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It hits suddenly. Adam had been tired after Collision, but he'd tried to ignore it, make it through All In weekend and then figure it out, but Saturday morning dawns sharp and early with him stumbling out of bed to the bathroom, collapsing in front of the toilet, dry heaving as a cold sweat leaves him trembling and even more miserable.
"Adam?" Max's voice comes, muffled and a little panicked. "BayBay?" He pushes the bathroom door open and blinks. "Adam?! Hey, hey, what's going on?" He drops down next to Adam and brushes the hair out of his eyes, staring at him fearfully. "Adam?"
"I don't feel good," he mumbles, leaning his head against the cool porcelain. "Max..." He reaches out blindly for Max, tangling his fingers around Max's tank top, holding on desperately as his stomach cramps again. "This... this is bad..."
"Hey, it's ok," Max says, holding onto him. "I'm right here. It's gonna be ok, just breathe, Adam. I've got you." He curls cool fingers around Adam's forehead and frowns at him. "What do you need me to do?"
"I don't know," Adam breathes shakily. "I... there's some..." He closes his eyes. "That nausea medicine? It's in my bag..."
"You still carry that around?" Max frowns, a cold chill running down his spine even as he leaves the bathroom and digs through Adam's bag, finding the medicine. He rushes back to Adam's side and cradles his head as he helps him take the pills, tipping a bottle of water against his lips so he can drink a little easier.
"Thanks," Adam says, eyes closed as he waits for the sick feeling to pass. "Max, I think I'm in trouble."
"No, no," he says. "You're gonna be ok, BayBay. It's just nerves, probably, right? Or that weird place you insisted we eat at earlier. I told you it looked like food poisoning on legs." He brushes his fingers over Adam's forehead and frowns, not liking how clammy Adam's feeling. "What can I do to make you feel better?"
"This doesn't feel like nerves," Adam says, shaking his head. "Or food poisoning." He looks up at Max, reaching out for him. "Max, I think... I think it's another concussion." There are tears in his eyes. "I can't, I can't go through this again- Max-"
Max grabs him and pulls him in, hugging him tightly. "No, no," he says. "I refuse to believe that, alright? You're gonna be ok. It's not... things can't be that unfair."
"Yeah," Adam sighs, closing his eyes as he rests his head on Max's shoulder. "It can be."
"Not for you," he says, pressing a kiss to the top of Adam's head. "It's supposed to be for rat bastards like me. Never you."
Adam scoffs, closing his eyes tiredly. "You're not a rat bastard," he mumbles. "If you were, you wouldn't be spending your night before a big PPV taking care of me like this."
Max sighs, resting a hand on Adam's forehead. "Yeah, whatever, not going to argue with you right now. Are you feeling any better?"
"No," Adam mutters, sounding absolutely miserable. "Max..."
Max feels helpless, which is both rare and a feeling he absolutely despises. "Is the dramamine helping at all? Can we get you to bed, do you think? Maybe laying down will help."
"I don't know," Adam says. "I don't want to throw up everywhere..." He glances up into Max's face, hating how much pain he sees in his boyfriend's eyes. "Yeah, ok," he gives in with a tired sigh. "We can try it."
"Alright, baybay," Max says, kneeling next to him. "Wrap your arms around my neck, and we'll get moving, alright?"
Adam sighs, but obliges, holding on as Max helps him stand. "Slow," he says, teeth gritted as Max eases him out of the bathroom, his hands warm against Adam's clammy skin. Despite his reluctance, it is a relief when Max gets him to the bed and helps him lay down, brushing the sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes, leaning in to press a kiss to his forehead. "Max..."
"Yeah, BayBay, it's gonna be alright. Just relax," Max says, pressing another kiss to his forehead. "Wait right here, I'm gonna get you some water."
Adam exhales shakily. "Alright," he mutters. "Thanks." He leans back against the pillows and closes his eyes, trying not to completely panic or freak out.
Max returns quickly with a bottle of water and he supports Adam, helping him to drink slowly, so as not to choke. "How's that?"
"Thanks," Adam says, watching Max as he lays him down gently and kisses his forehead. "Max." He reaches up and snags Max's sleeve. "Really, thank you. I... I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Well, you'll never have to worry about that," Max says, brushing his fingers through Adam's sweaty hair. "But if by some impossible situation I wasn't here, all those other little tryhard fools would be lined up around the block to take care of you."
Adam turns his head on the pillow, staring at Max incredulously. "They're called friends, Max," he says chidingly.
"Never had any before you, remember?" he asks, pointedly looking everywhere but at Adam as he fusses with things on the table next to the bed. "Such things aren't in my vocabulary."
Adam sighs, growing more miserable at how nonchalant Max says these things, like no one will be surprised or care that it's so expected for him. "Come here," he says, not even bothering to hide how whiny he's being, still feeling pretty sick.
Max examines him, then nods with sharp, jerky motions. "Alright," he says, putting down a box of kleenex and anxiously rubbing his hands together as if to brush off invisible dust from his palms. "Make room, baybay, I'm comin' in." He settles down next to Adam and wraps his arms around him, holding him close. "This good?"
"You're so warm," Adam mumbles, feeling moderately better as the chill seeps out of his skin, Max holding him so securely. "Please don't let go."
"Not planning on it, baybay," Max says quietly, pressing another kiss to the side of Adam's face. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," he sighs. "But I think... less sick... maybe."
