They always said that Connecticut was one of the most beautiful places in the country during Autumn, and for once, something *they* said ws true. The leaves created a natural descension of colors, from brown to red which slowly turned to orange then yellow. It reminded him of the boxes of crayons he usd to get when school started.

The brownish color reminded him of something else, but at the moment, he refused to remember it.

Shane was glad to be home, even though the rest of the famly was gone, scattered across the country like the already fallen leaves. That meant he could stay at his parents' house and finally be alone, the only thing he really craved. The silence of the house in the morning would do hm some good. He could lay around in his underwear, watching cartoons all day if he wanted to. It was freedom.

It was life on his own terms, if only for a while.

And it was good.

He pulled into the driveway, noticing that his parents' vehicles were still there even though they were not. It was strangely comforting, and when he unlocked the door, the silence greeted him, and it made him smile. He left his briefcase at the door and kicked off his shoes, running into the living room and flopping onto the couch. He flipped through the channels aimlessly for a while until his restlessness got to him, and he began to wander the house.

For some reason, the house he had spent his innocent youth in seemed suddenly unfamiliar. Shane walked the halls slowly, letting the memories flood back to him. They came slowly at first, then more quickly...Saturday mornings in front of the television, watching the very same gentle giants that had given the McMahon children piggy-back rides as they tore each other apart...their mother's perfume seeping through the house as the breeze coming in through the openw indows spead it everywhere...

Shane took a sudden deep breath as he passed his parents' bedroom, the heavy lingering scent of his father's cologne warming his insides. His mother used to spray some of it on his and his sister's pillows when Vince was gone for a more than a few days.

He was always gone like that during the fall.

Shane wandered up the hall towards his bedroom, and he found himself wishing that he would find his room the way it was when he was in high school, instead of the perfectly color coordinated space that his mother had turned it into. He pushed open the door, greeted by shades of maroon and navy blue and wandered toward the window, opening it as he pulled out his silver cigarette case and lighter. He leaned against the wall and lit one, inhaling deeply and putting the case and lighter down on the window pane.

His eyes went unfocused as he breathed in the cool Fall air deeply, a sharp contrast to the burning smoke in his lungs. He'd promised his mother he'd quit smoking, but it hadn't happened yet. It genuinely helped him relax, even if it did make him wake up in the morning with a hacking cough. Shane stood there, staring at the window, shivering slightly as the breeze picked up. He could smell the faint scent of burning leaves, and another smile crawled across his face. There was only one thing in the world that cold September air and the smell of burning leaves brought to mind.

Football season.

Well, regular football anyway, not the kind that happened in February. High school football more specifically. It was Friday night, so there was probably a game going on as he sat and thought about it. He smiled absently, remembering all the Friday nights that he had spent behind the bleachers as the teams battled on the field.

An unsettling thought tried to form in his mind, and he brushed it aside, tapping his ashes into the ashtray he had pulled from the nightstand drawer. He crossed the room and grabbed his Senior yearbook from the bookshelf, walking back to the window with it. Shane ran his fingers over the cover and over the gold embossed letters that spelled out his name before putting the cigarette between his lips and opening it.

Entries scrawled in different colors of ink littered the pages, most of the from people he barely rememered. There were a few that he vaguely recalled, pages full of writing from the Rodney and Pete, and a couple from teachers he had liked. He flipped through the pages, smiling every so often when a picture brought back a fond memory. High school had been so much fun. For most, it was the best years of life, and Shane was one of those people.

He slowed his pace as he reached the section with the Seniors' pictures, grinning as he found Rodney and Pete dressed up in their fake tuxes, looking more uncomfortable than Shane had ever seen them. His slender fingers traveled over the names and images of the girls he remembered being on the cheerleading squad and the nerds who hung out in the av room. He laughed out loud at the picture of the principal's car covered with shaving cream and toliet paper, the Senior prank that Shane had orchestrated. Those were good times, with people he thought he'd stay close with forever. Of course, that hadn't happened.

Shane turned another page, and his heart felt like it had actually stopped as his eyes fell on the picture in the center of the page.

Autumn eyes were staring straight at him.

He closed his own eyes as his hands began to shake.

~~**~~

"Hey, you got a cigarette?"

