There's a new wind blowin' like I've never known

I'm breathin' deeper than I've ever done

And it sure feels good, to finally feel the way I do

I wanna love somebody,

Love somebody like you...

-Keith Urban

"I'm just saying, there's literally—literally—only five subjects that every single country song can be about."

"That so?" AJ Styles asked, turning down the Keith Urban song on the radio which had sparked this debate.

"Of course." Chris Jericho ticked each one off on his fingers. "You've got my man or woman left me and now I'm drinking myself to sleep—you've got damn, this beer tastes good—you've got damn, this girl is pretty—you've got my truck will always come first in my life—and you've got let's party it up in this cornfield tonight and probably get laid."

AJ cracked a grin. "Fair enough." He checked his rearview mirror and steered off the highway. Green sweetgum trees bordered the road on both sides. Decade-old business buildings stood in clusters past intersections with single-lamp traffic stops. Even in the car, Chris's nose twitched with the whiff of hay and dirt. This was the country, alright. AJ's home sweet home. Close enough, anyway. Monday Night Raw was in the North Charleston Coliseum tonight.

"I'm not saying all country music is absolutely unbearable," Chris said. "Just saying, they should think up some new material. It's a new age, y'know?"

"Oh, they have. Twang's mixing with rap and hip-hop now. No mistakin' that for Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson, right?"

"I hope not. I'll take Walk the Line over This Is How We Roll. Or, hell, even your entrance theme."

"You like my music?"

"It's got a good beat to it. I can appreciate that."

AJ twisted the dial up a notch or two. Keith Urban was still going. "I'll make a bumpkin out of you, Jericho. Mark my words."

"That so?" Chris asked, arching an eyebrow.

"You spend a lot of time with me, it's bound to happen."

"Who knows? I could convert you to the city life." Chris leaned back in his seat, folding his hands in his lap. "You'd like it. Bright lights, buzz in the air, rock 'n roll."

"I'll take rock music, but city life's way too hectic for me."

"Think about what you just said. Think about your life. We're in a world of hectic."

"And I still value my southern roots. Country life is just simple, y'know? There's nothin' to it. It gives a man time to actually think, instead of lettin' the world tell him what he should be thinkin' about."

Chris was armed with a retort about how country life sure was simple—ideal for the simple-minded—but he admired AJ's poetic viewpoint.

"I guess I could give it a try sometime," Chris said. He'd gotten used to the discrete air already.

"What? Country life?"

"Yeah. Trying to see things the way you do."

"Well, hell, Chris, we're here. Why not try it this week?"

"Do the Carolinas count as southern enough?" He was back to teasing AJ, which Styles reacted to by swatting Chris's arm with the back of his hand.

"Yes, they count. I ain't gonna drive all the way to Nashville or Tulsa to make a point."

"You think we can cram the entirety of your point into a couple of days?" It wasn't exactly feasible for the two to get any time off. After Raw and Smackdown, they were off to a different city, a different state. Life kept going and going and going and there was never time to slow down…

"If that's all the time we got, I'll use it to my advantage."

"Bring it, bumpkin."

Raw was a blast. This crowd admired AJ almost as much as Chris did, hailing him when his music hit, screaming even before he made his way to the ring to face Kofi Kingston in a non-title match. No tag teaming tonight, unfortunately. Chris tried to be content about it, lingering outside the ring, watching the match with mindful eyes, unafraid to charge in there and kick some ass if things went wrong. He'd gotten a black eye for AJ Styles before and he was prepared to endure much, much worse for his partner.

The match happened halfway through the program which meant they were allowed to leave before most of the others. Jericho honestly didn't feel like sticking around to watch Reigns and Triple H snap at each other's necks like turtles. He was more eager about the night ahead, the day to follow, whatever it might bring. Whatever AJ had in store for them.

The hotel AJ selected was on the fringe of the big city, drawn away from the droning lights and semi-active town nightlife. He'd done this intentionally, helping to "prove his point." Grass spread over larger areas than asphalt. Crickets and cicadas trilled in their evening ballad.

