Title: Tender Two

Author: Shakito

Rating: R

Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me. They belong to WWF and Titan Sports. No copyright infringement intended.
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A week after Jason's unexpected and confusing visit to my hotel room, I was in our locker room, getting ready to leave the arena, when I felt his hands on my back for the second time.

I sighed, stopping in the middle of combing my hair. "What are you doing?"

"Picking up where I left off" he replied, his fingers treading a soothing path down my spine.

"After leaving it for a whole week. You never used to be so backward in coming forward"

He was silent for a moment, then he said. "I thought my attentions were...unwelcome"

I couldn't believe he'd just said that. Not only had he thrown the ball back into my court, but he'd
smacked me on the head with it at the same time. Well, I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of a response. Calmly I went back to combing my hair.

The silence lasted for about half a second. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

"Don't you remember the old saying, Jason? Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me"

"Huh?" was his completely ignorant reply.

"Do you think I'm stupid? I know what your playing at, Jason. I know that all to well" I paused, yanking out a particularly stubborn knot from my hair "You seem to want us to get back together, but your still waiting for me to make the first move. Well I have a newsflash for you...it's not going to happen. If you do want me back, then you'll have to do something about it"

"I broke up with Kurt" the tone of his voice was almost desperate.
Your gonna have to do better than that, you sniveling..

"Why?"

"Why do you think?"

As if I would fall for that. How naïve does he think I am? I ran the comb through my hair a few more times, then placed it down on the edge of the hand basin. "I thought you loved him"

"Well you were wrong. I never really loved Kurt"

"Is that so?" I moved away from him, and went over to the bench where I had strewn all my stuff.
Methodically I began shoving it all into my gym bag "Then why did you dump me to be with him?"

"That was a stupid mistake" He followed after me, and stood with his hands twisting nervously in front of his chest "You don't how much I regret it, Adam"

I looked away from him, shaking my head. "I want to believe you, Jason. But you cheated on me
once, what's to stop you from doing it again? I just don't think I can take that risk" I stuffed my dirty wrestling gear into my gym bag, then zipped it up and got to my feet. "I really have to be going now" He didn't say anything, and shouldering my bag, Iwalked past him.

"Adam, please"

I had reached the door by the time he eventually spoke. His voice was soft, and full of unshed tears,
but I didn't give into the twinges of sympathy that I felt, and kept my back firmly to him.

"Please, what?"

He didn't have an answer for that question, at least not one that he could say to me. Silence was his only response, and trying to make myself believe it was for the best, I walked out, closing the door behind me.

"Stupid hunk of junk that stupid Jericho calls a stupid car. Stupid-"

My mental ranting was cut short when I went to unlock the door of my hotel room, only to find that someone had got there ahead of me. Alarm sent a chill down my spine. Who the fuck could
it be?

Before I knew what was happening, my left hand reached out and pushed the door open. I stepped inside, a mixture of fear and curiosity making my stomach do flip-flops, and looked around. Everything was as I had left it, expect that all the lights were turned on and there was music playing. So that ruled out a burglar...and a crazed axe murderer, unless he was a member of the Backstreet Boys fan club.

Reaching behind me, I closed the door, then dropped my gym bag down beside it. Then taking a few steps into the room, I slipped out of my leather jacket, leaving me able to fight if I had to.

"Who's there?"

Okay, good start, my voice isn't shaking. No answer, but over the soprano singing of the girlie
boy band, I do hear footsteps, then seconds later he comes out of my bedroom.

"Hi, Adam"

"What the fuck?" I shook my head, anger already beginning to stir inside me "What are you doing here?"

"Now, Adam" he started walking towards me, hands held up in front of him "Don't be mad"

My eyes narrow.

"Like hell. I should throw you out right now"

"Adam, please" Jason closed the distance between us, and lifting his hands he lightly touched my shoulders. It was then that I finally noticed what he was wearing. A loose silk black shirt and vinyl pants that molded to his firmly muscled legs. A sudden wave of desire made my stomach jump. I jerked away from his hands, shocked by my own reaction. I couldn't still be attracted to him, could I? After everything that had happened? If the increasing tightness of my jeans around the
crotch area was any indication, the answer was a definite yes.

Jason was giving me a funny look, and I could hardly blame him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, sounding concerned, but also a little suspicious.

"I.um..no, nothing's wrong" I turned away from him, shaking my head "I'm just tired, that's all. Maybe it would be best if..if you just left" I didn't wait for his response. Instead I made my way into the bedroom, figuring things would be safer if there was some distance between us, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Jason, however, obviously didn't feel the same, because he quickly followed after me, even having the audacity to close the door behind him.

"Can't you take a hint?" I half-snapped.

"Not when it means leaving you"

"Funny. I thought you found leaving me pretty fucking easy"

I finally lifted my head to look at him, and saw the flash of shock, hurt, in his dark eyes.
He opened his mouth, then shut it again. We looked at each other, the silence stretching
between us becoming thicker and harder to break with every moment that passed.
Finally he was the one who stepped up to the plate.

"Adam...do you know why I'm here?"

I sighed heavily.

"Because you actually like the pain of rejection? Because you can't get it through your thick head that we're over" I shrugged, giving him a hard look "Which
one?"

Jason smiled, very faintly.

"Neither" He paused, obviously struggling with himself, then plunged on "I'm here because...because I love you, and I need you back in my life"

I shook my head, turning my gaze away from him. "Tough cookies"

"Don't I even get a second chance?"

"Jason for-" I began angrily, then stopped, the words catching almost painfully in my throat. Why didn't he deserve a second chance? Was it really that much for me to give?

No!

He'd hurt me worse than I had ever been hurt. I'd promised myself that I would never take him back. I..I...and it was then that I made the mistake of looking at him. Seeing that beautiful face framed by honey blond hair and dominated by dark, mysterious brown eyes. Eyes that were now shiny with tears. I swallowed back what could have been a lump of emotion, and committed myself to the stupidest of folly by letting my gaze drift lower. Over his sculpted upper half with it's thin covering of sheer, black silk. And lower still, drinking in his toned legs clothed in skin hugging vinyl.
About mid-thigh level I realized I had lost, again. Dammit it all. Speech seemed to have momentarily eluded me, so I simply held out my arms. Jason hesitated only a second before crossing the distance between us and folding himself into my embrace.

"Does this mean I get my second chance?" he whispered.

I didn't say anything, but I lowered us both to the bed and beginning with soft kisses, we made love as freely as we had six months ago, before the rift riddled with pain and betrayal had opened between us. And that seemed to be answer enough. Afterwards we lay together, wrapped in each other's arms. Jason's head rested on my shoulder and the soapy smell of his hair drifted into my nostrils. It smelled sweet. Having him in my arms felt even sweeter.

Jason stirred slightly, brushing his lips over my neck. "Love you, Adam"

I smiled, drawing him even closer and placing a light kiss on his forehead. Perhaps it was a lie. Perhaps I shouldn't believe all the sweet nothings that rolled so easily off his tongue. But I needed too. Because it was enticingly sweet, and oh so very tender.