"ITVR: Chapter 52"
Explanations.

By Jadedoll, Penumbren, & Raising Kane

It wasn't fair. It really wasn't. He was supposed to be doling out Chris' punishment tonight and instead he was the one being tortured. Not that it wasn't very pleasant torture, but it wasn't at all what he'd had planned for tonight. Damn Terry. He couldn't really complain too much though. Chris was taking very good care of him. Giving him his Tylenol, a foot massage, and making sure he was going to eat. Being pampered by a lover was one of the things he'd missed during his year out. If only he'd had a bit more fortitude then maybe Chris could have been there with him for it. It was too late for regrets. He had the here and now to think about. "...And never... eevvvveerrrr, call me Daddy... again." Adam swallowed harshly. At least Chris hadn't quite figured out how he reacted whenever he fell into Y2J speak. He couldn't explain it, but it was true. No. Actually he probably could explain it. It all went back to the promo that Chris had cut on him before a match in 2000. I know you want to be on the cover of Tiger Beat magazine. And as far as I�m concerned, you�re a shoe-in because let's face it, who knows more about �beating� than you, Tiger. Was it at all sad that he remember that promo word for word? Was it at all ironic that after that match, he'd gone back to the locker room to do exactly what Chris had accused him of with Chris as the focus material? Probably. Ever since that night he'd been a sucker for any promo that Chris cut. Pathetic. Luckily he was saved from Chris' observation by a knock on the door. The irritation of having to lay here in bed like a slug while Chris was doing everything for him was only mitigated by the fact that it was Chris that was taking care of him. He hated having to lie still for any length of time, but he had a feeling that Chris was enjoying this. He might have to play the lazy slug once in awhile to make his lover happy. Chris feeding him turned out to be a pleasant distraction and one that he happily allowed. "Chew, then swallow." He barely retained manners enough not to reply with his own naughty comment. Chris might be telling him to chew first now... but he certainly wouldn't be saying that at other times he was requesting Adam to swallow. The chicken salad tasted good, but not nearly as good as Chris tasted, Adam had decided within seconds after the meal was finished. It looked like he was going to get his 'sweet and sassy' treat for being such a good boy. By the time Chris reached his navel, he was fully hard from Chris' teasing touches. Adam sucked in a breath as his fingers clenched on Chris' hips. He wasn't used to taking a passive stance when it came to sexual matters. He wanted to move, tease Chris as Chris was teasing him, but he knew he wasn't really up to moving much. He knew he was breathing heavier and wondered for one fleeting second if this would count as deep breathing exercises. Doubtful. Chris had certainly turned the tables on his flirtation earlier. Adam closed his eyes as Chris' tongue stroked over his shaft. His voice heavy with arousal, he made one salient point. "Hey, I thought I was getting dessert, not becoming dessert." Tangling his fingers through Chris' mane of hair, he lifted just enough to pull Chris' talented tongue from his flesh. Raising his head enough to look down the length of his body into his lover's eyes, he wet his suddenly dry lips. He wasn't one to ask for what he wanted, more likely to act than request, but knew unless he made Chris aware of what he wanted, he'd end up satisfied and Chris would most likely hold his own passion until he was feeling more the thing. No way. Terry wasn't going to take that from him as well. "I need you, Chris." His hand drifted slowly from the golden locks to stroke over the warm tanned skin of Chris' jaw, his thumb drawing slowly along his lower lip. "Want to feel you inside me again, sweetheart." **** As he made his way back toward Vince's office, Mark thought about his relationship with the man. He'd never been caught up in anything with McMahon the way Shawn had, and that was probably one of the reasons why Vince had always resented him. There was plenty of mutual respect between the two of them, but there was an underlying resentment from Vince that had been present practically since day one. Not that Mark hadn't had to bow to time-honoured tradition, but by the time he'd made it to the WWF, that was mostly behind him. The few times it had happened afterward had ended with him taking the title from Hogan a year after his introduction. What made it awkward was that he'd always been a major figure backstage. He didn't speak up often, but when he did, he commanded attention, and Vince had always taken advantage of that by having him act as the spokesman in the locker room. He hadn't minded; in fact, he'd enjoyed it. Getting everybody hyped up and excited about their jobs wasn't a bad thing, and working with the newer guys to help polish them up so that no one got hurt was almost an honour. He was proud of his record for not having hurt anybody he worked with. The problem of course was that even while McMahon pushed him as a major "power" backstage, he'd resented that power. And the more trust and respect he gathered from the guys backstage, the less Vince felt that he had, no matter how untrue that was. There weren't many people in WWE who could say that they really liked their boss, but they all respected him. Vince was a genius at the business, regardless of what anybody thought about specific decisions or his attitude, and no one was going to deny that. His own insecurities made it difficult for him to see that, though. Mark was pretty sure that those mixed feelings were what had led to their little "deal" earlier. Vince had seen a weakness and hadn't hesitated in grabbing that opening, and Mark really hadn't been able to deny him doing so. If Jeff fucked up this time, Mark was going down with him, and that wasn't a pretty thought. But... somehow, Mark