"ITVR: Chapter 73"
Decisions.

By Jadedoll, Penumbren, & Raising Kane

Feeling the mild burning in his ass begin to relent as the warm water drizzled over it, Hunter fiddled momentarily with the small packet of complimentary soap, before giving up and tearing the pale blue paper with his teeth. The absolute best thing in the world about being rich and moderately famous was the luxury of Hunter�s living standards. Showers he could actually step into without needing to duck his head or scrape his shoulders, beds that were long enough to accommodate not just one guy, but three. Such small, insignificant little things that when found, made life that much more comfortable. A sharp hiss from his own lips had Hunter looking down at the sudden pain coming from his wrist. He hadn�t noticed it last night what with the mind-blowing orgasms and all, but he had more than one graze on his skin from the bindings he�d been in. Rinsing off the sting-causing soap, Hunter spied a small splinter just near the base of his thumb that must have been the bedhead�s final retaliation before its death. No chance of getting it out with water gushing down on his head, he�d just have to ask one of his two... check that TWO� gorgeous lovers to play doctor for him. Smirking a moderately-famous smirk at that salacious thought, Hunter was pulled from images of Shawn and Dave in lab coats and very little else, by a change in the air temperature near his ass. The slight puff of breeze heralded a soft as a feather caress over the sensitized flesh of his backside and that sinfully hoarse voice near his ear teasing, Very nice, Hunter. You will have to share, you know. �Anything,� was Hunter�s genuine, nauseatingly romantic mental reply. Having the benefit of a brain that could master his tongue� when he chose... Hunt decided to save the love-talk for when he and Shawn weren�t sliding slippery naked flesh against slippery naked flesh. Keeping his reddened wrist under the water, Hunter reached his arm back towards Shawn and gently looped his best friend around the neck. Tugging him around, Hunter stood them both under the spray for several seconds, enjoying the simple, lovely sensation of his beloved resting against him. Holding Shawn�s temple against his collarbone, Hunt rested his cheek on the darkened gold of Shawn�s hair and soaked up more than the heat of the shower. �I never thought I�d have this.� It wasn�t his perennial guilt speaking now, only Hunter�s honest sense of wonder at the turn of events that had shattered his life in one night and given him heaven not eight hours later. Pulling Shawn back so Hunt could look into the mesmerizing dusky blue eyes, Hunter ran his fingers up to those dangerous cheekbones and back down to rest on Shawn�s neat-muscled shoulders. �Next time I try to run, you have permission to use a tranq gun �kay?� Seeing the humour sparkle in Shawn�s eyes, Hunter was glad, so very glad, that they still had this. Because if they couldn�t be friends, couldn�t give each other hell while holding hands then Hunter would just give it all up. He needed his best friend�s smile like he needed air and breathing was the third most important thing in Hunt�s life right now. �Have to share do I? Well, you don�t take up much space so I guess I can be generous.� Leaning down just enough to brush his lips over Shawn�s, Hunter sank into the sweet taste of his beloved, wet skin conveying deep throbs of pleasure to Hunter�s long neglected sex. He�d been horny when he awoke to a naked Shawn in his bed, grappling with Dave certainly hadn�t cooled him off and if he didn�t do something about it soon, Hunter was almost ready to believe he�d never have blood above his navel again. Then �Naked Dave� came into the shower and Hunter never had a chance. Relinquishing control of his body to his cock with a happy sigh, Hunt leaned into those large, caressing hands as they worked wonders across his back and legs. The slide of soap bubbles had created an easy glide between burning skin and Hunter gave a small moan at the sensation of being surrounded by his lovers' bodies, pressed so intimately close to his. Shawn at his front, Dave against his back, treated to the glorious feel of smooth flesh and drugging kisses on all sides. Not even entertaining any thoughts of panic, Hunter released one hand from Shawn�s back and reached up to stroke the hot satin along Dave�s neck and ear. Motions that became more urgent as one large, too-clever-for-words hand, wrapped around Hunter's aching shaft. Dave�s strong shoulder took the weight of Hunter�s head as he tossed it backwards, spine arching against the simultaneous pleasure of Dave�s hand and Shawn�s rapacious lips. His free hand tangling once again in Shawn�s glistening hair, Hunter tried not to pull too tightly as Dave�s wonderful strokes brought him closer and closer to completion. Someone's most definitely awake now. You didn't need that coffee after all, did ya? Much as he enjoyed banter during sex, Hunter had lost any brain power the moment Dave had touched his cock and anything more witty than �Guh,� was beyond him at that point. just have to do something about this�won't we, darlin'? Maybe it was the darlin�, such an unlikely nickname for him that Hunter couldn�t help the curl of his lips every time the dark man said it, maybe it was the increased pace of Dave�s strokes, that had Hunter panting and groaning like a wanton. More likely though, it was just the presence of them, of Dave and Shawn, skin to skin, touching him, loving him, near him, that sent Hunter spiraling over the edge and into the blistering ecstasy of climax. How he managed not to drown was anyone�s guess. **** "How did I know that was coming?" Manfully restraining from sticking his tongue out at his lover, if only because he could already hear Scott's instant response, Kevin's lips curved in response to the grin on Scott's face. Damn, was he getting soft. But... for Scott, he wasn't going to complain. For Scotty, he'd do anything... even sacrifice his tightly-held grumpy tough-guy image. Not that the man in his arms would ever ask him to do such a thing, but if the choice were ever there to make, Kevin knew what his decision would be. "Actually... I was thinking..." Chuckling slightly, Kev bit back the too-obvious response---this time---and waited. Scott's thoughts were more than worth following up on most of the time, no matter what Scotty might think. Of course, he seemed to have gained confidence over the last year, which made Kevin happy. Their separation had been hell, but it seemed to have had good results for both of them, if only by making them both face themselves. "Maybe we should call around and see if anyone is up for lunch?" That was an excellent idea. Shawn had not-so-subtly told them yesterday that he didn't need their watchful eyes on him anymore, thankyouverymuch, but Kevin knew that he'd never get completely over the need to make sure that his family---their family---was safe. Shawn was undoubtedly in good hands, some of the best, really, but he still wanted to see him. And seeing Sean and Glen would be nice... and maybe he'd give Mark a call, too. They'd blown the poor guy off the night before, and he felt a little bad about that, since Mark had really looked like he needed someone to talk to, especially after their little "conversation" about the Hardy kid and that encounter with Dave. Yeah, he was going to invite Mark. And maybe... grinning to himself, Kevin couldn't stop the semi-hopeful thought that maybe