"ITVR: Chapter 74"
Distractions.

By Jadedoll, Penumbren, & Raising Kane

looks like Jay-Jay took his drugs this morning too. Chris responded to Adam's non-quiet voice with an agreeing nod, one arm now pillowing his head on the table. Turning to the side so that he could look up at Adam, Chris found himself with a rather unusual aspect of his lover's face.�Facing the others as he was, CJ could see that Adam's strong jaw was getting almost scruffy as he hadn't been able to shave this morning, but the darker blond hairs only served to emphasize his high cheekbones and wide, not very clear, eyes. For all his rampant gorgeousness, Adam wasn't pretty in a soft, delicate way. No sir. That handsome face was�too masculine to be even remotely girlish, but the perfect symmetry of nose and brow was compelling and undeniably attractive. Hey... all the fans weren't blind after all, they knew exactly what they were squealing over. It�just had never hit Chris quite�so hard that he was dating such a lovely, lovely man. So much of his�passion for Adam was wrapped up in the man himself, the laugh, the 'on crack' brain and the sheer warmth he�exuded even when he was playing Mr.�Gothic and Mysterious in a corner. Adam had attracted Chris like a magnet, only the off-putting nature of their original encounters keeping CJ a distance. Stopping what he was only now beginning to discover was his 'be all and end all', letting his eyes rake over his lover, Chris complimented his brain on it's extremely good taste. So totally, totally hawt. And that did not even take into account the devastation of that evil, compelling smile. So.�Very. Gone. Chris blinked away what must have been a pathetically adoring expression and scowled at Austin's knowing look.�If Steve even thought about giving him shit, then CJ would start listing Randy's virtues one by one... including his 'coming to his senses' last night. He didn't doubt it would prick Austin's pride, even hurt him some, but they had a long-standing agreement that no punch, however painful, would be pulled if the situation called for it. If Randy never looked Austin's way again, then it would be water under the bridge, if they ended up as some freakish redneck version of bliss... well... CJ would make as many comments as sprang to mind. There were quite a few. would you want a naked chick in a fig leaf when you've got tall, dark, and growly over there? Smiling, Chris watched as Adam neatly controlled Jay's effusive babble and directed�his friend's�attention towards Tyson. Obviously even in his codeine state, Adam had seen the easing of the tension between the lovers and was happily bringing them into his little game of 'Let's Make Everyone Feel Good.' Given that Chris had been the recipient of his own, private version of the game this morning, he wasn't about to begrudge his friends' their share. As long as it stayed PG-rated, Chris was all for that kind of game. The lilt of laughter in his lover's voice gave CJ a split-second's warning before the words came out... but not enough time to stop them. Ty... can I shave your head? Looking up into Bunnykin's dark, chocolate eyes, Chris wondered exactly how the big man was going to respond to the question. The tattooed man was a hell of a lot smarter than most people, including their boss, gave him credit for and CJ hoped that he'd seen the state of Adam's eyes, half real as it may be, before he answered. Chris' guess was right as he watched Ty push Jay calmly into a seat with a courteous hand on his lower back, before taking his own chair with little fuss. Looking carefully at Adam's 'shaved' cake for a few seconds and then at Chris, a minute smile twitched the stoic mouth before he replied, "yes." Catching the pleased twinkle in his beloved's eyes, Chris sat up properly and went back to his breakfast, watching with an amused gaze as Adam ate his slice of chocolate cake with a pleasure bordering on orgasmic. Taking careful note for future reference, CJ wondered briefly how difficult it was to get chocolate out of bed-linen. Jay, momentarily silenced by Adam's strange behaviour, belatedly caught on to the situation after putting together the chocolate cake, the conversation, and Austin's hilarious expression, frowned in concern. "You're not driving home are you Ad? Chriiiiissss... ?" Jason Reso, well-built guy, pro wrestler and trained athlete, looked at CJ with pleading, puppy dog�eyes. "You're gonna drive him home right? Because he really shouldn't be driving in this..." a careless wave of a hand at the almost demolished cake, "...condition. We're flying because Ty can't drive all the time and he won't let me drive with my back like this." A perfect pout was aimed at Tyson's completely immune shoulder. "Not allowed to drive because of your back?" Chris was quite proud of the fact that he kept his voice and expression completely neutral. Catching Bunnykin's warning look, Chris swallowed the rest of his sentence and addressed himself to Jay's begging. "I don't really feel like racing imaginary bumble-bees so yeah... we're