"ITVR: Chapter 76"
Looks.

By Jadedoll, Penumbren, & Raising Kane

Austin had the eyes of a maniac... or a surfer boy. Ultra pale blue that�nearly shone a sudden silver in the sunlight from the window beside which they sat. Due to that bright, clean�light, the black pupils had expanded until only a pearlescent ring of ice blue remained, almost lost in the red-streaked white around them. If Chris hadn't been who he was and didn't love like Steve like a brother, he would have fallen for those eyes many years ago. Because Austin was such a straightforward man, totally concerned with hunting down all the pleasure in life and experiencing it every second of every day, that Chris could never, ever, have�been able to stand being in a relationship with him. In the eyes of the world Steve�was shallow, a drunk, obsessed with his dick and pretty dumb to boot. Sure... and stupid�rednecks didn't have the�eyes of an angel. Chris' first salvo was related to the obvious damage he'd�noticed earlier. "Did I mention the nice cuts on your knuckles? Should I even ask who was on the other end? Because I know it wasn't Ran...." "So, is Copeland any good?" Austin interrupted before CJ could finish his sentence and say the name that had shot a spear of pain into�the crisp blue. "I noticed ya walkin' a bit gentle yesterday and reckoned he made his self known a time or two." Ignoring that, Chris reached towards his plate, gaze still on Steve, and unerringly caught up a smooth, firm peach. It was cheating, it was evil, but it was Austin and Chris couldn't care less how he won as long as he did. The first bite was divine, but some juice dribbled down the corner of his lips, so CJ's tongue just had to lick it neatly back in. In the periphery of his vision, Chris saw Steve's jaw clench and his eyes narrow, blue almost lost to a�sweep of pale lashes. Eating the fruit with almost pornographic intent, thank you Babe for the idea, CJ left one large chunk still attached to the rippled knot of seed at the fruit's core. Holding the ripe flesh out as an offering with his other hand, Chris began the slow work of licking his fingers clean. "Want some?" Almost, almost, Steve's eyes had gone to the fruit, but the bald man had caught himself at the last moment, unwilling or unable to�surrender this fight... any fight. CJ suspected it might have been genetic. "Thanks Kitten. I'll pass." Sudden silence in the room caused both their ears to prick up and their eyes to become sharply focused as something went on in the room around them. "Wow," Jay�said to Ty in a terribly bad attempt at a whisper. "Hunter, Shawn and Dave? You think they're doing it? Man talk about a power struggle." Now it was Chris' turn to almost give up, his attention piqued by the possibility at the door. He'd been far too occupied with attempting murder last night to really absorb the idea of Dave, Shawn and Hunter as a relationship, but he had the curiosity of�cat when it came to the people he spent time with. He was only human and the need to look, to see what all the fuss was about almost had him. But he was made of sterner stuff than that. Lapse resolved as the noise level in the room rose back to normal, Chris smiled winningly at Austin then ate the last of his fruit. He didn't even wonder till later how Austin could have possibly known, as the ice-blue eyes didn't once flicker away from his and the voices couldn't have been recognizable in the din of general conversation. But Steve did know and the huge�nasty smile widening across his face was Chris' first and only clue. "Think yer wandering puppy might be makin' some friends Kitten. You pro'bly should leash him in before it gets ugly." Adam. Chris looked over his shoulder at the buffet table to find that his lover wasn't there and the lime Jell-O still sat unmolested. The same couldn't be said for Kevin Nash however, who looked as shocked as CJ had ever seen a man, while Adam Copeland, a.k.a. Chris' boyfriend, ran his hands through the man's luxuriant locks. The intervening moments between Chris standing up and wrapping his hand in Adam's shirt, were lost as CJ tried to guess what part of the game this was. Adam might be enjoying the uninhibited pass ticket his drugged state was granting him, but if he kept messing with people's heads, in the literal sense 'cos Adam had always liked to mess with them�figuratively, then he might find someone didn't care if he was high or not. Looked like that man was Scott Hall. you even think of cutting one hair on his head, I'll give you a personal introduction to the Edge... and I'm not talking about your alter-ego, The pout that Hall then directed at Kevin was a sight to behold. Such a big, dark scary man, intimidating even when amongst friends and he was pouting in such a way that even CJ might have given in to him... and he didn't even know what�the dark man�wanted. "Babe?" Adam was�still grinning like the Cheshire Cat so CJ�bought his worry scale down a couple of notches. "Somehow I doubt anyone feels like letting you cut their hair at the minute. Maybe later?" Deciding to give his lover's excuses and play even more into�the crazy man's�reckless actions, Chris smoothly moved between Adam and Kevin, lifting the offending hands away by the wrists and wrapping the imprisoned arms around his own waist. Talk about public displays of affection, but it wasn't like half the locker room didn't know about them. A fight in the corridor at work is a great way to get news of your pairing across. "Don't fret it Scotty, Adam and any sharp objects are remaining apart for the near future. He took a nice dose of painkillers earlier and the results are..." Chris, his back against Adam's hard chest, moved to�recapture one wandering hand, "...fun to say the least." Now Chris just had to work out how to get Adam away from the Clique's table....and stop him from staring too hard at Shawn's golden mane. **** Randy stood at the check in counter at the airport, idly flicking the edge of his ticket with one nail. The woman behind the counter was severe, efficient and thank god, not about to flirt with him. From behind the darkened lenses of his designer sunglasses, Randy looked out over the sea of bodies, all moving in one direction or another, to go somewhere, to go anywhere but where they were. He was all set to go home, to get some perspective and some advice on what the hell he was supposed to do now. But... he didn't want to go. It felt wrong. Weird and wrong and stupid and hadn't he said as much to Terry on the phone earlier when the man had poured all that lovely, evil revenge into his ear? Yeah. Randy was going to go home, see his family, bask for