It's been two weeks since Punk had been fired from Ring of Honor. Two weeks since he had told Jeff he loved him and honestly Jeff still hadn't really processed that all the way. And he felt bad too because Punk had said it numerous times in these past couple of weeks but Jeff had yet to say it back. It wasn't because he didn't love him either. Truthfully it was because he was scared to. Every time he had told someone how he truly felt it ended up backfiring on him, sure Phil said it first so he shouldn't be worrying about running him off but there was still some apprehension. He was going to clear that up today however. They were travelling through Chicago on their way to a different venue and he had an hour or so free time, what better way to spend that than with Phil. He had just parked in front of Punk's apartment building and he stretched in his seat before getting out and heading to apartment 6. Knocking on the door he waited for what felt like forever until finally he heard someone shuffle around the curse loudly, probably because he hit something in his messy habitat. When the door opened he saw a disheveled Punk standing before him in tattered jeans and no shirt.

"Well this is a sight I could get used to." Jeff smiled at Punk who only walked away. Okay so that was different.

"You okay?" Jeff asked, shutting the door behind him.

"Eviction notice. Don't have a job can't pay my rent." He was throwing things in boxes and probably breaking things.

"How much is it? I can help you out."

"No!" Punk all but yelled.

"I mean I can't take your money, Jeff. I won't that's not who I am." Jeff could see that he wouldn't be able to talk him into taking his help. That's okay because he had another plan.

"Alright well how about this, you come on the road with me then on our way back to the east coast we'll come through here again and we can pick up some of your things and take it to my place." He had been playing with the idea of Punk maybe staying with him part time or Jeff staying with him while he was off for a bit. Sure he didn't think about Phil moving in with him, especially so soon after they made their relationship official but he was not going to let him struggle to find a place to live when he had a perfectly good place at which he hardly stayed. And it wasn't because he didn't like it, it was because his place was just too… empty. He volunteered to work just so he didn't have to be alone, he was pathetic really. Punk hadn't given him an answer and Jeff looked up to find him staring at him in disbelief.

"Is this you asking me to move in with you? Not so subtle but…" Jeff gave his boyfriend a very unamused look before smiling.

"Shut up. Do you want to or not?"

"I thought I was supposed to shut up? God you're very indecisive sometimes." Phil could probably sense how much Jeff wanted to slap the shit out of him. He put his hands up in playful defense then stepped up to Jeff, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"That's sweet of you, baby really but Chicago is… my home. I don't know if I can just get up and leave." Jeff understood, really he did but why couldn't Phil see he was only trying to help. That it was a reasonable offer. He had no place to live and Jeff had a nearly empty place.

"It doesn't have to be permanent. It's just a place you can stay until you find someplace else is all." Punk's arms fell from Jeff's waist and he turned to pack some more boxes.

"Actually I'm going to stay more uptown with Scott and his family. Uh they don't know about me… us." Jeff knew where this was going. Phil was going to ask if they could lay low, maybe ask if they could keep it that way until he found someplace else to live and who knew when that would be considering he'd have to find a new job first. Jeff thought this relationship was going to be different. That he wouldn't have to 'hide' this one.

"So let me guess, you wanna keep us a secret?" The annoyance in his voice was hard to miss and the look on his face probably reflected that. He hated being put on the back burner in relationships. Was it selfish? Maybe, but he didn't claim to be a fucking saint. He just wanted something real, something he could share with everyone he came across. His boyfriend on the other hand wanted something else and apparently that something else didn't include telling… anyone. Phil didn't react to Jeff's angered remark for a good few minutes. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he finally spoke up.

"Jeff that's not what this is about." Punk sighed.

"The fuck it's not! Why do you wanna hide this so badly?!" Jeff didn't know why he was yelling. Sure the whole situation pissed him off but this has happened to him before and he had never yelled but there was something different about this time. Usually the guys he saw were just flings, fuck buddies if you would. He felt something for them sure, but they were more relationships of convenience. Something to satisfy his primal needs when they called to him. Phil though, Phil was different. He could even say he…loved him. But now the son of a bitch turned out to be like the rest, using him like he had used all the others. He guessed you could call this poetic. That didn't make him any less angry though. Instead of doing or saying anything that he'd regret, Jeff just turned around and walked out the door. He'd have to think about all of this later.

Punk was stunned, he hadn't expected Jeff to react like that. To him this wasn't that big of a deal but he hadn't thought about how his boyfriend would feel. How he would see the whole situation. He had been kind enough to offer up his home and Punk shot him down without much thought. As Jeff stormed out of his apartment he didn't try to stop him. What would be the point? Jeff would still be angry and he would still be confused. See this is why he didn't have many relationships under his belt, they were too fucking complicated. Blowing out a deep breath he threw some more things in boxes but the more he thought about how upset Jeff had been the more he wanted to make him understand it from his point of view. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, someone knocked on his door. Hoping it was Jeff, because he'd hate him to leave angry, he quickly opened the door only to see Colt standing in front of him.
"You ready?" He asked taking a drink of whatever was in his 7eleven cup. Knowing him though he was probably drinking a coke slushy. Nasty tasting stuff that it was.

