"ITVR: Chapter 28"
Discussions.
By Jadedoll, Penumbren, & Raising Kane
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Hunter finished his juice and tossed the cup in the bin at the front of the seats. Shaking his head at the not very well stifled moans coming from the area of the plane now designated as Sean and Glen's, Hunter began a return trip up the aisle. Seeing Dave slide the brush through Shawn's hair and the reaction it caused in his friend, was almost enough to have him sit down beside them... or take a photo, one or the other. Dave would have no idea about Shawn's love of hair brushing, and his rather gorgeous physical response to it. It seemed his blond Boy Toy was enjoying himself though, so Hunter wouldn't want to interrupt. He kept thinking they needed to talk about their 'relationship', but they all seemed to be putting it off until they were alone. It could be many hours before that happened and now really was as good a time as any. The rest of the plane's occupants wouldn't mind if they went all deep and meaningful, the cabin's unusual quiet demonstrated everyone's capacity for being 'lost in thought' today. Or lost in porn in Sean and Glen's case. At least the horny bastards had picked an area that wasn't the floor of the aisle this time. Hunter hated stepping over them... he was sure he'd kick something delicate if he wasn't careful. But he couldn't open up with Shawn and Dave until he'd settled something else. It was as if that talk would be tainted by the other issue pressing on his mind like a lead weight. So instead of joining his too good for words main men, Hunter turned his attention to Kevin and Scott, sitting so cozy together. It was a relief to see them finally at ease again, although really, their love for each other had never been a problem. Hunt hated the idea of spoiling that peace with their talk... but unless he wanted to drag this out indefinitely, he'd have to stop running from the issue and deal with it. Scotty had wanted to talk, so Scotty must know some of what was going on. With Shawn and Dave close enough to listen, but not directly involved, maybe now was the time to broach the subject. Or he could just wait till they landed. Still runn... Shut the fuck up! He told Vince soundly in his head. I'm fucking going alright! Stopping at the edge of the lounge area, Hunter rested his elbows on the back of the final seats and contemplated what he'd say. Somehow, "so you don't hate me anymore" seemed kind of bitchy considering that except for that one night, Kevin had never spoken a harsh word to him that he didn't fully deserve. Still, Hunt did feel almost 'tetchy' and it wasn't just the whiskey pain talking anymore. Sucking in breath, Hunter let himself feel what he'd been pushing aside since his dreams last night. He felt so terribly guilty for letting Scotty down like he had all those months ago. What was the point of having pull in the company if you couldn't use it to help your friends? Had he held Kevin down while Vince destroyed Scott? God, he didn't know. Just didn't know. Maybe he should find out. Releasing that breath on one big rush, Hunter straightened his spine and move to sit in Sean and Glen's vacated seat with as much grace as his muscular body would allow him. Holding his hair back with his sunglasses, he grabbed a bottle of water from the table that he didn't want and focused his eyes intently on flicking a fingernail at the label. "Scotty, you wanted to talk about something?" Shooting a look at Kevin to see if there was the same reluctance in that wonderful face that Hunt felt. "I'm not into digging up old dirt but," okay, unlike last night he'd go with honesty then, "if you want to talk about what happened with you and Vince, I can handle it." Hunt just hoped they actually wanted to talk about the same thing. **** Figuring out where to sit was a pretty easy decision. As soon as Kevin held his arm out, Scott was on the couch and plastered up against his side. Watching the rest of their little group was turning out to be particularly interesting. Sean and Glen were... well being Sean and Glen, cuddly as usual. Hunter was in his normal pre-flight manic phase, settling everyone where they needed to be and avoiding sitting down. Dave was nervous as hell if his posture was anything to go by. Scott knew they were a little much to get used to and he planned to help Dave adjust in any way he could. Shawn was all over touching the man and Scott wasn't sure if that was helping the situation or making it worse. Still if they were serious about this, it was something Dave would have to get used to. Shawn wasn't shy about much, especially when he was around family. "I think Batista's going to get a shock on this flight." Scott muffled a snort of laughter with his hand. Understatement again Kev? Then again, the man already looked to be in shock and this flight had just started. Scott kept a careful eye on Shawn during the takeoff, but decided that Dave seemed to have everything in hand there... literally. He snickered quietly against Kev's chest at the blush stealing over the big man's face. Cute... not as cute as when Kev did it and it didn't provoke the same reaction in Scott, but cute all the same. Of course with Glen's moaning and groaning in the background, Scott wasn't all that surprised that Dave seemed a bit flustered. It was starting to get to Scott as well, but only because he'd been set on hum since Kev blushed at breakfast. He was actually considering jumping in Kev's lap for a bit of snuggling when Dave asked Shawn about the brush. The poor man didn't seem to have a clue what he was letting himself in for and it didn't look as if Shawn was going to give him a heads up either. This could be fun. He felt the vibrations of Kevin's laughter against his throat and knew that Kevin was probably having