he'd be inviting Jeff, too. An odd pairing, maybe, but if Hardy didn't stomp all over Mark's feelings, the kid might actually be good for his long-time friend. Mark had been far, far too withdrawn for the last few years... and very much too alone. Returning Scott's kiss, allowing himself a soft caress across his lover's shoulder blades as Scotty moved slowly across him and off the bed, he watched carefully as Scott walked gingerly across the room. He would not offer to help. He would not. As much as he dearly wanted to, he would not trample on Scott's feelings like that. Even if he did wince every time Scotty had to pause in his steps. "We can shoot the breeze while we eat and then head to the airport." Nodding, Kevin started to reach for the phone, but stopped at Scott's next words. "I think... I think we should tell the guys that we're going... home... together, if you want to." If he wanted to? Scott was gone into the bathroom before Kevin could respond, but he was sure that the smile on his face would be lighting up the room if it was still dark. Telling their friends and family that they were together again was something he'd been dreaming of being able to do ever since he'd walked into their house and found Scott's belongings, his presence, gone. His reaction to that hadn't been pretty, and he still winced a little as he remembered it. Poor Sean... but he was incredibly glad that he hadn't been alone to make that particular discovery. Without Sean there, God only knows what he might have done. Shaking his head a little at his wandering thoughts, he picked up the phone. He'd start with Glen and Sean, since they'd probably need the most time. Shawn might not be a morning person, but Sean made that statement seem like nothing. "Don't you have better things to do than call around waking people up?" Laughing outright, Kevin smirked into the phone as he answered. Glen should know better than to hand him an opening like that; with family, he was never afraid to say exactly what he wanted to. "Nah... Scott's too sore this morning after last night, so I had to find someone else to bother. Your name just leapt to the top of the list, for some reason." "Don't look at me man, much as I like you Kev, you're just not my type." Snorting into the phone, Kevin assured Glen that the feeling was mutual. The guy was a hell of a nice guy and perfect for Sean, but Kev had only had eyes for Scotty since their first meeting, even if it had taken some years for them to even become friends through Shawn, let alone anything more. Shawn had been different---he was... Shawn. "Anyway, Scotty wanted to invite you all down for lunch. For some reason, he thought it might be nice to see your annoying faces before we all split up for the week." God, he was in a good mood. Winding up the conversation quickly, he dialed Hunter's room, somehow not surprised when he was put through to leave a message. Leaving a short invitation, and thinking that he really wouldn't be surprised if the trio showed up late, he dialed up Mark's room, his eyebrows raising when he realised it was right next to Sean and Glen's. That must have been interesting. Listening to the phone ringing, he frowned a little when he had to leave a message for Mark, too. That was unusual... he was usually up before anybody in the morning, but who knew what might have happened last night. Maybe he and Jeff had screwed each other senseless and were still recovering. Snickering at the unlikely image, Kevin hung up the phone and waited for Scott to come back. If Scotty wanted to invite anyone else down, he could make the calls while Kev took his shower. **** Letting his eyes drift shut under the hot spray of the shower, Shawn wrapped an arm around Hunter's waist for support as he settled his other hand on Hunter's shoulder. Just standing here like this, the two of them together, felt so right... so peaceful. All the fantasies he'd had for nearly a decade, all the dreams... they all paled in comparison to the reality, and it had only been a day. The start might not have been anything he'd fantasized it could be, but somehow, even the pain and the fight the previous day were right. Without that start, they wouldn't be where they were now: with each other... and with Dave. �I never thought I�d have this.� Only the obvious quiet joy lacing Hunter's words kept Shawn from smacking his lover. The surprised contentment running through the soft statement took away any immediate response he might have had, though, and left him opening his eyes to smile up at Hunter instead. The soft caress across his face stopped his words as a quiet sigh escaped him, unheard in the surrounding noise of falling water, but he knew that Hunter could see the answer in his eyes anyway. �Next time I try to run, you have permission to use a tranq gun �kay?� Laughing at that, Shawn nodded. That was one of the first things that had drawn him to Hunter---that goofy sense of humour that was so ever-present, that ability to never quite take himself seriously. Funny... Dave was similar in that regard, if not nearly so obvious about it most of the time. But it was good to know that taking their relationship to this next level hadn't changed the quintessential nature of it; their friendship was one of the supports of Shawn's life. Without Hunter at his side, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. Fortunately, that would never be a problem. �Have to share do I? Well, you don�t take up much space so I guess I can be generous.� Ooh. Now Hunt was just trying to get under his skin. Not that Shawn wasn't willing to let him do just that, but this wasn't the way that he'd enjoyed so much the night before, now, was it? Sticking his tongue out at his lover, his response was thwarted by the soft touch of Hunter's lips against his. Melting against Hunt with a sigh, Shawn returned the kiss, his fingers tightening on the slick skin underneath them. And then other fingers were on that same skin, caressing and touching, and Shawn moved back just enough to be able to see what Dave was doing, without losing Hunter's hand on his own body. Watching with avid eyes as Dave's hands brought Hunter to a squirming, moaning wreck, his own body twitched a little as Hunter's hand clenched in his hair.�The sight of Dave nibbling on Hunter's neck, that lovely dusky flesh melded against Hunter's tan... that was something Shawn could get used to very easily. And, lucky him, he would get used to it... as much as possible, anyway. He didn't doubt that the sight would always cause a reaction, but it would surely be just as lovely a reaction when it was a familiar, loved view as when it was, as now, an unexpected pleasure. "You didn't need that coffee after all, did ya?" Smiling, Shawn shook his head slightly, leaning forward to lay claim to those lips again as they parted, gasping for breath at Dave's ministrations. Losing himself in the flavour of Hunter's mouth, he could feel Dave stroking Hunter's hard length against his own belly in a way that would have been an amazingly arousing display if he hadn't worn himself out the night before. As it was, he was in the perfect position to enjoy the sight before him, and when Hunter threw his head back again as his body arched between them, Shawn forgot to breathe for a long moment as he stared. That was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen; the only thing that equaled it was the sight of Dave in the same state. Of course, he was willing to admit that he was biased, but