actually flying in..." Chris checked his watch, "...about two hours." Running his fingers over the back of Adam's knuckles, Chris caught his lover's wandering attention. If Adam hadn't been so enraptured with Chris' hair, he'd have had serious worries he'd be asked to shave his head sometime in the future, given Adam's current fixation with bald men. He just hoped Kurt wasn't staying at this hotel. Or A-Train. **** Scott was moving easier, at least, was Kevin's first thought as his lover stepped out of the bathroom, his hair still wet and clinging to his shoulders. If they hadn't just made plans with their friends, he would've pinned Scott to the bed again. Carefully, of course. Not that Scott would let Kev be careful with him if Kevin ever made the mistake of being obvious about it. He understood Scott's concern about falling back into old, bad patterns, but being able to just take care of his lover every once in a while wasn't such a bad thing to want, was it? Watching as Scott picked up the tube of cream, Kevin raised an eyebrow when Scotty opened it. Wasn't he supposed to be doing that? Dammit, that was as close as Scott was letting him get right now to taking care of him... Cocking his head a little, he let Scott's name fall from his lips in a warning tone, letting his lips curve a bit to show the warmer emotions that his lover inevitably brought out in him. "Ya know, I'm completely capable of rubbing cream on my own ass. I'm a big boy now." Half-expecting the response, he didn't bother hiding his expression at the words; besides, Scott couldn't see him. Whether Scott could do it or not wasn't the point---the point was that Kevin wanted to do this. He'd caused the aches, he wanted to soothe them. "Yes, but you don't have to. You know that," he said as he applied the cream with gentle touches, wishing that Scott's newly-found independence hadn't come with such a strong defensiveness about it. The fact that his lover was capable of doing things for himself and wanted to do those things didn't bother Kevin at all. It was the accompanying fact that Scott seemed to think that letting Kevin do anything for him now would head both of them back down a dark path that bothered him. A lot. Biting back the sigh that wanted to escape, Kevin finished up with a kiss to Scott's neck before heading into the bathroom. A quick shower would have him feeling better... he hoped. Obviously their reconciliation hadn't solved everything yet, but he hadn't been naive enough to think it would be that easy. He just hadn't expected some of the issues that had already raised their heads. This defensive reaction to Kevin doing anything for Scott was the big one at the�moment, but he'd wait a while longer before bringing it up. He didn't want Scott to get self-defensive and make it worse, and probably it would get better over time anyway as they settled into being together again. Wrapping�a towel around his waist as he stepped out of the bathroom, he was disappointed to find Scott already dressed again, but then, he really couldn't make Scott wander around the hotel naked, could he? As tempting as the thought was, getting arrested for indecent exposure wasn't something either of them needed. Smiling a little at the direction of his thoughts, Kevin pulled out clothes and started getting dressed as Scott finished brushing his hair. "So... who did you get hold of? Anyone going to show up�to this impromptu lunch of ours?" "Hopefully. Most people weren't answering their phones, so I left messages... but I didn't really expect the Terrible Trio to answer. They're probably... distracted." His smile widening at the thought, Kevin continued, "I did get hold of Sean and Glen and they'll meet us down there, whenever Glen can get the Kid moving. I tried calling Mark, but didn't get an answer there either. I dunno why... maybe him and Hardy actually hooked up last night." Chuckling at the thought, Kevin reached out for the brush, running it through his own damp hair. Holding out a hand to Scott, Kevin pulled him close and kissed him soundly, enjoying the moment. They still had things to work out, but they'd get that done over time. No use pushing right now, when everything was going so well. "Did you want to call Eddie? Or just head down there and see who starts showing up?" **** Scott watched Kevin as he dressed, his appreciation of the man as strong as ever. He was so wrapped in studying his lover's fluid lines that he almost forgot the question that he'd asked just seconds before. "Hopefully. Most people weren't answering their phones, so I left messages...." That wasn't so terribly surprising he supposed. With the hours they kept, anyone who didn't have to be somewhere was probably sleeping in, except for... ".. but I didn't really expect the Terrible Trio to answer. They're probably... distracted." Scott grinned over Kevin actually using tact today. Maybe he had learned his lesson yesterday. Scott still would have said 'fucking like bunnies' since there were no witnesses though. That was just Razor coming out in him. In