Shane McMahon, all of 6'2, 190 lbs and every bit of eighteen, turned around from where he was leaning against a support pole for the bleachers, a cigarette hanging from his fingers. The marching band was playing at top volume, and he couldn't be sure if he'd heard someone talking to him over the noise of the music and the cheering fans sitting right above him.

Sparkling hazel eyes and inches of fine spun golden hair stood in front of him.

"Got a cigarette I can bum?" the guy repeated.

Shane fumbled for the pack in the pocket of his jacket and offered it to him. "Sorry, I couldn't quite hear you."

"No problem," the other guy replied. He took one from the pack and nodded. "Thanks. Got a light?"

Shane nodded and leaned over, striking the lighter and cupping his hand around it until the stranger's cigarette was lit, then leaned back against the support beam and took a long drag off his cigarette. He thought he might have seen the guy in the halls at school, but he couldn't be sure.

The blonde extended his hand after taking a drag himself. "Name's Hunter."

He shook the proffered hand. "Shane McMahon."

"Yeah, I know," Hunter replied, tucking his free hand into the pocket of his snug jeans, so snug they looked like they had been painted on, but Shane distracted his attention from them.

Shane lifted a brow, tapping his cigarette. "Oh?"

Hunter gave him a wide grin. "It's sort of hard not to know one of the most popular guys in school, not to mention a guy whose father does what yours does."

Shane rolled his chocolate brown eyes and looked away. "Yeah, well, I can't say I've seen you around here."

"Just transferred in," Hunter answered. "My family moved down here from New Hampshire."

The band started up again and filled the momentary silence between them. For some reason, the normally confident, all balls Shane McMahon felt slightly intimidated by the blonde stranger. His eyes were much too alert and slid over Shane's form in a fashion that wasn't exactly just casual.

"Thanks again for the cigarette," Hunter said suddenly, taking one last long drag and flicking the cigarette away. "I forgot mine and was dying for one."

Shane offered him a smile. "Lucky for you I happened to be sitting here."

"Not so lucky really," Hunter answered, something twinkling in his eye.

"Excuse me?" Shane coudn't be sure, but he thought he might have been insulted.

Hunter took a step closer, his breath making clouds in the cold October air. "They told me you'd be under here. I came looking for you."

Shane's heart jumped a little. "Why's that?"

A soft chuckle escaped Hunter's lips, and he tilted his head back, waves of golden hair cascading down his back. They looked like pure gold against the black leather of his jacket. Shane swallowed hard.

"They told me about you."

"Who are they, and what did they tell you?" Shane asked, though he already knew. Everybody knew.

Hunter smiled, and it was almost patronizing, but not so much that it was obvious. "I think we both know what we're talking about, Shane. The reason you're not diddling half the cheerleading squad..."

Shane felt an uncontrollable blush spread over his cheeks, and he looked away quickly. "Yeah...so? What about it?"

Hunter dropped his voice to just above a whisper, so soft that Shane barely heard him. "I'm not doing any of them either."

When Shane looked back, all he caught was the sight of Hunter walking away, crooking a finger at him to follow.

Shane hesitated, finishing his cigarette and tossing it aside before tucking both hands into his pockets and following.

~~**~~

Shane followed Hunter up through the crowds gathered on the hill above the football field, trying to trip and stumble as he hurried to keep up. His heart was pounding in his chest, while something entirely different pounded in his groin. Something told him this was going to turn out less than innocent, and a part of him couldn't have been happier. There weren't many options for a guy with his...tastes, and this stranger seemed to be proposing a very welcome one. He stopped when he reached the parking lot, looking around to search for Hunter's tall frame. He'd be damn pissed if he'd come this far only to go home and have to jack off.

"Over here, Shane." Hunter's voice broke the cool air, and Shane whirled to his left, finding Hunter as he stood leaning against a shiny new pick-up truck.

Shane lifted a brow as he wandered over slowly, hoping he didn't seem too eager. "A pick-up truck?"

Hunter grinned and walked around to the back of the truck, letting down the tailgate and jumping up inside. "They're better off-road than that damn Porsche you drive."

Shane had to chuckle. "You're probably right about that."

Hunter grinned down at him and offered him a hand up. Shane stood motionless for a moment. "Here? At the damn football game!?!"