Chris hadn't said anything when AJ requested adjoining rooms. Better than complete detachment, he supposed. They dragged their luggage from the rental car to each respective room, then Chris plucked his Raw Is Jericho shirt off and dropped it on the bed.

"What are you doing?" AJ asked through the door separating the rooms, propped open. What was the point of two rooms if they'd be seeing each other anyway?

"Thought I'd shower right quick. Wash the sweat off." He hadn't fought tonight but he'd sure sweated in a minor panic, watching Kofi Kingston secure AJ in an arm bar and goad him to tap out. No worse sound in the world than hearing the man you loved scream in pain.

AJ laughed, shaking his head. "A need to 'wash the sweat off' sure ain't what the country life is about."

"Oh, we're starting that tonight?" Chris mused, playing innocent. He flexed his arms a couple of times, wondering if he could impress AJ this sort of way.

"I had a couple ideas. Guess you can leave the shirt off, though." AJ angled his head. Chris caught his eyes skimming his half-naked physique, head to toe.

"Why? Like what you see?" Chris bantered.

"Yeah, your forty-year-old carcass is a real turn on for me."

Chris laughed. "And why, pray tell, should I leave the shirt off?"

"Where we're goin', you won't need it."

"Where are we going?"

AJ held up the rental car keys. "Follow me, Cowboy. We're goin' for a ride."

AJ couldn't lie. Chris did look good without a shirt. His daily life kept him in good shape, looking years younger than he really was. He just liked giving Jericho shit. That's how it worked, jokes and jabs and jibes, but at the end of the day AJ had developed a soft spot for the guy. Chris looked out for him. Sure, he was a haughty bastard for AJ's first few weeks with the company, but they worked well together. Chris had taken some pretty nasty hits for him, protecting him from harm. Who wouldn't be taken by that? He could be as sincere as he could be snobbish. Maybe he'd earned the right after his hard years of success.

Styles wasn't terribly familiar with this locale but Google Maps was a wonderful instrument. He weaved the car off-road, following the directions he'd memorized from his phone, and slowed the vehicle to a stop on a long stretch of grass, yards away from a steep bank. This had to be it.

"Where the hell are we?" Chris asked.

"You'll see." AJ killed the engine. It wasn't a great surprise, but AJ enjoyed keeping him in the dark. It seemed to drive him crazy, whenever he was aware he didn't know everything.

Chris stepped into the warm night. "If you're gonna murder me, you should know you're not in my will yet. You want me to update it real quick so you can benefit, or…?"

"It's all good. I took a life insurance policy out on you this morning." AJ slammed the car door shut.

"Oh, you did? Thank God you're prepared."

"Yup. Even scored an extra grand-fifty if your death's an accident."

"Or looks that way, at least."

"I'm pretty creative." AJ trekked down the bank, step by step. The nighttime critters were noisy out here. The inky sky was clear of clouds, the moonlight brilliant enough to guide his walk, stream a glow between the tall blades of grass so he could check for snakes. Snakes didn't scare him, but he chuckled inwardly at the thought of Jericho hearing the rattle of a poisonous reptile and shrieking. A patch of dirt became loose under his step, giving way. AJ nearly lost his footing until Chris grabbed his hand.

"Careful, now," Chris warned him. "Hard to enjoy my payout if you're dead, too."

"If I die just by falling down a hill, maybe I deserve it. Natural selection and all that."

"I ain't losing you that way."

AJ's heart thumped like a ticking clock, slow, distinct. "Did you just say 'ain't'?"

"You're rubbing off on me already. Congratulations." Chris grinned. He didn't let go of AJ's hand until they made it to the bottom of the bank. There he goes again, lookin' out for me. Can't believe we used to hate each other.

Across a rocky path was another bank, shorter, more gradual. At the base of the ridge was AJ's true "destination": a grand lake, perhaps three or four acres in size, the pallid beam of the moon ricocheting off the still surface.

"This is it?" Chris asked. "What do we do here?"

