"ITVR: Chapter 50"
Resolutions.
By Jadedoll, Penumbren, & Raising Kane
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Think about what you know personally of the man, Oh yeah, Jeff was thinking about Mark in a personal sense. In a far too personal sense to be comfortable really. But as he'd told Adam,�he wasn't�going to ruin their agreement and potential friendship with any of that�stuff... not again. But as to Mark's reasons? Scott had shed a little light on the subject for him and Jeff absolutely agreed that the big man's actions wouldn't be for fun or just because he could. Maybe his other suspicion was the truth then? And would that be such a bad thing? Looks like you're up. Good luck. Jeff looked up at Adam's sympathetic words, at least meeting with Vince this evening had gone well for someone. "Thanks Adam. Now get lost the both of you, go make some sweat together." Sure it wasn't the most romantic of blessings, but hey. Smiling at their eye rolling, Jeff braced himself for what was coming next. He had pride... okay, okay, he had a helluva lot of pride, but this time he'd have to adopt some humility or it wouldn't just be his ass on the floor. It would be Mark's as well. There was no way Jeff was gonna let Mark be hurt by this. Vince was writing something and didn't look up as Jeff� came into his office. Taking on what he imagined was a military parade rest, Jeff straightened his shoulders, dropped his hands to his side and stared intently at the print behind Vince's head. Fruit. Why was the generic decoration�in arenas always fruit? Probably supposed to be soothing. "Did Mark tell you what he's asked for?" Vince was leaning back in his chair now, fingers twisting a gold pen around and around. At least he wasn't red with anger at just the sight of Jeff. "Yeah... he did." Just keep your tongue between your teeth Hardy and maybe you'll survive this yet. "I appreciate you giving me a last chance Mr. McMahon." Best to keep it formal and Jeff had no idea what would push Vince's buttons tonight. "Hmmmm." Vince seemed to be considering something unpleasant. "Here," he reached out and pushed a clipped sheaf of papers across his desk towards Jeff. "Melrose had them made up this week, all they need is your signature. My deal with Mark isn't on them because although it's about you, it has, frankly, nothing to do with you Jeff. Yes..." Vince nodded at the younger man's shocked face. "We were ready to sign you up earlier till�" Vince had the grace to look a little abashed. "I know Melrose is an asshole, but that's why he's here. He's on no-one's side except mine and he gets the reactions I want to see. Yours left plenty to be desired Hardy." This time it was Jeff's turn to feel like a three year old who'd chucked a tantrum. "But I appreciate you not hurting him, some people haven't demonstrated the same control in the past." That said, Vince returned to his paper work for a few minutes before looking up at Jeff's still frozen form. "Hurry up and sign Hardy then get out. I don't want to see you for any reason except in the ring getting your ass kicked by 'Taker, you hear me?" Jumping as if he'd been shot, Jeff quickly scribbled his name on the lines marked by red labels and sorted the contract and its attendant copies neatly back into order. Knowing he should leave, Jeff couldn't resist giving Vince the promise he should have not two hours ago. "I'm not going to let you down this time Vince. Mark or not, I'm gonna be straight as a die for you I promise." Vince didn't say a word, just stared into Jeff's eyes for a long moment before nodding slowly in acceptance. Not about to push his luck any further, Jeff darted out the door. Waving Scott and Kev into the office, he made his way down a random corridor at the fastest walk his legs would grant him. Thoughts swirling, Jeff stopped at a dead end full of big, black electrical cases and rested his hand on one. Wow, so he was officially back with the WWE. He was having a moment here. **** What he wasn't expecting was to run almost literally into the Rattlesnake. Jerking to a halt only inches away from Steve, Shawn frowned at the other man. They'd been friends, to varying degrees, for years now... but this was an expression he didn't recognise. And why wasn't Austin snarling at him for almost running into him? Strange. "Everything okay, Steve?" He raised an eyebrow at the oddly reluctant look on the other man's face as Steve met his eyes. The man looked almost... embarrassed. That couldn't be right. "Jus' fine, Shawn, thanks. I just... I gotta... I'm lookin'..." Austin stumbled through his words, looking more flustered with every failed attempt at an intelligible sentence. "Gotta go. Talk to ya later, okay?" Blinking, Shawn watched him hurry away, not quite sure if he'd ever seen the