just couldn't see Jeff doing that, even though he didn't know the details. If it were up to him, Jeff never would, either. For some reason, the Storm Hardy had his trust... and his belief. He believed in the kid, even if the people in power didn't, and something inside him told him that his belief would be justified. Snapping himself out of his thoughts as he neared Vince's office, he realised that the halls were empty. Well, as empty as they could be, with crew and other people bustling about doing their jobs. But no one that he was looking for was present, and Vince's door was closed, so he must�be seeing somebody. Hmm. Pausing, he glanced around to see if there was any clue to where his whirlwind might've stormed off to when there was one of those rare instants of silence, when everything seemed to quiet down all at once. And floating through that silence came clear, if distant-sounding, words. "Fuck YOU and Fuck DOM!" Jeff. The anger and upset in that voice had Mark reacting before he realised he was moving. Picking up his pace, he headed in the direction that the voice had come from, pausing at each hall intersection long enough to make sure that it was empty before moving on. He was on the fourth one when he heard the impact of flesh against�unyielding mass. An indescribable wave of emotion flashed through him as he stopped at the corner, his eyes narrowing at what he saw. One glance was all it took, and he knew that the sight would forever be imprinted in his memory. Jeff, just picking himself up with one hand on a packing case as the other hovered near his lower back, was looking up. Mark took in almost absent-mindedly the blood at the edge of Jeff's mouth, but his focus was mainly on the man between him and Jeff. A crew member, apparently; he looked vaguely familiar, but Mark dismissed that. The important thing was the threatening posture he was in as he advanced on Jeff, an oily smirk on his face. "I wouldn't do that, if I was you," Mark drawled in a low voice as he stepped forward, dropping the coat he was still carrying. The man's head snapped up, the smirk sliding away to be replaced by alarm as he turned toward Mark, his entire posture changing from threatening to cowering as he opened his mouth. The impact of Mark's fist on his jaw prevented any speech, and as the man cried out, Mark's boot in the soft flesh a little south of his gut had him on the floor, whimpering. A flash of controlled movement, and Mark was kneeling with his knee in the small of the guy's back as he twisted an arm up and around, holding it a hair's-breadth from snapping. The soft terrified sounds made him smile thinly as he leaned forward, his hair brushing against his cheeks as he spoke. "I would suggest that you leave, son. Permanently." Twisting the arm just a little tighter as he spoke, hearing footsteps rushing up behind him. "Because if I ever see your sorry ass around here again, I might hurt you." Releasing his grip with a vicious twist, he reached down to snag the crew pass from around the man's neck and wrenched it off as he stood up, turning to face the security guards who were hovering uncertainly a few feet back. Letting his face smooth into calmness, he stepped away from the moaning heap on the floor and gestured them forward, handing the pass to the guard nearest him. "I do believe this gentleman has just quit. Why don't you escort him to the parking lot... and make sure that he leaves." The guard looked from him to the man on the floor, to Jeff, before looking back at him with hardened eyes and nodding sharply in understanding. "Yes, sir. We'll make sure he gets there in one piece." Mark's lips curved in an unamused smile�at the unspoken understanding in the guard's voice and he nodded. The little bastard would get there in one piece... but undoubtedly with a few more bruises. He'd have to remember to talk to Pat later about this. As the guards dragged the man to his feet, Mark turned his focus to the person remaining. He was angry, he realised with some surprise. The emotion had taken second stage to his immediate need to hurt the person who'd hurt Jeff, and only now did he realise that his heart was racing, his breathing fast, his hands shaking. Taking a deep breath, he tried to release most of the rage, knowing that it wouldn't help at this point. The problem had been taken care of. Now he had other things to worry about. "Jeff?" Keeping his tone quiet, he took a few steps closer, letting his eyes linger this time, his anger returning as he saw the reddening hand print on Jeff's face. Pushing it away again to be dealt with later, he stopped a few feet away, not wanting to invade Jeff's personal space without knowing what his reaction would be. No... to be honest, all he wanted to do was invade that space, but Jeff wasn't Shawn, and dragging the man into his arms was definitely out of the question. He hesitated, then extended a hand, for Jeff to accept or not, as he chose. "You okay, darlin'?" Damn it. The drawl was back, unsurprisingly as he fought with his emotions, but that endearment had been purely accidental. Hopefully it would be overlooked. **** Kevin watched the interaction between Vince and Scott with thinly-disguised amusement. Scott always bemoaned how badly he handled things, but he was hands-down one of the smoothest people Kevin had ever known when it came to interpersonal communication, and this was a beautiful example of it. His lover had been so worried about Vince's reaction to the events of the previous evening, but here he was working things out without a single hesitation. Maybe he'd have to start his own list of things that he loved�about Scott. Confidence would be number one, even if Scotty didn't seem to believe that he had any. "How about another run with the tag team belts?" Now that, he hadn't been expecting. He couldn't have stopped the grin that leapt onto his face anymore than he could've stopped breathing. Of all things for Vince to do, having them run as champs was just about the