"I'll give you three guesses. Aren't you supposed to be an honors college graduate or somethin'?"

"You know that about me?"

"I know a lot about you. Just like you know a lot about me." And a lot you don't. AJ peeled off his tight black t-shirt, then shrugged out of his jeans. He'd stashed away towels and a change of clothes in a duffel bag, tucked away in the trunk of the car. Chris hadn't seen him so AJ could further keep the surprise a true surprise until this point.

He treaded towards the water.

"No way," Chris affirmed. "Hell no. I ain't—I'm not going swimming in that water."

"Why not?"

Chris made a face. "Can you imagine the leeches and spiders and God knows what else lurking in there?"

"You scared?"

"No, just…"

"Just scared."

"I'm not scared. Just humanly concerned for our general safety."

"Blah, blah, blah." AJ teetered on the surface of the water. He craned his neck to look back at Chris, giving him a wink before squeezing his eyes shut and curling his knees.

"AJ, wait—"

The best way to accept water of any temperature, any condition, was headstrong. AJ plunged into the water, finding it to be a bit warmer than he expected as darkness engulfed him on all sides. He pushed up towards the surface, sucking in a breath as his head made contact with the sticky night air. His long brown hair held to his forehead, over his eye. "WOO! Feels pretty great, Chris. Come on."

Chris still looked unsure.

"Come on, city boy!" AJ howled. His accent was swinging in full strength by now. "Man up."

"I'm plenty man, I'll show you."

"Come show me," AJ goaded. He had another way to lure Chris into the water if that didn't work.

Chris meandered towards the water, shoes slapping the wet grass, and he stopped half a foot away from the lake's border. "I'm getting there."

"Better hurry. I just felt something slither past my leg."

"Are you serious?"

"Oh, shit, it's got me, Jericho!" AJ pulled himself underwater, thrashing his arms about to cause a splash on the surface. He came up for a breath, flailing dramatically. "Chris! Chris, save m—" He stooped underwater again, this time keeping more immobile to hyperbolize the performance.

"AJ, come on…where are you? AJ!"

AJ's lungs burned, craving air, but he made himself remain submerged until finally he felt a splash above him. Chris had pushed himself into the water in a gentle leap, no cannonball dive like AJ had executed. "Alright, I'm here, damn. Where'd you go?"

AJ's eyes stung as he opened them up. Chris's foot dangled inches above his face. He couldn't resist. He raised a hand and scraped his nails over Chris's sole.

"SHIT!" Chris yelped, jerking his leg away. At last AJ returned to the surface, gasping in enough breath to power a laugh.

"You made it," AJ said. "What took you so long?"

"You're lucky I like you so much," Chris muttered. His blond hair was flattened to his face like a wet dog. A cute wet dog.

"Yeah, I guess I am." AJ swam backwards, moving onto his back, floating there.

"So, this is what country life's all about, huh? Swimming in a lake in the middle of the night, getting chewed up by mosquitos?"

"Nah. You're missing the point."

"What's the point, then?"

"Take a minute to shut your mouth and just listen, Cowboy."

Chris relaxed, treading water. AJ watched the sky. Out here, away from the city hustle and light pollution, the stars were explicit. Hundreds of burning crystals, millions of miles away, yet looking so close AJ felt he could reach up and grab one for his own.

"Just think," AJ said, breaking his own command from moments ago. "Earlier we were surrounded by screaming fans. I was fighting in a pretty brutal match against a guy I can't stand. People were loud. People were working. Everything was moving nonstop. Now here we are, same world, same night, but it's like everything's paused. It's moments like these you can really see. You get a sense of what truly matters."

"Stars look pretty," Chris said. He hadn't mastered floating on his back, but he kept close to AJ, watching the heavens like they were open and giving the boys a glimpse of eternity.

"They do."

"This is your point, then. This is what country life is about."