the same thoughts that he was. Listening to Shawn purr and surreptitiously watching his reactions to the hair brushing had Scott all ready to jump in Kevin's lap... for a little bit more than cuddling even though he knew it probably wouldn't go past some heavy petting at this point. Maybe it would actually help Dave adjust quicker to their crazy bunch if they acted normal... well normal for them anyway. Before Scott could shift himself into Kevin's lap, Hunter sat down beside Kevin. Hunter was sitting? Now there was something unusual. Scott raised a brow as he noticed how tense Hunter seemed to be. Apparently it was time for their little talk. The memories wouldn’t be fun for any of them he suspected, but there was no way for Kevin and Hunter to get back the closeness they'd once shared unless they cleared up the past. "Scotty, you wanted to talk about something?" Reaching across Kevin, Scott grabbed Hunter's hand and entwined it with his own before lying them on Kevin's thigh. So sue him, Scott liked physical contact. Hunter would just have to deal with it. He felt the slight stiffening in Hunter's hand, but it only lasted a moment. Shooting a brief smile at Kevin, Scott turned his attention to Hunter. "It's not so much about what happened with Vince. Whatever happened then I deserved. I was the one that soaked myself in that poison and Vince didn't really have a choice. I couldn't have worked like that, Hunt. We all know that, no matter how we'd like to argue it. I could have hurt someone." Scott had already faced up to his part in his firing during his counseling. Even if Kevin and Hunter thought otherwise, Vince had really had no choice but to make the decision that he had. "Actually I did hurt someone. I hurt Kevin and Kevin lashed out at you. Kevin told me, Hunt. About what happened after I got fired. He told me everything and we both owe you a huge apology." Scott turned to look at Kevin hoping that he would take the opportunity to make amends. If not, then Scott was fully prepared to try to do so for him. **** "Um. I'll... need to... move, Dave. Or it won't work too well." Dave hadn't really given much thought to this whole hair-brushing thing. It wasn't like he had any to brush for god's sake. So he hadn't realized that there was a necessity for close contact. All he had really been concerned with was helping Shawn relax. As he shifted into the position Shawn had directed Dave realized that Shawn might very well end up relaxed at the end of this little exercise, but he was most likely going to be at the other end of the spectrum. At least it would keep his attention off of what was going on up front. Yeah, right. Glen was definitely not doing as good a job of keeping quiet as he had been to start with. Whatever Sean was doing up there apparently it rated as "so fucking good." As Shawn turned sideways, he focused his attention on the arch of Shawn's neck, slender and graceful. He swallowed harshly as he laid one hand on Shawn's shoulder and used the other to wield the brush. Okay, so maybe this could be soothing after all. After a few tentative strokes where he worried about brushing too hard, he put a little more force behind them. He hadn't expected purring... if a sound that sensual could actually be described by such a simple term. Obviously 'relaxed' was not going to be the end result for Shawn either. The sound skittered along his skin like a stone over water, leaving behind little sparks of pleasure in an unseen trail. When Shawn reached back and placed his hands on Dave's thighs, it took every ounce of willpower that Dave had not to jump from the couch like he'd been burned. He couldn't stop the slight twitching of his thigh muscles, however. Torture. Complete and utter torture and he'd instigated it himself. Dave smirked as he continued to run the brush through the golden locks and he wondered briefly if Shawn had been previously aware of how he would react to having his hair brushed. The smirk was short-lived, as was any thinking he might have been doing. Shawn scooting back against him caused an immediate reaction. His head dropped forward onto Shawn's shoulder as he bit his lip on a moan, but he couldn't quite stop the half-growl, half-whine of Shawn's name from slipping through. His hand shook slightly and the brush slipped from his fingers, landing on the carpet next to the couch. Almost immediately he could feel the heat flooding his cheeks and he wasn't about to look to see if anyone had noticed his reaction. **** Kevin couldn't help it. He tensed as Hunter sat next to them, an uncharacteristic nervousness practically radiating off of him. God, he really didn't want to have this conversation, especially not here... but it looked like the choice had just been taken out of his hands. Kudos for Hunt for having the balls to do it, at least, he supposed. Not to mention that no one else in the area was paying the least bit of attention to them... even Ric seemed to have fallen asleep. Managing not to jump when Scott laid his and Hunter's entwined hands on his thigh, he tightened his grasp on Scott. "I hurt Kevin and Kevin lashed out at you." A wince. Yeah. He barely remembered that night, actually... thank God. Whatever he'd said had been incredibly nasty, very pointed... and all of it directed by misplaced anger and pain. He dropped his eyes to the joined hands resting on his leg before slitting a sidelong glance at Hunter. His one-time confidante was looking at the floor, his grasp so tight on the water bottle that Kev was mildly surprised it hadn't cracked, and his entire posture spoke of long-held hurt... and fear. The fear was what caught him by surprise. He'd been afraid to talk to Hunt, lost behind his own pain, but he'd never expected that sort of thing from their golden boy. Hunt was normally one for dealing with things