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Breathe in, breathe out.
That’s all Will could do to calm his nerves as he waited for something, anything good to come out of the trainer’s room, watching through the glass window as the doctors and trainers looked over the man he now called a friend. Despite very well knowing the cowboy was a tough son of a bitch (even when they never really crossed paths) and had been dealt worse, it was very different now that he and Adam were actual friends and knew each other, in and out of the ring.
Somewhere along the way their dynamic also crossed into sort of a romantic friendship, but with everything going on, Will didn’t have the time to address the matter. It was enough that his own long-term feelings towards Swerve cropped back up with the two teaming together to take down the Bucks, to add this onto to the pile was a bit too much for the Brit to think over. Between the two, Will took and gave what he could with them, trying to find balance.
Even still with all that, the moment he saw the painful visual of Adam getting choked out by Mox on one of the backstage TVs, he couldn’t not run as fast as he could and help fight off the Death Riders alongside the Opps. But it was the part afterwards that Will couldn’t stop thinking about. He recalled himself and Hobbs carrying Adam through the backstage area, Adam collapsing and Will shouting for a doctor, then asking if he was okay. The words Adam had said in response before he passed out again still struck Will with a feeling of worry and understanding mixed together.
“He’ll have to kill me, Will. He’ll have to kill me.”
A feeling of “what if” uncomfortably washed over Will, contemplating on what would’ve been if he’d been just a little too late in saving Adam… but he shook that train of thought immediately. Knowing that in the last few weeks to follow, the stakes would get more dangerous and Adam would have to handle himself accordingly, Will accepted that. He just hoped that the cowboy would be in one piece by the end of this, preferably with the belt in his hands. However in this moment, all Will wanted to do was care for the other man, and he couldn’t really do that yet if he was still held up in the trainer’s room.
So when someone finally came out of the room and let him know that Adam was going to be alright, Will’s nerves calmed down slightly. Seeing the man slightly stumble out of the room, the eager smile Will was holding back spread across his face, reaching forward to place his hands on Adam’s shoulders gently.
“Rough night, mate?” He joked, seeing Adam shake his head and exhale a chuckle.
“Something like that.” Adam shot back, his voice rougher than it was earlier, exhaustion clearly rolling over his voice and body movements.
Quickly Will made a point of getting Adam back to his locker room, watching from the doorway as the man slowly packed up his belongings. Will’s own stuff was in his rental car he had, taking it upon himself to only leave from the trainer’s room area earlier to handle that, and also change into the sweatpants/shirt combo he had on currently.
Almost like a sixth sense though, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket and he grabbed it, looking at the screen to see the person he knew would call at a time like this. He looked up at Adam again to speak quickly. “Gotta take this real quick.”
Adam nodded and responded, “Go ahead. I’ll catch up soon, alright?”
Will nodded back and stepped away to answer said call, in which the man didn’t even get a chance to speak first, funnily enough.
“How is he?”
Will sighed and rolled his eyes, even though Swerve couldn’t see his expression. “Hello to you too, I guess.”
He could hear Swerve make an apologetic noise over the line before speaking again. “Sorry man, I just… I had to know.”
“Oh did you now?” Will hummed, a smirk forming on his face. Though he’d tried to get Swerve and Adam on the same side a while ago (that didn’t work on his own efforts sadly), he could clearly see the tides shifting with the two.
Weeks ago, even though Will had been in obvious pain from the thumbtack shoe superkick combo he took from the Bucks on Swerve’s behalf, laying there on the table he had heard everything that happened outside the room. More importantly, Swerve heard what had happened. A clear and vicious declaration of rejection to the Bucks from Adam. Swerve responding back to Prince Nana that he had heard every word, with a tone of disbelief and clarification.
And even at Grand Slam: Mexico, the unintentional act of Adam saving Swerve happened. Though the two never interacted in the ring that night, Will could see Swerve staring at the other man across the ring where he was on the ropes, in even more shock at the actions of the cowboy. Maybe even a look of gratitude in his eyes lingering on.
So for Will’s peace of mind (and by proxy the whole locker room let’s face it), he was pleased about the developments, even if the two hadn’t directly interacted since over a month ago. And much to the annoyance of Swerve, Will teased him sometimes about the new change of attitude he had towards the cowboy. Speaking of which…
“Don’t you start.” Swerve warned but Will couldn’t help it.
“I’m just saying, it’s pretty sweet you called just to check in, bruv. You care!”
“Please stop. Shit, I regret this already.”
“Do you really?”
“Yes! Well…” He heard Swerve take a breath and start again. “Maybe? It’s just… if I wasn’t suspended from the arena…” The man trailed off and Will sighed in understanding.