Rattlesnake blush before. That was damned weird. If he didn't know better, he'd suspect Austin of being distracted by someone... hmmm. And he hadn't even made a crack about Shawn's voice. Shrugging slightly in bemusement, Shawn started back down the hall, his lips curved slightly as he remembered just why his voice sounded like it did. He'd never look at locker room showers quite the same way again, that was for sure. Resolutely avoiding any thoughts of Vince or the earlier confrontation, he set his mind firmly on the beguiling thought of what awaited him. He felt lighter, he realised. Now that the miasma of depression and loneliness that had haunted him for years was gone, abolished by the two men who'd so unexpectedly granted him one of his dearest dreams. Caught up in his thoughts, he did run into someone. Someone tall. Not that that told him a hell of a lot, all things considered; he was about the normal height of the cruiserweights, after all. Backing up, his mouth opening in an apology, he realised who it was at the same time that he saw the man standing beside them. "I'm sorry... Hunt? What are you doing here?" It almost sounded rude, but as Shawn stared at the sight of his lover standing next to his ex-lover, he had to wonder what was going on. Last time he'd checked, Hunter barely tolerated Mark. Now here they were, together... right in front of him. And they looked... well, not friendly, but companionable. What the hell was going on around here today? **** Hunter had resolved that his previous animosity with Mark could be put down to two things. The first was Hunter's basic jealousy of Mark, the big man had had something Hunter'd never dreamed of being allowed... Shawn's love. It wasn't an admirable thing to be so envious and Hunt had tried to suppress his feelings by focusing on being happy that Shawn was happy. Unfortunately, he succeeded quite well in the whole 'I'm genuinely pleased you two are having sex' thing. Unfortunate, because when Mark had seemingly left Shawn at his darkest hour, Hunter had felt severely pissed off at the man. Not just for hurting Shawn, although that had been the at the top of his Mark-Is-An-Asshole mountain, but because Hunt had let go of his envy and replaced it with affection for the couple. An affection�then turned to intense dislike at Mark's selfish behaviour. Now that Hunter had let go of his dislike... funny how looking�at�something from another's point of view gave you an insight into their actions, duh... he couldn't really dwell on the whole envy issue, because... well, he was the one granted Shawn's love now. But what do you do when, not only has your world been turned upside down by your dream lover who is now your actual lover and the man you had been pissy with for the last few years turns out to be a pretty decent guy? If Hunter was a man in touch with his softer side, he might engage Mark in conversation about the issue. Own up to his feelings of jealousy and resentment then try and discuss a way for them to interact with each during the beginnings of Hunter, Shawn and Dave's relationship. Or... They could just not talk about it and pretend it never happened. Works for Hunter. Seeing his lover strolling down the hall with a bemused expression on his handsome face, Hunter had little doubt as to the cause of Shawn's dream state. It must be nice, after all the emotional slog Shawn had been through today with him and Dave, to be able to contemplate a future for the three of them. Vince's opinion not withstanding. Hunter didn't move aside as Shawn kept walking towards them, gaze locked far off into the distance. The impact of his lover's body smacking into him was minor, but the shiver of awareness that rippled through Hunt as their skin made contact, wasn't. The almost comical double take by Shawn as he spotted Hunt's companion bought a smile to the taller blond's lips. I'm sorry... Hunt? What are you doing here? Oh now, is that a hint of nervousness I hear in your voice Darling? The idea of Mark and I having a chat bring a blush to your cheeks? Although, Hunter had to admit, it was probably the sight of he and Mark within ten feet of each other that was causing Shawn's wide-eyed look of surprise. Sliding an arm around Shawn's waist, Hunter pulled his slight lover up against his front, keeping the pressure on until Shawn was almost on tip toes. "Just coming to do my 'Angry and Full of Vengeance' thing Darling, now that you're done I see." Catching Shawn's lips in a hot, quick kiss, Hunter let the blond back down with a grin. "Mark came to see where you were and walked in on Dave and I having a moment. Tell him we're not messing with your head, only your body, so he doesn't feel the need to take my head off at the neck. I'm gone." With a quick slap to Shawn's sexy-boy