not that he was wrong. Not about this. His lovers were the two most gorgeous men he'd ever seen, and since he loved... Blinking slightly, he stopped that thought abruptly, wondering just what in the world he was thinking. Whatever it was, it was apparently too much for the moment, since he met Dave's somewhat curious gaze as he brought himself back to the moment. The mere sight of those chocolate eyes made him smile, and he leaned up to press a kiss to Dave's lips before turning slightly, allowing the shower to wash away the evidence of what they'd just been doing. "I know what I want for my birthday," he rasped, feeling his inner aches as he turned away from the hot spray toward the door of the shower. Letting his fingers trail across both his lovers' bodies, his smile turned slightly wicked as he looked at them. "I want to watch you two make love to each other in front of the fireplace. Pictures may or may not be optional." Laughing quietly at the reactions, he edged past them and out the door, grabbing a towel to dry off with. Wandering out into the main room, he noticed the light on the phone blinking and wondered who had called them. With the goings-on�in the shower, it wasn't surprising at all that none of them had heard the phone ring, even with the door open. Sitting on the bed, he bit his lip as the weight of his own body reminded him rather forcefully of what he'd done the night before and he wondered if he'd ever learn to think about the after-effects of his own actions. Probably not, he admitted to himself with a small smile. He'd been smiling an awful lot this morning, hadn't he? Well, it was only right, he mused as he picked up the phone to listen to the message. Who wouldn't be happy to find themselves in the situation he was in? Two gorgeous, caring, wonderful lovers, both of them friends, and both of them completely in love with him... A small flicker of guilt ate at him at that thought. He'd been in love with Hunter for so long that he couldn't remember what it was like not to feel that way. But Dave... he didn't... he did... "...so if you three can drag yourselves out of bed for more than five minutes, and are still capable of standing---I'm not taking any bets on sitting---consider yourselves invited down to lunch. Don't worry... I'm not expecting you on time." Shawn couldn't help but laugh at the amusement in Kev's voice as the message played. Big Daddy knew them far too well. Hopefully Hunter and Dave would feel up to joining the others for lunch, because Shawn was sure that there were mixed motivations in the invitation. Scott and Kevin certainly wanted to spend some time with them before the four-day break... and they also certainly wanted to know how things were going between the three of them. Their over-protectiveness might be annoying, but Shawn had to admit, even if only to himself, that he'd miss it if they ever decided that he didn't need it anymore. Well, he'd wait until the other two were out of the shower and see what they thought; the message had been left fifteen minutes ago, so there was a good chance that Kev and Scotty were still in their room. Leaning forward slightly with a wince after hanging the phone up again, Shawn toweled his hair dry, not hearing any movement from the bathroom. Hopefully it wouldn't be too obvious how sore he was today; Hunter would probably feel guilty even though it had been Shawn's own impatient choice, and Dave would probably worry. His lips curving again, he couldn't help but enjoy the warm flush he felt at that thought. For the first time, he felt loved... and he never wanted to lose that feeling. **** As casual as he'd made it sound when he'd mentioned it to Kevin, Scott was excited about the possibility of telling the others about their plans. It was something he had never thought to have the chance to tell them and that he and Kevin had worked past their problems was damn near miraculous. Scott looked into the mirror and grimaced as he studied his less than pristine reflection. It had taken a good month after they'd started talking before Scott was able to address his real concerns with Kevin. The abandonment issues he'd had from Kevin walking out on him had weighed heavily between them. Even though Scott had known it was Kevin's last resort to make him realize what he was doing to himself, the fact that Kevin had actually left him had had him doubting every truth he'd ever known. The day that he'd moved his stuff from their house, Scott had felt even more incredibly lost, narrowly avoiding being pulled into another downward spiral. He'd spent the rest of the day locked up in the spare room in his apartment while he set up his motivation to fight the lure of the haze that a bottle of whiskey would have given him. Turning from the mirror, Scott started the water in the shower, leaving it lukewarm rather than hot as he normally preferred it. No way would his ass be able to handle anything beyond warm at this point. He stepped under the spray and wet his hair as he thought about those first few months that he had gone back to living on his own. He'd sworn that he was going to try to let thoughts of Kevin go because he was sure his lover was lost to him. It hadn't worked out that way though. Not only had Kevin been a dominating theme in his 'safe room', but he'd found himself seeking out places that they'd spent time together... the park they'd go to for an occasional picnic lunch, the theater where they went to movies, restaurants they'd frequented. It had gotten worse after the first time he'd spotted Kevin eating alone at one of their favorite restaurants. He'd taken a seat in the far corner and watched Kevin until he left, feeling almost like a stalker, yet unable to leave once he'd noticed the wistful expression on Kevin's face. He'd hoped that just maybe that look was there because Kevin was missing him as much as he'd been missing the big man. As he shampooed his hair, he remembered the day that he'd sat in the park, hoping that Kevin might show up. It was wishful thinking, of course, and Scott had pretty much given up hope. He'd been sitting on their favorite bench, listening to the far off sounds of kids playing, when he'd looked up and fallen directly into a pair of surprised green pools. He'd managed to work up a smile, holding it for an anxious moment or two while he waited for Kevin to make a decision. His hands had been shaking so fiercely that he'd had to clench them over the edge of the bench seat to hide his reaction. Just before he'd been overcome by the urge to bolt and hole up in his apartment for the next year or so, Kevin had approached the spot where he was seated and asked if the seat next to Scott was taken. It was such a trite and obvious line that they'd both started laughing. That had been one of the most emotionally scary moments that Scott had ever faced, but it had also been the start of their new beginning. And now... they were so much more than they had been, so much more than he'd ever hoped that they might be, that Scott couldn't help but want to share the news of their reconciliation. Smiling as he ran a soapy cloth over his body, Scott hissed slightly as the terrycloth brushed over the swell of his hip. He'd been so lost in his thoughts, that he'd temporarily forgotten his delicate condition. Snorting as he rinsed the soap from his body, Scott made a note to not ever use those particular words again, especially in Kevin's presence. After a final quick rinse of his hair, he stepped from the shower