Memories (An HBK and HHH One-Shot)

A/N: I've been meaning to write a Shawn and Hunter (not a pairing, unfortunately. I do ship Shawter though) fic for a while. I always called myself the DX-HeartBreakGirl in the past. Ya know, before my Shield obsession. I'm still the biggest fan of HBK and HHH, even if I'm fangirling over Dean Ambrose and Seth and Rollins at the moment. This is just something that randomly came to mind. Disclaim: I am not in any way affiliated with WWE or anything they own (shows, characters, storylines, etc.). I'm just a WWEFanGirl who loves writing fanfiction!

Hunter was trying really hard not to fall asleep at his desk. He wasn't in any storylines at the moment and being COO and in front of the curtain took a toll on him. People warned him that it was damn near impossible to be in the office and in the ring at the same time. With all the paperwork, meetings, and phone calls he had to take care, it barely left time for him to work out and stay in shape. On top of all that, he had friends to stay in touch with and all the problems that came with being a billionaire. Not to mention he had a family at home that never got to see him anymore. Sometimes, he wished he could still be just one of the guys. Wished he could go back to doing promos, hanging out with the boys after shows, feel the thrill of wrestling a match, the electricity of the crowd, whether they cheered or booed him. Living life as a wrestler held so many good memories. One of them sat across from him, head resting on top a stack of papers that looked like scripts for next week's show.

Shawn Michaels was one of his closest friends, in and out of the ring, and had been for more years than he could count these days. The man was family, more so than most of his blood relatives actually. Brother wasn't a strong enough word. He loved the man (though not in a romantic way) as much as he loved his wife and daughters. Being surrounded by four girls everyday made him so happy he had Shawn to talk to. When they couldn't see each other in person they would call each other, if their busy schedules allowed, and converse about the things that weighed on their minds. It could be the everyday stressors, or a bad day at work, something good accomplished, family life, the old days; not everything revolved around work for them anymore. With Shawn, everything was easier. Talking wasn't as… not necessarily uncomfortable, but not as completely awkwardness free, when his best friend was around. The man made things seem easier, even if he was the one causing the problem, when he was around. He always seemed to be able lift the mood with just a few words, a funny look, his calming presence.

Just laying there across his desk, hair fanned out around him, a slight smile on his face, made him look angelic, peaceful. It brought a smile to Hunter's lips to see his friend look so happy. Shawn had dropped by unexpectedly earlier that day at his hotel. Hunter had been heading to the arena, suitcase and bag in hand, with Stephanie a little ahead of schedule because of the mountain of work they had to attend to. There was already a limousine out front waiting for them. It was odd because he was the one who usually called their chauffeur, but maybe Stephanie had. The man wasn't dressed like their usual drivers, however. He wore an outfit that was all too familiar to him. His face lit up like a Christmas tree as he ran and embraced his friend.

XxX

Flashback

Monday, May 23rd

Earlier that day…

"Do you have everything for tonight? With everything going on later, we won't have to rush back for anything," his wife reminded him.

"Of course I do Steph, which is why we're leaving now and not later. Do you have everything? Last time, you forgot your keys."

"That was an accide-"

"The week before that, you almost left your phone at the airport."

"It happens to everyone-"

"And then at the PPV, you completely forgot about-"

Stephanie yelled, "Hunter!" He immediately stopped and looked at his annoyed wife. "I, heh, I think I get your point. I forget thing, I know. I triple checked this time. I have everything I need, so can we go now? I kinda run a show, you know."

"With Shane, yeah. *pulls out his phone* I'll call Jake and-"

"Actually," Stephanie said hurriedly, "I already called in someone who was in town. He's waiting for us right now. Outside." She lowered the phone from his ear and made him put it back in his pocket. She had planned this because she'd seen how tired and lonely her husband had been these last few months. She did the best she could, but sometimes, most times more often than not, she wasn't enough to keep his spirits up. But this man…

"Okay… Let's go then." Hunter held open the door for his wife as they headed for the elevator. He was suspicious now. She never called for their limos. She always asked him to do it. Suddenly, she's calling a driver early? What was she planning?The feeling didn't disappear as they made it downstairs and the limo was in sight. It was a white limousine, nothing special, with tinted windows and gold tracing the doors. A man stepped out, almost his height, but he didn't look like a chauffeur. He wore intricate brown leather chaps, faded jeans, an old T-shirt that read, "God Runs This", a silver watch, silver cross necklace, and a tan cowboy hat. Hunter felt a grin slowly start to spread across his face. He'd know that outfit from anywhere. How could he forget it? He dropped his bags at his side and, with no shame, ran to embrace his best friend.

