Title: Time Out
Author: Jinni
Rating: PG16
Pairing: W/Matt; Lita/Jeff
Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS belong to Joss and Co. The wrestlers belong to themselves and maybe Vince.
Summary: Spur of the moment fic brought on by comments made in regard to my latest posting of 'Family'. Just goes to show you really need to be careful what you say. My muse is a silly little thing.

~*~

"Don't look at me like that. He's -your- boyfriend."

Lita grimaced, holding up the tiny little halter shirt that had somehow made its way into her gym bag. There was that, a pair of baggy cargo pants, and a change of shoes. Nothing else. Not the normal shirt she wore to the ring. Not a single one of them, though she usually kept three or four different ones in there, just in case. Just this itty bitty little scrap of blue cloth that was barely large enough to cover all of her ample endowments. That, and the note signed 'Love Ya', all indicated one thing.

"Jeffrey Hardy, you are a dead man." The taller of the two women growled, flopping onto the bench in between their gym bags.

Willow laughed, unzipping her own bag and reaching inside. As Women's Tag Team Champions they had to defend their titles almost once a week, and this was the night, with a match between themselves and Molly and Trish. The Women's Tag division was a new one, and something that was going remarkably well, thanks in part to all of the new women's talent Vince had recently acquired. Women were finally getting to play an important role in the WWE, much to the enjoyment of their mostly male audience.

She pulled out her clothes, frowning when a piece of paper fluttered to the ground.

"Looks like they got you, too." Lita smirked, eyebrow raised at the equally tiny green top her tag partner would be wearing to the ring that night.

"But - but - " Willow spluttered, her face going red. "I'm not even dating Jeff. How dare he - " She paused, her eyes scanning over the note that had fallen to the ground, currently residing in her hand. 'Didn't think we'd let Lita have all the fun. Did you, Red? - Matt'

"I'm going to kill him."

The older of the two women grinned, turning her head so that her newly irate partner didn't see the expression. Matt had been trying to hint to Willow for weeks that he'd like to get to know her better. It seemed as though now he was trying the age old grade-school tactic of playing pranks.

"Childish!" Willow cried, outraged as she held up the scrap of cloth to the light. Sure enough, it was see through. The entire world was going to know that she was only wearing a little bitty red bra tonight. "They are so childish!" She repeated, stomping her foot in irritation.

"What are you going to do, though?" Lita asked, chuckling. "Send them to time out?"

The green fire of Willow's eyes faded from angry to intrigued. The idea definitely had merits. All they needed was the right plan of action. "Actually - that's a good idea. A very, very good idea."

~*~*~

"What're you doin', Red?"

"Just wait and see."

"Want to clue me in, Lita?"

"Nope."

The two men followed blindly behind the red haired women, more than a little curious about what was going on. A full week had passed since their little joke involving the tag team's ring attire and nothing had come of it other than a few scathing remarks made by Willow. One whole week and no retaliation, though Matt personally hadn't even expected it.

"Just sit there." Willow ordered Matt, her face neutral as the older of the brothers made his way to one of the chairs positioned facing the wall. It was an old-fashioned school desk, the kind he could remember from high school. Boy did that bring back memories. Not necessarily pleasant ones, either.

"And you - here." Lita indicated, pointing at the chair next to Matt. She waited until her boyfriend was seated and then looked over his head and into Willow's eager eyes. "Now?"

"Now!" Willow grinned, tugging the handcuffs out of her pocket. Before Matt could move a muscle he was chained to the desk. Another click later and his brother joined him.

"Hey!" Jeff cried. "What's goin' on?"

"Revenge." Lita purred. "The two of you insist on acting like children so we're putting you in time out."

"That's right." Willow smirked. She kneeled down next to Matt's seat, looking up into his eyes. "Now we want the two of you to sit here and stare at the wall and think about why you never should screw with a woman's clothes again."

Matt grinned down at the little red head. "Red, if you had wanted me handcuffed all you had to do was ask."

"Wh-What?" She blinked, confused, and stood up, her eyes shooting daggers at him. He was one of her best friends yet still managed to piss her off so badly sometimes. "Don't think your cute little words can get you out of this one, Matt."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"It's like watching a soap opera." Jeff whispered to Lita, watching the interaction between his brother and the woman he had come to consider his little sister. "Think they'll ever just get on with it? You know - get a room together and just - " A sharp thwap upside the back of his head stopped the comment before it got any more out of control. "Hey! No beating the prisoner." He rattled the handcuff against the desk, earning himself a smile from his girlfriend.