head-on... but he was afraid of this? Afraid to talk to them? Scott's eyes on him were almost like a physical touch, but he just couldn't form words for a minute. The realisation of how much hurt he'd caused was almost shattering, even as he relaxed, knowing that this was going to be a good thing, something that they needed. Something that they both needed. Squeezing Scott again before leaning toward Hunt, pulling his arm away from his lover, Kevin put a hand carefully on Hunter's shoulder. "Hunt... Nothing I can say will make up for what I did. But... I'm sorry. I'm sorrier than you'll ever know." Pausing, he swallowed past a suddenly dry throat as he met tense amber eyes. "I know you didn't have anything to do with Scott getting fired. I know you tried to stop it. I... I know you'd do anything to help us out. That's how you are." Another pause. "I don't remember most of the things I said to you. I do... I do remember telling you that I didn't know you anymore." Putting his hand over Scott's, glancing back at his lover as he spoke, Kevin said quietly, "I didn't mean that, Hunt. It wasn't you who I didn't know anymore... it was Scott." He knew his sorrow for that admission showed in his eyes. "And myself. Without Scott, I had no focus, no one needed me... I was lost. And I was so angry that night..." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry that I lashed out at you, Hunter. I don't have an excuse for it; I was hurting, but I knew even then that you wouldn't have done something like that... you couldn't." Sliding his hand back along Hunter's shoulder, he tried to smile but knew he'd probably failed miserably. "I'm sorry, Hunt. If you can forgive me... I've missed you. I..." Word failed him for an instant before he forced himself to finish, his voice betraying his emotions. "I love you, y'know. Family... right?" **** Wrapping his arms low around Chris' waist, Adam settled in for the long ride ahead. Chris' choice of words definitely put a smile on his face. He should have been panicking what with Chris tossing around words like 'boyfriend', 'permanent fixture', and 'relationship'. Instead he felt surprisingly calm about it all. He was usually allergic to riding in the back seat because of the lack of leg room and a slight case of motion sickness that seemed to appear when he wasn't the one driving, but it seemed that cuddling up to Chris was proving to be a cure for the second and a good incentive to forget about the first. As far as traveling, then would have to talk about that at some point. After tonight Adam was clear of obligations until early Sunday morning. He'd planned to stay at the hotel tonight and fly home to Florida on Wednesday afternoon. If Chris had had the same plans, then maybe they could head back to Florida together... maybe even to the same house. He was debating how to phrase an invitation when Chris' quiet voice broke through his mental discussion with himself. Adam buried his smile in the back of Chris' hair. Chris always seemed to have a point, it just took him a little longer than the average person to get there. Considering how fond he was of hearing Chris' voice, that was just fine with him. Excited? Good word to describe how he was feeling as well. You and me? There was another phrase to add to his little word list. Not inspiring a terrifying sense of dread? That was a good thing, wasn't it? He couldn't imagine ever not wanting to talk to the man cuddled up in his arms unless of course his mouth was busy doing 'other things' in relation to said man. Really glad he likes me because I'm pretty damn sure I'm already head over heels for him. Really glad he likes the sex too because bad sex pretty much kills any chance of a relationship working out. Yay me! He'd better not suck; he'd had plenty of damn practice. Whoops. Forgot he was supposed to be forgiving himself for that. They were definitely on the same page, but he didn't want Chris to shut up because he loved listening to his voice. Was he officially pathetic yet? Calm? Yep calm, that was him. Except for that whole niggling bit of nervousness because he was pretty sure that Chris was his "It", but that was a normal reaction to that kind of realization, wasn't it? Scared to death that he could mess this up? Yep. Was he going to blurt all of that out? Big, big nope! At least not directly, but he could give Chris a heads up on how seriously he was taking this new thing between them. "Calm, cool, 'never let them know what you're thinking' Adam Copeland freaking out? No, but just between you and me I'm going to break another one of my rules and admit to being maybe just a little bit... nervous. Not because of you, but because this is the first time I've ever really gone into something with the idea that I won't want out of it at some point in time." Raising one hand from Chris' waist, Adam slowly let it slide through Chris' hair as he thought of how to say what he wanted to without going into too much detail. "I don't think I've even had anything I would call a relationship up to this point. There was Mark during the Ministry days, but he was still trying to get over someone and I wasn't ready for anything remotely serious. It wasn't as meaningless as what I had with Terry because we did actually care about each other. But we said from the start that if we found anyone else we were interested in all we had to do was say so... no harm, no foul, still friends. We were close, but I never let myself think of him as someone I could have a future with. Then came the inevitable day... the day after we returned from Australia." Adam let that sink in for just a moment. He wasn't sure if Chris would remember or not, but he certainly did. "I told Mark that there was someone I was interested in... smart, funny, beautiful. He wished me well and we parted ways, but I couldn't just make the jump from his bed to asking someone else out the next day so I decided to wait a few weeks. I think you heard the rest of this story last night. This chance with you is something I've wanted for a long time, but never thought I'd get to have." "What I'm trying to say and not saying very well is that I'm not looking for another person to just pass the time with Chris. I want to take this... us... seriously. I want something that's not based solely on sexual gratification. I'm already looking at us as more than that so I'm not planning on doing any freaking out of any kind. So do you want to reconsider that whole freaking out thing or are we still good?" **** Shawn shuddered as Dave growled his name, exhaling against his neck. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, they hadn't had their talk yet, they had to be responsible, they needed to know each other's boundaries... But he was practically on fire, burning up from nearly a year's worth of frustration, almost every one of his buttons having been jammed firmly down over the last twelve hours, and he was so hard that it almost hurt, trapped in tight jeans as he was. The quiet thump of the brush hitting the carpet followed by Dave's hand landing on his thigh made him realise that the hair brushing was over. He couldn't stop himself. Leaning back against Dave and turning his head, he captured the man's lips in a quick, hard kiss, little sparks of arousal skipping down his spine. His breath came in short, sharp pants, and he bit his lip against another moan as his movement caused Dave's hand to brush against his aching shaft, his hips jerking instinctively in response to the touch. With a sudden motion, he turned, kneeling between Dave's legs as he looked at him, his eyes slowly traveling over the big man's form. His lips curved a little as he saw Dave's own reactions to him; it was almost intoxicating, knowing that he could affect the man like this. The pink tinge on Dave's face reminded him of where they were, but he could care less. With the possible exception of Ric, every person there had seen him in revealing situations before. He knew that Dave was going to be uncomfortable with doing much, but at the same time, his body was almost screaming for relief. For contact. For touch. Not able to fight that overwhelming demand, Shawn leaned forward, straddling Dave's extended leg and putting one hand on Dave's shoulder before twining the other one around his neck, letting himself drape against Dave as he looked into those smoky dark eyes for a long moment. Then his lips were on Dave's, his tongue flicking against the soft skin until they parted, and he was practically devouring the man, drinking in that slightly spicy taste. Only when he was forced to take another breath did he break away, panting, his heart racing. He whimpered as his hard length pressed against Dave's hip, feeling as though he were burning from the inside out. Turning his head slightly, he dragged his tongue over the dusky skin of Dave's throat, biting firmly before sucking the flesh into his mouth to soothe it, learning Dave's taste. Listening to the quiet noises escaping Dave only further enflamed him, and he didn't care if they were in front of god and everyone. He knew he should stop... but he couldn't. Even seeing Hunter out of the corner of his eye only made it that much worse, a fresh wave of desire nearly swamping him at the thought of having the both of them. "God, Dave... want you so much," he breathed huskily into Dave's ear. **** Hunter knew he was too tense for this, the water bottle would have imprints from his white knuckled fingers at this rate. He'd frozen for a second when Scotty had grabbed his hand, the friendly, intimate touch so familiar and sadly so unexpected. When had he become used to not touching people? It wasn't just the night of Scott's firing, it had started long before that. It had started when Hunter's last real relationship had ended many months earlier. He'd felt so cold, so cut off from the Clique for some reason, even though they'd all come to work together again at long last. Kevin's words had simply caused him to draw deeper into himself, emotionally and physically. Not in a depressed, woe is me way, that wasn't the Game's style. More like a shallow, general 'I'm fine' sort of feeling. No real pain about old inner wounds or tired heartache, just a nice, happy, no problems daze. The trade off was no pain but no real passion either, about anything, except work. Even marrying Stephanie for all the wrong reasons and actually making it work, didn't rouse much excitement in Hunter, just the mild satisfaction of a job well done. Like a light coating of insulation, he'd been at arms' length from his life for many months now. Till his beloved, beautiful Shawn, with Dave along for the ride, had torn away all that fairy floss and exposed the passionate, angry, hurt and loving Hunter that he'd almost forgotten how to be. The problem with old wounds was that they tended to fester until treated. But this treatment... this hurt almost more than the wound. Kevin's voice was so pained, like he was mourning a lost life, rather than apologising for a stupid fight that should never have happened. It wouldn't be this bad if Hunt had just come out of his self-imposed numbness and tore Kevin a new one over the issue. But he'd stalked off, all regal disdain doing a poor job of masking his hurt, rather than dealing with it then and there. Sure Kevin hadn't been in the mood to listen, but Hunter could have made him if he'd really tried. sorrier than you'll ever know...so sorry that I lashed out at you...you wouldn't have done something like that... As each sentence left Kevin's lips, Hunter felt a little bit of the tight ball of offense break away and die. The words were like chips into a block of ice, slowly