last thing he would've thought would happen. Between the last time they'd worked for him, and the lingering resentment from their initial jump to WCW, this was beyond shocking. It was downright amazing. It might very well be their last run as champs and Kev knew they would make damned sure that they made it an outstanding one. Caught up in sudden plans, he was taken completely by surprise by Scott's last question. "Why do you have a bug up your ass about Hunter, Shawn, and Dave? Enquiring minds want to know." Oh, dear lord. Scott... what are you doing? Kev's mental groan went unspoken, but his arm tightened around his lover's waist as Vince stared at him. Watching their boss gape like a fish out of water before turning red was... Okay, it was funny as hell, but Kevin was in no state to appreciate the humour of it at the moment. Even as much of a businessman as Vince was, Scott's question was very likely pushing way too much, and Kev could suddenly see their contracts getting ripped in half. "Not that it's any of your damned business... but that's never stopped the Clique before, has it?" Vince's voice was the strangest mixture of anger, embarrassment, and amusement that Kevin had ever heard, and hearing it from Vince cleared away the vision, to leave him looking at a Vince who was... embarrassed? He blinked, not quite believing his eyes. "Hunter and Shawn... I've expected that for years," Vince admitted, leaning back in his chair, not quite meeting their eyes. "We all knew that Hunt and Steph's marriage was a cover, and not just for her. I don't know what the problem was between him and Shawn, and I don't want to know, but... I'm almost glad they resolved it. I know he's been alone since the wedding, and probably for quite a while before it." Shock was not the word. Vince was being... understanding? He actually cared about Hunter as more than just his biggest star? Kevin glanced at Scott, his surprise showing clearly in his eyes. "But... Dave." Shaking his head, Vince finally looked at them, his own face almost back to normal as he regained control of himself. "I can't say that the idea of three of them doesn't bother me. It does. But if that's what they want... I just don't like the third one being Batista. He's power-hungry, and what better way to climb the ladder than be with my two biggest stars?" There were other emotions in Vince's voice there, emotions that Kevin wasn't about to even try to identify, although he did wonder briefly if anyone who was involved with Shawn was ever the same afterward. But he was shaking his head even before Vince stopped talking. "You've got him wrong, Vince." The narrow-eyed look he got didn't faze him, and he kept talking. "Dave's an up-front guy, and he obviously cares a whole hell of a lot about both Hunt and Shawn. If you don't believe me... talk to them. Just... talk." He didn't want to tell Vince what he'd overheard; it wasn't his place, and if Vince needed to hear that kind of thing to believe the truth, then he needed to hear it from them. Pausing, he cast another look at his lover and decided that the better part of valor was called for at this point. "I think we're done, right? Probably better that we get going... go do some ring work or something before the show." Vince refocused his gaze on Kevin long enough to nod, and Kev maneuvered the two of them out the door, sighing in relief when it closed behind them. "Scott, you have got to quit giving me heart attacks like that," he admonished softly, turning Scott to face him. **** Kevin should have suspected that he'd ask, but he hadn't. That was obvious by the arm tightening at his waist. Seemed that Scott could still pull the unexpected sometimes after all. He refused to so much as flinch at Vince's reaction. He'd asked the question and he really wanted the answer. The trick was not to let Vince know how much he actually wanted to know. Cocky smile fixed on his face, toothpick clenched firmly behind his teeth, he stared down the man sitting in front of him. "Not that it's any of your damned business... but that's never stopped the Clique before, has it?" Scott shrugged in response to the question. He suspected that Vince wasn't actually looking for an answer to that question because he already knew the answer... a resounding no. As he listened to Vince's explanation, Scott was surprised by what he heard. He'd expected to hear that Hunter shouldn't be involved with Shawn. It wouldn't be the first time that jealousy had provoked a reaction from Vince. At one point, unbeknownst to either Kevin or Shawn, Vince had pulled him aside to question him about the relationship between the three of them. The fact that Vince's problem was with Dave rather than Shawn seemed strange until he elaborated. Obviously Vince hadn't had any time at all to observe the three of them together. There was no way that Dave would use either Shawn or Hunter. He listened to Kevin deny Dave's hunger for power being the reason behind his involvement with them. It was a nice try, really it was, but Scott knew Vince wouldn't believe it unless he saw proof with his very own eyes. Hopefully Dave would give him that proof. Knowing Hunter and knowing Shawn as well, he could see plenty of opportunities in the future for him to do so. Shawn and Hunter would obviously want to help Dave advance in the company because they cared about him. Scott didn't know Dave all that well, but he couldn't see the big man accepting interference like that on his behalf. Scott just hoped he was right. Scott kept silent as Kevin made their excuses to leave the office. Ring work? That could be interesting. Now who could they get to come out and play with them? He suspected that Adam was well gone for the night, so hooking up with him and Benoit was out of the question. Working out with Grenier and Conway sounded dull as dirt, even though they were supposed to be wrestling against the two on Sunday. They'd find someone. And he still needed to prod Kevin on the details about what had happened with