"Eat it!"

The command rang through the parlour, tinged with amusement. Chris Jericho glanced up from the front of the line to see his boyfriend Shawn Michaels being straddled by his DX compadre.

"No, Hunt, GAAH!"

Shawn spluttered against the ice cream, mouth smeared chocolate as he choked against his laughter.

Chris felt his blood boil, the bitter sting of jealousy pulsated through him; there was only so much blatant flirting he could stand to see between his partner and Hunter. He threw his change to the counter and stomped over to the booth.

"Here" he hissed flinging the napkins to the table. Chris turned on his heel and marched from the Parlour, his own ice cream cone ricocheted against the rim of the trash can as he hurled it in frustration. The door slammed shut behind him with a clatter, the bang echoing his anger tenfold.

" Get off!" Shawn demanded pushing at Hunter's chest. Hunter slid from the booth, allowing Shawn to squeeze passed.

" Chris!"

The door swung shut behind him as he left; his call shattered the quiet of the near deserted car park. He leaned against the window with a dull thud of despair as he watched Chris drive away, glare reflected back at him in the mirror.

" Great" he muttered sarcastically.

" He really took off?"

Shawn turned at the incredulous tone, fury flooded through him at the sight of Hunter.

" No he's right here Hunt!" he growled, " I don't believe this crap!"

" yeah yell at me, it's my fault he's being such a girl-"

" Shut up"

" No! Someone has to say it Shawn, you've been dating him three months. We've been friends thirteen years; doesn't he trust you?"

" Maybe he just doesn't trust you" sniped Shawn,

" hey don't take it out on me just cause your boyfriend's gone back to the hotel crying"

" he wasn't crying!" Shawn snapped defensively

" No?"

" No!" barked Shawn

" So what are you gonna do; Stand here defending his idiocy to me or go set him straight?"

" I'm gonna go talk to Chris"

______________________________________________________________________________

Shawn stood outside the hotel room he'd been sharing with Chris, face scarred with bewilderment. His clothes littered the hallway like fallen soldiers, intermingled with the rest of his belongings.

Frustrated he picked his way through the mess, rapping the door sharply with his knuckles.

"Open the door"

"Nobody's here"

Chris tone was muffled, stifled by rage and petulance.

"I didn't do anything" whined Shawn

"You never do" mumbled Chris

"You're being stupid!" snapped Shawn, "Why are you being so weird?"

"Maybe I'd be less weird if my boyfriend wasn't trying to screw his best friend in the middle of a public place"

"Oh come on Jericho!" exploded Shawn furiously, "How many times do we have to go through this before it gets into your insecure little brain? Me and Hunter are friends nothing more. I love you damn it"

"You've got a funny way of showing it Michaels" Chris retorted pointedly, "Now why don't you go stay with Hunter and make us both happy?"

"Oh you don't want me here? Ok FINE! Be like that" spat Shawn, his fist connected with a dull thud of ire against the pine barrier.

Riving his possessions from the carpet Shawn stormed from the floor without so much as a backwards glance, rage overpowering rationality as he left Chris alone in the chasm of self-doubt he'd helped kindle and flame in the past three months.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Chris tossed and turned amongst a sea of despair and regret. The debris of vehemence burned at the core, smothered in anxiety.

He and Shawn were too similar to co-exist smoothly, they had the same dry humour and same short fuse, the difference being that Shawn's had made him infamous whereas Chris' made him unreasonable at the most inconvenient of times.

He'd known Shawn was close to Hunter, had known from the moment he uttered his agreement to date the elder man that their relationship was bound to overspill into time spent with his lover's best friend.

However he'd been unprepared for his reaction to their displays of affection. Their exhibit of platonic admiration bordered on flirtation and somehow he found himself unable to disentangle the two as envy reared its ugly head.

He couldn't prevent himself for second guessing his worth in Shawn's eyes, maintained the nagging criticism that no matter what he did he'd never be as good for the Texan as Hunter so obviously was.

For if Shawn could take his pick why on earth would he choose him?

The bleep of his mobile phone startled him from his soliloquy of self loathing; he reached for the cell with a sense of dread.

"I'm sorry. Love you S xxxx"

He read it, teeth gritted against lip with intensity, their desperation leaving a groove against tender flesh.

If Shawn loved him so much why'd he leave?

He turned on his back, staring at the ceiling through a salted glaze of sorrow, not dignifying Shawn's text with a response.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Defeated Shawn kicked out at the blankets he was swaddled in, venting his frustration on the innocent bedding.

He knew he'd helped feed Chris' insecurities at the ice cream parlour, couldn't blame Hunter for the whole mess either seeing as he was Chris' boyfriend. He was the one who knew the young Canadian better than he knew himself.

He should have sensed how much pain he was causing him.

Instead he continued in his haze of selfishness, walked the beaten path of egotism as he ignored Chris' heartache, attributing blame to the Winnipeg native as opposed to himself.

Chris wasn't going to reply.

He didn't blame him.

Shawn may have thought the argument trivial and overblown, but Chris had taken it hard.

Sapphire blue wrenched to storm ridden black, the depth of desolation swirled uneasily in watering orbs.

As the ripples of rejection pulsated through him, the tears birthed, snaking a cold trail of neglect down smouldering cheeks.

The bitter words wove a repetitive path in Shawn's mind as the lay contemplating the fight. Twice he had declared his love for Chris and twice he had been declined.

Chris' broken response penetrated his guilt

"You've got a funny way of showing it Michaels"

He sat up, wiping his eyes furiously. With a rush of clarity the solution presented itself, so simplistic in its form that it might just work.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Chris entered the catering area with head bowed, reluctant to supply the rumour mill with anymore fodder in its quest for gossip.

He sat alone, as near to the corner as he could get , away from prying eyes he sipped coffee and read magazines in a desperate attempt to regain a scrap of normality.

His stomach clenched every time his mind's eye summoned Shawn, the sour sting of betrayal flared as he recalled how easily the elder man had caved to his demands and left to be with Hunter.

Chris glanced up as the plate was placed before him; the clatter of cutlery startled him from his thoughts.

"Oh... no I didn't order this" he refuted feebly

The waiter shrugged, indicating the table behind him.

Chris squirmed in his seat, turning to see a despondent Shawn staring back at him.

Rolling his eyes he resumed flicking through the music magazine, his sardonic mood wilted slightly at the sight of the baked good.

The brownie was crumbling against its porcelain, the sticky goo of frosting clumsily applied. It was crooked and misshapen, but Chris could tell it was meant to be a heart.

A smile graced his lips as he felt Shawn's arms envelope him.

"Am I forgiven now?" he asked softly, his southern croak embedded in ignominy.

"Maybe. Did you do this?"

"Maybe" reiterated Shawn. He hid a teasing grin in the crook of his lover's neck, tracing his collarbone in tender, apologetic kisses.

"See?" He whispered, "Hunter doesn't get hearts"

" You're so corny" taunted Chris, his laughter breaking the silence.

" But you love me" Shawn stated

" That I do" concurred Chris leaning in for a kiss.