creating a crack to reveal the chilled heart within. Every time Kevin spoke, Hunter wanted to stop the words, to stop the terrible regret in that comforting voice from spilling out and drowning him. I love you, y'know "Hell," Hunter muttered, trying to wipe his eyes with the back of the hand still holding the bottle. Dropping it gently to the floor, Hunt rubbed his eyebrow before looking up to again meet Kevin's affectionate, pained eyes. "I didn't Kev, " he reassured his friend, before looking dead into Scott's dear face. "I swear I didn't do it Scotty. Vince wouldn't even listen to me... bastard." Damn, he really shouldn't talk about his father in law like that. But it wasn't as if they didn't know what their boss was made of. "It goes..." a cough to clear his suddenly raspy throat, "... goes without saying that you're forgiven Kev. I know it looked bad and you were far too messed up over Scotty to be thinking straight." Tightening his hands on Scott and Kevin's he gently lifted their entwined fingers and kissed each hand once. "My turn." Forgiveness was a given, in fact it had been done long ago. The acknowledgement of Hunter's innocence was what he'd needed to uncoil the nasty discomfort in his chest. "Your reaction was understandable Big Man, mine... not so much." God this was hard. He gave even more credit to Kevin for going first. "I almost quit over it you know," they probably didn't, no-one but Hunt and Vince knew and Vince would never mention his almost blasphemous defiance. "But I didn't have the guts to do it. I know now, " he held up a hand to forestall the objections he could see in their eyes, "that it wouldn't have helped. But at the time all I could see was Vince taking the last thing Scotty had to keep him sane. When I backed down I felt like shit, like I'd let you down by not going to the wall for you Scotty. What Kev said..." he was glad the Big Man didn't remember because Hunter did, every word, "... was just proof that I hadn't been the friend I should have been. So I took my bat and ball and ran." Each word now melted all the tension Hunter hadn't realised he'd been carrying. "Don't take all the kudos for this one Big Man, I could have argued with you and proved to you I wouldn't hurt Scotty deliberately. Much better idea, I could have waited a couple of days for you too cool down, SOP after a Nash rage I believe, and come to you to thrash it out. Instead I sulked for a while in righteous anger and then went chicken-shit whenever we crossed paths." Moving closer to the glowing warmth that was his two friends, Hunter moved his free hand behind Kevin's back half-embracing the man who held his shoulder. "What I mean is, if it had been anyone but you and me, Kev, this would have been cleared up months ago. So I'll forgive you for being a prick when you'd had your heart ripped out, if you'll forgive me for being a prick with too much pride for his own good." Shutting his eyes, Hunter rested his weary head on Kevin's broad shoulder and cuddled Scotty's hand to his chest. "I love you both... so much. You are my family you know?" This was so much better than watching his step around them all the time. "So if we're friends again... we better stay friends this time?" **** Watching Hunt's mask melt away was almost painful. Kevin's fingers itched with the desire to wipe away the moisture that was gathering in Hunter's eyes, but the man beat him to it. "...Goes without saying that you're forgiven Kev." No, it doesn't. If it did... we wouldn't have needed this, Hunter. But Kevin remained silent, letting Hunt say what he needed to say, only realising as he listened just how much he'd been hurting at their distance. He'd walked away from one of his best friends over hurt pride, and had refused to let himself see the damage he'd done. "So I'll forgive you for being a prick when you'd had your heart ripped out, if you'll forgive me for being a prick with too much pride for his own good." Done! Sliding his hand further back along Hunter's shoulders, Kev returned the half-hug, a contented sigh escaping him without his realising it. He'd missed this. It was as though a huge weight had been lifted from his heart, a shadow that he'd never really noticed no longer clouding his vision. "So if we're friends again... we better stay friends this time?" "You better believe it, Hunt. You're stuck with me," Kevin said, smiling but completely sincere. He could see Scott's smile from the corner of his eye, but any further response was driven from his mind as a moan sounded from nearby. His head jerked toward the source of the sound... and his eyes widened in disbelief even as he felt the warm shiver of arousal run down his spine. Shawn was draped across Dave... lord. That was incredibly fucking hot. Watching the two of them stand up, Kevin wasn't too surprised when Dave pulled Hunt away and let him go easily. He couldn't help but follow them with his eyes as they headed for the seats, Hunter settling into one, just the top of his head visible. Then Dave was kissing Shawn again and...and what? And Shawn was sitting... on Hunter's lap? No sign of Dave... The loud broken groan from Shawn answered that question. Too bad he couldn't see anything from here, because that must be a damned pretty sight. Forcing himself to turn away, he met Scott's gaze and saw his own surprise and arousal reflected in the dark eyes. He wasn't too sure if he was up to doing anything yet, really, but he was sure as hell willing to try if Scotty wanted him to. The noises from up front were certainly helping inspire him. "Damn." His voice was hoarse. "Kinda surprised at the quickness... but then, it is Shawn." He couldn't help the amusement; Shawn's wild days were behind him, but he'd never been known for his self-restraint. Sliding his free hand up Scott's shoulder, Kev pulled his lover