Title: Return
Author: TheVampireLucinda
Featuring: Shawn Michaels, Triple H, the Undertaker
Disclaimer: Implied M/M relationships (corresponds with To Be Loved...), but nothing too bad. ;)
Summary: Three men, two returns, and one dire prediction . Based on the events of 2/21/11 RAW. One shot.
A/N: Totally forgot to post this when it happened...but I guess late it better than never, considering how the feud turned out! And, for the record, there was a moment during the Wrestlemania match between Taker and Triple H that eerily mirror some of the elements of their fight from my other story...my heart stopped for a second! Anyway, enjoy!
Shawn Michaels sat excitedly in front of his television set, his blue eyes all but glittering as he sat in front of the large screen. Though he hadn't really watched RAW since his retirement, Shawn was interested in tonight's show more than any other since last year.
He'd first caught wind of the mysterious "return" promos via his internet fans. Out of pure curiosity, he'd watched an episode of RAW, just to see what all of the fuss was about. And, true to his fans' description, the promos were very mysterious, revealing almost nothing about who was actually making a grand return on the date that remained burned into his screen even after the clip had ended.
After several weeks of careful deliberation, Shawn concluded that there could only be one of two possibilities: Either someone new was coming to the WWE...or one of his boyfriends was finally returning to the ring!
The second option, of course, caused Shawn's curiosity to grow three times its normal size, and he immediately called up Hunter, wondering if he was the returning to the ring. And, to his utter surprise and disappointment, the Heartbreak Kid, for the first time ever, got ignored by the Game. For whatever reason, Hunter refused to answer his phone, and Shawn could feel his patience running thin as the days passed.
'Wait, when was the last time I've seen Hunter?' Shawn had wondered to himself one night as he held the still-ringing phone in his hand, closing it angrily when he heard the opening message to Hunter's voice mail. For a moment, he had been worried—Hunter called him almost every day—but in the end, Shawn decided that the lack of a response was probably evidence that he was the one returning.
'I'm going to have to start watching RAW again,' Shawn determined that night, looking out for any signs of his best friend and longest lover.
With the Undertaker, of course, things were a bit different. 'Taker certainly didn't call every day, nor did he keep Shawn on the phone for hours like Hunter did; but he certainly made sure to check in every so often. When he thought about it, Shawn realized that he hadn't heard from 'Taker for a while as well, and though this in itself wasn't worrying...the fact that he hadn't heard from either of them was. Calling the Deadman yielded the same results as calling Hunter—nothing.
And so, tonight, Shawn sat on his couch, as confused as the rest of the world about exactly who was retuning on RAW.
'It's gotta be Hunter,' Shawn decided, sitting up and leaning forward as the countdown began. 'Taker's hurt, and won't be in action for a while, last time I talked to him...and Hunter did say he was planning something a while ago...' Anxiously, the Heartbreak Kid reached into a large bowl of popcorn and began to shovel several handfuls into his mouth.
'But, wait, where has 'Taker been all this time...Should I go looking for him? No, he wouldn't like that...but he should have called me, darn it! I'm going to kill them both!'
Shawn's inner dialogue quieted when, as last, the on-screen countdown reached zero, and his blue eyes widened to their fullest extent.
Literally sitting on the edge of his seat, Shawn felt a deep chill run down his spine and across the surface of his skin when the sound of the oh-so-familiar gong reached his ears.
"Taker..." he whispered, still in awe by the large man's entrance. Feeling deep relief and, for some reason, a sense of impending doom, Shawn watched the Undertaker make his way to the ring, walking as proudly as he always had, face hidden in the ever-present shadows.
A bright smile came to Shawn's lips as the Deadman entered the ring and slowly removed his hat, revealing pure white eyes and a fierce expression.
"There's the man I love," Shawn said proudly to himself, his grin widening. "At least, one of them."
Before he could even chuckle at his own joke, however, another, even more familiar chord blared through the arena, freezing the smile on Shawn's face and sending his heart racing with both relief and terror.
It was Triple H's music.
The Game had returned.
On the same night as the Undertaker.
This could only end in bloodshed as far as Shawn was concerned.
"Oh my God...Oh my God..." The Heartbreak Kid was nearly in a panic as he watched Hunter approach the ring, coming face to face with the Undertaker.
With the man who had retired Shawn.
Against his will, flashes of the beginning of their troubled relationship assaulted Shawn's mind. He remember the many fights between the two that he'd broken up; he remembered the way in which they had hurt him in an effort to hurt one another with lies and trickery; most of all, he remembered the bloody aftermath of their brutal battle for his love, the sight of the two men he loved most in the world lying in pools of one another's blood.
It had been awful, but it was all water under the bridge now. The two of them had made peace, and become almost friends even, in the interest of not breaking Shawn's heart.
Apparently, though, all of that was out the window.
"It's happening again..." Shawn thought, nearly becoming teary-eyed as he watched Hunter turn and face the Undertaker. "Oh God, they're going to kill one another, and I'm not there to stop them!"
However, before his concern could become full-blown panic, Shawn noticed the look that passed between the two men, and it gave him pause. Hunter's eyes, though hard, we not full of rage. It was obvious he was there for revenge...and something in 'Taker's eyes told the world that he knew, and understood the Game's motives.
The Undertaker even gave Triple H a small smirk, causing Shawn's jaw to drop to the floor as he gripped the edges of the television set. The two mega-stars stared one another down, and after a brief nod to the Wrestlemania sign, the Undertaker turned to walk away.
Shawn's breath caught painfully in his lungs when 'Taker rounded on Hunter and gave him the cut-throat gesture. And HBK nearly suffered an aneurysm when Hunter looked the Deadman straight in the eyes and, in no uncertain terms, told him to suck it.
Fortunately, a fight did not break out right then and there, and Shawn was at last able to breathe easy when the two men finally left the ring. He understood immediately and completely what was going on between the two of them, and he wasn't sure if he approved or not. More importantly, however, he knew that his two lovers were not going to be including him in their feud, even though he, technically, was the cause of it all!
"Hunter wants to 'avenge' me, even though I explained to him that I asked to 'Taker to go all out during our Wrestlemania match," Shawn said to himself as he sat cross-legged on the carpet. "And 'Taker understands this...and respects Hunter's decision. Well, at least they don't hate each other, I think..."
Shaking his head, Shawn climbed back onto the couch to think things over. Hopefully, 'Taker and Hunter would refrain from killing one another until 'Mania, at which point, Shawn would be there and could make sure that they stay within the realm of reason during their match. If things begin to escalate however...
"Aw, man, I just wanted to enjoy the Hall of Fame ceremony!" HBK whined as he lay back heavily against the pillows. "I don't want to worry about Hunter and Mark killing each other!" Throwing something of a mini-tantrum, Shawn at last settled down and sighed.
"I guess I should just be happy that they're both back," he told himself, hugging a pillow against his chest. "Although, I swear, if they really hurt each other in the coming weeks...I'm going to kill them both!"
And...that was how my mind interpreted that promo, haha. Review?