"ITVR: Chapter 85"
Insights.

By Jadedoll, Penumbren, & Raising Kane

Dave snickered quietly at Shawn's method of distraction knowing that if he were in Hunter's position, he'd be just as powerless to resist. He wasn't snickering for long though as the muted moans and groans filtered through the car. No matter how many times he witnessed his lovers together, he'd never get tired of just watching them. Hunter's body pressing Shawn's down into the seat beneath him was full of beauty... elemental, raw, passionate. Fused from mouth to groin, legs entwined, the two couldn't look any sexier even if they were nude. Their clothing just added to the picture, accentuating and teasing with each shift of material, letting the viewer imagine what lay beneath the slacks and dress shirts. And besides having first-hand knowledge of what lay beneath those clothes, Dave had one hell of an imagination. When Hunter pulled away from Shawn, Dave looked for a moment, admiring the flush of their skin and the gloss of kiss-swollen lips. Damn, he was getting sappy, but it wasn't hard to do when you considered the sources of his thoughts. He wasn't about to wax poetic on them verbally however because he liked breathing just a little too much... besides, Hunt was staring him down with one of those looks. He was so caught up in the picture of the two of them that it took him a moment to remember why he was on the receiving end of that 'you're in the doghouse' look. Oh... right. The phone... Instead of being the least bit intimidated or concerned at Hunter's tactics, Dave smiled... grinned if truth be told. He was well aware of Hunter's abilities and his own... they were well-matched. The thing that was going to give him the added advantage here though was that neither of them were interested in hurting the other. That didn't mean that he wouldn't fight dirty in this case, to some extent. Flicking a look at Shawn behind the glasses to make sure Shawn was paying attention to the scene about to unfold, Dave finally turned to look at the man sitting down next to him. He held his grin through the light touch of Hunter's hand sliding down his arm and through the gentle caress of a single fingertip along his own hand... the hand coiled around Hunter's cell phone. "We can do this the easy way or fun way my Love, your choice." Decisions, decisions... he had to make one obviously. Shawn wouldn't be happy if he handed the phone right back to Hunt after he had gone to the trouble to take it away in the first place. Hunt, on the other hand, really desperately wanted the gadget back. Of course if he did give it back, Hunt's ear would most likely be glued to the thing all the way home. The call couldn't be that important... could it? "David." Laughing internally over Hunter's apparent impatience with his inability to make a decision, Dave shifted the phone to his other hand... the one opposite of Hunter. Lifting his free hand slowly, he pulled the purloined sunglasses from his face and reached over Hunter's shoulder to lay them on the back of the seat. Resting his elbow atop the seatback, he lifted his fingers to brush Hunter's hair back from his eyes before looking intently into those glittering hazel pools. "Darlin'... when have I ever chosen to do things the easy way?" he asked as his fingers slid over one tanned cheek before lingering on the curve of still-moist lips. His fingers slipped from Hunter's lips along his jaw, their final destination to be wrapped gently but firmly in Hunter's hair. "Shawn." The single word was the only warning he gave as he simultaneously ducked his head and took firm possession of Hunter's mouth... while his other hand was tossing the phone to the hopefully alert blond on the opposite seat. His second hand joined his first, tangling in silky strands as he shifted on the seat. In one smooth move he was straddling Hunter's legs, his body pinning Hunter to the seat with his butt pressed firmly against Hunter's groin. He'd wanted to test his theory on being a bit more aggressive with Hunter... not that he was planning to take things all the way in the limo... but a little sounding out wouldn't hurt anything. One push of Hunter's hand and he'd free him immediately, but he had to find out. With a deep growl, he explored the moist confines of Hunter's mouth like he was gorging himself on ambrosia and to Dave that was pretty much symbolic of what his lover tasted like, fit for the gods. **** The thing about worrying, Chris reasoned, was that it got you absolutely nowhere. You could stress over the too-slow pace of your lover's walk, you could frown at the tired smile on a�beautiful pale face and give yourself an aneurysm when he started wincing at each deep breath, but it didn't actually get you anywhere. Well... anywhere that didn't contain a frowning, stress bucket with a brain-bleed. Chris couldn't do a thing to make Adam more comfortable, couldn't take the pain away and couldn't give him another ten hours sleep. The best he could do was shut up, not ask if his lover was okay because he obviously wasn't, and get them home. Besides, with Jay Reso around, words asking how Adam felt would never be spoken by Chris Jericho again. ---- Promising Jay and Ty that they'd call tomorrow and 'Yes Jay, I can make tea. I even mastered adding the milk,' Chris saw off their chauffeurs and darted quickly inside to settle Adam in the kitchen. This needed to be done as quickly as possible so�his sexy boyfriend, bed, and ice could become close personal acquaintances. Chris packed with the neat economy of a long-time traveler, exchanging the worn clothes in his bag for fresh ones, collecting extra items like books and CD's then sliding them into the side pocket of his lap-top case. His house had that slightly dried-out scent of disuse, the air stale from days without a sun-filled refresh from outside. While grabbing�a new bottle of shampoo, CJ contemplated how he'd manage�his home�for the next few days. Maybe he should get a house-sitter to stay for him while he was gone, someone to baby-sit his toys and water the garden.�The last few months he'd seen less of the place than his weekly housekeeper, his schedule had been so full that he'd only come home to touch base and do some paperwork rather than enjoy himself here. Chris closed his bags and hefted them down the stairs, hoping against hope that Adam would have stayed put and not decided to do a lap around the block just to prove that he could. Looking through the lounge, CJ shook his head at the lifeless decor perfectly displayed therein. He really wasn't all that attached to the place. It was a nice house, nicer than he'd ever expected to own, but it hadn't adopted its owner's personality yet.