Mending Hearts

The night of the Royal Rumble was chaotic, but then Adam always knew it would be. Though Shannon wasn't scheduled to appear tonight, he and Adam had decided to come to the show to cheer on their Smackdown colleagues and hook up with some rarely seen Raw friends. Adam was especially nervous since he hadn't heard from Jay again and wasn't sure what his ex-lover's tiontion would be to seeing him. But he and Jay were going to have to get used to periodic pay per view encounters, so when Shannon suggested they go he agreed. Speaking of the small blond, where had he gone off to? He promised himself he'd protect Shannon from Matt and now Adam looked around for him worriedly.

"Looking for something?" a cool voice asked from behind. Adam turned startled eyes over to his ex-lover and best friend.

"Um, Jay," he stammered. "I, uh, I wasn't going to bother you tonight. I swear."

Jay nodded mutely and leaned against the wall. Adam took in his former partner's new look. He'd seen it on television but hadn't been this close to Jay in, well, many months. He wasn't sure why he hadn't stalked off yet, but he was hopeful that Jay would listen to him this time. He decided to give his apology another try and smiled cautiously.

"Um, I am really sorry for the way I treated you, man," he began then looked down in guilt. "I know you have no reason to believe me and I have absolutely no right to ask for your forgiveness."

"I'm not sure I'll ever be able to give that to you anyway," Jay said softly.

Adam nodded, still looking down. He felt like such an ass standing before the man he'd once loved but so brutally treated emotionally. How he could have been so callous still mystified him. Jay had been nothing but loving to him from the beginning. Adam only wished he could have eased the other man's pain. He knew Jay had spent almost his entire time on Raw licking his wounds.

"Make sure you don't mistreat Shannon the same way," Jay went on.

Adam's eyes snapped back up to Jay's and he could feel his face redden. But the other man didn't show the intensity of jealousy as Adam had felt from him on the phone. Still, that had to have been difficult for his former lover to say. But as Adam looked deeper he saw something in Jay's eyes that spoke of moving on. Another man perhaps? Adam knew he had no right to the small twinge of jealousy that he now felt, but a part of him would always love Jay.

"I," he began. "I wouldn't."

"I know you wouldn't," Jay smiled humorlessly. "That's part of the problem."

"Have you," Adam couldn't figure out how to ask this. "Have you found someone?"

"Don't tell me you're upset about the possibility," Jay scoffed. "We both knew when I left Smackdown that there was never any going back for us."

Adam nodded.

"And your heart belongs to another blond now."

"You don't seem as upset by that as you did a couple of weeks ago," Adam mumbled.

"Shannon and I have spoken," Jay shrugged. "I like the kid. A lot."

Adam nodded.

"Which is why I'm warning you," Jay added. "Hurt the kid, especially like you hurt me, and Jeff won't be the one you have to worry about this time."

His eyes widened in alarm at the threat. Jay had never been so imposing before and Adam was a little wary of him now.

"I know where your skeletons are buried, so to speak," Jay replied to the silent question. "And I won't hesitate to drag them out. Shannon's a good friend. Respect him and you'll be fine."

With that Jay pushed himself away from the wall and nodded once before walking away, leaving a stunned Adam in his wake.

*************************************

Shannon searched the hallways for the locker room he needed. His insides were churning with dread, yet he knew he had to do this. If he and Adam had any chance, he needed closure from Matt. And the older Hardy needed it, too. He could see that Jay cared for him very deeply and that the only way Matt would be able to live up to the man Jay deserved would be to redeem himself. He cou't d't do that if Shannon didn't start him on the road by forgiving him. And that would be the hardest part. How did he forgive what Matt had done to him. Of course, if Matt hadn't left him, he and Adam wouldn't have hooked up in the first place, so the small blond guessed he did MattMatt for at least paving the way.

Shannon found the locker room and slipped inside quietly. Matt sat on a bench facing the wall with his bent, perhaps in prayer, Shannon couldn't be sure. He slowly approached his former friend and lover, not sure how his presence would be greeted.

"Hey, Matt," he said sadly. "I just came to wish you luck on your match tonight."

Matt's head whipped up at the sound of his voice and Shannon took a step or two back when he shot out of his seat.

"Shannon!" Matt squeaked. "I didn't expect you to come looking for me." The older Hardy's face reddened with shame and he looked back down as his hand went up to smooth his hair. Matt always did that when he was nervous. Shannon took it as a good sign.

"I just came to wish you luck," Shannon repeated. "I'll go now." He turned to the door knowing Matt wouldn't let him just walk out.

