"ITVR: Chapter 31"
Touches.

By Jadedoll, Penumbren, & Raising Kane

Watching Hunter, trying to keep his growing upset off his face, Shawn knew that his long-time friend could probably read his emotions just from the way he was sitting, but... he really didn't want to start another fight. Anything but that, actually. He shuddered slightly at the memory of that morning and resolved to pin Hunter down if necessary later to inspect him for any damage he might've received from Shawn's loss of control. That thought forced him to suppress a smile at the image of what that inspection might lead to... Hunt's earlier half-heard request echoed in his mind before he forced his libido back down. Not now, not here. Not yet. They had things to deal with first. The soft, unexpected strokes to his fingers sent little shivers through him, and the kiss... He blinked fiercely, his free hand stealing up to wrap around Hunt's back and settle gently on his shoulder, thumb rubbing at the tension there. God, he was already addicted to this side of Hunter and he'd barely seen it. The quiet words caught his attention and he listened without interruption, letting Hunter say what he needed to say. The metaphor Hunt chose made him smile; he was the only person Shawn knew who would compare their budding relationship to a sports car. "I... god I... hunger... for you both so badly Darling. I love you...both of you I think." Shawn drew in a sharp, unsteady breath, his fingers clenching for an instant in Hunter's grasp. Hunter... where have you been hiding all of this emotion? Somewhere so far down, so deep, that you didn't even know it was there... Shawn's heart hurt, seeing the confused emotions on the familiar face. This wasn't even because of Stephanie; that girl would be horrified if she knew what Hunter had done to himself. This... this was a choice, of sorts, Shawn was willing to bet. That metaphor was probably dead on. He'd done something similar, but not to the point where he couldn't reach out and react when his long-held dream looked like it might come true. But then, he'd always been more arrogant, more cocky than Hunter, regardless of the in-ring personas; he wasn't the type to be too afraid to take what he wanted when it was held out to him, regardless of the possible strings or problems attached to it. No, he was more likely to reach out and grab it while flipping the bird to the problems. Feeling the plane start to descend, he tensed before moving closer to Hunter, stopping short of sitting in the man's lap. While he'd be more than willing to do so, this probably wasn't the best time to try to push Hunter's limits. He could tell the man was still thinking, but his attention was focused at the moment on not leaving nail marks on Hunter's flesh as he stared at the floor, avoiding the ever-tilting view out the window. When the plane actually touched down, he let out the breath he'd been holding, forcing himself to relax. He knew it was silly, but he'd never been able to get past his dislike of the entire flying process. Take-offs were actually worse, but the whole thing made him unhappy. "We're down Darling, you can relax now." He couldn't help but smile at the endearment, so totally unlike anything he would've expected from the man, but so utterly fitting at the same time. Hunter's earlier words came back to him, and he looked at the man consideringly. Unable to touch? Oh, hell no. Maybe unable to believe that he could touch, but frigid Hunter definitely was not. His reactions to Shawn and Dave all morning proved that. Whatever the problem was, they could get past it, Shawn was sure. And Hunter was going to tell Dave everything he'd just told Shawn... especially about how he felt. He was almost giddy at a point inside himself, knowing that Hunt felt that deeply about Dave. For all of Dave's insecurities, to have Hunter willingly admit that... but he had to tell Dave that, or Shawn suspected that the big man would run, playing the self-sacrificing martyr to make sure that the two men he cared for were happy with each other, without waiting long enough to see that it wasn't necessary. "Going from 'untouchable' to 'very touchable' may take me a little while, but I'll get there eventually... I promise." A laugh escaped him at that and he shook his head, smiling as he met those wonderfully deep eyes again. "No... not "eventually" Hunter. Not even "a little while". You're not going to get a choice about it, and if you need to convince yourself that we're touchable, well... I'll be more than happy to assist you with that." That was all the warning he gave before leaning forward and pressing his lips to Hunter's, one hand sliding down across his chest to hover at the waist band of his slacks. Shawn allowed himself to indulge in that addictively spicy taste for a moment before pulling away, licking his lips. Round one... and now for the real play. Lowering his voice as he leaned in, he whispered huskily in Hunter's ear, "Now... if we had more time, I'd gladly fulfill that favour you asked me for earlier. Hell, I'd do it even if you hadn't asked. I've wanted to taste you for years, Hunter. I've fantasised about what you look like when you come, about having your cock in my mouth... having you fuck me. I've brought myself off more times than I can remember by imagining that it was your hand touching me, wondering what your lips felt like... I've dreamt about fucking you, do you know that?" Pausing, he let his eyes travel over Hunter's body, smirking a little. He wasn't immune to his own medicine, but even saying things like that to Hunter wasn't enough to incapacitate him after an experience like he'd just had. And on that note... a sound to the side made him glance up, seeing Dave standing there. He let his smile widen as he looked at the man, even though the black eyes still made him want to wince. He'd make up for that later... hopefully later that night. Pulling his hand away from Hunter's shoulder, Shawn reached out and took the brush from Dave's hand, standing up as he did. "Thanks, Dave. Now," he looked down at Hunter, then back at Dave. "I believe we need to stop and eat lunch... and have that talk. Before we do anything else." The tone of his voice left no room for trying to wiggle out of it. Hunter might "manage" everybody around him... but he'd learned his management skills somewhere, and Shawn was a past master at getting his way when he wanted something. He wasn't above playing dirty, and if he had to do so to get Hunt to open up to Dave, then by God he would. Reaching out a