" *chuckles* It's good to see you too. *relaxes more into the hug with a glad sigh* Hey, Hunter."

"Shawn? What are you doing here? Not that I'm not glad to see you, because I am. Phew, you have no idea. It's just…" The Heartbreak Kid beamed at him, just as excited to see his partner in crime.

"I was in town, so I thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing," he replied.

"Much better now. Are you coming into the arena with us?"

"Only if you want the company. I don't have anything to do while I'm here, so I thought I'd-"

"Yes, please. We've got so much to talk about…" He walked back and grabbed the rest of his things, helping Shawn load them into the limo. Stephanie smiled fondly at the two. They always brought the best out of each other. She was glad she ran into him earlier on her coffee run. Anything to make her husband happy.

XxX

He looked back at Shawn, quietly snoozing in the other chair. He'd offered to help Hunter with the huge piles of paperwork accumulating on his desk. That was before he saw how much paperwork there was. "Gah! You have to deal with this on a nightly basis? No wonder you don't have a life anymore! You're stuck in an office writing scripts and filing taxes, putting on a monkey suit and attending board meetings, running the company. When was the last time you took a night and just hung out with the guys, got to know your employees better?"

"Well, *scratches his head and looks up from his computer* I remember it being after Pop called and said he had an opening in the office. He said to come see him in a few days after that and that was… a few months into 2011…" Shawn sputtered, putting down the pen he had borrowed. He couldn't believe his ears.

"So, you're telling me, that you haven't had a real day off in, in, FIVE YEARS?! Are you kidding me?! Do you know what overworking yourself can do to you? No, I can't do it." Without warning, the blonde reached over and switched off Hunter's computer. He sat there frowning, arms crossed, determined to let make sure Hunter did no more work that night.

"Shawn! What the Hell?! Do you know how long I- *sees the look on Shawn's face* -Sorry. It's just that that took me forever to finish… Ratings charts take a lot of hard work and research and time. Especially when they're constantly changing. Why did you-"

Shawn's steely gaze never wavered as he proclaimed, "I will not let you work yourself into an early grave. You are going to sit here and talk to me and tell me everything that's bothering you. I'm not gonna budge until you do." Hunter groaned in slight frustration. He knew how stubborn the Texan could be, especially around him, so with a defeated sigh, he relaxed back in his chair and let spill all his worries and complaints. All the while, Shawn listened, reacted to a few things, tried comforting him when he seemed upset. When he finished, he felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders and tossed into a bottomless pit. Somehow, someway, Shawn had solved this issue. He'd tried sitting down with others close to him and venting, but it wasn't the same, it never helped. He felt like he could tell Shawn anything. There would be no judging, no criticism, no accusations about his sometimes questionable actions. "Feel better?" Shawn asked him. Hunter nodded. Shawn smiled warmly at him, and it made his insides melt for some reason. "Good. Now, if you really have to get this stuff done, at least do the easy stuff so you don't stress out."

"And let Stephanie do everything else? I don't know…" Regardless of his uncertainness, he grabbed a half finished script and began working on it again. Money in the Bank was coming up, and he knew just who to put in the MITB match. He began writing up the matches: Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens vs… Who would be a good opponent?

"Kevin? Hmm… What about AJ Styles? They seem like they'd have a pretty good match. They're both agile, have plenty of experience outside WWE, and they're pretty new around here. I bet the crowd would love 'em." Hunter smiled. Even though his friend hadn't laced up the boots for real since his retirement, he could still see the talent and connect with the fans on a deeper level than virtually every wrestler who's ever come and gone. Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles. "Are you putting Jericho in the match?" Shawn asked a few minutes later. Hunter showed him the match he'd planned. "Against a rookie? That's not exactly a fair fight." Apollo Crews was impressive, the perfect mix of strength, speed, and style, but he lacked the twenty-ish years of experience that Y2J had. "Okay then…" While Hunter worked on the MITB qualifying matches and other rivalries, Shawn had his sights on the Seth and Roman situation.