Mark. "Scott, you have got to quit giving me heart attacks like that." Scott raised a brow as he smiled up at his lover. "After what you said just before we went in there, you should have expected it, Kev. And I think you need to have just a bit more faith in me, babe. I wouldn't have risked it if I'd thought he wouldn't answer it or if I'd thought he'd take it out on you. Vince and I... we have a strange sort of understanding between us... always have had." Hoping that Kev would forgive him for that little scare, Scott stretched up enough to give him a gentle kiss. "The worst he was going to do was yell at me to mind my own business and he didn't. I just hope that Dave gets the chance to prove him wrong." "Speaking of Dave," Scott started with an inquiring look, "Why don't you fill me in on the rest of what happened at the locker room while we search out someone to work out with. From what you said to Vince, you owe me lots of details." Wiggling his brows at Kev, Scott waited for him to spill his guts. It might take a bit, but eventually he'd pry all the details out of Kev... the big ol' cr�me puff. **** Want to feel you inside me again, sweetheart. Chris couldn't stop a small frown from creasing his forehead at Adam's words. Looking down at the glorious sight of his nude lover, he wondered if that really would be the best idea on the table. Not that he didn't want to... CJ couldn't actually think of any place his dick would rather be at that precise moment than to be buried deeply inside the delicious body beneath him. Wanting to wasn't the problem, hurting Adam in any shape or form was the big no-no here. But then, Chris's dick argued with Chris's conscience, he's hardly crippled or anything, just a bit knocked around, we'll be careful. I promise. CJ's conscience couldn't be swayed however and still retained enough blood from Chris's body to exert control over his dick. "Sorry Babe. Not tonight I think... you have a headache." Chris's saw his joke falling flat as Adam's expression changed from sexy pleading to frustration with a hint of anger. Anger? CJ doubted it was directed at him, he'd hardly caused nearly enough trouble to get Adam pissy at him on their first day. The only person Adam would be angry with was... oh. Right. Doing a quick mental back flip, Chris gently rubbed the pads of his fingers along the backs of Adam's calves, up under the sensitive knee, towards his lover's hipbones. Adam was tired, hurt and horny. The last one Chris was responsible for and it wouldn't be fair to deny his lover the release he craved. He had no doubt Adam would have loved to take a far more energetic role in their lovemaking tonight, his promises and threats earlier made that certain, but the Fuckhead had denied them that and it seemed like Adam wasn't going to let an absent man with penis envy take any more from them. That left Chris to put the Fuckhead as far out of his mind as possible, because that man had no place whatsoever�near his and Adam's bed, to give Adam exactly what he wanted, no actual hardship there and not break any bones in the process. Well, he was certainly up for the challenge... pun intended. Ignoring the nah, nah, nah, nahhh, nahh his dick was yelling at his conscience, Chris' expression became serious as he leaned up over Adam, putting all of his weight on his hands and knees. "But... since I can't deny you anything Babe, especially when you look at me all bruised and pathetic like that, then I'll give in.... just..." a soft kiss, "...this..." the barest whisper of touch, "...once." Seeing the anger fade from Adam's emerald eyes to be replaced by a needy smugness, Chris shook his head as he sat up. Adam hadn't manipulated him really, CJ had more or less manipulated himself on this one. He'd just have to get used to the fact that he'd do almost anything Adam asked of him... guess that's love too. As Adam shifted slightly to move into a better position, Chris reached out and pressed a gentle finger against one unbruised shoulder. "Nah-ahh Lover. You are not running this show, no matter how sex... stop licking your lips like that!... sexy you are." Tilting his head, CJ assessed the damage to Adam's body while trailing his finger down towards one perky, very interested nipple. He came to a decision. "Okay." Rising smoothly from his knees, Chris stood on the bed, legs either side of Adams. He was still tempted to ignore�Adam's plea and take�his lover's sex�back into his mouth, but that wasn't fair and right now what Adam wanted still overruled CJ's worrying. Loosening the drawstring on his sweats, Chris slid them down his hips and wiggled slightly on one foot,�to toss them onto the floor. He had no doubt his impromptu strip show would distract Adam from any lingering anger about the Fuckhead and focus his attention on the matter at hand... so to speak. Lifting one foot, Chris ran his toes across the hard muscle of Adam's abdomen and gently teased his lover's demanding erection. "I'll give you a barefoot shiatsu one day Babe. When I know for sure I can't hurt you that is." There was no way he was gonna go anywhere near Adam's spine till he'd checked with a doctor. Lifting a finger in a twirling motion, Chris indicated what he wanted Adam to do, "Turn onto your�front Adam. Cuddle the pillow for me Babe... and... lift one leg up so there's.... room."�CJ ordered in�a deep decisive voice, that�he hoped would get the kind of shiver he'd seen last night. When Adam complied, Chris�dropped back to his knees between�long,�long�legs. Reaching for the tube of lube he'd placed on the bed stand earlier that afternoon, Chris tucked it conveniently to one side and leaned down so he was breathing on the back of Adam's neck. Moving the silky blond locks to once side, Chris murdered into warm skin. "This time you're just going to have to lie there and take it. So don't help." It was another order and not one Chris really expected his lover to follow, but the less he had Adam trying to do�the better. "Tell me if it hurts." Chris began to check over every inch on skin on the reverse�of Adam's body, and this time he didn't even need the excuse of crumb hunting. Keeping his weight entirely on his knees and off Adam's ribs, CJ was thankful to have a job that granted him good balance. Tasting all of Adam's back, Chris headed south and began a gentle massage of his lover's lower back and tailbone. Kissing the�hard nub at the base of Adam's spine he�gave the small indent�of skin beneath it a kiss. "You feeling good Babe?"