"Yeah just packing up the last of it now. Really man, thanks for this." Punk said as he taped the last box closed.

"No prob. So… I ran into Jeff on my way up. He seemed pretty upset. You two get in a fight or something?" Colt asked as they started carrying some boxes out to his car. Unlike Punk, Scott was actually pretty well off. His family was to thank for that though, they had started him a trust fund of sorts when he was young and instead of being smart about how he used it, he used the money for wrestling gear and stuff he'd need to get into the business. Punk on the other hand hadn't been so lucky, Colt's family had always welcomed him though. And to think they wouldn't have met if they didn't become wrestlers.

"Yeah something like that." Punk sighed as he threw the box he was holding into the trunk.

"Samna talk about it?" Colt, the always caring, always nosey friend.

"He uh..invited me to move in with him. Until I found a place or whatever." When he looked over his friend was staring at him like he was stupid.

"And you told him no? What the hell is wrong with you man?" As if Punk wasn't already confused by the whole situation Colt had to go and say something like that.

"What do you mean?" he asked, the confusion written all over his face.

"Punk he obviously loves you. No one would just offer up their home for someone they didn't care o0about. Why'd you say no?" Was Scott his fucking therapist now?

"I don't know maybe because Chicago is my home and I don't just want to up and leave." His voice was flat. No emotion in those words he spoke.

"That's bullshit and you know it. What's the real reason?" Scott was never this pushy about things. If Punk didn't want to talk about something he usually just let it go. So why wasn't he leaving this alone?

"I told yo-"

"Tell me the fucking truth, Phil!" His friend yelled interrupting him.

"Because I'm afraid it won't last!" He yelled back and there it was. He had been afraid of that since their first date. That Jeff would just grow tired of him and throw him aside.

"I'm afraid that if I move in with him then he'll get tired of me. Then what? I'll be in strange place where I don't know anybody. Then what would I do?" It was said in a whisper almost.

"You gotta stop thinking like that, man. He wouldn't do that, I could tell the first time I met him that he's a good guy. You have to stop making excuses though or else it really won't work." The bad part about this whole thing was that Colt was actually making sense. He never made any sense unless he was right.

"What should I do, Colt?" Punk sighed bracing his hands in front of him on the car.

"I can't tell you that. You are more than welcome at my house, you know that. Just take as long as you need to figure out what you wanna do. Let's go get the rest of your stuff before it starts getting dark." Punk followed his friend back inside as they continued moving. He'd just have to deal with the situation with Jeff later.

Jeff was in a horrible mood by the time he got to Milwaukee about two hours later. When he walked into the U.S Cellular arena he tried to avoid everyone. He just didn't feel much like socializing. Matt on the other hand had different plans. As soon as he entered the locker room he was bombarded by his older brother. Matt knew where he went and even though he didn't like it he still let him go. Of course now he had to tell Matt he had been right. That was going to be held against him the rest of his life… awesome. He hadn't on the other hand told matt exactly why he went there. He was just supposed to ask Phil to come to the show with him not to move in with him. If he told his big brother he did that he'd probably have a coronary.

"So I'm assuming he couldn't come?" Matt asked and it actually irked Jeff to hear it out loud.

"Thank you captain obvious!" Jeff said angrily as he tossed his bag onto the bench in the room. Matt had said something but he didn't really hear what it was because he was rummaging through his bag for his ring gear. Okay and he was trying to ignore everyone. He wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone right now.

"Are you alright? What'd he do?" Matt was always looking out for Jeff but sometimes he wished he'd just leave it alone. Why'd he think Phil did anything anyway? Sure Matt didn't like him but that wasn't a reason to just go assuming stuff. Of course he was right so why was he defending his so called boyfriend? Sighing he pinched the bridge of his nose and turned around to face his brother. It wasn't his fault any of this was happening and he had felt bad for snapping at him.

"I'm sorry Matty, it's just a bad day is all." Jeff wanted to tell him what was going on he did but at the same time he just wanted to keep this between him and Punk until they could talk about it.

"You can talk to me, you know. I'm here for you. I always will be." Jeff knew that. Hell Matt was the first person he had told about his sexuality. He was the only one who knew for a long time. Jeff had also been able to tell him about his first time with a man and as much as it scared him that he might gross his brother out, Matt listened and surprisingly enough he didn't seem disgusted by it at all. Truthfully of it was t for Matt he might not have gotten up the courage to come out to anyone else. It was because of him that his coworkers now knew. He had encouraged Jeff not to hide who he was for anyone.

"The last time I saw Phil he was fired because they found out about us. He told me he had been looking for a job but apparently he hadn't found one. Well today I go to see if he wants to come to the show and he's packing. Apparently his rent as due and he couldn't pay it. I offered to but he immediately shot me down saying that's not the person he was or whatever. So then I sorta asked him to come on the road with me and when we go back through Chicago we'd grab the rest of his stuff. I basically asked him to move in with me. He..doesn't want to. He said he's staying with his friend and his parents and that they don't know about him or us." Jeff let it all spill out. He needed advice or maybe another point of view on the whole situation and he knew Matt would be straight up with him. He'd either agree with him or tell him he's blowing the whole thing out of proportion. Matt sighed before he finally spoke up.

