Snowflake Memories By Lady Boss
	Title: “Snowflake Memories” Rating: PG Author: Lady Boss E-Mail: pikachu_524@yahoo.com <mailto:pikachu_524@yahoo.com> Distribution: The Boss’s Office - <; Anyone else, let me know where and ask nicely. Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, but I still have a dollar and a dream… Summary: Shawn and Paul (HHH) share a few memories It was one of those perfect winter nights. Shawn stood in a shoveled area outside the Nationwide Arena where he knew only the most die hard fans would even attempt to try and catch a glimpse of their favorite wrestlers as entering and exiting the arena and watched the snow fall around him like little stars falling from the heavens. The snow Shawn was admiring caused nothing but hell in terms of traveling for himself as well as the other wrestlers, but he wasn’t thinking of that as he stood out there. The air was crisp and cold, the area quiet… And the snowball hitting the back of his head, wet. Startled, he whirled around to find the culprit but found no one there. He looked up at the overhang above his head and figured the eaves were leaking. He wiped the back of his head, hissing a little as some snow slid under the neck of his shirt. He continued enjoying the quiet of the evening; watching the snowfall, listening to the distant sounds of the traffic and the muted roar of the crowds inside awaiting his match… And jumping when another snowball made contact this time with his back. Knowing this wasn’t some eave trough leaking, he looked around. “Okay you asshole,” he shouted. “You better show yourself or I’ll hunt you down.” “And do what? Remember Shawn, never hunt what you can’t kill.” Shawn looked in the direction of the voice and saw Paul, wearing black workout pants and his denim and leather jacket, step out from behind the dumpster, packing down another snowball in his gloved hands. “Stephanie let you off your leash?” Shawn asked. “Nah, I snuck out. She’s inside screaming about script changes and well, she’s a sweet girl and all, but you know how screechy her voice is when she gets pissed about things.” “Tell me about it. Guess those voice lessons Vince paid for when she was a kid didn’t work.” “No they didn’t.” Paul kept his focus on packing and smoothing the snowball in his hand until it was a near perfect icy globe. Shawn watched him, wondering what he was going to do with the snowball. “Hey,” Paul spoke, looking up at Shawn. “You remember that time in Minnesota when you, me and Joanie snuck out of the hotel and went to that hill to go sledding?” Shawn did remember. The three of them had grabbed some cardboard boxes from behind the hotel and walked five blocks until they had found a hill suitable enough to sled on. “And you almost went into that pond.” “Yeah.” Paul sighed. “Damn I miss those days.” “Really?” Shawn’s tone was skeptical. Paul looked at Shawn. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “A lot of people might say you’ve got it going pretty good right now; engaged to be married to the boss’s daughter, almost full run of the place.” “Everyone calling me Satan behind my back, a leg that never seems to want to heal the way I want and everyone waiting for me to drop the belt to Steiner on Sunday. Yeah, everything’s really going my way.” Shawn heard the weariness in his ex-friend’s voice but kept his attention on the snowball. Once the ball was the way Paul wanted it, he began tossing it in the air and catching it on the way down. “You ever miss the old days Shawn?” “You mean having to play lackey to Vin-man and everything?” Shawn shook his head. “Nah. I’m pretty happy the way things are now.” “I suppose you would be; pretty wife, cute kid, a comeback to put Hogan’s to shame. Yeah I can’t imagine you ever missing the old days.” “I do sometimes. Things seemed simpler then.” “Yeah they did, didn’t they?” A pause. “You ever miss us?” “As DX or-?” “You know what I mean. Us.” Shawn did and it made him a little uneasy as memories of their relationship conflicted in his head with the teachings he received when he became ‘born again’. Sure there were times when he missed waking up and seeing Paul stretched out next to him, his blonde hair splayed around his shoulders like a curtain. Missed watching Paul wake up and flash him that lazy smirk of his. Missed sitting in the hotel rooms just talking about stuff. Sure Rebecca traveled when she was a Nitro girl but it wasn’t the same as hanging with someone who understood why your back wouldn’t quit throbbing even after taking pain killers or someone who could carry you to and from the bathroom when you couldn’t make it on your own for whatever reason or having someone there to help take care of more primal urges when all you wanted was a warm body to screw. Sure he missed all that. But he had a new life now and he couldn’t allow himself to go back to his old one. Even if that old one was when he was the happiest he’d ever been. “I didn’t think you would.” Paul broke the long silence. “It’s not what you’re thinking.” “I know.” Paul nodded. “I know.” Shawn watched the ball go up in the air and back down to Paul’s hand. Up and down, up and down, the rhythm of the movement almost hypnotizing Shawn. “You know this reminds me of something one of the guys said before the roster split.” “What’s