"Undelivered"
Parts 5 - 8

By Raising Kane

Part 5 As Shawn awoke he realized that for the first time in a long time he felt completely well rested. The fact that he also felt completely content was due to the blonde still wrapped tightly around him. He was glad that they had nowhere to be that day. If he had any say about it, he was going to stay right here in bed with Chris for the whole day. Sometime during the night Chris had shifted so that his head was lying against Shawn's chest. Besides the arms wound around him, Chris had also ended up with his leg thrown over Shawn's hip, his knee brushing slightly against his groin. Even though his body was responding to the feel of Chris pressed tightly against him, thoughts of sex were secondary. Shawn was simply happy they had found out the truth and that Chris had agreed to his request. He hoped that when Chris woke up they would be able to resolve the past and look to the future, a future Shawn wanted them to face together. **** Chris knew he should clue Shawn into the fact that he was awake, but he wasn't ready to unravel himself from around the warm body beneath him just yet. He knew they had a lot to talk about, but he wanted another moment to savor the pleasure of being able to touch Shawn in ways he'd only been able to dream about. He shifted slightly and felt more than heard the groan that rumbled through Shawn's chest. The insistent hardness against his thigh finally registered in his head and Chris had to turn his head further into Shawn's chest to hide the silly smirk on his face. He shifted again, causing his thigh to rub against Shawn's obvious erection. He heard Shawn's hiss of surprise and forced himself to suppress his laughter. He was just about to try it again when Shawn's voice stopped him. "Sweetheart, unless you are willing to follow through on that teasing you'd better move your knee. Otherwise I'm not going to be able to resist flipping you over and ravishing you until you can't walk." Chris couldn't help but laugh as he lifted his head to look at Shawn. There was a twinkle of mischief in his eyes and a tinge of pink in his cheeks as he said, "Shawn if you want me to stop, you are supposed to threaten me with something I won't enjoy." Shawn lifted his hand to Chris's face and gently traced his thumb along his cheek. "I'll never threaten you with something you won't enjoy and while I'd like nothing better than to spend the rest of the day loving you, there are a few things we need to talk about. Even though we figured out what happened, I don't want to take the chance that anything will come between us again because we didn't take a few minutes to talk to each other." Chris's eyes became slightly damp as he listened to what Shawn had to say. While he wanted Shawn to make love to him, he was glad that Shawn wanted to talk things out first. The fact that Shawn hadn't thrown him on his back and taken his pleasure first showed a level of caring that Chris was unused to experiencing in his previous relationships. He laid his head down on Shawn's chest and hugged him. "I want you too, Shawn, but I'm glad you want to talk first. That means more than you know." Shawn stroked his hand softly over Chris's hair. "Well if I'm to keep my hands off that gorgeous body of yours, I need to get up and take a very cold shower. Why don't you order us some breakfast…" Shawn took a quick look at the clock, noticing it was nearly 1 P.M. "Make that lunch, and I'll be right back. I'm going to shower in my room and run downstairs to talk to the manager before the maid service shows up to clean my room." Chris shot up from Shawn's chest his mouth dropping open, "Oh god, I forgot about your room. I can take care of…" That was all Chris got out before Shawn interrupted him. "I told you not to worry about it Chris. I'm only going now because I don't want them to think I skipped out and left the room that way. It's only money. As long as you felt better afterwards, that's all that's important. So, did you feel better?" "Um, yeah…I did. I know it's not the best way to handle my anger, but…" "Hey. As long as you aren't throwing things at me, you can vent in my room whenever you want. I'm just hoping you will be happy enough from now on that you won't feel the need to." Shawn smiled as he got up from the bed and grabbed the card to his room. Chris scrambled from the bed and grabbed the card to his room, handing it to Shawn. "Let yourself back in. I think after I order lunch, I'll take a shower as well." Shawn leaned down and pressed his lips gently against Chris's. He turned and walked out the door, leaving Chris with a bemused smile on his face. **** Shawn smirked as he left his room. Management was not going to be happy with the damages. It wasn't the first time Shawn had needed to pay for a trashed room, but this was the one he least minded paying for. Despite Chris's fears, Shawn had managed to salvage almost all of his clothing. He had quickly repacked his suitcase and set it inside the door. With any luck he'd be back to pick it up later to take it to Chris's room. At least he was hoping that he would end up staying the night with the perky blonde. He was more anxious than ever to talk to Chris, hoping by the end of the day that Chris would be a permanent part of his life. The manager wasn't happy. After Shawn wrote out a sizable check he was thanked and told to enjoy the rest of his stay. Shawn smiled as he left the office. As long as he got to spend time with Chris he'd be sure to enjoy the rest of his time there. **** After Shawn left, Chris