fact, he might say it just so he could say those words in his accent. It'd drive Kevin nuts. "I did get hold of Sean and Glen and they'll meet us down there, whenever Glen can get the Kid moving." Good thing Glen was such a big guy. It'd save him on crane rental to drag Sean out of bed. Kid had to be the worse out of all of them to wake up. Several times, Scott had simply picked him up out of the bed and thrown him in a tub of cold water when they had had no choice about getting moving. His ears had ended up severely blistered from Sean's swearing, but it had gotten the man moving. He was pretty sure that Glen could come up with a nicer way of bringing his lover to consciousness. "I tried calling Mark, but didn't get an answer there either. I dunno why... maybe him and Hardy actually hooked up last night." Interesting thought, but nah... it'd never happen. Not until someone whacked both Jeff and Mark over the head with blunt objects by the sound of things. They were both so far in denial that Scott was considering buying them each a life jacket. Mark had probably gone to bed early and had been at the hotel gym when Kevin called. Shaking his head at Kevin's fanciful thoughts, Scott simply smiled while he watched Kevin run the brush through his hair. He wanted to offer to do that for Kevin, but he could imagine the answer he'd get in return. Something like... I'm a big boy, I can do it myself. Now didn't that just sound damn familiar. Scott grimaced at his inner voice. He really had sounded like an ass. Surprisingly Kevin hadn't smacked him in the head for it. He knew that he was overcompensating for his previous dependence on Kevin, he just had to figure out a way to stop himself from doing it. If he didn't, then Kevin would end up smacking him and there were many more pleasurable things he'd rather have Kevin doing to him. Pulling himself from his thoughts, he noticed Kevin's hand in front of him. When he wrapped his hand around Kevin's, Kevin pulled him closer and Scott smiled just before Kevin's lips covered his own. Lips... beautiful, yummy, tasty lips. And that oh so talented tongue of his. Yep, much better things for Kev to do than smack him. "Did you want to call Eddie? Or just head down there and see who starts showing up?" Scott rested his weight again Kevin for a moment as he worked his mind through Kevin's question. The man just didn't realize the effect that he had on poor Scott's brain when he kissed him like that. He was expected to be able to think after that performance? "I... uh... I'll give them a call real quick, though with the lack of time they get to spend together, I'll most likely be interrupting something," he said with a wicked grin. Running his hand over the swell of Kevin's backside, Scott leaned up to press a quick kiss against Kevin's lips before pulling away and heading towards the phone on the nightstand. A quick talk with the woman at the desk and he was patched through to Eddie and Chris' room. "Hola! Quien es?" "'ey Chico, it's Captain Ramon with the Uniondale police department," Scott said in his best Razor accent. "We've received a complaint about unnatural noises coming from your room and we wondered if you would mind explaining them... in detail." He tried not to laugh, really he did, but he couldn't help it. Eddie's laughing at the other end of the line didn't help matters at all. "Seriously though, we're getting together with a bunch of the guys for lunch, so if you two are done deciding whose belt goes where, meet us down in the restaurant as soon as you're... decent. No, make that dressed. We can't expect decent from any of the rest, so why should you be different? Hasta luego." Hanging up the phone, Scott turned to Kevin and smiled. "Let's go Kev, before your stomach shrivels from lack of sustenance." Making sure that he had his keycard in his pocket, he led the way out into the hallway. While they were waiting on the elevator, Scott leaned against the wall. As soon as the bell dinged signaling the arrival of the car, Scott winked at Kev. "You know, the terrible trio wasn't distracted, I'm betting it was more along the lines of fucking like bunnies that kept them from answering the phone, Chico." With an evil grin, Scott sauntered into the cubicle and waited for Kev to follow. **** Lifting his head, Shawn watched his lovers wander separately but happily out of the bathroom and enjoyed the sight of them dressing, totally unselfconscious of his own nudity. Not in any hurry to move, he cleared his throat, then passed along the message he'd just listened to. "So... Kev and Scott have invited us to meet them for lunch... if we can make it out of bed." The grins on Hunter and Dave's faces matched his own smile, and he found himself looking forward to seeing the expressions on their friends' faces when they appeared downstairs. No way would they be able to hide what they were now, and certainly none of them would want to do so. For some reason, he suddenly pictured Vince frowning at them as they walked through the halls backstage at Bad Blood, and had