Sin Cara's heart was going faster than usual.

Nerves? No, not anymore. He didn't get nervous about matches. He'd been with the company far too long to waste energy agonizing over the unknown.

So why, then?

Sin Cara was on the other side of the ropes, feet instilled on the apron, watching as his partner Kalisto grappled with Viktor of the Ascension. The tag-team match was smack in the middle of Raw, after several useless matches were over and done with and just before the main event. Viktor seemed slightly more aggressive tonight than he usually was. He had Kalisto in the corner, stabbing his arm into Kalisto's throat as the second Lucha Dragon struggled to escape. The official counted to three before forcing Viktor to back off. Kalisto took very little time to recover. Come on, get out of there, Sin Cara thought, gripping the top rope, itching to brawl. Let me in.

Kalisto hoisted a leg in the air and cracked a kick to Viktor's face. Viktor stumbled back, a diversion just long enough for Kalisto to scale the ropes and vault from them. His ankles wrapped himself behind Viktor's neck as he soared past, and he used the force behind his jump to flip Viktor completely over. Viktor hit the mat face-up with a loud thud. "Yes," Sin Cara whispered to himself, shaking a fist as Kalisto hooked an arm around Viktor's leg. The official went for the count. One, two…

The count was interrupted when Konnor slipped into the ring and kicked Kalisto's skull. Kalisto held his own head with his hands and slumped over. Ignoring the official's demands that Konnor get back to his corner, the Ascension lifted Kalisto to his feet and forced his arms around each of their necks, then swooped both his legs into their other arms. Sin Cara shook the rope and shouted at them, to no avail. Together the teammates executed the sky lift slam, launching Kalisto into the air, then watching as his back struck the mat in a painful landing. Viktor moved in for the pin.

"To hell with this," Sin Cara muttered. He flung himself over the ropes and tackled Viktor off his partner. The official was shouting loud, even over the calls and hoots of the crowd, but Sin Cara didn't care. Kalisto needed to rest a while before his bones shattered.

Is that why I'm nervous? he thought, huffing. I'm worried about Kalisto?

The official gained his authority back, threatening to call off the match if Sin Cara and Konnor didn't leave the ring without a tag-in. Sin Cara glared at Konnor, a glower visible even through his mask, and Konnor's snakelike tongue slithered between his teeth in a devious smirk.

"Finish him off," Konnor encouraged.

"Come on!" Sin Cara shouted from the apron, thrusting his arm towards his partner. "Get me in there, come on." But why am I so worried about him? He can hold his own. I'm not here to coddle him, we're a team.

Sin Cara licked his lips. The hell has been happening to me lately?

He watched with a bit of awe as Kalisto quickly recovered the advantage in the fight. Viktor had gotten a couple of cheap shots in on him, but Kalisto countered each one. Viktor shoved him against the ropes, and Kalisto used the spring to his advantage, drilling his form into Viktor's lower half. He finally reached Sin Cara for the tag, then scrambled atop the ropes before Sin Cara officially entered for one last flying dropkick. Viktor staggered back, arm flailing behind him for the tag. Now Konnor was in with Sin Cara.

Good. Viktor probably knew I'd kill him after what he did.

It didn't matter now. Sin Cara could handle either one of these painted circus freaks.

Konnor came at Sin Cara with a swing, and Sin Cara ducked to avoid it. He swung a kick to the back of Konnor's head, and Konnor growled, compressing his skull with both hands. Kalisto, situated on the apron, pumped his arms into the air one at a time, encouraging a rouse of chants for their team. Instead of coming at Sin Cara, Konnor twirled around and knocked Kalisto in the jaw. Kalisto's figure fell, striking the hard floor to the disapproval of the audience and the bliss of Konnor.

Sin Cara snapped. He rushed towards Konnor in a heated blaze. Konnor thought he was prepared for whatever move Sin Cara had in store, but he managed to surprise Konnor by darting right past him, springing onto the middle rope, and flinging himself backwards. Sin Cara collided with Konnor, and both bodies hit the mat. Sin Cara recovered first. He rolled Konnor up for the pin.

The official hit the mat. One, two three.

The spectators erupted with cheers and chants, and Lillian Garcia declared the Lucha Dragons the winners. Viktor threw a fit on the side, and Konnor stayed where he was on the mat, dazed by the loss. Instead of celebrating the victory, Sin Cara skidded between the ropes off the mat to check on Kalisto. He was finally sitting himself up, kneading the area Konnor had struck him.

"You okay?" Sin Cara asked, hitching his arm under Kalisto's and lifting him to his feet. Kalisto leaned against him until his balance returned to him.

"Yeah. Hit my head pretty hard. I'll be fine, though."

"Come on." Sin Cara guided Kalisto to center ring, where they joined the crowd—albeit, sluggishly on Kalisto's end—in their cries. "Lucha! Lucha! Lucha!"

The Lucha Dragons plodded backstage towards the locker rooms. Sin Cara, usually more bouncy, slowed his pace to match Kalisto's.