ass, Hunter continued down the hallway, leaving both his lover and his nemesis looking after him with expressions Hunter could only guess at. "Hey boys," Hunter greeted the film and camera crew set up in its own well lit stage area. He felt in a remarkably good mood, despite Vince's actions and Dave's previous rage. Speaking of which... "Let's get this done, quickly if we can. I have some business to do that is very time sensitive... thanks guys." Stripping of his sweat top and t-shirt, Hunter poured�a bottle of water over his head and shook off the excess drops like a wet dog. "Let's get angry." **** Raising an eyebrow as he caught the tail end of Scott's conversation with Jeff, Kevin resolved to ask his lover just what exactly he'd been saying once they were alone again. Mark had been a good friend for a long time, but if they tried to interfere in his personal life, even in a good way, Kev suspected the shit would hit the fan. The Dead Man was an intensely private person, and didn't take too kindly to outside interference from anybody. "So what the hell happened with Mark and the boys?�. Did they say anything about Vince's reaction?" Letting his breath out in a long sigh, Kevin leaned his head against Scott's, half-listening to the muffled voices in the office in front of them. He answered in an undertone that only Scott would be able to hear. "Well... let's just say that Mark didn't find Shawn in Evolution's locker room... but he did find Hunter and Dave. Kissing." His voice turned a little wry at the end and he met Scott's eyes with a small smile. "And yes, the sight was just as nice as we'd thought it would be. Looks like the trio's more serious than we thought, too." Tightening his hold on Scott, Kev paused before admitting, "Mark didn't take it well... he thought they were screwing with Shawn. Dave said some stuff, Mark said some stuff... they seem to be okay now. At least, Hunter and Mark are talking, which is�a good thing in and of itself. And Vince... Dave said something about Vince not taking the news well, but he wasn't specific, and I wasn't about to ask." He shrugged slightly, his eyebrows raising a little as he caught Jeff's promise to Vince. Before they could say anything else, Jeff was waving them into the office as he went by, and they stepped forward into the room. Kevin refused to drop his arm; no matter how pissy Vince was about the trio, he'd better not say word one about his relationship to Scott, even indirectly. Vince finished glancing over the papers in front of him before looking up, and for an instant, Kevin almost felt sorry for him. The man looked incredibly stressed, and with everything that had gone down tonight, Kev really couldn't blame him. Maybe they should try to keep this short. "You wanted to talk to us about the pay-per-view?" Kevin asked, tilting his head a little. Hopefully about adding them in somewhere; it was nice to be back, but boring as hell to be wandering around backstage with nothing to do. Hell, they hadn't even cut a promo yet, and he'd expected to do that much at least last night, since it was their first night in. Vince nodded, eyeing them with a slight frown as his gaze fastened on Kevin's arm around Scott before pulling back up to look at him. "I'm adding you two to the tag-team match, since Adam's hurt. We'll shorten the time before Kane comes out, and then once he's finished off Benoit and Adam, Eric will announce that due to the outside interference, there's been a last-minute change to the match... and you'll come out. It'll be a complete surprise for everybody that way." Kevin was nodding even as Vince spoke, his smile returning. "That'd be perfect. What do you think, Scott?" **** Thank goodness for Maggie. She'd just manage to save him a trip to the nearest all-night Wal-Mart. Not that he had anything against shopping per se, but you always met the weirdest fans there after midnight. She'd even managed to find a bag for him to hide his necessaries in, since he'd forgotten that necessity when he'd escaped from the locker room. He really should head back there and check to make sure things were okay with Hunter and Mark, but he still wasn't in any frame of mind to deal with Mark and he was a little nervous about facing Hunter again. Not only had he gone off on Mark, for which he'd most likely apologize later, but he'd dropped one hell of a bombshell on Hunter and then fled like a scalded dog... to borrow from JR's repertoire. No... he hadn't wanted to really leave the room right then, but he honestly had been furious with Mark's assumptions after everything that had gone on so far that day. As Dave headed into the upper echelons of the arena, his version of 'going to get some air', he recognized that it wasn't necessarily a stupid assumption that Mark had made. The