Common Ground - Jade
NC17 - m/m slash, very mild language
Characters: AJ Styles/Chris Sabin
Summary: Chris has a little too much to drink and finds his way to AJ's room. What happens may surprise both of them.
Disclaimer: We own neither the characters nor the individuals who portray them. Written soley for our own enjoyment.
Notes: This was started a few weeks ago after AJ won the belt from Chris. It may be a little dated now, but I finally sat down and finished it. Enjoy!

"You took my belt."

AJ Styles blinked at the man standing on the other side of his hotelroom door and shrugged, "Ya didn't deserve it anyway."

Chris Sabin scowled while still managing to look confused. "Don't tellme what I deserve, AJ Styles!" He tried to poke AJ in the chest butmissed. "Damn, I should have picked the second one," he muttered tohimself.

"Are you drunk?" AJ demanded.

"Of course I'm drunk. If I wasn't, I would never come to your hotelroom. This is stupid." Chris emphatically nodded his head as ifagreeing with himself. "Now, AJ, raise your hand so I know which oneto poke."

"Ooooh, ya just want me to raise my hand so ya can poke me?" AJ rolledhis eyes sarcastically.

"Don't be icky, AJ Styles! I need to poke you to make my point!"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure ya made your point." AJ closed his eyes and shookhis head. "Whatever it was," he muttered.

"Will the real AJ Styles please stand up?" Chris found this incrediblyfunny and began to giggle uncontrollably.

"Oh, man," AJ sighed. "If I raise my hand and ya poke me, will ya leave?"

"Yes," Chris stated seriously, hiccuping just a bit.

"Ok, Fine." AJ raised his hand and looked at Chris expectantly.

Chris stared at AJ for an uncomfortably long time, furrowing his browand squinting his eyes as they darted back and forth. AJ stayed silenthoping Chris would get bored and just walk away.

Finally, Chris sighed sadly and said, "Damn. Are you trying to trickmre or something?"

By this time, AJ was losing patience. "Will you just poke me and go away?!"

"I can't! All of you raised your hand!" Chris eyes wideneddramatically and his voice dropped an octave, "It's a trick."

Letting out a frustrated growl, AJ grabbed Chris' hand and brought itto his chest. Forcefully moving the index finger, he poked himselfwith Chris' hand.

"THERE. Now go away!" AJ firmly shut the door in Chris' face.

Standing there with his hands on his hips rolling his eyes, AJ halflistened for the sounds of Chris' departure. Hearing nothing butsilence, he curiously peered out the peephole. Chris was stillstandign there staring at the door blankly. AJ cocked his head andwondered what the other man was doing. He wondered for ten minutes ashe stared at Chris through the peephole as Chris stared at the door.

"For the love of...," AJ huffed as he wrenched open the door. "Why areya still standing here?"

Chris blinked suddenly finding AJ where the door used to be. "I don'tremember where my room is."

"Ya have got to be kidding me."

Chris frowned, "No, I'm not."

"Who are ya rooming with?"

"Don't remember."

"What floor are ya on?"

"Don't know."

"Where's all your friends?"

"Who?"

"Ya know, Sonjay, Lethal...Those guys," AJ said slowly.

"Who cares? They're dorks."

AJ closed his eyes and slowly, oh so slowly, counted to ten. He hopedwhen he opened his eyes that Chris had just wandered off. Steelinghimself, AJ cracked open an eye. No such luck. Chris stood there,slightly weaving now, watching him with hazy eyes.

"I liked staring at the door better," Chris stated.

AJ gritted his teeth and counted to ten again. He knew he should justleave Chris in the hallway. He'd wander away eventually. Somethingniggled at him, though. Chris really was in no shape to go off byhimself. Despite how annoying Chris was, AJ didn't want him hurt.Making his decision, AJ looked at Chris firmly. He figured this wasthe price of having a conscience.

"Fine. Ya can stay here tonight."

Chris looked balefully at him. "Why would I want to do that?"

Gnashing his teeth by now, AJ ticked off points on his fingers,"You're drunk, lost, and your friends are dorks."

"Hey! Don't call my friends dorks!" Chris was indignant.

"I didn't! You did!" AJ was rapidly heading towards pissed off.

"Well, they are dorks. Big ones." Chris tried to lean closer to AJ fordramatic effect but almost toppled over. AJ snatched him by the armand drug him into the room.

"Just get in here. Just get in here and go to bed." AJ prayed Chriswould just pass out. Please, God, spare me, he thought.

Chris wrenched his arm away from AJ and plopped ungracefully onto theedge of the nearest bed.

"Are you prop...Are you propo...propos. ..proposing. . .no," Chrisfrowned and paused for a minute trying to find the right word. Hefinally settled with a "I AM NOT HAVING SEX WITH YOU!" Chris laid backand closed his eyes.

"No, you are not," AJ was just as emphatic.