hand to Hunter, he pulled the man to his feet before reaching for his carry-on bag. Stashing the brush back away inside, he looked at each man in turn again. "Got everything? Good. Let's get going, then." **** As Kevin pulled away from the kiss, Scott was still wrapped up in a pleasantly blissful state of mind. Between Kevin's reaction to his suggestion and the sweetly languorous kiss, the anticipation for later tonight had gone up a notch. It was still comparable to slow roiling simmer, but he knew as the day progressed it would continue to grow in intensity until one of them finally gave in and pushed past the boiling point. Seeing Kevin's nod, it took Scott a full minute to process what he was supposed to notice. Once he did, he zeroed right in on the mood of both men. Now this was interesting. He probably shouldn't listen, but then Scott was the first to admit he was downright nosy when it came to the rest of their family. He simply excused it as something he did because he wanted to protect them. Kevin was watching them, but more than likely he'd tune out what they were saying. Scott wouldn't... not with the tension he could sense between them. If there was a problem then maybe he and Kev could help and if they couldn't then they would at least be aware of who to keep an eye on if the situation went downhill. After listening unobtrusively through what both men had to say, Scott was a little surprised. That Hunter was apparently running anytime things got past lukewarm between the three of them was an obvious problem. It looked like Shawn had a suggestion for dealing with it and it would most likely work, but Scott was still going to suggest that Kevin look for Hunter later tonight to see if he needed to talk. Shawn seemed to be back to his bossy little self and unless he got frustrated enough to try to separate Hunter's head from his body, he'd most likely browbeat Hunter right through his problem. He might offer to talk if Shawn seemed to need it, but right now he was kind of wondering about Dave. The man had stayed up front for the landing and didn't seem to be in a big hurry to get back to where they were sitting. "I think our boys are growing up, Scotty." Looking down at Kevin's wistful smile, Scott couldn't help but smile tenderly back at him. Even if they were 'growing up', they obviously weren't past all their problems and Scott knew how protective Kevin was of each and every one of them. Despite Kevin's worry, Scott had a feeling that they would still need to bend Kevin's ear on occasion. Tracing a finger down the side of Kevin's face, Scott leaned in for another gentle kiss, pulling away when he heard Dave's approach. Now that was obviously still a problem. He was extremely curious still over what had happened to poor Dave's face and the man seemed like he was on the verge of lighting out of the plane at warp speed. Shawn cut him off with his dinner invitation, but the tension was still thick enough to cut with a knife. It might not be the best idea ever, but Scott thought maybe they could use a little break from all that emotion. Sliding off Kevin's lap, Scott smiled wickedly at him before turning to face the assembled group. Sean and Glen had finally abandoned their seats and joined the group to disembark. Pretending to hold an imaginary microphone, Scott addressed the group around them. "Welcome to the 2004 'Backstage Slammies', where you the fan get to make the deciding vote! In the category of loudest vocals your nominees are Glen Jacobs and Shawn 'HBK' Michaels." Turning to face Kevin, he winked. "Sir... please cast your vote." He held the 'microphone' out to Kevin who immediately grinned. Shawn burst into laughter. Glen was turning a most brilliant shade of red and shaking his head. Dave's mouth had dropped open and he was rivaling Glen for 'most likely to be mistaken as a fire engine.' Sean of course was laughing his bouncy ass off. "Hey, maybe we should have a contest or something. We could record it so..." Sean was cut off abruptly by Glen's hand clamping over his mouth. **** your cock in my mouth.... having you fuck me.... I've dreamt about fucking you, do you know that? "Jesus Christ!" Hunter swore under his breath as Shawn's delicious dirty words flowed into his ears. That sharp kiss had been enough to renew Hunt's arousal, the words spoken in a seductive deep voice by his lover were almost enough to bring Hunter to his knees. He'd known Shawn had a knack for revenge, getting on the bad side of the Heartbreak Kid was not a good place to be. But this bulldozing sexual overture left Hunter white-knuckled in shock and desire. Gripping Shawn's shoulders tightly, he looked for a moment deep into hot, dusky eyes. This man... this man, could tangle him up in so many ways. Hunter had felt the absolute perfection of peace this morning when they'd first kissed, and a blazing rage of hurt and pain, not ten minutes prior. All because he'd fallen for the untamed glory that was his lover, Shawn. Did he regret this descent into mad passion? Not even for a moment. If Shawn was wild, then Hunt was ensorcelled by that wildness, that willful cocky man, who, when given Hunter's promised to try, had ignored that weak offering and flat out demanded he do better. And damn him if he wouldn't. Groping the guy who'd just said he was having issues with being touchy feely was just so like Shawn. Sex issues? I'll give you some sex issues you only wish you had Baby. Hah! That was Shawn. God, was it any wonder he loved the man? No-one pulled him out of his self-imposed funks the way Shawn did. He had done so this morning with a magnificent fury to rival Vince himself and was doing so now using an even more lethal weapon... his sex appeal. Hunt may be in love with Shawn Michaels, but he was an HBK fan after all. A hum across his nerves made Hunt look up into the 'not concerned at all' face of Dave Batista. He was doing an excellent job of being absolutely fine about the situation and if Hunter hadn't known it was a load of crap, he would have believed that smiling, exotic face. Like the fathomless dark eyes, Dave had a soul so deep, Hunter was afraid he'd fall in and find there was no end to it. A master of the 'inscrutable mask' effect, Dave was almost impossible for Hunter to read on the surface. But there would be no way in hell he'd be unaffected by Hunt's duck and run earlier. The question was whether the effect was 'pissed off' or 'I'm outta here'. Hunter could deal with the first, although groveling wasn't his strong suit he'd do anything for Dave, the second