The blonde flashed a grin that sent a jolt of electricity up Shane's spine. "Why not?"

Shane looked incredulous. "Somebody could see!"

Hunter cocked one hip out and put his hand on it. "Your point?"

"I'd rather the whole school not happen by while I'm..." his voice trailed off as his cheeks flooded with color.

"Think of it this way," Hunter said, throwing his hair back over his shoulders. "At least they'll have a great picture to put in the yearbook."

Shane let out a laugh before he could stop himself. Hunter gave him that same warm grin he hand when they were under the bleachers and again offered him a hand up. After only a moment of indecision, Shane took it and pulled himself up into the bed of the truck...

...and right into Hunter's arms.

They went around him immediately, bigger and stronger than Shane had first thought, and crushed him against the blondes chest. Shane let out a soft squeak as their bodies first made contact, followed by a soft groan from Hunter that sent shivers across Shane's skin.

"You feel even better than you look, babe..." Hunter's voice was far away as he bent his head and kissed the column of Shane's throat. Shane felt his knees go weak, and he leaned heavily against him.

Hunter let out another soft chuckle, then hugged Shane more tightly to his chest as he slowly sanke them down to the bed of the truck, switching positions so Shane could stretch out on his back. All sorts of lewd jokes ran through Shane's head as Hunter settled down against him, careful not to put too much weight on him, though his mind went comfortably blank as he felt Hunter's hand slide down his body to rest against the front of his jeans.

A slight flinch caused Hunter to look up at him, worry crossing his features. "You okay?"

Shane nodded, chewing on his lip. "I've never actually done this..."

A soft smile formed, and Hunter nodded. "I'll be careful. I couldn't dream of hurting you."

The words comforted Shane slightly, and he nodded again. Hunter nodded in response then dropped his head and pressed their lips together. Shane parted his lips immediately, and Hunter obliged him, slipping his tongue past them slowly, groaning softly. Their kisses were loud and frenzied, as though someone might stop them at any minute, when nothing could be closer to the truth. This wasn't the time for sweetness and romance, and they both knew it.

The football game went on just down the hill as they moaned and groaned, writhing against each other, trying to make as little noise as possible. Hunter's fingers worked quickly to unbutton Shane's fly and push his jeans down over his knees so Shane could spread them. A flush of embarrassment rushed through the brunette, and Hunter chuckled softly, running his fingers down the creamy white flesh of Shane's stomach. He quickly pushed Shane's shoes off and pulled the jeans down all the way, setting them aside to quickly wiggle out of his own.

"How do you manage to get yourself into those things without cutting off circulation?" Shane asked, watching him with foggy eyes.

Hunter moved back over him, grinning down at him smugly. "Very carefully." He bent his head and kissed Shane again, tracing his lips with his tongue.

"Indeed..." Shane murmured, closing his eyes as he felt Hunter's hands moving up and down his thighs. His breath was already short, and the air was cold against his flushed cheeks. The impossibility of the situation suddenly hit him, and a panic spread through his body as he felt Hunter's finger slide down his length and brush across his entrance.

A hitch in his breath drew Hunter's attention again, and he whispered, "Relax, baby...I won't hurt you..."

Shane nodded again, lifting his hips a little, and Hunter spit into his hand, kissing his thighs as he slid his arms beneath him and brushed his finger across his entrance again. Shane moaned softly and bit his lip as he felt the first bit of pressure, letting out a soft cry as Hunter pressed his finger in slowly.

"It's okay, baby...it gets better..." Hunter's words fell on deaf ears as the pain shot through Shane's body like lightning, and he closed his eyes again, taking deep breaths. Hunter stretched him slowly, easing his finger in further, and Shane let out a loud cry as he brushed across his prostate, his body quaking with the reaction.

Hunter smiled softly, stroking the spot over and over, and taking in the sounds his young lover was making. Shane, for his part, was trying not to scream like a wild animal, biting down hard on his lip as he rocked against Hunter's finger blindly, craving more of the sensation shooting through him. He barely felt the second and third fingers, panting and gasping as his muscles tensed against the intrusion. The seconds passed like minutes until Hunter was finished, withdrawing his fingers slowly and leaning up again to position himself between Shane's legs.

