Sean Waltman folded his arms over the balcony's cold metal railing and leaned his chin against them, absently registering the creak of his leather jacket resisting the motion and the sound of the wind rushing sporadically past. Twenty three stories below, a single car went along the largely deserted street that was still slightly shiny from rain, headed towards the freeway. Considering that it was past midnight, the car's solitude wasn't altogether surprising. It was a weeknight, and all the good little business people were safe at home in bed.

Normally he'd be out on the streets with Kev and Scott, exploring what the city had to offer that wasn't addictive, illegal or both. That plan had been thrown out of whack by the severe beating Sean's ribs and stomach had gone through during his match. The pain had faded to a dull ache that only really hurt when he moved too much, and the only damages were some seriously nasty looking bruises. Unfortunately, Kev and Scott, much as he loved them both, were far from flexible about that kind of thing. So, they were room-bound for the night.

Making a small, disgusted noise in the back of his throat at the two older men's excessive protectiveness, Sean let his eyes slant halfway closed as he watched the empty street. He didn't bother looking up as an arm curled protectively around his shoulders, only straightened and leaned into the contact with a murmured greeting. A moment later he felt the light press of lips against his hair, and smelled the heavily sweet scent of hotel shampoo. Scott, just out of the shower and apparently feeling affectionate.

"Hey, chico." Scott gently tugged on a stray lock of Sean's hair and asked, for the fortieth time that night, "How're your ribs? Still hurting?"

Rolling his eyes, Sean said patiently, "They're fine. You won't have to kill Jericho to avenge me. Poor guy was tripping all over himself trying to apologize afterwards anyway. They only ache a little now." With a sudden, wicked grin, he made as if to pull his shirt over his head and mock-pleaded, "Kiss it and make it better?"

Scott chuckled, but pulled the shirt firmly back down before looking down at Sean. "Trust me, brat, I would, but Kev's stuff is still here and he doesn't need to walk into the middle of that."

Sean turned in his grip, wrapped both arms around Scott's waist and pulled himself closer, letting his head rest on Scott's shoulder as he spoke. "How do you know? Hell, maybe he's interested. It's not like he's straight, or any of us five are exactly monogamous. Maybe he wouldn't mind joining in, hmm?"

Scott went suddenly tense. "Sean, we've talked about this before-"

"No, I talked about it. You smiled, nodded and changed the subject as soon as you could. Listen, I was with Kev last night, and he admitted he'd be willing. I'm definitely willing. And from the way I've seen you watching him when you think neither of us are looking-"

Backing out of his arms and up against the railing, Scott looked away. "I really don't want to discuss this now, all right?"

Sean smiled apologetically, sensing that he'd pushed too hard,. "Okay. Sorry. But I do want to deal with this eventually."

Still watching the street, Scott made a non-committal noise. He didn't resist when Sean moved back up against him, though. "Where is Kev, anyway?" he asked finally.

"He went out to get me some coffee." Sean smirked faintly. "Ahh, the advantages of being hurt."

"Oh, yeah, God forbid you haul your ass downstairs to feed your own caffeine addiction."

"Of course. Hey, if I don't get my caffeine, I get very unhappy. And tired. That means you'd be sleeping alone tonight, which means you'd be even more bitchy than usual tomorrow, and so would I. Poor Kevin wouldn't know what hit him."

"Does he ever?"

Ignoring that comment, Sean looked up at Scott and said in the most sincere tone he could manage, "He should be glad I sent him for coffee, y'see. I'm doing it all for his sake."

Scott blinked, then laughed. "Nice logic you've got there."

"Hey, it works, and you love me for it."

After considering that for a moment, Scott smiled crookedly and gently kissed Sean's forehead. "Yeah, I do."

With a lazy smile, Sean nuzzled his head into the crook of Scott's throat. "It's mutual, you know."

"I know. It's still good to hear every once in a while."

Lifting his head to study Scott thoughtfully, Sean absently ran his fingers through Scott's still-damp hair and grinned. "Thank God, you got all that styling crap out."

Amused, Scott asked, "You have a problem with the styling crap?"

"Yeah. It makes it difficult to do this." Using his grip on Scott's hair, Sean pulled his head down for a long, slow kiss. He didn't let go when the older man seemed about to resist; the older man was pinned against the railing and therefore unable to back away, and both of them knew he wouldn't push Sean back. When Sean felt him finally yield and the first almost delicate touch of the tip of Scott's tongue trailing over his bottom lip, he smirked smugly and tilted his head back to deepen the kiss. It became more purposeful, almost hungry in its intensity. Scott's arm twined around Sean's waist, pulling him even closer. It was all too easy to forget where they were. Gently nudging Sean's head back, Scott began to kiss a path down the exposed column of throat. Sean gave a low moan of approval, his eyes drifting closed at the sensation.

They shot right back open when someone cleared their throat and said very pointedly, "Jesus, you two, could you at least wait until you're inside to start that?"

Scott jerked back as if he'd been burnt, glancing up at Nash and looking away again a moment later. "Sorry," he muttered guiltily, letting his hands drop away from Sean's waist.

Mock-scowling at Kevin, Sean said, "Your timing sucks."

"Hey, is that any way to talk to the guy who brought you coffee?" Kevin held out the Styrofoam cup with a smirk, and laughed when Sean nearly snatched it.

"Never mind. Consider yourself forgiven." Pulling the lid off, Sean inhaled with a blissful sigh the cloud of steam that poured into the cool night air. "Mmm, caffeine..."

"Right, now what are the magic words?" Kevin inquired sweetly.

"Blow me," Sean replied, carefully sipping the still-steaming coffee. His eyes drifted closed in pleasure. "Wonders of wonders, I think you actually managed to get decent hotel coffee."

Draping an arm over Sean's shoulders, Kevin murmured, "Do I get a reward?"

Sean sighed, smiling up into the larger man's intense stare. "Tomorrow night." Indicating Scott with a flick of his head, he added affectionately, "I'm kinda taken at the moment."

"Ah. I see." Kevin turned his attention to Scott, who was watching the street and apparently doing his damnedest to ignore the other two men on the balcony. That could be because Sean was staring into the coffee with a thoughtful, distant look on his face that made him both beautiful and difficult not to throw up against the railing and ravage right out in the open. Still, it wasn't like Scott to be so quiet. Resting one hand on Hall's shoulder, he asked, "You okay, Scotty?"

To his mild alarm, Scott tensed and tried to shift away from the touch. Unfortunately, he was caught against the railing and one corner of the balcony, leaving himself nowhere to go. Raising his head, he offered a weak grin, not entirely meeting Kevin's gaze. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"You sure?" Frowning in concern, Kevin touched his face with the back of one hand. Sean noticed with a wry smirk that he left it there longer than necessary. "You're not acting fine."

