Title: Taking Chances
Pairing: The Rock and Shawn Michaels
Rating: 'M'
Genre: Friendship/Hurt-Comfort/Angst
Summary: Shawn Michaels and Dwayne Johnson meet and talk after the Hall of Fame ceremony. During their chat, both reveal certain insecurities seeking advice from the other. This information mixed with weird tension and unexplainable feelings leaves both men wondering if the chances in life are really worth taking.
~**~**~
Taking Chances
~*~*~
Shawn Michaels sat in the audience next to his good friend Hunter. They were at this year's WWE Hall of Fame ceremony patiently awaiting the induction of Rocky Johnson, father of one of the biggest stars ever to grace a ring in the WWE. Everyone was eager about the induction. Not because they cared about Rocky Johnson. Oh, no. They were more excited about the person inducting him than true Hall of Famer. The lights dimmed and suddenly Jerry the King was back at the podium.
"Now for the moment you've all been waiting for. Ladies and gentlemen put your hands together for the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, please welcome The Rock!" The crowd erupted into cheers, all of them standing to their feet including all of the superstars. Dwayne Johnson walked onto the stage all smiles as he received a well earned ovation. He was decked out in a perfect fitting black suit and tie making all the ladies in the room squeal.
"Thank you all. It feels good to stand before the WWE Universe once again. I sure have missed this place."
They all took their seats listening intensely as Dwayne spoke of his heritage and all the things his father and grandfather taught him. Shawn watched him, probably a little closer than most, because he couldn't help but notice how Dwayne's eyes lit up as he spoke of his father. Shawn could tell that Dwayne really did have passion for the business even though to some it seemed like he was a sell out. The crowd roared again and that's when Shawn realized they were chanting "Austin! Austin!" and "One more match!". Shawn shook his head chuckling softly to himself. It was funny. A part of him wished he could be like those screaming fans in the rafters. He too would love to watch The Rock perform just one more time. He'd always felt that being stuck at home after his back injury was worth it to watch Dwayne light up the screen every week and he could remember wishing he was there to feel the electricity in an arena. I bet it was like this all the time…
"Hey Shawn?" Hunter nudged Shawn in the ribs and he turned to him.
"What?" he hissed. Hunter forced his head around to show him that the camera was closing in on him. What the…?
"This guy…my grandmother love him so much and I can't help but share that same love for him. To step in the ring with him would be a dream come true and that guy is Shawn Michaels." Shawn's eyes went wide with surprise and he felt arms embracing him. Dwayne's mother embraced, kissing his cheek and whispering a "thank you" in his ear. Shawn looked at the camera and smiled, thanking him humbly. "Oh Shawn. You're a little guy. I could pick you up and Rock Bottom you with no problem," Dwayne teased. Shawn laughed but made sure to give him his best 'in your dreams' look. Dwayne winked and went back to his speech.
~*~*~
An hour later and the show was over. Shawn said good-bye to Hunter and Stephanie then headed out the back. He wasn't really in the mood to socialize. Being single and alone kind of ruined the mood. Besides, no one likes a third wheel and that's exactly how he felt all evening. While everyone else had their dates, Shawn was stuck sitting next to Hunter and Steph. They insisted on him sitting there even though he originally planned on sitting in the back somewhere. Shawn made his way through the halls greeting people on his way towards the back exit. Before he could get out though, he had to somehow squeeze through a crowd of younger superstars who had gathered in front of the exit for some odd reason. Now what in the world…? No sooner had he thought that when he felt a pair of hands squeeze his sides.
"This way," they whispered. Shawn whipped around to see the back of Dwayne Johnson rounding a corner. Shawn thought about this for a second before deciding that his way out was the better way. When Shawn rounded the corner he found Dwayne leaning against the wall his smile just as bright as ever. For a moment Shawn just stood there stunned by the very sight of him. "Let's say you and I get out of this place."
"Uh…well…sure." Not like I have anything better to do. Shawn walked in silence next to Dwayne. They headed out back and his limo was waiting out back.
"How did you get here tonight?" he asked.
"Uh…I caught a ride with Hunter. Didn't really feel like driving."
"Well how about I give you a ride back? I saw you trying to escape and I figured you were trying to leave to avoid the crowds."