The young heir watched him through heavy-lidded eyes, that ounce of apprehension still clinging to him like the thin sheen of sweat covering his exposed skin despite the temperature of the air. Hunter smiled down at him and let a hand drift to his own cock, using the pre-cum glistening at the head to lubricate himself. A few moments of uncomfortable silence passed between them until Hunter was ready, and he let his weight back down against Shane, settling between his thighs.

"You ready?" he asked, kissing Shane gently a few times.

"As ready as I'm going to be," Shane answered, returning the kisses urgently.

Hunter nodded and captured his lips in a deep kiss, stroking his tongue with his own as he nudged against Shane's prepared entrance, pushing just the head of his cock inside him. Shane moaned and went still. It was thicker than Hunter's fingers, and it hurt so badly he thought he'd never be able to walk once it was over. Slowly, Hunter inched himself inside him, pausing frequently to catch his breath and kiss Shane encouragingly.

Shane was unable to contain the moan of pleasure as Hunter slid home, sheathed entirely inside him. They panted and steadied themselves before Hunter withdrew slightly and pushed back in, brushing across the spot that lit a fire inside Shane that could only be stopped by more of the same. Slow thrusts at first, then more quickly...soft gasps as Hunter's fingers brushed across Shane's cock...frantic whimpers as Shane felt himself tensing, that coil inside him growing tighter and tighter, screaming for release...

Shane stared straight up at the star-sprinkled sky, the truck bed pressing against his back painfully. He heard Hunter groaning far in the distance, and the sound of the marching band blaring the fight song...people cheering, his classmates yelling and shouting as a fight went on behind the bleachers...the truck whining under the slow rocking motion...

And all of it came to a deafening crescendo as Shane heard a far away voice crying out Hunter's name as the coil sprung loose, sending him spiraling headfirst into pleasure as he realized that it was his own voice he was hearing above the roar of the rest of the world...

~~**~~

Shane was back in the car before he knew he what he was doing, the yearbook laying in the seat beside him. Fresh tears were in his eyes as he nervously smoked a cigarette as he drove, disregarding all the posted speed limit signs. He barely had to look at street signs to get to where he was going. He could see the stadium lights in the dark blanket of night as he made the turn onto the road, searching for a parking spot in the lot that was already so full, people were parking across the street at the old carwash.

He parked the Porsche haphazardly at the back of the carwash and jumped out, leaving his yearbook and taking his cigarettes. He broke into a run as he neared the school, his heart pounding for a reason he couldn't explain. He could see the field down the hill, watching like though he was mesmerized as the two teams tore into each other mercilessly, the sound of plastic hitting bone ringing through the night. It was just like he remembered.

Quickly paying his four dollars to get in, Shane walked slowly through the gates, looking around and taking it all in. There were dozens of teenagers milling around, most of them not paying a lick of attention to the game. He squinted and saw that the bleachers were full, the small cheerleading squad giving it their all in front of them. He remembered hating all the cheerleaders that were on the squad his Senior year. No real reason for hating them, he just did.

Shane slowed his steps, breathing the scent of exhaust, concession stand hot dogs and stale cigarette smoke deeply into his lungs. It was nice, in its own way, and he felt comfortable. He'd spent the night reliving the days he'd spent there as the part of the A-crowd, and now it was like it was real again. He could close his eyes and remember when he was in the prime of his youth, blasting through high school like it was nothing. Now...now things were complicated. They had been for a long time.

This was like some sort of time machine, shooting him back to the days when his biggest concern was keeping his GPA up and who he was taking to the prom. He never could take who he wanted, he remembered as he strolled toward the bleachers, ignoring the whispers around him. "Isn't that Shane McMahon?" "What's he doing here?" "Ohmigod how cool!" If he'd had it his way, he would have taken...

He shook his head, continuing toward the bleachers, but paused halfway down the hill and tilted his head to the side. Everything inside him told him to go take a seat in the stands, but there was that tiny voice in the back of his head that told him to go where he really wanted to. Tucking his hands into his pockets, Shane made a right turn and walked carefully down the hill behind the bleachers, keeping his eyes on the ground. He felt like an idiot going there, but he couldn't stop himself.