Scott blinked, momentarily speechless. Then again, that happened a lot when he had to deal with Kevin in his personal space, touching and studying him intensely at once. It was tolerable in the ring, at least then Nash was concentrating on something else, but Scott got the distinct impression that he had Kevin's full attention right now. It didn't help that he had that patented, concerned frown on his face, the one that looked like it was more than half pity. /Yeah, sure, kid,/ was the distant, bitter thought in the back of Scott's mind. /He's interested in a threesome. Guess which one of us he's really after? And guess which one would be the pity fuck?/ Swallowing, he finally managed to look away. "I'm okay. Just tired."

Setting his half full cup down, Sean took Scott's hands in his own. They were still warm from holding the cup. Looking up, he offered the older man a crooked smile. "Your hands are freezing. Shouldn't have come out here right after a shower." Sean moved closer, lightly kissing his jaw, and asked teasingly, "Want me to make you warmer?"

"Sean..." Scott warned. His arms looped around Sean's waist anyway.

"Hmm?" Sean replied, all innocence as he rubbed his cheek against Scott's chest like a cat seeking attention. "Is there a problem?"

Finally laughing, Scott ruffled his hair with one hand, momentarily thrown out of his brooding, silent mood. Sean grinned at him. Now that was definitely more like it. "There will be in a minute if you don't quit that. We'll end up getting arrested, and Kev'll probably see a hell of a lot more than he wants to."

The grin on Sean's face turned a trifle more wicked. "Oh, you think so? I don't know..." Turning his attention to Kevin, Sean inquired, "How much would you want to see?" He could feel Scott go suddenly wire-tense and squeezed his hands lightly without looking at him.

Kevin appeared to consider the question for a moment, his gray eyes thoughtful as he studied the other two men. Then he smiled slightly and leaned against the railing with a light shrug, his expression playful. "That would depend on how much you're willing to show me, and if you're willing to let me play along."

"Ah." Sean raised his head and calmly met Scott's glare. "What do you think, baby?"

"I think," Scott replied in a grim undertone, "I need to talk with you for a minute. Alone."

With a sigh, Sean muttered, "I had a feeling you were going to say that." To Kevin, he added, "Uh, would you mind going inside for a sec? We're just gonna be a minute."

"Sure." Kevin leaned in and kissed him affectionately on the temple. He looked at Scott, then said, "If we don't, it's okay, you know."

"I know," Sean reassured him with a crooked grin. "Don't worry, we're not gonna kill each other." /I hope./

The moment that the clear pane of glass serving as the balcony door slid closed, Sean found himself face to face with an extremely annoyed Scott. Glaring down at him, Scott said flatly, "Give me one reason not to throw your scrawny little ass over that railing."

Trying not to be daunted- for God's sake, this was Scott-, Sean asked with a mock-leer, "Because you have future use for it?"

Scott didn't even blink, none of that unnerving tension in his face and body pushed away by the humor. "I'm serious, kid. Look, I told you, I don't know if I could ha-..." Catching himself, he shook his head slightly and said instead, "If I want this."

The kid was too damned quick. Judging from the frown on his face, he'd caught that as well. "Scott, if you don't want this, we don't have to. Seriously. It's cool." Tilting his head slightly like a curious puppy, Sean asked, "Mind if I ask why, though? And what the hell you meant when you said you couldn't handle it?"

Glancing away, Scott turned his gaze back to the ever-fascinating street below. It hadn't changed since the last time he'd looked. The strange thing was, for all the time he'd spent staring at that black stretch of asphalt, he had a feeling that he wouldn't remember a damned thing about it as soon as he looked away again. He heard Sean's irritated sigh perfectly, though, as Sean realized that he wasn't planning to answer the question. The kid always was the smart one... then again, it wasn't like he had much competition around here.

He rubbed his finger absently over the black railing and raised it to study the grime now on his fingertip. It wasn't that he couldn't answer Sean's question, more like he didn't really want to. After all, he'd had more than enough time to think about what, exactly, was going on here. Nash was like fire: nice to look at, but dangerous and painful as all hell if you got too close. Sean had gotten away without getting hurt, but that was just Sean. The kid was something else. He could get away with playing with fire. As for a certain cocky, blue-black haired man who 'dripped machismo', it didn't seem likely.

A tentative touch to his lower back pulled him out of his thoughts. Sean gave a sympathetic hiss, moving closer. "Jesus, Scott, your hands aren't the only things that are freezing. C'mere." That wasn't quite the correct command, since Sean curled up tight against him before he could go anywhere, but he didn't protest. The kid was a warm weight against him, gently nuzzling his cheek against Scott's chest. "Look," he murmured, "I'm only asking because you're starting to worry me. Whenever you're this quiet, I get worried. I want you to be happy.  Beside, it's not like you haven't gotten on my ass about not talking about problems before." Sean sighed, a soft huff that clouded the air for a moment before the mist dissipated. Christ, it was cold out. The kid's warmth was like a heatlamp, working through and unfreezing frozen places he hadn't known were cold in the first place. "You know, I care about you, and Kev cares about you, and it's honestly all right if you don't want to do this-"

/Fuck. Chico, just stop talking now. Please, just stop./ Tightening his grip on Sean, Scott closed his eyes and took a few deep, steadying breaths. He was being unreasonable, and he knew it, but that didn't stop his heartbeat from coming too fast in his chest. There was no way Sean didn't feel that, but the kid wasn't saying a word. He owed him for that, and a thousand other times Sean had been tolerant enough to keep quiet about. He owed Kevin more than to just push him away from Sean like this because he himself was terrified of some improbable monster under the bed. Odds were that they would do this, both he and Kevin mostly concentrating on Sean, and just pretend it didn't count for anything when morning came. He owed them at least this chance, if they wanted it.

Opening his eyes, he looked from the street to Sean's face. In the half-light, Sean looked pale and young, strong and somehow breakable, beautiful in his own way. Scott managed a crooked smirk for him, lightly touching his cheek.

"I want this," he said simply, half lying. The lie part made him guilty; it was the other half that unnerved him.

Sean looked up at him, studying his expression for a long moment before giving a satisfied nod and a slow, sweet smile. Scott had the sudden, dazed realization that if cheap sex and that smile was all he got out of this night, he'd wake up a happy man.

Then the door was opening, and Sean was pulling him into the relative warmth of the hotel room.