"Are you sure?" Dwayne smiled his perfect smile causing heat to rise to the blonde's face for no apparent reason.
"Of course. Not everyday I get to ride with the great Shawn Michaels." He opened the door of the limo with a smile. "After you." Shawn could not for the love of God understand why he felt so uncomfortable all of a sudden but he tried his best to shake it off. He smiled politely as he climbed into the limo followed shortly after by the Great One.
Silence. Dead silence for the first half mile. Shawn cut his eyes over at Dwayne and saw that he was fidgeting with his phone. Dwayne suddenly looked up but Shawn quickly turned away cursing himself silently for staring.
"Where are you staying tonight?" Startled, Shawn looked over at Dwayne who was still just fidgeting with his cell.
"Uh…the Hyatt. If it's out of your way then…"
"No, it's fine. That's where I'm staying too. If…it's okay with you, I'd like to maybe chat with you for a while. I meant what I said earlier." Shawn frowned. "I mean about missing wrestling. I do. I miss it all the time."
"Oh," he laughed. I knew that. Don't know what I was thinking… "Yeah. Of course." They arrived at the Hyatt minutes later though the weirdness was still there. Well…Dwayne didn't seem effected but Shawn…he was feeling weird. He wasn't sure why though. Maybe it was because he had planned on spending the evening alone. Or maybe it's because he was hanging out with a celebrity. A lot of people still saw Dwayne as part of the guys but not Shawn. Shawn knew him once way back when before he became The Rock. Now that he was Dwayne Johnson plus Shawn's 5 year hiatus, he hardly knew the guy at all and yet he was here. About to spend the evening with a guy he was sure most of the roster would kill to be around.
Shawn followed Dwayne into his fancy suite. Shawn was surprised to see that everything was in place. It was as if the room wasn't even occupied.
"I haven't been in here since I got here." Shawn looked up, a little taken back that Dwayne seemed to know what he was thinking. "They keep me running rabid ya know? Damn agents. But I refused to do anything today that would jeopardize my wrestling engagement. Miss it too much and had too much respect for my family. Please. Have a seat. I'll go and get us some drinks." Shawn nodded still trying to comprehend why he was feeling so apprehensive. He really had no reason to be feeling this way but he just couldn't shake the feeling. Shawn sat down in one of the huge Victorian styled chairs and stared at the beautiful decorations in the room. He hadn't stayed in a suite since…well he didn't want to go there, but he'd forgotten how nice suites were. The huge king sized bed was beautifully decorated in black and gold linen with huge golden pillows littering the bed. The black carpet and the black curtains laced with gold trim made the room even more elegant. But the beautiful paintings on the wall were what intrigued Shawn the most. Shawn had always been fascinated by paintings especially ones from the Renaissance. Their deep meanings and lighting could brighten any room.
He heard the clank of glass and he jumped. Dwayne had set down a glass of wine of some sort in front of him and was now taking his seat in the chair across from him. Shawn noticed that he'd taken a moment to get out of his suit. He was now slightly more comfortable than Shawn wearing only his suit pants and socks. He was topless showing his perfect Hollywood body that made Shawn feel very self conscious. Shawn lifted the glass to his lips taking a sip of his drink to keep from staring at perfection.
"So uh…you really miss the place?" Shawn asked. Start a conversation. Anything to take my mind off of my uneasiness and this weird tension…
"Yeah I…I really miss it." Shawn watched his eyes taking in at how he wouldn't meet his gaze. Genuine sadness is what he saw but what he couldn't understand is why Dwayne wouldn't just come back.
"I'm not…trying to sound insulting or accusing or anything like that but why won't you come back?" Shawn asked. It was a logical question but it was also a question that's been burning him up since the limo ride. Dwayne met Shawn's eyes for the second time that night and once again Shawn felt uneasy.
"I don't know," he answered.
"You don't know?!" Shawn blurted out. He hadn't meant to but that was certainly not the answer he was expecting. Why didn't he know? Why was someone so talented just staying away? "I…is it because you feel like you don't belong anymore?" Dwayne raised his glass to his lips and sucked down the rest of his drink shaking his head.
"Part of it," he answered. "And then there's all of this." He waved a hand around him showing off the room. "The luxuries of making movies can't compare to what I'd get if I continued to work for Vince." Shawn heard him but he didn't buy it. Or rather, he wasn't sure if Dwayne believed what he was saying either.
