�It was an accident! Please..�
Rob tried giving a pleading smile, but the big biker opposite him did not look the type to take to that. Instead the man advanced, his earlier anger at Rob � accidentally, too � spilling a drink on him not vanished yet. It probably wouldn�t anytime soon.
�I�m going to rearrange that pretty fa- Son of a bitch!�
The outcry due to a chair hitting him in the head was enough to give Rob an opening. Bounding out, he just caught the guy�s friends rallying. Sabu, having dropped the chair, was out of the door even faster.
~
022.Enemies.
It was a total rush; the sight of glaring eyes, harsh growls and tensing limbs. Standing opposite Sabu, Rob relished in the annoyed movements of his eyes, courtesy of every word Rob threw at him. They were sparring, words vicious and gestures unkind, and Rob loved it.
Being able to rile him up was a special sensation. Rob always shivered when Sabu snarled and things got heated. Yes, playing enemies in the ring was something Rob thoroughly enjoyed, loved that he could provoke so many reactions from the man.
And above all, he loved making it up to him afterwards.
~
023.Lovers.
�You�re such an asshole sometimes,� Rob murmured, gingerly touching the back of his head. They�d been lying in bed, Sabu half-asleep and Rob just relaxing. It had been rather peaceful, Rob reflected, right up to the point where he made the mistake of not warning Sabu when he sneakily moved on top of him, and an elbow almost knocked him out cold.
Rob grinned. �We suck at this lovers thing, you know that?�
It was okay, though. Being lovers wasn�t about random bouts of sex, or interesting positions, it was about recognizing your partner�s faults, and loving them for it.
~
024.Family.
�I take care of you because you�re family,� Sabu had once said. Back then Rob hadn�t understood, had even felt discouraged by it � after all, family members couldn�t be romantically involved. Now, though, he finally realised what Sabu meant.
Watching the man as he slept in his hospital bed, fitfully, never able to stay on one side long, Rob knew that Sabu had been referring to that unshakable connection family members had. No matter what, there�d always be something � be it blood or love � that remained. As Rob stared at blinking monitors, he knew he�d take care of Sabu too.
~
025.Strangers.
Sometimes Rob wondered what other people saw when they looked at the pair of them. What curious eyes, unaccustomed to their moods, noticed about their never-ending dance. Did they see the subtle change in Sabu�s eyes, or the way Rob always tried a little bit harder when his partner was around? Or were they as clever, keeping their relationship under wraps, as Sabu so often thought they were?
Rob doubted that, for when his heart starting pounding faster, or Sabu let out a quick breath, he swore even strangers would see. And more often than not, he wished they would.
~
026.Teammates.
One hand firmly holding the cord in case Sabu needed a breather � they were faces, they couldn�t cheat � Rob moved restlessly, muscles tense, ready for the tag. His hands itched - he knew he had to wait - wanted to hit Test for barely selling Sabu�s moves. Because Sabu couldn�t, Rob would.
A growled curse� one of many � reached Rob�s ears as Sabu was unceremoniously dumped in their corner. Quickly Rob tagged himself in, ignoring Test�s annoyance, or the referee�s pleas to stick to the script. One punch connected, then two.
They were teammates, and to them that meant everything.
~
027.Parents.
Both stared at the little girl like she was mad. Big blue eyes looked at them, blinking occasionally, and a big smile was on her face. Rob could feel himself shudder at the sight. Where were her parents? Surely even a wrestler�s kid shouldn�t be walking around unsupervised?
Next to him an uncomfortable Sabu didn�t look too pleased either, though his scowl seemed to bounce off. She just kept staring.
�Shouldn�t we...do something?� Rob whispered, frowning, but Sabu shrugged. �You know, it�s good neither of us want kids, because we�d fu- mess up royally as parents.�
The girl just smiled.
~
028.Children.
They were the children of ECW. Well, devil spawn, more like, but to Rob that didn�t matter.
Assembled in a WWE locker room, their numbers small, he knew things were different. Old feuds, bitter rivalries, they were still there, but forgotten for now. This mockery, pretending they were back, they all knew it would not last.
Walking over to Sabu, he tried smiling confidently. Out of all of them, Rob knew he was the one most likely to keep his job after this, but as he looked in the pained eyes of his partner, he wasn�t sure he wanted to.
~
029.Birth.
If someone were to ask Rob when he�d fallen for his friend, he wasn�t sure he knew. Memories, of grainy rooms and dirty rings, harsh eyes and strained muscles, they were hard to distinguish. If he had to pick, though, he knew which he�d choose. This one he remembered best.
Having been thrown across the ring, his landing had been rough. Unable to keep the pained groan from slipping, he�d felt embarrassed. Sabu had walked over, frowning.
�You okay?�
Rob�s breath had been stolen.
It had meant nothing then, but Rob knew it had been the birth of something more.
~
030.Death.
�Are you scared of death?�
Rob stared at his partner, the shock evident as he tried to formulate some sort of reply. They didn�t often talk about things as deep as this, especially not right after a loved one�s funeral, and Rob felt chills run up his spine. When it came to death, there was no curiosity there.
�Yes,� he whispered, hands shaking.
Sabu nodded, his face grim. A strange look in his eyes, then he turned his head.
�Don�t worry, I�ll probably go first anyway.�
Rob didn�t bother to tell Sabu that that was exactly what scared him so.