�The big 'I wannabe a sandstone�villa' still too much like the cover of 'Interior Design Monthly' than the House of Jericho. Only the kitchen and music room actually felt truly comfortable... oh and the pool. Contemplating housemates, tax returns and mobile homes, Chris left his luggage near the door to the garage and went into the kitchen to find his wounded warrior. Oh dear. If Chris had to take bets on which male in his kitchen was the bigger hard-ass, he'd have put a fifty on the cat. Even with his grin at its most manic, his beautiful Adam just didn't have it in him to be more evil than the feline known to some as Satan. The huge black cat having been officially dubbed the incarnation of the devil by Jay, after what was henceforth to be known as 'The Incident' with the hot water, the duct tape and�an old copy of 'TV Guide.' Valentino was certainly living up to his infernal moniker if the sudden assault on Adam's hat was anything to go by. Chris was a cat person and thought it hilarious that his big tough�kitten was executing a neat back-flip over the red headwear and then proceeding to beat the shit out of it with his back feet. Luckily, CJ was also a pet owner who understood how fucking annoying other people's animals could be, so he crossed the room in two strides, divested Valentino of his red-beaked enemy and tossed it up on his shoulder. Valentino, not the hat. That he gave to Adam, after politely picking some of the black hairs off it. "I'm ready Babe, when you are. Hmmm... ." Chris stroked his fingers down Valentino's dense midnight fur as the big male draped himself artlessly over his shoulder, eyes now fixed on the birds in the back yard. "...I know you and the feral here don't get on, but can I bring him if he stays out of your way? He's living at the neighbour's and can get in through the cat door but they both work days and he'll become a street thug if I don't give him some attention. He's been known to take on a kelpie when he's feeling moody, I don't even want to think about what he'd do to the poodle down the road if I left him here." Adam's consent came more from weariness than enthusiasm, but Chris would take what he could get at this juncture. The next five minutes involved an intense conversation between Valentino and himself over which of them would be riding to Adam's place in the carrier and which of them would be driving the black WRX in the garage. Eventually Chris won, but only because he pulled the trump card of evolving opposable thumbs rather then dew claws, but in the end both his gorgeous beasts were loaded into his car. Deciding that changing gears with broken fingers was as entirely as painful as it sounded, Chris drove quite carefully, for him,�through the sun drenched late afternoon streets of Miami Lakes. He'd been to Adam's house enough times, even without the three days of pain-killers, yelling and worry that had accompanied his last visit, to get there the back way, keeping�the journey fairly direct and painless. Of course neither passenger remained silent about the situation but Chris hadn't been expecting miracles. **** �I doubt he�ll try anything with me,� Damn straight Paul.E wouldn't be trying anything with Jeff. Mark was a little taken aback by the sheer vehemence of the thought... and the immediately-following wish that Heyman would try something, preferably in front of him, so that he could tear the little creep apart as he so richly deserved. He'd managed to tolerate Heyman for years now, off and on, by a combination of flat-out intimidation and ignoring the passes by plainly---and pointedly---failing to notice them. More than once, he'd had the pleasure of watching Heyman crumble to frustrated embarrassment at his lack of reaction as entire locker rooms laughed at the little man's wasted attempts. Not that it had stopped Heyman---the man seemed to take a perverse delight in taunting Mark with his attention, purely�out of the knowledge that Mark couldn't stand him. There was no love lost between the two of them, and the current storyline between them reflected that. Secure in the knowledge that Jeff could more than take care of himself, Mark still wasn't happy with the thought of Heyman turning his attentions to the man sitting beside him. Very much less than happy, actually, and the slow realisation of just how protective he was feeling toward Jeff was... unexpected. It was another sign of just how much he did care about Jeff, and it was definitely something to think about later. Not now, as he was turning off the highway into the airport. �But if I hear that anyone�s being pressured I�ll tell you.� Raising an eyebrow at the tone of voice, Mark flicked a quick look at Jeff, waiting. �Although that might be after I express my opinion on the subject by kicking him in the balls.� He smiled at that, not surprised by the answer. Jeff was well-known for his own protectiveness backstage when it came to those he cared about. That made him�pause briefly�in thought�as he found a parking spot, relatively close to the rental drop-off. Would he come under that same protective wing, now that he and Jeff were... what were they? Lovers? Maybe. In one sense of the word, definitely, but in the sense that he cared about... no. Not yet. The knowledge that he was thinking of them as reaching that meaning at some point in the future should have taken him by surprise. He wasn't even taken aback by it. Maybe it was shock, after all the emotional upheaval of the last day, but Mark suspected that once he got home, he had some good long mental discussions with himself to look forward to. He'd always tried to be honest with himself, and the various revelations of the last twenty hours or so had been fast and furious. The lengthening silence from Jeff almost worried him, as he could feel a sort of quiet tension creeping up between them. As long as the disastrous misunderstanding from this morning wasn't repeated, he could probably deal with whatever it was that Jeff was working up to saying. Probably. "Last night� I just� I didn�t get the kind of insult I was throwing at you... I�m really, really sorry I thought you�d buy sex with a contract. It isn�t you Mark, it was never you." Well. There really wasn't a lot he could say to that. He wished that Jeff hadn't felt the need to apologize yet again, but if it helped him feel like they'd cleared the air, it probably wasn't a bad thing. Maybe now they could move on from their rocky start and see if they couldn't find smooth sailing in the future. Future. What a wonderful word. Mark almost missed Jeff's softer, last words as he turned the car off. "...more realistic to think I should be trying to use the contract to get you into bed with me." Stranger accusations had been made, he supposed, but... Casting another look at Jeff, the red tinge on the high cheekbones made him blink. Had he ever seen Jeff blush before? Leaning over, Mark put a tentative hand on the sharp shoulder nearest him. �But I�m not and neither are you and for the last time� I�m sorry." "You're right." Best to clear this up right now, and hope that they could move past it this time. "Neither of us is trying to use the other, for any reason." Hopefully Jeff wouldn't ask him just why Mark had gone to bat for him with Vince, because he really didn't have an answer yet. Not one that he could accept, anyway. Taking a breath, Mark stared at the long column of Jeff's neck, almost hidden by the bright fall of hair half-covering it, and knew that he couldn't keep his touch impersonal. They might be in the middle of an airport parking lot, but he just couldn't do it. Letting his fingers slide upward to curve around the pale flesh, Mark drew Jeff around to face him. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll accept your apology. But there were misunderstandings on both sides, and there likely will be again. Neither of us is perfect, Jeff." But you come damned close, the voice in the back of his mind whispered at the younger man. Mark shut it away again, not ready to look at what it meant just yet. Glancing out the windows, he didn't see anyone else nearby... and he really didn't care if anyone was. The sudden need to taste those hidden depths again rose up in him, and he wasn't going to fight it. Leaning just a bit closer, he closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to Jeff's as his hand slid around to tangle in the rainbow locks. The taste was intoxicating, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue twining with Jeff's as the younger man reciprocated, until he forced himself to soften the press of his mouth, pulling away reluctantly. The�slightly flushed cheeks and swollen lips and darkened eyes looking back up at him drew a soft noise from him. "I wish we had more time..." he said softly, letting the words trail off. They didn't, and the time they did have was quickly running out. A last caress to the soft cheek, and he was moving, getting out of the car with a relieved stretch. The sound of the passenger door closing as he was picking their bags up out of the trunk reassured him, and he looked a question at his companion, his utterly mundane words hiding the longing that was growing inside. He'd spent so much time by himself for so long---why was the thought of being alone for a day or two so difficult to deal with? "My gate is on this end, after I drop off the keys. Do you want to stay with me for a while? I've got some time before I have to go through security." **** He was even more hungry than he'd thought he was. Of course with worrying about the almost-fight earlier and all the excitement of telling their friends about their news, he wasn't really surprised. Scott still didn't end up with as much on his plate as Kevin did though. Poor guy. He'd been starving before they'd even come downstairs, then he'd had to wait on everyone to get settled, then there had been the announcement to make, and the trio's departure. Scott was kind of surprised that Kev hadn't tried to order everyone to cease and desist until he had something in his belly. Chuckling quietly over that thought, he headed back to their table with Kev right on his heels. The blissful sound that Kevin made as he took the first bite almost set him off on a round of laughter. Maybe tonight when they made it home he'd order take-out from that place that Kev adored so much... the one where Scott had caught him eating alone on that night so long ago now. Some candles, some soft music... hey, he could be just as romantic as the next guy. And just because he liked to pretend he was such a hardass didn't mean that Kevin wouldn't appreciate it either. Tomorrow would be soon enough to get his things, though he had to admit that with the announcement made he was pretty anxious to get on with the move. He wanted to be back home... where he belonged... with Kevin. "Congratulations, ese. It's good to see you back together... gives the rest of us hope." Scott nodded his agreement to Kevin's thanks. When Eddie approached him, Scott returned his half-hug while whispering in his ear. "And congratulations to both of us for getting these prigs to loosen up a little bit," he said, a trace of laughter in his voice. He knew that Eddie wouldn't take offense because quite honestly if anyone could use loosening up it had to be their lovers. Both men took things way too seriously at times. "...I'm happy for you two. I know what it's like, and how hard things must have been, and... I'm glad you could make it work out again." Scott surreptitiously elbowed Eddie lightly in the ribs, raised a brow when the man looked at him, and then grinned. "See, what'd I tell ya?" he mumbled quietly as Benoit joined them. "Thanks guys. We'll have to do this again soon," Scott added as the two men walked away, ignoring the look on Benoit's face at his announcement. Too, too funny. "Did you hear what Benny said? That was... unexpected." Scott smiled at his startled lover for a moment. "That wasn't unexpected Kev. It's called a miracle," he added with a wink. "He's finally starting to see the light, I think. Just because Bret Hart, God of Bitterness, has deemed us all evil twisted creatures does not make it so. Okay, I'll admit to the twisted part, but I'm only evil when it comes to protecting family. I'll prove to Benny that we're not spawn of the Devil even if it takes a year." "But Scott, that's not completely true. You call me a little devil all the time." Reaching out to the man sliding into the seat next to him, Scott pinched one of his cheeks and then smiled when he got his hand slapped away. "That's because you drive us all batty, Sean, not because you're evil incarnate... but we love you anyway." Watching Glen laugh as he settled into the seat next to Kevin, Scott decided that the problem with Sean earlier must have been resolved at some point during their little get-together. That didn't mean he wasn't going to keep an eye on the two of them. He just wasn't going to be as obvious about it. "Damn, Kev. Good thing you and Scott are back together. You're going to need some help working off all that food." Scott laughed. Kids... what were ya going to do with them these days? **** "Darlin'... when have I ever chosen to do things the easy way?" Hunter couldn't actually decide if he was�disappointed at Dave's response or�pleased that he was going to have to get physical with�his other lover as well.