"ITVR: Chapter 10"
Intentions.
By Jadedoll, Penumbren, & Raising Kane
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Kev sucked in a breath as Scott's fingers tangled in his hair and yanked. His hips instinctively snapped forward in response to that before he could stop himself. Groaning, he shook his head, grinning breathlessly down at Scott. "...I'm going to cut you off for a week..." "Not that easy, Scotty," he said, slowing his movements again. He knew the threat was an empty one; Scotty could no more keep his hands off Kev for a week than Kev could keep from touching Scott. They were addicted to each other, and it was one addiction that Kevin knew he'd go to his grave with. "Please. More Kev...please." Damn. That desperate note in Scott's voice always did him in. Gritting his teeth as he pulled out slowly one last time, he shifted slightly to get better purchase, then paused, looking down at his lover. "I'll give you anything, Scott," he said huskily, forcing his voice to work. "But I don't plan on breaking my promise, either." With that, he snapped his hips forward, his eyes rolling back as he pulled back and thrust again, not giving either of them a chance to adjust. A growl escaped him as Scott wrapped a leg around his waist, pulling him in even closer. He slammed into Scott ruthlessly, his hips pistoning back and forth, relishing the feel of Scott's hands clenching on his arms, the sound of his voice as he cried out, the taste of his mouth as he kissed him again. Snaking one hand between them, he wrapped his fingers around Scott's twitching cock and began stroking it at the same ruthless speed, determined to make his lover come screaming his name. All too soon, he felt the electric tension at the base of his spine snap, and he threw his head back, his eyes closing as he erupted with a hoarse cry, burying himself in Scott one last time. Almost from a distance he felt a warm rush over his hand and Scott's voice crying out. Collapsing on top of his lover, he buried his face in the side of Scott's neck, just breathing in his musk as his breathing slowed. After a few minutes, he shifted, gently sliding from Scotty's body and rolling to his side. Propping his head on one hand, he ran his other hand over Scott's face before laying it on his chest, over his heart. As he met his lover's eyes, Kev couldn't help the smirk that he felt curve his lips. "Told you, sweetheart. I always keep my promises." **** Shawn only vaguely heard Dave's voice, as wrapped up in his misery as he was, but he felt terribly exposed in front of the big man. What would Dave think of him, crying like this? He hated being vulnerable in front of other people, and that's all he'd been tonight... He tried desperately to stop the tears, but couldn't control them, the emotional stress of the evening pouring out of him. Hunter... even thinking the name brought a fresh wave of pain. He felt the bed dip and tried to turn away, not expecting Dave to reach out and pull him onto his lap. As much as he craved the touch, as much as it comforted him, Dave's arms around him pained him. The tenderness of the gesture actually made it worse, somehow, and he buried his face against the big man's shoulder as he wept, the sobs shaking his body. The gentle touches to his back started to relax him before he was even conscious of them, and his sobs started to calm. The tears didn't seem to want to stop, but they weren't wracking his body anymore, and he slid an arm around Dave's waist, craving the contact as he quieted, hoping desperately that his incredible show of weakness wouldn't drive the other man away. Dave's soft voice finally penetrated the miserable fog he was wrapped in and he stiffened slightly as he heard what Dave was saying. "...Regardless of what he said, Hunter does love you, Sweetheart." That wasn't particularly comforting, Shawn reflected bitterly. So what if Hunt loved him, if he was willing to lie to him and drive him away? Fresh tears came to his eyes at that, before he realised that Dave had called him "sweetheart". His eyes widened against Dave's shoulder, the tears dying away as he started to hiccup. Did Dave mean it? Did he even realise what he'd said? "...I'll go find a chair and smack him over the head with it for you." He couldn't stop the giggle that came to his lips, even as he winced at the high-pitched edge to it. For Christ's sake, he didn't giggle! But he did, and he couldn't seem to stop, as the giggles turned into chuckles, which turned into laughter, which turned into sobs again. But this time the sobs were quieter, almost cleansing. Shawn clutched at Dave as he cried, afraid the other man would get disgusted with him and leave, and he didn't think he'd be able to stand it if someone else walked away from him right now. Finally, the tears stopped. Shawn took