As soon as they entered the room again, Sean began shrugging out of his jacket, releasing Scott's arm after a brief, reassuring squeeze. The jacket slid down his arms and fell to the floor as he crossed the room to where Kevin was sprawled in an armchair. Kevin quirked an eyebrow in silent inquiry. With a wicked grin, Sean seated himself in the larger man's lap, his back to Kevin's chest, and commented, "It's a go."

Following with slightly less enthusiasm, Scott looked down at the crumpled heap of Sean's jacket and asked without looking up, "Didn't anybody tell you not to leave your clothes strewn all over the floor when you were a kid?"

Sean shrugged easily. "Hey, according to you, I'm still a kid. Consider me exempt."

Scott ignored that, picking up the jacket by the collar and studying it. His gaze remained stubbornly everywhere but the two men on the chair. Feeling Kevin nuzzle his exposed throat, Sean looked back at him. Kevin cupped his jaw, obscuring his face from view, and pulled him close. His eyes were dark with more concern than hunger. Motioning towards Scott with a tilt of his head, he murmured low enough that only Sean heard, "There a problem?"

"There usually is," Sean replied, his smile rueful and his tone equally soft. "Don't worry about it. He'll be okay."

Lightly stroking his thumb over Sean's cheek, Kevin inquired, "Anything I can do?"

The smile on Sean's face could only be described as wicked. "We'll see." Before Kevin could ask what he meant, Sean leaned in and pressed a light to his lips, then squirmed off his lap and back to his own feet. Crossing the room with a few quick strides, he moved to stand in front of Scott. He took the jacket out of the older man's hands, set it aside and moved into his arms. Pressing his cheek to Scott's chest again, he murmured, "How you doing, man?"

"Fine," Scott said reflexively, his reply too hasty to be honest.

With a low, scornful noise, Sean said affectionately, "Liar."

For a moment, Scott didn't respond. Then he nudged Sean's chin with the side of his hand, tilting his face up, and studied him thoughtfully. His expression was unreadable. When Sean's lips parted as he was about to ask another question, Scott leaned down and covered them with his own possessively.

Sean moaned into the kiss, grinding his hips against Scott's, smirking at the low growl the move earned him. Scott's hands slid down to Sean's waist, gripping his hips to hold him still as he eased him into sitting down on the bed. Once Sean was seated, Scott moved to kneel between his knees. Leaning forward, he rubbed his cheek against the crotch of Sean's jeans, savoring the kid's hiss of breath. Sean squirmed in his grip, his head falling back as Scott unfastened the button of his jeans. When a second pair of hands slid under his shirt, he jerked reflexively and whipped his head around.

With a particularly wicked smirk, Kevin pressed himself against Sean's back and murmured, "Is there are problem?"

Wriggling back against Kevin with a soft noise as Kevin's thumbs traced around his nipples, Sean said between gasps, "Only that you're going to spoil me- ah, God!"

Kevin chuckled. "You aren't already?"

Sean reopened his eyes to give him a dark glower, and he probably would have made some dire threat if Scott hadn't taken that moment to slide his jeans completely off and start licking his inner thighs. Startled, Sean cursed, then moaned. "A little warning next time, baby?"

Scott stopped what he was doing. Laying his cheek against Sean's knee, he asked mock-innocently, "Should I stop, then?"

Swatting at him, Sean snarled, "Don't you dare!"

With a low laugh, Scott went back to what he had been doing. Sean settled back with a glare, which promptly went away as Kevin's hands went back to roaming his chest. Nearly purring, he let his head fall back against Kevin's shoulder, shivering at the larger man's tongue trailed a path down his exposed throat. When Scott began delicately licking at the underside of his erection, Sean whimpered, hips jerking against Scott's hands. If anything, that made the torture increase; the fleeting touches of Scott's mouth became even lighter. Kevin's arms snaked around Sean's waist, his grip loose in fear of aggravating the bruises even as it forced him to stop writhing in frustration. Panting raggedly as Scott flicked the tip of his tongue along the ridge, Sean said desperately, "Damn it, please..."

Finally taking pity, Scott took the head of Sean's shaft into his mouth, sucking on it lightly. Sean whimpered again as his hips bucked against both restraining grips. This time, Scott let him, only easing more of him into his mouth as his hand slid back. Sean gave a soft, indescribable mewl at the first cautious touch at his entrance. He rocked his hips back against the finger that nudged inside, then forward against the hot mouth engulfing him, his breaths coming fast and harsh. Small, strangled whimpers of pleasure began to escape him as Kevin's hands slid up to toy with his nipples again and a warm mouth descended on the junction of his throat and shoulder. A bright flash of pleasure jolted through his body as Scott's finger slid against the prostate, and he lost it. With a cry, Sean shuddered against the violent force of the orgasm, arching in their holds.

Finally collapsing back against Kevin, Sean gasped for air, blinking dazedly. Kevin's hands smoothed over his chest under his shirt, the touch oddly soothing. The older man looked somewhere between awed and amused. Pressing a light kiss to Sean's temple, Kevin asked, "You all right?"

"Uh... yeah, I think so." Shaking his head, Sean smiled unsteadily. "Damn, that was... intense."

"Good." Kevin nosed Sean's hair, then purred, "You're so fucking gorgeous when you come, baby. I love feeling you lose it like that."

Sean grinned playfully, sliding his hand back to cup the older man's erection. "Speaking of, isn't it your turn?"

Growling quietly as Sean stroked him through his jeans, Kevin replied, "Yeah." His gaze flicked up to Scott's face, and his smirk was pure hunger. "It is."

Noticing the smirk, Scott blinked, then sat back on his heels. "Okay," he said a little too brightly, glancing towards the window, then told Kevin, "If you want him, go ahead."

"What?" Sean stared at him, bewildered. "Scott, baby..." With a sigh, he rubbed his temple, then motioned for Scott to come closer. "Get over here." Tugging Scott on to the bed, he touched the older man's face, urging him into a long, sweet, involved kiss. After a moment of resistance, Scott finally yielded, letting himself be pulled closer. When the bed shifted as Kevin climbed off, Scott didn't react, too lost in the kiss to notice.

The back of Sean's hands trailed down the ridge of Scott's ribs, producing a helpless shudder. Scott kissed him harder with a small moan, the tension melting out of his body as he momentarily forgot about Kevin's presence. When a pair of irresistibly strong arms wrapped around his waist from behind, pulling him back again Kevin's solid chest, he froze.

"The kid's gorgeous," Kevin agreed mildly, his breath warm against Scott's throat. His lips brushed against Scott's throat as he added, "But he's not the only one I want this time."

Scott went even tenser for a moment in his arms, then sighed and slumped. In an impossibly weary voice, he said flatly, "You don't have to do this."