managed to curtail his thoughts long enough to order lunch from room service. He grabbed a fresh change of clothes and hurried to take his shower. He got a bit distracted when he realized that Shawn was probably in the shower as well. Thoughts of Shawn, naked and covered in soap bubbles, left a smile on Chris's face. Of course, then he'd had to turn the hot water down so he could cool himself off. Chris knew they had a lot to discuss and he needed to decide how he felt about Shawn now that he knew the truth. He was going to have to put his bashfulness aside and tell Shawn how he felt about him. Just the thought of confessing his feelings had him blushing. He hurried to towel off and get dressed before Shawn got back. **** When Shawn walked through the door, Chris was setting their lunch on the table. Chris had just managed to dress when he'd heard a knock at the door, which turned out to be room service. Chris had dressed in slacks with a button-down shirt, the top three buttons left open. His hair was still slightly damp and his face had that bright, shiny just scrubbed glow. Shawn thought he was one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen. Shawn crossed the room and when he reached Chris's side he drew him into his arms. Chris smiled shyly up at him and he was overpowered by the urge to kiss him. He leaned down and feathered his lips softly against Chris's. When Chris tilted his head slightly and parted his lips, Shawn couldn't resist tasting him. He raised his hands to tangle in Chris's hair and gently explored his warm mouth with his tongue. He felt Chris's hands gripping tightly to his hips. When Shawn finally twined his tongue with Chris's, Chris emitted a soft moan. Shawn playfully teased him for a moment more before withdrawing his tongue and sliding it along Chris's lower lip. Shawn broke the kiss and pulled back slightly. Chris's face was flushed, his eyes were closed, his lips slightly swollen, and his breathing was erratic. Shawn knew in that moment that he wanted nothing more than to take this beautiful angel and make him his. "Hey sweetheart." Shawn's gravelly tone prompted Chris to open his eyes. Chris seemed to be somewhat dazed. Shawn brushed the back of his fingers along his cheek. "Are you ready to eat?" Chris blinked and the dazed look was replaced with a familiar smirk. "You kiss me like that, then expect me to sit down and eat?" "I was just saying hello, sweetheart." Shawn's responding grin stretched ear to ear. "If that's how you say hello, I can't wait to find out how you say other things." Chris ducked his head shyly. It was obvious to Shawn that he hadn't meant to say that out loud. Chris turned and sat at the table. Shawn sat down as well and they started eating their lunch. Over lunch, they tossed about rumors in the company. Who was seeing whom, backstage lover's quarrels, who Vince was looking to push were topics of choice. Both men seemed to want to push serious topics aside until they were finished eating. When they were done, they quickly cleared the table and set the tray of dishes outside the door. Shawn led Chris back to the table, waiting for him to sit down before sitting in the other chair. Shawn took Chris's hand and clasped it in his. He knew how hard this was going to be for Chris, but they had to talk to rid themselves of the past. "It's time to talk sweetheart." Chris smiled and kept his eyes on their entwined hands, "So where do we start?" "Well, I was kind of wondering…" Chris looked up at Shawn when he hesitated. "Since I never got to read your letter, I was hoping you'd tell me what it said." Chris blushed and looked back down at their hands. "O…okay. I think I can do that." Shawn watched as Chris took a deep breath. He was hoping that as they continued to talk, Chris would become more comfortable with expressing his feelings, at least where he was concerned. Chris took a quick peek up at him before looking back down again. "The, uh, the first part of it was basically about how much I admired you and what you had done in the business. I wanted to let you know how happy I was that we'd be working together. I mentioned that I'd enjoyed getting to know you and…that if you were interested, I'd like to take you to dinner sometime." Chris was happy that despite being so nervous, he'd managed to get it all out. He felt Shawn squeeze his hand. "You…you asked me out?" Shawn's voice sounded rougher than usual, but Chris couldn't look at him. "Yes." He heard a small sniffle and realized that Shawn was crying. He looked up at Shawn in surprise. "I wish… I wish I could have read it. I would have said yes." Shawn smiled at Chris. Chris grinned back at him. "So what if I ask you now?" Chris looked at their still clasped hands and rubbed his thumb gently over the back of Shawn's hand. He shifted his gaze back to Shawn's face and looked into his eyes. "Would you like to go out to dinner with me?" Shawn let out a strangled laugh. He tugged gently on Chris's hand forcing him to stand up. He pulled him closer and settled him on his lap. "I'd love to have dinner with you sweetheart. There's only one problem…" Chris's cheeks were bright red, caused more from his position on Shawn's lap than from what he had asked. He looked at Shawn inquiringly and waited to hear just what the problem was. "We just had lunch, sweetheart. It's going to be quite awhile before we're ready to eat again and…" Shawn paused dramatically, "I don't think I can wait that long to tell you how I feel about you." Part 6 "How…how do you feel about me?" Chris focused his eyes