� **** "And I think you need to have just a bit more faith in me, babe." Kevin winced at the casual words, knowing that there was more to them than it sounded like. He hadn't meant to sound like he was upset with Scott, because he wasn't. Scott was right, after all; if he'd been thinking about it, he would've expected Scotty to pull something like that just because he was Scott. But after all his resolutions, all their talking, all his inner discussions and promises... to realise that he still didn't have full confidence in his lover, after everything they'd gone through, was almost like a sucker punch to his own jaw. Biting his lip, he raised his hand to caress the back of Scott's neck as he listened to the rest of what Scott had to say, hoping to convey his apology through the touch so as not to interrupt him. "Vince and I� we have a strange sort of understanding between us... always have had." That was just too much. His own eyebrows raised as he cast an openly startled look at Scott. Before saying anything in return, though, they really needed to have more privacy than the middle of the main hallway backstage. Careful not to push, knowing that Scott had a tendency to just instinctually resist that sort of handling, he maneuvered them to the side and around a corner, keeping it slow and casual looking. Interruptions for this conversation they could definitely do without, even if there wasn't anyone else around that Kevin could see. Running his hand through the dark curls, he thought for a minute on the relationship between Scott and Vince; they always had had some sort of odd... understanding, Scott had called it. But for some reason, Kev had never realised just how it worked, even with all of their confrontations and arguments and discussions with the man. Looking back, he could clearly see that Vince held some sort of respect for his lover, even if he didn't show it except in the most subtle of ways, so he really shouldn't have been surprised by Scott's willingness to ask the provocative question. So why had he been? The answer was clear even as Scott kissed him and he responded, the soft touch sending the customary shiver through him. Because he'd still underestimated Scott. That hurt. And as much as it hurt him, how much did it hurt Scott, who so obviously knew it, even if he wasn't about to come out and say so directly? Resisting the temptation to apologise, knowing that the words would mean nothing if his actions and reactions kept contradicting them, he kept silent. "From what you said to Vince, you owe me lots of details." "Details, huh?" A smile curved his lips as he shook his head, knowing that he should've expected it. If he hadn't been knocked for a loop by his distressing realisation of moments ago, he would have. Shrugging a little, he glanced around, stepping back only enough to sink down onto a nearby packing crate with a sigh of relief as his knees bent. Definitely not as young as he used to be. "Well... there's something going on with Mark and Jeff, or at least, I think Mark wishes there was. He didn't actually say anything, but his reactions were pretty telling... as is the deal he made with Vince to get Jeff re-signed. If Hardy screws up, Mark's taking the fall for it." Pausing, he couldn't help but let his distaste for that particular deal show on his face again. Whatever Mark wasn't talking about, it was more than a casual interest for him to take that sort of risk. "But you wanted details. We chatted for a minute, but there wasn't much I really got out of him. He did have a pretty emotional denial that he was just after the kid's ass, and for him, that's really saying something. He went all speechless when I told him that the last time I'd seen him this way with somebody, it was Shawn..." Trailing off, he nodded at the look on Scott's face. "Yeah. He didn't deny that, either." "So, we get to the room and he knocks on the door and opens it, since it wasn't locked. Maybe it should've been, since we obviously interrupted something between Hunt and Dave. They were locked at the lips like they were trying to breathe for each other." Kevin's eyes closed briefly as he pictured that scene again. "They were fucking gorgeous together, too." Shaking his head a little to clear it, he tilted his head at Scott with a small smile. "As much as I'd love to see those three together, I suspect it'll be a helluva�long time before we even get a chance to see anything beyond the casual. Hunt's obviously gotten past part of his problem, but Dave seems like a pretty private guy, and Hunt's probably going to be led by that. Shawn'll even try to be discreet, I think... he'll just suck at it. Anyway, Mark lost it, got all upset on Shawn's behalf, which is kinda weird, since I don't know how he even knew that Shawn and Dave were making eyes at each other. But Hunter said some stuff, and Dave said some stuff... not too nice, but it sounds like they've had a hell of a day, too.