Seeming to consider that, Kevin finally shrugged. "No, I don't." His hand slid under Scott's shirt, skimming up his stomach to his chest with several light, somehow reassuring strokes. "But I want to." When Scott turned his head to eye Kevin suspiciously, Kevin's crooked smile was answer enough. "No games, baby," he promised in an undertone. His hand stilled, the palm warm against his sternum. "Will you let me do this?"

Alarmed, Scott demanded, "Do what?"

The smile on Kevin's face was dark and dangerously silken. Moving his hand slightly, he slowly rubbed his thumb over one flat nipple, tracing small circles around it until it stood erect.  Scott drew in a breath sharply, eyes closing against the twinge of nearly painful pleasure. "That," Kevin replied, the smirk on his face audible in his murmur, "and more." Pressing a line of feather-light, delicate kisses down the length of Scott's throat, Kevin continued softly, "I want you."

Scott bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood, inwardly cursing both the stab of painful emotions those words drove straight into his gut and Kevin for saying them. /Laying it on a little thick, aren't you, big fella?/ he thought, startled by the bitterness of his own thoughts. /Just fuck me and get it over with, already. Neither of us want to be here./ Reaching back, he cautiously laid his hand over the crotch of Kevin's jeans and wasn't particularly startled to feel the bulge there. It was Kevin's turn to bite back a moan, his breath warm against Scott's throat. Scott couldn't resist a smirk, cynical as it probably looked; at least he had control back. This was old territory, bringing back harsher memories of handjobs in filthy alleys just to drag himself through a pre-med degree he had eventually abandoned. It was so easy to fall into the patterns of emotionless sex. So hard to get away from them...

The light nip of teeth on his jugular made him flinch. Kevin chuckled, a predatory sound, and soothed the bite with a wet, warm stroke of his tongue. His hand moved down Scott's chest again, pausing to toy with the neglected nipple before skimming down to his waistband. Lightly caressing Scott's stomach with his fingertips to feel the muscles twitch in reaction, Kevin purred when Scott shuddered. "Nice. I can see why Sean wouldn't share you."

"Yep. I'm selfish." Unashamed, Sean bounced to his feet. There was still a light flush on his face, an aftereffect of the orgasm, and when he tugged Scott down for a kiss his lips were nearly hot. Scott moaned into his mouth as Kevin cupped him from behind, and felt Sean smirk. With all his usual hyperactive energy restored, Sean sat down abruptly and smiled up at them. "But I'm willing to watch."

"Slut," Kevin said affectionately.

"You bet," Sean replied, undaunted, his eyes huge and incongruously innocent to the smirk on his full lips. The smirk only widened when Kevin suddenly froze as Scott took advantage of the distraction, unzipping his fly and slipping his hand inside. Scott stroked him expertly, with an almost mechanical efficiency; the technique was more for haste than enjoyment. Kevin sucked in a breath through his teeth, shuddering once, then suddenly reached down and caught Scott's wrist with his free hand to make him stop. Scott craned his head back, his smirk cynical and too-old; there was a disconnected triumph in the depths of his eyes, a chillingly apathetic look.

Kevin shook his head, trying to pretend that he hadn't just seen that, and said quietly, "I don't think so, baby."

To his mild surprise, Scott leaned back into his touch. His smile was bitter enough to taste, and his expression only a parody of the raw sensuality Kevin had seen him show only a moment before. Arching an eyebrow up, Scott inquired dryly, "No?"

More alarmed by this abrupt change than he cared to admit, Kevin replied sternly, "No."

Scott's smirk didn't even flicker. "Right." He'd heard that more times than he cared to admit. Too many people with good intentions had tried to drag him out of the hole, and sometimes he even managed to stay out for a while, but it never lasted. In the end, he always ended up falling and dragging people down with him. That thought made the smirk falter, then fade completely. Christ, why hadn't he thought of that-? With a quick twist, he managed to wrench his wrist out of Kevin's grip and tried to struggle out of his hold, but the arm looped around his stomach was like an iron band. Swallowing against the irrational panic- this was Kevin, for God's sake-, Scott said in as steady a voice as he could manage, "Let go."

This time, the concern was clear in Kevin's voice as he raised his eyes to meet Sean's in bewilderment. "Scott, what the hell-?"

"Never mind." Reaching up, Scott pried Kevin's arm away and moved quickly back as if expecting violence. What he got was a nearly matching pair of puzzled, worried stares, and in a way that was worse. He wasn't able to meet either of their eyes as he crossed the room to grab his bag off the abandoned bed and slung it over his shoulder. His hands were trembling, a fact that neither of them could have missed; he'd just have to get the hell out before the shock wore off and disappear for a few days. Maybe he could claim that he'd taken a concussion from one of his matches. Yeah, that could work... he'd get bitched out for it, but it was better than explaining the real reason. They didn't need a new reason to get him committed. Raking a hand through his hair, Scott somehow faked a smile and backed up a few steps. "Y'know what, kid," he said apologetically, focusing on the one more likely to forgive him for his words, "I... this won't work for me. I'll just go take Kev's room, you two do whatever-" Pausing to shake off the intense, borderline painful images that battered at him with just the thought, he added lamely, "And I'll see you whenever. Okay?"

When neither of them answered, he risked glancing up and inwardly cursed. Two of the most intense stares in both federations, and he just let himself be blindsided by both of them. Brilliant fucking idea. For a perilous moment, he cracked under the intensity, nearly told the whole miserable sob story. He wavered mid-step, then cursed and shook his head again before turning to go. The door chain had been attached, so he reached up to fumble with it, losing precious seconds because his shaking hands couldn't manipulate the chain. By the time he managed to get it unattached, he was sorely tempted to just rip the door open. He pulled the door open, a little more violently than necessary, and froze as someone behind him intercepted the door before he could dodge through.

Whoever it was closed the door, smoothly and firmly, and slid the chain back into place. He left his hand where it was, a silent challenge for Scott to try that again. No matter which of them had grabbed the door, Scott had no doubt that there was no way he'd be able to get it open again. With another muttered curse, Scott let his forehead hit the door. He didn't bother to reopen his eyes as a hand curled around his elbow, trying to get his attention.

"No," Sean said simply, "not okay. If it were okay, you wouldn't be running."

"I wasn't running."

"Bullshit," Kevin put in helpfully, his voice unexpectedly close.

Scott didn't have to open his eyes to imagine the dark look from Sean that comment had earned Kevin, but there was no trace of irritation in the younger man's voice as he asked quietly, "What just happened there, baby?"

"Nothing." He had about a snowball's chance in hell of passing that comment off without getting smacked in the head. Surprisingly, it was Sean who did the honors, not Kevin. The hit was quick and comparatively light, but still hard enough that he winced and looked at Sean without thinking.

