There was something so frustratingly annoying about the smug grin on Christian�s face that Rhino had trouble not walking up there and slapping it off. No doubt that would break the man�s face and result in horrid shrieking, though, Christian being much more prone to whining and crying than Rhino�d ever been, and the consequences of that would be too much for even him to handle. They were at a one-man disadvantage already, Matt Morgan a lump of useless muscle - no need to make it worse.
�I didn�t intend to. But you made them think I was going to, anyway, so I knew they�d attack me. It�s safer with Sting and Kevin Nash backing me up.�
He tried to sound calm and collected, not something he�d ever been good at, but had a feeling his former friend saw right through that. They�d fallen into a comfortable rhythm, years and years of doing just that still ingrained in their minds. It was dangerous, being that comfortable, but Rhino didn�t know what else to do. Twitching every time your tag-team partner as much as moved did nothing for team-spirit, and he couldn�t afford turning his back on their opponents as he did.
So he forced himself to relax, block out the troubling thoughts that threatened to take a hold of him. He�d been too gullible about Christian before, he didn�t want it to happen again.
�Not with me?�
Another cocky grin. There�d always been too much of them, but at times he�d seen Christian without, years of friendship more important than any fa�ade. There were times when he missed those days.
Rhino sighed. �You stopped being safe a long time ago.�
And it was true. Even now, both once again in a dressing room, he worried Christian was scheming something. Choosing the right time to strike, perhaps, like right after their PPV match. The only comfort Rhino had was that the man might consider Sting and Nash more prominent threats.
Teeth gnashed together. It didn�t happen often that he, of all people, was underestimated.
�You hugged me, though,� Christian commented, his tone of voice betraying gleeful amusement. Too soon, way too soon, but he hadn�t been able to stop himself. It had become exceedingly frightening, the way he wanted things to change.
Rhino scowled. �Very briefly. I guess bad habits die hard.�
�Come on, admit it. Teaming up like that felt good.�
Silence, the way Christian can still read him like a book more unnerving than it should be. The man was intuitive and he knew just what to do to get people where he wanted them to be. Usually that had been exactly where Rhino had wanted to be, but he wasn�t so sure now. Had his friend manipulated him even then? Make use of the feelings of friendship, brotherhood, their connection, to get what he wanted? A subject too heavy for Rhino to ponder. His mind didn�t work like that, such concepts too intricate, too unlike him. He wasn�t one for deceit, instead believed in steady loyalty.
�Why are you here, Christian?� he asked, tired with the way he had to calculate every move, plan every step. Being around someone had never been so hard.
The blond man shrugged. �Nash�s personality bothers me, Sting is an enigma, and frankly you�re the only person here who doesn�t hate my guts.�
�That�s bullshit,� Rhino spat, but he wasn�t sure at what.
A smile. �You�re right, I don�t hate Nash�s personality. I hate that he�s taller than me. That�s always annoying.�
�What are you trying to achieve? I�m already on your team.�
The last time they�d sat like this, Rhino had become acutely aware of the fact that nothing he said shocked Christian. Today was no different. Smirks, of all shapes and sizes, seemed to betray just how well the man still knew him. It was wrong, the way they worked. He�d noticed, during their earlier match, that it all fell back into place too easily. He submitted too readily. He should have fought more, demand Christian team with Nash instead, but he�d simply given in. Given in to memories of the past.
�Just spending time with my partner. I�d say you�re better company than the cockroaches under the sink. Even if it�s a toss-up.�
�We are not partners. I don�t trust you enough to call you that.�
Had he not responded so quickly to Christian�s comment, Rhino would have wondered why, exactly, there were cockroaches under the sink. Or, had he thought about it some more, why there was no one to clean them. But Rhino didn�t care about that, had seen worse things than the occasional cockroach, and it meant nothing. To him, at least.