"No, don't leave," Matt said on cue. Shannon smiled to himself but made sure it didn't show as he turned around to face Matt again. "I mean, I need to talk to you, Shannon."

"Okay," the small blond sat down on another bench and waited expectantly for whatever Matt had to say.

"Look, there ain't no excuses for what I did to you," Matt sighed. "I intentionally started something with you so that I could break it off." He looked down, completely ashamed of himself.

Shannon watched him carefully and his heart really broke for Matt. He knew the older Hardy was having trouble coming to terms with what he had done and had almost done again to one of his friends. There was something left of the old Matt to save. This actually made Shannon very glad, as he would hate to have to give up on him completely. Matt was a close friend before a lover and the small blond hoped to return him to that state.

"I know," Shannon finally spoke.

Matt's head shot up again. "You know?"

Shannon nodded.

"How much?"

"Hopefully all of it," Shannon shrugged. "I know you were going to come back so that you could break me and Adam up for Jay."

Matt's face reddened even more. "How did you know?"

"Jeff found out," Shannon sighed. "And don't go getting mad at him. He was trying to contain the damage for you so that when camecame to your senses, only those affected knew."

"Who else?"

"As far as I know, only me and Adam," Shannon lied. He knew what it would do to Matt if he knew the couple he'd been trying to break up knew about his plan.

"Well, that makes six," Matt sighed in relief.

"Six?!"

You, Adam," Matt ticked off his fingers. "Jay, Jeff and Lance and Shawn."

"Lance and Shawn?!?"

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "I confessed to them.

"You CONFESSED?"

"You look shocked."

"I am," Shannon cried. "I've been trying to stick to Jeff's wishes of not telling anyone and there you go informing your victims!"

"At least I came clean," Matt smiled. "I needed to ask for forgiveness."

"Is that what you're asking of me?" Shannon asked quietly. Matt nodded. "Why?"

"I know I got no right," Matt began.

"No, why are you asking?" Shannon interrupted Matt's plea. "It's been my experience that Matt Hardy doesn't usually need anyone's forgiveness."

"Maybe the Smackdown Matt didn't, but this one does."

"Something's changed, Matt," Shannon replied. "What aren't you telling me?"

Matt looked confused so Shannon decided to spell it out for him.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

"WHAT?!"

"You're in love with Jay," the small blond smiled. "I knew he had feelings for you and I hoped you had some for him, but this is more than I imagined I'd find."

"I don't," Matt's face colored for a different reason now and Shannon was enjoying the hell out of this. "What are you talking about? Jay has feelings for me?"

"I saw it written all over his face."

"When did you see him?"

"Last week, before you left for home," Shannon said. "Rumor has it, he went home with you. Is that true?"

"This is beyond awkward," Matt retorted.

"He implied the same thing when I questioned him last week about his relationship with you."

"You QUESTIONED him?" Matt palled. "Look, Shan, I know you have a right to hate me, but please don't take it out on Jay. He's been through so much."

"I couldn't agree with you more," the small blond nodded. "And I KNOW you won't put him through anything else, right?"

"No!" Matt protested. "I mean, yes, you're right, NO I won't. Please don't hate him."

"I don't," Shannon replied. "And as long as you make sure he never hurts again, you'll be all right."

"What does that mean?" Matt asked with dread written on his handsome features.

"It means that I'll help Jeff tear you apart if you hurt Jay," Shannon shrugged. "He's now a friend of mine and I take care of my friends."

Matt nodded sadly.

"Matt, you're still a friend, too," Shannon sighed. "But you have a ways to go before I can trust you again."

Matt looked relieved to hear Shannon say that.

*************************************

Shannon found Adam searching the locker rooms later on.

"Hey, what'd you lose?" he asked as the Canadian looked up.

"I lost YOU," Adam said frantically. "Where have you been?"

The small blond laughed at the spectacle Adam made of himself. He had been about to look in the women's locker room and Shannon didn't doubt for a minute that Shaniqua and Jazz would tep top to kick the tall blond out.

"I had some closure to see to," he replied and his roommate instantly looked alarmed.

"Did he say anything bad to you?" Adam demanded as he grabbed Shannon's shoulders and looked him over for damage. This warmed Shannon to no end and he reveled in it.

"No, he didn't," he grinned. "In fact, Mr. Mattitude apologized."

"He did?" Adam looked shocked.

"Yeah, we'll talk more about it later in the room," Shannon touched Adam's cheek and tugged on his hand. "Now, let's go watch Chris kick everybody's ins in the name of Smackdown!"

Adam smiled as Shannon dragged him away.