on the top button of Shawn's shirt and tried to calm himself down. If Shawn had wanted to go out with him, he had to at least like him, right? "I think you are beautiful. I love that cute smile and the way you blush. I love the way you look after I kiss you, all flushed and tousled. I love that cute little smirk you get when you are up to something. I want to protect you. I want to be the one that makes you happy. I want to hold you in my arms and never let you go." Shawn put two fingers under Chris's chin and gently raised his head so he was looking into Chris's eyes. His voice rough with emotion he said the last thing he had to say. "Every minute I spend with you, I'm falling more in love with you." "You love me." Chris said softly. Shawn was happy to note that it was a statement not a question. Chris seemed to be gaining more confidence where he was concerned. Shawn smiled and nodded. "Yes. I love you sweetheart." Chris threw his arms around Shawn's neck and hugged him tightly. Shawn returned the hug, then wondered if he'd have to pry Chris's arms loose so he could breathe. Just when he thought he might turn start turning blue, Chris withdrew his arms. He reached down and grabbed one of Shawn's hands and holding it between his settled them on his lap. He smiled up at Shawn, a faint blush once again on his cheeks. "Shawn, I… When I was waiting for you earlier, I decided that no matter how nervous I was that I was going to tell you tonight how I feel about you." Shawn smiled and waited for Chris to continue. "All the things I told you were in my letter, I still feel that way. Even when I thought you had said those…those things about me…it wouldn't have hurt so much if I hadn't still cared about you. I…love your cocky attitude. You're sexy, you're confident, you're so full of life that I don't see how anyone could not want you Shawn. More importantly though, you make me feel…safe. When you held me last night, I felt like I was finally where I was supposed to be, felt like I was…home. And when you kissed me earlier, it was so slow and gentle. No one has ever made me feel cherished with a kiss. That's how you make me feel…cherished. I…I love you Shawn." Chris squeaked as Shawn wrapped his arms tight around him. "Thank god. That saved me the work of kidnapping you and keeping you hostage until you decided you were madly in love with me." "Madly, huh? Shawn…" Chris smirked as he wrapped his arms around Shawn's neck. "You're nuts." "This is news to you?" Shawn dropped a brief kiss on Chris's lips. "Sweetheart… will you come home with me? I want to make you all mine, but I want our first time to be somewhere special, not in a cheap hotel room." Shawn blinked as Chris jumped off his lap and crossed the room. He was laughing a moment later when Chris said, "You call the airline and I'll pack our bags." **** By sheer luck, there had been a flight leaving in two hours. As they boarded the plane, Chris was practically bouncing. Once they were settled in their seats, Shawn reached over and grabbed Chris's hand. "Calm down sweetheart." Chris looked around to make sure no one was watching them then leaned close to Shawn to whisper in his ear, "I can't calm down. Shawn Michaels is taking me home with him so he can ravish me. I think three-quarters of the people on this plane would give their first born to be in my… position, and you want me to calm down?" He nuzzled his lips gently against Shawn's ear before pulling back to look into his face. Shawn burst into laughter and then noticing he was drawing weird looks from the couple across from them, he stifled his laughter. He leaned closer to Chris to whisper his reply. "I think I'm getting the better end of the deal. After all, I am taking the "King of the World" home with me, so I can keep him as my love slave. Now that is something to be excited about." Chris blushed and buried his face in Shawn's shoulder. Shawn laughed silently as he heard Chris mumble "Saying something like that is not going to help me calm down Shawn. We need to change the subject, or when we get there I'm not going to be able to walk off the plane." They sat quietly for a few minutes before Chris turned to him and asked, "Shawn, what do you think Hunter will do when he…finds out about us?" Shawn stifled his flippant reply when he noticed the worry in Chris's eyes. "He'll probably try to cause trouble. As long as we keep our eyes open and keep talking to each other everything will be okay." Chris nodded. "I just…now that we're finally together, I don't want him to come between us. I don't think I could handle losing you Shawn. It hurt enough the first time and we weren't even together then. Now that I know what it's like to love you, it would kill me to lose you." Not caring about who might be watching them, Shawn wrapped his arms around Chris and told him quietly, "You won't lose me sweetheart. I promise. I will not let Hunter come between us again. Now that I have you, no one is going to break us apart." He held him tightly for a few minutes and then broached a subject he had been thinking about since they had found out what Hunter had done. "I came up with a plan to pay Hunter back. It won't be nearly enough for all the pain he caused you, but it's a start." Chris looked up at him inquiringly and waited for him to continue. "We'll need to talk to the other guys in the match at New Years Revolution. I know Randy will want in on it. Benoit and Adam are both friends of yours if I remember correctly, so they should go along with it. The only one I'm questioning is Dave. Although