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Needful XVII: Beer Bottle Blues
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 The bar had been a last minute decision. 
None of the DXers wanted to stop celebrating
their newly re-found friendship and had decided
to go out for some post-workout intoxication 
like they had always done before the break up.
The bar was new for all of them, but it had won
out over the others in town, due only to the
fact that it had been the first one they had
come across.

 What they had expected was bad beer, bad 
music, and shifty clientele.  What they got was
'Stone Cold' Steve Austin.  Jesse, who stood 
the farthest from the Rattlesnake, groaned 
inwardly.  He had just wanted a fun relaxing
night out, he didn't have anything personal
against the other man, but he knew Hunter did.
And he knew that he'd be expected to back their
fearless leader up should it become necessary,
and by the looks Hunter and Steve were throwing
at each other, Jesse was pretty sure that it 
was about to become necessary.

 Stepping up to his friend's side, Sean
Waltman glared hard at the bald headed man,
his chin jutted forward and body tense for a
fight.  

 For a long time, no one spoke.  Even the
other bar patrons had quieted down to watch 
the coming confrontation with wide eyes and 
beer mugs frozen in the air on the way to their
mouths.  The bartender, a large man in a white
apron watched them all warily, polishing a shot
glass and wondering if he would have to call
the police.

 "Well, look who's here," Hunter finally
said, breaking the silence and stepping into 
Austin's personal space.  "And here I thought
this place would have _class_."

 The two were nearly nose to nose now,
and Jesse shifted uneasily behind them.  "Hey,
come on..."

 "Shut up!" Hunter snapped, and Billy
poked him in the ribs.  "I'm talking to my
buddy Steve, Jesse, don't interrupt."

 His mouth clicked close and Jesse glared
angrily at Hunter for being cut off like an
irritating little child interrupting the 
'grown-ups' important conversation.  As far as
he was concerned, he was the only one of the
whole group that was making sense.  This was
supposed to of been _their_ night.

 Turning around and walking out of the 
bar in disgust, Jesse shook off Billy's hand
and walked back out to wait in the parking 
lot.

 "If it's a fight your lookin' Hun'er, 
you got it," Austin took a step in closer 
poked a single finger into Hunter's chest.  "I 
never did pay you back for that little 
'ambush' shit you pulled on me."

 Sean pushed Austin back angrily, 
prompting him to take his eyes off Triple H 
for the first time.  "You'll have to go 
through all of us first!" 

 "Not a problem."

 "No!" Hunter turned to look at Billy and
Sean briefly before looking back at Steve.  He
didn't know why he was about to do what he was
going to do, but felt his mouth forming the 
words to do it anyway.  "Guys, hit the parking
lot, I wanna talk to Austin alone.  If I ain't
back out in a few minutes, just get the hell
outta here."

 "What?!  Fuck that, Hunter, I'm not 
going anywhere.  This bas - "

 Billy grabbed Sean by the scruff of his
neck and pulled him back out the door.  "Shut
up, kid, it ain't none of our business."

 "'None of our business'?!  The _hell_ it
isn't."  But Sean left willingly, his 
protests cutting off abruptly as the door 
closed.

 Austin, who had been watching Hunter the
whole time suspiciously, readied himself for 
some sort of DX sneak attack.  "What is it you
want?" he demanded.  "I don' have time for any
of your bullshit."

 "You're going to have to make the time
then aren't you?" Hunter said, his voice calm
and his expression storm free.  Still, there 
was an underlining threat in his voice, and
Austin was tensely aware of DX waiting in the
parking lot.  He was definitely out-numbered.
Not that that had ever stopped him before.

 "Let's get a booth, we'll talk," Hunter
said.  He waited patiently as Austin glared
at him for a moment longer before finally
relenting and walking back towards the end of
the bar to an empty booth.  By then the other
patrons had gone back to their drinks and 
conversation, both relieved and disappointed 
that they wouldn't be getting their expected
fight.

 Sliding into the wooden bench seats on  
either side of a matching table, Hunter took 
a calming breath before starting.  "I don't 
much like you, Steve, and I know you probably
feel the same about me - but for right now 
let's just put all that shit aside, awright?"

