Part 31

Looking up into the bliss-glazed blue eyes of his lover, Shawn smiled and leaned in for another long drawn-out kiss. "Not that I'm going to complain, but what was that all about?" he asked as their lips finally parted.

The moment that he'd walked into the room, Chris had practically thrown him on the bed and ravished him. While it had been a delightful surprise to be sure, he had to wonder at Chris' urgency to literally rip his clothes off him.

"Well...I was talking to Benny, you see..."

Shawn's indignant look almost made Chris break into laughter. "Wait just a minute...are you telling me that talking to Benoit turned you on?" he asked in a too even voice.

"Yeah it did," Chris said with a grin before taking note of the now irritated look on Shawn's face. "Oh...no, no, no...not like that," he corrected quickly. "It was from telling him all about how you've been fulfilling my every wish and desire over the last week. Not that I went into detail," he added with a wink, "but I was thinking about all the things we've done and well...it got me just a little bit hot."

The change in Shawn's face from irritated to arrogant had Chris laughing loudly. "What have I just done?" He asked in a decidedly smartassed tone. "As if you actually needed me to bolster your ego."

"Well actually..." Shawn said as he slipped his fingers over Chris' cheek, "when it comes to you and me, I may just need that bolstering for awhile. Ya know...just until it settles in that you're actually here with me and love me just as much as I love you."

Chris was surprised by the slight flash of worry he saw in his lover's eyes and hurried to reassure him. "I do, Shawn. As soon as this is all over then we can put the past behind us. Yes, Hunter kept us apart, but we're together now and no one is going to change that." Chris pressed a gentle kiss against Shawn's lips before smiling down at him. "And on the bright side...Benny no longer wants to rip you limb from limb. He's reserving that torture for our dear friend Hunter."

Shawn returned the smile from his lover with a genuine one of his own. "Sounds good to me and just so you know...I wasn't jealous," he insisted. Chris' look of disbelief made him grin. "Honest. In fact I have to admit I've always wondered about Benoit..."

Chris laughed so hard he was shaking. "Have a secret yearning for the Rabid Wolverine, do ya?"

"I don't think that'd I'd call it a yearning exactly. More like he scares the spit out of me, but I still couldn't help but wonder...know what I mean? I think it's that toothless smile of his, as rare as it is to see it," Shawn said with a lop-sided smirk.

"Well, you'll just have to keep on wondering lover-of-mine, because I can't tell you a thing." Grinning at the surprise on his lover's face, Chris explained. "Eddie isn't one to share, unfortunately. If he were, I'd set something up because I have to admit to being curious myself, but..." Chuckling at Shawn, who had just stuck his tongue out at him, Chris snuggled down on Shawn's chest. "...We'd both be taking our lives in our hands to suggest it. Now, if there are any of my other friends you want to secretly bag, we'll talk."

"No. I think most of them would still like to see my head on a platter. But if I change my mind I'll let you know," Shawn replied saucily with a pinch to Chris' ass. Grinning at the loud yelp from his blond lover, he then wrapped his arms tightly around Chris to avoid reprisals. "Besides, you're going to be kept busy for the near future in any case. You and Kevin both have promises to uphold and I have a feeling that Sean is going to talk Glen into joining the festivities sooner rather than later. And that's not counting how much I'm going to expect you to put out, my love."

"Oh the hardships..." Chris said, yelping again when he received another pinch. "My poor ass is going to be black and blue if you don't stop that," he said with a fake glare. "So...Benny is on board with the plan, obviously. How did young Randall react to our suggestion?"

"Young Randall?" Shawn asked with a snicker. "Let's just say that I shocked the hell out of him on more than one count. He was practically drooling at the thought of Hunter losing that belt. Seriously. I think I saw a bit at the corner of his mouth." Shawn pulled Chris back down on his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around him before continuing. "Or maybe that was from him imagining the two of us naked together."

The slight struggle that he'd expected made him laugh. "No I didn't tell him any of the details, but you can't tell me he wasn't wondering," he said with a huge grin. "Although at first he thought I was sleeping with Benoit. Seems a lot of people noticed that the hostilities between us were real," he said with a quiet chuckle. "I doubt anyone will suspect we're actually together unless we tell them, which can only work in our favor as long as we watch our steps."