that?” Paul looked at Shawn, never missing a step with the snowball. “Can’t remember who the hell it was that said it, but they said memories are like snowflakes; there’s plenty of them but they never stay for long once something real touches them.” Paul smirked. “I think they were crocked when they said it.” “That would be my guess.” Shawn said. “How long before your tag match with Jeff?” Paul asked. “Not for another hour why?” “Just wondering.” Shawn tensed, knowing by the tone in Paul’s voice something was going to happen. And it did. Without warning, Paul whipped the snowball at Shawn, who ducked it by moving to one side, letting it hit the wall behind him with a splat. “Guess you aren’t as crippled as you say you are.” Paul said with a smirk. “I never said I was crippled.” Shawn bent down and picked up a handful of snow of his own. Seeing that, Paul bent down and grabbed some snow of his own, both men fighting to fix their snowball before the other. Shawn managed to get the upper hand and threw his at Paul who ducked as easily as Shawn had, the snowball hitting the door behind Paul. It went back and forth between them; the boasts loud and their laughter almost childlike, until Shawn threw one, hitting Paul on his left leg. “Ah shit!” Paul said his hand going to the sore leg. “Crap! Paul, you all right?” “You hit my bad leg you dumb fuck!” Paul snarled. “Of course I’m not all right! I’ve got to go against Booker T. and Steiner in less than an hour!” Shawn walked over to where Paul stood, Paul’s hand holding the affected area. “Here let me take a loo -” But Shawn never finished his sentence as Paul grabbed hold of him and flattened him against the dumpster. Seeing the mischievous gleam in Paul’s eyes, Shawn felt stupid. “You asshole! You were fucking faking!” “Now, now, Shawn. What would your bible thumping friends think if they heard you talk like that?” “They’d probably think you need to have your ass kicked.” Paul laughed. “Probably.” They stared at each other for a few minutes in the deathlike silence, one sizing up the other as to what was going to happen next while trying like hell to not give in to the urges they were feeling. Paul gave into his urge and made the first move, leaning forward to kiss Shawn, but Shawn moved his head away, Paul’s lips grazing over the stubble on Shawn’s cheek. “So it’s like that huh?” Paul asked as he pulled away from Shawn. “Paul…things have changed. I’ve changed.” “So I see.” Paul turned away from Shawn but not before Shawn saw the dejected look on Paul’s face. “Paul…” “No, don’t.” “Don’t what?” Paul turned to look at Shawn. “Don’t feel sorry for me. I hated it when we were together and I hate it now.” “I don’t feel sorry for you. I’m actually proud of you.” Paul looked at Shawn. “What?” “I remember what you said during one of those soliloquies you call a promo; about how you were no longer in my shadow and you’re right. You’re not in my shadow anymore. You’ve done pretty well for yourself.” “Yeah, sure. I get ripped constantly over my relationship with Stephanie; everything I do is questioned even though I came up the same way as a lot of the guys and I’ve got people wanting my blood over things that are beyond my control. Yeah, I’ve really done pretty fucking well for myself haven’t I?” “Could be worse.” Paul raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Yeah? How so?” “You could be a has-been trying to grab one more shot of glory.” “You’re not a has-been Shawn.” “Feels like it when I wrestle my matches against these younger kids. Then were our matches. Christ I felt like I was falling apart in there with you at SumerSlam.” “You did good though.” “Yeah. Until a certain ex of mine nailed me with a sledgehammer.” “Want the truth?” Shawn nodded. “That was Stephanie’s idea. She felt threatened by your coming back. Thought you might want to pick up where we left off.” “What’s that? When we were shouting at each other all the time? When it was getting to the point where we couldn’t stand each other anymore?” “Yeah that would be my guess.” Paul cracked before sighing. “Know something else?” “What?” Shawn asked softly. “I still -” “Paul?” Both Paul and Shawn looked toward the door and saw Stephanie poke her head out. “What are you doing out here? Christ, it’s freezing out.” “Just getting some air before the match.” “Well you better come in. Pat wants to run through what’s going to happen tonight.” She looked at Shawn. “Jeff’s been looking for you, Shawn.” “Tell him I’ll be in in a few.” Shawn said. Stephanie looked at Paul. “You better come in before you freeze, God knows we don’t need anything else to go wrong with your leg.” “Sure. Be right there.” Stephanie ducked back inside. Shawn watched Paul walk to the door, like a child obeying its mother’s orders. “Hey Paul?” Paul turned around, his hand wrapped around the door handle. “What were you going to say?” Paul sighed. “Doesn’t matter now does it? You’ve changed. I’ve changed. That’s all that matters.” Shawn watched Paul open the door and slip back into the arena before leaning against the dumpster and looking up at the sky, the snowflakes taking on a deeper meaning now as he thought about what Paul said about memories being like snowflakes, but unlike their crystallized counterparts, Shawn hoped his would never fade.