and toweled himself off before heading into the bedroom. Kevin was sitting on the bed, looking thoughtful. Smiling, Scott reached for the tube of cream on the nightstand before twisting the cap off of it. He was about to squeeze some into his hand, having decided to take care of the task himself because Kevin seemed distracted, when he noticed the look on Kevin's face change swiftly. A raised brow and a smile had him rolling his eyes. His name in that 'what do you think you're doing' tone had him handing the tube over to Kevin with a sigh and crawling onto the bed, face down. Shuddering slightly at the first touch of the cool cream against his backside, Scott threw a smirk over his shoulder. "Ya know, I'm completely capable of rubbing cream on my own ass. I'm a big boy now." And he was still at the point where he didn't want to fall back into the trap of having Kevin take care of him all that time. Scott was able to admit that that was really the point behind his words. He was capable of taking care of himself, though he'd done a poor job of it in the past, and he was scared of drifting back into their old patterns of behavior. He was over-reacting because he didn't want Kevin to see him as the weak person that he'd been. "Yes, but you don't have to..." Shaking his head at the look Kevin included with his little reprimand, Scott buried his face in the sheets and alternated between arching into Kevin's gentle touch and flinching away from it. There were a few spots that were still extremely tender, but he'd be fine and dandy in another ten minutes or so after the cream penetrated into those areas. Once Kevin was finished, Scott lazed around on the bed for a few minutes as his lover headed off to shower. He was getting all excited again, trying to figure out how to phrase their news and alternating between different scenarios which included letting Kevin be the one to make the announcement. When the sound of the water shutting off reached his ears, he climbed from the bed, a little faster than he had earlier. Stretching and smiling when he noticed that his aching behind was not nearly as tender as it had been, Scott went over to their bags and pulled out a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. He was most definitely skipping underwear today he thought, wincing at the idea of the binding material against his tender skin. Grabbing a brush from a bag, Scott ran it gently through his hair, smiling at Kevin as his lover returned to the room. "So... who did you get hold of? Anyone going to show up�to this impromptu lunch of ours?" **** Getting lost in the sight of Hunt and Shawn kissing like starving men at an all-you-can-eat buffet, Dave was more than thankful that Hunter wasn't in his bolt and run frame of mind. Holding onto a wet, soapy, slippery man bent on escape would have been almost impossible, but he would have had to try so that Hunter wouldn't hurt himself. Imagine having to try to explain to Vince why Hunter had broken his head by slipping on the linoleum all because he'd been trying to get away from them... in the shower. That was definitely not an explanation he wanted to have to make. Luckily, it seemed that Hunter was fine for the moment... actually more than fine from Dave's point of view and the evidence was the hard straining length sliding back and forth between his fingers. The silky flesh slipped easily against his palm thanks to the water pouring down on them while his other hand latched onto Hunter's hip, bracing his lover's weight against his own body. The fresh clean taste of Hunter's golden skin flowed over his tongue as he licked the curve of his shoulder. The weight of Hunter's head pressing against his own shoulder and the trail of long wet blond hair brushing his shoulder blade distracted him for just a moment, but that was enough. He tightened his grip at Hunter's hip and he caught the appreciative look on Shawn's face just before turning his head slightly to the side as Hunter moaned and came apart. Absolutely beautiful. It didn't matter at all that Hunter would smack him for saying it, those were exactly the words to describe his lover as he tumbled headlong into orgasm. He continued his smooth stroking, pulling the last of Hunter's release from him until his lover's weight collapsed against his body. Wrapping his arm across Hunter's waist to help support him, Dave smiled and looked at Shawn as the sticky evidence of Hunter's passion was washed from his hand by the water still showering over them. His expression turned from smiling to mildly curious. Whatever thoughts Shawn had slipped into seemed to have the man locked into an almost catatonic state. Then his lover blinked and Dave shook his head internally at his own fanciful thoughts. Likely it was just that Shawn had blissed out over what he'd just seen. He knew that he was fascinated by the sight of Hunter's passion, had dreamt about it for months on end... wondered what that moment would look like, sound like, feel like... and Shawn had ten years' worth of wondering to appease. Yeah, that was likely it. The gentle kiss pressed against his lips lured him into a wonderful sense of contentment. He smiled as Shawn declared that he knew what he wanted for his birthday. Whatever it might be, Dave was going to do his damnedest to make sure Shawn got it... no matter what it might be. The smooth slide of warm fingers over his skin kept him from noticing Shawn's expression at first, but once he did he felt a little tug of apprehension over the wicked smirk the blond was displaying. Just what in the world did Shawn want? "I want to watch you two make love to each other in front of the fireplace. Pictures may or may not be optional." While Dave had no problems at all with fulfilling Shawn's birthday wish, was even really turned on by the prospect, as soon as the word pictures left Shawn's mouth, Dave's dropped his head to Hunter's shoulder with a groan. He could feel the heat of the blush crawling into his cheeks as he peeked up at Shawn who was laughing himself silly. He was really going to have to get past this instinctive reaction at some point... really. It was just the thought of Shawn calmly moving closer to capture a picture of their joined bodies with the fire crackling in the background, which was the cause of his reaction. Both Shawn's and Hunter's birthdays were in a little over a month. Dave hadn't even thought that far ahead. The most he was hoping for by that time was that they were still together and that Hunter would have lost the urge to run when they were heading towards being intimate. Just because Hunter hadn't fled from the shower, did not mean that it might not happen the next time. He wasn't going to assume that they would have progressed to that point of intimacy by then either, no matter how much he craved it. Dave wanted Hunter completely comfortable with the idea before they took things that far. Until then... Dave grabbed the washcloth from the rack and used it to gently clean the evidence of Hunter's release from the golden skin covering his stomach and anywhere else it might have spilled over while pressing soft kisses along Hunter's shoulders. Once Hunter was squeaky clean, Dave shut off the water and hopped out, wrapping a bath towel around his waist. When Hunter stepped from the tub, Dave greeted him with another towel, drying him off slowly with it before kissing him thoroughly. "Love ya, darlin'," he said, grinning at Hunter's reaction before turning and wandering out of the