a few long, shuddering breaths, still trembling as he stared at Dave's shoulder. He was almost afraid to look up. Dammit, he'd just fallen apart like a little kid or something... "Guess I'm not so perfect after all, huh?" His voice was rusty and he winced at the sound of it. His throat was going to be sore in the morning. Reluctantly lifting his head, he wiped ineffectually at the wetness on Dave's shoulder, not quite willing to meet the man's eyes. Clearing his throat with another wince, he said quietly, "Thank you. For being here... for not leaving." Leaning back, he screwed up his courage and pressed a kiss to Dave's cheek, still not looking directly at him. "If... if you're not disgusted with me... I'd... I'd really like it if you'd stay, still." His breath hitched in his throat. "I don't think... I don't think I could stand being alone tonight." Almost holding his breath, he waited for Dave's answer. **** Adam looked a little surprised or confused. Despite his covert admiration of the man, CJ still wasn't completely cognizant of all the other man's expressions. Some were easy, like that super-hot lust one from the alley or the manic 'you are so fucked' one that everyone knew. But this was a new one, one that Chris was going to call 'startled', like Adam had just seen something he'd never thought he'd see. Maybe Rosey had flashed him or something but CJ doubted it. Insatiable curiosity being one of his many flaws, he was about to ask what happened when the sweetest, shyest smile he'd ever seen on a man broke across Adam's face. Wow. If he hadn't fallen hard for the guy on that plane trip, Chris would be in 'major like' territory right now. For a split second he thought, I really shouldn't be doing this to him. Oh, he'd disembowel himself before he'd deliberately hurt Adam, but seeing that deep vulnerability in the emerald eyes frightened Chris. What if I do something to hurt him, like Terry did? It was a huge responsibility Adam was giving him along with his body. Momentarily swamped by self-doubt, CJ looked at Adam's offered hand. What if he couldn't live up to Adam's expectations? Jesus, the guy was trusting him after being hurt so bad before...what if I fuck this up? Fortunately CJ's thoughts only lasted for a moment, a moment that would pass into history as Chris' natural courage and confidence took over. He wouldn't hurt Adam if he could possibly help it. And if he did, he'd apologise, make it up to him and move on. Chris lived in the right here and right now, and right now, his future lover was offering his hand and his body. Chris Jericho was clever enough to grab at the prize being offered. Slipping his hand into Adam's he offered a blinding smile to his boyfriend, smirking inwardly at the term and gave Austin the finger. Although indulging his kink would have been fun, CJ had a better idea. Twisting his hand through the long fingers around his, he tugged Adam's arm around his waist in a half-hug from behind. Raising the fist he'd made of their hands to his lips, he kept Adam tight against his back as they pushed through the crowd towards Jay and Ty. When he'd take a lover to bed, Chris always liked to sleep in this position. Spooned with the reassuring warmth of a body behind him. He hoped Adam liked it too....or Chris would just have to order him to do it. Once they'd arrived at the table, CJ leaned back against Adam's strong chest and stared intently at Jay's ear. After a few seconds Christian pulled his tongue off Ty's neck and looked up at them. "What?" Chris smirked at the irritated tone in his friend's voice. Jay hated being eyeballed. He didn't know if Jay had registered his and Adam's proximity and he frankly didn't care. His friend would nag it out of him later anyway. "We're leaving and taking your car," Chris shouted pleasantly. "You can come or ride with Trish, Molly and Steve." He doubted Tyson would even fit into the girls' tiny rental. "Coming or going?" **** "But I don't plan on breaking my promise, either." Scott knew that he wouldn't give in on his promise. Kevin never would break his promises to Scott. He somehow always managed to see them through. Not that Scott wanted him to break this promise at all. He would gladly scream down the roof if Kev would just move. Just like that. Scott threw one leg around Kevin's waist in a bid to get him closer...deeper. Scott wasn't completely sure which was a bigger turn on...the low growl from his lover or the way that Kevin was slamming inside him and battering his prostate. "Yes...yes, Kev. Just like that," he shouted as his hands clenched on Kevin's biceps. Kevin's mouth covered his in a fierce kiss and Scotty wondered briefly, very briefly, how he was supposed to scream for Kev if he was kissing him. The thought left his mind as Kevin's hand wrapped firmly around his cock, moving