"I don't think I like the idea of Randy imagining us in bed together," Chris mumbled with a grimace. "That's just disturbing. Benny asked me if you were any good in bed, though," he added with a short snigger at the incensed look on his lover's face.

"Of course I am!" Shawn exclaimed with outrage. "I hope you told him that."

"Actually," Chris said slowly with a smirk, "I told him I needed a bit more time to evaluate you."

The blond man yelped due to another pinch to his already abused posterior. "Hey! I do! Considering that we've only actually done it in a bed about three...well, now four times," he deadpanned. "Of course I think we need more evaluation in other areas as well...the floor, on gym equipment, the couch, the swimming pool, the dining room table, the backyard..." he trailed off with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Shawn laughed in agreement. "Now that you mention it, we haven't spent much time in bed. We'll have to correct that oversight," he said with a grin as he rubbed his hands down Chris' back to cup the swells of his ass. "I think we should get started on that right now. What do you say, Sweetheart?"

****

Tiny hairs stood up on the back of his neck as he stood at the desk in the lobby. He didn't have to turn to look to know who had caused the reaction. It was him. The only one that could have his body snapping to awareness even from fifty feet across a room. He could feel the penetrating stare of the man's eyes, could sense the man's hesitation in the air around him.

Snatching his key from the harried desk clerk, he turned and strode quickly across the room before the man could make his escape. The urge to flee was obvious in the other man's posture, yet he stood his ground, his eyes nervously darting towards the elevators.

"I know that you don't really trust me, but I'm hoping that I can change your mind. I never planned what happened between us, but since that night I can't stop thinking about you. Give me the chance to get to know you. Come have a drink with me?" He asked with a gentle smile.

There had been an almost electric connection between them for months now, but the man in question kept rebuffing his efforts to get to know him better. Of course the guy could hardly be faulted for shying away from the company that he was keeping right now. Half the time he wanted to avoid his inescapable companions, but he had to bide his time. Until he broke free, being seen with him would expose the man to a whole new set of issues to worry about.

"I don't know. I like you. You know that I do," the man said with a shy smile. "And it's not that I don't trust you...it's the people that you associate with. Hunter controls everyone around him and I refuse to put myself in a position where he'll involve himself in my life," the man said frowning and looking around like he expected the man to appear at any moment.

"I made a mistake by getting involved with him, but hopefully it's not one that I'll have to live with much longer. And we both know that that's not the only reason that you keep turning me down either..." Dave accused with a sympathetic smile. "We were both more than a little drunk that night, but I remember you telling me why you were drinking in the first place."

"Yeah, I remember. Nothing's changed. I can't tell him...and he's completely oblivious. I don't think it will ever change. I've pretty much quit hoping that it will," the man said shaking his head sadly. "So if not for your little issue, I'd probably let you buy me that drink."

Dave smiled slowly, just a little more hopeful now than he'd been before. "I'll make you a deal," he said, lifting his hand to push a stray piece of hair away from the man's forehead. "I promise to keep my hands to myself...if you'll come upstairs and have that drink with me. That way he won't find out about it. And if I'm very lucky then after tomorrow night that issue won't be an issue anymore."

The man smirked, looking up at the fingers still playing with his hair. "You promise to keep your hands to yourself?"

Dave grinned and dropped his hand slowly, stroking his fingers along the man's cheek for a moment before pulling it back altogether. "Promise."

"I suppose in that case I'll take you up on that deal. And if you manage to take care of that issue tomorrow night, I might just take you up on one of those other offers you keep tossing my way." Stooping to pick up his bag, the man walked towards the elevators, looking back over his shoulder to see if Dave was following.

Dave looked around for a moment, a weird feeling tightening his gut, before shaking it off and following. As he entered the elevator he couldn't help but smile. After all...he'd promised to keep his hands to himself but he'd never said a word about his mouth.

****

A little while later, the happily exhausted couple was curled around each other on the bed. Chris was lightly combing his fingers through the hair on Shawn's chest, letting his mind drift wherever it might lead. Though now that they'd worn each other out, the predominant topic of the pay-per-view was the first thought that wormed it's way into his head. That and worries about how Dave would react to their proposition and whether or not he would betray them to Hunter. Benny hadn't thought so. The Rabid Wolverine had been pretty sure that Dave was ready to make his break from Hunter's little group. Chris certainly hoped that his friend was correct.