It was no secret that Seth had once been one of his biggest fans, stating that he'd be HBK 2.0 someday during their last encounter. He'd taken the liberty of writing up a promo for Seth's triumphant return to RAW. As much as he wanted Seth to be a face and go back to being the guy who fed off the crowd and cared about the fans, he knew that it wouldn't be allowed. Seth was very good heel, even if Shawn didn't necessarily agree with the cowardly side of the former champion. And, since Roman Reigns was the champion, and seemed to be molded like a second John Cena, he needed an opponent that the crowd despised. He needed to face off with someone who disliked the fans just as much as he did Roman. Seth Rollins was not on good terms with either. And, of course, if Rollins and Reigns are involved…

"Is Dean Ambrose going to get involved in the whole Seth, Roman situation?" Hunter looked up from his now finished match card for the next show. He'd wondered the same thing. Seth and Roman were supposed to have their own rivalry while Seth had been champion. That was before the injury to his knee put the Armenian on the shelf for seven months. Should he go with that plan, or make this more Shield related. He didn't know yet, but it was definitely something he was considering.

"I don't know yet. It's a possibility, though." They continued working for the next few hours, never once leaving the other's side. Eventually, Hunter felt his eyes start to droop, and he had to fight to keep them open. Luckily, his mountain of papers was now only two or three stacks of stuff he could probably just shred. He looked over at Shawn, about to ask if he needed anything, when he saw his head down, arm a few inches above it, hair fanned around him. What had he done to deserve this miracle that slept before him? The sight of an innocent Shawn reminded him of the day they first met, when the blonde was anything but.

XxX

Flashback

Late 1996…

Hunter had been in the WWF for a few months, and, as much as he lived his job, there were drawbacks as well. His gimmick as the Greenwich Snob had the whole locker room convinced that was his actual personality for some reason. They called him insulting things, gave him glares like he was the scum of the Earth, and always made him feel so… ashamed. He wasn't one to run from a fight and he didn't start them unless it had a certain purpose, but these days he just felt like throwing his morales out the window. He was alone in the main locker room, having been the second to last match scheduled that night, putting on his street clothes.

Tonight had been pretty rough. Not only had he lost his match, but he'd also lost what little respect he thought he'd earned the last few months. Some of the guys had managed to find his bag and had taken all of his things: his keys, wallet, his script, and the now meaningless possessions he'd owned to remind him of home. At least they left his clothes. He wouldn't put it past them to make him try to get home in his skimpy tights with no money or I.D. on him. He couldn't leave, and he couldn't really confront them about it either. He sighed, sitting down and rested his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. Just when he was about to say screw it and get up and leave, the locker room door opened. The man who walked in was far from most of the others he'd seen.

"You have a rough night too?" Hunter nodded, glad someone was willing to peacefully interact with him. He looked up to see who it was and was stunned by the sight. The guy in front of him was around his height, a little shorter, dark blonde hair hanging loosely at his shoulders, deep blue eyes, and walked with a sense of overconfidence. The air around him radiated arrogance, charisma, and something he just couldn't put his finger on. He'd usually have filed a guy like him under someone not to associate with, but this man was the only wrestler who'd shown him any kindness since he'd gotten here. "Eh, you get used to it if you've been around for a while. Vin Man loves to make other people's lives miserable. He'll sic guys on you, cut your paycheck, give you a fucked up storyline or gimmick just to mess with you, try and control you like you're someone's property… His ego's almost as bad as mine. *takes a closer look at Hunter* Hey, weren't you just in the last match. You're… Hunter Hearst Helmsley, right? Yeesh, that's gotta be a mouthful."

"(mischievously) A mouthful of what? *snickers with the man* Yeah, I am. How do you know so much about Vince?" This would be the first friendly conversation he'd had since getting signed.

"I've been around a few years, debuted with a former friend as a tag team called The Rockers. When we finally had a huge break and we knew we'd grown skill wise, I wanted to split up. Vinnie Mac didn't really like the idea though, and neither did my partner. So, I smashed his head through a barber shop window and we tried to breath the shit out of each other for the next few weeks. I've been on my own ever since. Hate McMahon with a passion. Can't really stand the other guys either." He studied Hunter for a few moments before grabbing his bag and pulling out a small pill bottle.

"Dude, are those drugs?"