"So what he's not wanting to tell the people closest to him about his boyfriend?"

"That's what I said! I asked him why he wanted to hide what was going on between us so badly." Jeff exclaimed glad he wasn't the only one who saw it that way. He was beginning to think he was just crazy.

"That's fucked up. Well I'm glad you broke up with him you can do better."

"Matt I didn't break up with him." Jeff had never insinuated that, had he? Sure he was angry at him right now but that wouldn't be a good enough reason. Couples fight all the time.

"You fucking should! What he did was bullshit." Matt yelled.

"Matty it's more complicated than that."

"How is it more complicated?! When someone basically says they never want to tell anyone and keep you a secret from his closest friends and family you dump their ass!" Jeff knew Matt wouldn't understand and while he had been mad at Phil for the exact same reason only hours ago he also knew what it was like. He had hide himself for so long, only his brother knowing, before he worked up the nerve to tell his friends and dad.

"Because I think I'm in love with him!" It just slipped. He hadn't realized it was true until the words left his mouth. Phil had told him that numerous times but for some reason he never said it back and now when he realized that, all he wanted to do was tell his boyfriend. Matt stood there in stunned silence. Jeff had never really loved someone romantically and Matt knew it.

"Have you told him that?" His brother asked his voice quiet as if he spoke too loud he'd scare Jeff away with the question.

"No." His voice must as soft.

"Don't you think he should know? I'd want to if someone was in love with me." Matt was right and he knew he should tell Punk but he… he was scared to.

"What would it change, Matt?" He asked, his green eyes starting to tear up.

"Maybe nothing or maybe everything. He deserves to know, Jeff. You know that." His brother gave him a sympathetic look before leaving the locker room, allowing Jeff to dwell on what he just said. Sighing he picked up his cell phone and dialed Punk's number. Maybe if he was lucky he'd still be there.

Finally, all of Punk's stuff was in the basement of his friend's house and he could finally be alone with his thoughts. Or at least he thought he would be. Not even ten minutes later Chez, Scott's little sister, came down to get him for dinner. Following her up the stairs they made it to the table just as the last dish was being put on it. This is one of the things he loved most about this family. No matter how busy they were they always made sure to sit down and have dinner together.

"So what's been going on with you ,Phil? We haven't seen you in a while." Colt's dad said starting the conversation for the night. Punk never really had a father figure growing up so Scott's dad had taken that role.

"Yeah sorry I've been kinda busy. Not much has been going on though, a little of this a little of that." He was never this way with them. He had always been social and, well happy around them but today he just wasn't feeling it.

"Scotty said you were fired from ROH." Leave it to Chez to bring up one of the very things he rather not talk about. Punk gave her an annoyed look, only to receive a tongue sticking out at him.

"Really?" Colt's dad asked surprised.

"What for?" Mom this time. What was he going to tell them? He wasn't ready to tell them the truth yet even though he knew they'd find out eventually. Just as he was going to answer, Scott had beat him to it.

"One of the guys in the back saw him kiss his boyfriend and went to Cary saying they didn't feel comfortable wrestling a gay guy so he got fired." Punk couldn't believe it. When he hooked at his friend he just shrugged saying they were going to find out one way or the other.

"Well that's bullshit! What should it matter if you're gay? You're a great performer, that should be all that matters." Colt's brother Greg spoke up for the first time since dinner started not that long ago. As Punk looked around the table he noticed that none of them really seemed surprised by the news about his sexuality.

"Wait, it doesn't bother you guys? That I'm gay, I mean." They all looked at each other and shook their head simultaneously.

"Phil we've known for a while sweetie. We just thought we'd leave it alone until you felt like telling us. Until you admitted it to yourself." Mom always continued to amaze him. How the hell had they known before he even had? It made him realize something though. It made him realize that Jeff was right. He had been trying to keep them a secret. To spare them all the ridicule and embarrassment that he imagined would come their way.

"Oh man… I'm a fucking fool." He sighed, the words coming out as only a whisper.

"What do you mean dear?" His mom asked, her eyebrows drawn in confusion.

"Jeff had asked Punk to move in with him but he declined making up some bullshit excuse that he didn't want to leave Chicago. Even if it would make him happy." Colt said before taking a bite of steak that was on his plate.

"Love is about taking a risk, Phil. You may be scared out of your mind but I highly doubt this Jeff guy would have asked you to move in with him if he didn't love you." What would Punk do without this family? Dad was right, love was a risk and he was about to put himself out on a ledge.

"Feel like taking a road trip, Scott?" Punk asked, getting a grin from his best friend.

A/N: Alright guys know it took forever and I deeply deeply apologize. I hope I don't lose any of my amazing readers. I also apologize if I got the whole family situation wrong. Everywhere on the internet says different things about their families and obviously I don't really know their life but let's just go with this huh? Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long.

Love, Wondercake