He watched feeling the desperation welling up inside of him as he watched the man that he always imagined would be his walk away with another man under his arm. He knew in his heart that his last chance had passed and silently damned himself for being a fool. Seven years… he'd had seven years to make a move and hadn't. The timing never seemed to be right or one of them was involved with someone. Before now he'd always known that if he just waited patiently another chance would come around, but this time… this time it was different. This time there would not be any more chances. This time there would not be any hearts to mend. This time it would be forever… and for Tyson that was a bad thing. "It's not like I can blame him," he muttered to himself. "What kind of fool would let HBK get away?"

"Ty?" He heard someone call softly and turning saw Jay's worried eyes on him. "You ok man?" Jay asked and Ty nodded then sighed. Jay was a good friend. Other than Dave, whom he had known long before either of them ever considered the WWE, Jay was really the only one that he had connected to. Jay was sweet and quiet. He was helpful to the point where he often sacrificed his own happiness to help out someone else or please them. He deserved so much out of life, and yet for some odd reason he kept getting his heart broken.

Ty studied Jay briefly taking in his sad eyes and the obvious internal pain written all over his face and wondered what was going on with his friend. He'd been acting strange lately even for Jay. Sweet and caring he may be, but his friend was also something of an oddity. Ty knew that Jay had been single for quite some time. Jay's last relationship had been with Chris Jericho and Ty knew that it had ended rather abruptly when Chris decided that he was in love with someone else.

Jay claimed that it hadn't been any big deal because they had been more like friends with benefits than anything else. However, the more that Ty got to know Jay the more that he doubted the claim, but had never said anything. Jay didn't seem to be the kind of man who would sleep with someone that he didn't care for deeply. He also knew that when the love of Chris' life had been revealed to be Chris Benoit, a longtime friend of both Jay and Chris', Jay felt more betrayal than he let on this leading to the current strain on his and Chris' friendship.

Sometimes Ty wished that he was a different kind of man, he wished that he was more like what everyone thought him to be, he wished that he was as nonchalant and uncaring as people assumed him to be, but the problem was that he was none of those things. If he were though he wouldn't give Dave Batista a second thought and set out on a quest to make Jason Reso his. "What are you doing this week with your off time?" He heard Jay ask and pulling himself back to reality quickly processed the question before shrugging. "Hadn't thought about it," he offered cocking his head to one side as Jay bit his lip appearing to be processing some difficult problem. "Do you wanna come home with me?"

Ty blinked at the question but found himself agreeing and hoped that he knew what he was doing.

~*~ Later that day ~*~

Ty walked around the spacious living room of Jay's house taking in what appeared to be Jay's style. There were pictures everywhere pictures of Jay's family, pictures of Jay and Adam, pictures of Jay and Chris (which seemed to confirm his suspicions) and a picture of himself with Jay backstage the night that he debuted as Jay's Problem Solver. The picture was rather touching, but Ty was trying not to read too much into it as he picked it up in his hands. Dave had brought him in that day so that he wouldn't have to walk in alone and not know anyone. Staring off into space Ty remembered that day smiling softly.

Dave and Ty walked down the hall laughing at their antics from the car. Ty knew what Jay looked like having seen him several times on TV, so when he saw the man standing alone in the hallway staring off at a group of people sadly, he recognized him immediately. Elbowing Dave, Ty nodded towards Jay and smiled when he heard his friend growl softly then stomp towards the other man. "Hey sunshine, I got the answer to all your problems right here," Dave said in a light joking tone.

When Jay turned and their eyes met Ty's breath caught and his care giving instincts kicked in. There was a sadness there that he was sure didn't belong on such a pretty face and Ty decided then and there that he was going to change it. Bouncing Ty put on his best scowl and gave Jay a fierce scowl. "So who do ya want me to beat up first?" Jay flashed a weak smile at the big man. "If you were serious I would give you a list." Ty rolled his shoulders and smashed one fist into his other palm. "Just tell me where to start." Jay's mouth opened and looked at Dave who grinned. "Ty isn't much of a kidder." Jay's eyes turned to Ty and a smile slowly crept over his face. "Do you want it in order of age, importance, or alphabetically?" Ty smiled darkly and put an arm around Jay's shoulders. "Sunshine, I'll take that list however you wanna give it to me."

It was at that moment that the photographer had taken their picture. He'd always wanted a copy of it, but the guy said that he only had one and had already given it away. Somehow it seemed appropriate that Jay was the one to get it. "I love that picture," Jay said quietly and Ty turned quickly not having heard him come into the room. Looking down at the picture again Ty nodded seriously then carefully placed it back on the shelf. "It was a day that changed my life." Jay smiled shyly nodding his agreement. "I know how you feel. I met the man I will love for the rest of my life that day." Tyson arched an eyebrow as Jay chewed on his lip. "He rushed in like some dark knight and saved me from my loneliness and despair."

Stepping forward Ty put a hand on Jay's face running his thumb over his cheek and studied him intently. "Are you sure you know enough about me to want to love me forever?" Ty asked softly and Jay grew serious studying the taller man. "What don't I know that is important? I know you take care of me. I know you don't treat me like a child. I know I feel safe and cared for when I am with you. And I know if I was yours you wouldn't whisper in my ear that you loved me then tell everyone else we were just fuck buddies and leave me for one of our best friends."

Ty growled softly knowing that Jay was talking about Jericho and quietly made a note to himself to express his displeasure to the cocky little bastard. Thinking about their discussion though, Ty gnawed on the inside of his cheek wondering what Jay would say when he found out the truth about him. "What if you knew that I wasn't… I don't…" As Ty struggled to find the words he was looking for Jay's face paled and he pulled back quickly. "OH MY GOD! You're straight!! But I thought you and Dave… I mean… fuck!" Jay turned to run off, but found the bigger man's arms wrapped around his chest. "I'm not straight. Dave and I never did anything. I was trying to tell you I don't…. top."

Jay's eyes got big and he squirmed until Ty loosened his grip then whirled around to look at him wondering if he'd heard right. "You…. Are you serious! You really are a bottom?" Ty nodded slowly suddenly becoming highly interested in Jay's carpet. "That's fuckin great!!" Quickly Ty looked up to see a bright smile on Jay's face. "Are you a freak too? Will you let me tie you up and beat you and all that fun shit?" Ty's lips twitched as he searched for the appropriate response. "I'll even wear a collar if you want," he finally said and Jay's eyes got even bigger if that was possible. "YOU'D DO THAT FOR ME!"

Finally Ty had to chuckle pulling Jay into his arms. "I think I will be getting something out of it, but yes. I would do that for you." Ty felt Jay's arms slip around his waist and whisper softly, "My Problem Solver." Resting his cheek on the top of Jay's head Ty nodded and closed his eyes glad that he had never taken his chance with Dave because this was better than anything he could ever hope for.

~ The End ~