thing that confused him was how Mark had a clue that either of them were involved with Shawn. Shawn hadn't told him or he'd have known about both of them and as far as he knew Shawn hadn't spoken to Mark yet tonight. He was pretty sure that despite Kevin's presence with Mark, he hadn't been the one to spill the beans. Kevin just didn't seem the gossiping type and Kevin knew about the three of them so he wouldn't have purposely misled Mark. In all honesty, he supposed it didn't really matter who had brought the subject to Mark's attention. The point was that Mark had been aware of one of them being involved with Shawn to some extent and he'd misread the situation. Damn. He'd have to apologize for blowing up. It wasn't Mark's fault that he was on edge. If it had happened say tomorrow or a week from now he would have handled it much better. He could see now that Mark's anger had been based in concern for Shawn and he couldn't really fault the man for that. Double damn. He really hated apologizing. But he would do it. Tired of thinking about all the bad things that had come up in the last day, he decided to settle on some of the good things... that being Shawn and Hunter. As he looked over the railing of the upper tier and absentmindedly noted a couple of the cruiserweights in the ring, he thought about the contents of the bag he was holding. While it was true that he'd already let the cat out of the bag with Hunter, he still wanted to elaborate on what he'd said and he was hoping that Shawn wouldn't find out about what he'd said by word of mouth. His idea was still solid, even if it did happen, but he'd rather it be a surprise. After spending another moment or two thinking about his plan, he took one last look at the men in the ring. The maneuvers that they were performing were not the type that Dave would ever be trying to use. He was pretty sure that he couldn't get his ass that high in the air for one thing, even with the assistance of the ropes. Still, it never hurt to keep an eye on new moves just in case he had to face one of the lighter guys. Turning, he headed back to the locker room. Maybe Hunt or Shawn would be in there. Maybe they were both down with the cameras taping their promos. If that were the case, he'd be able to hide his little bundle before either of them noticed it. Actually... he was hoping that he'd have at least a moment or two alone to hide his goods. Reaching the locker room, he opened the door and peeked inside. The coast was clear, at least for the moment. Dave walked inside and stashed his bag inside his gear bag. At least something was going right for a change. Maybe while he was at it he should pay another visit to Vince... Nah. **** "...My tucking is legendary so I've been told." Eek! Adam managed to smash down the unreasonable flash of jealousy that comment begged to inspire. He was nuts. It's not like he hadn't had his own personal throng of groupies, so why should some allusion to Chris' romantic past phase him? 'Maybe because you're in love with him, you idiot.' Well, yeah. There was that. That didn't mean he needed to turn into a psychotic raving lunatic like say... Terry. Not that he thought Terry had ever been in love with him. Not by any stretch of the imagination considering what he'd done to him in the past as well as today. Lord was his mind wandering again. The last person he wanted to think about right now was his ex. Chris was with him now and that's all that should matter. Maybe sometime during their time off he'd even get up the nerve to tell him how he felt about him... maybe. He was well aware of Chris' hand hooked in his belt. He almost laughed. There wasn't anyone else he planned on stopping to talk to... well, okay... maybe he'd have liked to pick Mark's brain to see what was up with the whole Jeff situation, but it was unlikely that he'd get anything out of the man. It could definitely wait until next week. They passed Mark in the hallway with Shawn and Hunter. Some odd vibrations coming off there. Of course with what he'd found out earlier in the gym, that wasn't surprising. Oh lord. He'd never had a chance to tell Mark about the vibes from Shawn, Hunter, and Dave. He really hoped Mark had heard about it from someone else by now. He still wasn't sure exactly how he'd missed Hunter in that whole situation. Maybe because it hadn't been common knowledge that Hunter swung that way. Oh well. He had a feeling he'd be doing a lot less watching in the future anyway, unless Chris decided to join him in his whole fading into the wall gimmick. That wasn't likely. Chris just wasn't the type to fade into a wall. Realizing that they'd finally reached the cab, Adam slipped into the back seat with nary a protest. He had a feeling if he even thought about it, Chris would string him from the