would require him to convince Dave to stick around. A not so easy task if the bigger man had made up his mind. Dave had many admirable traits, Hunter would go hoarse listing them, but one of his few vices was a stubbornness that would make a bull envious. Hunter actually admired Dave's tenacity, as long as he wasn't on the wrong end of it. Like now. But Hunt himself was anything if not pig-headed. Now that he had his own feelings in order, for all the good they did him, he now had to persuade Dave that they were really there and that he did actually feel them. He could always jump him as a last resort, even if it might result in another bruised jaw. Hunter determinedly ignored the frission of worry and 'don't' that that thought generated. He was allowed to contemplate rubbing up against Dave till his hair stood on end like a statically charged cat. In fact, given the whole 'let's have a threesome' idea, it was practically one of the regulations. Got everything? Good. Let's get going, then. Hunter, not being exactly at his best, was happy to follow Shawn and the others as they went through the motions of disembarking and getting through the airport. Nods and arrangements made with the Kevin, Sean, Scott, Ric and Glen, had them catching up in either the hotel's gym if there wasn't a Gold's nearby, or at the arena if they got held up. Another private car, thank god not a limo, and they were soon pulling up at the Champions Sports Restaurant. Sending in the driver to arrange a private table on an upper balcony, Hunter followed the manager quickly to their places. It was probably a bad choice of eatery considering the WWE was in town, but the food was good and the manager was all over himself to keep them secluded. They'd probably end up with signed photos on the wall amongst the other memorabilia, but hey, at least they could chat here in some semblance of privacy. After ordering their food and drinks Hunter dumped his sunglasses on the table and looked at Dave. This was going to be harder than he thought, since Dave was giving nothing away but a detailed interest in a break stick. Thinking that pussyfooting around was going to make things worse, Hunter began his opening salvo. "Dave?" Nope, not even eye contact. Shit. Okay... "Sorry I went all blushing virgin back there on the plane. Would it help if I said it's not you, it's me?" He truly wasn't trying to make light of his rather nice fuck-up, but Shawn would probably kick him anyway. **** Chris happily settled into the passenger seat and watched from the corner of his eye as Jay and Bunnykins got comfortable in the back. They hadn't touched once since the debacle in the room this morning and CJ was starting to get concerned. He'd heard enough from Jay in the past to realise the man was pretty crazy about Tyson and Chris doubted the 'problem' was anything to do with romance or sex for that matter. Anyone with the room next door to them knew that that particular couple had few inhibitions about sex, room service tables not withstanding What bothered Chris was Jay's reluctance to talk to either he or Adam about it. Not that they'd noticed a wrong note till this morning, but usually Jay would have recounted chapter and verse of his issues to first Adam, then Chris, if he couldn't do it in stereo and save himself the repetition. He been serious about talking to Bunnykins if there was a break-up of some kind. Tyson had been in the WWE for only a few months and due to the tattooed giant's reserved manner, was not close with anyone backstage except Jay and by osmosis Adam and CJ. Chris actually kinda liked the guy too, hard not to when the man was so determined to do hard work to do well in the business, and treating their favorite bimbo Jay like he was spun gold certainly didn't hurt on CJ's 'good guy vs. asshole' meter. So if he could suss out the reason for the tense silence in the back seat, he'd be able to lend an ear, or an earful of advice if Chris was honest, to Bunnykins when needed. Sipping his Gatorade, CJ surfed the radio stations until he found some music that didn't draw protests from the back, or cause a wince in the face of their driver. Casually dropping his hand onto Adam's thigh, Chris just left his hand there as he tilted his seat back. "Wake me when we get there Babe, would you?" CJ asked sleepily as the combination of sunlight, fantastic sex and five hours sleep caught up with him. The cool quiet and repetitive motion of the car, caused Chris to sleep for nearly an hour. Blinking muzzily, he checked his sunglasses were still in place before chancing the position of the sun. A jaw-cracking yawn followed by a stretch that would make him look like a pretzel in the confines of the seat, were enough to bring CJ back to reality. They'd made good time, Tuesday lunch traffic was about as good as you could get in the day, and Adam seemed content to drive the rest of the way. As long as the snores from the back seat continued, the ride at least, would be pretty peaceful. Looking over his shoulder Chris smiled. Whatever the issue was it couldn't over-ride instinct. Bunnykins was deeply asleep, leaning back into the 'v' where door met window and Jay was curled up with his cheek on Ty's lap. Raising one eyebrow, CJ wondered what the first thing they both thought of when they woke up would be. He only needed one guess. Taking another drink of Gatorade to freshen his mouth up, CJ leaned over and kissed Adam's cheek. Well... he'd never been allowed to do that with his high school crush. Getting past thirty in one piece should have some benefits attached rather than just drawbacks. "Hey Babe, you right for the rest of the way?" Because although Adam looked fine, Chris knew how sleepy a driver could get if everyone in the car was snoring in your ear. Shifting his palm back to the warm, denim of his lover's leg, Chris nuzzled Adam's neck for a bit, before gently biting his ear. "I'm not distracting you am I?" **** Shawn was smiling and damn what a smile. Under cover of his sunglasses, he let himself sneak a peek at Hunter. He seemed a bit dazed, but having Shawn sprawled all over you tended to do that to a person at least from his personal experience. When Hunter looked up at him, it was only through sheer force of will that he managed to hang on to his unaffected smile. He knew Hunter was trying to gauge his mood, but he wasn't about to let his feelings show at the moment... not with their current audience. "I believe we need to stop and eat lunch... and have that talk. Before we do anything else." Dave hadn't even