With the Bucks having the power that they used and abused, Swerve and Will weren’t surprised they ejected Swerve from the arena. However with that, considering the events to obviously follow, Will felt as if they did it for an obvious reason. Maybe that was also a part of why Will had to act himself. For the both of them.
“I don’t think it’s me you need to say that to, mate.” He explained softly, humming as he thought about a solution while the other man on the line sighed in frustration. Well, if Adam killed him for this, at least he could say it was worth it.
“Okay, how about this…”
-
Laying in the hotel bed and getting himself comfortable, Adam was bone tired. Will had managed to convince Adam to stay with him overnight, despite knowing the man already had a room himself, under very reasonable terms of ‘Still concerned about you, just wanna make sure you’re alright!’ and ‘We can cuddle!’ So suffice to say, Adam agreed with a ‘Sure, why not?’
However he noticed the man nervously pacing for some reason, and Adam couldn’t shake that there was something Will didn’t tell him. Don’t get him wrong, he believed Will on his reasons why he wanted to share the room together, and Adam thought it was really sweet. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t hoping to spend more time with Will even with everything going on, but he knows that Will’s been involved with Swerve against his former friends. And that in and out of itself is something very complicated for Adam to think about.
Granted, practically advocating for your new best friend/situationship and your kinda enemy/situationship in the same beat is probably insane, but he couldn’t take the words back now. Adam’s own messy and mixed feelings towards not just Swerve, but also Will has been stuck in the back of his mind for weeks and weeks and weeks. Even tonight, feeling Will’s hands and warm presence near him as he nearly passed out just gave him butterflies thinking about the significant gesture of saving him.
It felt like however, something was missing. Or someone.
Lost in thought, he jumped as his attention went towards the door, the two hearing a few, audible knocks. Will turned towards him with a nervous smile, and Adam felt a slight drop in his stomach. This must be it, apparently, why Will was also on edge. Yet, he had a feeling he was right in who was on the other side of that door.
“Before you kill me, just hear him out. He cares, even if he probably won’t say it to your face.” Will started and kept going after Adam didn’t respond at first. “Okay, he may say that, but you don’t know! So please, please don’t kill each other-”
“Will, darling?”
“Yes?”
“Just get the door.”
Will saluted brightly and did as he was told, revealing and confirming Adam’s answer. Swerve walked in, just dressed in casual wear, and stared at Adam with something akin to concern and a hint of nervousness and maybe regret. And honestly, Adam couldn’t blame the man. But with no words exchanged between them directly for a while, yet a trail of actions done and words about each other spoken to others around them that neither man could deny up to this point, what do you do?
The room fell under a quiet and tense silence, Swerve and Adam staring at each other while Will just stared at the two of them, waiting for someone to make the first move.
Eventually Will sighed tiredly, and broke the silence himself. “Okay, this is too weird. You two, talk. Alone. I’ll be in the hall.”
Swerve turned to him with a slightly pleading look of ‘don’t go’, while Adam spoke up for them. “You don’t have to-”
Will waved them both off and moved towards the door. “It’s fine! Since it’s evident no hands will be thrown, just talk civil with each other, alright?” Another beat, and with a soft look special for them both, he reassured, “I’ll be back, honest.”
With a smile Will stepped out, leaving the two to drift back into the awkward silence again. Swerve moved to sit on the other side of the hotel bed, and Adam sat up, fully alert now. There was no way he could drift off now, feeling the presence of Swerve next to him, his nervous and tense energy bouncing off of Adam’s own.
Well, they couldn’t stay in silence forever, so Adam cast the first die, as they say. “You’re here.” He swallowed before continuing. “Can’t imagine why.”
Swerve hummed in thought, responding with, “Oh, you know. Watched a certain someone get choked out by another certain someone with a chain on social media. Thought I’d pay him a visit.” His voice and words sounded light, but the heavy implications of them alone got to Adam.
He scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Months ago, you would’ve been delighted to see that. Hell, you’d probably complain that it should’ve been you to do it instead.” The unspoken part about the fact Swerve had done it to Adam already didn’t go unnoticed.
Swerve sighed, running a hand over his face. “True, but… it’s different now.”
“Hmm, right. And that’s why you traveled here in the middle of the night just to check in on me.”
Swerve lightly swat at his arm, looking over towards him with an annoyed and embarrassed glare. “Shut the fuck up, this is hard enough for me as it is.”
“Hard for you? I’m the one who got choked out!”
“I know that, cowboy. And if it wasn’t for your former associates, maybe…” Swerve looked away, stopping himself from admitting the thing he didn’t really want to admit this quickly, but with Adam looking at him like that, it was hard not to.