in a rhythm to match the way Kevin was pounding into his ass. His eyes locked on Kevin's face as the big man broke their kiss and tossed his head back, a harsh cry erupting from his mouth as Scott felt Kevin's release flooding into him. Kevin always looked so fierce...so starkly beautiful when he came, though he knew Kevin would likely smack him in the head if he said so. No matter what you wanted to call it, that was enough to send Scotty rocketing over the edge right behind him. His essence pouring over Kevin's hand as Kevin's name was ripped from his throat. Scott welcomed the weight of Kevin collapsing on top of him as they both calmed their breathing. Something about this point of their lovemaking always made him feel so safe. He was Kevin's and Kevin was his...and that's all he needed to know. As Kevin slipped off the top of him, Scott clamped down on the whine of loss that he felt trying to make its way out of him. Kevin's hand touching him once again and the look in the big man's eyes when they met Scott's did more to soothe him than anything. "Told you, sweetheart. I always keep my promises." Scott shook his head at the smirk on Kev's face and the smug tone. Scott loved Kev more than anything, but sometimes the man was just way too proud of himself. Scott smacked him lightly in the arm before rolling to his side to face his lover. "Smug bastard," he said almost fondly. "Although that is one of the many things I love about you. Keeping your promises I mean." Despite his desperation to stop them, Scott's indiscretions from earlier came back to him at that moment and he found himself a bit unsettled. He'd promised Kevin when they got back together that he'd try to control his impulsive streak. Obviously he hadn't done such a good job of it today and it had come back to bite him in the ass more than once. "I just wish I were as good at it as you are, Kev," Scott said quietly, a sad look on his face. "I'm sorry for jumping the rookie earlier. I honestly didn't intend for it to go that far. I was going to let it go with taking him down until he made the comment about...about the drinking. He doesn't know Kev...the things that I did and the people that I hurt. I couldn't stand him throwing it in my face like he knew anything about that part of my life. I shouldn't have let him bait me. I just...now Vince is going to be pissed because his boy will miss TV time and it will cause problems for Hunter...again. I'm going to try to talk to Vince and smooth things over, but you and I both know that's not my forte." Scott buried his head against Kevin's chest as he tried to figure out how to spill the news about Dave, Hunter, and Shawn. The thing with Nitro was bad, but that...that was family and Scott had screwed up big time. He just hoped that Kevin understood that he honestly had been trying to help. "That's not even...it's not even the worst thing I did tonight. When I...when I talked to Dave, I was honestly trying to help Kev. I swear I was. I heard his conversation with Shawn and I thought for sure that Shawn was going to be happy about the invitation. Then egomaniac HBK showed up and between that and the way that Shawn kept looking at Hunter." Scott shook his head slightly as he thought back to that moment. "I thought that Dave had figured out Shawn's feelings for Hunter. The way he switched gears on Shawn, I was sure that was it. I could see how disappointed Shawn was with the change in Dave and I was just trying to help." Scott bit his lip as he looked up at Kevin to see how he was going to react to the next part of his little confession. "I thought that I could convince Dave that just because Shawn loves Hunter, it didn't mean he couldn't care about someone else. I just didn't realize that it wasn't Shawn's feelings that he figured out. He'd pegged Hunter's instead and...my telling him about Shawn's feelings didn't exactly help. He said he was going to make sure that Shawn knew how Hunter felt about him. Then you told me that Hunter was taking them both to dinner and...Kev, I just don't have a good feeling about this at all. I wish I could learn to keep my damn mouth shut." **** Dave was glad that Shawn had finally stopped crying, not because he minded that Shawn had cried all over him, but because he was hoping that Shawn felt a little bit better now that he'd let loose. Dave wasn't so sure that was the case, but it was hard to tell when Shawn wouldn't even look at him. Shawn was a proud man and Dave could understand that he might be a little embarrassed at falling apart, but from Dave's point of view there was no reason for him to feel that way. He'd been entitled to a breakdown after what had happened earlier. The feeling of Shawn's lips brushing across his cheek sparked a warm tingly feeling somewhere in the vicinity of his heart. If he hadn't