onto his lap, casting a sidelong look at Ric as he did. The older man wasn't going to be offended by anything any of them did, Kev knew. And the sly old fox was giving the best impression of being dead to the world that he'd ever seen; maybe he really was asleep. Returning his attention to the man in front of him, he bit his lip as the change in position put pressure on his sore spots. Not that it was a painful feeling... rather the opposite. God; all this stimulation around him, and him just worn out. But if Scott wanted something from him... well, then, he'd enjoy giving it. Letting that heat fill his eyes, he pushed the dark curls away from Scott's neck and leaned forward to nibble at the sensitive skin there as he let one hand slide slowly down Scott's chest, stopping at the waistband of his jeans. "How ya doin', Bad Guy?" he asked in a husky whisper into Scott's ear. Giving into the temptation, he slowly traced the whorls with his tongue, enjoying the tremble he felt run through his lover in response. **** The gentle squeeze before Kevin pulled away gave him the strength to listen to what was coming. It wasn't going to be easy for either man to admit that they'd mishandled things, but this needed to be done... painful as it may be. Scott bowed his head as Kevin began his apology. He hurt for both men... the rift that had opened between them had been a consequence of his own actions, but he couldn't dwell on that. It was in the past and no matter how he wished differently the past couldn't be changed. He'd done the best thing that he could do now and that was give them an opportunity to clear away the bad feelings and find their way back to their friendship. The gentle touch of Kevin's hand on his brought his head up, his eyes locking on his lover's as he continued speaking. "...I was lost. And I was so angry that night..." Scott shivered slightly. He had a few very vague memories of that night... almost all of them centered around the explosive anger that Kevin had unleashed. The room had been in shambles by the time the big man had finished venting his anger. That he had actually scared the hell out of Scott at more than one point was saying something... in fact it was the only time he could ever recall having felt that emotion in Kevin's presence despite the number of times he'd seen Kevin unleash his awesome temper. Scott had wondered why Hunter hadn't tried to argue with Kevin, but thinking back on it now he realized that Kevin wouldn't have listened, even if Hunter had tried, not with the state he'd been in. Pushing away the memories, Scott's tension eased just a bit when he noticed that Kevin was touching Hunter and Hunter was actually letting him. It had been a hard thing to see Hunter flinch away from Kevin's touch, but that had been only since the incident. Scott realized that Hunter had actually started shying away from touching any of them before that... not so noticeably, but he had. That shouldn't have happened... they should have noticed it when it started, but they hadn't. They'd actually failed Hunter long before this one night had become an issue. Scott was going to make sure that that never happened again... no more slacking off when it came to their family. These men were too much a part of their lives to miss such important things. The tears in Hunter's eyes tore at his heart. So much pain, so much misery... he was glad he'd forced the issue with Kevin or who knows how much longer this might have gone on. He'd known without Hunter having to say it that he hadn't had anything to do with Vince's decision. Even if he had, Scott wouldn't have held it against him. That decision had been necessary... that's all there was to it. Scott felt his eyes widen when Hunter mentioned having tried to quit. He never would have expected something like that of Hunter or any of them, even Kevin and it wouldn't have helped if he had quit. He would have told Hunter so, but apparently Hunter had already figured that out for himself. The job hadn't kept him sane or he wouldn't have sunk to the depths that he had. He may not have considered the pills before that last night, but he'd immersed himself in so much alcohol some nights that it was surprising he hadn't drank himself comatose. Hunter quitting because of him would have been a huge injustice. "What I mean is, if it had been anyone but you and me, Kev, this would have been cleared up months ago." Scott barely refrained from shouting "Amen!" If there were any combination of stubbornness worse than Hunter and Shawn it would have to be Hunter and Kevin. The disagreements between the two of them had had Scott shaking his head more than once, but at the same time, they had still been the best of friends. Now hopefully they would have that back. Just then Scott vaguely heard a loud shout from the front of the plane. Christ, Glen almost had to rival Shawn for loudest vocals during sex. He fought not to laugh, but damn... how distracting was that? Obviously it only applied to him since no one else seemed to have noticed it. Still he could imagine what had caused it... no, no, no. Not the time. "I love you both... so much. You are my family you know?" Scott felt the exact same way about Hunter and as Kevin turned his head, Scott raised their twined hands and gently stroked them against Hunter's cheek, mouthing his own "Love you too, Hunt" in return. Then he turned to see what had captured Kevin's eye and almost fell off the couch. Holy shit! He managed to avoid the mouth-hanging-open syndrome for the second time that day... just barely. Looks like things were heating up rather quickly between at least two of the members of the group of three. Of course it had been almost a given as soon as Dave had started brushing Shawn's hair. He'd have said "poor Dave", but it was hardly a bad thing having Shawn draped