rafters of the arena. Damn. He hadn't had a chance to talk to Jay tonight either. Fuck Terry for screwing up all his plans. Actually... he'd rather not. He had a much more pleasing prospect on the horizon. He snickered quietly over Chris calling Jay on his actions lately. Good. At least someone got the chance to bring it to his attention tonight. Hopefully that would take care of the problem. With Jay though? Not likely. He'd have to make it a point to call him sometime this week. "So . How was your evening?" How to answer that? It definitely hadn't gone as planned. That was for sure. Taking stock of his injuries, he realized that his ribs were still pretty much numb, his back was a little achy but nothing he couldn't deal with, and his head was tolerable though more Tylenol sounded like a blessing. "I'd have to say... totally heinous, dude," he said with a smirk. "I have great hopes for the rest of the evening, though... and it did get us out of hanging around for the taping. I think I'll send Terry a thank you card, since I get to spend more time alone with you. I could just imagine his reaction to reading it." Was he really that evil? Oh hell yeah. Shit. He was starting to sound like Steve. Scary that. Reaching across the seat, he took Chris' hand in his. "Thanks for sticking around while I got my shots. I know it's stupid, but I've had a problem with them since I was little. I am probably the worst patient ever, especially after having my surgery, but I promise that I'll try to follow orders." Lifting Chris' hand, he kissed the back of his knuckles. He honestly would try, even if he'd be stir-crazy after the first day. Right now the only thing he wanted was some time alone with Chris, another couple Tylenol, and sleep... in that order. With any luck at all... he'd get it. **** I am probably the worst patient ever, The soft brush of lips against his undamaged knuckles brought a tired smile to Chris's lips. Damn him, if he hadn't realised not thirty minutes ago that he was in love with this man, then that gentle caress and his reaction to it would have sent up neon signals. The slow burn in his heart had only very little to do with sexual desire and far more to do with a deep sense of underlying happiness. Chris realised that even when Adam had been lying hurt beside him, while he had been lost in that furious cold rage, he'd still felt underneath the worry and anger... good. Just good. An easy happiness that needed no effort on his part. It came from what they'd had the night before, it came from the friendship they'd developed over the past few years that had only suffered a hiccup through their mutual denial of the other's interest. "Gods Babe, didn't mind in the slightest. We all have things that we loathe. Give you ten guesses what mine is?" Chris turned their joined hand and placed his own kiss on the back of Adam's hand. "And yes, send Terry a thank you. Perhaps describe how many extra hours we get to spend together because of him. I'd suggest you give details but the Fuckhead would probably like it too much." The taxi ride to the hotel was mercifully brief. Chris was even more anxious to get into the building when he noticed Adam's badly concealed wince as a sharp turn caused their heads to bump into the cushioned head-rest behind them. Looked like Dr. Tom's happy drug wasn't going to be helping with a nasty headache anytime soon. So, let's get moving. It took seven minutes to get from the lobby to their floor. Another�four to drop their bags at the end of the bed and�finally two�minutes�to gently push Adam down till he was seated on the neutrally beige bedspread with two painkillers and a glass of water in his hand. "Okay Babe. First order is take those pills and drink that, then lie down while I get us some food. You'll feel even worse with medication on an empty stomach and I think it's a bit early in our relationship for me to be holding your hair while you bring your lunch up." Teasingly Chris dropped a kiss onto Adam's forehead, the skin smooth and warm but not too hot. Snatching up the phone, CJ ordered a light meal of chicken salad with fruit juice, to try and tempt Adam's likely non-existent appetite. Going into the bathroom, where Adam had put their toiletries earlier, a quick search found the bottle Chris was looking for. Seeing Adam had fallen back onto the bed, Chris tossed the bottle down beside them and went for his lover's shoes. Cursing his damaged fingers,�CJ loosened the laces enough to tug Adam's shoes off, quickly followed by the socks. Crawling up onto the bed, Chris tugged at the tie on the front of Adam's sweat pants,�a sharp�memory of last night coming to the fore. Adam had stripped for him, his own hands removing�the clothes with far less pleasure than Chris's were experiencing. He done it,�even though it had made him uncomfortable, just because Chris had told him to. And now... Now Adam was broken and bruised. His obedient, glorious lover from the night before taken from him tonight by a stupid, fucking, jealous Fuckhead. Chris looked at his hands, shaking slightly from the sudden burst of rage he'd just felt course through him. Firmly putting those ugly�feelings aside, CJ focused his attention back onto Adam, finding the 'good' that he'd discovered in this man's presence.