"This is what life is about. What it should be about. Most people choose to rush through the day, always wondering what to do next or where to go. Especially for us. We're living an endless road trip, an endless fight. Things pass in a blur. And in a world so apathetic, it's rare for someone to wanna take the time to just stop. And look. Not just look, but see. Out here in the country, it's easier to do than in the city where everything is, like I said, moving nonstop."

"I do see what you mean. It's easy to get caught up in the rat race when you're on the inside track. Out here, it's all too simple to forget about that stress. To fall in love with what you have. Where you are."

"Who you're with…" Did I just say that…and mean it…?

"That's how I feel when I'm with ya, AJ." Chris touched his arm. "You make me appreciate what's left at my side when I let the meaningless things, the baggage, carry right on by."

That word nipped at his insides. "Baggage can get real heavy."

"I'm willing to oversee yours," Chris spoke softly.

"And me with yours, Jericho."

"Chris."

"Chris," AJ repeated. Sure love me some Chris. Sure can't get enough of Chris.

"Arms are getting tired," Chris grunted. "Is it unmanly or un-country of me to take a break?"

"'Course not. Race you to shore."

"Oh, you're on."

It was a high raise of water and thunderous slosh, their race to shore. AJ beat Chris by half a second, and Chris pushed himself against AJ as water became grass underneath him.

"Gotcha," Chris said. Both arms closed over AJ, one underneath him, one draped over his waistline.

AJ rolled towards Chris, onto his back. Chris anchored a gaze into AJ's chocolate eyes. God, were they pretty. The moonlight made them sparkle, made the water droplets clinging to his soft skin radiate.

He might have been flawed. He might have had issues, a past, that baggage mentioned before…but loving someone meant accepting them as they are, who they were meant to be.

Chris wanted him.

AJ lifted a hand and stroked Chris's cheek.

Chris leaned down and kissed him gently. The softest touch sparked with fervor as AJ pushed up into him, against him, and Chris pinned him there, dominating, loving. Their tongues wrestled until AJ allowed Chris's to enter his mouth. AJ pulled Chris's hair with all fingers, and Chris moved both hands behind AJ's head to pull him even closer.

Chris was forced to draw away. AJ had drained him of breath and his heart felt like it was about to rupture.

"You're good, Cowboy," AJ whispered.

"Yeah? So are you."

"I ain't bad."

Chris returned to their kiss until AJ was the one to call it off, needing breath of his own to recover. Chris recaptured AJ in his arms and held him there, flat on the damp grass, to the soundtrack of nocturnal insects, under a cloak of celestial gems.

The longer they lay there, the stronger exhaustion crept in. Chris couldn't open his eyes, nor did he want to. He could have held AJ on this bank all night, if he wasn't unsure whether or not someone would discover them in the morning and ask serious questions. He gave it several minutes in the quietude before asking, "Wanna go back?"

"Sure. I guess so," AJ sighed.

"I know. I wish it could be like this all night."

"I mean, it could. Bed's more comfortable than a field."

"Now, what's country about that statement?"

AJ's body trembled in quiet laughter.

"When you say bed, did you mean one, or two…?"

"I don't mind sharing. I just asked for two rooms in case you were more comfortable that way."

"You kidding? I don't mind sharing a room. Lots of guys do it."

"Lots of guys ain't us. We're a little different."

"Well, I guess we are. Now." Chris kissed the sensitive skin over AJ's collarbone. Then he made himself sit up before he fell asleep, lifting AJ with him.

"Good," AJ said, voice low, sultry. "Man like me's really lucky to have somebody like you. Looking out for me, holding me like this…giving a damn before anyone else thought to."

"It's why I'm here."

Chris pulled AJ to his feet. AJ leaned against him.

"Don't let it go, Chris. Don't let what you learned tonight go. And don't let me go."

"I won't." It was a promise he sealed by witness of the moon with a blissful, overdue kiss. "I love you, AJ."

"Love you too, Cowboy."

Chris could get used to that again.

Oh, I wanna be the man in the middle of the night

Shinin' like it's true

I wanna be the man that you run to whenever I call on you

When everything that loved someone finally found its way

Wanna be a better man

I see it in you...