 Nodding slowly, Austin leaned back and
draped his arm across the back of the seat,
gestured for Hunter to continue.  He had a
pretty good idea where this was going and 
felt curious despite himself.  

 "There are two things that matter to me 
in this world, Austin:  The WWF gold and
RESPECT.  You, Steve, are getting in the way 
of me having _both_." Hunter's fists were 
clenched on the tabletop, and his gray eyes 
glared a steady beam of heat as he talked.  
"I'll keep my belt, but I know that the only 
way I'm going to do that is by beating you
within an inch of your life at Survivor 
Series  - which I'm telling you right now - 
is _going to happen_.  As for Shane McMahon
..." His fists banged down on the table hard, 
causing the small salt and pepper shakers to 
knock over and for another hush to fall over 
the room.  "Shane McMahon should be with _me_,
not you, and I don't know why he's playing this 
game, but that's all it is, Steve, a _game_.  
You are spitting in my face by being with him.  
You have no right."

 As Hunter struggled to control his
breathing, and his face came down slowly from
it's hectic red colour.  Steve watched him
serenely, his expression not giving away an
inch.  It felt odd to be so calm as the man 
in front of him looked close to leaping over
the table and grabbing him by the throat, but
- like he usually did - Steve just went with
the feeling rather then question it.

 "I have every right," Austin finally
said.  "And so does Shane.  He's a grown
man, we all are.  Well, maybe not _you_,
jackass, but you get my point.  You're lucky
you're saying this shit to me, 'cause if you
were sayin' it to him, he'd just as well 
knock you upside that stupid head of yours."

 "Oh yeah?  And just what the fuck are
_you_ going to do about, huh?  Steve?"

 Steve paused, considering.  Then, he
gestured for a waitress.  "I'm going to buy
you a drink."





 "It's stupid!  Fucking stupid!  We 
should be in there watching his back.  Damn
bar is probably FULL of Austin's fuckin' red
neck friends."

 Jesse and Billy sat on the hood of 
their car as they watched Sean Waltman work
himself into a frenzy, secretly enjoying the
sight of the younger man hopping around the
dark parking lot. 

 "I don't know," Jesse said with a 
shrug.  "No chairs have come flying through 
the window yet, maybe the two of 'em are 
just havin' a beer together."

 Stopping his fit for a moment, Sean 
stared at the dread locked wrestler with a 
incredulous look on his face.  "What the HELL
kind of messed up dope have you been smokin',
man?  The day those two drink together is the
day I kiss Billy's ass!"

 Jesse and Billy exchanged quizzical
expressions, and Billy scratched his head, 
"Is Sean hittin' on me, Dogg?"

 "I think he may be, Mr. Ass.  Sir."

 Billy put a hand over his mouth and
giggled, turning away in a frighteningly good
impression of a shy little school girl.

 "Aw, fuck you both," Sean snapped and
resumed his pacing.




 
 "...then he ran out!" The beer bottle was
slammed down onto the table, causing foam to 
leak out of the top in an abrupt, sudsy 
sprout. "Not that I expect you to _care_," he 
added in an accusatory tone.  "But first fuckin'
time I ever tell a person I LOVE 'em and think 
it might actually MEAN something and I get - 
'uhhhhh'."  Austin grumped and shook his head.
"I'm way too drunk, I can't belive I'm tellin'
you all this shit."

 "I just hope I remember it all in the 
morning!" Hunter burped, covering his mouth 
with his hand before taking another pull from
his own bottle.  "Fuck, you don't know what 
it's been like for me, Steve, lately - damn!  I
didn't think I could get hung up on anyone like
this again, after Chyna."

 The bar was nearly empty now, only the
two wrestlers, the bartender, and a businessman
in a bad suit remained.  Hunter had heard DX's
car pull out of the parking lot two hours ago
- there was no mistaking Jesse's fucked up 
transmission - and he found that his back 
teeth were floating somewhere in the vicinity 
of his brain.