been aware of Shawn taking the brush from him, but he lowered his hand to his side as he heard Shawn's order. That's what it was. Refusing would get him nowhere. That pretty much put an end to his vague idea of checking into the hotel and then hitting the gym so he could think. So be it. If Shawn wanted to do this now, they would. When Shawn helped Hunter to his feet, Dave automatically took a step back. After Hunter's last reaction to him he didn't want to crowd him... just in case. Dave snorted at the beginning of Scott's antics, until Scott reached the part about loudest vocals. Once he got the gist of what was coming he wanted to crawl into the overhead compartment and hide out there. His mouth dropped open and he could feel the heat building in his face. He was surprised, but only for a moment. The way this whole group interacted with each other was a bit daunting. They didn't even pretend not to know each other's business or hesitate to give an opinion if they felt like it. If this thing worked out with Hunter and Shawn...and at the moment that was looking like a pretty big "if"... then he'd just have to find a way to get used to it and stop his automatic reaction to their comments. Keeping his head down as the walked off the plane and made their way through the airport, Dave went along with the plans made for later. He knew Shawn was keeping an eye on him so he didn't bail, even though he didn't make it obvious. If he'd taken more than a step or two from the group then he knew Shawn would be all over him until he fell in with the plan. In no time at all he was tucked nicely in a private car and they were on their way to have lunch. He wasn't at all sure that he'd be able to eat, but then that wasn't actually the purpose of their little luncheon. Mercifully the trip was short and they soon pulled up in front of the Champions Sports Restaurant. After being fawned over by the manager, they finally were left alone for a moment or two. Feigning interest in a bread stick that he really wasn't planning on eating, Dave waited to see who was going to make the first move. Surprisingly it ended up being Hunter rather than Shawn, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. "Dave?" He tensed, but managed to keep it to near imperceptible. It would probably be polite for him to at least look at Hunter, but he wasn't sure if he could continue keeping his earlier hurt hidden so he kept his gaze fixed on that damn bread stick like it held the answers to all of life's questions. "Sorry I went all blushing virgin back there on the plane. Would it help if I said it's not you, it's me?" Would it help? He wasn't sure anything could help at the moment considering that Hunter had just tossed the most classic break up line of all time at him. The fact that they hadn't even been a 'they' for even eight hours yet and it was over... was more than a tad depressing. Knowing that he'd been right with his doubts didn't make up for the feeling that he'd just been strung along like a toy. Wavering between hurt and not a little bit of anger, he tossed the bread stick down on his plate and pulled his glasses from his face. He ignored the slight twinge it caused, too wrapped up in how he was feeling to acknowledge it. Looking directly at Hunter, he just barely managed to keep his voice down to a growl. "No, Hunter. It really wouldn't help at all. If you didn't want this then why the hell didn't you tell Shawn that when he brought it up? The big kiss off would have been much easier to deal with before you actually let me have a taste of what we might have had." Taste... ironic choice of words, but he couldn't find it in him to laugh about it at the moment. The fact that the rest of their "family" knew all the details didn't exactly put a damper on his anger. He probably would have gotten up and simply left at that point if not for the touch of the hand on his shoulder. **** Looking at the small group of people standing around, Shawn was about to suggest that they actually start disembarking when Scott slid to his feet, a dangerously familiar smile on his face. Raising an eyebrow, Shawn wondered what outrageous thing was about to come out of his friend's mouth. "In the category of loudest vocals your nominees are Glen Jacobs and Shawn 'HBK' Michaels." He couldn't help it, regardless of the embarrassed surprise on Dave's face. He started laughing, not embarrassed in the least. At this point, everyone in the plane had seen him in some sort of sexual situation at some point in time. The little stunt was just so unexpected that it had actually taken him by surprise. But it was so Scotty... probably his way of trying to defuse the tension still obvious between the three of them. Catching the deepening red on his darker lover's face, Shawn slid a hand around his waist as he finally gained control of himself. Knowing how out of place Dave was feeling, he managed not to respond to Sean's contest idea, although the thought was pretty amusing. Not to mention compelling... Shawn had never minded in the least being watched while having sex. In fact, it only heightened the experience for him. Yeah, so he was incredibly shameless. He had no regrets about that---or about anything he'd done---other than wishing that he'd been able to control himself enough that Dave hadn't felt uncomfortable around the others. But they'd get past that... because there would be a "they". Shaking his head, still smiling, Shawn led the way out of the plane, watching his lovers---and just that word sent a little thrill though him---to make sure that neither of them were trying to escape. If they broke apart now, he suspected that they'd never get it back together, and damned if he was going to let that happen. The ride to the restaurant was short, although the tension inside the car had him gritting his teeth. They'd been so close to being past that. The private table was a fully appreciated and fully necessary luxury. Glancing over the side of the balcony, Shawn saw that they were far enough back to be pretty much unobserved as long as no one started yelling. Not that he thought that was likely to happen, but... you never knew. They ordered quickly, an uncomfortable silence settling over them as the waiter walked away. Shawn looked from Dave to Hunter, sighing a little. Of all people, he would have to pick the two most stubborn men he'd ever met---besides Kev, anyway---to fall for. As he started to open his mouth to prod Hunt into talking, he realised he didn't have to. Of course, hearing what Hunt said made him want