already been in the process of falling for Shawn, the tender touch would have surely headed him in that direction. "I don't think... I don't think I could stand being alone tonight." Dave thought for just a few seconds about how to frame his reply to Shawn. He didn't want to screw this up because he had a feeling that a lot was riding on how he handled this. As far as Dave was concerned, honesty was usually the best policy, especially since Shawn had already been lied to enough tonight. "Shawn, I never expected perfection. None of us really are. I know for a fact that I'm not." Dave smiled as he used one finger to gently lift Shawn's face so that he could look at him. Running his fingers gently over Shawn's cheek, he answered Shawn's other fears. "I'm not disgusted in the least, Sweetheart. If it had been me, I'd have been crying in my wine at the restaurant. You're a stronger man than I am Shawn. There's no reason for you to think any less of yourself for crying over something that hurts. I'd love to stay with you, if you still want me to, but I have two conditions." He locked his eyes with Shawn's so that Shawn could see he had no ill intentions. He'd promised he wasn't going to take advantage and he meant it, not just of the fact that Shawn had been drinking, but in regards to his emotional state as well. "The first is that I would really like it if you would take the tie out of your hair. I've always liked it better down," Dave said with a shy smile. "The second thing that I wanted to ask you, and this one is optional...is that I would like to kiss you goodnight. If that's okay with you?" Dave held his breath as he waited for Shawn's reaction to his request. He really hoped that he hadn't made a mistake, but if this ended up being his only night with Shawn, he wanted to be able to remember everything about him. The way Shawn felt sleeping in his arms, the scent of his hair, the way he tasted...every little thing he could remember would be locked up in a special spot he had reserved just for tonight. **** Adam wasn't even going to attempt anything as difficult as thinking at this point. The way Chris had grabbed his hand and practically wrapped Adam around him had short-circuited his brain completely. Adam had absolutely no objections to the position what-so-ever. In fact, he was pretty damn fond of it, if he were honest about it. When they reached the table, he vaguely listened to Chris' words to Jay, though the part of him that was actually thinking at the moment was entirely interested in another sort of talking. Chris leaning up against him felt perfectly right to him. He let his free hand drop to Chris' hip, his long fingers stroking idly over the shiny material. "You can come or ride with Trish, Molly and Steve." Unable to resist temptation any longer, Adam leaned in and nuzzled his face against Chris' neck. He let his tongue slide lazily over the spot where Chris' neck met his shoulder. Adam's hand tightened on Chris' hip as he involuntarily thrust his own hips forward, his hardened length pushing against Chris' spine. "Coming or going?" Raising his head, Adam blushed a little. He'd completely disregarded the fact that they were standing in front of Jay and Ty. Oh well. He honestly didn't care if they were being obvious. Jay already knew how he felt about Chris, so it shouldn't come as a huge shock that Adam had taken Jay's advice. The only shock might be that he'd actually managed to fix the mess he'd made. "They'll want to come. After all, it's not every night that they have the room to themselves all night. I'll even spring for room service if that's an incentive, but please do not give me any of the details of what you do with it," Adam said with a smirk as he looked at Jay. Leaning closer to Chris' ear, he decided to share the real reason for prodding the other two to come along. "I'm not sure I can keep my hands to myself all the way back to the hotel and I'd really rather not end up parking the car in the hotel lobby." Adam traced his tongue slowly around the shell of Chris' ear as they waited for Jay and Ty's reply. **** Shawn tried not to hold his breath as he waited for Dave's reply, but he couldn't help the nervous anticipation crawling up his spine. He hoped that his sudden emotional scene hadn't changed Dave's opinion of him. He didn't let himself fall apart like that very often and hated it when he did. He felt so... unmanly, and it was totally against his nature. His heart lifted a little as he listened to Dave's words, not believing for a second that Dave would ever fall apart crying, but it was still nice to hear. "There's no reason for you to think any less of yourself for crying over something that hurts." Mouth twisting slightly, Shawn shrugged noncommittally, not wanting to completely agree with something that went so