to bite back laughter. After all the years of tweaking Vince, he'd finally found the ideal way to get under the man's skin... by being happy. That was probably unfair, as Vince hadn't always been an asshole, but the last few years had certainly embittered him. And how the hell had he gotten stuck on that subject? Shaking his head at himself, he stood up and asked, "What do you two think? I think it'd be nice to just sit and visit with them for a while." Moving more slowly than he would have liked to, he headed for his own suitcase and pulled clothing out: dressy today, with slacks and shirt... but they'd be comfortably loose, which was the point. He wasn't about to go down to eat wearing tight jeans, with his body beginning to inform him just how sore he was. "What happens after lunch? I have a flight home this afternoon, so... should I pack now or call and cancel my ticket?" Oh. Shawn could have kicked himself. He'd thought of this last night... why hadn't he thought to bring it up earlier? This... this moment... God, the look on Dave's face just hurt. And for the first time in a long time, he found himself speechless as he met Dave's gaze, the unexpected vulnerability in those gorgeous dark eyes making him silent. "Seeming as whenever I try to be tactful, I tend to sound really strange, I'm going to be blunt." The unexpected admission made him smile slightly, but he didn't break the gaze that seemed to hold him under a spell. Hunter's eloquence was usually... amazing. And not necessarily in the normal sense of the word. "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.... we could go to The Ranch." Shawn couldn't agree more. It wasn't important at all where they went, as long as they were together. In reality, the three of them being able to be together wouldn't last long, or happen often, and he wanted to be able to enjoy it as long as possible, here at the beginning of things. Thank God Hunter seemed to be able to just blurt out what they were probably---hopefully---all thinking. Of course... the crack about "The Ranch" was to pull them out of this oddly deep moment and back into current reality, where all the doubts and second thoughts could just go hang. Blinking, finally turning his head to look at Hunter, he rolled his eyes as he saw Hunter hiding behind Dave. Big scary man... hiding behind bigger scarier man. Right. Carefully buttoning the last button on his shirt, Shawn just smiled crookedly at Hunter. His blond lover was undoubtedly expecting an immediate reaction... and just to be contrary, Shawn wasn't going to give him one. Hunter knew that Shawn liked to underplay the size and style of his home, since he tended to be fairly quiet about just how much money he had. No, he'd wait until they actually got to the ranch... if that's where they ended up going, anyway. Looking carefully back at Dave, hoping that the man hadn't noticed his own preoccupation this morning because he wasn't ready to explain to himself just what he was preoccupied with, let alone to Dave, Shawn allowed his lips to widen into�a real smile. "If you'd like to come home with me, I'd like to have you." Although he was absolutely serious, and his voice reflected that,�he couldn't quite resist the joke and his smile turned just a touch wicked at his final words. "Of course, if you do come home with me..." He tilted his head to include both of his lovers as he drawled, "I may just decide to keep you." **** Eddie crossed his arms behind his head as he leaned back, smiling softly at the bathroom door that his lover had just closed behind him. Whatever had been bothering Chris last night seemed to be gone now, and it had left behind a different attitude in him; nothing bad... far from, actually. Eddie had long ago accepted the fact that Chris just wasn't as tactile as he was, and was far more restrained outside of their private quarters than he ever could be, and he was fine with that. He loved Chris for who he was, not for who he wanted him to be. But today... well, starting last night, actually, Chris had been far more hands-on than normal in public. Not that the locker room really counted, but the fact that Chris hadn't pulled his hand away from Eddie's shoulder as they walked into the hotel lobby had been more than surprising, since even that sort of friendly-casual touch was abnormal for him. Maybe Benny was feeling their separation more than Eddie had realised... his lover did tend to hide his emotions, even around him, and definitely wouldn't have wanted Eddie to know if he were upset about their being apart. Eddie's mouth twisted slightly at that, but he knew that Chris would look at that as keeping additional stress away from him, not as keeping secrets. That was an argument he'd given up on years ago, even before they'd become anything more than friends. The phone ringing pulled him out of his thoughts, and as he twisted around, he heard the shower shut off. Trying to keep from dwelling on thoughts of a naked wet Chris behind the closed door, he picked up the receiver and greeted his caller