"ITVR: Chapter 22"
Propositions.
By Jadedoll, Penumbren, & Raising Kane
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Adam almost laughed at Chris' eagerness... he'd known that Chris could move quickly if he wanted to. He let his eyes roam for just a moment over his lover's golden flesh before moving in to press his chest up against Chris' broad muscular back. He let his hands wander aimlessly over the territory that had been pressed flat against the mattress until now. He explored taut nipples, angled ribs, muscular abs, and strong thighs with a quicksilver touch, his aching member pressed tautly between Chris' buttocks. He could hear Chris' quiet pleading and he was tempted to give in and give him what he was begging for... but not quite yet. There was one thing left that he wanted to do before he laid claim to Chris' body again. "Easy, sweetheart. Soon... very soon," he said before slipping his tongue agilely down the knots of Chris' spine. "There's just one more thing I want to do before I give you what you want, Chris," he murmured against the top of Chris' tailbone with a grin. "Just going to make sure you're ready for me, sweetheart." Not giving the blond any more warning, Adam slipped his tongue further south, brushing slowly against the sensitive flesh of Chris' hole before pushing inside. He didn't linger, wiggling his tongue for a moment before withdrawing. He would insist on exploring that particular avenue another time, but this time, he'd wanted just a little taste. Chris was growing more insistent and Adam wasn't going to deny him what he'd promised. Taking his hard cock in hand, he pressed himself close to Chris' back once again. He breached his lover's entrance slowly, just as promised, moaning quietly against the warm flesh of Chris' back as the head of his cock pushed through the tight ring of muscle. Inch by inch, he pressed forward slowly until he was fully embedded inside the silky warm channel. He gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more than to ride Chris ragged, but that wasn't what he'd promised, was it? Withdrawing until just the head remained inside his lover's snug sheath, he pushed in with a slow glide, his breath leaving him in gentle puffs across the tanned skin on the back of Chris' neck. He could feel his own descent into his own manic incoherent phase and crossed his fingers that he'd remember the rules of this particular encounter... slow and easy until Chris begged for more and maybe even a tad longer than that. Hands on Chris' hips, he edged them a bit closer to the headboard so that they were almost in a kneeling position, keeping his pace in check. "Feels so good, sweetheart. Love being inside you." He let his hands wander over the taut muscles of Chris' thighs, drawing closer to the apex with each stroke before finally taking the hard shaft located there in his hand. "Do ya like that, Chris? So hard... so hot against my hand... Want you inside me again soon... loved how you fucked me, sweetheart." Losing control momentarily, Adam snapped his hips hard, driving himself inside Chris' clinging channel. He bit down on his lip, hoping the pain would put a rein on his eagerness. His breathing was growing heavier, puffing against Chris' neck and ear. "Want to taste you again, Chris. Go down on you until you explode inside my mouth, swallow every drop." **** Nearly holding his breath, Shawn waited for Hunter's answer. As the moments passed in silence, he tried not to worry, not to be afraid that his most deeply-held dream was crumbling around him. Hunter's arms didn't move from him... that gave him hope. Finally, gathering his courage, he raised his head to look at Hunter's face. As he was trying to process the smile on that familiar face, Hunt had leaned forward and kissed him. Kissed him. The brief touch sent shivers down his spine, making him want to melt into the arms holding him. Before he could even begin to respond, though, it was over. Another soft touch of those lips on his forehead and then Hunter was standing, the brief squeeze of his hands telling Shawn that all of his fears, all of his worry, had been for nothing. Hunter loved him. Letting his eyes drift shut for a moment, he stayed on his knees on the floor, simply savouring the words. He'd never thought he'd actually hear them, had never believed that his best friend could possibly feel that way about him. But he did. The warmth that had stayed with Shawn the night before while he was in Dave's arms returned, relief and joy making him almost giddy. Hunter loved him. "Shawn has generously decided not to string me up by the balls." A snort of laughter escaped him at Hunt's words and he opened his eyes to see the other man leaning next to the bathroom door, trying to look relaxed. It wasn't working too well; whether he'd believed Shawn or not about Dave moaning his name, the tension running through him as he waited for Dave's response was obvious. Trust Hunter's usual eloquence to make itself known now. He might be trying to let Dave know that everything was calm out here, but the phrasing was... interesting. Especially since Shawn hadn't mentioned anything about Hunter's balls... He shook himself off that line of thought quickly. That wasn't what he needed to be dwelling on right now, not with the third in this little triangle about to come out of hiding, undoubtedly convinced that they had fixed things and were preparing to move on