�He mentioned Stephanie, so we'll probably run into her at some point, too." Leaning his head back against the wall as he paused again, Kev raised an eyebrow at Scott and held out his hands. "Why are you still standing, anyway? Get your ass over here where it belongs, old man." The smirk was unmistakable, but so were the softer, unspoken emotions that he knew was showing in his eyes. Fifteen years ago, when they'd met for the first time in WCW, they hadn't even been friends. Ten years ago, they'd been lovers. But even five years ago, Kev had been too afraid of the future to imagine growing old with this man, too sure that he'd wind up burying him to want to risk dreaming of a future so precious he'd cut off his right arm for the chance to have it. Now... now, as much as he loved his job and as much as he was enjoying being back with his friends and family, he yearned for the time when he and Scott would be able to retire and spend all their time together, without having to hide behind public faces and personas anymore. The weight of Scott settling onto his lap brought him firmly back to the present, and he draped his arms around his lover, burying his face in Scott's hair for a minute, just breathing in his scent. It was almost new to him; for so long, that scent had been buried beneath the smells of whiskey and illness... Taking a long, deep breath, he forced back the old pains and worries. They didn't apply anymore, and they weren't going to intrude on them now. Not now, not ever again. His voice unexpectedly soft, he looked into Scott's eyes and whispered, "Love you, Scotty." **** "Sorry Babe. Not tonight I think... you have a headache." That hadn't been the answer he was hoping for, obviously. He felt his anger at Rhyno flare again. Damn the man for being such an asshole. He and Chris hadn't even made it to 'Day 2' before the man had interfered in their budding relationship in one of the worst ways. Not that he wasn't capable of spending time with Chris without being consumed by matters of the flesh, but it was only the second day, damn it. They had a hell of a lot of time to make up for and it had gotten derailed by that obnoxious spiteful bitch. But... Adam couldn't actually be upset with Chris for denying him when he was looking out for Adam's own welfare. Wasn't life a bitch? He had resigned himself, with a pout, to taking whatever Chris would give him, when Chris reared over him and gave into his previous plea with some gentle kisses. Couldn't deny him anything, eh? That was surely nice to know. Adam was sure that would be tested greatly in the near future. For now, he just wanted to test this particular instance. He hadn't moved more than an inch or two when Chris gracefully cut him off. "Nah-ahh Lover. You are not running this show..." Okay. He could be a lump, really he could. Chris could do whatever he wanted with said lump. He honestly couldn't stop himself from licking his lips at that thought. It was instinctive. "...No matter how sex... stop licking your lips like that!.. .sexy you are." Wide, innocent eyes, he simply grinned at his lover. Chris' little striptease had his full attention. The man standing above him... all blond, golden, and hard as a rock... would have commanded anyone's attention. Blissfully, he indulged himself in just looking for the moment. He was tempted to reach a hand to those golden thighs, but mindful of his lump status, he laid still as Chris teased his foot along the twitching muscles of his abdomen. "Turn onto your front Adam. Cuddle the pillow for me Babe... and... lift one leg up so there's.... room." Using his movements to hide the instinctive shiver of arousal, Adam readily complied with Chris' directions. It didn't help much since he shivered once again when he was cuddled up to the pillow. It almost scared him, the intensity with which he wanted this, but he couldn't deny it. He loved Chris, he'd already admitted that to himself even if he hadn't admitted it to Chris yet, and this wanting would probably be a constant companion to him now. The warm breath blowing against his neck drew yet another shiver from him. He wanted to help, despite Chris' admonishment, but he'd try his best to lie still if that's what Chris wanted. "Tell me if it hurts." His breath hitched slightly, but not due to any kind of pain. There was still a dull ache in his head, a twinge here and there with the bruising on his back, but his ribs were still blessedly numb from the injections. Even if he had felt any pain, Chris' gently wandering tongue and lips would have distracted him from it. He could feel the warm, moist trail down his spine even moments later as Chris reached the base of it. "You feeling good Babe?" His hips shifted instinctively with the warm air blowing against the base of his spine, forcing his swollen flesh against the sheets beneath him. He moaned quietly against the pillow and nodded his head before lifting it to toss a low-lidded look over his shoulder. "Perfect. Beyond perfect. It would probably reach blissful in a rather short amount of time, if you could find just a tiny bit of pity inside you and give me what I want." Switching from sensual to teasing in the blink of an eye with a shameful grin, he laughed. "After all, I did give you a rather nice compliment earlier and I'd appreciate you making me scream like a little fangirl about right now." **** The only word Jeff could conjure in his adrenalin addled brain was... magnificent. Mark was just... magnificent. When Jeff had spotted Mark coming down the hall behind Richard, he'd been flooded with first relief, here was someone who'd help him, then shame that it was Mark who'd found him and Richard in such a nasty little�scene. An hour ago his head had been so full of plans to prove to Mark he was worthy of the big man's friendship and now he was seeing Jeff embroiled in some spat with an ugly echo from his recent�past. Despite the embarrassment of Mark, of all people, being his saviour, Jeff couldn't help but feast his eyes on the spectacle of the gorgeous, growly man intimidating Rick with only a few words. The smarmy bastard had gone from Mr. Testosterone to cringing schoolgirl when a man with more balls and class than he'd ever hope to have, made his presence known. Watching Mark put Richard's teeth through the back of his skull gave Jeff an unholy thrill of satisfaction that he didn't even try to suppress. His friend�had moved so quickly, Jeff had barely managed to blink before Richard was on the ground at his feet, whimpering, while Mark said something that caused the fat man to go even whiter than he had