�Pinning Shawn to the soft leather seats, feeling the smooth, muscular�body twisting around in an attempt to avoid Hunter's fingers, had been a very stimulating side-effect of his search. Tackling Dave's formidable form, with the man ready and waiting was another matter entirely and undoubtedly one that would be just as... enjoyable. Hazel eyes locked on the phone, Hunt tensed his shoulders in preparation. He would have to quickly calculate just how far Dave could stretch his long arm towards the far window, a priority consideration if Hunter's plan was to work. He'd need to keep his dark lover immobile for at least three seconds, plenty of time to grab a wrist and reclaim his property. Of course, if Dave kept hold of Hunter's hair, then he'd have to be careful he didn't scalp himself in the process. Looking at Dave, to judge by the light in chocolate eyes if he even had a chance of those three seconds, Hunt felt the fingers in his hair tighten. "Shawn." The flicker of metal out of the corner of his eye, pulled�his attention�away from Dave for a fraction of a second. It was enough.�In that moment of distraction he was caught, mouth taken in a ravenous kiss, body pressed deep into the cushioned seat and Dave, his magnificent David, sitting firmly astride his lap. Hunter reacted, his body no longer under the command of his brain, that reputedly powerful organ sabotaged by the sudden display of aggression and passion aimed exclusively at him. As he had done with Shawn last night, Hunt arched up into the kiss, tongue dueling with the invader in his mouth, sucking and licking the warm flesh with abandon. It registered somewhere in the back of his sex-distracted brain that he was restrained again, his head cradled in the powerful grip of Dave's hands, his legs unable to dislodge the superbly fit body holding him down. It wasn't the inability to move that caused the ice-like tension that shot up his spine, freezing him in place while Dave continued�to take ownership of Hunt's lips. Hunter had been incapacitated enough times while working to not worry about that. It was that, once again, Dave was taking the initiative with him, touching Hunter like he wanted to keep on touching and never stop. Touching Hunter with intent. Touching with love. The first time the panic set in, Hunter had run for the bathroom.�Now there was no small room in which to catch his breath, so he had to handle this now. Had to relax, tell his body to just chill out and get with the 'touching and loving' program because hey... it's all of the good. But Dave Batista was no fool. He was also a brilliant lover who could undoubtedly tell when his partner wasn't running at the same speed as him. Hunt felt Dave start to pull away, the tiny slump of his shoulders revealing the cause of his movements. Hunter found that the panic he'd felt over being touched was insignificant in comparison to the sheer terror than ran through him at the idea of Dave stopping. "No." The word slipped from Hunt's lips as Dave continued to pull back. But... but he didn't mean it that way. His hands had been resting at Dave's waist from the start of the kiss, his fingers splayed across the small of his lover's back as he experienced that breathless, lovely mating of mouths. Now they moved. Now they shot to the back of Dave's neck and reconnected the kiss, picking up where they had left off, but this time it was so much better... because Hunter wasn't panicking anymore. "I didn't mean it that way." It was a growl more than a sentence, made against Dave's lips and hopefully conveying Hunt's full participation in events. Leg muscles bunching, Hunter tried to shift Dave from his lap and onto the seat beside him. His arms tried pull the big man closer, to change the dynamic so that Hunter dictated the action. After that he could then begin devouring the beautiful man from top to toe. Of course... he'd have to win this little testosterone contest first. **** If it'll make you feel better, I'll accept your apology. Jeff had known he would, hadn't really doubted for a second that Mark could�forgive Jeff for his assumptions and let it go. It was Jeff, after all, who was belabouring�a point, that perhaps didn't really need to be dragged out again. His furious desire to have Mark think well of him was beginning to get on his nerves. He likes you. Okay Numbnuts? He would hardly have screwed your heart out of chest last night, shown you off to his friends at lunch and be fondling your neck in a car park if he was still pissed about the whole shower thing. Resolutely telling his brain that he was finally over it, Jeff regained his mental equilibrium and asked Mark for his number. Or he would have asked that, if Mark hadn't kissed him and tipped his equilibrium back into an acute curve. Wriggling closer, Jeff silently cursed the handbrake as he snagged two handfuls of Mark's shirt and tried to count the number of the man's teeth with his tongue. That they were in a public place and he should be demonstrating restraint didn't even occur to the younger Hardy. Mark was kissing him, Mark, a fucking gorgeous man who could take Jeff's breath away with a�small quirk of his mouth, was kissing Jeff with that same mouth and touching Jeff and really, who cared if�you had�a permanent�imprint of a handbrake beneath�your navel because Jeff was probably going to dislocate something as he was going to try and climb over the armrest and into Mark's lap and... . "I wish we had more time..." Oh, wow. The heartfelt sentiment stopped Jeff from catching any air into his depleted lungs and managed, in that moment, to convince him to forgo killing Mark for ending the kiss. Straightening his spine, Jeff shifted away from the dangerously intimate handbrake and muttered the word 'tease' as he got out of the car. He suspected the taller man had no real idea the effect he was having on Jeff this morning.�Just from a few mostly innocent kisses and looks, that obviously weren't intended to go anywhere.�But Jeff was a young man filled to the brim with raging hormones and they were all aimed in Mark's direction. It didn't help that his new almost bed-partner was stretching those unfairly long arms over his head, wicked tattoos dancing as the strong muscles they gracefully arched and bunched at the movement. Jeff knew he was staring like an adoring fan girl and really didn't give a shit. Mark was�Hotter Than�Hell�and Jeff was gonna look if he wanted to. Dammit! "Do you want to stay with me for a while? I've got some time before I have to go through security." "Sure." Jeff pulled the strap of his bag over his shoulder and followed Mark's lovely, lovely ass into the terminal, breathing a relieved sigh at the artificial environment created by several powerful air-conditioners. "I have to find a flight home and hope they don't sit me next to a scary women with hair even more unrealistic than mine." Seeing that delicious twist to Mark's lips and the humour dancing in the jade eyes, Jeff explained as he joined a random queue. "It was like... mauve or something and she kept telling me about her daughter and all the assholes