The phone had been ringing for several minutes, the shrill shriek splintering the mundane.
" Oh hey Shawn" Stephanie answered the phone brightly, shot her husband a filthy look as he remained engrossed in the television, his selective hearing apparently in full force today.
" Hey Steph, is Hunter there?"
Stephanie held the phone out to Hunter expectantly. Her face crinkled with confusion as Hunter waved the receiver away impatiently, eyes still glued to the set, left hand firmly planted in a packet of Doritos.
" Busy" he muttered, " Tell Shawn,later"
" Hunter says he's very sorry but he's busy so could you call back later?" she translated sweetly. Hunter rolled his eyes, Shawn would have accepted later.
" Tell Hunter I'm more important than Doritos" Shawn fired back, not believing her for a second.
" Shawn said he's more important than Doritos"
" I don't care"
" He doesn't care" Stephanie reported
" Ok, do me a favour" Shawn pleaded, " I know Hunter's watching TV, go stand in front of it and say ' Wichita falls, 1996'"
He listened with a smug smile as Stephanie obeyed his bidding, a chuckle broke free as he heard Hunter grapple for the phone.
" What?"
" Hi to you too" he snorted, words encased in laughter.
" You're not funny"
" What? You were being rude Levesque. You don't ignore friends in favour of food!"
" I'll remember that next time I call you and you're engaged in cookie scoffing" retorted Hunter dryly
" You don't call me"
" What do you want Shawn?" Hunter sighed, wistfully glancing back at the TV.
" Why do you assume I want something -"
" You're bored aren't you?" Hunter overrode him swiftly, hearing the tedium in his tone.
" Yeah" admitted Shawn, " Rebecca took the kids on a field trip"
" Well why didn't you go with them if you were so bored?" enquired Hunter exasperatedly, he nibbled at his lip as the movie continued, groaned as he missed what looked to have been a key part of the plot.
" Rebecca wouldn't let me go"
" Let you go where?" Hunter asked, tearing eyes away from the screen and trying to grasp concentration again.
" On the field trip!"
" To where genius?"
" Oh. The Alamodome"
" Why couldn't you go there? You've been a billion times before"
" Becks wanted to do a history lesson and apparently " Daddy won the belt here once" doesn't count" Shawn explained mournfully.
" Idiot" laughed Hunter
" Hey it's history!"
" Yeah that was the most important thing to happen in the history of San Antonio. When you struck Sid with that camera I mean wow Texas was truly free"
" Heh funny stuff, say where's Steph? Would she like to hear a story about you, tequila, me, karaoke and Wichita falls?"
" No she wouldn't" barked Hunter sharply, " Stop being a smart ass"
" I can't help it Hunt, it's in my nature. Besides your marriage will start to suffer if you have secrets. Really if I tell her then I'm helping-"
" Helping? Oh ok. Then let me help your marriage by telling Rebecca a wonderful story involving you, Kevin, three bottles of spray paint and Vince McMahon's office."
" For your information Rebecca already heard that story"
" She did not"
" Did too"
" Ok then so you won't mind if I discuss it with her at Summerslam?"
" You can discuss what you want at Summerslam, me and Becks aren't going"
" You're going"
" Am not. I called the office, I'm coming back in the fall"
" We're reuniting in the summer!" snapped Hunter irritated, " How are we supposed to do that if you're in Texas?"
" Via Satellite?"
" You're a regular comedian today huh Shawn?"
" I crack myself up"
" Yeah well someone has to laugh" sneered Hunter, " You're returning at Summerslam"
Shawn clicked his tongue against his teeth in defiance, letting silence crackle down the phone.
" Shawn?"
The man remained mute, seething rebellion.
" Shawn!"
" What?!" he spat viciously, the syllable drenched in annoyance.
" You're returning-"
" You can't tell me what to do"
" Shawn we have schedules "
" So?"
" Oh don't be such a child!"
" I'm not! I just don't want to come back at Summerslam"
" So when do you want to come back?"
" I don't know"
" Shawn you called me up bored out of your wits. Surely going back to work is an appealing option"
" I only get bored when Becks and the kids aren't here"
Hunter emitted a breathless groan of frustration. He knew he should have just unplugged the phone before the movie started but no, now here he was three quarters in trying to figure out what the hell was going on whilst trying to coerce Shawn into actually earning his pay cheque.
" Vince is gonna be so p***** with you" he tried, attempting to figure out why the hitman in the movie was now scaling a block of flats. Where the hell did the bomb come from? Damn it why couldn't Shawn just go to work like a normal person!
" Ohhh that'll be a change" mocked Shawn, words ablaze with sarcasm, " I wonder how I shall survive his fiery temper"
" You know sometimes I think you're still stuck in '97"
" When did I become Bret Hart?"
" Hey if Bret was scheduled at Summerslam, Bret would be there" Hunter pointed out.
" Not if it was scheduled outside of Canada" Shawn snorted, " The change in location might make him look bad, heroes can't be worshipped outside of canucksville. It's some law they passed in Montreal or something-"
" Alright, no need to be a wise ass. I'm just saying. He was professional-"
" Oh yeah that's why we had to screw him out of the championship-"
" Ok! Ok! He was professional most of the time, stop evading the point"
" ooh evading!" Shawn jeered.
" You know for someone who bitches about having to say suck it, you sure do act like an idiot"
" Those points are related how?"
" Just come back at Summerslam" Hunter pressed trying to get Shawn to relent.
" No"
" Come on Shawn you're being-"
" Being what?" the Texan growled
" Selfish"
" Oh give me a damn break Hunter. My back's aching, I can barely walk and all anyone cares about is selling t-shirts and glow sticks. I'm sorry I want to actually have a life outside of wrestling. There you happy now?"
" Not by a long shot"
" What the F*** do you want from me?!" exploded Shawn, the curse wrapped in ire.
Hunter sniggered as he heard the unmistakable sound of Shawn's hand smacking against his mouth in dismay as he realised he'd inadvertently cursed .
" S'not funny man." he mumbled, words obstructed by his palm.
" Sorry it's just you swore"
" I know"
The anguish was evident in his tone.
" Aw come on Shawnie just repent later it'll be ok"
He sighed as he listened to Shawn's muttered prayer, his seeking of forgiveness was short but tedious for him nonetheless. He understood the significance of Shawn's faith and he tried his best not to belittle it or antagonise Shawn about it but he personally didn't believe it.
" You done apologising to Jesus yet?"
" Nearly, just gotta pray for your soul"
" Ha ha"
" Come on Hunter work with me I can only do so much here!"
Silence wrapped itself around them, Shawn contemplating in the quiet.
" Will you come back to work when you're supposed to or not?" Hunter questioned eventually.
Shawn huffed, his breath resounding in Hunter's ear loudly as it seeped through the plastic.
" Ok" he acquiesced finally, " But only if you promise not to tell anyone I swore"
" Cross my heart"
"Ok I better go, I just heard Cameron slam the door. If I told him once I told him a thousand times-"
Hunter laughed at his buddy's half hearted rant.
" Go tell him doors are to be shut not slammed"
" I plan to"
Hunter didn't have to see Shawn to sense the smile that creased his features.
" Ok so I'll see you at Summerslam. Don't make me have to come pick you and your family up from your house again"
" Are you gonna hold that over me forever?"
" Probably" Hunter replied with a snicker, " See you in August"
" Sure. Oh and Hunt?"
" Yeah?"
" He dies in the end"
Hunter sat, the dial tone singing in his ear as he stared disappointedly at the movie still flickering before him. The movie Shawn had just ruined completely.
Screw it.
He was watching the end anyway.