and tell him thanks, now run along and find someone else to play with. Like Shawn would let that happen. He'd meant every word he'd said to Dave the night before and that morning. Hopefully Dave would be open to the possibility of being involved with both of them. He was sure that Hunter was open to the idea, given the man's whining over the last year about being blown off by Dave... not to mention the comment he'd made last night about being attracted to him. Of course, that could lead to all sorts of interesting problems to work out... first times... Rolling his eyes at himself, he stood up as the bathroom door opened. Just because it'd been months... well, maybe longer... since he'd had any didn't mean that he had to obsess over it now of all times. Watching Dave stand in the doorway, Shawn frowned a little. Why was Dave staring at the floor? That wasn't like the man at all; normally he was all about looking people in the eye... wait. He moved closer, tilting his head as he looked more closely. That was a bruise. Shit. He winced as he got closer, realising that at some point in their little tussle, either he or Hunter had actually hurt the big man. His lips twisted into a slight grimace at the thought, knowing that if he'd just been able to control himself a little better, Dave would never have ended up involved in the fight anyway. "Besides, Shawn might have a use for them now that he's not threatening them." Stop. Blink. What? The blush covering Dave's face told Shawn that he had indeed heard him correctly. Stifling a laugh, he stopped in front of Dave, biting his lip as he saw the darkening bruise under his eye. One of them must've gotten his nose... probably Hunter, but probably from one of his punches. Speaking of which, he'd have to remember to check Hunter over for bruises, too. He had to force himself from turning and eyeing his friend at that thought, knowing where that would lead if he let it. Poor Dave. He probably thought he'd just made a huge mistake, saying that. He was actually right, although Shawn certainly wasn't about to say that at this point. "Tell Shawn I'll talk to him later." As the big man took a step, Shawn reached out and put a hand up against his chest, bringing him to a halt. "Why not tell me yourself?" He really hadn't _meant_ for that to come out almost as a purr... his voice was still sore and his throat seemed to be doing odd things to his voice. Oh well. "In fact, why leave, Dave? I think we have some things to talk about right now." Casting a look at Hunter for approval and seeing the slight nod, Shawn smiled. Guiding the reluctant man to the sofa, Shawn sat next to him, motioning Hunter towards the chair. This could be the moment of truth for all three of them, and he realised that he was nervous as hell. If he said something wrong, if he pushed the wrong way... this was all over. He reached over and picked up Dave's hand, holding it in his. He decided that he'd better start off being blunt, or Dave would take any chance he saw to try to run out on them again. Shawn knew that if the big man left him, it would hurt... and he didn't want that to happen. "Dave... I told you this morning that I wanted something to happen between us just as much as you did. I still do." He paused, looking into the dark eyes, trying to communicate his sincerity. "I'm sure that's not what you're expecting to hear, but that's what I'm saying. I'm not saying it out of pity or out of gratitude. Yes, Hunter and I love each other..." He had to stop after saying that, just to roll the words around for a second. "But... well. I told you last night that the Clique stories were exaggerated. I didn't say that they weren't true." Watching Dave's reactions, he continued slowly, his voice rough, "I'll get to the point. I know you appreciate honesty. It's probably nothing you've ever thought about, but... if you're willing... I would love to make something between the three of us. I know that you have feelings for both of us, and I know that I already feel something for you. I won't lie and claim that it's love, but... it could be. If we try." Seeing the growing tension on the big man's face, Shawn leaned forward, moving one hand up to Dave's shoulder. "I know you feel something for both of us, Dave, so don't even try to deny it. You said this morning that you didn't want to make love with me 'until we all knew where we stood'. That's a quote. If you were only worried about me and you... you wouldn't have said that. And even if I hadn't heard you moan both mine and Hunter's names while you were dreaming..." He couldn't help but smile a little at the embarrassment on Dave's face. "Besides that, your little comment earlier about being happy to have either of us feel that way about you... I heard that. And given that you were busily encouraging Hunt to be happy that I loved him... well, that doesn't leave a lot of room for misinterpretation." Sitting back again, not wanting to crowd the man too much, he looked over at Hunter, smiling a little at the look on his face. "I'm not asking you to play second fiddle, Dave. I'm asking you to be another first. Hunt and I have a lot of work to do to try to make this work out, so it won't be easy... but we want you to be part of it. If you want to be." **** "...if I were ten years younger I'd add in your front and everything in-between." Kevin laughed, finally feeling almost back to normal. He was still achy, although