all over him. Scott's eyes flicked back to Hunter and he realized that Hunter wasn't even truly aware of what had been going on during their little talk. Feeling a presence next to them all of a sudden, Scott knew that that wouldn't be the case much longer. Hunt was in for a helluva surprise. Smirking as he watched the three of them walk away, he continued watching until Dave suddenly disappeared from view. He wouldn't even let himself imagine the picture the three of them made together. It would just drive him insane with curiosity and then he'd have to go look... that most likely would not be appreciated at this point. Oh to be a fly on the wall. For now, he'd just focus his attention on Kevin and try to ignore the sounds filtering from the front of the plane. They wouldn't be joining in on the antics on the plane, desire versus ability and all that, but that didn't mean he couldn't light a small fire and keep fanning it slowly until sometime later this evening. By then both of them should be ready, willing, and able. At Kevin's prompting, Scott slid into his lap. This was going to be even easier with his lover's full cooperation. Kevin turned back from his perusal of Ric, his eyes wide and filled with heat. Succumbing to the pleasure of Kevin's teeth scraping lightly against his neck and the slow gentle hand moving over his chest, Scott placed his hands on Kevin's shoulders, gripping them tightly. Wasn't he supposed to be the one slowly seducing Kevin? "How ya doin', Bad Guy?" The gravelly words breathed against his ear had as much effect as the teasing touch of Kevin's tongue against his ear. Scott shivered slightly in Kevin's arms. Kevin... only Kevin could do so little, yet have such a profound effect on him. Sliding his hands into his lover's honeyed mane, Scott gently rubbed his fingers against Kevin's scalp before drawing his head back. "I'm in my favorite place... that'd be your lap, with my favorite person... that would be, um, you... so I'd have to say I'm doin' pretty damn good right about now," Scott said with a smile. Leaning forward, he covered Kevin's mouth with his own, his tongue slowly teasing the depths before pulling away. Looking intently into Kevin's eyes, he continued running his fingers gently through his lover's hair. "Every time I think I couldn't love you more than I do, you go and prove me wrong. It's so good to see you and Hunter on the same page again, but for now I have something else on my mind." Scott had considered retrieving the brush that still lay on the carpet, but liked the feeling of the silky strands sliding through his fingers too much to give it up. Kevin might not have as strong a reaction as Shawn did to hair-play, but it was certainly one of his favorite forms of foreplay. Scott loved it just as much and it would also give him a platform for furthering his own goal of getting Kev to see himself as beautiful, just like Scott did. "Do you have any idea how much I love your hair, babe? I love running my fingers through it, hearing the little moans you can't hold back. It makes me shiver when I tug on it and you growl all low and sexy." Punctuating his words with a gentle tug, Scott did shiver in response to Kevin's growl. Continuing his gentle petting, Scott leaned closer to Kevin's ear, letting his breath as well as his words wash over the sensitive spot. "I love the way it feels tickling over my skin when you kiss your way down my body. The way it brushes against my thighs while you have your mouth wrapped around my cock... drives me crazy." Catching a long lock between his fingers, Scott raised it to his face, closing his eyes as he brushed the ends against his cheek. "I love how it smells when you're fresh out of the shower and I love the way it curtains us from prying eyes when you kiss me." Opening his eyes once more, Scott was ready to make a confession. Something he had never told another living soul and something that he would never tell anyone but Kevin. Keeping his eyes locked on Kevin's face, Scott spoke, landing the final blow in his campaign. "When I heard that you cut it... I pouted for an entire week. Be glad that you missed that. I couldn't imagine you without it. It's a part of you... a beautiful part of you." **** Shawn's kiss didn't really surprise him. It was more than obvious how wound up Shawn was even if he hadn't gotten a clue when his hand accidentally brushed the hardness hidden under the tight-fitting denim. The sharp jerk of Shawn's hips searching out a firmer touch only fueled the fire of Dave's own reactions. He was as desperate to touch as Shawn was to be touched. That didn't stop a bit of leftover shyness from making itself known. Dave had never been much for public displays, though he had a feeling that at least in front of Shawn and Hunter's family that might change. Obviously it wasn't an unheard of situation amongst them. That didn't mean he was ready to toss away all of his inhibitions right away though. He could feel Shawn's eyes wandering over his body, having the same effect as if the man had touched him. He wasn't at all embarrassed about his reaction to Shawn, but maybe just a bit that there would be witnesses to it. Damn shyness again. Then Shawn was sprawled all over him and Dave pretty much ceased to think of anything at all except for Shawn. The warm gentle touch of his hand soaked through the linen of Dave's shirt, matched by a similar touch at the back of his neck, heated skin against heated skin. Soft sensuous lips pressed against his, Shawn's tongue gently seeking entrance. Dave couldn't resist the inquiry, as powerless as he had been each time before. He didn't want to resist. The sweetness he experienced then had nothing to do with Shawn's breakfast; it was all simply Shawn. As Shawn pulled away, his hot breath mingling with Dave's in harsh pants, Dave