from the look of things lately, we might be able to convince him to help. We can go through the details this weekend and talk to the guys at Raw on Monday." Chris smiled. He had an idea he knew what Shawn was planning, and he was all for it. It wouldn't make up for everything Hunter had done, but it would be a small measure of revenge. "I like it. Right now though, I have much better things to think about than getting even with Hunter. I just want to think about us." Just then, the announcement came that they would be landing shortly. Chris smiled at Shawn. Just a little bit longer and they could be alone together. They would have five days to themselves before they had to face the real world. Chris was planning to enjoy every moment of it. **** While they were driving to the ranch, Shawn was pointing out different sights to Chris. "That's where I drop off my dry cleaning. That place, right there, has the best Chinese take-out around here…" "Shawn?" "Yeah sweetheart?" "I really do want to get to know all about you, but at the moment there is one sight I'm really dying to have you show me." "And that is?" Chris gave him a pointed look. "Uh, sweetheart, I don't think I can show you that sight at the moment." "I know, but you could drive faster. I'm not usually this…needy, but it's been a long time since I've…you know. Considering the fact that it's you I finally get to be with…can you blame me?" "So, a long time huh?" Shawn strained to hear Chris's mumbled reply. Shock evident in his voice, Shawn asked, "Did you say a year?" Chris's face was completely red. "Almost a year. Now will you please hurry." The touch of whine in Chris's voice was enough for Shawn to step down on the gas. **** They were finally heading down the drive to the ranch. Chris was extremely glad they were almost there. As they rounded the last curve in the driveway Chris was bouncing in his seat. "Finally. I can't wait. Five days with just you and me. Nothing to worry about, nothing we have to do, and we will be all…alone. Um…Shawn… tell me that those cars belong to you." As he pulled to a stop in front of the house, Shawn let his head drop forward to the steering wheel. There were two cars sitting out in front of the house. "I'm going to assume that we have company. All members of the Kliq have a standing invitation to stay at the ranch. Usually they let me know they are coming. Obviously they didn't this time." "You don't think that Hunter…" Chris wasn't sure what would happen if Hunter were there. They'd probably end up having to hide a homicide. "No. I am hoping that he wouldn't be that stupid. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say Sean, Kevin, Scotty, PJ or any mix of the above is probable." Chris was looking out the window, away from the house. His hands were folded in his lap. From his posture, Shawn could tell he was nervous about something, but wasn't sure what that something was until Chris spoke. "Are you going to tell them?" "Tell them what sweetheart?" "About us. About what Hunter did. About what we have planned." "Well…I'm certainly going to have to tell them about you. It would be kind of strange for you to walk in with me and not tell them why you are here. Besides, I plan on keeping you around for a long, long time, so they may as well get used to it." He watched as Chris smiled and knew he'd handled the biggest concern. "I'd like to tell them about what Hunter did. I think they should know why I'm going to refuse to let him come here anymore. I'd also like to tell them about the plan. They might try to talk me out of it, but in comparison to killing him, they'll have to see I'm being pretty fair about this." "You're right. Just promise me one thing?" "Okay. What is it?" "That we'll sneak away as soon as possible so we can be alone." Shawn laughed. "That's one promise I will have no problem keeping." He leaned towards Chris. Chris wrapped his arms around Shawn's neck and pulled him into a heated kiss. Shawn was just about to suggest sneaking off to the hayloft when he heard a knock on the car door. Before they could pull away from each other the car door was opened. "Aren't you a little old for necking in the car Shawn?" Part 7 Shawn pulled back from Chris with a sigh. With a wry smile, he leaned his forehead to Chris's and whispered, "Time to face the music sweetheart." Shawn couldn't help but laugh when he heard Chris reply, "As long as it's not "sweet chin music", I think I'll be just fine." As he quieted his laughter Shawn turned to the man standing beside the open car door. He smiled at the man before answering the question he had posed. "You act like a hyperactive two year old on a sugar high, and you want to call me on acting my age? How ya doing Kid?" "I'm just fine, but if I'm seeing who I think I'm seeing, you've obviously lost your mind." Sean's tone was a bit short, but it was expected after the history between Shawn and Chris. The Kliq members were the only ones who really knew how much Shawn had been hurt when things went bad between him and Chris. "It's a long story, Kid. Who else is here?" Shawn didn't think Hunter would be there unless someone had asked him to come, but Hunter always managed to do the unexpected. "Kevin and Scotty. They decided to stop in and see you between shows. I'm just along for the ride." "Why don't you go in and have them meet us in the den. We'll be there in a minute. And Kid…I know you will anyway, but why don't you warn them about Chris. Maybe by the time we get there the explosion will be half over and we'll have a chance to explain." "Sure