�Wasn�t that ECW�s thing, though? Throw people who hated each other together? I remember watching that. Besides,� Christian drawled, winking slyly. �According to James Storm, we�re more than just partners.�
�James Storm is stupid enough to hit someone like Sting over the head with a beer bottle. I don�t think we should listen to anything the bumbling idiot has to say,� Rhino snapped, feeling his blood boil.
James Storm, now there was another name he would have much rather forgotten altogether. He too pushed all the wrong buttons, him being an uncaring bastard one Rhino found especially hard to ignore. He�d seen the flash of glass from the corner of his eye, worrying for a second that he was the intended target. He�d even, though he was loath to remember, worried it might have been Christian the other man was going after. Muscles had reacted faster than his brain, but the attempt at heroics hadn�t been necessary. Instead they�d all found themselves lying on the canvas, hurting.
�You got that from me.�
Rhino frowned. �What?�
�Bumbling idiot. You got that from me.�
He scoffed. Like that mattered. �This is wrestling. Every word said nowadays was stolen from someone else at one point or another. You�re not exactly original yourself, mister �It�s Showtime�.�
�I didn�t say it was a bad thing. Just hadn�t heard it in a while, that�s all,� Christian soothed, though probably mocking him behind his back. Christian was never sincere about anything he said, unless he was talking about his brilliance. He did indeed think he was God�s gift to wrestling, albeit a fucked up one.
Christian smiled. �You know, you really need to stop being so damn touchy. That poor referee will have a monster headache tomorrow.�
Rhino scowled again. �Well, he should have caught the tag.�
There was a childish urge to get into it some more, because he didn�t know why he�d been so pissed at the ref. As far as he could see it, there were two possible reasons, and he didn�t like either of them. There was the possibility that he�d felt so irrational because the ref was ruining what should have been their first real match back, and then there was the one that showed how easily even he could forget about past wrongs, because he�d wanted to jump in and do something about the way their opponents � vicious, strong � were ganging up on his partner. Even though they weren�t that, never again. They were far past partners, he kept telling himself.
�Oh, admit it, you miss being the back-up, the one who comes running and chases off the bad guys. It�s why you�re always doing the right thing. Heroics, being the knight in shining armour, you get off on that kind of thing.�
A derisive snort, both amused and offended at Christian�s judge of his character. Whether or not he was right didn�t matter, it was the fact that he had no right to do it at all.
�Don�t be stupid.� Eyes flashed angrily, but Christian didn�t seem to care. He knew there would be no backhanded attacks. Rhino was better than that, or at least that was what he�d convinced himself of.
�You know, I miss it, sometimes,� Christian murmured. �It was so much more peaceful with you around. Tomko was nice enough, of course, but he wasn�t half as agreeable. Plus, as you can see, he has a vindictive streak.�
�I�m just more gullible, you mean.�
Christian shrugged. �Perhaps. You let yourself fall for it, though, when you think something is worth it.� He got up, grabbing a towel and some soap. There had been an angry reply on the tip of Rhino�s tongue, but he kept it to himself, watching instead as his friend � he still didn�t like using that term � paused next to him, hand hovering over a shoulder. It barely touched before he shied away, but he did catch Christian�s rue smile.
�I wish I was strong enough for that. Thing is, Terry,� Another pause, Christian moving towards the showers.. �I fear hitting rockbottom.�
Rhino sighed, not intending to reply at first. He did, in the end, because keeping it all in had proven his doom before. �It�s worth it when you think there�s someone there to catch you,� he whispered, realizing the irony.
They looked at each other, both searching for the other one meant. Rhino didn�t think he�d ever really figure the other man out, even if there were times when Christian almost looked like he wanted someone to figure him out.
Before he had much time to ponder it, his friend turned the showerhead on, and his thoughts were drowned out by the clatter of water hitting stone. Grabbing his things, Rhino made for the door, pausing in the doorway. Grinning to himself, he turned back slightly.
�Night, Brokeback!� he called before closing the door, pleased above all to hear soft laughter from the other side. Some things never changed.
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