"No, they're painkillers. I took a pretty hard fall and landed on my head earlier. I've got a huge migraine goin' on right now. *swallows two pills dry* So, what's your story?" Hunter didn't know whether to trust the unpredictable figure or not, but he'd take his chances. He began talking about how he'd debuted, who he was, a little about his family, how the others treated him since he'd been around. He didn't seem very interested until the last part. "So they've been messin' with you and taking your stuff?" The man walked back towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Hunter asked him, not liking the feeling in the air. The blonde turned back to him with a very serious and angry stare.

"To get your stuff back. Stay here, would ya?" Without another word, he left. Hunter didn't know if this guy was serious, or planning on tricking him. He didn't really have much of a choice though, so he remained where he was. Sure enough, he returned ten minutes later holding a wallet, keys, and everything else that had been stolen. He, unfortunately, hadn't come away unscathed, as he had a cut across his cheek and a black eye forming. "Told ya." He laughed when he saw Hunter's face. "Don't look so shocked! Just because I'm an asshole, it doesn't mean I can't help a friend out."

"I- …Thank you." They'd just met and the man already considered him a friend. Hunter wouldn't dare turn him away. "I never got your name."

"Shawn. Shawn Michaels." Shawn flashed him a genuine smile before asking, "You need a ride?"

XxX

Hunter was jolted awake by the buzzing of his phone. He hadn't even noticed that he'd fallen asleep. He checked his phone and found a few texts from Stephanie. Some told him not to work too hard and leave whatever he couldn't finish for her. The most recent one asked if he was still in his office and to call her when he was ready to leave. It couldn't be that late. He checked the time. Midnight. He'd worked all through the show and then some. And dragged Shawn here with him. He remembered his dream, and smiled softly at Shawn, still snoozing the night, well, morning, away. He pressed a tender kiss to his best friend's head before tidying up what was left on his desk.

Shawn began to stir after feeling someone kiss him on the head. He looked around and found himself still in Hunter's office. He stared in wonder at his best friend. It was a rare occurrence when Hunter would be truly and openly affectionate, (Kissing Stephanie in the ring and holding her hand when the Authority did a show didn't count) especially to him. Shawn was open and liked people to know how he felt or what he was thinking, which sometimes wasn't a good thing. Hunter was more closed off. It wasn't that he didn't like talking or being social or had trust issues. It was just a part of his personality. " *quiet laugh* Welcome back to the land of the living, buddy." Shawn smiled at him and stretched. Hunter had his bag and briefcase in hand, ready to leave. Before the moment slipped away, Shawn asked, "Have I ever told you that I love you, Hunter?" The younger man gave him a confuzzled grin.

"Of course you have. Love you too, man. You know that." He just didn't get it. He just didn't understand what Shawn really meant. Nervously, the Heartbreak Kid pressed a chaste, loving kiss to the Game's lips. Hunter froze before reciprocating slowly. He wanted to tread these waters carefully. He and Shawn knew there was no "us", that they couldn't be together. They had no intention, nor did they want, to be romantically involved with each other. It was just moments like this, when they were alone and unafraid, when they could show the other just how much they appreciated them in their life, how much they cared, how much they loved them… Shawn pulled away sadly and opened his eyes. He wished he could've lived in a world where he could be in love with Hunter. He loved Rebecca, Cheyanne, and Cameron to death, but he couldn't help but wonder. Hunter was in pretty much the same situation.

"Oh… I love you too, Shawn," he whispered, trying to put all of his feelings into those words. The Texan took Hunter's hand in his own and gave him a sad smile. "Ready to go?" Shawn nodded. The Greenwich native pulled out his phone and called Stephanie. She worried over him, as usual, and told him she'd have a car waiting for them in a few minutes. He hung up and the two friends looked each other in the eyes, searching each other's soul. They didn't know what it was or why they did it, but they did. After a few moments, they both looked away at the same time. They savored the time they had together like this while it lasted. When they got to the exit, Hunter reluctantly told Shawn to let go of his hand. The older man nodded, taking one of Hunter's bags while Hunter carried his briefcase. An actual chauffeur this time greeted them and helped with Hunter's stuff. They climbed into the back and held each other close, half hoping they'd never arrive at the hotel. The DX originals, the closest friends, brothers in arms, were more than just those things. And all it took to realize it was their memories.