pleasantly surprised by how quickly the pain was fading, and he knew that he was going to be sticking very close to Scott for the rest of the day; but he felt... almost refreshed. Closer to Scott than he had before, and after all the work they'd put into their relationship this time around, that was saying something. As Scotty's fingers worked their magic on his back, rubbing away aches and knots he hadn't even known he'd had, he sighed happily, his face pressed into the pillow. Another sigh, and a soft moan... he was purring. Damn. He didn't purr... but he did for Scott. He smiled into the pillow at that thought, too relaxed to really care, his mind happily lost in the growing haze of low-level pleasure that he found himself wrapped in. Scott's low voice caught his attention, though, and he forced himself back to earth enough to listen. He could listen to Scott talk for hours sometimes, especially when he let his accent come out. "You have told me...with actions even if you didn't say the words." Smiling a little more, he admitted that it was nice to know for sure that Scott noticed things. They were never things he did on purpose, but little things... like brushing the hair out of Scott's face while he was sleeping, or making sure he had an extra blanket when he had to sleep by himself, or little touches to his shoulder or back when he looked like he needed reassurance... Even thinking about all the things he normally did without realising it made him happy; the fact that Scott noticed them was just the icing on the cake. He did them because he wanted to, because they made him feel good by knowing that they made Scott feel good. "No matter what you think, you _are_ beautiful." Knowing that Scott wouldn't be argued with on this point, recognising the tone of voice, Kevin bit his lip. If Scott wanted to believe that he was beautiful, who was he to argue? "You tell me more with them than you could ever possibly guess. Beautiful, Kev." Damn. He could feel the heat creeping up his cheeks again. How many times had he thought almost the same thing about Scott? But then, everything was beautiful about Scott. Maybe he didn't have the body he'd had ten years ago, but then, neither did Kevin. His hair was going grey... so was Kevin's. He didn't move quite as quickly or last quite as long... but neither did Kevin. None of that mattered; Scott still had that voice that he loved to listen to, those dark eyes that he fell into every time he looked at them, the thick hair that he could run his fingers through, that way of knowing exactly how he was feeling and of how to make him feel better when he needed it... Nothing that was quintessentially Scott had changed at all. It had just become clearer once the alcohol was gone. He wanted to tell Scotty all of that, let him know how much he loved him for everything that he was... and then realised that he didn't need to. Scott already knew... just like he knew how Scott felt about him. That was the point. Relaxing into the massage, the soft kiss brought a slightly deeper noise out of him. When those wonderful fingers finally stopped moving, he was nearly asleep. He knew they had to finish packing, had to get ready for their flight... but he was so relaxed, so lost in that haze that he just couldn't quite force himself to move. The bed dipped momentarily as Scott got up, and Kevin could faintly hear him moving around the room, probably doing the packing that Kevin had been too lazy to do the night before. They seemed to take turns almost at doing things like that, using them as points to bicker genially over during long flights and car trips. Kevin's lips curved a little at the thought, and he burrowed a little deeper into the pillow. He'd get up in just a minute and then he'd help Scott. Just another minute... **** He'd known it wasn't going to work. Dave froze as soon as he felt Shawn's touch on his chest. He hadn't wanted to just skip out without saying goodbye, but he wasn't sure he could have handled actually facing Shawn and knowing that the happiness that he had to be feeling right now was because of someone else... even if that someone else was Hunter. After the time that they'd shared last night it would sting just a little bit. "In fact, why leave, Dave? I think we have some things to talk about right now." He found himself forced to suppress both a sigh and a shudder. The shudder because of the way Shawn's voice sounded... true it was from the crying, but it was still pretty damn sexy all rough like that. The sigh because he had a bad feeling about what Shawn wanted to talk about. He already had it figured out. He didn't need the official kiss-off that he knew was coming. Reluctantly he followed Shawn across the room and took a seat on the sofa. He braced himself for the worst and hoped it would be over quickly as he felt the sofa dip beside him when Shawn took a seat. The fact that Hunter was going to be a witness to the whole thing wasn't exactly making him jump for joy either. Maybe after a polite 'thanks for the help' he could be on his way. Shawn took his hand and Dave looked up in surprise as he started speaking. "Dave... I told you this morning that I wanted something to happen between us just as much as you did. I still do." What? His mind ground to a halt almost unable to process Shawn's words. A moment later it was practically shrieking at him. 