absently. "Hola! Quien es?" Oops. Too absently. Before he could add a greeting in English, the person on the other end of the phone answered him. "'ey Chico, it's Captain Ramon..." Grinning, Eddie bit his tongue to keep from the obvious reply even as he couldn't help but laugh. He'd roomed next to Kevin and Scott more than once, and if anyone could complain about "unnatural noises", it would be him. But obviously Hall was in a good mood this morning, and Eddie wasn't about to interrupt the unexpected phone call just for a snarky comment. He'd missed Scott over the years, and the thought of getting to know him now that they were both sober was an attractive one. The man was a damned good friend to people, and although Benny was uncomfortable around the Clique because of Bret, Eddie knew that getting to know them would probably wear that wariness away. "...we're getting together with a bunch of the guys for lunch, so if you two are done deciding whose belt goes where..." His grin turning wicked as Chris walked out of the bathroom, a towel draped loosely around his hips, Eddie gave his lover a salacious leer, snickering again at the belt comment. Benny had been embarrassed about the... odd request... but he'd certainly enjoyed it in the long run. "We can't expect decent from any of the rest, so why should you be different? Hasta luego." "S�, ese, very true. We'll see you there, then... decent or not. Adios!" Another laugh as he hung up, and as he met the puzzled stare of his lover, Eddie's smile softened in belated apology. "We're invited down to lunch with Kev and Scott and the others, Chris. I'm sorry... I told them we'd be there, but if you'd rather not..." Chris shook his head, looking resigned but amused. "No, if you want to go, we'll go. I suppose I'll just have to put up with the belt jokes, won't I?" Eddie sat up, running an affectionate hand down Chris's arm as he stood and kissed the familiar lips. "We should get going, then... I'll get dressed." Turning away, he paused long enough to cast a mischievous glance over his shoulder. "Just don't blush, papi... that'll make them try harder." Avoiding the swat that Chris aimed at him, Eddie grinned all the way into the shower. **** Mark couldn't stop watching Jeff's face, almost entranced as he watched the tension and guilt etched into that face fade away, relief taking their place with an audible sigh as the younger man heard his slow, almost hesitant admission. Not much of an admission, though, was it? a familiar mocking voice asked in the back of his mind. Pushing it away, not ready to face what it was talking about,�Mark waited for some sort of response, trying to hide his current vulnerability behind his normal stoic facade. As the long seconds passed, his worry and paranoia began to rise again as Jeff remained motionless. Just as he was ready to pull his hand away again, though, Jeff moved. Slow, careful movements, so unlike his normal frenetic pace, but obviously set so as not to demand more than Mark was ready to give. If only he knew... if he asked, Mark would be willing to give him nearly anything. And this is just an infatuation? the same voice asked, but Mark ignored it. He knew this was more than an infatuation, had known that since he'd first met shocked green eyes outside the door to his locker room... but just how much more was something they could worry about later. Shuddering slightly at the soft scratch of the stubble on Jeff's jaw against his arm, Mark didn't move, allowing Jeff to control the moment, not wanting to disturb the still-fragile moment between them. "I am going to fall for you Mark.... It's gonna be hard, and probably messy." If the first twenty-four hours were anything to judge from, that went without saying. But hearing Jeff say that he would fall for him... The unexpected warmth those words brought to him pushed away most of the lingering pain in his heart. Things like this were always hard and messy, never calm and neat and easy... if it were easy, then it wouldn't be worth doing. "...if you give me anything of you I will hurt you, I think.... It's the last thing I want to do but..." Mark nodded slightly in understanding. This morning was a good example, and the potential for being hurt would only increase the further along they went. That potential was a double-edged sword, too, even though Jeff didn't seem to even consider the possibility that Mark could hurt him. Almost like he didn't care if it happened. That thought brought a brief frown to his face, but he let it go for the moment, not wanting Jeff to misinterpret his expression. He had no more plan to hurt the man in front of him than Jeff had to hurt him... and they'd probably succeed equally well in doing exactly what they didn't intend to do. The wry smile brought a slight curve to his own lips, but the incredible emotion in the shining green eyes looking up at him rendered him speechless. It was like all of the things that he was trying so hard not to consider at the moment were mirrored in those green pools, showing him such hope and vulnerability