a while in their unconditional affection. Then he was going to come back and Make. Some. Noise. ---- Austin watched his Kitten weave through the intervening bodies and corral Copeland before the guy got more than a smile for his erratic actions. Sitting back smugly, Steve finished his ice-tea... yeah so what? ya got a question?... and chalked up another victory in his long-time war of wills with one Chris Jericho. Adam was going to be inadvertently giving him heaps of ammunition in the future and Steve would have to make sure that he thanked the blond for�being able to distract the normally unfazable CJ with barely any effort at all. Steve didn't admit that he thought it sweet, Chris hadn't even hesitated when he'd pointed out Adam's current situation. Not that Austin had actually know what was happening any more than Chris did, but he'd given the drugged-up blond�seven minutes to get up someone else's nose and his timing had been dead on. Talk about a good guess. Not that he'd tell Kitten that. Turning his gaze back to the other people at his table, Steve tried to catch up to where Reso had gone with his convoluted conversation and met the knowing, amused look of one Tyson Tomko. "Cheat." Bristling, Steve prepared to defend the accusation from this newcomer, only to be smothered by warm hugs from Trish and Molly as they joined them for lunch. From the number of bags each possessed�and the girls'�electrified expressions, Uniondale had been hit by the shopping�phenomenon known as the WWE�Divas. "Have fun?" he asked the gorgeous blonde, while Molly fell into a discussion with Reso about some new CD she'd bought. "Too much." A wide, lovely smile that had graced the pages of more than one magazine and website was directed his way. "My feet hurt and it's not even midday." Trish leaned an arm under the table to pull off her shoes and granted the majority of the room a brilliant cleavage shot. "Where's Chris?" "Off cuddling Copeland." Seeing her astonished expression, Austin's�shit eating grin�returned in full force. "Ya didn't know yet? Well, two nights ago...." ---- Waiting in the boarding lounge, watching�from one super-plush couch�as three drunken business men tried to convince the attendant to give them more liquor, Randy pulled his phone from his pocket and did a double take at the number displayed on the small screen. Hunter had said he wasn't needed till later in the week so why the hell was Batista calling him? Only one way to find out. Stripping all emotion from his voice, Randy cleared a throat still scratchy from anger and last night's crying jag, and flipped the phone open. "This is Orton. What can I do for you Batista?" **** Dave leaned against the wall outside the restaurant as he searched for the number he required in his list. Why he was making this call, he couldn't really say, but he felt deep inside that he needed to do it today... needed to do it now. Finding the number under Randy, rather than Orton, was a remnant from their failed friendship. They'd hung out together during their time at OVW and he'd honestly liked Randy then. His first match on WWE television had paired him with D-Von against Randy and Farooq. Dave had pinned Randy to win that match and afterwards they'd gone out to celebrate his debut in the squared circle. Shortly after when Randy was drafted to Raw and began his first run as a heel, Orton's attitude had changed... about everything. With increasing regularity, Randy had come up with excuses why they couldn't hang out together. Some of them had seemed valid, others were obviously not. Dave finally gave up asking. Shaking off old thoughts, he dialed the number and waited for Randy to pick up or if things went as usual, to be patched through to voice mail so Randy could call him back later. "This is Orton. What can I do for you Batista?" Well... surprise, surprise. The little brat had answered the phone after all. Dave reprimanded himself almost immediately, but old habits die hard. He was the one in the wrong last night, after all. No need to compound it with name calling even if it were just in his head. Besides... Randy sounded a little strange, his voice rough, almost scratchy. Hopefully the kid wasn't getting sick, he had a busy week coming up. "Randy?" "Yes. I'm in the business lounge at the airport. What do you need?" He was at the airport already? Maybe that explained why he wasn't with Steve, or maybe Dave was just making too many assumptions. Oh well. One thing at a time. Taking a deep breath, he tackled the main reason for his call. "I owe you an apology for my attitude last night. I was feeling a little... off balance with everything that happened, but it's not an excuse for being rude to you. And I'm sorry about the locker room thing too. Next time we'll find somewhere else to hash things out." There was a definite pause after his words. He'd obviously surprised Randy, shocked him into silence or something. Dave was beginning to wonder if he should repeat himself when he finally received an answer. "...My feelings managed to survive your bad mood. No need to apologize to me, I could see what was up between you three was pretty intense, so I get it." Dave bit his tongue to keep from snapping at the other man. The snarky reply to his honest attempt to apologize wasn't really changing his opinion of the person Randy had become. Maybe he shouldn't have made the effort after all, but he'd had to for his own peace of mind. Reminding himself that Randy wasn't aware just how intense things were between he, Shawn, and Hunter, Dave decided to give Randy a little clue as to situation, just in case Randy really hadn't figured it out yet. "Yeah it was intense, but we've ironed things out. If you find yourself locked out of the locker room again," Dave coughed quietly into his hand to keep from laughing, "it'll be for an altogether different reason. At least I hope so." Rather than give Randy an open shot at his brand new relationship, Dave hurried on with the other reason for his call. "I was thinking about Hunter's comment last night about getting together to work out the match for Monday. I'm not going home during our time off, so I was hoping you'd be okay with working things out before the pay per view? Chris and Adam won't be around all week anyway and we can grab Flair and Benoit then too, if that works for you?" "That's fine with me... I have some... stuff... to work out. Could you let the others know?" Despite the 'who cares' attitude, Dave could tell that the 'stuff', whatever it was, was something important. Dave wondered if that 'stuff' had something to do with Steve Austin. If Randy was treating it as