'But... but... what about Hunter? Shawn loves Hunter. Hunter loves Shawn. Why would he want something to happen with you?' he thought to himself. Luckily his mouth wasn't capable of functioning at the moment, it still being frozen by his brain. "...I didn't say that they weren't true." His brain was back to non-functioning again. Rumors... which particular rumors Shawn might be talking about he wasn't sure. And which parts had been exaggerated? It boggled the mind. He'd written most of them off to being completely blown out of proportion. That was the nature of rumors, wasn't it? And the shocks kept coming. "... if you're willing... I would love to make something between the three of us." Oh no, no, no. He got it now. He'd fallen asleep in the bathroom and this was another one of his bizarre dreams. It had to be. Or maybe he wasn't in the bathroom at all. Maybe this whole thing was something he'd cooked up in his lonely mind. Shawn was not actually sitting here and suggesting that the three of them form some sort of relationship with Hunter sitting there blithely going along with it. He considered pinching himself, but wasn't going to risk looking that stupid, just in case this was real. He skipped the part where Shawn mentioned him having feelings for both of them. After all... how could Shawn know? He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that he knew exactly how Shawn might know, but he pushed it away. If he had been talking in his sleep, wouldn't Shawn have said something about it this morning? "I won't lie and claim that it's love, but... it could be. If we try." It could be... if we try. Shawn could love him? That's when his brain smacked him with the other part of the equation. Hunter was sitting there, but what did he really think about all this? He wasn't objecting, but other than the token comment that Hunter had made in the limo about finding him attractive, which he'd quickly written off to something Hunter had said to throw Shawn off the trail of the truth, Dave couldn't remember Hunter ever showing an interest in him other than friendship. So what was Shawn proposing exactly here? That he and Hunter share time with Shawn? Would they toss a coin to decide who was sleeping with Shawn and who was sleeping on the couch each night? And what about the feelings that he had for Hunter? Could he keep them hidden well enough that Hunter wouldn't suspect anything? Dave just couldn't see how this could possibly work out. Hunter already loved Shawn... why would Shawn take a risk with that just because he thought he might be able to love him as well. Before he could ask Shawn that very question, Shawn tipped his whole world on its axis. He wasn't about to try to deny that he had feelings for both of them, but he wasn't about to blurt that out either. He suppressed a groan over his own words coming back to bite him on the ass. He remembered saying it, but he hadn't thought that Shawn would actually see the truth in his statement when he'd included that little word "all". He also had to suppress a blush over Shawn mentioning that they'd actually talked about making love. Hunter was sitting right there for god's sake... what was he going to think about what Shawn had said? Would he be thankful for the proof that they hadn't been together or would he consider Dave an idiot for turning down the opportunity? "...And even if I hadn't heard you moan both mine and Hunter's names while you were dreaming..." He wasn't sure if he was going to blush or throw up. Luckily his body settled on the blush... that was much easier on the carpet. Apparently he had been talking in his sleep and Shawn just hadn't seen fit to mention it. To save him the embarrassment? He was praying that he'd sink through the floor at that moment, but apparently no one was answering prayers right now. "... Well, that doesn't leave a lot of room for misinterpretation." At least he'd been fully aware of that slip up when he made it, even if it had spilled out without his thinking about it. And of course Shawn had heard what he said, because that just seemed to be Dave's luck over the last 24 hours... him putting his foot in his mouth and Shawn hearing him do it. He still couldn't believe he'd said what he had over by the bathroom about Hunter's... so not going there. Once was bad enough. He'd be fire engine red if he followed that thought to conclusion. "...But we want you to be part of it. If you want to be." If he wanted to be? He'd give his left testicle and maybe his right as well if it were actually possible... on second thought, maybe not. If it were possible, then he'd probably want to keep those two items. He tried to think it through logically, but that didn't seem to help. Say that Shawn was capable of loving both of them... that was possible, after all Dave certainly had feelings for both Hunter and Shawn, so why couldn't Shawn? That still didn't explain why Hunter would go along with this. Maybe if he pointed out to Shawn that Hunter didn't have those kinds of feelings for him then Shawn would understand why this couldn't work... maybe. He reached a hand towards his face to rub at his eyes without thought, jerking away at the last second. The last thing he needed was to repeat his little "ow" from the bathroom earlier. That'd be real smooth. Instead he turned to look at Shawn, because he couldn't focus on Hunter and say what needed to be said. He wasn't sure he could actually say it at all, but he was going to