to scream. "Would it help if I said it's not you, it's me?" Oh. My. God. Hunt had not just really said that... had he? As fervently as Shawn hoped that he'd misheard Hunter, the look on Dave's face as he threw down the breadstick he'd been staring at told him otherwise. Damn it! What was Hunt thinking, starting off like that? He swung a foot in a sharp kick to Hunter's shin, glaring at him as Dave started growling. "If you didn't want this then why the hell didn't you tell Shawn that when he brought it up?" Crap, crap, crap. Shawn thought frantically, trying to figure out how to make Dave listen... how to make Hunter talk... without this blowing up in their faces over a misunderstanding because of some poorly-chosen words. He knew better; he knew how Hunter felt about Dave, however surprising the depth of that emotion was, and he suspected that Dave was probably perilously close to that same depth... at least for Hunter, if not both of them. He suspected that he himself was closer to it for both of them than he knew. "...would have been much easier to deal with before you actually let me have a taste of what we might have had." Oh, lord. Forcing back the idiotic response that wanted to escape, Shawn stood up, pushing his chair back with a loud squeal of metal on tile. Even as Dave shifted in preparation to stand up, he was there, his hand dropping firmly onto Dave's shoulder, narrowing his eyes at the man. "Don't even think about it," he said sharply. "You are not going to run away from us because you've convinced yourself of something that is about as far from the truth as it possibly can be. No matter how bad that sounded..." He glared at Hunter. "And that sounded pretty damned bad, I'll grant you, but it wasn't what it sounded like. So I suggest you sit there and listen, Dave. Because now that I've had you, even as little as it's been, I'll be damned if I'm letting you go." Releasing his grasp with one last look at the man, he swung around to look at Hunter, his hands on his hips as he shook his head. "And you! Of all things to say, you pick that? Hunter..." Letting his voice soften a bit, he took a step to stand next to Hunt. "Just tell Dave what you told me. Please. Don't joke about it, just tell him. He needs to know, and he needs to hear it from you." Sinking back into his chair with a sigh, he leaned forward, looking at them seriously, his voice level. "Just to start this off on a better note... Hunter, I love you. I've loved you for almost a decade... even if I do want to smack you upside the head on a regular basis. And Dave... I'm not going to lie to you or sweet-talk you into thinking that I've magically fallen in love with you in the last day. I haven't. But the longer I'm around you, the closer we get... the more I feel like I'm heading down that path, and the easier it is for me to accept that. I want you, I care about you... I could easily fall in love with you, if you just give me a chance to." Letting his lips curve slightly, he reached out to take their hands in his. "Earlier on the plane was... amazing. I want nothing more than to be able to look forward to that sort of thing every night. I want both of you. I want us. I want this to work, and I will work my damned ass off to make sure that it does." Pausing, he looked at each of them again, seeing almost matching stubborn expressions on their faces, he couldn't help but laugh, the words out of his mouth before he realised he was going to say them. "God, whatever I did to end up with two of you... I'm sorry." **** If Shawn's furious expression and the brilliant pain exploding in his shin wasn't enough of a message that he'd totally fucked that up, then the look of mingled fury and despair radiating from Dave would have been enough. Grateful that Dave had refrained from tossing the bread stick at his head, Hunter let the agonised words from his one-time friend wash over him. He'd only felt more guilty once before in his life and that was last night, so this was pretty high up there on his guilt scale. He really, really, hadn't meant it like it had come out. For all it was a lame-ass break up line, it was also true. There was no problem with Dave, not as far as Hunt could determine anyway, the man was damn near perfect, it was his own vainglorious self who had the 'intimacy issues'. Shawn rising to his feet gave Hunter pause; Dave, glare in full force, would have exited the table if not for Shawn's restraining hand. That Dave was past the verge of leaving him to rot wasn't a surprise, but it did generate a deep fear that if Hunter let Dave walk out right now, he'd be regretting it till the end of his days. And not just because Shawn would tear him limb from limb... hell, the blond might even follow the big man out. Hunter really couldn't blame him. Of all things to say, you pick that? Yeah well. He could probably have made it worse, but not really. The thing was... the irritating, annoying, ego-bursting thing was... Hunter just couldn't read Dave to save himself. Right now, yeah, sure, the Animal was angry at him, but when it came to what was happening behind those eyes, Hunter found himself grasping. Shawn he knew better than he could trust his own fucked-up psyche, but he just couldn't get a bead on Dave. So, a new plan. The best way to find out what was going on with Dave was to ask him. But, maybe getting him to stay seated was a greater priority right now. even if I do want to smack you upside the head on a regular basis You're hardly the first to say that Darling. At least Hunter had brains enough to keep that comment to himself, even he wasn't 'game' enough to tempt Shawn's anger twice in one day. His lover confessing his feelings for Hunter and the blossoming passion for Dave went straight to Hunter's heart. For Shawn it was so simple. He loved Hunter, yippee, he was falling for Dave, yippee again. Now if Hunter could just stop fucking with their heads they could get to the good bits of a relationship. whatever I did to end up with two of you... I'm sorry "I'm not." The remark was instinctive, but Hunter kept talking before he was murdered in front of the sucky-uppy manager. "But..." he held up a hand to forestall any interruptions. "... I am sorry I didn't connect my brain to my mouth before talking. Dave? That's was a really stupid fucking thing for me to say and I'm sorry as hell you took it that way. Yes, I was trying to lighten up this tension between us, instead I made it ten times worse. So..." hoping he wouldn't get slapped, Hunter touched the back of Dave's tensely curled