It was dark, and only the outside lights filtered through the thin curtains of their room. In the hallway men stumbled about, probably in a drunken stupor. Lifting the beer to his lips, Sabu figured he could have been one of them, if not for the man lying next to him.
Rob snored, but not annoyingly so, and his ponytail brushed Sabu�s bare thigh with every breath. He could have moved, but Sabu knew he�d miss Rob�s warmth once asleep. Leaning his head against the wall, he blindly reached for his partner, finding a shoulder next to his knee. He let his hand rest there, the skin smooth under his calloused touch. How different they were.
Mutters turned Sabu�s head, though in the dark he saw nothing. He pictured lips moving, a face scrunching up. Rob dreamed. He usually did, and Sabu wondered if he was ever in the dreams Rob wouldn�t speak about.
The beer finished, Sabu too rested his head on the pillow. Instinctively, it seemed, Rob turned, snaking an arm around Sabu�s waist. Sabu sighed contently, suddenly not worried anymore. He would be happy, as long as he was allowed to be part of Rob�s waking dreams.
~
#2 200-words
He groaned softly, his phone telling him he should still be asleep. Remembering what had woken him - the insistent bite of frost - he got up, untangling himself from the sheets and moving to the open window. It had been stuffy earlier, but now the night�s touch was too cold even for them. Rob stared at a faceless moon, then looked at the shadowed features of his lover, facing him.
Sabu�s face frowned even now, lips turned in a tiny scowl. Rob sighed, then quietly closed the window. Watching the man sleep was a novelty, yet he always looked the same. Uncomfortable.
Squatting down next to the bed, Rob carefully grabbed his lover�s hand. The fingers dug into the mattress, like they always did, holding onto it like a lifeline. Rob knew they would hurt in the morning, even if Sabu never said so. He took the time to gently pry them apart, instead allowing the hand to curl around the thinner material of the covers.
With thoughtful eyes Rob returned to his side of the bed, nestling comfortably against Sabu�s back. He closed his eyes, sighing. If only he knew how to help his lover shake his demons.
~
#3 200-words
�I�ll get us some water,� Rob told Sabu, giving him a pat on the back before moving to the other side of the room, grabbing several bottles that he wasn�t sure he was allowed to take. He�d blame Sabu and no one would care. Suddenly he heard people talking. Usually he�d ignore it, gossip not his thing, but he�d heard his name being mentioned.
�Well, the guy has talent. It�d be good to team him up with Sabu. They work well together.�
Heyman, Rob recognised easily. He was his boss, after all. He felt guilty, but it was a human fault to be nosy. He listened closely and soon identified the other person as well. Immediately his mood dropped to an all-time low. It was Taz.
�Rob has talent? Hah, that motherfucker�s only talent is sucking Sabu�s ugly dick without gagging.�
All sense of reason left Rob, the insult to both himself and Sabu causing an uncharacteristic rage to surface.
Much later, back in their hotel room, Rob clutched a bag of ice to his swollen face. Curious eyes looked at him, but Sabu�s faked indifference made it hard for him to ask.
�It was worth it,� Rob muttered smugly.
~
#4 200-words
Eyes glared at him, as they�d done countless of times before. This was nothing new. Something about Rob just rubbed Taz the wrong way, and no matter how often Rob tried to smooth things over, eventually they�d end up like they were now, glaring at each other, hands itching to wrap around the other man�s neck. Not that Rob thought he could, with Taz�s being so thick and all.
�Think you�re a hotshot, don�t you? You get to act like a cocky shit, prance around in your little singlet, and suddenly you think you�re all that because the fans like you. Fuck that crap, you don�t deserve it.�
Rough, straight to the point, that was Taz. The first time they�d ever gotten into an argument Rob just knew it wouldn�t be their last. Too many things about him annoyed the big man, and Rob wasn�t too pleased with Taz�s disposition either.
�Fuck off, Taz,� an angry voice ordered.
Rob turned his head. Sabu. He and Taz didn�t particularly care for each other either � a well known fact � and Rob sometimes wondered if that was why Taz hated him so.
�Keep your boytoy in line, Sabu.�
Suddenly, all hell broke loose.
~
#5 200-words
�Moron.�
Rob scowled, flinching as Sabu�s hand roughly dabbed at the wound on his forehead. Sabu�d never been the best nurse in town.
�I didn�t do anything! For fuck�s sake, I just told him to shut up about your many faults, because he was giving me a fucking headache!�
Then Taz had tried to assure the headache would evolve into a nice and shiny concussion, only the interference of wrestlers backstage keeping the broad man from severely rearranging Rob�s pretty features. He�d been able to nick him with a broken bottle, though, which was why Sabu roughly bandaged Rob�s head.
�You�re a moron.�
�I was defending you!� Rob whined indignantly, upset with Sabu for not appreciating that. Rob realised he�d been stupid, but he hadn�t been able to help himself. Listening to Taz bitch on and on about Sabu being an asshole had brought out this weird urge to smash something over the man�s ugly head.
�I don�t need defending, so the next time you feel the urge to play knight in shining armour leave me the fuck out of it!�
Rob nodded, head bowed in defeat. Sabu sighed, and then a hand gently squeezed Rob�s shoulder.
�You�ll get hurt.�
~
#6 200-words
�I�m not wearing that again,� Rob muttered stubbornly, glaring at the things Sabu had thrown his way. They�d fallen, discarded, and Rob just stared at them. Paul E. or no Paul E., it wasn�t happening.
�What the fuck is wrong with my ring-gear?!�
Another argument was brewing. It had been rather insulting; Rob realised, to refuse the clothes like that, though he�d never be intentionally rude to Sabu.
�Nothing is wrong with your ring-gear; I�d just rather not wear it.�
�Why?!�
�Because the boys are already saying I�m part of your fucking harem!�
Rob rubbed his head, suddenly uncomfortable. He�d heard the whispers, those never-ending rumours about Sabu and him. It didn�t used to bother, it was the way the business worked, but something had changed.
�Why do you care what they�re saying?� Sabu asked, but Rob just shrugged. He no longer saw the comments to be a way of unnerving him. Instead they had started to annoy. Rob wasn�t sure why.
Perhaps, a little voice daringly suggested, it was because there was no truth to the rumours whatsoever, and that hurt.
Looking up at Sabu, who was staring at him with unreadable eyes, he sighed.
�I don�t know.�
Liar.