"I guess the dramamine finally kicked in," Max muses, relieved. "Do you think you can some sleep? I'll wake you up before we have to leave for the arena."
Adam opens his eyes and exhales slowly. "Could you wake me up a little earlier than that? I think... I need to let medical know. I think I need put in concussion protocol."
Max pales. "If you think it's necessary," he says quietly, tucking Adam in closer. "It's gonna be ok, though."
"Hope so," Adam mumbles, closing his eyes. It's between one breath and the next that he falls asleep in Max's arms, still a little clammy and restless, but the fact that he's getting any kind of rest at all is a relief to Max.
-x
"Yeah, I'm really sorry," Dr. Samson says gravely, examining Adam's pupils. "We're not gonna be able to clear you."
Adam isn't surprised. He looks up at Max and holds a hand out. "Help me get to Tony's office."
"Can't TK come to you?" Max grumbles, but he helps him up anyway, the two of them heading gingerly out of medical and down the hall to Tony Khan's office.
It doesn't take long for them to be allowed inside, thankfully, and Max stands behind Adam as he explains, Dr. Samson joining them a little later to clarify a couple of things. Adam lowers his head and exhales. "Thank you for the opportunity, and I'm sorry I'm unable to defend the title as planned." He slowly gets to his feet and lays his TNT title down on Tony's desk.
"No," Tony says, resting a hand on the strap of the belt and lifting it, handing it back to Adam. "Do that in the ring. I know you'll want to address the crowd. Right?"
"Yeah," Adam says quietly, holding the title against his shoulder. "I do. Thank you."
Max holds the door open for Adam as they take their leave. "I need to get ready for the gauntlet match," he says. "Do you want to sit with me, or do you want to go tell O'Reilly and that other bland asshole what's going on?"
Adam huffs at him, but doesn't try to correct him. "Yeah," he says after a moment. "I'll go talk with them, and come join you before the gauntlet match starts." He pauses before heading to the door, leaning in carefully and kissing Max. "Thanks for supporting me during all of this, Max. I'll talk to you later."
"See ya, baybay," Max says, watching him leave with a conflicted look on his face. He sighs once Adam is out of sight and heads into his locker room, slumping down on the nearest chair. "Fuck," he mumbles, scrubbing his fingers through his hair, taking as much time as he dares before he has to start getting ready for the match.
-x
Max's match is first, and he wins. I mean, of course he does. No doubt at all. But as he makes his way backstage, Adam is standing there, breathing shakily as he waits for production to alert him that it's his time to move. Max drops his contract into MVP's hands and turns to him, ignoring the other members of Paragon hovering around.
"Max," Adam says softly, leaning into him, title belt still held tightly in his arms. "I don't know if I can do this."
"Yeah," Max says, hesitating for a minute as he remembers just how sweaty and disheveled he is from the gauntlet match, shaking it off enough to wrap his arms around Adam and squeezing him. "You can do anything, baybay. I'll be right here waiting for you when you're done. Alright?" He steps back and cradles Adam's face in his hands. "You're gonna be ok. It's all going to be ok, Adam."
Adam grips his wrists and squeezes, exhaling slowly. "I love you, Max," he says softly, resting his forehead against Max's.
Max's smiles. "Love you too, BayBay. Now go on. Do what you need to. I'll be here for you when you're done."
Adam nods, leaning in and kissing him. "Thank you, Max," he says softly, letting go of Max's arms and walking towards the curtain, preparing himself for his music to hit. For it to be time to go.
Max wishes he could go out there, be with him as he struggles to face yet another injury costing him something he'd worked so hard for, but for tonight, that will be O'Reilly and Strong's roles. His time with Adam will be much more private later on, his plans to celebrate winning the gauntlet put on hold indefinitely.
He's still standing there, listening to Adam wrap up his speech, when Kyle and Roddy disappear through the curtain. He shifts around, scratching absently at his neck, still sweaty and uncomfortable after his match, but he's determined not to miss a second.
He's rewarded for being this patience when Adam makes it through the curtain, sans his title, and immediately leans into Max's outstretched arms, exhaling shakily. "I hate this," he mumbles, trembling fingers digging into Max's sides. "Thanks for waiting for me."
"Always," Max says, rubbing his back slowly and steadily. "C'mon, let's go back to my locker room. I need to shower, then we can get out of here. You need some peace and quiet." He hears Roddy muttering derisively and looks up in time to see Kyle elbowing him, but Roddy merely sneers and claps Adam on the back, turning him around to face them.
"We'll see you later, Adam. If you need anything, you know how to get ahold of us."
"Yeah, Roddy," Adam says. "Thanks, guys. I'll see you later."
Max rolls his eyes behind Adam's back as Roddy and Kyle leave, breathing a little easier once it's just the two of them again. "C'mon, baybay, let's get the hell outta here."
"Wait, where's your contract?" Adam asks, looking around with a frown on his face.
"MVP said he'd put it in my locker room," he says. "It's fine, I'll pick it up before we go."
"You sure?" Adam asks, hesitating briefly before following Max down the hall.
"Yeah, I'm sure," Max says, winking at him. "Everything's fine. Come on, let's go so I can shower and we can get the hell outta this dump, get you back to the hotel so you can rest."
Adam shakes his head, lips twitching slightly. "Alright, Max, whatever you say," he says.