totally against his grain, but not wanting to argue with Dave over it if it meant that Dave wanted to stay with him. "...but I have two conditions." Shawn's eyes closed. Here it was. This was where Dave was going to shoot him down somehow: ask for a blowjob, a photo, something. It might be cynical, but it had happened before when Shawn had dared show weakness in front of someone. Never with Hunter, his mind supplied, and he winced a little at the thought. He couldn't compare Dave to Hunter; they were different people, but... Dave was revealing parts of his personality similar to what Hunter had shown him over the years. He forced his eyes open again, meeting Dave's intense gaze. "if you would take the tie out of your hair." Blinking in surprise, Shawn lifted a hand to the back of his head almost without thinking about it, pulling the band out of his hair. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. Wondering just how often Dave had looked at his hair to arrive at a preference brought that warm feeling back to his heart, too. About to toss the hair tie on the bedside table, he stopped cold when he heard Dave's second request. "...I would like to kiss you goodnight. If that's okay with you?" He couldn't breathe. He knew his eyes were wide and he suspected that he'd paled a little, but... a kiss? Such an innocent request. Yet, the wine and the aftershocks of adrenaline still in his system made his breath come a little faster after that initial pause. His cheeks flushed as blood rushed back into them and he shifted a little as he sternly pushed away the less innocent thoughts that came to mind; after all, Dave had said that he wouldn't take advantage of him. Dammit. Hopefully Dave hadn't noticed the hesitation and misinterpreted it. The look in his eyes told Shawn that he was very serious about the request, and Shawn realised that he very much wanted Dave to kiss him. Even if that was all that ever passed between them, Shawn wanted to have something to remember. Lifting his head further, he placed his fingers at Dave's neck and smiled slightly at him, forcing himself to stop dwelling on the emotional upsets of the evening for just a few minutes. "It'll be a bitch to comb out in the morning, but as far as your first request goes... done." He dropped the hair tie on the table beside the alarm clock without shifting his gaze. "And as far as your second request..." He paused, drawing in a long breath. For just an instant, he wished that none of the drama earlier had happened, that he and Dave had just gone to dinner and had a lovely first date... and that their first kiss was going to be the precursor to far more. Just for an instant. Then he banished those thoughts from his mind and tilted his head just so. He knew his voice wasn't quite steady, but didn't care as he finished his answer. "Please?" **** Kevin grinned as Scotty smacked him, having fully expected the blow. He loved teasing his lover, and normally it made Scott laugh. But tonight... he wasn't surprised as Scott's face fell. Scotty had been upset ever since the incident with that idiot Nitro, and Kev knew it would come out sooner rather than later. He loved Scott for always being honest with him, but it hurt sometimes, hearing Scotty apologise for being human, as though he weren't allowed to make mistakes anymore now that he didn't have the bottle to blame. "He doesn't know Kev...the things that I did and the people that I hurt." No, he didn't, and Kev could feel his own anger at the little prick starting to rise up again as he watched the damage that one nasty comment had done to his lover. He sat up a little and pulled Scott up against him, wrapping his arms around him, trying to offer some comfort through the touch. "...but you and I both know that's not my forte." Actually, Kevin knew that Scott was damned good at talking to people, regardless of their position or power. He'd shown that time and time again, but the bottle seemed to have drained all of his confidence away with it. Vince would understand, Kev was sure, once he'd heard what the little punk had said to Scott. Hell, there were days when Vince would've hit the kid for saying something like that. If nothing else, he'd talk to Vince privately if he had to, but he was pretty sure it wouldn't be necessary. And, he reluctantly admitted, Hunter had almost definitely already smoothed things over. Hunt was damned good at that, especially with his current pull in the company, and he'd help his friends---his family, a small voice in the back of his mind insisted---without even stopping to think about it. Maybe it was time that he have that talk with him... maybe it was time they clear the air between them and work things out. He missed Hunt... not that he'd admit that out loud. When Scott wrapped himself around Kev, Kevin started to