bathroom. Drying the moisture off his own body as he walked over to where he'd left his clothes draped across a chair earlier, he shot another questioning look in Shawn's direction. There was that far away look on Shawn's face again and Dave wasn't sure whether to be pleased or worried that Shawn seemed to be so absorbed by his own thoughts. Knowing that his own thoughts earlier had wandered toward the extremes, he was leaning more towards worried. He was just slipping into his slacks when Shawn spoke, surprising him. "So... Kev and Scott have invited us to meet them for lunch... if we can make it out of bed." Dave rolled his eyes and grinned. Personally, he was going to guess that Scott and Kevin had very little room to talk about making it out of bed. Especially if Shawn had been correct when he had guessed at their recent reunion. "What do you two think? I think it'd be nice to just sit and visit with them for a while." Buckling his belt and then shrugging into his pale blue dress shirt, Dave smiled in the direction of his lovers. "Fine by me. I'm ready for the interrogation," he said with a wink. "But before we head down there, I wanted to ask you both something." Something that he'd been wondering about since yesterday, if truth be told. "What happens after lunch? I have a flight home this afternoon," he said biting his lip slightly, "so... should I pack now or call and cancel my ticket?" **** His throat hurt. Swallowing, Mark forced himself to relax, trying not to hold his breath as he watched Jeff, waiting for a reaction, an explanation... something to explain why the younger man seemed so damned obsessed with staying with him. He just wasn't expecting laughter. Frowning in confusion that was beginning to turn into concern by the time Jeff quieted down again, Mark watched, speechless, as his whirlwind laughed at him. It wasn't derogatory or mocking laughter, but seemed to contain some sort of humour that completely missed him. Trying to ignore the worry and the self-consciousness that wanted to clench his guts, he was aware of the almost hysterical note in Jeff's laughter. It had to be some kind of stress relief... but the almost sad note in the quiet noises as the loud laughs died away made him want to reach out and... Dammit. The simple thought of having Jeff in his arms again was enough to send a hopeful wave through his body, followed almost immediately by the familiar cold of distance as he instinctively tried to wall himself away from those other feelings again. Not that it mattered. It had been too late for him to do that by the time they'd gotten to the room last night. "...if it had been any other man... was answered with laughter� well, I�d probably be dead by now." Mark felt his eyebrows raise. Not simply at the words, but at the sort of pained first-hand knowledge that they implied. God... he'd felt sorry for himself for so long for losing the love of his life... but what had Jeff been through? For the kind of up-and-down reactions he'd seen in the last day, a hell of a lot more than he had ever experienced, and Mark was starting to believe that Jeff had been through more than anybody ever should be. Pulling his attention back to the man in front of him, he realised that his anger and hurt were cooling to a sort of indefinite pain, compared to the blistering agony that he'd felt right after waking up. His instincts were screaming at him to move closer, to pull Jeff into the protective circle of his arms... his brain was telling him to stay the hell away until they figured out what was going on. "Even now, even with that anger at me burning in you, you�d never hurt me. It�s true�" It absolutely was... but how did Jeff know that? Because he obviously did. The certainty in his voice would have rocked Mark... except that Jeff's next words made him forget his surprise. ��even in your anger you are� more �than anyone I�ve ever known. You say you�re no prize? I say bullshit Mark Calaway, you�re a prize I�d like to win�if I can stop ruining it with my own damn problems. You are�.� What? Breathe. Breathe, dammit. Jeff wanted to win him? Jeff wanted to win him? The sheer sincerity took his breath away. �You are beautiful.� Thank god he hadn't blushed in decades. That statement was so innately false that he wanted to accuse Jeff of lying to soften him up... but he could see that that wasn't the case. Jeff's eyes showed every emotion he felt, and all that Mark could see in them right now was certainty, sincerity, admiration... and... something else. That locked-away spot in the back of his mind started to scream for attention, and Mark stomped on it. Whatever that "something else" might be, this wasn't the time to ask, let alone start prodding around in his own hidden feelings. Ignoring that Shawn-like voice that pointed out that this was probably the perfect time to do exactly those things, Mark found himself caught up in Jeff's soft drawl as his whirlwind started speaking again. "...I like watching you, looking at you... I wanna know everything about you, what you like, who you are... I don�t just want more. I want to devour the whole bottle." Listening to those words, emotion vibrating through each one, Mark felt the icy wall around his heart start to melt. He'd been worried about a one-night stand? This... this was absolutely the farthest thing from that. He knew that his absolute shock at what Jeff was saying was clear on his face, but he couldn't hide it. No one... except Shawn... had ever felt like this about him. And even Shawn hadn't felt like this. Hell, Mark hadn't felt like this before. Wondering just how the hell he was going to put anything he was feeling into words, Jeff solved the problem for him with one last breath-taking demonstration of stunningly brave honesty. �So I guess� I want to know you, be around you and if you�ll let me, I want to fall for you Mark.� Smiling a little at Jeff's qualification, Mark realised that he wasn't angry anymore. Still hurt, yes; that would take some time to fade, even after working through the misunderstanding... and there was still more to discuss about that misunderstanding, just not now. But this... this was... beyond belief. This gorgeous, enticing, mysterious man in front of him... wanted to fall for him. Wanted him. For more, much much more, than just a one-night stand. "I..." Mark stopped before he could finish the sentence, not even quite sure what he'd been about to say. Gathering his thoughts as much as possible, he shook his head before meeting Jeff's gaze again. "God, Jeff. You... I don't know what to say. You sit there and tell me that you... you want to fall for me, and I..." Dammit, he didn't want to just stutter incoherently. Taking a breath, he shifted again to lean forward... only to be interrupted by the phone ringing. Of all times... casting a sidelong glare at it, he waited through the obligatory four rings before it kicked over to the message recording. Looking back at Jeff, Mark gathered his courage. What he was about to say went against every self-protective instinct he'd developed in the last seven years, but... it was the only thing he could say. "If you want to fall for me... I want you to," he said slowly, his drawl lengthening the vowels. His voice rebelled against the rest of what he wanted so badly to say, but he just couldn't quite verbalise that the reverse was true, too. Hopefully Jeff would be able to see that in his eyes... if not, he'd just have to show him... until he was finally able to say it. He could