try. "Look... Shawn, I..." He didn't growl; though he wanted to. Shawn had already outed his feelings and Dave wasn't going to lie about them. Maybe he could skim over them. "I'm not going to deny that I said those things, I can't... but even though I said them... I don't get how this could possibly work out. Even if you think you could feel the same way about me that you do about Hunter... even if I might feel the same way about both of you... it still wouldn't work. Hunter doesn't feel that way about me... so where does that leave him?" Damn. He'd just done it again... hadn't he? That time he wasn't paying enough attention to stop his hand from covering his face. At least he hadn't squeaked when he said ouch. **** Hunter almost took a step towards Dave as his sometime friend finally came out of the bathroom. He managed to control the movement in its infancy but couldn't stop his hand lifting to the damaged nose and eyes. Turning the action into a scratch of his shoulder, Hunt was thankful Dave hadn't seen the gesture as his eyes were firmly fixed on the door out of the room. He couldn't really blame the guy. If Hunter had witnessed just such an emotional and physical brawl and then been smashed in the face, all the while the guy you have the hots for is bullying another to acknowledge their mutual attraction, he'd want to run for the hills as well. Checking his stance to make sure the oh-so casual pose actually kept him between Dave and the door, Hunter's jaw dropped at Dave's risqué suggestion. Well damn him if the big scary 'animal' Batista wasn't blushing like he'd been sunburnt. Suppressing all rampant speculation as to the spread of the rosy colour below Dave's neckline, Hunter covered his lips with his fingers to mask a chuckle. That the condition of his balls had become a topic of conversation, was something for which he only had himself to blame. Fortunately Shawn stepped in at that moment, both to stop Dave from leaving and to explain Shawn's beyond amazing suggestion. Although his friend had indicated he sit, Hunter was too nervous to relax while Shawn propositioned Dave. Wow. Now when would Hunt ever imagine he'd be thinking that sentence? Catching sight once more of the small bloodstain on Dave's shirt, Hunt became aware of his own state of undress. The bare feet he could live with, being the only one with his shirt off would definitely contribute to his discomfort. Pulling a pale purple dress shirt from his suit bag, he slipped it over his shoulders, fastening the lower buttons only as a concession to the heat. A heat still palpable, despite his luxury suite's A-grade air-conditioning. Loosely folding his arms over his chest, it was Hunter's turn to stare at the floor, hair falling forward in a curtain, while Shawn spoke. His own feelings on the subject of... what were they? ... well... best be honest Hunt... a threesome... Christ... were mixed to say the least. To have Shawn as a lover would be a dream come true, to add Dave to the mix... well... it was down right unbelievable. Personally Hunter would be over the moon to be in a relationship with both men, and not just because he was so starved of affection he'd take any situation. He loved Shawn, of course. But the best part was, he actually liked him too. They got on so well that it really wasn't a surprise their friendship had lasted this long. Hunt liked Dave too and had been happy to be his friend and traveling companion. The big question was whether Shawn could talk the other man into joining them. Hunter had his doubts, given Dave's rejection of him in the past. But like Hunter, maybe the bigger man would take Shawn under any conditions he could get him. It wasn't ideal, Hunt loathed the idea of Dave being forced to take both men like they were a matched set, but it was better than losing Dave's presence because he couldn't stand to see Shawn with Hunter. Just the existence of 'Shawn and Hunter' was enough to make his head spin. about being happy to have either of us feel that way about you Hunter's head snapped up at Shawn's words. Had Dave really said that? He'd been so shamed by the disgust dripping off the man's voice that that particular line hadn't registered. But... but Dave didn't... his mind stuttered. He'd made it perfectly clear he'd been only interested in friendship... and a cool one at that. Hunter had tried asking him to dinner and coffee, offering to train together and share limousines. Sure, he'd always had Ric as a buffer so the taller man wouldn't feel uncomfortable, but except for a few small group gatherings, he'd firmly given Hunter the cold shoulder. even if I might feel the same way about both of you Now that wasn't cold. Hunter was really having trouble getting beyond the total lack of cold in Dave's perplexed admission. Apparently Dave was happy to involve himself with both Shawn and Hunter, what made it more fantastic was that he was willing to try it with them _at the same time_. Despite the pleased bubble that was working its way up his spine, a suspicious part of Hunter couldn't let go of Dave's previous behaviour. It just didn't track that one minute the guy would be all 'you just tossed him away like trash for a little bit of power with the company' and 'get your head out of your ass' to be wanting Hunter as a lover any time soon. Given that he'd already spilled his guts to Shawn today, it seemed Dave was next on the list. Sliding his hands into his pockets to