nothing, maybe he should just forget about it, but for some reason, Dave just couldn't let it go. Something inside him was pushing him to ask the question. Why did he care? They weren't friends, by Randy's choosing. Still... "Randy, I know you'll probably just tell me to mind my own business, but..." Dave paused while he considered the wisdom of extending another olive branch. He didn't like looking like a fool and yet he was going to try once again to open himself up to this man. "Are things okay with you? The way things looked last night in the parking garage..." Dave could hear rustling in the background, telling him Randy was in motion. Was the other man heading to the plane, or just finding some breathing room? Did it matter? And how the hell could he phrase his next question without sounding like a sap? As if Randy Orton couldn't take care of himself... "I know you can handle yourself, but Austin seemed pretty... anxious to talk to you. Everything okay there?" Austin had seemed more than anxious and the sexual tension had been off the charts. Dave was well aware of Austin's reputation, but if Randy was just another one night stand for the man, why had he sought Randy out? Steve hadn't seemed inclined to let the younger man get away without talking about something that was extremely important to the older man. He'd pushed the point... so what did that mean for Randy... and why the hell did he care again? But for some strange reason, he did. "...Thanks for asking. I mean that... To tell you the truth, no... everything is not okay... I'm dealing with it... I told him it was a fucking joke and I was right, this morning made me see that. So...." A fucking joke? This morning? Did that mean that Randy and Steve had spent last night together? And Randy saying everything was not okay... what did he mean by that? Even if Dave didn't know Steve well, he didn't think the other man would push Randy into anything that he didn't want... but if that wasn't the case, then what the heck did Randy mean? Randy was definitely hurt, whether he was willing to admit it or not. Dave's question was... was that hurt emotional or physical? Maybe Steve enjoyed a little rough with his tumble... Dave didn't know. Maybe Randy was just upset that Steve wasn't begging for one more night. "Randy, I don't think that..." He had been going to say that he didn't think Austin would have approached him if he saw it as a 'fucking joke', but Randy cut him off before he could finish. "...thing with Austin is gonna be in the past... not a place I plan to live in. But again Dave... thanks for asking and don't sweat last night..." Obviously Randy wasn't interested in pursuing this conversation. He wished he could still get into Randy's head like he'd been able to when they'd been closer, but he couldn't. It was clear though that whatever had happened had had a huge effect on Randy. Despite the other man's claims, he didn't think the 'thing with Austin' was going to go away as quickly or quietly as Randy was hoping. Especially if it turned out that whatever had happened between the two had been an Austin hit and run tactic. Even if he and Randy technically weren't friends anymore, Dave didn't like hearing the odd tone in Randy's voice. Maybe he should have a talk with Steve, but first... he should find out what he was going to be growling about. "Randy, if he did something..." "Can we talk on Sunday? I've gotta go Man." Maybe Randy did have to go, maybe he had to board the plane, but Dave had a feeling that Randy was avoiding the topic for other reasons. He'd just have to find the information he wanted from a different source... a big bald redneck one. Randy had already ended the call, so Dave folded his cell phone and stuck it in his pocket. Walking the few steps back to the doorway of the restaurant, Dave stopped at the entrance and scanned the room. The crowd around the Clique's table had grown, now including Adam and Chris. He wondered for a second how the two were doing after the scuffle yesterday. He'd ask later if he had the chance. For now... Dave looked in the opposite corner at another set of tables. There sat Steve Austin, surrounded by Jay and Tyson, Molly, and Trish. He wanted to get this out of the way and spend the rest of the week concentrating on Hunter and Shawn. He didn't want to have sympathetic thoughts for Randy, of all people, hanging around in his head. A quick word with Austin and he could dismiss the issue from his head. Dave hesitated a moment, questioning the wisdom of getting involved. Then he headed further into the restaurant, his mind made up. **** "...besides, I know I got more than you did." Shawn shrugged unrepentantly, his smile growing just a touch smug. There would be no complaining about lack of sleep from him today... not given the reasons for it. Shifting around Scott to wrap an arm around his waist, he studied Scott from under his eyelashes for a minute, taking in the relaxation, the smile, and the subtle undertones between him and Kevin that Shawn hadn't seen for too long. Thank God. Kevin had just about fallen apart after their break up, no matter how hard he tried to make it look like he was fine, and Scotty had been a half-step behind. With the way they'd been acting during the Raw taping, he'd suspected they were back together, but this just confirmed it. He very probably knew the two of them better than anyone else save each other, and there was no hiding the signs that they were giving off. Any further thoughts on his friends' newly-rediscovered happiness were cut off by a certain Animal whispering in his ear... and taking off before Shawn could turn to grab him, of course. "save me a seat, love. I need to call Randy before I turn off my phone for the rest of the week." Sending a glare after Dave's retreating back, Shawn decided on a new rule whenever they were at his home. No cell phones. If it was a true emergency, anyone could reach them at the ranch's private number, but hell if he was going to sacrifice his personal time with his lovers to any Tom, Dick, or Harry that had their cell numbers. There was no way he could enforce that at Dave or Hunter's homes, unfortunately, but it was definitely going to be one of the top three at his. Relaxing back into Scott's hug with a rueful sigh, Shawn allowed his exasperation to slip away. Dave was just being Dave: responsible... and concerned. He might've thought he was hiding it, but Shawn suspected there was some guilt there over the way they'd practically brushed Randy off last night. And looking across the room and spotting Austin sitting across from Tomko and Reso... Shawn couldn't help but