~
031.Sunrise.*
There was something soothing about watching the sun slowly climb to its intended spot in the sky. Whether it was the intense array of colours, or seeing time pass slowly, Rob didn�t know. In the end it was a comforting sight. Letting in some more of the light, he looked back to see it envelop his sleeping partner. Almost worthy of a painting.
�Would you close the fucking blinds?!� Sabu called out grumpily, shattering Rob�s daydream. �I�m not done sleeping yet.�
Sighing, Rob did as asked. He knew that for Sabu a sunrise meant another day of merely muddling along.
~
032.Sunset.*
�Come to bed, Rob.�
Staring at the crimson-rimmed horizon, Rob didn�t really want to leave. He enjoyed these quiet moments. Sabu�s voice had been insistent, though, so Rob listened. Crawling in bed with his lover, he shuddered at the initial chill. Inching closer, he wrapped his arms around the man�s deliciously warm body.
�Damn, you�re cold,� Sabu muttered, trying to move out of Rob�s icy embrace. Rob didn�t let him. �That�s what you get for staring at the fucking sun for no good reason.�
Rob didn�t bother to comment. He knew that for Sabu a sunset meant another day wasted.
~
033.Too Much.
A throaty whine, originating somewhere deep down Rob�s throat, made Sabu shudder. His lover�s mouth was dropping light kisses on his neck, showing affection even now, and the mere knowledge made Sabu thrust deeper, push harder. Another moan, Rob�s body bending even further as he whimpered against Sabu�s neck.
A shudder, Rob�s body tense, then his partner sagged back onto the bed. Sabu panted, looking down at him, taking in the glistening sweat on his brow and the pleased smile curving his lips.
�Love you,� Rob murmured.
�I..� Sabu started, but didn�t continue. Rob didn�t seem to care.
~
034.Not Enough.
�What the fuck is wrong with you this time? I�m sick and tired of your childish tantrums, Rob.�
Head in his hands, Rob didn�t even bother to look up at Sabu. He�d known Sabu would show up and get angry, so this wasn�t much of a surprise. Nor was the fact that he�d completely missed the point. Sabu never looked for the meaning behind Rob�s words.
�What we have, it�s not enough.�
Seconds later his head was held in an iron grip, Sabu�s eyes flashing. �It�ll have to be.�
Rob returned his stare, noted the panic. �Why?�
Sabu didn�t answer.
~
035.Sixth Sense.
�Fuck!�
Sabu could feel Rob�s grip on his waist tighten as a hand moved faster. Inching closer to release, Rob�s murmurs seemed to come faster, moans lasting longer. Eventually a cry, muffled by Rob pressing his face into a nearby pillow, and then all was quiet.
Sitting back on his heels, carefully, Sabu wondered how long this would last. His back had been injured for a while now, and Rob had to get sick of the almost impersonal hand-jobs they shared.
�Don�t think like that.� Rob�s voice was soft when he spoke, leaving Sabu to wonder how Rob always knew.
~
036.Smell.
The first time Sabu had gotten wind of Rob�s shampoo, he had made fun of him. All too girly, and definitely not something Sabu would choose, he was convinced Rob refused to share its ingredients because he feared embarrassment. Sabu wouldn�t let it go.
He had commented on it ever since, finding an opening no matter what subject Rob brought up. Both knew that Rob leaving the bathroom meant Sabu ridiculing him for his pretty hair and horrible choice in shampoo. It left Rob frustrated, though he never changed.
These days, Sabu admitted, he hated it when it wasn�t there.
~
037.Sound.
There was this one sound, not often heard, that Rob loved above all. It wasn�t a song he knew from when he was young, or a bird�s chirping melody, but a small and meaningless whimper Sabu would let go in the heat of things.
Sabu was nothing if not vocal � downright commanding, at times � during sex, but the first time Rob heard that soft, vulnerable whisper, he knew he�d get addicted to it. That tiny flicker of emotion showed that Sabu felt more, so Rob tried finding it again and again.
It meant more than just pleasure. It meant everything.
~
038.Touch.
Sometimes Rob�s touch burned. When they were surrounded by co-workers, and Rob would casually lean into him, he always had to fight to not push Rob away. Instead he chose to shrug him off just as casually, not wanting to draw anyone�s attention. Rob would always frown.
Other times, in the dark of night, Rob�s touch was soothing. Strong hands managed to be extremely gentle as they caressed Sabu�s back, untangled knots that ached. Sometimes, Sabu frowned.
And then, those Sabu loved most, there were those thrilling touches that consumed him. As hands moved possessively, no frown marred either face.
~
039.Taste.
Early on in their relationship, Sabu knew that sooner or later he�d be hopelessly lost.
So rendezvous were hasty, fucks quick, and the pleasure almost empty because of it. He evaded Rob�s personal touches, left him wanting. Never meaning to, he ended up hurting Rob. Yet he showed up anyway, and foolishly allowed things to continue.
Sabu knew he was kidding himself, but didn�t admit to it. He should have, but didn�t dare.
Until that one night, when pent-up frustration and pleading eyes made him want to consume Rob. With the taste of him, Sabu knew there was no return.
~
040.Sight.
Sabu watched, but pretended not to. Both of them knew, and it had become a game. Rob would tempt the man, draw in his gaze with outrageously provocative positions, or carelessly tossed aside words, and then smirk as he caught him red-handed.
Rob, on the other hand, never tired of watching. Much to the older man�s chagrin, he�d be very obvious about it, too. Admiring glances, pausing to see what Sabu was doing, Rob always took the time. He did it so often that friends would joke about it.
Rob didn�t care, and if he was honest, neither did Sabu.