hear Shawn laughing in the back of his mind, but ignored it as he moved up to his knees, a pained grunt escaping him at the move. Reaching out across the space separating them, he laid hesitant fingers against Jeff's cheek, his eyes asking unspoken questions. This wasn't the end of the discussion---it was only the beginning. They had so much more that they'd have to talk about, more probably than either of them even knew... but right this minute, Mark didn't care. For the first time in years, he was following his heart. Hopefully it wouldn't be returned to him in pieces. **** For a breathless moment Chris couldn't be entirely sure Adam wasn't about to take off Steve's hand at the wrist. There was just this 'look' to his lover's face that either meant, 'I've already given you a warning so behave' or 'loss of hand at wrist in five, four, three..." While Austin being handed his ass by Adam would have�been a win for�CJ in his running game of one-up-man-ship with the bald man, Chris really wasn't physically prepared to handle another fracas... and neither were his lover's ribs, codeine or no codeine. Moving slowly to his feet, Chris shifted�around Adam's vacated chair and tickled his fingers softly over his lover's ear. "C'mon Babe. I think Steve might want his legs back sometime soon." The delicate skin along Adam's hairline was warm to touch and gave Chris an equally warm thrill, despite their morning's romp. Adding to his mental�'to do' list,�a note to find out what that drift of skin smelled and tasted like, Chris gently cupped Adam's jaw and turned�his beloved's�sexy, drugged-up face towards him... ...and discovered that Adam wasn't anywhere near as high as he was making out. Oh yeah, the blissed out, distracted air was all there and probably genuine, but lurking clearly in those wide, emerald eyes was just, sheer... wickedness. Shaking his head minutely, Chris almost mouthed, 'crazy bastard', before the instinct to join in the fun overcame him. Keeping the 'what the fuck' expression on his face, Chris used the slightly tighter grip he had on the back of Adam's neck, to pull�the taller man off Austin and into his own non-groping chair.�Deciding to let Adam play this out to wherever he wanted was one thing, leaving Adam in another man's lap, with another man's hand on his ass was something else. CJ might be a generous and easy-going lover by nature, but that was the kinda shit that brought out a very well-hidden jealous streak. Setting himself between the two, Chris smiled indulgently at Adam's warm-hearted and totally trouble-making attempts to distract Austin. He knew the two men didn't have much in common, so for Adam to try and help his friend was just another reason that his beautiful lover made parts of Chris go all soft and squishy... as opposed to the reverse effect on other parts of Chris. Ignoring the smug expression in Austin's pale blue eyes, although he was actually quite pleased to see it instead of that nasty 'lost' look from earlier, he shifted Adam's former seat until he was so close to the other blond that 'personal space' was just a jumble of letters. "Babe... ?" Okay, maybe 60% drugs, 40% goof. "Adam... ?"�Err... Chris felt he might have been being generous with his percentages�if his lover's vacuous expression was anything to go by. "Can I have some cake, Love?" Because Adam seemed quite unnaturally possessive of that dark brown confectionary and CJ was trying to assess what in this game was play and what was real. Nope. Angels ain't allowed to eat devil's food cake, Chris snorted before he could help himself.�Calling him an Angel, no matter how�flattering, was just wrong on so many levels,�but yeah,�cake that rich was all Satan's creation, no question.� ...I thought you liked cheesecake... when we get back home. CJ knew it was now he who was staring into space with an unnaturally happy expression. Home. Sure, he liked his place, he had a music studio, his wall of honour and�an obscenely massive�pool that totally kicked ass... but... to have a home because Adam was sharing it with him... that was just cool. Looking back towards his lover to check that Adam really was right in the head and he wasn't being just taken for a ride, Chris caught the puckered lips and the 'fish-kisses' expression the moment that Jay and Bunnykins came over to them. Keeping his expression free of a give-away return of 'kisses', CJ saved the room from mass nausea by shifting his chair again and making even more room between Adam and Austin. Even loving them both as much as he did, his lover and his best friend touching each other was just... eeewww. Ty and Jay were looking more like a couple today and less like 'people sharing a room and having sex, but not really pleased with each other' as they had yesterday. What exactly had happened was anyone's guess, CJ had been dealing with his own fallout from�yesterday after all, but if the assault on Adam... breathe Chris, breathe... had any kind of silver lining, then the minor reconciliation between his friends was it. "Hello, hello, hello," Jay chorused to the three of them with a smile evolving from concern for Adam, cheerful for CJ and faintly nervous for Steve. " How're your ribs Adam my man... did they... hey! Do you get that? ADAM and RIBS you know? Like garden of Eden? If you keep busting up your ribs like Hardy does that mean we get some naked chick in a fig leaf? You know? ADAM'S RIB?" Jason looked around the table hopefully. "Get it?" Chris rested his forehead on the table and hoped he wouldn't�have cake crumbs stuck to it, Steve was grinning like a loon and looking like he might make comments about Chris in a fig-leaf, while Adam might or might not have been considering more drugs. Tyson, with ease of long-familiarity, remained silent. **** "Um. Adam... Babe?" He'd learned his lesson when he shook his head earlier, so Adam carefully turned to look at Chris. He was thrilled when the room didn't spin out of control, but catching the look in Chris' eyes, he thought maybe he'd rather face the spinning. Chris wasn't upset, but he wasn't thrilled by what was happening either. "Codeine is your 'happy place' isn't it Lover?" He wanted to stick his tongue out at Chris and tell him that while codeine certainly gave him an elevated feeling of happiness, it hadn't made him insane... there was a purpose to his madness after all. But if he did that then he'd blow his cover and Steve would know this was all a ruse to cheer him up. No way in hell was that getting out... it'd ruin the brooding, serious reputation that he'd worked so hard to cultivate. Doing this right now was safe because there weren't any witnesses except for Chris and Austin... he couldn't see either of them standing around for a gossip session in the locker room. "He always this friendly first thing in the mornin' Kitten? Or did you actually screw his brains out last night?" Okay... maybe safe wasn't the word he was looking for here. Since Austin was focused on Chris, he felt at ease glaring at the man for reducing him to a blond airhead. That glare increased when he noticed the placement of Austin's hand. Oh sure, try to do something nice for the guy and he forgets all about the warning he was issued Monday night. Adam didn't have access to a pool cue at the moment, but he was sitting in close proximity to a fork. Nah. If he tried for Austin's hand, he'd end up stabbing himself in the ass knowing his luck. His head was hazy enough that he couldn't quite guarantee his aim right now. Luckily, Chris