Seeing that Chris was indeed on his way to passing out, AJ sighed andbegan to remove Chris' shoes.

"Damn it, Mama, " AJ muttered. He figured it was mostly her fault thathe was in this predicament. She was the one that just had to teach himto be a good person. AJ walked into the bathroom and filled a glasswith water then grabbed two Tylenol. "See, Mama, this is what youget," he continued as he stood at the side of the bed.

He bent down and shook Chris. "Come on, Chris, wake up for a minute."

Chris groaned and swatted the hand away.

"Come on. Just for a minute."

Bleary eyes opened and AJ shoved the Tylenol into Chris' hand. Chrisautomatically threw them in his mouth and swallowed them down with thewater offered. Groaning, he fell back onto the bed and was instantlyasleep.

AJ set the water down on the bedside table and headed back into thebathroom. After stripping down to his boxers, he turned off the lightand climbed into his own bed. He closed his eyes and drifted off tosleep.

AJ slowly opened his eyes, blinking the bleariness out. Something wokehim up. The room was still dark and only a sliver of moonlight peekedthrough the crack in the drapes. Nothing seemed out of place. Rollingover, AJ was faced with the picture of Chris Sabin. He was sitting upin the middle of the other double bed staring down at something in hislap. AJ belatedly realized it was the X-Division title belt. Notsaying anything, AJ slowly sat up.

"This mattered to me, you know," Chris said quietly without lookingup. Gone was the drunken slurring. In its place was quietcontemplation.

AJ remained silent.

Chris remained staring at the belt. "It did. You might think I justused it, that it was just an ego boost to me. And, you know what? Itwas." Chris locked eyes with AJ. "It is to everyone that wears it.Even you. But, that's not all it was or still is. It was and isvindication. " Chris looked back down at the belt softly touching it,almost caressing it. "This thing meant I was good enough. This meantthat I really had a place in the X-Division. I mean, sure, everyonetalks about my work rate and says I have skills, but when it came towinning the thing that proved it, I always fell just short. It waslike I was good enough to be the challenger but never good enough tobe the champion." Chris fell silent.

He looked over at AJ again. "I know you think I became a juvenileasshole when I got the belt. I kind of did. I was just so sick ofbeing walked on. I figured I never got anywhere as the good ol' ChrisSabin so maybe I'd get somewhere as the asshole. Like sometimes niceguys do finish last so I wouldn't be the nice guy, you know?"

AJ did know. "Yeah," he agreed quietly.

"But it didn't matter," Chris continued, "I still lost the belt. Tothe nice guy. How ironic."

AJ watched Chris touch the belt and thought about what he'd said. Thiswas a part of Chris that AJ wasn't familiar with. The old Chris waslively and always laughing or playing a joke on someone. The assholeChris was just that..an asshole. This Chris was foreign. Maybe thiswas a side of Chris that had always been there, but he'd never had thechance to see it. AJ got out of bed and went to sit across from Chris.Chris glanced up questioningly.

"I do get it," AJ said, "When I was champ working with Russo, Ithought the same things. I wanted it all and was tired of waiting so Ifigured I'd take it. Who cares about others? Everyone else is out forthemselves. Why not me? So I was an asshole and I got what I wanted. Iwas happy, but then I wasn't." He trailed off.

"Why weren't you happy?"

"Because it's not natural being something you're not. Even if it getsya what ya want." AJ smiled. "I'm not saying I'm a paragon of virtue,but I was always pretending and always feeling guilty. Eventually eventhe belt didn't make it all better. Know what I mean?"

"Yeah," Chris nodded slowly, "I do."

"Look, I know saying it's all gonna be ok will just piss ya off likeit does me. But, listen, you're good. Not just good but one of thebest. You'll get the belt back. I really believe that. When ya do,just be yourself. It's a lot easier and you'll be a lot happier. Trustme."

Chris stayed quiet for a while then lifted his eyes to meet AJ's witha small smile on his face. Picking up the belt, he held it out to AJ."Thanks."

AJ nodded and reached for the belt. When his fingers brushed Chris',he paused. Maybe it was the dark room or the quiet or this new side ofChris, but he could have sworn he felt a tingle. He could swear by thesurprise on Chris' face that he felt it, too. Suddenly, he was reallyclose to Chris. If he'd been paying attention to anything but thetingle moving up his arm, he would have realized that he'd grabbedChris hand and pulled him forward. Not looking away from the eyes infront of him, AJ leaned forward and kissed Chris. Jerking back at theunexpected jolt, AJ loooked directly into Chris' wide, startled eyes.His own fluttered shut when Chris leaned forward and claimed his lipsfirmly. Mentally, AJ wondered how he'd never realized this before.Then his brain began to focus all its attention on his lips and thoseeagerly kissing them.