felt the unmistakable pressure of Shawn's hard length against his hip. Then Shawn's mouth was at his neck. A long swipe of Shawn's hot wet tongue drew a quiet ragged moan from him, followed by a sharp whimper as he felt the sensation of teeth biting his sensitive flesh. At that moment he wasn't really thinking about the fact that any number of people could be watching them, he wasn't thinking about the long talk they were supposed to have, and he was perilously close to forgetting his own damn name until it fell so sweetly from Shawn's lips. "God, Dave... want you so much." For a split second he couldn't think of a single reason why Shawn shouldn't have exactly what he wanted. Then that damned logical part of his brain decided to make an appearance reminding him that there was so much unsettled between the three of them. And that brought up another point... the three of them. As far as Dave was concerned their first time together should be all of them together... in some way that he hadn't had a real chance to let himself think about yet... and it definitely shouldn't be on a plane. At the same time, he knew that Shawn was close to his limits... Dave had already pulled away from him twice in less than 24 hours when things had become heated and he wasn't prepared to do it again. He didn't want to. Luckily his mind happened to supply a viable solution... if Hunter was willing to go along with it. Somehow managing to get both Shawn and himself to their feet without killing or maiming each other's vital parts, Dave grabbed hold of Shawn's hand before turning and extending a hand to Hunter, an unspoken request in his eyes. A request that Hunter seemed incapable of comprehending at the moment. Obviously he and Shawn had missed 'the talk' with Kevin and Scott while they were wrapped up in each other. Luckily Hunter seemed content if not a bit dazed cuddled up against Kevin and holding Scott's hand. Biting down on the instinctive growl trying to worm it's way from his throat, Dave laid his hand over Hunter's to get his attention. He would have to find a way to deal with his possessiveness over Shawn and Hunter, at least around the other members of the Clique. They were all touchy-feely to some extent and he'd just have to learn to accept that. "Hunter? Could we borrow you for a few minutes if you're all done here?" Thankfully, Hunter took his hand and got to his feet, a hint of understanding finally dawning in his hazel eyes. Dave led both Shawn and Hunter down the aisle between the seats being sure to pick a spot at the opposite end from Sean and Glen. He steered Hunter to a seat, running a gentle hand over his face. "Sit, please," he requested quietly and waited for him to settle himself before turning and placing his hands on Shawn's hips. Gently he maneuvered Shawn with his back to Hunter before bending and claiming his mouth in a sweet exploration, taking the time to unfasten Shawn's jeans. Hunter had apparently caught on to at least part of his plan because he felt another set of hands at Shawn's waist, helping to peel the reluctant denim away from his hips. As soon as the jeans were down around Shawn's ankles, with Hunter's help, Dave slowly leaned forward lowering Shawn into Hunter's lap and breaking the kiss. Letting his eyes lock on the sight of them together, Shawn half exposed with Hunter holding him, Dave slowly licked his lips and then dropped to his knees. Laying his hands on Shawn's knees, he stroked them slowly up the length of Shawn's thighs stopping just before he reached the apex. He let his eyes linger for a moment on the hard swollen length of Shawn's cock, licking his lips once more before bending to place a kiss against the fingers lingering on the swell of a tanned hip. A meandering trip with his tongue from hip to the top of a thigh gave him a brief moment to calm the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He'd never done this kind of thing with someone watching him before... well besides the receiving party. He was about to go down on Shawn... go down on Shawn, wasn't that a lovely thought? Not only was he going to do so, but he was going to do it with Hunter watching him. So yeah he was a little bit nervous, but if they were actually going to go through with this relationship, then he'd have to get used to someone watching him do a whole lot more than performing oral sex... at least he hoped so. Firming his resolve, he lifted his head briefly to look at the two men again... the two men he was willing to do anything for. Anything... Smiling, he ducked his head and ran his tongue over Shawn's heated length, base to tip. Teasing the tip of his tongue along the slit, gathering the sticky fluid there, he reveled in his first taste of Shawn's arousal. Sliding one hand from Shawn's thigh to the base of his shaft, Dave wrapped his fingers around the hot silky flesh. Shifting his other hand he ran the back of his fingers along the bottom of Shawn's balls as he teasingly rubbed the cool metal bar in his tongue around the head of Shawn's cock. Lifting his eyes for a moment, he watched Hunter's hands roaming gently over Shawn's upper body. Fuck that was hot. He could faintly hear the dulcet tones of Hunter's murmurs hidden within the moaning and whining from Shawn. The mixture of sweet sounds coming from above told him what he already knew... there wouldn't be extended time for teasing, at least this time around. Wrapping his lips around the tip, Dave slowly lowered his mouth down the length of Shawn's shaft, pausing at the halfway point before sinking further, the head finally pushing at the back of his throat. With a muffled hum of appreciation at the feeling of the hard flesh encased in his mouth, he lifted his head, sucking hard while rubbing the flat of his tongue along the front of Shawn's silky shaft. **** to be continued... |