�His beautiful lover who needed his affection right now, not his rage. "Hips up." Chris pulled off Adam's pants as his lover complied, then dealt with the t-shirt with plenty of care to the�fantastically colouring torso. "Why Adam. You're going to be such a pretty range of colours in the morning. Can't wait to see them go all yellow." CJ kept up a soft mindless babble of compliments and observations while he finished stripping Adam and pushing him firmly into bed. Tossing his own shirt and shoes off into a random corner, Chris snared one of Adam's feet out from under the sheets and settled crossed legged at the end of the bed, the captured foot in his lap. "Shut your eyes Babe, while I do my magic." Beginning with slow, firm strokes, Chris cradled Adam's heel in his bandaged hand then began to find the pressure points on the sensitive sole that could alleviate pain somewhat. The big toe represented the head, the delicate arch the ribcage and waist. Also a foot massage was a great way to get someone to relax without letting them fall into too deep a sleep. He'd have to wake Adam up every hour anyway because of the concussion and certain pressures could do that too. "Don't sleep yet Adam,"�a gentle tug of a middle toe to get those sexy green eyes back open. "Food first." **** Jeff had finally calmed down a little, the back of his neck didn't feel itchy anymore and he wasn't tapping his foot to an inaudible beat. The surprising adrenalin rush signing the contract had caused was ebbing now and stark reality had settled in. He was back. The WWE now owned him for the next three years, whether they would do anything with that ownership was up to Mark and creative now. Jeff's mind jumped from rehashing the fight with Melrose, seeing Mark stunningly wet and naked in the shower, to his possible Raw�return when they let him on TV again. Spinning in a circle, he battered back and forth from one wall to the other. The corridor was exactly four paces wide. Probably three for Mark. Long, long legs covered a lot of ground. Hmm. Really should stop thinking about Mark's legs and start thinking about seeing Amy. Checking that she was okay. Asking her questions... questions.... God. Leaning his forehead against the wall, Jeff was suddenly reminded of Mark's face when he'd been found like this not two hours ago. Hazed over by Jeff's anger at Melrose and the crushing sense of disappointment he'd felt in himself, Mark's concern hadn't registered straight away. Now it did. What got him was why Mark would take the trouble out of the blue like that. Why would Mar....? "Thought that was your crazy pretty�head I saw Jeffy. Back for good this time Baby?" The voice was saturated with what its owner thought was sexy huskiness but what Jeff liked to call Lounge Lizard Sleaze. 'Just can't catch a break tonight can you Hardy?' Except for Mark, that was one hell of a catch. Not even looking up, Jeff took a deep breath and tried to calm his jangling nerves. "Couldn't stay away Richard, you're just too damned magnetic." The sarcasm in Jeff's voice practically flowed down the hall. "Yeah well," the WWE driver was slouching against the wall, smelling of stale cigarettes and bourbon. "I always knew you wanted some of me Baby." Jeff snorted at Richard obviously missing the true intent of his insult. Richard 'Feel Me Baby' Fealty�had three years�on Jeff, but looked like he was much older. A crew cut, wannabe army pants and a beer belly completed a look that left most sane people wanting to do the exact opposite of Richard's hopeful nickname. When it came to Richard, Jeff felt he could claim some sanity. "So...Dom know yer back Baby?" Oh and wasn't that a thought Jeff could've done without. "'Cause he sure would like to know, probably like to come over for a�visit. Come you know... come... har." Jeff acknowledged that right now if he had to�spend another moment with Fealty, he might just offer to go back into Vince's office. Even Melrose was looking appealing by comparison. The driver had done a fine job of killing Jeff's adrenalin rush... nausea was now the issue. Heaving a sigh, Jeff moved from the support of the wall and made to walk past Richard. But being Jeff, he had trouble keeping his mouth shut. "I don't give a flying fuck if Dom knows I'm back or not." It was�actually true.