hide their twisting, he took the few small steps to put him beside the two men on the couch. Tilting his head, Hunter looked down at Dave's bowed head through thoughtful eyes. The 'Animal' still hadn't looked at him since he'd left the bathroom and Hunt found that pretty disturbing. If Dave did want him, he wanted to know why the previous brush-off; if he didn't, Hunter needed to know right now for all their sakes. Feeling a perverse sense of power to be looking down at Dave for a change, Hunter let his confusion show in his voice. "I don't want you Buddy? Who invited whom out to coffee about a million times before he was told, quite snarkily I might say, that caffeine was going to give him heart disease? Who wanted to catch Dwayne's latest picture last month but was told that someone had gym work to do 'cos you weren't gonna risk anything at Backlash?" This sounded remarkably like about ten conversations he'd had with Shawn recently. Hunter hoped he hadn't sounded quite so much like a whiny bitch. "I think someone rather obviously likes someone like that and someone obviously doesn't like them back." That had actually come out better than he'd planned. It was probably all the practice. Maybe after this he should ring Vince and call his father in law a complete bastard who didn't have half the brains his daughter did in her little finger. Maybe not. **** It had taken him a moment to notice the color in Kevin's cheeks. He'd done it again... and again Scott couldn't take advantage of it. Wasn't that just his luck? It took him a moment to figure out what had most likely caused that reaction. His compliments? Nah, he complimented Kev all the time... but he didn't normally use the word beautiful when he did so... hmmm. Scott suppressed the urge to cackle with glee. Oh this was going to be even more fun than he had imagined. He ran some scenarios through his head as he gently kneaded Kevin's muscles. Maybe he'd drop his next little bomb on the airplane later... Noticing that Kevin was on the edge of sleep, Scott finished up the last of his ministrations and then moved off the bed. They did need to get their stuff packed and Kevin didn't look like he was going to be moving any time soon without the help of a crane. Technically it was Kevin's turn to pack their things, but Scott just didn't have the heart to force him to do it. Kevin had had a very rough day... emotionally as well as the torture of sitting through breakfast. As he walked around the room gathering their things and putting them into the suitcase, Scott couldn't help but look at Kevin lying sprawled out on the mattress. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping, despite the fact that his backside was still a pretty decent shade of pink. Maybe he would have to try to talk Kev into putting some more of the cream on before they actually boarded the plane, otherwise Kev wasn't going to be able to sit still on that plane. After getting their things from the bathroom and stowing them away as well, Scott climbed back onto the bed to lay down next to Kevin. It had only been about thirty minutes since Kevin had fallen asleep, but Kevin was going to have to get up and get dressed so that they could get to the terminal. Scott wasn't about to miss the flight and get both of them in trouble with Vince. Or should that be more trouble in Scott's case? Leaning close to his lover, Scott pressed a kiss against his cheek and ran a hand slowly through the silky strands of his hair. "Kevin... Kev, you are gonna have to get up babe. We have a flight to catch." **** "I think someone rather obviously likes someone like that and someone obviously doesn't like them back." Dave sat on the couch, looking at the floor in stunned silence. Hunter could not possibly be saying what he thought he was saying. Knowing what he knew now put those invitations in a bit of a different light, but at the time he'd been trying to fight his attraction to the guy who was married to the boss' daughter. He felt a flare of anger towards himself for his obvious wrong assumptions and a bit at Hunter because the man had never clarified that his invitations were more than an extension of friendship. He shot to his feet, bringing himself chest to chest, face to face with the man that he'd been fighting his feelings over for months. Not even thinking about any possible consequences, he threaded his fingers through Hunter's hair and covered his mouth in a kiss that was almost brutal in its intensity. Pulling away, he felt more than a little disgusted with himself for acting like the animal that he portrayed, but there was still that underlying anger that things could have been different. His breath leaving him in harsh pants, he looked Hunter directly in the eye. "Does that feel like I'm not interested Hunter... does it?" His voice was surprisingly level considering the waffling emotions running through him. "How was I supposed to know Hunter? You are married to the boss' daughter. You never gave one indication that you had an interest in men. As far as I knew you wanted to be friends. I couldn't do that Hunter... I couldn't be your friend. You want to know why?" Despite the fact that he normally preferred to face someone when he spoke to them, he couldn't handle doing so right now. Exposing so much of himself was going to be hard in this situation. He turned away abruptly to face the window that Hunter had been looking out of earlier. He