the girl was dating. I swear I couldn't keep a straight face, I mean look at me..." Jeff joked as he gave himself a once over. "... am I honestly the kind of guy you would try to fix your daughter up with?" It occurred to Jeff that saying that to the man he'd had sex with not sixteen hours ago was kinda... wrong. "Speaking totally hypothetically there Honey," he grinned and then realized he just called the Undertaker, the Bad Ass, the Dog who owned the Whole Damn Yard and most of the Front Row... .Honey. Fortunately Jeff was saved from an embarrassing retraction by the check-in woman calling him over. After finding a flight that left only forty-five minutes after Mark's, Jeff gave up his single, lonely bag to the conveyer belt and looked around for his companion. Seeing the big man politely ignoring a cluster of youths that looked set to descend on him with�t-shirts and markers in hand, Jeff�ruthlessly�annexed Mark from his fans and they made it to the�complimentary 'Business' lounge without being spotted. Now what could two, vigorous, athletic men do with an hour on their hands in an airport? Jeff measured the distance between themselves�and a door marked 'Supplies'. **** He was staring at his newly returned hat that was now sprinkled with black hairs when Chris asked permission to bring the demon cat along. He could say no, but he had a feeling Chris would be severely disappointed in him if he did. And despite his bordering-on-despisement of the feline race, he couldn't really consign the creature to four days alone when a few hours of Chris' time was most likely all that the animal received in any given week. Besides, he couldn't expect Chris to give the animal up and he didn't want to spend any more time apart from Chris than he absolutely had to, so... Sighing at the thought of the damage the little monster could do to brand-new furnishings, he forced out a "sure, why not" that he wasn't really feeling deep down inside. Adam did get a bit of amusement from watching Chris try to stow the animal in his carrier. At least he wasn't the only one the creature seemed to be trying to antagonize. By the time Chris had won the fight, he was more than ready to get home and lay down... but only for a little while and only after he'd had a chat with Satan on the do's and don'ts of being allowed within his house. They finally made it out to the garage and Adam looked a bit suspiciously at his lover as they settled into the car. Exactly how was Chris planning to shift with broken fingers? Too achy to really argue over it, he fastened his seat belt and left things in his lover's hands. It was going to take forever and a day to reach his house. After Chris' slam earlier that day about his driving, Adam felt more than justified in returning the favor. Raising his voice a bit so that he could be heard over the howling in the back seat of the car, he made the obvious comment. "You know... I think my grandma drives faster than this. Maybe she can give you lessons." ---- They did eventually make it to the house, though Adam had seriously had his doubts. As they walked into the front foyer, he stopped Chris who had the cat carrier in hand and asked him to get the animal out. He nixed any ideas that Chris had of handing the terror on four legs over to him with a simple "you hold him, I'll talk." Staring Satan down with his best glare, he started his not-quite-welcoming speech. "Okay, you little furball... rule number one... if you use my furniture as a scratching post then you'll be confined to the deck by the pool." The pool was in a climate-controlled - greenhouse type addition onto the back of the house... he wasn't completely heartless. "Rule two... if you do your business anywhere but the litter box or outside, then that pool thing I threatened with earlier will happen." The animal seemed to be completely unconcerned with his mandates, turning to look at the surrounding area he was now in and eyeing his antique hall table with glowing eyes. "Hey! Pay attention demon spawn or we'll go visit the pool now." Chris' cat finally turned to look at him again, but Adam would swear the animal was laughing at him with the tiny flash in those golden eyes. Scowling and trying to look fierce, though he was sure he failed miserably with Chris trying to hide a chuckle unsuccessfully, Adam growled instead. That garnered him the animal's interest for a moment. "You are not in any way, shape, or form allowed anywhere near my bed. If you even think of putting one paw on it, I'll go out and get the biggest dog I can find and let him eat you for breakfast. Are we clear?" Rolling his eyes when the creature jumped out of Chris' hands to start the exploration of his new environment, he mumbled quietly under his breath. "I'm trying to reason with a cat... maybe I'm the insane one after all." Turning back to his lover, he attempted a smile though it was surely tinged with the evidence of the aches and pains he was now feeling. He grabbed the bags that contained Chris' personal effects and dropped them at the bottom of the staircase for later. "Short tour since things have changed since you were here last and then I'm going to crawl into bed with a half dozen ice packs and hopefully you to keep me company." He was just about to lead Chris into the living room and show him the new layout there when there was a shriek of surprise from the kitchen area... definitely female. He wondered for a moment who the hell was in the house since he'd given Fran the day off when it dawned on him. Jess must have lingered after her errand or she was still busy putting away the groceries. He headed in the direction of the kitchen while trying to figure out what would cause her to shriek like that when the answer literally barreled into him in a bundle of black fur... Satan. **** He really hated being wrong. In this situation, he hated it even more. When Hunter had at first responded with an equal intensity and passion, Dave had thought his bet had paid off. It had taken less than two minutes to disabuse him of that notion. It wasn't that Hunt had pushed him away or really fought him in any manner. Instead it was simply a lack of response that had truly clued him in. From one moment to the next the passionate man returning his kiss with abandon turned into an unresponsive shell, like someone had waved a wand and turned him into a block of ice. He started pulling away immediately, the slight push he'd been waiting for not coming, but then he hadn't really needed it to get the point. His head dropped forward slightly as he tried to catch his breath, his mind whirling furiously as he tried to figure out this puzzle. Because there had to be more to this than just an issue of touch. Hunt had 'touched' him just fine last night when he'd given Dave that amazing display