The kid was staring up at him with exasperated disbelief, concern edged by anger. "I don't think so, Scott," he said quietly. "Not this time. You've gotten by with that excuse too many times, and you're the one who's paying for it. And don't even act like nothing's wrong," Sean added when Scott started to protest. Resting his free hand on Scott's chest, he told him, "You're shaking, and your heart's racing. You just freaked out for no reason, just like you always get edgy whenever I get too close without warning you. And you're acting like you're terrified of Kevin. Kevin, for God's sake. That is not nothing, so don't start pretending that it is." Noticing the way Scott was unconsciously gripping the doorknob, Sean covered the older man's hand with his own and said seriously, "Don't. You're not getting out of this. Talk to me, or-"

"Or what?" Scott retorted without thinking. "Or you'll chain me to something? Isn't that just so fucking familiar."

Eyes narrowing slightly, Sean demanded, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Oh, brilliant. With a wince, Scott shook his head and looked away. "Nothing you need to know about." Raising his eyes, he met Kevin's stare, inwardly flinching at the painful amount of worry in Kevin's eyes. "Either of you."

Tilting his head, Kevin asked with what seemed like genuine curiosity, "What if we want to worry about it?"

"Then you're screwed," Scott replied flatly. He tried to move away from the door, only to be pushed back again by a well-placed shove from Sean. Before he could react, Nash was in front of him, effectively blocking his escape. He backed up reflexively as Kevin raised one hand; all the instincts he'd buried over the years had been dragged up tonight, and at the worst possible time. It figured, really.

"It's okay," Kevin said soothingly, his voice low and soft. "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you." Tracing his knuckles down Scott's jaw, he murmured, "Take it easy, baby."

/Save it for when you mean it, Kev./ Forcing himself to untense and somehow suppressing his bitter smile, Scott eyed him warily as Kevin's touch trailed slowly down his jaw and to his throat. Kevin noticed and sighed. "Who hurt you so bad?" When Scott didn't reply, Kevin asked wryly, "You're not going to answer that, are you?"

"Like I said," Scott told him, arching into the touch as Kevin's fingers skimmed over his throat and resisting the urge to lash out in blind panic, "you don't need to know."  After almost twenty years of practice at being pitied, he knew what was coming next: the offer of a sympathy fuck, some half-assed attempt to make him all better by screwing him blind. It never failed.

There was an unnervingly tender warmth in Kevin's eyes as his touch continued lower. "Scott, whatever happened a few minutes ago- you can stop trying to back up through the door now, it's pretty solid-, if you don't want to talk about it, I'm not going to make you."

Scott glanced at Sean, half expecting an argument from that corner, but Sean was only watching Kevin with open curiosity. They hadn't planned this, then. Looking back at Kevin, he was unprepared for the sudden stab of pleasure that jolted through him as the older man began lightly rubbing his nipple through his shirt. His breath caught, and Kevin actually had the audacity to smirk. "But," he continued mildly, "if there's no problem, I'd like to try this again." Licking his lips almost nervously, Kevin asked sincerely, "Will you let me?"

Well, that certainly left him with a lot of options. Stay and deal with the pity fuck, stay and dredge up pain that was better off buried or bolt and risk losing both of them. Wincing inwardly, he closed his eyes for a moment. Sean's thumb rubbed along the inside of his elbow, the touch maddeningly light against the tender skin, distracting him and making it hard to think. That could explain why he opened his eyes and, instead of bolting like a sane person, nodded. He didn't realize his mistake until Kevin's mouth covered his, painlessly demanding, and his already tenuous control on the situation faded away entirely.

The kiss was searingly intense, keeping him distracted and off-guard as Kevin pulled him away from the door and urged him somewhere. He didn't bother trying to pull away to see where they were going, only tilted his head back and let Kevin slip his tongue through. He tasted... interesting, the sharp flavor of coffee with some strange taste that seemed distinctly Kevin's. There wasn't much time to analyze it before Kevin began trailing his lips down Scott's jaw. Biting his lip against the stab of pleasure that the elusive, feather-light touch caused, Scott stared into the overhead lights as a focus. At the first warm, almost tentative touch of Kevin's tongue along the tendons of his throat, he smirked darkly even as his hands tightened reflexively around Kevin's shoulders. He recognized this tactic well enough. Once they decided to pity-fuck, they started treating him like glass. Or maybe like a blow-up doll that was very easily popped. He'd never been really clear on that-

A sudden, sharp pain as Kevin nipped him, none too gently, made him flinch and look at him in surprise. Kevin didn't look up as he soothed the bite with a few strokes of his tongue. Sean's hand closed around his jaw and firmly made him look away. "There something interesting about the ceiling, baby?" Sean asked mock-sweetly, a flicker of wicked humor in his dark eyes. Just as easily, he sobered. "You said you wanted this, so you damned sure are going to be focused on it."

"Am I on orders?" Scott retorted, trying not to let the warm feeling of Kevin's hands sliding under his shirt distract him.

Sean nodded. "Pretty much, since I said so."

Despite himself, Scott laughed. He reached out and swatted at Sean's ass. "You're a brat, chico."

Sean's grin brightened, for some reason. Bouncing slightly, he stood on his toes and pressed a quick kiss to Scott's cheek, then moved back. "Good to have you back."

Eyes narrowing, Scott started to demand, "What-"

Both the demand and his glare were ruined as Kevin abruptly pushed him backwards, lost in a rather undignified yelp as he braced himself to hit the floor. Instead of the hard floor, however, he hit the soft surface of the mattress. Half-expecting for it to give, he unconsciously gripped Kevin's arms until the older man muttered a protest.

Lowering himself until his body covered Scott's, Kevin smirked wryly at him. "Thank you for breaking my arms. Not like I'm gonna need them later or anything."

Wincing, Scott muttered, "Sorry."

Kevin's expression softened slightly. "Don't worry about it, I'll live." Reaching up, he touched his face. "Promise me something, babe. If I ever run into whoever taught you to expect to hit the floor, promise that I'm allowed to beat the shit out of them."

"Can I help?" Sean asked from the other bed, sounding incongruously innocent. Scott glanced at him, then at Kevin, and couldn't help laughing again.

"Jesus. Sure, fine, go ahead and have a Kliq beat-down to defend my honor. Whatever." He was cut off mid-sentence as Kevin tugged his shirt over his head and threw it away disinterestedly. Glaring halfheartedly at the older man, he started to make a smartass remark until he caught the open appreciation in Kevin's eyes, and the sarcasm died away.