worry. This was above and beyond any normal sort of Scotty-insecurity. "...I was honestly trying to help Kev. I swear I was." Shit. This wasn't sounding good at all. He forced himself to relax his suddenly tighter grip on his lover, listening without responding. Shawn and Hunter had danced around each other for years, but he'd never thought it was anything more than a game. Shawn's feelings for Hunter? Kevin's eyes closed. How in the hell could he have missed that? It didn't surprise him at all that Scott knew all about it; the dark-haired man who was so upset right now was one of the most sensitive people Kevin had ever known, regardless of how he appeared to people. Kev had never known anyone else who could read people so easily or so accurately, and if Scott was saying what Kevin thought he was... this was one big mess. "...I just don't have a good feeling about this at all. I wish I could learn to keep my damn mouth shut." Shit, shit, shit. His mind racing, Kevin caressed Scott's back reassuringly. "Scotty, sweetheart, you were trying to help. That's the important thing. Maybe you shouldn't have said anything, or maybe you should have done exactly what you did. Either way, it really doesn't matter now; playing the "what if" game will make you crazy, babe, and you know it." Hoping that Scott would listen to him, Kevin paused, trying to remember if he had Shawn's room number. He wasn't quite ready to give Hunter a call, but he definitely wanted to check on Shawn. Tilting his head, he leaned his cheek against Scott's. "Whatever's happened, Scott, ultimately it'll work out. Nothing good ever comes from keeping secrets from people you love. We both know that." Kissing him gently, he paused before grinning ferociously. "And definitely don't worry about Nitro. He's not worth your energy." He held Scott tightly to him, hoping that his lover would feel the reassurance and love he was trying to pour into him. "I love you, Scott. We'll all work through whatever happens. It'll be fine." Pausing, he gave in to the inevitable. "But... I think I do want to call Shawn. Just to check. 'Cause if it didn't go the way he wanted it to, he shouldn't be left alone tonight. Not that I think that'll be a problem," he added hastily, seeing the look on Scott's face. "I'm sure everyone's just fine. And if not... well... we'll see what we can do in the morning. But neither of us is going to be up all night worrying about them, okay? They're grown men. And they're both stubborn as hell, you know that. They'll be fine." Shifting slightly so that he could reach the phone, Kev wedged it under his chin and dialed what he hoped was Shawn's room number. Waiting as the phone rang, he kissed Scott again, running his fingers through the dark hair reassuringly. **** The way Shawn automatically reached for the tie in his hair gave Dave some hope that his requests hadn't been unacceptable. Then as he finished his second request, Shawn seemed to pale for a moment and Dave wasn't quite so sure. Maybe it had been too much to hope for after all that had happened tonight. He didn't show his thoughts by so much as a twitch. Dave would wait until Shawn answered him and either way he would accept whatever Shawn decided. The gentle touch of Shawn's fingers on his neck startled him just a bit. He'd been concentrating so hard on not showing any reaction until Shawn said something that he hadn't been paying much attention to where his hands were. His mistake. "It'll be a bitch to comb out in the morning, but as far as your first request goes... done." There was a simple solution for that, if Dave was brave enough to voice it. He smiled as he waited for Shawn to answer his second request as well. "And as far as your second request..." The slight pause was enough to make him second-guess himself yet again. Luckily it didn't last all that long. Shawn's voice was a little shaky, but he sounded as if he were sure. Dave certainly hoped that he was. "Please?" Dave was pretty sure that his face lit up like he'd just won the lottery. To him, having the chance to kiss Shawn was better than winning a dozen lotteries. It was something that he'd wanted to do for so long and now Shawn was not only agreeing to it, but he'd said 'please' to boot. Dave wanted to get up and run around screaming like a nut. Obviously he wasn't going to actually do that, but the thought was there. Smiling almost shyly at the man sitting still sitting in his lap, Dave ran his fingers slowly through Shawn's now loose hair. It was just as soft and silky as he always dreamed it would be and Dave could imagine himself simply doing this all night long if he could get away with it. For right now though, there was something else he needed to attend to. Cupping Shawn's head in his hands, his fingers gently burrowed in Shawn's hair, Dave bent his head a bit closer to Shawn's. "If it tangles, then I'll just have to brush it out for you," he said quietly, his lips a hairsbreadth from Shawn's. Then he let his lips brush Shawn's in the gentlest of touches. When Shawn's lips parted under his, Dave moaned Shawn's name quietly against his lips and let his tongue slip into Shawn's mouth in a gentle foray. 