Shawn. Meet you in the den." With that, Sean bounced his way back into the house. Shawn stifled the laugh at Sean's boundless energy and turned to look at Chris. He could tell that Chris was worried, or at least nervous, about going in to face the other men. "He didn't sound real happy to see me Shawn. Are you sure this is what you want? If you're friends hate me, it's going to be really hard on you." His voice tugged at Shawn's heart. He wondered if Chris thought he would leave him if his friends didn't accept Chris in his life. "Sweetheart, listen to me. This is what I want. I want you…no make that I need you in my life. They can accept it or not, but that's not going to change the fact that you are mine and I'm not letting you go." Shawn grabbed Chris's hand and kissed the back of it. Chris smiled brightly. "Now let's get in there. I think I can hear Kevin yelling from here." Shawn almost kicked himself when Chris winced. Chris climbed out of the car grabbed his and Shawn's bags out of the back. "You know, I can carry my own bags, sweetheart." "I know you can, but I like doing things for you. Get used to it." Chris winked at him as he joined Shawn on the other side of the car. Chris dropped a brief kiss on Shawn's lips and then waited for him to lead the way. As they walked into the house, Shawn noticed Chris's confident stride. He suspected that Chris was borrowing a bit of Y2J's cockiness to hide his worry. Shawn was glad he could do that if it helped him, but he hoped Chris would show the others his true self. His alter ego was a bit…abrasive and if Chris let it loose on Kevin, he might end up killing Chris before he got to know him. **** As they walked into the house, Chris reminded himself to tell Shawn later that he loved his home. It was a large two-story ranch-style house. Chris hoped that if things went right he'd be spending a lot of time here. "Just drop the bags there, Chris. We'll take care of them after we get things settled." As Chris placed the bags on the floor, Shawn had to wonder at the lack of noise in the house. He had figured that Kevin would still be shouting loud enough to bring down the roof. Shawn grabbed Chris's hand and led him towards the den. When they reached the closed door, Shawn stopped and turned to Chris. Pulling him into his arms, he kissed Chris gently, hoping to soothe any frazzled nerves and to remind him that he loved him. Just as he was about to pull away, the door to the den swung inward. "I thought Kid was nuts when he told me you were making out in the car with Chris Jericho, but obviously he's not the one that's crazy." Kevin's voice was laced with disbelief and quite a bit of scorn when he mentioned Chris's name. Shawn could feel Chris tense up in his arms. Hoping to head off a major confrontation, Shawn tossed out the first comment that came to mind. "What is it with you people and interruptions? I feel like I'm back in high school with my parents spying on me." He tossed Kevin a brilliant smile and hoped for the best. "Not funny Shawn. Kid said you were going to explain. All I can say is there better be one hell of an explanation for why you're kissing him instead of trying to kick his ass." The anger on Kevin's face was obvious as he glared at Chris. Shawn stepped in front of Chris and faced him down. There was no way Kevin was going to get hold of Chris before they explained. Shawn almost sighed in relief when he heard the voice of reason from inside the room. "Kevin, will you be quiet and get in here. They aren't going to be able to explain anything if you scare them to death." Scotty's tone held a bit of humor. He could always count on Scotty to get the full story before he reacted. Maybe he'd be able to help reason with Sean and Kevin once he had heard the truth. Kevin grumbled as he stepped back into the room holding the door open for Chris and Shawn to enter. He growled when Shawn reached down and took Chris's hand to lead him into the room. Shawn glared at him before turning back to smile at Chris. When they got inside the room, Shawn saw Scotty sitting at one end of the couch, the space beside him obviously where Kevin was going to sit. He noticed Sean, sprawled in a chair, seemingly bored by what was happening. Shawn led Chris over to the smaller of the two couches and sat down before pulling Chris down next to him. He left his hand wrapped around Chris's in a show of support. Chris smiled shyly at him in thanks before focusing his eyes on their joined hands. Kevin crossed the room and sat next to Scotty before directing his glare at Chris. "Okay Shawn, we're waiting. How the hell did you go from hating that little bitch to liking him enough to bring him home with you?" Damn, he knew Kev was pissed on his behalf, but he could wait to pick a fight until he'd heard them out. "I'll show you a bitch, you assclown." Chris's retort was so quiet that Shawn knew he was the only one that had heard it. Shawn couldn't help the snort that escaped him. He covered his mouth trying to stifle his laugh. He was glad that Chris was managing to keep his anger in check, but Kevin wouldn’t take it well if he thought he was being disrespected. Shawn squeezed Chris's hand lightly, trying to keep him reigned in. "What the fuck is wrong with you Shawn?" Kevin was about to get irate. Shawn knew he needed to calm himself down and start explaining or there was going to be hell to pay. He looked to Scotty who was curled up in the corner of the couch with a huge smile on his face. He was obviously amused at Kevin's behavior. "Kev, why don't you sit down