and... The soft kiss de-railed his train of thought completely and he found himself moving, his arms closing around Jeff without any conscious thought on his part. "If you take a risk with me, I think... I hope... that this could be... something." Sliding one hand up the curve of Jeff's side, Mark considered his words before responding to the hope expressed in Jeff's words... hopes that Mark shared, however secretly. For some reason, no matter how much his brain told him not to trust Jeff, not to open himself up and leave himself vulnerable, his heart insisted on charging forward into this risky relationship against all his better judgment. And this time... this time, he wasn't going to argue. Bending his neck, he leant his forehead against Jeff's, his fingers resting against the back of Jeff's neck as he said quietly, "I hope you're right... because this is the biggest risk I've taken in years." And wasn't that the biggest understatement of his life? Looking at the indescribable emotion on Jeff's face, knowing that his own probably looked the same, Mark shifted enough to kiss Jeff again, one last caress of lips against lips, and then reluctantly pulled away. "I don't know what your plans are, Jeff, but..." Stopping, he swallowed past a dry throat as he took an emotional leap. "If you'd like to... stay with me, I'd like that. Very much." **** In the yawning silence of the room, he felt as if he were naked rather than almost fully dressed. So... exposed. What if he was wrong? What if the two of them weren't as eager to spend their time off with him as he was with them? What if...? His breath caught in his throat as his eyes locked with Shawn's. There was a flicker of something in Shawn's eyes, though he couldn't hazard a guess what it might be. Whatever it was didn't help to settle his nerves in any way. "Seeming as whenever I try to be tactful, I tend to sound really strange, I'm going to be blunt." Hunter to the rescue. Dave couldn't tear his eyes away from Shawn though, wondering over that brief flicker, whatever it may have been. The slight smile gracing Shawn's lips eased a tiny bit of the tension wracking his frame, but it wouldn't be gone until he had an answer. "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." The solid knot in his chest eased, but didn't leave completely. One down... one to go. Having Stephanie around wasn't really an issue for him. He'd have to get used to her sooner or later. She was a big part of Hunter's life despite the fact that their marriage was the 'in-name-only' sort. And honestly, he liked Stephanie, he'd just never been on the receiving end of her direct attention before. He did note Hunter's comment about not having been invited to his home. That was something that could be remedied... soon. He didn't mind at all that they would be poking around in his stuff, but he was half tempted to have Sean come and pick up some of the things he'd left in the spare bedroom. They hadn't seen any use in awhile, but Sean hadn't bothered taking them with him the last time that he'd stayed. Dave had no problem admitting to anything in his past or any of his particular kinks, but admitting it and having your lovers come face to face with the evidence of it was slightly different. He could at least pack the things up until he had had a chance to let them in on his past. He'd like to work past Hunter's intimacy issues to some extent before expressing his interest into the occasional exploration of non-vanilla sex. "...We could go to The Ranch." Dave had never been to Shawn's house and the way Hunter said 'The Ranch' certainly drew his curiosity. Especially when Hunter tried hiding behind him after that comment. He glanced quickly at Hunter, his brow raised, and turned back just in time to see Shawn roll his eyes. Obviously Hunter's teasing about Shawn's home was common practice. As long as Shawn wasn't expecting him to jump on a horse or herd cows, then he was all for solving the mystery of 'The Ranch'. "If you'd like to come home with me, I'd like to have you." The last bit of that knot melted away with Shawn's smile and his sincerity. He'd known that he was letting his insecurity run away with him, but with the uncertainty of things right now, he hadn't been able to stop it. He'd have to work on that. Who knew how long it would be before he would hear those three little words from Shawn... if ever. In any case, he had to stop expecting the worst and hope for the best. He had to give it time. "...I may just decide to keep you." Letting himself get caught up in the humor, he turned to look at Hunter over his shoulder. "Should I be worried? Stuffed cow heads on the wall? A horse that's living in the house? Or is it something freaky like a dungeon in the cellar? He'll keep us chained to the wall so he can use and abuse us?" With a wink at Hunter, he turned back to Shawn as he buttoned his shirt. It didn't really matter to him where they ended up now that they'd determined they were going to end up wherever it was together. "In that case, I'll call and cancel