�"You can go kiss�his�ass if you want Rick,�I know you always wanted to." That was true as well. "Well word is you're all over Heyman and Calloway, Jeffy, and you only be back five minutes. Dom's not gonna like that Baby." It was the reference to Mark and Paul.E in the same sentence that caused Jeff's flash of anger as much as the snide insinuation. Spinning around, Jeff pointed a sharp finger into Richard's face. "Fuck YOU and Fuck DOM! I don't give a shit what he likes and you can tell him I said that!" Unfortunately aside from the beer gut, Richard was in pretty good physical shape. Good enough that when he caught Jeff's wrist in a bruising grip, it hurt. Fuck. **** "I'm next so I'll walk there with you, if you don't mind." Shrugging, Mark inclined his head at Hunter before heading out of the locker room. Seeing the pained understanding flash across Hunter's face at his words a few moments ago made him wonder just what exactly had happened between the blond walking next to him and the one he was looking for. Hopefully Hunt hadn't done anything stupid... of course, there was a fading mark still on his face, only noticeable if you were looking, that made Mark suspect that his first instinct was correct. Shawn probably just hadn't let Hunter get away with it. He suppressed the smile that wanted to appear at the thought of Shawn taking it to Hunter; despite the size difference, his Heartbreaker was a spitfire who could probably take down anybody if he felt it was necessary. In earlier years, he'd had to hold Shawn back more than once from throwing the first punch at somebody who'd said the wrong thing to him, and it had never been easy. It was nice to see Shawn finally grown up, Mark mused with a sidelong look at the man pacing him. As terrible as the back injury and forced retirement had been for him, it had allowed the man hiding behind the insecurities and the arrogance to finally make himself known. Still, as well as Mark knew him, Hunter knew Shawn better than he did anymore, having spent the time to help him through that period in his life. The thought still brought a pang to his heart, but he realised this time that it was alleviated by knowing that Shawn wasn't alone anymore. In fact, Heartbreaker had outdone himself, with Hunter and Dave---but didn't he always? There was a difference in Hunter, too. Even just the companionable silence that surrounded them as they walked down the hallway was new. They'd never been companionable, not since 1998. There had been unspoken resentment and anger on both sides, but with the wall of Shawn's feelings for Hunter blocking their communication, they hadn't been able to get past that. Apparently now they had. Mark wasn't one for emotional displays any more than Hunter was, was probably less so in actuality, and knew that they'd never sit down and have a heart-to-heart about the man they'd both loved. The thought of doing so was embarrassing in and of itself. But there was something... understanding, Mark suspected. Hunter was a smart guy; he'd undoubtedly put two and two together and come up with a resounding "FOUR!" regarding Mark's treatment of Shawn. All for the better, since Mark had always harboured a liking for The Game... even during his irritating snooty blueblood days with the ridiculous robes. Dave... well. He respected The Animal, and he suspected that he'd have to hunt him down to apologise to him at some point. Hopefully the fact that he'd been upset on Shawn's behalf would be a point in his favour, at least. He'd seen enough of Batista to know that if the man said he loved Shawn, he'd do anything he could for him, and that was a good thing in Mark's books. It'd be interesting to sit back and watch the relationship between these three develop. He spotted Shawn heading towards them and pulled his mind out of the musing it had fallen into. Time to deal with the here and now. His eyebrows raised briefly when he realised that Shawn was too distracted to even notice them, and couldn't quite keep back the soft chuckle when Shawn ran full-tilt into Hunter. The reaction that brought to both of the blonds didn't escape him either, and his expression softened slightly at the almost visible emotions flowing between the two of them. The kiss and the unexpected endearment from Hunter made him smile a little even as some of the old pain at hurting Shawn the way he had eased at the sight. "Tell him we're not messing with your head, only your body, so he doesn't feel the need to take my head off at the neck. I'm gone." And he was. Would Mark have been able to kiss his new lover and then leave him alone with an ex? Probably not. He gained a little more respect for Hunter in that instant. The man hadn't done any of that for Mark's benefit, no marking his territory or possessive muscle