanted to tonight none of this would have happened. Nobody would know about us and I would still have a job." Punk scoffed and put his head down into his hands. Jeff on the other hand bit his lip and tried not take offense to that. On one hand he knew how much this business meant to Punk and that he was probably right but then again he had basically just said that he didn't want them to be known as a couple. That sort of hurt Jeff in a way he couldn't explain. Sure he had been with guys and had to keep it from others but this was different, he actually cared for Punk in a more than a fling kind of way. Sighing he put his head down and tried not let it show on his face what he was feeling.
Punk couldn't believe it. After everything he had been through with them they were just going to let go like they did? He sure as hell didn't deserve that. He had gone a little overboard in trashing his apartment and he felt bad for doing it in front of Jeff. Speaking of, where was he? Looking up he saw Jeff standing across the room seeming a bit saddened.
"Sorry about freaking out like that." Punk apologized causing Jeff's head to pop up from its downward position.
"It's just I don't know what I'm going to do now. I'm not good at anything else." Jeff smiled feebly probably trying his best to be supportive. He was too good for him.
"I understand." Jeff said quietly, his eyes looking down not wanting to make contact with Punk's. He noticed this too because in the short time they had been around each other he had always made eye contact with him. Jeff thought it was important in any relationship.
"Are you okay, Jeff?" Punk asked worried that he might have scared Jeff off with his little episode. The older man only nodded as an answer and that sure as hell didn't make Punk feel secure in that answer. He knew he'd fuck this up! He couldn't have anything good in his life without fucking it up.
"Jeff, please say something." He needed to hear his voice, to know that everything was okay. Or in the least know he was okay.
"Do you really not want people to know about us?" It was so quiet he almost didn't hear it but when he did he felt horrible. That's what he had said right after his melt down. That he should have just stayed home then no one would know about them and he'd still have a job. He didn't want Jeff to think Punk blamed him for this and he sure as hell didn't want Jeff thinking he didn't want people to know about them. Hell he wanted to yell it from the rooftops but was afraid for Jeff. He was afraid that the same thing that happened to him would happen to Jeff.
"No! I mean yes I want people to know about us, but it's dangerous in our business. It's not like a desk job where if people don't like it they don't even have to look at you. Wrestling you have to not only be in the same locker room as others but there's physical content as well and you already know this so I don't need to explain." He trailed off. Obviously Jeff knew how this business worked, he had already been in it for almost a decade. It was also obvious that the people he worked with didn't seem to mind his sexuality. They still liked him and treated him like any other wrestler on the roster. At least that's what it looked like when he was there that one time.
"Phil, you have to stop caring what others think of you. So what if they don't like who you are or what you do outside the ring but once you step between these ropes they damn sure have to respect you. You're a phenomenal wrestler and an even better person and if they don't like you or feel comfortable around you because of who you sleep with then that's their loss." Jeff was right. He was absolutely right. Punk had always cared about what others thought of him and although he wouldn't admit it out loud, it was true. Smirking he stood up, got in front of Jeff and pulled him into a kiss.
"You're right." He uttered against Jeff's lips.
"And I'm going to start now. I've been afraid to say this thinking I'll seem like a fool but here it goes. I love you Jeff hardy. I don't know when it happened but I've never felt this sort of… connection with anyone before. So what if I lost my job, I still have you." Jeff pushed his forehead against his own and smiled.
"You'll always have me." Those words were like magic to Punk. They calmed every nerve in his body and quieted every doubt in his mind. This was going to work.