Regardless of circumstances, Adam wasn’t totally clueless as to the other activities that had happened earlier tonight. He was well aware of Matt and Nick kicking out Swerve at the beginning of the show. Even so, Adam couldn’t believe what Swerve was implying. And yet… he could see the surprising truth written in Swerve’s body language.
“Maybe… what? You would’ve helped me?” Adam questioned, prodding Swerve to continue on, but fell stunned as the other man just looked down at his lap, not responding. “...You’re not serious, are you?”
A beat, and then a quiet confirmation. “I would’ve.”
“Why?” Was all Adam could ask, the one word carrying a can of worms that neither of them were ready to open up. Yet still, it was asked.
Swerve sighed, and with a soft and nervous note, he let down his walls for a moment, looked up into Adam’s eyes and spoke, “Do you really wanna know the answer to that?”
Adam felt his heart skip a beat, as he pondered. The question itself was loaded, but part of him kinda wanted to know. As much as he didn’t want to address it fully tonight, he knows and is sure they shared the same feeling. It wasn’t his intention to save Swerve from the Death Riders all those weeks ago, but some part of Adam deep down felt… glad that Swerve was okay just from Adam stepping out to throw hands with Mox (which was his mission in the first place, mind you.)
All this felt like it was leading up to something for the better between the two of them, a dynamic shift that neither of them might be ready for. This endless river of hostility, resentment, and hate that has existed for so long, possibly being overtaken by understanding, compromise, and even the romance between them that both have denied since the beginning.
Factoring Will into the equation, being tied to both men in separate yet similar ways, had tried to get them on the same page at first. A failed attempt, sure, but strangely and indirectly, it had started working. Now they were both here, middle of the night, staring at each other because Will cared about them enough to get them to talk. To try again. Adam felt his heart swell with gratitude towards the Brit, he’d have to thank him properly after this.
His full attention back on Swerve now, he sighed and brushed his hand next to his for a moment, his gaze turning soft. Instead of responding to the initial question, Adam quietly spoke, “Thanks. For the check up.”
Swerve took the opportunity and linked their hands together as a response, most of the tension and worry gone by now. The unspoken agreement of addressing everything later lingered as now the silence was almost oddly comfortable in a way.
Said silence was broken by a familiar, clearly amused voice outside the door. “Oi, you two done? Am I allowed back in?”
Swerve and Adam looked at the door, then back to each other, then the door again before Swerve called out, “You could’ve stayed inside, man, but sure.”
Will entered in the room with a clear smug look on his face, eyeing the two who were still holding hands. Adorable. “I just wanted to make sure you both got out your lil soap opera moment. It’s kinda nice hearing you both carry a semi-functional convo, y’know?”
“Wait, so you heard us? Then what was the point of you even leaving?” Adam asked, exasperated.
“Well… I just wanted to make sure you two were actually good.” Will said simply, giving a genuine, relieved smile. “Are you though?”
Honestly, Adam wasn’t totally sure, but for now he responded, “Work in progress. It’s a start.” With Swerve nodding along, Will beamed and joined the two on the bed excitedly.
“That works for me! Happy to hear it.”
Swerve chuckled at Will’s words and moved to get up, squeezing Adam’s hand before letting go. “I should head out. Don’t wanna keep our cowboy here away from sleep too much longer.”
Our cowboy. Adam didn’t know why that made his heart flutter, but looking over at Will he saw a light blush spread across his cheeks at the implications of Swerve’s words. Looking back at Swerve who was slowly making his way towards the door, Adam felt compelled to be bold for once, and make a decision. “Stay. Please.”
Swerve’s eyebrows raised in surprise, caught off-guard. His eyes flickered between the two still sitting on the bed. “Are you sure? Seriously, I can go.”
Will got up from the bed to link hands with Swerve, practically dragging the man back towards the bed. “Of course, love. You know I do, but if the cowboy also wants your company, that should be enough, hm?”
Flustered at the endearment, and seeing Adam’s waiting expression, Swerve ultimately agreed with a nod. “Okay. I’ll stay.”
Will cheered, all smiles as he let go of Swerve’s hand to throw an arm around the man. “There we go! Problem solved. Now, if you could just take off your shoes, make yourself at home. Cheers!”
Adam just watched the scene with curiosity and amusement, seeing Swerve roll his eyes playfully before doing so, while Will moved to cuddle right beside him. The warmth radiating from Will started to make Adam drift off again, not fighting against it anymore when his eyes closed.
Feeling another set of warmth behind him, Adam allowed himself to smile and lean into it as he heard whispers above him.
“Told you.”
“Shut up.”