Kevin trailed one fingertip down his chest, then slid his knuckles down the ridge of Scott's ribs. Sean tilted his head, watching with curiosity and not just a little hunger as Scott shuddered under the simple touch. There wasn't a trace of Scott's earlier tension, but it probably ran just under the surface. For the moment, however, Kevin seemed to have everything under control. With a shrug, Sean sat back to enjoy the show.

Lips pursing slightly in concentration, Kevin stroked his fingertips over Scott's stomach, smirking as the muscles there twitched in reaction. "Gorgeous," he murmured. Leaning in, he nuzzled the red mark on Scott's throat where he had bit down, flicking the tip of his tongue against the sensitive skin as his hands drifted higher. When Scott shuddered, he chuckled softly. "And responsive. Thought you might be-"

Whatever else he had been planning to say was lost as Scott abruptly reached down, tangled a hand through his hair and used it to yank Kevin back up for a hot, thorough kiss. Kevin was happy enough to accept that, drawing Scott's lower lip into his mouth and sucking lightly until Scott moaned softly into his mouth. When Scott's hands moved under his loose shirt, smoothing over his lower back with a delicate touch that felt like electricity dancing along his nerves, Kevin gave a quiet, possessive growl. He shifted until he could nudge his knee to rest between Scott's thighs, gratified when Scott's body seemed to jolt under his in reaction. Pulling back, he smirked crookedly at how unsteady Scott's breathing had become; he decided to ignore his own ragged breathing for the moment.

A low moan made him look at the other bed and freeze. Sean had lost his shirt somewhere, and now lay on the other bed unabashedly naked. His stare, dark and intense with heat, was fixed on them as he traced circles around his nipple with a fingertip, writhing under his own touch. Noticing Kevin's stare, he grinned and pinched it, hissing out a breath in reaction. There was a devastating amount of wanton, complete abandonment in the way his head fell back, exposing the length of his throat.

Not to be outdone, Kevin ground his hips against Scott's, holding Sean's eyes. Scott squirmed under him, gasping. Intrigued, Kevin looked back at him. He licked his lips slowly and circled his hips again, sure to hold Scott's eyes. Shuddering hard, Scott made a soft sound that was almost a whimper. "Kev..."

"Mmm. I like that sound." Kevin slid his hands down, toying with the waistband of Scott's jeans. "But you forgot who's seducing who here, baby." His fingers unbuttoned the almost skintight jeans and slipped inside, lightly stroking the skin. "And I think I'm going to have to remind you."

Swallowing against the urge to whimper again, Scott offered a shaky smirk. "You can try."

That must have looked about as confident as he felt, because Kevin only chuckled evilly and slid down the length of his body. He paused over the collarbones, nuzzling them like a kitten seeking attention. The delicious rasp of his beard over the sensitive skin definitely earned it. Scott drew in a sharp breath, biting his lower lip to stop another whimper before it could escape. When he could focus again, he raised his head to blink down at Kevin, who had his head resting on Scott's chest and a tolerant, patient smile on his face. His storm-gray stare was warm but inscrutable. When he glanced over at the other bed, Sean only smirked at him and folded his arms behind his head, displaying his lean, lithe body; his expression was just as expectant. In a display of extreme self-control, Scott managed to wait almost five seconds before demanding, "What?"

"I don't want you to bite your lip like that," Kevin replied simply. "For one thing, I have future use for them," his playful leer finally drew a smirk from Scott, "and for another..." His fingertips trailed over one flat nipple, toying with it until it was a tight peak and Scott drew in an unsteady breath. Kevin went on, "I want to hear those noises you were making. I want to hear what I'm doing to you. So, will you?"

Distracted by pleasure stabbing through his stomach, Scott asked, "Will I what?"

"Stop biting your lip," Sean supplied helpfully. The way that he drew one knee indolently up wasn't helping Scott's concentration.

Eyes narrowing in disbelief, Scott asked, "You're giving me an option?" When he looked to Sean, the younger man only shrugged.

"Don't look at me. I'm following his lead."

"S'matter, Scotty?" There was a dangerous spark of challenge in Kevin's eyes. "No one's ever given you a choice before? Or did they just take-"

"I'll stop," Scott said, too quickly. "I'll stop biting my lip. Just, please..."

Lingering for a moment longer, Kevin finally nodded. "Okay, baby. No more questions like that tonight. It can't hurt you here, whatever it is." His tongue flicked out, lapping over the neglected nipple. The unexpected warm stroke made Scott's breath catch, even as the touch of cold as Kevin blew on it made him shiver. "Tonight," Kevin growled softly, "we play."

That growl should have warned him, yet he was still totally unprepared for the sharp jolt of sensation that hit him as Kevin drew the nipple into his mouth and begin to suck lightly on it. Arching up into the contact with a short, harsh cry, he grabbed desperately at the sheets and hissed, "Christ, Kevin!" When his response only prompted Kevin to flick his tongue repeatedly against the nub, his teeth grazing it as his thumb circled around the other nipple, Scott fell back to the pillows with a moan. A soft mewling caught his attention before he totally lost himself, forcing him to look to the other bed.

It was almost impossible to connect their sweet-faced, smirking kid to the young man who was writhing there, unconscious of his own beauty and utterly shameless in his motions. His lean fighter's body moved restlessly on the bed as he toyed with his own nipples, circling his thumbs around them, mirroring the action of Kevin's hands. His hips moved in tandem, shifting against a phantom touch. There was a thin sheen of sweat over his skin, reflecting the golden light of the only lamp in the room, outlining the wiry muscles. There was a patchwork of pale scars over his skin but the contrast of them only seemed to intensify his beauty. His eyes were half-lidded but alert, locked on the two men on the other bed. He didn't seem to notice the mewls and shudders  His gaze flicked up and connected with Scott's for a moment, and he gave a smirk that was eerily similar to Shawn's before sliding one finger into his mouth and sucking on it.

Scott moaned again, transfixed enough by the exhibitionist on the other bed. He only faintly felt the touch of Kevin's mouth trailing down his stomach, his hair sliding over the skin. When he felt the jeans slide down over his hips, though, he glanced uneasily back at Kevin. Kevin didn't acknowledge the look, only slid the jeans down his legs with painful care. The look in his eyes was raw hunger as he eyed the newly exposed skin, caressing Scott's legs with his fingertips, mapping, memorizing. Edging himself even further down, he carefully nuzzled one hard thigh, darting his tongue out to taste the skin. After a moment, he peered up at Scott, and the clarity of the emotion in his eyes was startling. The familiar predatory glint of lust and hunger, an edge of concern, not just a little appreciation... but there was something else, some strange undercurrent...