when that wicked arm-lock was first applied. Feeling curiously detached from the scene in front of him, Jeff observed the security guys coming up behind Mark and the expressions on their faces. Expressions that had Jeff instantly straightening up and trying to tuck his hair into some semblance of order. That freak Hardy in some trouble again. Typical. He missed the change in those faces to anger and disgust on his behalf, a little too preoccupied with not looking like a victim�in front of�people he had a lot of respect for. Whatever Mark said to the other men was lost as Jeff tried to pull his frayed nerves back together. The word 'quit' penetrated and caused a slight frission of�laughter�to course along his spine, Dom would not be happy to have his eyes and ears thrown out of the WWE backstage area, not happy at all. As far as Jeff was concerned Dom could eat shit and die, but he really didn't want any fallout from this little encounter to touch Mark. No way. He'd keep the big man clear of this, no matter the cost. You okay, darlin'? The warm honey surrounding those gentle words pulled him slowly from his contemplation of Dom's outraged face�and back into the now empty corridor.�Mark was looking at him with so much concern in his eyes that Jeff's heart wanted to shatter. His instinctive urge was to walk into those strong, strong arms and howl with both�laughter and agony. Damn Richard to the�Nine Hells�for bringing this into his time with Mark. The man already knew Jeff was walking on some sort of emotional tightrope, now he'd wonder if Jeff had any more baggage waiting to fall on them. But he'd come looking for Jeff. Come down that endless hallway and put the man who'd threatened�him to the ground at Jeff's feet. Mark was still here. Standing in front of him, hand out like he was asking Jeff to trust him. A slow blink. Another. Nope, nothing had changed.�Jeff realised that Mark actually was still standing there and more fantastically... had just called Jeff 'Darlin''. Jeff looked at Mark's proffered hand for a moment before taking the small step to allow him into the big man's personal space. Threading his fingers through Mark's longer ones, he curled his other hand around a strong forearm and rested his head against one beautifully tattooed shoulder. Jeff doubted Mark would mind him leaning on him like this, he'd offered his hand after all. Just maybe hadn't expected Jeff to take the whole arm as well. But he'd only be a minute. Not even that. Just a few moments to soak up�Mark's presence like a sponge, to refuel his flagging batteries so that�he'd have�the courage to step back and look Mark in the eye and explain just who that was. He doubted that after he explained, he'd ever get to touch Mark again. Feeling the bicep muscle beneath his forehead bunch as Mark began to move, Jeff sighed softly and stepped away, giving the man his arm back. Or at least he tried to, but his hand wasn't co-operating. It insisted on staying in Mark's despite his mental commands to let go. Oh well. Since when had his body ever obeyed his brain�when Mark was around? Better get it over with. The coward in him kept his eyes on their linked hands, but at least his mouth had more guts. "I'm fine, had worse in the ring. He..." dammit just spit it out already, "...his name's Rick and he's buddies with my ex. Me and Dom... ah... 'it didn't end well', would be the polite way of putting it and Rick thought he'd get some back for his friend. Mark I'm..." This time he did look up into those bottomless green eyes, "...so very sorry you had to get involved in that. You shouldn't be in this... not you." He'd said the last as an unconscious whisper, but from the change in Mark's eyes he hadn't been quiet enough. Still, it was true. Mark didn't need the drama of Jeff's old fucked up love life coming into his world and he held too much of Jeff's heart to let him risk his friendship with the man over something as trivial as Richard's octopus hands. Looking away, Jeff tried his tug-boat impersonation again, pulling Mark back up the hall towards his fallen coat. But Mark wasn't moving. **** Shawn looked so cute when he woke that Hunter was inclined to kiss his nose again and tell him so. Except he doubted his lover would respond well to the �cute� comment even if it was true. That he also looked adorable, sweet and incredibly beautiful would probably send him through the roof, so Hunt refrained from unloading his heart like that. God, he just had to be in love didn�t he? To be so fucking soft and poetic about a man who could kick his ass from here to next Tuesday, had to be a sign of love� or a severe disorder. One or the other. His lover was also strong and pushy if his actions to get Hunter on the couch were any indication of his personality. Giving in with grace, Hunter eyed the dubious stability of the piece of furniture with an eyebrow that would make Rocky proud. If they ended up in the level below them in a cloud of plaster, then he�d blame Shawn. Toeing off his shoes Hunter thought about the probability of disaster if he too tried to drape himself across Dave and ruled out that option as hazardous to their health. Deciding not to put too much pressure on one side, Hunter settled himself at the far end of the couch to his lovers and tangled their legs together in a way guaranteed to start something. Not that he wanted to finish it here, Hunt had much better plans for that later, but starting was always good. Chilling on the couch while they waited to be released for the night would be fun, as long as no-one accidentally managed to kick another in the balls that is. Tucking one foot under Shawn�s hip, Hunter wriggled his toes until he got a reaction from his lover. Grinning unrepentantly, he trailed his other sock coated heel up the inside of Dave�s thigh, watching with unabashed pleasure as the dress pants bunched and moved with his ministrations. Draping his arms across the back and side of the couch as if he were in a hot tub, Hunter rested his temple on his fist and ignored what his feet were doing. Don't have a castle. Shawn�s words and the hand on his thigh still didn�t quash Hunt�s roving toes. He almost... almost said, �I�ll buy one for you Darling.