rescued him before he decided to chance it anyway. "C'mon Babe. I think Steve might want his legs back sometime soon." Uh huh and that wasn't Chris' only motivation if Adam was reading the situation correctly. Had he tried to spark jealousy in his lover on purpose... nope. Was he going to be upset because it had been the result anyway... another huge nope. Grinning vacuously at Chris and nuzzling against the blond's hand, he allowed Chris to remove him from Austin's lap. Whew. That'd been too close for comfort. He really needed to think his plans through more thoroughly in the future. Of course thinking hadn't been top on his priority list when he'd hatched his plan. It seemed that he had succeeded in his little plot, even if it hadn't ended quite the way he'd thought it would. Austin did seem to be a bit more cheerful and he had laughed. That was something... right? "Babe... ?Adam... ?" And besides... he was having fun at the moment. It had been so long since he'd done something so... silly, so out of bounds for the character that he'd constructed for his co-workers and the public. "Can I have some cake Love?" He'd string it out just a little longer before letting Chris off the hook. Why not? It wasn't any worse than their teasing about Shelton the past couple of days... right? "Nope. Angels ain't allowed to eat devil's food cake," he said with a grin. "'Sides... I thought you liked cheesecake. I'll save you some for when we get back home." Chris shifted at that moment, blocking him from Austin's view. Time for the teaser... Adam puckered his lips and made a kissy face at Chris, then gave him an extremely exaggerated wink. If he knew his lover at all... Chris would catch on to his hints. His sweetheart was an exceptionally bright man after all and more than used to pulling pranks of his own all the time. He caught the glimmer in Chris' eyes and knew that he'd been correct. Chris was obviously willing to let him play, though he hadn't missed the 'shifting of the chair' that seemed to widen the gap between him and Austin. His silly grin grew in proportion yet again. Catching movement from the corner of his eye, he barely managed to keep himself from laughing. Oh, this was going to be fun... Jay and Ty looked much cozier than they had the day before. He would forget about that little conversation with Jay that he was supposed to have had... for now, but he would definitely have to check in on the two over their break. Adam almost gave himself away when Jay started his little 'Adam's Ribs' bit. He wanted to join Chris in his face plant on the table, but decided to have fun with it instead. Putting his hand in front of his mouth as if he were supposed to be whispering to Chris, he said in an overly loud voice, "looks like Jay-Jay took his drugs this morning too." Turning to Jay with an unrepentant grin, he asked the question that they all had to be wondering about... "Why on earth would you want a naked chick in a fig leaf when you've got tall, dark, and growly over there?" Then he caught the reflection of light off of another bald head and tossed in a second question, just to add to his game, of course. "Ty... can I shave your head?" Sending a mock pout in Austin's direction, he turned back to the large man who was standing rigid beside the table with an odd look on his face. "Steve-O wouldn't let me, but I'd do a really good job... really. Watch." Taking his fork and his almost forgotten piece of cake, he used the edge of the fork to scrape a layer of frosting off the top. It was almost even too... except for the dent in the center, which had been done on purpose... of course. **** I want to watch you two make love to each other in front of the fireplace. Pictures may or may not be optional. The words penetrated the orgasmic haze that Hunter had been floating in since he'd returned to earth, or more precisely... water. He was leaning back against the large warm form of his dark skinned lover while Shawn was asking them to make love in front of the fireplace. For a second Hunter wondered if he'd missed the fireplace when they'd come into the room, being distracted by Shawn getting naked and all, but then comprehension returned as he realised the other blond meant�Shawn's fireplace. The big blue-stone one at his friend's house *cough* ranch *cough*, in Texas, that had been the clincher when Shawn�had bought the place. Ahhh... now he knew why Shawn got a kinda dreamy look in his eyes when he looked at the thing in the evenings.� Letting a huge, 'I just got off', smile broaden across his features, Hunter kept his eyes closed and just let the images of he and Dave getting horizontal on a rug fill his mind's eye. The face buried in the curve of his shoulder could have been the big, sexy man who'd just bought him to brilliant climax or it might be his friend Dave, who was just a tad shy about their wicked Shawn with his favorite digital camera. The idea of Shawn taking pictures of them really didn't phase Hunter in the slightest... as long as he could reserve the right to delete any he didn't like. A slight waft of cooler air across Hunt's wet skin, told him Shawn had just swanned out of the shower, probably with a very happy grin on his too-beautiful face. NakedDave was still cuddling Hunter and... oh nice... being Hunt's bath boy as well. The smooth glide of soapy cloth across his stomach was relaxing and Hunter stretched into the embrace like a contented tiger. Morning sex was just so... so... Blinking his eyes open at last, Hunt found himself alone in the shower while Dave, white towel draped sexily across lean hips, grinning at him with frightening indulgence. Placing a hand on the tiled wall, Hunt assessed his options while assessing Dave's magnificent physique so beautifully displayed, bronzed skin a delicious contrast to fluffy white. Now if the material would just slide a litter bit further south... Seeing that the last towel was held invitingly in his lover's dark hands, Hunter stepped from the shower and allowed Dave to give him a brisk and�intimately thorough dry-off. Lifting his arms helpfully, Hunter wondered when, exactly, he'd stepped into this fantastic dimension, where he was loved, washed, fucked and dried by gorgeous sexy, body servants. Because it was cool and he really, really wanted to stay. Love ya, darlin' Hunter was never leaving, in fact... he was gonna stage a coup and take over the WWE so that he, Dave and Shawn could just relax in bathing facilities whenever they felt like it. Cursing himself under his breath for being so lost in his fantasy that he hadn't responded to Dave's words, Hunter followed the cute, towel clad ass into the room and simultaneously planned their day, organised the take-over and wondered what to wear. us to meet them for lunch... if we can make it out of bed. Catching the tail-end of Shawn's sentence, Hunter snickered into his shirt at the joking tone to his lover's words. If Kevin wanted to start teasing them about their brand new bedroom timetable, then Hunt knew Shawn would rise to that challenge with vigour. No-one was better at�poking Scotty and the Big Man over their antics than his best friend, he'd seen it, he laughed at it and he just couldn't wait. About to chorus in with Dave's agreement and prepared to defend his dark lover from any unwanted questioning, Hunt was momentarily stunned by Dave's next words. What happens after lunch?... should I pack now or cancel my ticket? Hunter's subconscious began yelling stay, stay, stay, but for all their game-playing he wasn't about to give Dave orders about this, it was too important. Some mind for planning Hunter supposedly had, if he hadn't even considered the�ramifications of their relationship on their next few days. Hunt had just presumed... arrogantly if anyone could believe that... that they would be spending it together. The three of them. They were together now and he wanted them to stay that way for good.