and be quiet so he can talk. I'm sure if you give him a chance he'll tell you what's going on." A silent nod from Shawn conveyed his thanks to Scott. "You want to know why I brought him home with me Kev?" Shawn looked to Chris and smiled at him before turning back to Kevin. With his smile firmly in place he continued knowing the shit was about to hit the fan. "I brought him home with me…because I love him." Part 8 Things went pretty much as he expected. "Are you out of your damn mind Shawn? How can you possibly say you are in love with him after all the pain and misery you've suffered because of him?" Kevin's bellow echoed loudly in the room. Scott was still sitting in the corner of the couch with a huge smirk on his face staring at Kevin. Sean was glaring at Chris with an almost murderous intent. Shawn rubbed his face with his free hand while wondering if he was ever going to be able to get Kevin to understand even after he explained. Shawn felt Chris's hand tighten around his. He looked at Chris and noticed the moisture in his eyes. Obviously he regretted the things he'd done to Shawn in the past even though he'd thought he had good reasons at the time. He also noticed Chris's tense posture and knew he had to be fuming over Kevin's condemnation of him. Shawn knew if he didn't get the situation under control soon, Chris was going to let loose all that rage. If that happened, God help them all. Shawn saw Kevin open his mouth to speak and knowing he was going to yell again, Shawn allowed his frustration with the situation to burst out. "Kev, will you shut up and calm down for one damn minute. If you would give me a fucking chance to explain, I'll tell you exactly how I can love him. Instead of blaming Chris for all my misery and pain why don't you place the place the blame where it belongs…on Hunter." As he finished his rant, three heads snapped in his direction. The look of confusion on their faces was almost comical. That wasn't how he'd planned to introduce Hunter's part in all of this, but it sure was effective. The silence in the room was deafening. Never one to stand the silence, Sean was the first one to break it. "What are you talking about Shawn? Why would we blame Hunter because Jericho acted like a first-class asshole towards you?" Chris's head snapped up and he focused on Sean. "Maybe because if Hunter hadn't fucking lied to me about Shawn, I never would have treated him like that in the first place!" The barely controlled fury in Chris's voice didn't bode well. Scott had lost his grin. Sean was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees with his hands clasped and a confused look on his face. Kevin raised his hand to run it through his hair impatiently, a scowl on his face. "I think you'd better start explaining Shawn." Shawn was surprised at Kevin's almost neutral tone. Obviously Chris's outburst had made him curious. Shawn looked to Chris and could tell he was having trouble sitting still. His restrained anger was making him jumpy. Shawn could tell he needed to move around. He squeezed his hand gently and nodded at him in silent communication. Chris squeezed his hand in return and then loosened his hold on Shawn's hand. He stood and walked over to the window. He put his hands in his pocket and stared vacantly out the window as Shawn began his explanation. "I'm going to give you the short version and if you have questions, then I'll answer them." He waited for each of them to nod, then continued. "Chris and I talked the other night after the show. We had a slight…disagreement about my involvement in the match at the pay per view. He had the idea that maybe I would try to sway the odds in Hunter's favor. I smarted off in my usual style and he took offense. I told him to be quiet and then I tried to explain my…relationship with Hunter. You guys know things have been bad between us since the feud and why, so I don't need to explain that. When I tried to explain that Hunter and I were barely talking after our feud, he didn't believe me. If you remember, just before Chris and I were set to feud, there were…Kliq issues brought up," Shawn glanced quickly at Sean, "that meant I had to deal with Hunter. Chris didn't know why I was talking to him, just that I was. I told him that Hunter couldn't accept the fact that I was interested in someone else. He, for valid reasons, didn't believe me. He started yelling at me and told me not to lie to him. That's when I found out about the letter." Shawn paused for a moment to catch his breath, but apparently Kevin was feeling impatient. "What letter, Shawn?" Shawn glanced at Chris and noticed he hadn't changed position. He knew bringing all this up was upsetting Chris, but it was the only way they could clear the air. "The night our feud was scheduled to start, I had been talking to Hunter in his locker room. Chris had written a letter for me, and since he was told I was with Hunter, that's where he looked for me. I had left for a moment, I don't even remember why, but Hunter told him I'd be right back. He left the letter with Hunter and went to his own locker room. Hunter was supposed to have given the letter to me when I got back, but that never happened. It seems that Hunter decided to read it and apparently wasn't happy with what he read. When I came back to talk to him about things, he was in a nasty mood and I didn't stay long. I went out for my promo with Chris, and you guys know the story from there, or at least what we thought was the story. Apparently we were missing a big part of it and that's the part that changes