"Is that what you believe?" Shawn asked softly. Dwayne looked at him but only for a moment.
"Why do you ask? Why wouldn't I believe what I'm telling you?"
"Well…maybe I'm reading too much into you but tonight…when you read your introduction, I saw something in your eyes that makes me think otherwise." There was a long awkward pause before Dwayne spoke up again.
"What did you see?" he asked.
"Passion." Dwayne looked taken back but just as quickly his face softened and once again there was a hint of sadness about them. After a while, Dwayne spoke up again.
"Tell me something Shawn."
"Alright."
"How was it for you in 2002? When you made your return, how did it feel and do you ever regret coming back?" Suddenly a warm feeling came over Shawn and he realized why he was there tonight. Dwayne wanted advice from him and for some reason it touched him right to the very core. He could have gone to anybody else but the fact that Dwayne chose him made him so happy. A warm smile spread across Shawn's face as he recalled his return in 2002.
"I was scared," he said softly. "I was scared to death. Not because I couldn't wrestle. This might sound a bit conceited but I always knew I could get in the ring again. Once you learn and have the passion for the business ingrained into you, it makes it hard to forget. But the fans made it worth while. I never thought they would embrace me like they did. Times had changed and the audience was different now. I wasn't sure half the people would even recognize me let alone give a care about some washed up has been. But that match with Hunter…just seeing the crowd respond the way they did. I just knew after that night that I couldn't just go back home. I needed to be in front of the crowd because that's where I belong."
"No regrets?"
"None."
"Can I…ask you something else? Something…a bit more personal?"
"Sure."
"Why did you look so down earlier?" Shawn blinked several time before looking away from him. "I'm sorry if it's prying too much but I really want to know. You seemed to be in such a hurry to leave the building. If I wouldn't have seen the down expression on your face earlier then I would have just assumed it was just to get away from the crowds." Shawn shifted nervously in his seat searching, wondering if he should answer truthfully. "You don't have to tell me," he added quickly. "I was just wondering." Shawn let out a small laugh as he fidgeted with his tie.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this but being as you won't be around I don't suppose I have anything to worry about." He sighed. "I'm alone," he said simply.
"You're sad because you're alone?"
"I don't…really know how to explain it."
"Try me." Another long pause and Shawn realized that he was breaking into a sweat. He was feeling cornered for no reason whatsoever. It wasn't like Dwayne was trying to pry. He meant well. Shawn was sure of it but they were heading in a direction Shawn really didn't want to go. "If it makes you feel better, I haven't been with anyone since my divorce six years ago."
"You're…divorced?"
"Yeah. Not many people know this since I still see her occasionally but we are. If you asked me why we ended it I'd tell you it was all my fault. I'd also tell you that we were fooling ourselves from the beginning. I don't think we ever truly loved one another." Hearing this side of The Rock made Shawn feel bad for him. Everyone – including Shawn – was so used to seeing his perfect smile that to see him like this was just unusual. It was so strange that Shawn felt the need to share with him something he hated with every fiber of his being – his feelings for another man. That man in particular.
"I…don't normally talk to people about my past relationships. I have so many reasons for not talking about them but…to answer your question, I'm alone and it's probably my fault because I don't try. I turn down every dinner date, every movie, every everything because I'm not sure if I can handle it. My first and last relationship…we were so in love but so many things were wrong from the start and when he left…" He. Shawn said 'he' and that was something a lot of people didn't know about him at least not for certain. But now Dwayne knew and Shawn wondered if it was a mistake to tell him such a thing. Shawn slid the smooth fabric of the tie between his thumb and index finger letting the smooth feeling calm his nerves. Silence filled the room once more engulfing both men in a tension neither could explain.
"Shawn? Can I…?" He sighed. "Why did you accept my invitation?" He waited a long time before finally shaking his head.
"I…don't know." And it was the truth. He really didn't know.
"I'm proud of you," Dwayne said after a while. Shawn looked across the table at him with a confused look on his face.
"Why?"
"Because you took a chance. That's more than I could say for myself." Shawn thought about this for a second. Forcing a weak smile, he responded.