"Just sit there and think about what you did wrong." Lita smirked, doing her best imitation of an irritated mother. "When you're genuinely sorry I'll let you go."

"We might be here a long time, then." He grinned. "'Cause I don't think I'll ever be sorry for getting to see you run out in that piece of string."

~*~*~

Willow glared at Matt, trying to ignore the feelings her body was throwing at her. This man was like a brother to her. Okay. Maybe not a brother. More like a second cousin. Or maybe even third cousin, once removed on her distant aunt's side of the family. Yeah, that's it. He couldn't be like a brother to her because then these naughty little thoughts he was inspiring in her would be, well, sick.

"Aw, c'mon, Will. I was just playin'." Matt sighed. He motioned with his free hand, asking her silently to come back over to him. The whispering coming from the desk next to him indicated that Jeff was perfectly content to just stay here and talk to Lita. Though God only knew how long it would be until their 'talking' led to other things. And he didn't want to be in here for that. Watching his brother make out with Lita was not his idea of a good time.

While making out with another red haired female wrestler definitely was.

"When you gonna let me out?"

"When you're sorry?" She asked, sitting down on the floor next to the desk. She tucked her legs beneath herself.

"That's not gonna happen, though. I -liked- seeing you in that shirt. Chose it just for you."

"Why?"

Matt sighed. "Because I'm a glutton for punishment? I like to see a beautiful woman in little teensy clothes?"

"You think I'm beautiful?"

"Stunning." He grinned. "Have I ever said otherwise? I say you're pretty all the time."

"Pretty." She snorted, her eyes leaving his to travel around the room. Finally they settled on a spot of dried gum on the floor. "There's a difference between pretty and beautiful."

"Well then you're both." He frowned. "God, Willow. Why do you have to make things so difficult?"

"Me? Make things difficult? I'm -sure- I don't know what you mean." The red head looked up at him, eyes flashing.

Matt turned as best he could in the tiny desk, thinking silently that they had seemed so much larger when he was a freshman in high school. "I've been throwing hints at you for almost a month now and you just ignore them. Ignore me. I tell you you're beautiful and you argue about the difference between that word and the word 'pretty'. To me, they're all the same. They all mean you are gorgeous. It all means I want to be with you." He sat back in the chair, staring angrily at the wall in front of him. The whispers from Jeff and Lita had stopped and he was aware that they were staring. Let them. He didn't care.

"Hints?" Willow looked from Matt to Jeff and Lita, her eyes wide with questions. Had she really missed all of this? Their hesitant nods told her volumes. She had been so blind. Blinded by her own feelings towards him. How could she have been so stupid?

Climbing slowly to her feet, the red head pulled the key to the handcuffs out of her pocket. The lock on the handcuffs snapped open and she sighed, pulling the metal away from Matt's hand.

"Why're you letting me go?" He asked, turning to her in confusion. It wasn't the question he needed answered, but it would work. Maybe then they could move on to questions like 'do you think we can give -us- a shot' or 'am I just a moron for thinking I have a chance?'

"You said it yourself." She smiled gently. "You're not going to be sorry. And I can't keep you locked up here forever." Her smile took on a decidedly more sensuous tilt right before the next words left her mouth. "And I was thinking I've been bad and maybe need to be punished. A good spanking may even be in order. Known anyone who can handle the job?"

Matt was out of the chair so quick it fell over. In one smooth motion he had Willow over his shoulder, carrying her laughing out into the hallway.

"Certainly didn't see that one coming." Jeff laughed, staring at the empty doorway. He could still hear Willow's shrieks of laughter echoing down the hallway. This was a good thing. It would make both of them much happier.

"Me either." Lita echoed.

"So - think you can let me out of this?" He rattled the cuff against the desk. "And we can go back to your hotel room? I've been bad, you know. And time out just isn't going to cut it."

"And what will? "Lita asked, grinning slyly as she undid the cuffs.

"Don't know yet." He smirked, standing and rubbing at his wrist. "But can you bring the handcuffs with you?"

~*~End Fic~*~

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