'Sweet...so sweet. Better than any dream I've had,' Dave thought as his tongue touched briefly against Shawn's. He had honestly intended to keep it brief...gentle, but the way Shawn seemed to melt against him had him wishing he weren't quite so honorable. The kiss intensified, though Dave wasn't quite sure which of them had initiated the change, and for a moment or two he let himself indulge in the blissful exchange. As his tongue twined with Shawn's, Dave felt the urge to let his hand drop to Shawn's chest and explore it. Just as he was preparing to do so, he suddenly realized that he was about to break his promise and that just wasn't something that Dave was prepared to do. If only... Dave gently broke the kiss, laying his forehead against Shawn's as he panted slightly. "Shawn, I can't... I just can't, not tonight. I promised you, Sweetheart." He sincerely hoped that Shawn understood. He wasn't rejecting him at all; he just wanted them to both be fully aware of what they were doing. Between Shawn being tipsy and the emotional stress he'd been put through tonight, there was no way that Dave thought that he could make that choice. "When...if something else happens between us, I want it to be because that's what you are sure you want. You have a lot to think about...a lot to deal with right now. It may sound silly, but if we...I want it to mean something Shawn. I know what it will mean to me, but..." The ringing of the phone made Dave pause. What if it was Hunter calling to say he wanted to talk to Shawn? How would Dave handle it if Shawn did leave? Shawn didn't look at all like he was interested in answering the insistent ringing. Dave sighed quietly. He could understand his reluctance to talk to anyone, but if they were calling this late, it had to be important, right? Wrapping one arm around Shawn's waist, Dave reached for the phone with the other hand. If Shawn wouldn't answer it...then he would. "Hello?" he asked hesitantly, not sure from the look on Shawn's face if he'd done the right thing or not. **** Scott let himself curl around Kevin and accept the comfort of his reassuring touches. Kevin always found a way to make him feel better, even if things weren't all fine and dandy. He was really trying to take Kevin's words to heart...hoping for the best. "Nothing good ever comes from keeping secrets from people you love. We both know that." They both knew it very well. It hadn't happened often between the two of them. The only times he could actually remember had been when he had been drinking, but whenever he'd tried to keep a secret from Kevin it had ended in disaster. Thankfully that wouldn't be a problem anymore. Scott had promised both himself and Kevin that this time around there would be no secrets and that was a promise he fully intended to keep. The gentle kiss surprised him, though it really shouldn't have. Kevin really wasn't angry with him, despite all Scott's fears that he would be. Scott closed his eyes and sighed in relief. He really needed to have more faith in Kevin and from now on he promised himself that he would. Kevin seemed almost happy about what he'd done with Nitro and that puzzled him slightly, but he would take Kevin at his word and not worry about it, although he made a note that he should still have a word with Vince just to try to smooth things over. It was his mess after all and Scott couldn't expect Kevin or Hunter to clean up after him all the time. "I love you, Scott. We'll all work through whatever happens. It'll be fine." The first four words were all the reassurance that Scott honestly needed. As long as Kevin loved him, they could make it through anything...the past proved it. Although Kevin's next words had him clenching for a brief moment. "Not that I think that'll be a problem..." Oh no...of course not. Because Hunter and Shawn aren't both stubborn bastards that refuse to face up to the truth of how they feel...no problem there at all. Scott grimaced as a few choice scenarios of the discussion with the two of them and Dave filtered through his head. "...And they're both stubborn as hell, you know that. They'll be fine." Hearing Kevin echo his own thought wasn't exactly a comfort, though he was sure Kevin had meant it as such. Scott crossed his fingers as Kevin dialed the phone. He just hoped that Shawn was okay. Scott had a feeling that Shawn would bear the brunt of anything bad that came out of this...he really hoped he was wrong. **** to be continued... |