� But he knew exactly the kind of reaction that kind of comment would get him from his best friend. One of their few real fights as friends, this morning�s monstrous debacle not included, had taken place when Hunter had bought Shawn an extravagantly expensive present, a Ducati motorcycle, for no reason other than Shawn had admired one at a motor show they�d been attending. Hunt hadn�t thought it was an issue. Shawn did. He had let Hunter know, in no uncertain terms, that much as he appreciated the sentiment, if he ever did anything so impulsive with his money for Shawn again, he�d find himself with said motorcycle shoved where the sun most definitely did not shine. Hunter had been bewildered by Shawn�s vehemence, but he�d let the subject go and been very careful to only buy his friend appropriate gifts on his birthday and Christmas. Still, he�d consoled himself some months later when he�d visited Shawn at his home in Texas to find the bike, in pristine condition, in pride of place in Shawn�s garage. Hunter wondered if now that he was Shawn�s lover, he�d be allowed to buy him things. Dave too. The man liked vintage cars and Hunter knew several people who specialized in� Dave�s dark eyes were fixed on him in a freakishly knowing way, so Hunter quickly suppressed any notion of big gifts for the next few weeks� well days at least. Thinking of something to divert that intense chocolate stare, Hunter looked at his watch. �We should only be here for another hour. They�re almost finished with the taping and I�ve ruled out any more meetings till Friday.� It was his typical managing style to make that decision for the three of them, but hey, he wanted to spend time with Shawn and Dave without the worry of work getting between them. Beside, he really, really needed to stay away from his father-in-law for a few days or there would be violence and mayhem and it wouldn�t be confined to the ring. Thoughts of Vince inevitably led to thoughts of Stephanie and her words from last night came to haunt him. Hunt doubted very much the family dinner she�d organized for tomorrow night would still be on the cards. What with her father and husband at odds over his lovers, even Steph couldn�t make that a happy affair. Speaking of Steph� �What did you mean about Steph earlier Dave? Did she say something to piss you off too?� Because if she did Hunter and she would be having words. Well, he�d be having words, Steph would be listening and then telling him off for something or other that would have nothing to do with his anger in the first place. They didn�t argue like normal people. **** Watching as Hunt slid down to the floor next to Shawn so that he could wake him up, Dave noticed the heated look that Hunter shot in his direction. Oh lord. He barely restrained himself from reaching down and stroking his hand over the extremely interested bulge that look had produced for him. Ruthlessly pushing away that reaction, he was hoping for their next encounter to include something much more comfortable like say a bed, Dave watched as Hunt kissed Shawn awake. "Good morning Sleeping Beauty." Dave couldn't stop the grin that lit his face. Sleeping Beauty? Shawn most certainly was that. Dave returned Shawn's kiss and smiled as Shawn prodded Hunter to join them on the couch. He wanted to laugh at the way Hunter was looking at the piece of furniture, but didn't. Surely the thing was sturdy enough to hold all three of them. If it wasn't, then they'd shortly be sitting on a much shorter couch. Hunter settled in without incident, at least as far as the couch was concerned, though Dave couldn't say the same about his own personal condition. Hunt had just about flattened him with the voyage his foot was making up his thigh. And Hunter had adapted an almost bored look. So not fair. "Don't have a castle." Dave could almost hear Hunter saying that he'd buy Shawn one though it went unsaid. The way he had looked at Shawn though, he suspected that the thought had occurred. Hunter had better not plan on buying him a 'castle' or anything nearly that costly. Dave had nothing against gifts, but there were better things for Hunter to spend his money on than some extravagant, too costly gift for him. "We should only be here for another hour. They�re almost finished with the taping and I�ve ruled out any more meetings till Friday." Thank god. Dave gave up any thoughts of gifts or what not and instead concentrated on the fact that in another hour he could be alone with Hunt and Shawn. He was just a tad nervous about whatever Hunter might have in store for them, but he wouldn't dwell on that either. Instead he would try to suppress his nervousness over the confession he had yet to make to Shawn. He also had to reaffirm his words to Hunter earlier. He didn't want Hunter thinking it was all a line, that he hadn't meant it. "What did you mean about Steph earlier Dave? Did she say something to piss you off too?" Whoops! He'd almost forgotten about that. Hopefully Hunter would keep the rest of the comments he'd made to Mark to himself. "No," he said right away. He didn't want Hunter to get worked up and yell at Steph. "She walked in here earlier and caught Shawn and I in pretty much the same position that Mark caught you and I in, only we were still in our towels." He couldn't control the blush brought on by the memory of that particular moment. "She was a little incensed over the possibility that you might walk in on the two of us because she thought it would upset you. She gave us both hell, then Shawn explained to her that you wouldn't be at all upset about it. Then she, um, kind of bounced around like a rubber ball and wanted all the details. Everything's cool. I owe Mark an apology for taking everything out on him though." **** to be continued...

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