feel a twinge of that same guilt. The way Steve and Randy had been looking at each other last night, Shawn wouldn't have taken any bets on seeing either of them until Bad Blood... but there was Steve, alone. The shift in Scott's posture drew Shawn's attention and he turned to see what his friend was looking at. When he spotted Copeland with his fingers tangled in Kevin's hair, his eyebrows shot up. Very few people had the right---or the balls---to do that... of course, not many people knew why Kevin didn't especially like his hair being played with. To the best of his knowledge, Adam didn't fall into the first category, but why... "I'm so in the mood to shave someone bald. Hair vs. hair match, Kev?" Shawn blinked, wondering if he'd heard that correctly. If he had, Adam must have gone insane over the last night. That, or gotten into the good drugs... oh. Slanting another look up at Scott, he wasn't surprised to see the growing irritation on that familiar face. Scotty probably hadn't realised that Copeland was going to be on painkillers today, either. "Me and Benoit against you and Hunter..." His own eyes narrowed at that one. Taking a good look into the glazed green eyes, Shawn saw a spark of amusement there that didn't quite fit in with the 'flying high' attitude, and his own annoyance flared. Adam might be enjoying himself, but there were limits... and his lover was definitely past them. Slipping out of Scott's embrace with a shrug, Shawn took the few steps across the space separating him from Hunter and slid an arm around Hunt's shoulders, not able to suppress the possessive instinct. "If you even think of cutting one hair on his head, I'll give you a personal introduction to the Edge..." Part of him wanted to cheer, but he restrained himself, settling for pulling a chair up next to Hunter and sitting in it without moving his arm. Now this, he could get used to. He caught an amused expression on Eddie's face across the table, and winked at him before he realised he was going to. For some reason, the childish action made him laugh, and the aggravation left, allowing him to see the humour of the odd conversation. It was really too bad Dave had missed it, but then, he'd decided that his little phone call was more important... �Please tell me you�re not on the same pills or I�m going to call security.� "And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Shawn couldn't help but ask as he leaned into Hunter's side. "I seem to recall that you're missing something�important, if you want that to work." **** "I'm so in the mood to shave someone bald. Hair vs. hair match, Kev?" What the hell... ? Too stunned to answer as he turned around and saw who it was talking, Kevin could only stare. The fact that a pleasant little shiver of sensation had gone down his spine at the feeling of fingers twisting in his hair hadn't bothered him... until he realised it wasn't Scott causing it. No one else had the right to do that... and only a few other people would dare to try. But Copeland? "Me and Benoit against you and Hunter..." Shawn would probably have something to say about that, Kevin thought, but he'd been too caught up in his�own reaction to notice his lover's. Apparently he'd been silent for too long. "...what kind of drugs are you on? If you even think of cutting one hair on his head..." Not entirely able to stop the upward twitch of his lips at Scott's tone of voice, Kevin knew that he was in for it. He hadn't even glanced at Scott after Adam made his little proposal, and now that he was watching his lover's face, Kev could tell that Scotty was prepared to get incredibly worked up over this. No matter how drug-induced it might actually be, he added to himself after another quick glance into not-quite-focused green eyes. "Don't fret it Scotty, Adam and any sharp objects are remaining apart for the near future." That sounded like an excellent plan... and hopefully CJ could keep his little psycho away from him, Hunter and Shawn, if the direction Adam was looking in now was any indication. Now that Copeland was in safe hands... so to speak... Kevin took the chance and looked back at Scott. Shit. That was The Pout. And here he'd been hoping that his own obvious surprise had been enough to save him... Kevin almost laughed, but managed to look contrite as he met his lover's sparking eyes. Laughing would only make it worse, and he knew it, no matter how ridiculous that look was on someone of Scotty's size and build. The fact that the damned thing worked on him every time Scott used it didn't help, either. Moving quickly, Kevin closed the gap between them and pulled Scott into his arms. "C'mon, Scott, stop that. You know as well as I do that I wouldn't have agreed to it... we talked about this." Keeping his voice low, Kevin tilted his head to look into his lover's eyes. "No hair versus hair match, no shaving, nothing. Besides... I like the way you play with it too much to ever cut it again." A fond smile and his own fingers twining briefly in Scott's hair helped convey the many levels of meaning in his words. **** Wow. Note for future reference... Nash's hair is definitely off limits. Although the reactions at the table had netted him a lot of insight despite his drugged state. You could tell so much from body language if you just paid attention to it... and everyone at the table was screaming with their reactions. Hall was ready to kill him and Shawn wasn't far behind. Hunter had deftly moved out of flying body range. Kevin was speechless and not a little irritated. Adam had felt the shiver go through the man and had known before Kevin turned around that he'd accidentally crossed a huge invisible line. Oops... thus the reason for holding the smile, he was hoping it would save him from getting killed. Benny was looking at him like he'd lost his mind and probably rethinking his intervention with Vince earlier. Sean was trying not to laugh, but that could only be expected from a man that enjoyed provoking startling reactions himself. And Glen was looking at him trying to figure out the real purpose for his little foray into the group. Then again, Glen was used to having his hands full with someone that probably used the same tactics he'd just used. "Since when did you become a barber Adam?" Thank god Vince wasn't around to hear that, he'd end up with a new gimmick before he could blink. Adam didn't intend on blinking just yet though... Scott was still glaring at him. So he just kept smiling. "As nice a guy as you are Copeland, I have to ask... what kind of drugs are you on?" He almost opened his mouth to answer that question, but he could tell that Hall wasn't finished