Disclaimer: I don't own anyone... I wish I owned Edge... I'm mad at Matt... X ( 

** NOTE: The author does NOT think Matt is better than Jeff**

For Him

Matt Hardy lay on the hotel bed, looking up at the ceiling. His mind was drifting along, every so often stopping on one idea or another, and he'd ponder it for a little while, before moving on to some other random thought.

The current one was about Lita. Lita... Lita... Where would she go? After Matt attacked Jeff, he ended up on Smackdown. His girlfriend, however, had been drafted for Raw before her injury. Would she follow him, or stay on Raw, and be another under the unnecessarily tormenting reign of Eric Bischoff?

Next little musing... Would they respect him on Smackdown? They'd better... If not-

Matt was jolted out of his thoughts by a knocking at the door. Upon looking at the clock, he found it was a little after midnight. Who the hell could it be at an hour like that? And it had better be someone he wouldn't mind seeing...

Edge.

This was who Matt found when he opened the door. The older Hardy guessed decided that this wasn't so bad...

The blonde Canadian smiled.

" Hey."

Matt cocked an eyebrow, still thinking of the time. But finally, he echoed the other man.

" Hey..." He motioned to the room. " Come on in."

Doing so, Edge thanked him. Inside, he sat down on one of the chairs in the corner, while Matt plopped back down on the bed.

" It's... Good to see you again." The blonde told him.

Matt sat up.

" Yeah... You, too."

So this might sound odd, such a friendly greeting from two men that had once possessed a fierce rivalry in their old tag teams. But when you go through so much, so many grueling matches, (you know which ones... They don't have to be named,) it can't be helped that a bond might grow from this.

For a while, Edge and Matt merely looked at one another. The room was quiet, and eventually, the situation became a bit awkward.

" I know why you're here." Matt said finally.

The man in the chair didn't doubt this. He knew of the intuition the brunette possessed.
Edge held up a hand as he tried to explain.

" Well, Matt, I can't help but be curious... I mean, I went through it with Christian... Yeah, I know you and Jeff have had your ups and downs in the past, but this time... The Hardy Boyz tag-team is really dead. I just didn't think it could come to this, what with the bond you two share. Or... Shared."

Matt softly sighed. The other wrestler studied his face. There wasn't anger on it, as he'd expected. After all, Matt had been angry enough to attack his younger brother... Anyway, instead of anger, he had a thoughtful, somewhat serene, and yet somewhat melancholy look on his face.

Edge ran a hand through his hair.

" I look at you, and I can see that this wasn't about Bischoff giving Jeff the match against RVD, was it?"

Matt glanced up at him, then nodded.

This wasn't the first time Matt had had a conversation about Jeff, and his coming to Smackdown, and all the elements involved. Stephanie had been inquisitive as well. So he told her the things he intended to tell Edge before their conversation was over. And strangely enough, she'd understood. He might have been hallucinating, but she was actually quite compassionate. Even though she was still a McMahon, her whole deal with Hunter might have actually set a bit more emotion in to her...
Matt prepared to tell it all again. Getting up, he crossed the room to where the mini-bar sat. He retrieved a beer, and asked Edge if he wanted one.

" Sure." He replied, shifting in his chair.

When the Hardy had settled down again, he took a sip of beer, and began.

" It was for Jeff's own good."

Edge had been taking a swig of the alcohol, and he cocked his head at this. After swallowing, he wrinkled his nose in puzzlement.

" For his... What do you mean, Matt?"

Instead of responding to the question, he traced his finger around the mouth of the beer bottle. It was going to be hard to admit, even though it was for the second time, but he had to be honest.

" Listen..." He finally spoke. " I live wrestling more than Jeff... But somehow, he surpassed me... He's better, Edge. And you know it."

Edge hadn't really expected Matt to tell him something like this. Mentally, he noted to himself how much strength it must have took to be able to say it. He listened as the other man continued.

" HE'S the high flyer. HE'S the one people come to see. Right now, Jeff is good. He's real good, and one day, he's gonna be great. Now, I love him, and I want to see that.

" If we stay a tag team, it will only be holding him back. I'LL be holding him back. We'll always be tag wrestlers. You know how he likes to climb ladders? This whole damn company is one big ladder. And Jeff is going to the top."

Matt hadn't avoided a cliché. But Edge understood completely nonetheless. He didn't speak immediately, though, just sat there, and let the words sink in. Though he wouldn't admit it, silently, Edge agreed.

Matt took another sip of beer, and said even more.

" He's got to make it to the top on his own. I know Jeff, and with all we've gone through, he wouldn't be talked in to splitting up. It was a choice I had to make, and I know that I made the right one."

For a little bit longer, Edge considered what Matt had told him. Then he looked up at him with his pretty eyes, and told him,

" I think you did, too."

*~*

Author's note: Hmmm. I guess I did this kind of late. ^_^. What did you think?