Bigger superstars like Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins got their own private changing rooms while the other mid-card-stranded wrestlers shared a communal locker room. Since Raw was still going, there was nobody in here. Who knew where the Ascension had gone?

Sin Cara and Kalisto were alone.

"Nice move there at the end, man," Kalisto said, rounding the corner on his way to the shower.

"Yeah, well, nobody hits my partner like that and gets away with it." Sin Cara's heart fluttered, that familiar battering of his insides that he'd felt earlier on in the night.

"I appreciate you looking out for me." He heard the water start up.

Sin Cara found himself wondering what it would be like to catch a glimpse of Kalisto showering. They were teammates but gave each other privacy in that area, of course. Now the thought itched like one he couldn't scratch.

Wondering what Kalisto looks like naked? Are you kidding me? Why is this even a thought right now? Sin Cara lowered himself onto a bench, fighting that urge. How creepy am I? He peeled off his mask and rubbed his eyes. What were these feelings? Concern that went past a partnership, a sense of guardianship to protect his friend, this damn flitting of his heart like a drunk butterfly…

Was it possible…surely not…yet surely…is it possible I have a crush on Kalisto—?

"Oh, ¡mierda!" Kalisto's voice echoed off the blue-painted walls.

"What's wrong?" Sin Cara asked, bouncing to his feet again.

"Didn't realize I was bleeding. Stuck my head under the faucet, it all came pouring down like a freakin' horror movie…"

"Need my help?" Say yes, something inside Sin Cara's head implored. I'd love to be there for you.

"Ugh, I'm a little dizzy…"

"Okay, I'm coming in." All dirty thoughts aside, his partner needed him. Sin Cara rounded the corner. Steam loitered in the air. Kalisto held himself up with a hand against the wall. Sure enough, with the gush of the shower came the spillage of blood from the top right of his head. Sin Cara snatched a white towel off the hook.

"Hey, you're alright. Come on." He twisted the knob, shutting off the water, and swathed Kalisto's muscled body with the towel, fighting the urge to look down. He felt a pulse in his fingers and toes, not just his chest, as he positioned Kalisto on a long bench.

It was a strange thing to see him at work without the mask, strange and wonderful. A full-view into his chocolate brown eyes. His matching dark hair, which he kept short to avoid irritation beneath the mask, dripping water and blood. Sin Cara moved to snag a different towel, his own, and gently wiped the streaks of blood from Kalisto's muscular shoulder, then raised the towel and pressed it against the wound. Kalisto flinched.

"I'm sorry," Sin Cara said. He held the towel there.

"Isn't this yours?" Kalisto asked, noting the blue and white stripes that were not present on his own plain white towel.

"Don't worry about it. Blood washes out."

Kalisto grinned.

"You need some water or something? Anything to eat?"

"I'm alright. Hurts, but I'm hanging in there. Thanks, though."

"Of course." The silence following—nothing but dripping water and shuffling from outside—was unnerving. Sin Cara cleared his throat. "You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you." He patted Kalisto's knee, intending it to be a friendly gesture—brotherly—but with a smile Kalisto laid his hand atop Sin Cara's.

"I know."

Sin Cara stared down at their touching hands. His heart was going haywire now, his veins channeling a buzz. He wondered if Kalisto could detect the effect he had on him. What the hell does all of this mean?

"I'd do the same for you, you know," he promised, giving Sin Cara's fingers a squeeze.

Sin Cara had to do something before he lost control. Hand still compressing Kalisto's head with the towel, he drew the stained fabric away and used both hands, breaking that connection with Kalisto, to inspect for damage. He tilted Kalisto's head forward, then back. The cut wasn't too wide, but evidently ran deep. He'd managed to halt the bleeding. "See, it's not even that bad. You'll be fine."

His hands traveled down until they gently held Kalisto's head from the side, thumbs over Kalisto's cheekbones.

Sin Cara held him here, unsure what to do next, panicking over making the wrong decision…

Kalisto read his mind.

He knew what to do.

Kalisto instigated and Sin Cara met him halfway, catching Kalisto's lips with his own, ensnaring them in a passionate kiss. The universe dissolved beneath them until there was nothing left, not one soul, not one object, but the very existing hearts of Sin Cara and Kalisto. His heart blossomed. So this is what it's like—to care so much—to do anything—

Kalisto was feisty even as a kisser. When Sin Cara pressed into him, Kalisto pushed back, as though they were in a match of the mouths. Sin Cara's arms worked themselves around Kalisto, pulling Kalisto against his form. The heat of their skin, bare chests pressed against one another, warmed Sin Cara into an unusual chill over his arms, down his back. This was Kalisto. His best friend. His tag team partner. His family.

His…everything.

Even with his eyes closed and mind concentrated on Kalisto's wicked kiss, Sin Cara felt the towel around Kalisto's waist drop to the floor, and now Sin Cara felt all of Kalisto, and without his sight he could still imagine accurately in full what Kalisto looked like naked.

He no longer had to imagine.