my flight. We could go to my place, but I'm having the upstairs bathroom refinished." It was the truth, it just wasn't the main reason he was putting off their visit. "So unless you want to deal with a contractor tramping in and out all week, we should head somewhere else. You two decide and then Mr. Coordinated can make the arrangements... if that's okay with you." Sitting down in one of the chairs, Dave pulled on his shoes, then went to locate his cell phone. He had a hard time keeping track of the thing at the best of times. Making a quick call to the airlines, he canceled his flight while the other two finished getting dressed. "Whenever you two are ready, we can head for the Inquisition," he said with a smile. **** "Yes." Whoa. He hadn't been expecting that. Ty was one brave guy. But since he had agreed, Adam was going to hold him to it later. And he was going to shave a huge "B" for Bunnykins on the man's skull. He'd fix it, of course, but not until after Ty asked the obvious question... what the "B" stood for. Turning his attention back to his cake, he happily dug in. This was good cake... really good cake. The additional sighs and hums of pleasure were for Chris' benefit, just a reminder of their earlier activities. Not that anyone else would catch on to that, but Chris might. "You're not driving home are you Ad? Chriiiiissss... ?" Since Jay was pleading with Chris, Adam felt safe shooting a glare in his friend's direction. Even in his current state, his driving would rate better than Jay's anytime. He wasn't blond enough to consider driving home though and Jay should know better. "Not allowed to drive because of your back?" Adam snickered quietly around a bite of cake. Like his back was the reason that Ty wasn't letting Jay drive. The man might be brave enough to let Adam shave his head, but he wasn't insane enough to suffer Jay's driving unless he had to. And speaking of Jay's back, it looked like Adam would have to prod Jay's psyche after all. There had to be some reason that Jay refused to stay home and let himself heal when he knew it would help the process. "I don't really feel like racing imaginary bumble-bees so yeah... we're actually flying..." Adam bit his tongue for a moment. Imaginary bumble-bees? He was so not letting that slide and he'd comment on it just as soon as he got done watching the pretty light reflecting off Ty's head. If he tilted his head at the right angle it almost looked like Bunnykins had a halo... yeah, right. Chris' fingers running over the back of his hand caught his attention and he smiled at his lover. "You can't race bumble bees, Christopher. They'd win. Besides, if you stop to talk to them, they'll tell you where Winnie the Pooh lives." Under cover of the table, he slid his foot along the outside of Chris' calf for a moment, then stood abruptly. "I have so got this craving for lime Jell-O right about now." With that, he wandered off towards the buffet again. Acting as blond as his hair color was hard work. He needed food. **** Half-listening to Scott's conversation, Kevin turned to survey the room and make sure that they weren't leaving anything behind. A glance into the bathroom, and he picked up the few personal items on the counter, putting them away with the brush. "...a complaint about unnatural noises coming from your room and we wondered if you would mind explaining them..." Shaking his head even as he laughed, Kevin finished packing up their things and took a seat in the chair in the corner of the room, crossing his legs in front of him while he watched Scott. This was the side of Scotty that he'd missed---funny, outgoing, talkative. Just seeing the amusement and openness on Scott's face was wonderful, after not seeing him at all for so long. Moments like these were ones that Kevin treasured, soaking up the details of his lover to put away in his memory, replacing less happy memories. Not that the darker memories would ever be forgotten---or ever should be---but they certainly didn't need to be the first ones that he thought of. "We can't expect decent from any of the rest, so why should you be different? Hasta luego." Entirely too true. Returning Scott's smile as he turned around, Kevin stood up, barely managing to keep from making a face at his lover's comment. It had been a while since he'd heard Scott actually speak Spanish at all, and he'd forgotten how incredibly sexy his lover sounded when he did. If only they hadn't made those plans... Well. They had, and it was too late to back out now, or he'd never hear the end of it from Shawn. Following Scott into the hall, Kevin kept a half-pace behind, to enjoy watching the very nice sight in front of him as well as to be able to hover protectively without seeming to hover, and thus avoid catching any flack for it from Scott. "I'm betting it was more along the lines of fucking like bunnies that kept them from answering the phone, Chico." The wink should've been a clue. It really should've. Between the Razor accent, the actual words, and the seemingly-harmless nickname that actually meant