AJ felt a tongue slip into his mouth and he met it. While theirtongues wrestled, AJ grabbed Chris and pulled him flush against hisbody. Suddenly feeling something hard hit him in the chest, he brokethe kiss and looked down. Pinned between their heaving chest was ashiny, gold X-Division title. Looking back up, AJ saw Chris blink a few times before looking down. Slowly, he raised his eyes to meet AJ's blue stare. All was quiet while they searched each other's eyes. Smiling slowly, Chris took the belt he still held and set it aside. Looking at AJ, he grinned, seeming to say that he made the first move. Now, it was AJ's turn.

Wearing a grin himself, AJ scooted closer. Wrapping his arms aroundChris' shoulders, AJ pushed him back on the bed and stretched outbeside him. Nudging his head underneath Chris' chin, AJ gave hisanswer by laying a string of kisses down the tanend throat whilemoving his hand down the cloth covered side. When he got to the end ofthe T-shirt, AJ slipped his hand under it and caressed the smooth skinof Chris' abdomen. When Chris arched into the touch, AJ's lips leftChris' neck and returned to his lips. Chris moaned into the kiss andstroked his hands down AJ's back in search of the hem of his T-shirt.Finding it, he quickly pulled it over AJ's head, briefly breaking thekiss, and tossed it aside. AJ quickly followed his lead by removingChris' shirt. AJ's hands resumed their stroking eager to feel more ofthe warm skin his hand had been touching. Resuming the kiss, theycontinued to touch what they could reach.

When AJ brushed a nipple on that smooth chest, Chris arched andgasped. AJ broke the kiss and pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses downChris' throat and across his chest. When he found a nipple, his tonguedarted out and quickly licked it. Chris moaned, so AJ licked it morefirmly drawing it into his mouth. Chris bucked into the mouth andgroaned. AJ grinned and repeated his actions on the other nipple. WhenChris began to whimper, AJ left his nipples moving on to his firmabdomen. He traced each distinctive line of the six pack with the tipof his tongue. Coming to the waistband of Chris' jeans, AJ unbuttonedthem and pulled down the zipper. Then he pulled the jeans and boxersdown and off of Chris. When Chris was completely naked, AJ leaned backon his heels and took a long look. Chris' face was flushed, his eyeswere dilated with lust, and his chest rose and fell with his rapidbreathing. Chirs had a great body, but AJ already knew that.

Meeting Chris' unfocused eyes, AJ brought his hands to the waistbandof his own boxers. He pulled them down quickly and stretched out ontop of the body beneath his. Suddenly remembering the need forsupplies, AJ hopped up and rifled through his bag. Finding the babyoil he used before matches, he grabbed a condom and turned back to thebed. Chris was still laying there looking at AJ expectantly.Stretching back on top of Chris, AJ gave him a quick kiss. Then hepopped the cap on the oil and poured some into his hand. Gentlyspreading Chris' legs, AJ placed his hand at the entrance to Chris'body. When he felt the fingers, Chris let his legs fall open andlifted his hips. AJ used one finger to lightly massage the entranceand then let it slip inside. Chris sighed and squirmed. AJ addedanother finger. Chris pushed back on the fingers eagerly. When AJfound that spot, Chris' hips jerked and he moaned loudly. AJ removedhis fingers and was reaching for the oil when he was surprised by ahand, already slick, wrapping around his shaft. Looking at Chris, AJfound a smirk settled firmly on his face. He grabbed Chris' hands fromaround him and intertwined their fingers. Then he captured Chris' lipsin a kiss as he slowly entered his body. When he was completely buriedinside, AJ broke the kiss and rested his head against Chris' shoulder.He took several deep breaths in an attempt to retain control. All wasstill for a moment as AJ breathed and Chris adjusted to the invasionof his body.

The silence was broken when Chris' arched his hips and whispered,"Move, please move."

AJ complied without argument. Disentangling their fingers, he insteadgrasped Chris' hips and began a deep, steady rythmn. Chris' hips movedto meet AJ's as AJ steadily brushed the sweet spot inside of him.Soon, they were frantically moving together. Shakily, AJ wrapped ahand around Chris' erection. It wasn't long before Chris submitted tobeing stroked both inside and out. As his orgasm washed through him,he gave a triumphant shout. AJ soon followed with a gutteral groan.

Afterward, AJ collapsed on top of Chris trying to catch his breath.When he felt arms close around him, he reversed their positions untilthey were lying side by side.

Quietly, AJ sighed. "I guess we better clean up."

Before he could move, though, Chris was up and heading towards thebathroom. "I got it."

He soon came back with a warm washcloth and proceeded to clean AJ andhimself. He bounced back into the bathroom to dispose of the cloth.When he came back out, he climbed into bed and snuggled close to AJ.

AJ wrapped his arms around Chris and said a quiet "Thanks."

Chris sighed and threw a leg over AJ. "No. Thank you."