The realization clicked in, unbelievable, undeniable.

/Oh, God, no./

Without thinking, he tried to sit up. Before he even made it halfway, Kevin suddenly shifted and took him into his mouth. The panic was ripped away, destroyed in the rush of fire that raked through him, in the none-too-gentle suction around him. Soft, broken cries were being torn from his throat as he fell back; he wasn't sure if they were pleas for mercy or for more. His hips jerked hard against restraining hands, a frightening, violent orgasm building-

And then it stopped.

Alarmed, Scott raised his head to stare down at Kevin. The older man simply grinned at him, the sadist, and nuzzled against his shaft. Struggling to breathe steadily, Scott demanded, "What in the hell-"

"I'm slowing down," Kevin replied, his tone suggesting that it was only common sense. When Scott started to protest, he effectively silenced him by licking a lazy, halting path along the underside. Between licks, he said mildly, "Watch Sean."

Sean had obviously decided to play without them. Still sucking on one finger with an intensity that made it obscenely clear what he really wanted in his mouth, Sean trailed his other hand down his stomach and wrapped it around the base of his growing erection. The light touch of his own hand made him shudder violently, squirming with soft whimpers that were as potent as the fleeting touches of Kevin's tongue. He stroked slowly from base to tip with his fingertips, arching into it, mewling. His eyes were focused on Scott's, a flicker of wicked humor under the rolling heat as his hips bucked against his hand. The brat knew exactly what effects his performance had, and that there was no chance of retaliation because it was impossible to concentrate beyond the sudden, unpredictable little licks Kevin was torturing him with. When Scott spared him a half-hearted glare, Sean only smirked and gave a hip thrust that bordered on obscene.

A sudden, cool, slick touch on his entrance made him whip his head around to stare at Kevin. He tensed instinctively, and started to pull away. Before he could, Kevin laid an arm over his stomach and pushed him back gently. "It's okay," he murmured soothingly, his voice unfamiliarly contrite. "I should have warned you." He raised his eyes, fixing Scott with an intense stare as he asked, "You want me to stop?"

The realization that Kevin was being completely sincere hit him like a slap across the face. There wasn't a trace of the patronizing, 'I'm doing this for your own good' tone that any of his other self-proclaimed saviors had taken. He actually meant it.

Taking a deep breath, Scott nodded. "I'm okay." Curling Kevin's fingers around his shaft, he shivered against the jolt of pleasure even that touch caused and said tightly, "Don't stop."

Kevin gave a relieved sigh, lowering himself again. Nudging Scott's legs apart, he slid a lube-covered fingertip across his entrance, smirking at the moan it earned him. He nuzzled his hip, pressing a kiss to the ridge of bone he could feel through the skin, and began to push his fingertip through the tight muscle until a short cry from Sean made him look up in alarm. As soon as he saw what the cause was, he relaxed with a wicked grin and laid his head on Scott's stomach to watch.

The source of Sean's yelp had been anything but distress. He was stroking himself more firmly now, his fingers curled around the base as he spread the slickness around his head with his thumb.

Still studying Sean, Kevin murmured to Scott, "Watch him." He took Scott in his hand, mimicking Sean's motions with a slower pace and a lighter touch. Scott hissed out a breath.

Sean's breathing was harsh and ragged in the silence, nearly sobs, broken by incoherent whimpers. His hips moved with his hand, building to a steady rhythm. Shifting, he took his finger out of his mouth and reached back. Little, desperate noises began to escape him as his finger slid inside, his other hand moving faster.

Kevin lowered his head, taking the head of Scott's erection into his mouth. His finger nudged past the ring of muscle as he began to suck. A soft purr escaped him at both the taste and the way Scott's hips wrenched under his hands.

The whimpers on the other bed became a constant moan that rose like the hum of a generator. Sean's head thrashed on the pillow as he thrust his finger inside, his breaths coming in little gasps. His hand moved faster, his thumb pressing hard just under the head. Suddenly his body arched, muscles locking. A broken cry escaped him as he came. His body jerked, mewls escaping him as the second orgasm shook him hard. Finally, he collapsed bonelessly back on to the bed, still shivering.

Scott could sympathize. He struggled to breathe past the pleasure ripping through him as Kevin took more of him in, circling his tongue around the head. The finger inside him began to slide in and out, agonizingly slow. "Kevin, please...!"

Unsurprisingly, the plea didn't work. Instead, Kevin angled his thrust to hit the prostrate. He purred triumphantly again when Scott's body jerked. Scott's fingers tightened on the bedspread, his body taut and quivering as a bowstring while he struggled not to come. Raising his head, Kevin smirked at him. "Mmm... you like that? You're so fucking gorgeous, baby." He nuzzled his head against Scott's stomach, his hair skimming over Scott's erection. Scott whimpered, head thrashing back and forth. "That's it. Tell me." His voice was a low, hypnotizing growl. Leaning in, he added a second finger and kissed Scott's stomach. "What do you want me to do?"

Scott made a soft, incoherent sound, struggling to pull his shattered thoughts together. Finally, he gave up on words. Reaching down, he grabbed a handful of Kevin's hair and dragged him up. "Me," he snarled back.

Startled, Kevin blinked down at him, then chuckled. "I can do that, baby." When Scott couldn't suppress a dismayed moan as Kevin's fingers slid out of him, Kevin leaned down and kissed him. Scott tightened his grip on Kevin's arms, tasting himself in the other man's mouth. There was a rustle of cloth as Kevin wriggled out of his jeans, then it was his bare skin pressed against him. Something hard pushed insistently against his entrance. "You know how badly I've wanted this?" Kevin purred, rocking his hips forward agonizingly slowly. "How badly I've wanted you?"

Wriggling under him, Scott tried to press back against him, to force him to move faster. Kevin's grip on his hips was iron tight, giving him no room to move. It seemed like an eternity until Kevin was completely in. Kevin shuddered, burying his head in Scott's shoulder. "You're so fucking tight..." he hissed, struggling for even breaths.

Scott didn't reply, too busy staring at the ceiling in shock. That hadn't hurt. There was been a twinge of discomfort, but no pain. How in the hell was that possible?

After another shaky breath, Kevin raised his head. Stroking Scott's cheek with his knuckles, he asked, "You okay?"

"It doesn't hurt," Scott replied warily.

"It doesn't have to." Rocking his hips forward slightly, Kevin laughed unsteadily as Scott squirmed, gasping. "Oh, you like that? You want more?"

"I want you to stop talking!" Scott shot back without thinking. He reached back, looping his arm around Kevin's neck, and pulled him down. "I've got better things for your mouth to do."