hand with his fingertips. Licking his lips at even that comfortable tingle, Hunt continued, keeping physical contact all the time he spoke. "...I didn't mean that I don't want to be with you, or that I want to break up. I hope that's real clear, because I'll keep saying it until you believe me. I want this relationship to happen, probably more than you do. I want you, Honey, mentally, physically and as sexually as you'll let me. The problem, and I'm not going to deny there is one, is with me. Egocentric as I know it sounds, it's me that is the 'thing' causing tension between the three of us. My... feelings, my... reactions to being with both you and Shawn... physically. Jesus," Hunt was starting to feel an embarrassed heat coming to his cheekbones. "Basically I'll lay it out for you. The idea of having as much sex with you both in as many ways as I can manage, is an absolute dream come true. I want this relationship, I want you Dave." Directly into Dave's chocolate eyes, "now don't snort and shake your head at me, I do! I was about ready to climb into your lap in that plane my dear, talk about first times, you two nearly blew my head off. And as for 'tastes', just you saying that gets me wanting all sorts of things involving a king-size bed with a view and some of Shawn's cuffs. The problem... my problem Dave... is that I got so used to being hands off around you both, particularly you Honey, because I taught myself to touch Shawn as just a friend, that I'm having trouble getting my hands in the same place my heart is."  What? And people said he was eloquent. Yeah right. Just keep going Hunter, maybe they'll fall asleep and then you can just molest them. Ignoring Vince, Hunt continued as best he could. "It's like I have a switch that says 'sex with Dave and Shawn allowed' and despite this morning, the plane and now... it's still in the 'off' position. Shawn says he expects me to get a-movin' pretty quick and I will. I just..." Okay, now he was rambling too much. "... Maybe if you could give me another chance? A date tonight after the show? Like we should have done last night. Just the three of us. Candles, wine, what's your favorite food? I'll set it up..." Now he was downright pathetic, but if he could stop Dave from walking he'd do anything and arranging romantic dinners was something he could really go to town on to prove to Dave that he was here for the long hall. Shawn was almost vibrating, but whether from anger or laughter Hunter wasn't sure He couldn't risk looking, because Dave was going to give him his verdict and still, still Hunter couldn't read what his future would be in Dave's expressionless face. **** "Don't even think about it." Shawn's sharp tone caught his attention. It didn't do much to take the edge off the hurt and anger he was feeling at the moment though. He stayed in his seat, but was still sitting on the edge of it, his hands tightly clenched on the table. He could leave, but he had a feeling if he tried, Shawn wouldn't let him get very far without a scene. "And that sounded pretty damned bad, I'll grant you, but it wasn't what it sounded like." Ha! Wasn't what it sounded like, huh? There weren't too many ways to interpret Hunter's statement and the only other option right now was to take it literally. How likely was that? Hunter was hardly a shrinking violet and he seemed to have no problem at all being touchy-feely with Shawn, so it was only when it came to him that there was a problem. How else was he supposed to have interpreted it? At least he wasn't the only one that was going to be on the receiving end of Shawn's temper at the moment. His breath escaped him silently as Shawn sat back down. He hadn't even realized he was holding it, but he'd witnessed Shawn exploding once today and that was quite enough, thank you very much. He listened carefully to what Shawn had to say next and though he'd heard it before it still made him want to smile. He couldn't though, not quite yet. As much as he wanted to give Shawn the chance he was asking for, wanted it more than anything, he wouldn't agree to it until he heard something to convince him that it was what Hunter wanted as well. Despite Shawn's reassurances he wouldn't believe it until he heard it from the horse's mouth so to speak. That almost drew a smile from him. Hunter would not like being compared to a horse at all, even if it were the pretty end of it that Dave wanted to compare him to... at least right now. Earlier he'd have been talking about another part altogether. He somehow managed not to blush when Shawn brought up what had happened on the plane most likely because he still didn't know what had caused Hunter to run. He'd known that Shawn had enjoyed it... his screaming made that pretty obvious, but it was nice to hear it directly from him. Shawn wanted more of what they'd shared... Dave wanted to give it to him, but it all hinged on... Hunter. Dave turned to look at the man he'd exploded at less than five minutes before. He would give Hunter a chance to explain what he had supposedly 'really meant', but he wasn't as sure as Shawn that he'd change his mind. "God, whatever I did to end up with two of you... I'm sorry." At any other time Dave might have laughed about that, but Hunter jumping right into his explanation drew his attention to the other man. That Hunter confirmed Shawn's insistent words about him taking things the wrong way only eased him slightly, enough so that his nails were no longer digging into his palms. Other than that he showed absolutely no change in his bearing or facial expression. Hunter's fingers touching the back of his hand surprised him enough that he almost slipped... it was amazing, the amount of warmth generated in that one spot from such a simple touch. "I want this relationship to happen, probably more than you do." Not possible Hunt. He didn't say it, but he sure as hell thought it. The depth with which he wanted this actually scared him. It did calm him that Hunter admitted to wanting it, but that still didn't explain Hunter's reaction earlier or the way he'd pretty much avoided touching Dave throughout the rest of the day, at least in any way that could be considered intimate. The endearment inexplicably increased the heat at the point of contact on his hand and it was winding its way slowly through the rest of his body making him want that touch elsewhere, but he pushed that thought viciously to the side. He couldn't show it... not until they got this whatever-it-was settled. "I want this relationship, I want you Dave." He wanted to dispute