of oral satisfaction. He hadn't had a problem with being tied to the bed while Shawn made love to him either. Like a lightning bolt, it hit him. Barely hearing the 'no' issued from the lips of his love, he continued to pull back. The press of lips to his didn't surprise him nor did the fact that Hunt was trying to smooth over the situation. The pieces actually made sense, including the fact that Hunter was trying to move his bulk to the seat so that he was beside rather than on top of the man. It made sense. Hunter was going to deny it, but it made perfect sense. "I didn't mean it that way." Dave broke the contact between their lips for a second time, determined to talk about this before anything else happened. It wasn't something he could just ignore whether that is what Hunter wanted or not. Pushing it to the side wouldn't deal with it and as much as he loved Hunter touching him, loving him with his mouth, he was not going to be able to restrain himself from wanting to reciprocate. It wasn't in his nature to simply take without giving. So they were going to have to deal with this at some point. It might as well be now. "Yes, you did," he said, a wistful smile on his lips. He pressed a brief kiss to Hunter's hair and then firmly pried desperate hands from the back of his neck before sliding into the seat next to Hunter. He lifted one hand to put a halt to the denial that he knew would be forthcoming and also to stall any impulse that Hunt had to climb all over him if that's what the blond had had planned. "You did mean it, but that's okay because I think I've finally figured this whole thing out. I want you to listen to what I�m going to say and then you can deny it all you want to if that's what you want to do, but at least think about it first. Please." "You, my love, are a control freak," he said, grinning at the little flash in Hunter's eyes upon that pronouncement. "You took control of your career and it got you where you are today. You like to manage all of the rest of us... making sure we are where we're supposed to be and when. That's why you can't stand it that you can't check your messages right now. It's beyond your control and it's driving you crazy, isn't it?" Even as he said it, he could almost see Hunter itching with the need to grab his phone and check to see who had called. "Now I'm going to go out on a limb here and make an assumption and if I'm wrong... you let me know. I'm willing to bet that most of your previous lovers have been like Shawn. No offense, love," he added with a smile for the man on the opposite seat before looking into the eyes of his skittish lover. "Meaning that you probably outweighed them by a good forty pounds. If push came to shove, you were pretty sure you could muscle yourself out of any possible situation. Even when Shawn had you tied to the bed, you knew you could get free if you really wanted to so you were safe. But you can't say that with me, can you Hunt?" He knew Hunter was surprised by his conclusions but he wasn't sure if that was because he was on target or way off base. The man was playing this one close to his vest and until he came out with a yes or no, Dave wouldn't be sure, but he wanted to get it all out there before Hunter denied or admitted that his concerns were real. "I outweigh you by a good forty pounds, probably closer to fifty. When I had you pinned there against the seat with my hands in your hair, you couldn't move except for your hands. If I'd insisted on keeping you there, you couldn't have moved me... and somewhere in the back of your mind you realize that. It ties you in knots, sends a chill down your spine that you aren't the one in control. I know because I've been there Hunter." Another flash of surprise in his lover's eyes, but he could also see the obvious questions there just seconds behind. "I wasn't going to bring this up quite this early but now is as good a time as any, I suppose. We've been dancing around it off and on so I'm just going to toss it out there. With some of my previous lovers I've ventured into what some might consider... kinky sex. When you're handcuffed to a bed with a gag in your mouth, you learn pretty quickly that you have no control whatsoever. If you don't completely trust the person you're with, then it can scare the hell out of you." "So the real issue here is... you don't trust me," he raised his hand again because he just knew that Hunter was going to argue to the contrary. "You don't and that's fine... for now. Considering how new this thing is with us, I can understand that. I will always give you a way out Hunt... always, but until you feel comfortable letting go of some of that iron control that you have, I'm not going to ask you to. From this point, you are going to have to take the initiative and tell me or show me what you want." "Now if I'm wrong about all of this, then you have permission to smack me and set the record straight on why you freeze up whenever I touch you with anything but kid gloves." He was kind of hoping Hunter was going to deny it all... every word of it. But he didn't think Hunter could if he were honest and that's what Dave really wanted. **** As Adam began to lay out the ground rules to Valentino, Chris tried to turn so that his two beautiful males could look each other directly in the eye. The big, black cat was having none of that however, and seemed more intent on checking out Adam's furnishings than listening to his conditions of entry. CJ�wasn't about to�kid himself that Valentino didn't understand what was going on just because he didn't speak English... oh no... felines were able to get the gist of what was going on around them just by body language. Adam's body was speaking in several dialects at once and every one�translated into�'Me boss cat. You not'. "Hey! Pay attention demon spawn or we'll go visit the pool now." Chris found that pretty hilarious and didn't stop the silent chuckles that began to shake his frame. Valentino just climbed higher up on his shoulder, gave Adam the once over and started to purr. Given the beast's size it was closer to the hum of a car engine than anything normally produced by mammals,�but it was a symbol of his beloved pet's acceptance of the situation. Adam's rules were pretty lenient, Valentino was on easy street in comparison to Mrs. Verdi's Green Lake Cattery. Not surprisingly,�Valentino got tired of the ground rules and intended to explore his new accommodations. As if�he'd held up one razor-tipped claw in�Adam's face�and mewed 'talk to the�hand', the beast also known as Satan used his powerful hind legs to push away from his human's chest. CJ didn't try to hold onto nine pounds�of squirming midnight fur, that could lead to bad places where one of them could get hurt, instead he let the animal leap down to the floor