And of course they had to speak to Adam yet. Chris still wondered if maybe having Shawn there for that conversation wasn't the best idea, but he would bow to his lover's wishes. Once they told his friend the truth about the events that had led to his drunken breakdown, he had a feeling that Adam would calm down and be genuinely happy for them, but he couldn't guarantee it. Adam was truly unpredictable to him even after all the years of their friendship. He just hoped that eventually his friend would be able to accept that he and Shawn were together now and that nothing was going to change that.

Lifting his head and shaking it lightly to clear out the jumble of thoughts, he smiled at the sleeping façade of his lover. The man looked so peaceful that Chris was loathe to wake him with his worries. They both needed a good night of rest to ready them for the events of tomorrow. With a quiet sigh, he settled his head on his lover's chest and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

****

"Well isn't that just sweet. Seems our big, bad Animal has himself a little crush," Hunter said, smiling sadistically at the man beside him. "Such a useful piece of information. Now aren't you glad we didn't wait until tomorrow to come to the hotel? We would have missed out on a great chance for blackmail material."

"You were right Champ," Ric replied, turning his head to the opposite side to hide the grimace on his face.

Ric had always stood behind Hunter in everything that he did. He'd never minded using dirty tactics to get to the top, but lately he had been wondering if there shouldn't be a limit to what he was willing to stoop to. After the way things had gone down with Randy, Ric had started to rethink things. He had realized then that Hunter was always going to put Hunter first and that he was just another means to an end for 'The Game' to keep his title. At one time, Hunter had been loyal to his friends, but those days were long gone. Hunter was out for Hunter now and anyone that got in his way was going down...hard.

There was already a long list of those that had paid for Hunter's ambitions: Scott and Kevin, Sean, Jericho, Randy...and many others. Ric had heard all the stories...knew about them all...hell he'd been involved in more of them than he wanted to admit to himself. And he had no doubt that Hunter would have no qualms to adding Dave to that list...or Shawn for that matter. The man didn't seem to have a conscience any longer.

Ric really liked Dave. He was a decent guy and Ric didn't want to see him get hurt the same way that Randy had. "Dave's on our side though, Hunt. You know he's going to help you get the title back at the pay per view." But Ric wasn't quite as sure about that as he tried to sound. The last few weeks Dave had changed. Ever since the night that Ric had seen him leave the hotel bar with...

"I know he is going to help me. That's why I brought him into Evolution in the first place. He's the perfect bodyguard...all brawn and no brain. It won't even occur to him in his pathetic little mind to try to cross me. But it doesn't hurt to have a little insurance policy. Just in case someone starts putting ideas in his head. The only regret I have is that I haven't fucked him yet," Hunter said with an evil smirk on his face. "Of course now that I have something that he'll want to protect, that just might change."

Ric shivered at the nasty tone of Hunter's voice. It testified to Hunter's state of mind that he didn't even refer to the man as 'someone' but instead had classified him as a thing. He would have to warn Dave...tell him that Hunter knew. As long as Dave did what Hunter wanted him to then everything would be all right.

But if Dave made the move that Ric had been expecting for awhile now, then Dave wouldn't be the only one to end up paying the price. With what Hunter had just said that might be the case anyway. Hunter was wrong about Dave...he was well aware of his own worth whether Hunter wanted to realize it or not. No way in hell was he going to get on his hands and knees for Hunter...it just wasn't going to happen. Ric just hoped he'd be able to talk to Dave alone before Hunter did and before the match in the chamber. He didn't have any doubt that with as far gone as Hunter was now that someone's very life might depend on it.

"Come on Ric. I feel like celebrating a little early. Call those fake Arab guys...what the hell are their names again?" Hunter asked absently. "Not that it really matters," he said waving his hand in dismissal. "Just tell them to get their asses up to our suite and make it quick. We'll have to gag them this time though. I'm not going to pay another couple thousand to some twitchy manager just because the screaming disturbs the neighbors."

Ric was feeling decidedly sick to his stomach as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Why hadn't he seen it sooner? He followed Hunter to the elevator as he made the phone call, all the while trying to come up with a plan to excuse himself from the 'celebration'.

Chapter Thirty Two... Coming Soon!