took a deep breath and his voice took on an edge of calm through some miracle. "I couldn't be your friend Hunter, because then you would have figured it out. I couldn't let myself get that close to you because I wouldn't have wanted to let it end there... I would have wanted to touch and as far as I knew that wasn't a possibility." The sound that burst out of him then might have been a laugh if not for the slightly hysterical edge to it. "Do you have any idea how many hours I've spent up in the nosebleed section of different arenas watching you while you work in the ring? It wasn't because I wanted to learn ring psychology; it wasn't because I wanted to learn a better way to wrestle; and it wasn't because I like high places. I sat up there and watched you because that was a safe place to do it from. I could look at you all I wanted to and you wouldn't have a clue that I was doing it. Half the time I felt like a god damn stalker, but I couldn't stop myself from doing it. You'll have to excuse me if I turned down an invitation for coffee from a friend because I was afraid you'd see right through me." He took another deep breath, not really believing that he'd just let all of that out. God it felt... liberating. Not having to hide the way he felt anymore. Although he was kind of worried about the way Hunter would react to what he'd just said. The tension was so thick in the air that he felt like he was going to smother. He wanted to say something... anything to relieve it. "Besides...caffeine isn't good for you anyway." **** "Hunter doesn't feel that way about me...so where does that leave him?" Watching Dave flinch away from touching his face made Shawn want to do something. He just didn't know what. He was pretty sure that the big man wouldn't appreciate random touches at the moment, obviously being more than a little surprised by his sudden... invitation. Dave had been in the bathroom more than long enough to rummage through stuff and find where Hunter kept his pain meds. (In the side pocket of his small black bag, probably stashed under the counter... of course, with the headache he so obviously had, Hunt had probably used them and left them on the counter already.) Biting his lip, he considered Dave's words, wondering how in the world they'd all gotten to this point... Were they really that blind and self-centered? Or maybe just that scared of rejection, if they were honest about it. He knew that Dave's concern was misplaced, to say the least, having heard Hunter whine about the big man ignoring him for the last year... but he had kind of assumed how Hunt actually felt about him. He glanced to the side as movement caught his eye, only then noticing that Hunt had pulled on a shirt. Damn. Aside from the lovely expanse of skin that was now hidden, he'd wanted to see if he'd actually bruised Hunt. A small shudder ran through him at the thought. He'd been so out of control, so lost in the hurt and the anger... he'd hurt Hunter, he knew he had, and that made him feel almost ill. He'd never been pushed so far before, and hopefully he never would be again. Looking back to Dave as Hunter approached, he hoped he was reading the two of them correctly. Being with Hunter... that would be the culmination of the dream he'd held dearest for the last decade. Dave was newer to him, but... if he hadn't believed that he could love the big man, he wouldn't have told him that. And hopefully, Dave would never feel like second fiddle to either of them. If this was going to become a reality, it would take a hell of a lot of work from all three of them, and he had no misconceptions that they could just merrily all pile into bed together, have incredibly hot sex, and live happily ever after. As nice as the incredibly hot sex part sounded, it wasn't going to be that easy. He and Hunter had to work on rebuilding their trust, which was damaged, and communication, which had obviously suffered throughout their friendship, albeit for reasons that were moot now. With Dave involved, those issues quadrupled... and they'd most definitely have to make sure that no one felt excluded or favoured. That was going to be the trickiest part, and one that Shawn fully expected to have several discussions---hopefully not arguments---over. Part of him sat there as he listened to Hunter speak, wondering just how in the hell he could so happily throw himself into his friend's arms, after the heartbreak of the night before. How could he trust him, after that? Well... the trust they'd built with each other over the last nine years was still there, if damaged. And... how could he not throw himself at Hunter? Knowing that Hunt had lied to him, had hurt him so badly, trying to protect him... that put a different light on things, especially since Hunt had been honest with him this morning. The fact that he didn't need that kind of protection was a different matter and one that he could definitely wait a while before bringing up. First, they had to figure out where they were going from here... and with who. "I think someone rather obviously likes someone like that and someone obviously doesn't like them back." A quiet laugh escaped him, as much as he tried to hold it back. Hunter's eloquence was simply astounding at times. This wasn't really one of them. However, it seemed to have gotten his point across, and Shawn was deeply gratified to know that he had indeed read his best friend correctly. All of