and begin its sniff and 'I own this' tour. Valentino owned the walls, coffee table and lounge suite, but apparently a potted plant was beneath his dignity. "I'm trying to reason with a cat... maybe I'm the insane one after all." CJ could sympathize, he didn't doubt for a moment that Adam was only taking his pet out of affection for Chris and he appreciated the gesture. Although eventually the smaller blond�would tell his lover that the ground rules weren't necessary. His big kitten would quite happily recline in a temperature-enclosed swimming area and since Chris was away so often, Valentino�never even thought to try and share his bed. Only one man had that liability right now and he was looking at Chris with an adorably sheepish expression shadowed by sharp edges of pain at the corner of his lovely eyes. Now Chris just had to work on getting Adam to purr on his shoulder... a task that was going to be a hell of a lot more fun than the original training of his cat had been. ...then I'm going to crawl into bed with a half dozen ice packs and hopefully you to keep me company." CJ was swamped by a warm wave of tiredness at Adam's words. What an absolutely brilliant idea _that_ was. He didn't care if it was four o'clock in the afternoon, didn't care that he had a dozen calls to make and probably fifty e-mails to answer. Right now Chris was here, with Adam, in Adam's lovely house, being invited to join said sexy-hot boyfriend in what he remembered was a�huge bed with lots of pillows. "Race you to the..." Chris' tease was cut of by the commotion coming from the kitchen. Moving with what he would later accuse himself of as 'heroic speed', CJ took a dozen steps to get into the gleaming, cream tiled area, but then stopped dead as the male responsible for a young lady's scream came hurtling towards him. Without pause Valentino began to climb Chris' denim-clad leg, his only concession to his human's skin a slight retraction of claws as he crossed�the broad expanse of chest�and then almost leapt onto his shoulders. Fortunately for both man and feline, CJ's shoulders were broader than most normal people's, but even he had to adjust his stance to accommodate his furry passenger. Following his lover into the kitchen, Chris absently stroked Valentino's silken ears as he watched Adam talking to a young woman with long dark hair, hands on her hips and an expression on her face that was a mixture of concern and exasperation. CJ hadn't known anyone could get a perfect combination of those two emotions on their faces, but Jessica, he presumed this was Jessica, was managing it quite easily. He wondered if she'd teach him that look, it seemed to be getting to his lover like nobody's business. "I'm sorry if Valentino got a little too friendly... Jessica..?" Chris apologized as he lingered in the doorway, uncertain if his pet was going to be confined to the pool area in the next instant. Jessica turned at the sound of his voice, eyes widening in recognition as she took him in from boots to black fur collar. It was the girl next door, he remembered her from his last visit. Jessica had�one of those�innocently sweet faces that she likely used to full advantage with her father and various adoring adults. CJ wasn't fooled. This young person had lived beside Adam Copeland for several years and seemed to be able to handle the man with her eyes shut. If Chris was to be become a semi-permanent fixture in his lover's life, Jessica would be either a formidable ally for Chris or a deadly enemy. Keeping his tone conciliatory, CJ spoke into the wide-eyed silence he'd caused, keeping his fingers moving in a soothing pattern on his cat's big round head. The yellow eyes were fixed on Jessica with a frightening intensity, like she was�an enormous mouse.�"The big man here likes to get into the lap of any woman he comes across." Seeing Adam's raised brow, Chris smiled. "I did call him Valentino for a reason." **** Blinking to clear his mind of the haze that Hunter's lips had left behind, Shawn made a face at his best friend's back, tempted for a moment to lock his legs around Hunt and pull him back down to continue what they'd been doing. The hand on his chest stopped him from doing so, but not because of any force behind the move. No, the symbolism wasn't lost on Shawn, and the sight of the intent look that Hunter was aiming at Dave told him that anything he tried right now would be soundly ignored in Hunt's quest to regain his "stolen" property. Next time maybe he would drop it out a window. Crossing his arms behind his head, Shawn allowed himself to relax as he watched the byplay going on in front of him. Seeing Dave's utter relaxation as Hunter tried to stare him down was intriguing; obviously their lover had experience in games like this one, which made Shawn wonder just what sort of games their Animal had played in the past. Hopefully soon he'd have a chance to ask, although possibly not in front of Hunter. Given that he actually didn't know anything about Hunt's past with men, and from Hunt's reactions over the last day, it was probably safe to assume that his friend's relationships hadn't included any dominance play. They certainly had a lot to talk about, he mused. Finding an appropriate time and place to have that sort of conversation would be difficult, but they would have to make the effort. From Hunter's mixed reactions and the cues that Dave had given off, the sooner they sorted things out the better off they'd all be. Catching the quick look cast his way from Dave, Shawn slid into a sitting position, keeping his hands free. "We can do this the easy way or fun way my Love, your choice." Shawn was voting for the fun way, personally, although he doubted Hunter's chances at holding Dave down to tickle him. Was Dave ticklish? That was a question that he filed away to be answered later. For now, he'd simply enjoy the sight in front of him, with Hunter trailing a delicate touch over Dave's hand... And there was the answer. Whatever it was about the cell phone that had Hunter nearly desperate to check his messages, Dave had just answered the question with the silent action of shifting the phone to his other hand. The slow motion as he removed the sunglasses and raised his fingers to Hunter's face as he answered held Shawn captivated. If not for the quiet tension lying between them, he would have been tempted to slide over and join them. "Darlin'... when have I ever chosen to do things the easy way?" That sounded promising. One of Shawn's eyebrows raised briefly in contemplation of all the meanings that could underlie the statement, but his name falling from Dave's lips in that warning tone had him moving before he knew it. Catching the small metallic missile and pocketing it in one smooth motion, he was unable to take his eyes off the