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Matt could hear Jack retching in the bathroom stall. It worried him that Jack was getting so sick after a rigorous match but he understood why. He couldn't imagine all the emotions and memories that were brought up at the sight of Killswitch and hearing Christian's music.
"Hey, Jack, you okay in there?"
"Fucking..." Jack retched again before continuing, "Peachy."
Matt sighed. He would hate himself for doing this because Lord knows what was on the floor, but Matt lowered himself and crawled underneath the stall door. It was good that Jack chose the wheelchair-accessible stall so that there was room for both of them, but the sight of Jack gripping the toilet with his head resting on the seat made his heartache. Matt walked behind him, kneeled down, and rubbed his back gently.
"It's alright, Jack. It's over. They're gone."
Silence followed save for the few times that Jack started dry heaving, even the acid from his stomach emptied out of him. Then Matt heard Jack whisper so quietly he would have missed it if he wasn't listening.
"When does it ever go away?"
Matt knew exactly what he was talking about. He had a past of people who had come and gone in his life only to return. Matt moved his hand from Jack's back to petting his curly hair. He could feel the sweat from Jack's match, but he didn't care. It was Jack after all.
"It's like a sore. It'll stay open for a while, then it'll heal up, but something can cause it to open up again. All we can do is tend to it and forget it's there."
Jack stayed quiet as he mulled over Matt's words. Of course, they wouldn't go away. They worked for the same company. They will always be a reminder of the boy that they broke, but he has new friends. He's not the naive boy from the jungle learning how to be a person. He's toughened up, he's grown a thicker skin, and he's learned how to play the political games backstage.
But he was so tired. He was tired of masking to have all this bravado. Pretending that he's somebody who lets nothing get to him and acting like he enjoys rubbing people the wrong way to get what he wants.
Slowly he lifted his head, turned around, and hugged Matt. He buried his face against Matt's chest and let out a shaky breath. Matt wrapped one arm around Jack while his other hand continued petting his hair.
"It's alright, Jack. I got you."
It was as if they were in their own bubble as they stayed sitting in the restroom stall hugging each other with Matt occasionally cooing out comforting words.
When Jack decided to stand up Matt stood up with him and looked at him with a soft smile. Jack refused to look at him.
"Thanks, Matt."
"No problem, Jack."
Matt let Jack walk out of the stall first and he trailed behind him. Matt had watched Jack become the person that stood before him but he knew that boy from the very beginning of AEW was still inside him and if Jack ever needed to be comforted he'd always be there for him.