�But, romantic and slightly obsessive as that thought was... practical it wasn't. Hastily pulling on his clothes and mind whirring furiously, Hunter tried to organise his, Shawn's and Dave's schedules together in his head, while figuring a nicer way to put his suggestions than, "You two? With me... now!" Ignoring his shoes, Hunter put his hands on his hips and looked at the other two men. They were�watching each other thoughtfully, so Hunter jumped in first. "Seeming as whenever I try to be tactful, I tend to sound really strange, I'm going to be blunt." Maybe not nicer, but it would cut through any doubts they may have had. "I want go home with both of you and I really don't care which home that is as long as you're both there. Steph's at my place, which would be fun if you're both up to it but also a trial, I kid you not. I haven't stayed with you David and I'm so hurt I never�got an invite," Hunt really wished he had the ability to look weepy at will, but alas, it was not one of his gifts, "so I'm happy to go there and poke around all your stuff or..." a pause to indicate the depth of his next words, "...we could go to The Ranch." With more nimble feet that he was often credited for, Hunter kept Dave between him and Shawn as he waited for his lover's reaction. **** Jeff's fingers hurt. He was so busy looking at the kaleidoscope of emotions crossing Mark's face that he hadn't realised the white-knuckled pressure his hands were under, bent together to control their nervous twitching. With a conscious effort and a quiet exhalation of breath, Jeff slowly relaxed his screaming tendon and flexed them fractionally to resume circulation. Mark still hadn't spoken and Jeff was beginning to wonder if his heart-gushingly frank spiel had rendered his bedmate permanently speechless. It had been a lot to take in after all and Jeff would hardly blame the man for needing a moment or two to get his head around what he'd just said. I... Please. Please. Please. Anything but "I don't feel the same." God, Jeff. You... I don't know what to say. You sit there and tell me that you... you want to fall for me, and I... Anything. But. That. Jeff wanted to close his eyes against the cold ache he felt forming in his stomach, but he also desperately wanted to see everything. To catch every nuance, every minute expression on that handsome face, so that later on, when he was alone again, he could analyze what he'd done wrong. Or what else he'd done wrong. Mark was leaning forward, the first time since Jeff's critical, murderous error that the other man had even so much as moved in a direction that wasn't 'away' from Jeff. Curling his fingers into the sheets, Jeff unconsciously leaned towards the quiet heat that was Mark, his body understanding what his mind needed, even without his permission. Jeff kept his gaze on Mark's face�even when the phone began to ring, his body motionless, his heart screaming 'No! No! Come back, come back!' as Mark looked at the phone and those few precious inches were lost once more to air. If you want to fall for me... I want you to, Jeff didn't realise he'd been holding his breath in anticipation until it left him in a not-very silent rush of relief. Relief that was inexcusably tinged with ardour as Mark's voice slowed to that deadly, sleepy drawl and Jeff's toes curled into the mattress in a way that had nothing to do with fear of rejection. His heart joined his toes as the bigger man reclaimed those frozen inches and shifted down the bed towards Jeff's splayed figure, every nerve ending coming alight at both the proximity and the burgeoning warmth in the beautiful jade eyes. The small noise of pain from Mark didn't go unnoticed, but Jeff was too caught up in the nearness of long fingers near his cheek to say anything. Because when Mark touched him, speaking wasn't the first response that came to mind. So many questions began to rise within Mark's warm gaze, Jeff couldn't begin to answer them, didn't even know the language they were in, but the intent was clear. Mark wanted Jeff to fall for him, wanted him to keep doing and liking all those things about Mark that could just make Jeff's day. Mark didn't mind if Jeff had the hots for him, Mark didn't mind if Jeff was half in love with him and wanted to climb all over�his big, delicious body.�But more than not minding... Mark was giving off every vibe that said he may want to want Jeff too. Right then Jeff truly understood that he had been more wrong than he could ever know, for thinking last night Mark�had just�wanted a warm body with a passing resemblance to the love of his life. If�the skin on his jaw hadn't been tingling�from the contact with�Mark's fingers, Jeff would have shuddered at his appalling assumptions about the man in bed with him. You really have to stop trying to sabotage this JeffyBoy. Firmly stuffing all thoughts�with Matt's voice�away in a dark closet in his head, Jeff's body finally got with the programme and pushed his face up into Mark's hand. Accepting the caress, but as yet not demanding more until it seemed Mark was ready to give it. Tentatively, eyes locked with jade so he could gauge Marl's reactions, Jeff ran his cheek further into the cool, smooth palm, passing the wrist so he could scratch his lightly stubbled jaw on the sensitive skin on the inside of Mark's forearm. Legs curling underneath him, hands braced to hold his weight in position, Jeff continued his facial exploration until his fore-head rested on one strong, pale collarbone, no other contact but them�between this. "I am going to fall for you Mark," Jeff's voice was clear, even when spoken into Mark's chest. "It's gonna be hard, and probably messy. I will fuck up, like... like before and if you give me anything of you I will hurt you, I think." It was the truth and Jeff had promised he wouldn't run away from it, no matter what the cost. "It's the last thing I want to do but... " Jeff pulled back and looked up, still balanced, ready to fall one way or the other. "...I'm not�known for looking before I leap. Normally it's the other way around." Jeff's smile was wry, but he knew his heart was in his eyes. Leaning up, he pressed his lips to Mark's in a soft, chaste kiss. They'd fallen in to bed last night and while that had been heaven on earth, it had also led to this morning's misunderstanding and Jeff wasn't about to shatter the quiet place they'd just found by climbing back into Mark's lap like a little slut. Even if he really desperately wanted to. Mark had given him permission to want more, to take more and Jeff would take as much of Mark as he could get his greedy little hands on. But it had to start with more than just sex. It was a incredible act of trust on the other man's part, considering Jeff's track record and he wasn't about to squander that trust. "If you take a risk with me, I think... I hope... that this could be... something." Heartbreaking. Magnificent. Hot as hell. Even... love? Probably all at once... and it would be such a fricking rush! **** to be continued...

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | ITVR Main Page | Home