yet. And he didn't dare laugh even though he wanted too. The dark-haired man's actions confirmed the fact that Kevin and Scott were in fact back together. Scott wouldn't be so riled about Kevin's hair loss unless it affected him personally. He liked being right, but he hadn't meant to get Scott's back up either. Kevin's lips twitched and Adam almost laughed anyway. He bit his tongue to stop himself. Hall would probably kill him, injuries or no. "...Even think of cutting one hair on his head, I'll give you a personal introduction to the Edge... and I'm not talking about your alter-ego." Yep, he would be dead on the spot. Though if he weren't hurt, he'd love to take 'the Edge' just for the experience... in the ring, of course. He wasn't crazy enough to want to take that move on say... the table right beside them. Adam was going to apologize right there and then, but what he saw next stunned him into silence. Scott Hall pouting. Good lord. He was struck with conflicting impulses. One part of him wanted to fall down laughing because it was such an unexpected thing to see from Hall. The other part of him wanted to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness because he'd caused that look in the first place. Luckily, Chris saved him from doing either one. He immediately recognized the touch of the hand fisting in his shirt. Uh oh. Chris was not going to be thrilled about this. "Babe? Somehow I doubt anyone feels like letting you cut their hair at the minute. Maybe later?" Righhhht. Like Chris was going to let him near any sharp objects in the near future. He'd probably insist on cutting his food for him just to be safe. And then Chris was between him and Kevin, pulling Adam's arms around his waist. "Don't fret it Scotty, Adam and any sharp objects are remaining apart for the near future..." He should be worried about pacifying Scott, but it was hard to concentrate on anything else when Chris had just given him unlimited access for his tempted hands. Unable to stop himself, he let them wander just a bit, but was promptly corralled by Chris. Damn. Oh well... it'd lend him a bit of credence for his drugged state if he couldn't keep his wandering hands off Chris in public. Another big oops. He was certainly racking those up today. Kevin had finally noticed the look on Scott's face. Since he was occupied trying to get that look off his face, Adam decided to hold on to his apology just a tiny bit longer. Interrupting that conversation probably would get him killed hands down. Though there was a bit of twinkle in Kevin's eyes, Scott was clearly still aggravated. While Kevin was occupied with that, Adam's eyes wandered over the table once again. Oh... wonder what Michaels would look like without his pretty blond hair. Adam stared at him intently for a moment before giving a mental shake of his head. Nah. It was too pretty to cut and he wouldn't even want to see the reactions from Hunter and Dave. Speaking of Dave... where'd he go? Eh. He probably wouldn't be gone too long. Not with the body language the three had been exhibiting earlier. Noticing that Kevin now had Scott pacified and smiling for the moment, he decided to give a shot at that apology and introduce a good reason for having ended up at the table in the first place. He'd have to think these things through a little more next time... when he was actually thinking and not tripping on psychodrugs. He did have a reason though now that he thought about it... though it wouldn't excuse his hair wandering hands. "Scott? I'm sorry for trespassing, honest. It was a spur of the moment, break the ice kind of thing and I didn't mean to upset anyone. It's good to see that you two are back together though. I think most of us would thank our lucky stars to find the kind of relationship you two have." Adam smiled as he looked at the man he was holding in his arms for just a moment before directing his attention back to Scott and Kevin. "And I wanted to say congratulations on the match for Sunday. I hope Vince is smart enough to give you the win." Noticing that Scott wasn't nearly so upset anymore, he turned to take care of one other small thing before he could make a strategic retreat. "Glen? Benny? I'll call you guys Saturday so we can set up a time on Sunday to do a run through for the match after my visit to the doctor. And on that note... I'm going to get out of here before someone else decides to add to the damage." Moving his hands to Chris' shoulders, he steered his lover back in the direction of their table. Halfway across the distance he let out a huge sigh of relief that he hadn't gotten put through a table. That relief lasted until he saw the look Chris was giving him. **** Hey Brat. Looking towards Hunter, Chris acknowledged the greeting courteously. "Hey Prick." He and Hunter shared a unique and long standing�relationship, likened to that of an over-achieving�school boy with an irritating little brother. From the moment CJ had sat beside a bright-eyed young woman and rehearsed calling her a 'Complete Slut', much to her delight and adoration, he and Hunter had become something less than friends but something far more complicated than enemies. There was absolutely no common ground on which they could function, they'd looked.�Once on�a�memorable�international flight, Hunter and Chris�had taken a poll and determined that they shared the same opinion in exactly one instance... Obi-Wan�and�Qui-Gon were together,�no question. Anakin didn't stand a chance. It should have been war, or at the very least bloodshed. Fire and ice, country mouse, city mouse, Matrix versus Lord of the Rings. They would have liked to have hated each other guts... they just couldn't bring themselves to do it. Seeing Michaels move to Hunter's side and the small frown crease the blond's forehead at Adam's suggestion of cutting Hunter's locks, Chris felt his lips twitch. If their body language was any indication, Hunter seemed to be well in hand these days... but then, he always had been. It just looked like someone had finally pointed it out to the big man, grinning at the thought,�CJ hoped they'd done it with a sledgehammer. Chris felt his jeans become a lot tighter in the front, as Adam's hand once again slid down from his waist and curved over his ass. The worn, comfortable fabric was pulled taught against his skin�and a strong fission of desire settle deep in his groin. If he hadn't been trying to keep track of two hands with only a single functioning one of his own, Scott Hall's temper and Hunter's words, he'd have been quite proud of his recovery speed after this morning's marathon. But pride, sex and hair were all set