flexing... just an honest expression of affection to his lover. Catching Shawn's bemused expression, Mark smiled. "Hey, Heartbreaker." Sweeping the man into a hug, Mark squeezed slightly before releasing him and stepping back, looking him over as he noted the relaxed air and the happiness hovering in the back of the blue eyes. Catching sight of a darkening mark on Shawn's neck, he chuckled again. "Not wasting any time, are you?" **** The grip on his waist distracted Shawn completely from their audience, little shivers running through him as Hunter pressed their bodies together. The intensity of his reaction from the fairly casual contact surprised him, but he didn't care. He'd waited so long to be able to have this that he wasn't about to shy away from it now just because there happened to be a witness. And... Hunt started it. All things considered, that meant the world right now. "Just coming ..." Biting his lip, Shawn just managed to keep back the laugh that wanted to escape. He heard what Hunter actually said, but his mind promptly supplied images concerning the first two words that had nothing to do with the rest of the sentence. He melted promptly into the kiss, as short as it was, the almost harsh pressure of Hunt's lips demanding a response from him. As Hunt allowed him to slide back to the floor, he shook his head; so much for worrying about Hunt being able to touch. "Tell him we're not messing with your head, only your body, so he doesn't feel the need to take my head off at the neck." Raising an eyebrow at Mark, the slap to his ass caught him by surprise even as his body responded favourably to the teasing blow. Shaking his head as Hunt walked away, he looked back at the Dead Man in time to see a rare smile on his face. That reassured him; Hunt's easy words had had him worried for a minute, but even if there had been some sort of scene---all too likely, with the people involved---there had also obviously been some sort of resolution, with the new ease hovering between Mark and Hunter. Before he could ask about it, Mark was sweeping him off the ground in a hug and he laughed even as he wrapped his arms around the bigger man in turn. Such a familiar sensation, but one that he hadn't felt for years. Even though they'd remained friends, Mark had backed away from casual touches in order not to create the wrong impression with others, and not to further enflame emotions between the two of them. It reassured him; no matter what had gone down in the locker room, Mark obviously approved of the three of them, and that meant the world to Shawn. The Dead Man had done so much for him, meant so much to him, that his opinion was still high up on the list of those that mattered. "Not wasting any time, are you?" Shawn's hand flew to his neck, and he smiled ruefully at his former lover. "Can you blame me?" Letting a hint of seriousness creep into his still-rough voice, he lowered his hand as he stepped to the side of the hall, leaning against the wall. "It's new, Mark, very new. This morning new, actually. And it hasn't been too easy yet." He paused, his mind running a fast succession of images past him, encompassing the last twenty-four hours, and he sighed a little. "Hopefully it'll get better. We three are fine, now, but Vince came unglued. It took all three of us threatening to quit and Hunter standing him down to get him to back off." The looming presence by his side made him feel better even as a hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "Vince is a dick. He's probably just jealous that he's not involved." Shawn smiled a little, but refrained from replying. He suspected there was a lot more to it than that, but he didn't want to dwell on it anymore tonight. His next words were soft, spoken almost without intending to say them out loud. "All I want, honestly, is to get the hell out of here and spend the night wrapped up in their arms, without any more distractions." Mark nodded in response, hesitating even though he obviously wanted to say something. Shawn tilted his head up at the man, his curiosity piqued by the uncharacteristic behavior.�Before he could say anything, Mark said quietly, "If they make you happy, Shawn, then I'm behind you all the way. That's all I ever wanted for you." A poignant silence, and Shawn had to blink hard to clear his eyes before sliding an arm around Mark's waist, daring to take the moment and take his chance to regain his former closeness with the man. "They do. Thank you, Mark," he said softly. He cleared his throat, wincing a little as the soreness there started to make itself felt, and said, "That means a lot to me." Louder, in an attempt to keep the conversation from getting too emotional, he added with a smile, "Hunt said you were looking for me. What's up?" **** to be continued... |