that. From Hunter's actions so far, Dave couldn't see how that could possibly be true. He was just about to react to it when Hunter cut him off at the pass. "Now don't snort and shake your head at me, I do!" Dave almost pulled away in surprise. How the hell did he do that? Obviously he was way too predictable. The way he was reacting to what Hunter was saying was predictable as well. The pictures that flashed through his head involving a king size bed and handcuffs were doing nothing to calm the thoughts swirling around there. As soon as Hunter mentioned his "problem", all those thoughts disappeared and he tried once again to concentrate on what Hunter was trying to say. Dave could understand the hands-off part. Hadn't he himself done the same thing when it came to Hunter? Of course he'd gotten past that pretty damn quick once he'd been given even a hint that his touch would be welcome. Hunter hadn't gotten past it, but he thought he could. He had a decision to make. Hunter wanted a date. Was it at all weird that they hadn't actually had such a thing when they were already considering this a relationship? Shaking off that irrelevant thought, he considered his options. He could go along with this date and possibly end up having all his dreams come true. Then again, it wasn't guaranteed that this would work out. They still had a million other things to talk about... Stephanie, Vince, and how things would go backstage between all of them, just to mention a few. If he let himself go further with this, get deeper into this relationship and things didn't work out... it would probably just about kill him. But at the same time, how could he not take the chance? There wasn't really a choice. He had to. If he didn't then he'd be facing 'what ifs' for the rest of his life and that would be worse than any result from taking this chance. Since Shawn and Hunter had both pretty much thrown it all out on the table... that made it his turn. Letting out his breath slowly, he turned his hand over and laced it with Hunter's. "You pick... as long as it's not linguine. I made enough of a mess with that last night." A slightly embarrassed smile accompanying his confession, he kept eye contact with Hunter. "I'm sorry I blew up earlier. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions but today has just been so... up and down all over the place that I just reacted." Turning to look at Shawn for a moment, he held out his other hand grateful that he hadn't even had to ask before it was accepted. "I guess that makes it my turn for grand confessions, right?" Dropping his eyes to the table for a moment, he took a deep breath and gathered his courage. Christ, you'd think he was confessing to a murder or something as nervous as he was. He finally released the breath, raised his head, and looked at Hunter first. "When I first got the chance to start working with you, I was nervous as all hell. I remember pretty much keeping my mouth shut for the first two weeks because I was scared I'd blurt out something stupid. Considering that Ric didn't have the same effect on me, it didn't take me long to figure out why I was so nervous around you all the time. Like I said earlier, I didn't know that you had any interest in guys so I kept my mouth shut. It takes me a long time to actually work up to asking someone out anyway so even if I had known I probably wouldn't have gotten around to asking before I tore my bicep." Dave squeezed Hunter's hand almost without realizing, the muscles in his arm still twitching automatically whenever he thought about the injury. "Then I sat home for seven months and that might have been enough time but ... I came back five days before you and Steph got married. That buried any idea of asking you out because I tend to like my head where it's at. That didn't stop me from looking though... or wanting. It just stopped me from acting on it. That's why I rebuffed all your gestures... not because I didn't like you but because I liked you too much. We were still together all the time though at work and I got to know you... that just made it harder because I couldn't say anything. So I locked it all up and tossed away the key, but when you admitted what you did about Steph last night it found a way out and snuck up on me while I was sleeping." Turning to Shawn he smiled wryly. "Shawn outed me on that and I won't deny it. I'll have to tell you about that dream sometime. You'll both probably get a kick out of it, but not right now." There were other things he wasn't quite ready to say right now either. Maybe it was just the place or the time... Maybe tonight when he was sure there wouldn't be prying eyes or someone interrupting then he could actually say the words he wanted to say. Then again... maybe he was just a big damn chicken. "Shawn... I am going to admit that I've had a crush on you since the first time I saw you on TV. When I actually found out that we were having a match at Armageddon I was so excited and nervous that I didn't sleep for like three days. I was scared to death that I'd actually hurt your back and Hunter would kick my ass for it." Okay... he could stop blushing any time now... really. "After the match was over I was glad I had to wait for Ric to come down and help me up because... it probably wouldn't have been a good idea for me to stand up right then. I was mad at myself for reacting that way because it's not really professional, yet at the same time I couldn't exactly help it." Nope he wasn't going to be a normal shade in the near future... not after that confession. "The more we worked together... the longer we were around each other... I wanted to say something, but I kept talking myself out of it. I figured you had so many people that would be willing to go out with you that there was no way you'd be interested. Plus there was that whole star-struck thing that got in the way until I really got to know you. After that I found all kinds of excuses not to put myself on the line because I was convinced you'd turn me down. Last night I finally convinced myself that I'd never know unless I tried. Things didn't quite work out the way I had planned... obviously, but I have to say despite all the ups and downs I'm really glad that I asked. The last twenty-four hours have included some of the most frustrating moments ever... how I managed to keep my promise to you I have no clue at all, but at the same time they've been some of the best ever too. On... on the plane... I wanted you both to be there because it just felt... right." Looking back and forth