 "See," Hunter gestured with his shot 
glass, the word slurring on his tongue and
causing him to frown at the sound, "Seeeee...
Shane and me, we went through some heavy 
shit together.  My inj'ry, the whole mess'd
up crap with his dad and the Min'stry - 
ev'rythin'.  Then, all that stuff changed."
Hunter sniffled at the sudden rush of emotion
he felt, and the sniffles turned into a few 
stray tears at Austin's empathic expression.
"It was this _one_ night, fucked up night.  
Let me tell you."

 "What?" Austin tried to balance his 
elbow on the table but found that it kept
slipping out from under him.  "Wha-du do?"

 Hunter shook his head, waved his hand
in the air like he was flagging down a cab.
"'s so stoopid, I don' wanna talk 'bout it."

 Snorting, Austin shrugged, a messy
gesture that caused his elbow to slip 
further and for his head to fall onto the 
table with a thud.  "Can't be worse then my 
night," he gulped.  "Fuck.  I wish I hadn' 
said nothin'.  I'm a wet blan'ket.  A 
blan'ket wet with _cheap beer_."

 "No man!" Hunter shook his head
adamently, "No...nonono," he giggled.  "It
was _good_ that you tol' him.  It WAS!
Really, 'cause you're a swell guy...so what
if he didn't say it back?  He never said it
back to me...not either."

 At this Austin raised an eyebrow, 
stared up blearily from the table top where
he had not bothered to raise his chin.  
"Yeah?  You too, huh?"

 A nod and Hunter got teary again.  
"An' _my_ answer was worse then yours!"

 "Noooooo."
 
 "Yeah!  I told him, I said, I said to
Shane - 'Shane - " Hunter pointed at Austin,
"Shane - I love you, man.  And _he_ said..."
Hunter stopped to take a drink, prompting
Austin to hit the table impatiently.

 "What?  He said _what_?"

 "'Urp'."

 "Huh?"
 
 "'Urp'.  He said 'urp'."  Hunter 
closed his eyes, reliving the moment with a 
sigh.  "Man, I wasn't _too_ upset then, he 
had my dick in his mouth at the time, but 
it bugs me now.  'Specially 'cause he's 
with _you_."

 "What's wrong with me?" Austin 
demanded, finding that he couldn't seem
to focus enough to get angry.
 
 "Nothin' - it's _Shane_," Hunter 
amended.  "Shane's the one with awl the
problems.  Can't even say 'love you', pah.  
Well, who needs him?" 

 "Not me!" Austin chirped, holding up 
his beer bottle which Hunter toasted 
enthusiastically, causing more to spill onto
the table.  "Fucking Shane."

 A dreamy sigh, and Hunter nodded.  
"Yeah, fucking Shane."

 "That's not what I meant."

 "Wh'tever."  Hunter paused, then turned
to meet blue eyes with his hazel.  "But, yeah 
- I can understand why'd Shane'd go for a guy 
like you, yer not _ugly_ or nothin'.  He 
_should_ love you!"

 Through a thick fog of alcohol and 
cigarette smoke, Austin nodded, his head 
flopping on the broken hinge of his neck.  
"Yeah, he should love you, too!  Well, _I_
love you, man!"

 "I love you, too, Steve!"

 Silence settled for a moment as the two
stared blankly at each other, twin witless
smiles on their faces.
 
 "Steve?"

 "Y-eah?"

 "I think I'm going to be sick."

 "Oh, good, me too."





 Shane McMahon sat in his hotel room, 
staring - but not really seeing - out his 
window as he watched the light of early
morning settle over the Greenwich cityscape.
There were any number of things he should of
been doing, but no matter how many times he
started to do them, he couldn't seem to 
finish anything.  His mind kept wandering.

 The Survivor Series Incident, as he 
his mind hand named it, he had to admit was 
one of the lowlier things he had ever done.  
One of the things Shane had never had trouble 
with was making friends.  Gay or straight, 
male or female, people were charmed by him, 
taken in by his sense of humor and good-
nature.  A nature, Shane thought with a 
grimace, wasn't really that great at all.

 It had been easy to fool Austin, to 
win his friendship - and their time spent
together had been enjoyable for Shane, even 
if it had all been based on a lie.  Austin, 
then, had possessed all the qualities that
Shane was enjoying now, and his friendship
had been a hard thing to part with.  But he
had done it.