that hurt whining had to have come from somewhere, after all. And it was about damned time that he whined at the object of his hurt, rather than to Shawn. They'd had some conversations in the past few months that had ended because Shawn's ability to suppress the urge to choke the whininess out of Hunter had started to unravel. Dave's sudden move to his feet took Shawn by surprise and he leaned back, about to try to calm the big man down... and found himself speechless. The sight of Dave kissing Hunter... not even kissing him, but plundering him... Shawn sucked in a deep breath, not able to tear his eyes away from the sight. That raw passion, the power... he moaned softly as his cock twitched, reminding him of the earlier frustration of the morning. Remembering his thoughts when Dave had so casually lifted him to set him on his feet sent another rush of heat through him. If the dominating kiss he'd just witnessed were anything to go by, he might just end up asking Dave that question after all. "Does that feel like I'm not interested Hunter...does it?" He forced all of that away for the moment as Dave spun around, obviously distressed. Just because he hadn't been laid in almost a year didn't mean that this was the time to think with his dick. Completely the opposite, in fact. Trying to ignore his reaction to what he'd just witnessed, his hands almost itched with the urge to touch Dave, to try to comfort him... "I sat up there and watched you because that was a safe place to do it from." Shawn did laugh at the caffeine comment, then spoke softly. "You weren't the only one up there for that reason, either, Dave. We have more in common than we knew." **** Hunter had expected some kind of reaction to his little dare, he just hadn’t expected Dave to stand up and kiss him. And god what a kiss. Hard and demanding, an almost violent slide of mouth on mouth. Hunter was momentarily stunned by the rush of pleasure the kiss evoked. About to respond in kind, to grab Dave’s massive shoulders for support, he was suddenly bereft as Dave pulled away, his words falling on Hunter like glass. Dave watched him from the back row? No way. But the honesty was unmistakable in the other man’s voice, his confession joining the residue of Shawn and Hunter’s previous explanations. It penetrated Hunter’s brain at last that Dave was actually saying what Shawn had dared him to. Dave liked Hunter, Hunter liked Dave, Shawn liked Hunter and Hunter liked Shawn. That Dave and Shawn had it bad for each other was already established by their dinner date and occupation of the same hotel room. Was he still jealous over that? Not really. It was his own one-brain-cell fault for the stunt he’d pulled last night. Maybe if he’d been honest, all three of them would have enjoyed dinner and the comfort of the same bed? And maybe he and Shawn had needed the time to work themselves into such a state that they could reach this point? Hunter didn’t know, but he was slowly beginning to realize he should thank his lucky stars Shawn’s temper had led them to his door this morning. Still staring at Dave’s back Hunter started to laugh. It would almost have been giggling, except that he would never do anything so unmanly. Lifting his hands to rub over his tired face, Hunter continued chuckling until it wound down like a clock. Aware the other two might think he’d lost what was left of his mind, he waved a hand vaguely to indicate the three of them. “I’m amazed we manage to dress ourselves in the morning, given our ability to be complete idiots.” Deciding he’d better come clean about Dave’s misunderstanding. “I’m sorry Dave. I honestly didn’t even think about Steph when I was asking you out. She’s just…” how could he put this “... not a part of my romantic life at all. But I realize how stupid it is to say that about my wife, everyone would naturally think Steph is my sex life. But as I said in the limo, she’s got a girlfriend and has done for the past four years. As you guessed, she married me to please Vince and so he wouldn’t have to worry about any scandal about the Billion Dollar Princess in the press.” Hunt moved over to Dave, standing just behind the man still firmly looking out the balcony window. “I can see why you didn’t think I meant anything romantic and I was being pretty timid about you I admit. You make me nervous if you must know. You’re so damn gorgeous Dave and the killer is, you’re a decent human being with a sense of humour that makes my stomach ache sometimes. I am completely in love with Shawn, have been for nine years,” so good to finally be able to say it, “and I’m wallowing in a huge crush on you Animal, so if you’re kind you’ll take pity on me by giving Shawn’s suggestion some thought. And Shawn’ll back me up on the crush thing when I confess to being a complete pain in the ass for the last three months about you not liking me.” Looking past Dave’s shoulder, Hunter realized the sun was well and truly up. They’d probably missed breakfast, it was almost 9.00 am and didn’t Dave had a flight at noon? Much as he’d like to jump start this possibility and lure the two men into his bed, his emotions had taken a beating over the last ten hours and he wanted to talk some more with both men before they leapt into anything. “I know coffee is evil, but I have a hang-over from hell and need something for a headache. Can we get out of this hotel and get some breakfast? My shout?” **** to be continued... |