aside as, grip�once again�firm on his lover's fingers, CJ turned to answer Hunter's question while Adam smoothed over his follicular faux par with the Outsiders. Please tell me you�re not on the same pills or I�m going to call security. "You need to call security when I'm drugged? Why Prick, I'm flattered you think so highly of my trouble-making skills." Hunter was preparing to respond with a suitably amused rebuke, when he was distracted, and let's face it who wouldn't be? By Shawn Michaels leaning into his side and saying, And how exactly do you plan to do that?... you're missing something�important... Wow. There were many things impressive about Shawn Michaels, his talent, his charisma, his ability to break hearts without even noticing. But even CJ's hard-fought school-boy crush rose to�a new�level as he marveled at the Icon's ability to handle the difficult man known as Triple H. If Chris was reading Hunter's peeved expression correctly, Shawn had commandeered the man's phone! Christ. Anyone else tried that and they'd lose a hand. Grinning at the affectionate by-play between the two lovers, CJ soaked up the yummy/warm/sexy feeling of Adam's body pressed against his and thought what half the locker-room must be feeling at seeing Hunter and Shawn as an obvious couple. About fucking time! Adam's hands were then on his shoulders as he was being steered, by an erratic captain to be sure, back towards their table. Tossing back over his shoulder at the Outsiders, CJ grinned, "As the only man ever permitted to go to town on that hair, I'll confess I�almost had to sign a pre-nup�when we did our match. Just in case I got shaky fingers, right Nash?" Halfway back to the table and Adam was sighing, whether in pain or relief at not loosing a few teeth, Chris didn't know but he and his beloved needed to have a talk... now! "Babe," his hand on Adam's arm stopped them just short of the table, where Trish was trying to get Austin as happy about her pale pink suede boots as she was. "This is fun I agree, but if you're going to fondle anyone but me give me some warning okay?" A touch of remorse entered Adam's�lovely green eyes, so CJ smoothed away the worried frown he knew he'd been sporting. "To have your back, I need to know where it is so I can kick someone in the shins if they make a swing at you." Not that Hall had looked that angry, but all Adam had to do was cross someone with more of a mean streak and there would be another 'scuffle' to add to their relationship tally. "Oh and if you sit in Austin's lap again..." Chris threatened while he leaned up to kiss Adam square on the nose, "...I'll have to pour cold water on the both of you." Speaking of cold water....Chris caught sign of the scene taking place at their table and rolled his eyes. Since when was Jericho the responsible one in the room? **** You need to call security when I'm drugged? Why Prick, I'm flattered you think so highly of my trouble-making skills. Hunter didn't so much as think highly of the mania a tripping Chris Jericho could cause, was more like severely worried about the loss of limbs and all-around chaos that would fall into his lap to fix. When he'd first met the younger blond it had been dislike at first sight. He'd had no idea why as Hunt was hardly envious of the throngs of crew who fell at the cool blond's feet like adolescents at a Robby Williams concert. Stephanie had once suggested, at a creative meeting no less, that he and Chris were just too alike for words. Simultaneous glares of arrogant disbelief from he and CJ had done little to correct her opinion as the Billion Dollar Princess went into gales of laughter and had to ask for a glass of water. Over the years they'd developed an uneasy truce and were now on much firmer, if not politer ground. Looking up as Copeland calmed the sparkling anger he'd seen in Scotty's eyes, Hunter rationalised that if the Brat's better half could get up to this much trouble on the painkillers for some cracked ribs, then he was totally justified in being afraid. At least Adam had common sense, he'd never noted that trait in Jericho. Although... given the way the taller blond was staring with momentary fixation at the mass of Shawn's silky hair, Hunter was beginning to have severe doubts in that direction too. There was no way in hell anyone was cutting his lover's hair any shorter than it already was. He'd adored Shawn's long hair for years, the way it curled at the ends and the cock-hardening visual of it pulled into a low pony-tail, emphasising that gorgeous muscled back as his lover bounced cockily around the ring. He'd bitched at his best friend for a fortnight when he'd cut most of the length off some time ago and was prepared to blackmail Shawn to keep it as it was. Now that he had unrestricted permission to stroke those locks whenever he wanted... they weren't going anywhere. About to respond with that very opinion, Hunter completely lost his train of thought as the man of his dreams slinked into the seat next to him and literally draped himself across Hunt's side. The strong arm across his shoulder was a heavy brand of declaration while the sexy heat emanating from where their sides pressed together had Hunter wanting to fan himself, despite the air-conditioning almost directly overhead. It wasn't that unusual an embrace, they'd hugged and been all over each other in public far more than this. In fact, he'd stood almost naked beside the man in front of three million people, for them this was tame. But now Hunter knew. He'd been unquestionably told in those magnificent words "I love you," that he, Shawn and Dave were more than simply friends, more than lovers. A potential brilliance that even still in its infancy, was becoming an intrinsic part of Hunt's life. He was still up-close and personal with Shawn at a dining table... but he was also hugging his Lover, the man he'd had fantastic sex with last night and it was so much better than he could ever have dreamed. And how exactly do you plan to do that?... I seem to recall that you're missing something important, if you want that to work. Then, of course, Shawn was also the little rat who'd stolen his phone. Noticing out of the corner of his eye that CJ and Adam had beat a hasty retreat, Hunter turned to smile dangerously into those gorgeous dusky-blue eyes. Leaning forward slightly so that his shoulders sat more comfortably under Shawn's arm, Hunter sent a caressing hand onto his lover's knee. Pressing his thumb into the outer seam of Shawn's pants, Hunter moved his hand until he reached the pocket not two inches from delicious, warm heaven. "I could always ask to borrow someone's phone