A cigarette found its way out of the pack in his pocket and into his mouth, and he smoked it quickly, drawing as much smoke into his lungs as he could stand at once before exhaling it quickly. There were eyes on him from every direction as he walked, but he paid them no mind until he reached the fobidden area behind the bleachers and was astounded at what he saw.

Couples making out everywhere--but not just the regular boy/girl couples. There were same sex couples as well, a sight Shane never saw in his days in high school. It made him smile for a reason he couldn't explain. Maybe because he'd never been able to do that...which lead to an unforgettable night in the back of a pick-up truck--a night that he'd very much have liked to have forgotten.

But he couldn't forget it, no matter how he tried. It was there, in the back of his mind, eating at him constantly. Every time he saw his father's company's biggest talent, his heart ached. Every time he heard his sister's on-screen name, his heat whined. Every time he passed him in the hall and quickly averted his eyes, his heart broke.

Shane leaned against an unoccupied side of the radio broadcasting building and closed his eyes, his hand shaking again as he lifted the cigarette to his lips.

**"Why can't we, Shane? Why not? Just give me one good reason!" Hunter screamed at him in the parking lot, the Monday after the most incredible weekened of Shane's life. They hadn't left each other's sight for more than a few minutes at the most. They'd spent the nights making love and talking until all hours of the morning, almost thankful to have each other.

And now, Hunter was demanding the one thing he couldn't give.

"We can't, Hunter..." Shane's voice trailed off as his hand went to the handle of the driver's side door of his car.

Hunter's hand slammed down on the side of the car, rattling the windows, and Shane jumped in surprise. "Tell me why, Shane."

Shane couldn't lift his eyes. The look he would find in Hunter's would break his heart, and he knew it. "It's not as easy as you make it sound. We can't be a regular couple, Hunter. We can't go to the movies and do all those regular things."

"So? Why the fuck would I want to do all that shit when all I want to do is be with you?" Hunter fired back, his voice growing in pitch and volume.

Shane's heart plummeted to the bottom of his stomach. "Hunter...I want to be with you, too..."

"Then why can't we? I don't give a fuck about what everyone else thinks! All that matters to me is you!"

The words hit closer and closer to home, and Shane felt the tears welling up in his eyes before he could stop them, the cold air freezing them in place so they couldn't fall. "Then listen to me and just let it alone. We can't, Hunter...and I won't."**

Shane didn't open his eyes even as he felt the cigarette burn down past the filter to sting his hand. He dropped it and his arm limply to his side and rested his head back against the brick, banging it against it a few times. His chest ached with the effort of holding back the tears threatening to fall. The flushing cheeks that usually made him so adorable were burning in the cold air of the clear night, resembling the feel of the air on that night so much that it stung.

It was one of those mistakes people make in life that they wish they could take back, but Shane knew that he couldn't. He'd thrown away something wonderful that day in the parking lot, something he would only be offered once and had turned down without even thinking twice about it. Things between he and Hunter had never been the same. There was that look in Hunter's eyes when Shane was brave enough to look up at him during staff meetings, and it cut Shane down to the quick.

It was accusing. It was a look of blame. But somehow, it was a look of regret.

"Shane..."

He shook the voice from his head, the way it rolled so perfectly off his tongue, like it was a name made for him to say.

"Shane..."

His heart pounded in his throat so hard it blocked out everything but the sound of his voice.

"Hey, you got a cigarette?"

Shane's eyes flew open on command. The voice wasn't in his head. The voice was beside him. His eyes moved to the side, and his breath caught in his throat.

"Hunter."

Hunter smiled, his hands tucked deep into his pockets. "For some reason, I thought you'd be here."

Shane didn't move. He didn't breathe. He didn't dare to.

"Your dad told me you'd taken some vacation time," he explained. "I came up here as soon as the taping was done. I...I don't really know why...I just got in the car and started to drive...I just...God, Shane...I don't..."

Shane cut him off by wrapping his arms around his neck and pressing their lips together. Hunter froze for a moment then took his hands out of his pockets and wrapped them tightly around the brunette, crushing him against his chest. Shane looked up after a moment, tears in his eyes.

Autumn eyes stared back at him--with no accusing, no regret, no blame.

Just love.

And chocolate eyes smiled.

THE END