 He couldn't blame Vince, although the
plan had been his idea, he could only blame
himself.  His father never would of made him
go through with anything that he didn't want
to do, and Shane had been eager to prove his
worth to his father and the Corporation.  So,
he had screwed Austin over, betrayed him in
the worst possible way.  With his trust, with
his friendship.

 And now he _loved_ him?  Shane still
couldn't quite believe that Austin had said
it.  The three words that were like a spike
being driven into his chest, with each pound
of hammer pushing it in further and further.
Hunter had said those words to him once, and
then not again afterwards when he didn't hear
them back.  Maybe, Shane thought, it wasn't
Hunter that had ended that relationship.  It
was crazy, he knew, but for some reason, the
words 'I love you', hurt him more then 
anything else.

 The knock at his door broke Shane from
his reverie and he got to his feet, sighing 
to himself as he tried to guess who it could
be this early.  If it was the Posse again, 
asking for help out of another gag 
perpetrated by Chyna, Shane swore he would 
just slam the door in their face.  Then,
almost immediately, he felt guilty for 
thinking it.  He still hadn't apologized to 
Joey.

 "Steve?"

 Shane barely had time to step back as
the other man stumbled into the room, the
stench of alcohol following him like a thick,
hazy smog.  Austin took a moment to look
quizzically around the room, his footing 
awkward as he moved, and Shane wrinkled his
nose.

 "You're drunk, or you've been drunk."
He closed the door.  "Did you go to a bar 
after you ran outta here?"

 "Bar," Austin mumbled, he still hadn't
really looked at Shane, but seemed to look
everywhere else.

 Standing behind him, Shane shifted on
his feet, thinking that Austin was still 
upset at him for what had happened to him 
the night before.  He watched as the older
man weaved on his feet, frowning with a 
distant kind of disapproval that he didn't
really feel.  Mostly he just felt guilty.

 "About last night..."

 Steve grabbed Shane by the shoulders
and threw him on the bed, toppling on top
of him without warning.  Shane gasped in 
surprise and tried to get up but Austin 
easily had him pinned.

 "Shit!" Shane smiled nervously.  "Uh,
Steve..."

 "I _do_ love you, you know," Austin
said, his words slightly slurred and his 
breath hot on Shane's face.  "It's okay if
you don' feel the same way, but...well..."
He lay on top of him, his hands holding
downing Shane's shoulders, and his legs
tangled in the younger man's.  He smiled.
It was the shy, unsuspecting smile that 
Shane had come to recognize as the one Steve 
gave when he was trying to say something he 
was uncomfortable with admitting.  "Last 
night, I shouldn'ta run out on ya like 
that."

 Shane hesitated, "How did you get
here?  You didn't drive did you?"

 "Someone gave me a ride."

 Shane paused again.  "How 'bout
letting me up?"

 Smiling in a way that showed for the
first time he might actually be aware of
what he was doing, Austin slowly shook his
head.  "No."  He nipped playfully at 
Shane's neck, scratching his goatee along
Shane's smooth skin.

 "Steve, really..."

 His words came out muffled against
Austin's mouth as the other man quickly
took his lips in a hungry kiss, his tongue
pushing into the heat of Shane's mouth,
and then pulling back to nip at his bottom
lip.

 Returning the kiss slowly, Shane 
closed his eyes and tried to relax but
Austin seemed to get heavier on top of him,
his hold stronger, until Shane had to 
finally break away, his breath coming out 
in hard, abrupt puffs.

 "Get...get off me."

 Hearing the tremor in the other man's
voice, Steve froze, pulled back and gave 
him a puzzled look.  "Come on, kid, I'm just
kiddin' with ya -"

 "GET THE FUCK OFF ME!"

 Before Austin had a chance to comply,
his reflexes still dulled by alcohol, Shane
shot his knee up abruptly and Austin cried 
out in pain as he fell off the bed and onto 
the floor.  

 Holding himself between his legs,
Austin saw Shane's retreating figure and
tried to call out his name.  Wondering, 
dully, if he really _had_ done something 
wrong, he watched Shane leave, the door 
not even having the strength to slam 
behind him.