Darling. There are plenty of people in this room just dying to lend me their technology." Hunter's smug smile fell as his fingers found the opening to Shawn's pocket and discovered... nothing. Dammit! Ignoring what he suspected was victorious chuckling, Hunt gave the strong muscle under his hand a loving squeeze and moved to get up. "Fine," he most definitely did not huff at Shawn's expression. "I'm getting coffee and protein, you want some... Darling?" **** Dave's voice came through the cellular connection, just as a business man across the lounge started getting a bit nasty with the waitress. Unmoving, Randy kept his gaze on them while he spoke. "Randy?" Since it was Dave who'd called him, Randy wondered at the surprised tone in the man's voice. Sure, he normally avoided talking with the man if he could possibly help it, but Randy had answered and Dave shouldn't be that shocked. Looking at his watch Randy realised his flight would be boarding in a few minutes. "Yes. I'm in the business lounge at the airport. What do you need?" That came out a little more terse than he'd intended, but if Dave was going to start getting up his nose about something or other, then Randy would be getting a lot more than terse. He really, really didn't need that kind of conversation right now. "I owe you an apology... not an excuse for being rude to you... we'll find somewhere else to hash things out." Randy could feel his eyes blinking in wonder at the words he'd just heard. Batista was apologising to him for having an attitude? Would wonders never cease? If, as Randy suspected, that the big man had finally got Hunter where he'd wanted him for so long, then maybe this more malleable Dave was the product of a night of fantastic fucking. Randy knew it did wonders for... Ceasing that thought before it even began, he watched as one of the business men went a fascinating shade of puce in the face and started waving his finger under the waitress's nose. Randy knew she was probably dreaming of biting it off at the knuckle, he knew he would be. Reconnecting the brain-cells that had loosened as he heard his non-friend apologise to him, Randy dragged in a semblance of his usual snark and replied. "Ahhh sure." Because�really, was he in the twilight zone or something?�"Okay man, that's fine. My feelings managed to survive your bad mood." Are you trying to pick a fight Randall? "No need to apologize to me, I could see what was up between you three was pretty intense, so I get it." A blind man would have seen the flames coming off all three men and that was just them walking across a car park. Randy ignored the almost wistful surge that rolled through him at the thought. Michaels he could take or leave without a backward glance, he barely knew the man, but anything that brought that kind of radiant smile to a person's face had to be good. Once upon a time, when Randy was still a fool, he'd actually liked Dave Batista and because of that long-lost affection, didn't begrudge him�any happiness, especially with Hunter, a man still holding a very large chunk of Randy's soul. Hell,�Randy'd been the kind of person to like everyone... once. Batista's voice held that note of wonder and pride that came from the first wild steps of a new relationship. Well good for him. "Yeah it was intense... I was hoping you'd be okay with working things out before the pay per view... if that works for you?" The PPV? Oh yeah, Randy would have some things to plan at that Pay Per View, but they were things that a man like Dave Batista would have no part in. "That's fine with me," Randy agreed without any real caring.�"I'll be there early on Sunday anyway. I have some... stuff... to work out. Could you let the others know? I'm going to my parents' place in about four minutes and hope to hear nothing about work till Saturday." The last thing he was going to do was mention his plans to his family. That way led to nothing but grief. "Randy, I know you'll probably just tell me to mind my own business, but..." Mind your own fucking business! Just stop being nice okay? I know it's just 'cos you got laid last night Big Guy,�so have some sympathy for the rest of us. 'You could have got laid last night too. But you fucked that up royally didn't you Randall?' 'Shut up,' Randy mentally squashed his much-maligned conscience. "Are things okay with you? The way things looked last night in the parking garage..." Randy was on his feet without even being aware that he was moving. Standing at the lounge window, carry bag forgotten as he looked down upon the throng milling around on the atrium floor beneath him, he could see a reflection of the waitress' red uniform in the mirror. Her shoulders were tense and she was inching closer and closer to the security phone on the wall. Austin seemed pretty anxious to talk to you. Everything okay there? Randy honestly didn't know how to answer that question, because he really, really wasn't okay about anything right now. Not about Austin, or Hunter or Terry and certainly not about this out of the blue conversation with Dave. But the guy had asked, and the note of concern�in his voice was sincere, so Randy paid him the respect of answering him without the attitude. "Dave... listen... thanks for asking. I mean that. I can see what you're doing man and I appreciate it." Strange as it was, the worry evident in Dave's question melted a lot of the barrier he'd set up to deal with the bigger man. "To tell you the truth, no... everything is not okay, but I'm dealing with it. In my own way. Me and Steve, well I told him it was a fucking joke and I was right, this morning made me see that. So...." How could he possibly put into words what had happened, what he had done and was planning to do on Monday? Randy's knuckles started to throb. "Randy, I don't think that..." 'Stop helping Dave. I'm fine.' He rushed to cut off any further conversation. "...I'm going to spend some time with my Dad and then get back to work. This thing with Austin is gonna be in the past pretty soon and that's not a place I plan to live in. But again Dave... thanks for asking and don't sweat last night. I wasn't in a great mood either." "Randy, if he did something..." 