Sin Cara broke the kiss, Kalisto gasping for an overdue breath, and Sin Cara's eyes shifted down. Kalisto's cock was stiff and long. He was delighted to have such an effect on him, knowing damn well what repercussions Kalisto had on his own mind, his own body.

Kalisto was blushing. "Not impressive, right?"

"You kidding me?" Sin Cara scoffed. "Come here."

He ushered Kalisto towards the wall, pushing him against it, a hand behind Kalisto's head to protect it from further injury. Here he could really push into Kalisto, assured he wasn't going anywhere. He drove himself into Kalisto with the right amount of assertiveness and nobility. Kalisto's mouth opened in a low groan, and Sin Cara took advantage, driving his tongue into the gap. He tasted sweet, so sweet. Sin Cara took Kalisto's bottom lip in a bite, eliciting another groan, this one louder and almost begging for more without speaking a word.

Kalisto worked up Sin Cara as well; he wasn't letting Sin Cara make all the effort, have all the fun. His fingers kneaded Sin Cara's chest, squeezing the taut muscles, tweaking the nipples which Sin Cara seemed to enjoy more than he thought he would.

Sin Cara's skilled hand glided down Kalisto's chest, past his waistline, and took hold of his firm erection.

"Aye," Kalisto groaned, breaking the kiss, tilting his head up, eyes still squeezed closed. Sin Cara replaced his lips on Kalisto's soft neck, nibbling the skin, tongue sliding over his collarbone. Kalisto was fragile now, succumbing to the pleasure on weakening knees. Sin Cara had to hold him up, a firm hand on his shoulder, the other stroking Kalisto's cock up and down, up and down. A lack of lubricant might have been the reason behind Kalisto's developing grimace. Sin Cara resolved the issue by licking his own hand, enjoying Kalisto's taste, then returning the hand to Kalisto's dick, jerking him off.

"As lo que quieras," Kalisto spurted. Translation: "as you want." Kalisto was giving himself, all of him, to Sin Cara to do with him what Sin Cara wanted to do. "As lo que quieras."

Sin Cara grinned. "As lo que quieras." As he wanted, Sin Cara had answered. He wanted to make Kalisto happy. Feel as good as Sin Cara felt just doing this to him.

"Nadie me lo das como tu," Kalisto groaned, biting down on his lip as Sin Cara pressed another kiss against his trembling skin. Nobody did to him what Sin Cara did.

"Good," Sin Cara said, grinning, pride—and cock—swelling in his pride. He captured Kalisto's lips in another kiss and strengthened the speed of his up and down motion on Kalisto's dick.

Kalisto threw his head back—Sin Cara's hand was there to block it from smacking the wall—and soughed loudly, writhing. He was finishing, coming by Sin Cara's hand. Sin Cara's grip was friendly and strong as the orgasm washed over Kalisto like an ocean wave, drowning him in the ripples of his own bodily fulfillment.

Kalisto slumped to the floor when he was finished.

"Mierda," he breathed. Sin Cara chuckled darkly. As nervous as he'd felt earlier, he was satisfied at a job well done. Pleasuring the great love of his life was a personal accomplishment anyone could be proud of. He leaned against the wall, side-by-side with Kalisto, their arms pressed together. "Can't believe we just fucking did that."

"Me, neither." His heart was back to pounding, deep, slowly.

"Guess that answers that."

"Answers what?" Sin Cara queried.

"If you felt the same way I did."

A smile tugged at the corners of Sin Cara's lips, not one out of smugness but bliss. "The 'same' way?"

"Yeah. Always had this awful crush on you, man. Never think it'd go anywhere. Especially here."

"For what it's worth, the answer is yes, I do. And I never thought it would, either, and yet."

"And yet," Kalisto agreed. Sin Cara wrapped a strong arm over his shoulder, and he snuggled into Sin Cara's form.

"Don't ever leave me," Kalisto spoke softly.

"I won't. I promise." Sin Cara had seen tag teams, partners, men who called each other brothers, betray one another, turn against the very man he swore to always protect, always fight for and not against. That would not be the case with him and Kalisto. They'd last. They'd make it.

"Let's last a little while."

"That sounds perfect." He kissed Kalisto's hair.

The door creaked opened around the corner.

"Shit," Sin Cara said, lifting to his feet. Somehow he'd forgotten they were in a public place, surrounded on the outside by other wrestlers. He snatched the towel across the way and flung it in Kalisto's direction. Kalisto managed to stand up and wrap it protectively around himself before Randy Orton rounded the corner.

"Hey, sup?" Sin Cara asked, sounding as guilty as one possible could.

"Uh, nothing much?" Orton answered, shifting his gaze from Sin Cara to Kalisto and back again. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Nope. Just chilling out after our match."

"Ah. Okay. You guys did pretty well out there." Orton tugged his black t-shirt off and walked with a towel towards the showers in nothing but his black tights.

"Thanks," Sin Cara called after him.

"Yeah, I'm proud of us," Kalisto said, flashing Sin Cara a grin that made his heart melt. Things were different now, and it was destined to be a wonderful journey.

"Me too," Sin Cara stated. He couldn't have agreed more.