everything." Chris leaned against the windowsill and rested his head against the window. He knew Shawn was going to have to tell them the rest, but he desperately wanted to tune it out. Knowing that the most painful time in his life was about to be scrutinized by the other men in the room was painful in itself. He hoped that Shawn could keep it brief and there would be few questions afterwards. "In his letter, Chris told me he…had feelings for me and he…asked me out. Hunter took it upon himself to go to Chris and give him my reply." His tone left no doubt that the reply had not been his at all. "Hunter told him I had laughed over the letter. He told Chris that I said I would never want to be with a pathetic loser like him, that he was a waste of oxygen. He said that I didn't want a no-talent wanna-be using me to get to the top. Then he told Chris that I belonged to him and that he and I were…together. He told him that he never had a chance with me and that he had better keep his feelings to himself." Shawn paused a moment to let it sink in. "I don't blame Chris for how he treated me after that. If someone had said the things to me that Hunter told him I said about him, I'd have hated that person for the rest of my life. I'd have treated them the exact same way. If anyone is to blame here, it's Hunter. He kept things from me and he lied to Chris. He set the whole thing in motion. He cost me two years that I might have had with Chris. I won't ever forgive him for that." With that said, Shawn stood up and walked over to Chris. When he placed his hand on Chris's shoulder, Chris turned to him and Shawn pulled him into his arms. Chris wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his face against Shawn's shoulder. Shawn held him tightly and kissed the top of his head, trying to give him some comfort from the memories he knew were on his mind. "I love you, sweetheart." He'd said it quietly to avoid the prying ears in the room. Chris lifted his head to look into Shawn's eyes and smiled tentatively. Chris knew they weren't finished. After all, the Kliq were famous for trying to defend their own. It was only a matter of who would go first. Shawn shifted his gaze to the other three men in the room. He noticed Scotty's contemplative look and knew he that he had questions, but he would wait to see what the others had to say. Surprisingly Sean seemed to be accepting what he'd been told as truth. Although he had been on the receiving end of a few of Hunter's "for your own good" power trips himself, so maybe it wasn't so surprising. Kevin's gaze was fixed on Chris in a defiant manner. 'Oh hell, I should have known,' Shawn thought to himself. "So Shawn, don't you think this story of his is a little…convenient?" The snide tone in Kevin's voice said he found it anything but convenient. Kevin was now standing in front of the couch with his arms folded across his chest. Shawn felt Chris stiffen in his arms and tried to think of some way to head off the explosion he knew was coming. "Oh hell." Sean's almost whispered curse was not acknowledged. "Kev, I don't think…" Scotty's attempt to diffuse the situation was doomed as well. Chris's head snapped in Kevin's direction and Shawn could feel the anger vibrating through his body. Shawn made one last ditch effort to keep the discussion civil. "Exactly what are you saying, Kevin?" Chris knew exactly what Nash was saying and there was no way he was going to let him plant doubts in Shawn's mind about how Chris felt about him. He'd had enough. He pulled away from Shawn and slowly stalked across the room. He stopped with the coffee table separating him from Kevin and set his face with an arrogant smirk. Shawn groaned audibly. This was not going to be pretty. Y2J was at large and in charge. Having been at the receiving end of a few of Chris's cutting diatribes, Shawn almost felt sorry for Kevin. "I think what Nash is trying to say, Shawn," Chris's tone sounded almost amused. That changed in a flash as he finished with a hint of barely restrained violence, "is that I made the whole thing up. That I'm willing to whore myself out to you in order to have a chance to win the title. That is what you were trying to say Nash, wasn't it?" Shawn could see a flash of regret in Kevin's eyes for having made the accusation, but Big Sexy wasn't one to back down from a confrontation. Even so, he never expected the next words he heard from Kevin's mouth. "Whoring yourself out for the title wouldn't be a big stretch would it? After all, I've heard you whore yourself out quite often for much less." Shawn's mouth dropped open in shock. He could see Chris clenching his fists and couldn't blame him for his anger. Shawn knew from his discussion earlier with Chris that it wasn't true. He also knew Kevin wouldn't have said it if he didn't actually believe it, but where would he have gotten the idea that…Hunter! Before Shawn could point out the likelihood that Hunter had been feeding Kevin false rumors, Chris decided to set him straight in a much more spectacular manner. With a deceptive smirk he tossed his head back and stared Kevin in the eye. "You've heard? Let me guess. Your great fountain of knowledge was your boy, Hunter." Kevin realized at this point that if the rest of their story was true, Hunter had probably lied about Chris's activities as well. Kevin still had doubts about Chris's interest in Shawn, but he was beginning to believe that Hunter had lied. He was about to acknowledge that fact to the others when Chris continued speaking. "The thing is, there are several problems with