'What? Like make me fall in love with him after one night?' "Can we talk on Sunday? I've gotta go, Man." He couldn't... just couldn't deal with this over the phone. Not when his flight was boarding and the businessman had grabbed the waitress' wrist in an inexpert but painful grip. Flipping the phone closed, Randy pocketed the device before demonstrating the correct grip on the businessman's other arm. Hand on the back of the lout's neck, he forced the man back onto his stool with very little effort and inclined his head towards the security phone. The waitress moved with a small burst of speed. "You're just lucky my mother isn't here," Randy confided to the sputtering and whimpering drunk as�two burly security guys, one almost as built as Randy, came into the lounge. "She would have ripped your balls off for cussing at a lady like that." Releasing his grip at a nod from one uniformed guard, Randy caught up his bag and boarded his plane without a backwards glance. **** Seeing the look in Kevin's eyes once he actually noticed the look that Scott was giving him, Scott knew that he'd gotten his point across. Even if everyone else in the room was questioning why Scott had reacted the way that he had, he knew that Kevin was well aware of the reason he was now sporting 'The Pout'. He wasn't sure if Kevin was going to laugh or cry that he was the one on the receiving end of it. Either way, whenever he had used it in the past, Kevin had always given in and this was not a topic Scott was willing to budge on. Despite what other people thought, it wasn't just hair that would be lost if Kevin cut it again. Though he would still love Kevin like crazy even if he did cut it, Scott would mourn the loss of that little shiver that worked it's way down Kevin's spine whenever he touched it, that little flare in his eyes. Maybe that was a little bit on the obsessive side, but he didn't care... it was a reaction he'd had to live without for too long while they were separated and he wasn't about to give it up now, when they had just reconciled. He didn't slack on the turn of his mouth even though he was now held securely in Kevin's arms. He wouldn't until he heard the words from Kevin's own mouth. Lord, Vince would have a canary if he heard about this. Oh well. "C'mon, Scott, stop that. You know as well as I do that I wouldn't have agreed to it... we talked about this." They had... just yesterday. And he had been pretty sure that Kevin would say no, but he hadn't been absolutely positive. He'd never thought Kevin would cut it in the first place, but he had for a movie role. True, they weren't together at the time, but Scott wondered if he would have done it if they had been then. Maybe that was the real issue... they hadn't been back together for very long. Both of them had obviously changed during their time apart and despite the fact that they were back together now, Scott couldn't always predict the way Kevin would react. Before... before he would have known, and that bothered him to some extent. That he just wasn't one hundred percent sure about Kevin's reactions now. "No hair versus hair match, no shaving... I like the way you play with it too much to ever cut it again." Thank god. Scott's answering smile was delayed as Kevin's fingers tangled in his hair. Oh geez. Not a canary... Vince was going to have a cow... a big cow. Thankfully the restaurant wasn't crowded with fans, because Scott honestly wouldn't have cared if it had been. The instinctive purr that slipped past his lips was unstoppable, even if Scott had wanted to stop it... which he didn't. Scott's head dropped forward to Kevin's chest and he knew Kevin could feel his other reaction quite well with their positioning. They so should have stayed in their room earlier... he wasn't going to survive lunch in this condition. Scott retaliated, unobtrusively nipping Kevin's chest lightly through the cotton shirt he was wearing. Then he forced himself to pull away... at least a half an inch. He looked up at Kevin, knowing his reaction was still lingering in his eyes, and managed that smile that he'd been trying for earlier. "Scott? I'm sorry for trespassing, honest... I didn't mean to upset anyone." He didn't move from his position in Kevin's arms, but he did turn to look at the two blonds who were exhibiting as much PDA as they were currently. Thank god Vince was not in this restaurant. They'd all be getting their asses chewed and not in any kind of pleasant way. Nodding his acceptance of the apology, Scott knew without being told that it was a mistake that wouldn't be repeated. And since it had actually helped him sort out a few things in his head, he wasn't going to hold it against the guy. "It's good to see that you two are back together though... thank our lucky stars to find the kind of relationship you two have." Scott startled slightly, barely withholding a laugh. Despite his forgiveness, he wasn't ready to encourage the guy to get up to more trouble, but he supposed it was obvious that he and Kevin were back together from this display. He felt a slight blush coming on at the words about their relationship. Even with all their troubles in the past, he'd known early on that he and Kevin were meant to be together. He'd lost that surety for awhile, but the fact that Kevin had given him yet another chance just confirmed it for him. That others had been pulling for them to get back together, even if Scott hadn't known about it, made him even surer. .Congratulations on the match for Sunday. I hope Vince is smart enough to give you the win." Scott blinked as he absorbed this last bit. He was surprised Vince had spilled the beans already, but since they were taking Adam and Benoit's place in the match on Sunday, it made some sense. He obviously hadn't shared the outcome though and Scott wasn't going to right now either. The fact that they were taking that spot because of an unnecessary injury didn't sit all that well, but since Adam didn�t seem too upset that they were now involved with the match, it did mitigate the circumstances somewhat. Nodding another thanks just before the blond went off on another tangent, Scott let his thoughts linger for a moment on what had happened yesterday. He'd be checking with Hunt to see what he had planned to do about that. If need be, he'd bring it up with Vince himself, but for now... Chris and Adam had gone on their merry way and he and Kevin could sit and enjoy the meal with all of their friends. Scott thought about making their little announcement, when he noticed that Dave wasn't with the group. Taking a quick look around the room, he spotted the big man talking to Austin, and things didn't look like they were going well. Lifting a brow, he shot a questioning look at Hunter and Shawn. He wasn't even sure they realized what Dave was up to, but figured they should be aware, just in case... Catching Shawn's eye, Scott tilted his head in the direction of the two men standing face to face glowering at each other. Lunch with their friends was never boring. **** to be continued...

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