sight in front of him. Whatever Dave's history was, he certainly had no problem with taking control of the situation. What he wouldn't give for his camera right now, to capture the beautiful picture of his lovers pressed together, their mouths devouring each other... Seeing Hunter freeze into motionlessness beneath Dave's form sucked the rising warmth right out of the limo. Damn it. Shawn had hoped so much that Hunt had been able to get past this, at least partly, after last night. Of course, last night it hadn't been Dave holding Hunt down, but himself. He'd even been the one to tie Hunter to the bed. Wait... if Hunter didn't have a problem with Shawn touching him or holding him down, but only with Dave... it couldn't be that simple. Hunter had more than proven how he felt about both of them the day before, after all. Shawn was the only one involved in this little trio who was holding out on that end. No. Not now. Quickly pushing those troubling thoughts away, Shawn found himself leaning forward, body tensed to move, as he watched his lovers closely. The noticeable slump in Dave's shoulders, the tensing of the muscles underneath the dress shirt as he started to release his hold on Hunter, drew Shawn like a magnet, but he fought the draw. Whatever was going on here was obviously between the two of them. Not that he wasn't involved, but they needed to deal with this problem without interference from him. Last night had given Shawn a new perspective on Hunter's issue, and whatever it was, it wasn't about him. It probably wasn't even really about Dave... but he needed to stay where he was and let them deal with this. "No." Fingers tensing on the edge of the seat, Shawn's heart tried to pull him forward at the nearly desperate tone in that single syllable. The sudden movement as Hunter reached out, trying to reconnect with Dave, brought another twinge... especially when he realised that Hunt obviously wanted to keep Dave's hands and lips on him, but just as obviously wanted Dave not holding him down. "I didn't mean it that way." Oh, Hunt. Shawn's head dropped slightly, but his eyes never left the two men sitting across from him. "Yes, you did" And Dave knew. He'd seen it too. Shawn wasn't sure if he should be relieved or sad. "I think I've finally figured this whole thing out.... It's beyond your control and it's driving you crazy, isn't it?" Nodding in agreement, Shawn wondered why they hadn't realised this sooner. He'd made jokes about Hunter having control issues in the past, but he'd never realised that truth underlying his teasing words. Dave's grin only made the glint in Hunter's eyes clearer, and Shawn watched in agonized silence as his best friend splintered apart�under his gaze at Dave's steady words. "I'm willing to bet that most of your previous lovers have been like Shawn. No offense, love." Shaking his head at the quick glance, he couldn't find it in him to return the smile. Not when Dave was calmly tearing Hunter's control down right in front of him. There was no resentment of that fact or anger, just a deep pain that he had to sit there and watch and not reach out, not help. Whenever Hunter had been hurt in the past, his first instinct was always to reach out and help him past it... but he couldn't do that this time. Only Hunter could move past this hurt. "It ties you in knots, sends a chill down your spine that you aren't the one in control. I know because I've been there Hunter." Shawn's head snapped back up at that, his eyes widening slightly at the absolutely accurate description. It was a sensation he knew well, although it had been a long time since he'd experienced it. To hear Dave so casually admit that he'd experimented with control and kink... well. Those thoughts would have to be dealt with later, although Shawn definitely wasn't going to forget them. "So the real issue here is... you don't trust me.... Considering how new this thing is with us, I can understand that." His breath catching in his throat, Shawn inched forward. Dave sounded completely okay, understanding... but he knew that this had to be hurting the big man in some way. Having experience with similar situations did reassure Shawn that Dave was correct, that it would pass as they all adjusted to each other, as Hunter got used to having a lover that could overpower him and became secure in the knowledge that Dave wouldn't do that... but it didn't make the current moment any easier. "From this point, you are going to have to take the initiative..." Would that apply to both of them? To some extent, it probably should. Fortunately, taking the initiative was something Shawn had never had a problem with, but he'd have to watch himself to make sure that he wasn't inadvertently pressuring Hunter simply through his own actions. Watching Dave sit so calmly, understanding written clearly in his face... Shawn couldn't have done it. If the tables were turned, he couldn't possibly have been that patient, that sympathetic. New warmth welled up inside him at the love evident in the dark eyes that were watching Hunter so calmly. But... seeing the confused pain in warm whiskey eyes before his friend bent over to avoid their gazes brought guilt up alongside it. Who knew that a harmless prank on his part would lead to this? Probably good that it had, since it had brought Hunter's problem out to deal with head-on rather than by tiptoeing around it, but... "You're not wrong." Hunter sounded as bad as he had this morning. Swallowing past a suddenly dry throat, Shawn waited, since Hunter obviously had more to say... if he could find the words. "How the fuck do you do that David? How can you see me so clearly when I can't even...." That was an excellent question, Shawn thought as he turned to look at Dave. Their lover had insight that was almost shocking, and Shawn wondered suddenly if that insight applied to him, as well. If it did... what did Dave think was going on with him? Could he see the doubts that still assailed him, the confusion that he felt over his own emotions? God. No wonder Dave had left early that morning. How could he have stood to wake up next to someone he'd given his heart to but still claimed to feel only developing emotions for him? It was just too much. With a sudden sharp movement, Shawn moved to Hunter's other side, draping an arm over the hunched back as he rubbed gentle patterns into the tense muscles through the soft cloth covering them. Not sure what his own eyes were revealing, he looked at Dave across Hunter's back. Speechless for a long moment, he finally found his voice with quiet words, hoping that his own tension wouldn't be obvious. "You see so much, sweetheart... It's good for us that you have the heart to match that vision." **** to be continued...

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