far more than anyone could ever guess, Scott had just pushed a huge bunch of Kevin's buttons... all entirely on purpose. Shuddering slightly at the flare of heat down his spine, Kevin sent a narrow-eyed glare after Scotty that anyone else would've interpreted as anger. But Scott would know better. Ruthlessly pushing away the images that were taunting him, Kevin followed his lover into the elevator after a short pause. Purposely leaning close enough beside him to leave him no personal space at all, Kev looked into the mischievous dark eyes and shook his head, just once. "Very, very bad... Razor." The humour underlying his voice was obvious, but so was the heat. Pushing himself away from the wall as the doors chimed, he took a step before glancing over his shoulder, answering Scott's grin with a wicked smile of his own. "If you keep that up, I might just have to take... steps." Another step, and he was out of the elevator and heading into the restaurant. Without looking, he knew that Scott was right behind him... but that wasn't where he wanted him. Pausing at the doorway to take a quick look around and verify that they were indeed the first ones there, he stepped to the side slightly to let Scott pass before taking up the position he'd had earlier... just to the side and behind his lover. The perfect place to watch and to protect, and to not get caught out for doing either. Hopefully someday he wouldn't have to worry about Scotty's reaction to his instinctive protectiveness. Until then, he'd do what he had to... and appreciate the view while he did. **** Kevin didn't follow him immediately and Scott settled against the wall of the elevator, slanting a look at his lover. Oh mother in heaven... Kevin was not giving him that look now. It was his own fault really. He had firmly jammed several of Kevin's buttons all at once, but he'd figured that his appetite would overrule his hormones at this point and Kevin would laugh it off. Not so by the look Kevin was giving him at the moment. He wouldn't even mind but for three reasons... One... thanks to the cream, his ass may feel good enough for him to endure an hour in a padded restaurant chair, but if he let Kevin anywhere near it before they made it back home, he probably wouldn't be able to sit for a week. Two... they were on their way to a luncheon that they had issued the invitations for. Not showing would be unbearably rude and though in most cases he might dismiss that, he was too curious to do so. And three... he was so not wearing the clothes to endure that look right now. He was thanking any and every god he could think of that he'd picked one of his longer t-shirts to wear down to this little get together. Even now he could feel his body responding. Kev finally moved, following him inside the cubicle and invading his personal space. Scott could still read the heat in his eyes. "Very, very bad... Razor." Literally biting his tongue was the only way that he managed to hold onto his grin. It didn't stop the shiver working its way down his spine. "If you keep that up, I might just have to take... steps." Steps? His body responded eagerly, having communicated with the part of his mind that knew exactly what steps Kevin was talking about. Scott groaned almost silently as he followed Kevin out of the elevator. He really should have known better than to tease his lover, the man always managed to pay him back just as wickedly if not worse. When Kevin stopped at the doorway, Scott shot him an odd look, wondering why his lover had paused. Kevin stepped to the side and Scott shrugged, walking ahead of him into the restaurant. He felt the unmistakable sensation of Kevin's eyes wandering over his body and he smirked. Maybe that explained Kevin's obsession with walking behind him today, not that Kevin could see all that much with the shirt hanging low over his ass, but that had never stopped his lover from imagining. Spying a large group of tables that could be pushed together to seat their group, if they all happened to show up, Scott headed in that direction adding just a bit of cocky sway to his walk for Kevin's benefit. While he and Kevin were adjusting the tables, Sean and Glen walked in and joined them. "Wild night, Scotty?" Sean asked with a smirk as he grabbed Scott in a big hug. Sean then started laughing though it was somewhat subdued for his perky nature. "Not wild enough though." Scott raised a brow at his friend until he noticed the direction Sean was staring in. He still hadn't settled down from Kevin's comments in the elevator and apparently Sean had noticed his condition during their brief embrace. Lovely... just lovely. "You should find someone to take care of that for ya Scotty... I've heard that Mark's single, maybe he'd be up for a little..." Scott aimed a swat at Kid's head, but before he could comment in walked Chris and Eddie. They were both dressed, though it remained to be seen if they would be any more decent than the rest. **** to be continued...

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | ITVR Main Page | Home