your theory, Nash. First, even if I didn't love Shawn, which I do," Chris turned to smile at Shawn before looking back at Kevin, "I respect him to much to use him that way, regardless of Hunter's opinion of me or yours. Second, Hunter's lied to his friends on more than one occasion to gain his own ends, what makes you think he's above lying to me or about me in order to keep Shawn to himself?" When it looked as if Kevin was going to interrupt him, he made a dismissive gesture towards him and continued speaking. "Third, other than Shawn, who I haven't had sex with…yet," He gave Shawn a quick wink, "I've only been with one other person since around July of 2002. If my sleeping with one person in almost two and a half years means I'm a whore…what does that make you, Nash? I mean seriously. We've all heard stories of the famous Kliq orgies. You've had sex with more men in one night than I've been with in, oh let's say five years? So between the two of us, who would you say is the bigger whore, Nash?" Shawn winced at the triumphant smile on Chris's face. The fact that Kevin's face was a particularly bright shade of red was somewhat disturbing as well. If someone didn't get control of the superegos soon there was going to be big trouble. "Kev, why don't we sit down and try to talk about this without trading insults? This isn't very productive." Scott knew it was futile, but he'd had to at least attempt to reign Kevin's anger in. He watched as Sean got up from his chair and crossed the room, seeming to find the painting on the wall of extraordinary interest. 'Sean was smart enough to get out of the way, so why am I still sitting here like an idiot?' Scott thought to himself. "If you think I'm going to stand here and listen to you disrespect me like that you've got another thing coming, Jericho." Kevin's icy tone seemed to amuse Chris. He turned his back on Kevin and it looked as if he was going to walk from the room. Shawn figured maybe it was for the best that Chris leave the room for a bit so they could all calm down. Chris had taken three steps when Kevin's voice stopped him in his tracks. "I'm talking to you, bitch! I think you owe me an apology." "An apology? You want an apology?" Shawn couldn't see Chris's face, but it was obvious that he was seething. "I'll give you your damn apology…" There was no way Shawn could have made it to Chris to stop what happened next. He wasn't even sure he would have stopped him if he could. Kevin was being a monumental ass. Shawn watched as Chris turned and with his quick grace used the table to launch himself at Kevin. His forearm nailed Kevin in the forehead with enough momentum to propel them backward over the couch. Scott's head dropped forward into his hands and he groaned. Sean was leaning against the wall on the other side of the room laughing like a loon. Shawn stood still in the middle of the room with his mouth hanging open. He could hear grunts, rustling sounds, and some other strange noise from behind the couch, but wasn't sure he wanted to look. Scott pulled his hands from his face and peeked over the back of the couch. He snorted in laughter and turned his head to the side as if another angle would change what he was seeing. Shawn finally walked over to see what Scott found so amusing. Chris was straddling Kevin's waist and had his hands threaded tightly in his hair. It looked like he was trying to use it to beat Kevin's head against the floor, but was having limited success. Kevin had his hands around Chris's forearms trying to pull his hands out of his hair. Every time Kevin jerked his arms to try to pull them down Chris tightened his grip on Kevin's hair. The resulting tug caused a grunt of pain from Kevin and a responding laugh from Chris, who was trying to smother the sound in his shoulder. It surprised Shawn that Chris was actually trying not to gloat at the fact he had Big Sexy at a disadvantage. Shawn couldn't help but laugh at the scene. Shawn's laughter alerted the two men on the floor that they had an audience. They looked up to see Shawn standing to the side laughing and Scotty peeking over the top of the couch trying to smother his own laughter. They could hear the sound of Sean's laughter from the other side of the room. Scotty noticed the disgust on Kevin's face at being found in this embarrassing situation. "I think you better call off your little pitbull, Chico. It looks like Kev's had enough for this round." Shawn stifled his laughter and smiled at Chris. "Come on sweetheart, let him go." Chris pouted and whined, "Aww Shawn, do I have to?" Shawn nodded at him. Chris was far gentler with untangling his hands from Kevin's hair than Shawn had expected. Chris stood up and walked to Shawn's side before snuggling against him. "That's disgusting." Kevin proclaimed from his still prone position on the floor. Stifling another snort of laughter as he stood up and offered a hand to Kevin, Scott asked, "What's disgusting Kev?" "Shawn calling him sweetheart." Kevin grimaced as he allowed Scott to help him up. "Well you are gonna have to get used to it Kev, cause I'm not going to stop." Shawn told him. Chris smiled up at Shawn and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Kevin made a noise of disgust at the sight then smiled wryly. "His whining is more annoying than yours is Shawn. I suppose I'll have to get used to that too, huh?" Shawn smiled at the seeming acceptance in Kevin's voice. "Yeah, I suppose you will." Kevin groaned. "I knew you were going to say that." ****

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