between them he smiled. "I know that I've been all over the place since Shawn suggested this, but I really want this to work. It may take me a little while to get used to being so open around the rest of your friends though so I'll have to make sure whatever I'm wearing doesn't clash with the color red." **** Adam was really starting to get curious. The two men in the backseat were as far apart as space would allow so obviously things were not all fine and dandy. He couldn't think of anything that Jay wouldn't talk to him about, yet Jay hadn't said a single word about what was going on. Although to be honest, they really hadn't had a chance to talk since last night. He'd definitely be cornering him sometime tonight to find out what was going on. Since he was driving, he let Chris fiddle with finding something on the radio. He could at least count on not having to listen to Jay's favorites. Much as he loved Jay, the man's taste in music was just... horrid. As he settled into the right lane on the highway, he felt Chris' hand drop on his thigh and just managed to avoid jerking the wheel. He eyeballed Chris who seemed to be getting comfortable and let out a breath. Having an accident because Chris decided to feel him up would definitely register on his scale of not-so-good things even if the feeling up part registered very high on the scale of most excellent things. "Wake me when we get there Babe, would you?" He nodded though he doubted Chris was aware of it. The man could sleep anywhere and sleep was what he did for the next hour. Adam spent that time cursing insane drivers underneath his breath, watching the progression of Jay's body until he slumped over and ended up using Ty's knee as a pillow, and of course looking at Chris. At least if he couldn't sleep he had pretty scenery and he didn't mean the view outside the car window. Catching Chris' yawn as he woke up, Adam fixed his gaze decidedly on the road in front of him. No need to let Chris know that he'd been watching him sleep. That just smacked of deep emotion and it wasn't the time to reveal that much. Feeling the kiss on his cheek, he smiled. Too cute. Of course what Chris did next would not be termed cute but was most definitely welcome. "I'm not distracting you am I?" Distracting? Yes. Enough to complain about it? Hell no. "Maybe a bit, but not enough that I'll end up parking the car in the hotel lobby," he said with a grin. "I'm fine for the rest of the way since I have you to... keep me awake now." His neck was still tingling from where Chris' mouth had touched it. He really liked this in-between stuff almost as much as he liked being buried inside Chris or alternatively having Chris buried inside him. Though only almost. It would have to do until they had a chance to be alone again and unfortunately it was looking like it'd be awhile before that happened. Trying to ignore the hand still laying warm on his thigh, he efficiently passed a couple of cars before he spoke. "So... any clue yet on what's up with the sleeping beauties?" **** CJ nuzzled his face happily into Adam's neck; it was an awkward stretch across the console between the seats, but he managed. Actually it felt good to pull out the kinks he'd built up in his spine from the not exactly ergo-dynamic car seat. While he had the blessed ability to be able to both sleep and read in just about any circumstance, he still suffered the aftershocks of his abnormal sleeping arrangements. See leg cramp and back twinge for examples. He'd just have to make sure the next place he slept was horizontal, warm and preferably called Adam. Chris had meant to tease his lover with the nip to the ear, but he wasn't about to cause an accident by being a damn fool and mess around with the man who held their lives in his hands. Despite his own reckless behaviour, Chris would never risk killing someone just because he was feeling horny. They always had red lights anyway. Traffic was getting a bit nasty too, so Chris settled on the nuzzling, kept his hand away from any X-rated areas, hey thighs don't count!, and focused on Adam's words rather than his delicious neck. So.. .any clue yet on what's up with the sleeping beauties? "Hmmmph... maybe," because he wasn't sure, but could guess some of it at least. Bunking with Jay meant he'd seen the other man's personal items often enough to recognised the pain-killers and muscle relaxants when he saw them. Not just the regular 'I get tossed around for a living' pills that were par for the course with this job. But the powerful ones with occasional side-effects that you needed a real doctor for, not just a 'medical professional', as JR liked to call them. "His back's not healing quick enough for our Mr. Reso's liking. He's been pushing it at the gym and I think Bunnykins must have read him the riot act about it. That would explain the huff we are all enduring, but I have no idea why he's so hell bent on getting better right now. We all know it just makes it worse in the long run." Chris knew he couldn't really talk much on the subject. His own remarkable injury-free career was the both the best card he'd ever been dealt and an occasional pain in the ass. Resentment he could handle, CJ was sure no-one genuinely wanted him hurt, but even he could appreciate trying to recover from a career worrying trauma and then seeing "I'm fine how are you?" Mr. Jericho at work every day. It would be...irritating. Fortunately he'd never felt that vibe from Adam for even a moment. Not that he'd blame the guy, it was just nice to have someone think his lucky run was good sense rather then just good fortune. Thinking of injuries, Chris leaned his head gently against Adam's shoulder and let his eyes wander to the back of his lover's neck. He'd seen the scar last night. Just a small one, nothing to mar the beautiful silky skin, but a small mark nonetheless. Maybe it was a good idea he'd offered to talk to the also injury-less Tyson, rather than Jay. Hard to say 'I understand' when, really, you don't. Shifting again as they entered the city proper, Chris sat up and stretched the last of those kinks out of his own back. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs and taking a sip of Gatorade to wake him up completely, CJ leered at Adam when the blond stopped at the next red light. "So..." walking his fingers down towards Adam's knee. "... we sharing a room tonight handsome? I don't know if Shelton would survive another round of me room hopping in the morning." **** to be continued...

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