Work Text:
“Did you ever think we’d be here?”
Chris’ voice was thoughtful, quiet, but there was a hint of longing threaded through it. He didn’t look at Alex when he said it—just stared at the ceiling, a million miles away.
Alex knew exactly what Chris meant. Here wasn’t just the couch, or the apartment, or the wrestling business. It was the fact that they’d survived long enough to sit in this moment together. But instead of diving into the weight of it, Alex redirected, as he usually did.
“Man, I never thought I’d be this old.” He colored the statement with his signature dry sense of humor, and Chris chuckled, the sound warm and familiar.
“Me neither. I still feel like I’m twenty‑four, sometimes.”
“I didn’t even feel twenty‑four when I was twenty‑four,” Alex shot back, and now they were both laughing, the awkward tension dissolved into something lighter.
The laughter faded into a comfortable silence. Chris shifted on the cold mattress. “You know,” he said after a beat, “we’ve been through a lot. More than I thought we could handle.”
“Yeah, me too,” Alex agreed, “but we did handle it. Every injury, every long flight, every time someone thought we were done–we weren’t. We took it on the chin and kept going.”
Chris smiled faintly. “You make it sound easy.”
“It wasn’t easy,” Alex admitted, softer now. “But it was worth it. Every time we walked out there together, it was worth it.” He paused for a second, then added,
“Being with you was worth it.”
Chris let that sit between them. He’d always admired Alex’s ability to turn pain into punchlines, but moments like this reminded him that underneath the sarcasm was someone who cared deeply.
“You ever think about what’s next?” Chris asked.
Alex shrugged. “Sometimes. But then I remember we’re still here. Still doing it. And honestly? That’s enough for me right now.”
Chris had to agree. For all the complaining he’d done lately about how they’d missed out on so many opportunities as a result of his devotion to TNA, even he had to admit that it had paid off. He and Alex had been given the opportunity to work other promotions while still on the roster, which in turn had paid off financially. He was a firm believer that everything happened for a reason. And while he still wished that he and Alex had made it to WWE first, overall, he was happy.
“You’re brooding,” Alex said, and Chris had been so lost in thought that he jumped at that.
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
Chris frowned.
“Dude, I’m not brooding. I was….reflecting.”
Alex gave him a look that clearly said he knew Chris was lying, but he chose not to call him out on it.
“Well,” Alex said, flipping over and switching the bedside lamp off, “there’ll be plenty of time for that in the morning. Tonight, we can just sit here and know that we made it.”
Chris leaned back, closing his eyes.
“Yeah. We made it.”