Kevin chuckled. "Point taken." Pushing his hips forward hard, he lowered his head and captured Scott's mouth again. The pace he set was hard and demanding, sliding across the prostate with each thrust. Scott whimpered into his mouth, arching into him, his hands sliding over the sweat-slick skin of Kevin's back. Growling possessively into the kiss, Kevin slipped his hand between their bodies and around Scott's length. One glide of his callused fingertips over the oversensitized skin, one press of his finger to the underside of the head, was enough to throw him over the edge and into a mind-shattering shockwave of pleasure. He could almost hear his reality tearing around him as his body jerked under Kevin's, fighting against it. He could hear a soft, incongruously broken noise as Kevin came, his body stiffening.

Then there was only silence punctuated by harsh breathing, leaving him nothing to concentrate on but the empty plane of the ceiling while he wondered, still shivering from the orgasm, what in the hell he was supposed to do now.
----
Three months later:

It had been nice while it lasted. Too bad it only lasted a week.

Scott leaned against the mirrored wall of the elevator, watching the numbers light up as it passed each floor, and wished he had a cigarette. He didn't smoke, but anything to piss off the management was fine by him. If worse came to worse, he could sleep in the rental car. God knew he wasn't welcome in anyone else's room these days.

Shaking the self pity off, he let his head hit the mirror and closed his eyes. That probably wasn't the smartest thing to do, considering that he was dead on his feet and could fall asleep standing if he had to, but no one had ever accused him of being smart. Fatigue seeped through him, settling in to ache in the back of his neck. He had let himself get used to sleeping with someone else in the bed, a habit that was hard to break. There was no Sean anymore to fill that void, and judging from the way Shawn had been draped possessively over him the last time they had all been together, that wouldn't happen again. As for Kevin... Kevin was busy trying to erase the sick snap of Sean's neck breaking by fucking everything that moved and wasn't named Hall.

Not that he was bitter. Oh, no. Not that he cared that he'd actually believed in Kevin's head games. It was just a good con, after all. Just some fun with the guy who'd been company whore eight years standing. Why should that change now?

He reopened his eyes, trying to ignore the pain in his hand as his fingernails dug into the palm hard enough to draw blood. It was time to stop thinking. After this little meeting, he wouldn't have to think about this at all any more.

The doors finally swung open with a hiss and he stepped out into the lush hallway of a suite that took up the entire fortieth floor. Somehow, that didn't surprise him. Almost as soon as he stepped out, Hogan came around the corner. His toothpaste-commercial white teeth were too bright in his permanently tanned face. "Hey, brotha," he rasped cheerfully, reaching out to grab Scott's arm. When Scott silently jerked away, he smiled, undaunted. "How ya doing, man?"

/I'd be doing a hell of a lot better if you'd shut up./ "Fine. Where is he?"

Hogan ignored the question, false concern touching his face. "You don't look 'fine'. You need to sit down, maybe have a drink-"

"I said I'm fine. Where the fuck is Bischoff?" His tone was too tired to be anything but empty anger. He didn't wrench away again when Hogan laid a mock-paternal hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, man. If he did anything to you, just let us know, we'll take care of it." Hogan was really laying it on thick now. The man deserved an Oscar. "You know, I always thought he and the runt held you back."

Before Scott could raise an arm to deck him for being such an asshole, the door to what was presumably the bedroom swung open and Eric himself strode out. His hair was wet from the shower. Scott didn't want to think about what he and Hogan could have been doing to need a shower afterwards.

With an insincere, mega-watt smile, Eric held out his hand. "Hey. I'm glad you came." When Scott only looked at his outheld hand expressionlessly, Eric let it fall back to his side with a shrug. His wounded mask slid easily on. "Now, c'mon, there's no need for that. I know we've had our problems in the past, but that's all over now."

Scott stared down at him, a spark of anger in his eyes, and said, "The words 'Federal Express' ring a bell?"

The mask flickered, then faded completely. With a disgusted sigh, Eric shook his head. "You know I didn't have a choice. Besides, I'm offering you a second chance here." His hand slipped into his pocket and re-emerged with a contract. "All you have to do is sign."

Reaching out, Scott jerked the contract away from him and spread it out over the desk. He scanned through the small print, ignoring the way it made his eyes burn.

"You don't have to read it," Eric muttered. "All it says is that you agree to dissolve the Outsiders. They're already pretty much dissolved."

"I don't trust you," Scott replied flatly.

"Why shouldn't you? I'm not the one who held you back." There was a smirk on Eric's face. "After all, wasn't it Nash and Waltman who made you their bitch?"

His head snapped up. Eric's smirk froze as he saw the murder in Scott's eyes. "I don't care what you say about Nash," Scott snarled, "but watch your fucking mouth when you talk about the kid."

He looked down, ignoring Eric's stammered apologies. The terms of the contract were simple enough. They had even planned it out for him. He was surprised they hadn't drawn a diagram. One shot with the title belt to the back of Kevin's head, and it was all over. One shot with the title belt could tear the Kliq apart.

Guilt stabbed through his gut, unexpected and harsh, as the memory of that week hit him again. The pen nearly slid through his fingers as he froze, unable to even breathe through the pain.

Then the realization of exactly where Sean and Kevin were hit him. He was the only left who still gave a damn about what had happened there, clinging to it like a security blanket. It didn't matter any more.

The ice tightened in his stomach, numbing the pain. It was over. It was all about the Benjamins these days. The Kliq wasn't real, it never had been. Even if had existed, it was dying now.

Taking a deep breath, he dealt the killing blow and signed his soul away all in one stroke of the pen. The spark of pain in his chest sputtered and died, choking under the ice.

Hogan clapped his shoulder hard enough to bruise. "Welcome to the winning side, brotha!" he declared, as proud as any father with a new son. He was probably wondering how much time Scott was willing to spend on his knees. "You won't regret this."

"No," Scott replied faintly. "I won't." /I can't feel anything. I can't breathe.../

His head fell forward as Hogan kept talking, rambling about some strategy to take Kevin out permanently. The older man was taking control away from him already. He was more than welcome to it. Reaching up, Scott pressed a hand to his temple. /Kid, I'm sorry. I couldn't do anything else. There's nothing else left./

The scene around him seemed surreal. His hands tightened on the edge of the desk, his knuckles whitening as he started to shake. Hogan's arm slipped around his shoulders, pulling him towards the couch, and he let himself be steered. His mind was elsewhere, lost in that night three months ago when everything had seemed all right. /"It can't hurt you here", huh, Kev?/ he asked silently, feeling something twist deep inside him. /Wrong. It can hurt me anywhere. But this way, at least it's a pain I know./

God, he was so tired...
---
End.