"Yeah…I guess I did but if you think about tonight and what you did for your family, I'd say you took a chance as well. It took a lot of courage going out there in front of an audience that a majority feels you betrayed them. I'm not sure if I could have handled it." Dwayne laughed a genuine laugh for the first time since his speech. His laugh warmed Shawn's heart to the max.
"I guess you're right and just so you know, I'm glad you agreed to this…whatever this is. I can't even begin to tell you how much better I feel right now. I guess taking chances can be a good thing sometimes right?" Shawn smiled.
"I guess you're right." Dwayne looked over at the clock on the wall and noticed it was late. So did Shawn who immediately stood to his feet. "Hey Shawn?" Dwayne stood up too and started making his way to Shawn's side of the room. "I want to ask you one more question."
"Uh…alright." He stopped a few inches in front of Shawn looking a bit nervous. He's nervous…I wonder why?
"My…father always said life is about taking chances. I think after talking tonight both of us seem to be taking a step in that direction but…talking with you made me realize that I shouldn't just stop here. I need to take chances if I'm ever going to be truly happy again so…so there's something I'd like you to know."
"What?" Dwayne closed the gap between them and before he realized what was happening, he was being coaxed into a kiss. Shawn didn't know why he let him nor did he understand why his lips responded. All he knew was that he was being kissed by Dwayne Johnson and like a star stricken fool he was kissing him back. Dwayne pulled way for a second. Looking deep into Shawn's eyes he finally said what he needed to say.
"I want you to stay with me tonight." Definitely not what Shawn was expecting. Heart pounding furiously, Shawn bit his lip searching his brain for a way out of this. I don't need to stay. I shouldn't want to stay and my body shouldn't be curious about him. I haven't been kissed like this in ages but that's no reason to stay. Yes, I'm attracted to him but if I stay with him then… "Please stay," he begged.
He cupped Shawn's face drawing him in for another kiss. The blonde helplessly responded kissing him back slowly, letting the charge from the kiss electrify his entire body. Dwayne's hands slid inside Shawn's coat, moving slowly up his torso to his shoulders. The coat slid gracefully off the blonde to the floor. Dwayne's hands slowly began loosening the buttons of the older man's shirt and that's when Shawn began to panic.
"Dwayne…don't. We can't."
"Take a chance," he whispered. The shirt and tie were now falling to the floor and lips were now teasing the now exposed flesh of his collar bone. "You're so beautiful Shawn," he murmured. His lips moved to Shawn's neck where he sucked at his pulse lightly. Shawn bit his lip but it didn't stop the moan from escaping him driving his assaulter straight to arousal. "Hang onto me," he breathed.
Shawn wrapped his arms around his neck and was suddenly lifted off the floor. Shawn nuzzled his face in Dwayne's neck taking in his sweet smell as he carried him towards the bed. Dwayne lowered Shawn gently on the bed kissing his way down his body in the process. He wasted no time relieving Shawn of his pants while Shawn just laid there trying to keep from hyperventilating. Why is this happening? He couldn't possibly want someone like me.
"Dwayne…Oh God!" he cried out. The warmth that overcame him was unbelievable. Shawn's mind was now spinning while his hips moved involuntarily towards the unspeakable pleasure. This feels so good… Dwayne hands teased the area around his thighs as he sucked him off, his perfect teeth grazing the most sensitive areas of his member for added pleasure. Dwayne's teeth grazed the tip of his member before completely engulfing him again. Shawn gripped the linen wishing Dwayne would let him cum already. "Dwayne…please…I can't take this," he begged. Dwayne hummed softly from the back of his throat and that was all it took to finally bring Shawn to climax. "Oh…fuck!" he screamed.
He threw his head back and cummed harder than ever. He collapsed back against the linen panting heavily from such a strong orgasm, one he needed more than he thought he did. Dwayne stood up dropping his pants and Shawn's jaw dropped at the perfection. His body looked so damn delicious and it was coming his way. Dwayne slid up the blonde's body, licking and sucking all the way up until he reached sweet lips. Parting Shawn's legs, he settled himself between them smiling down at the beautiful man before him. His piercing blue eyes were hazed over but it did nothing to hide the passion in his eyes. Dwayne couldn't stop himself from capturing his swollen lips again all the while thrusting inside of him. His cries were muffled from the kiss but soon his cries of pain turned into whimpers of pleasure.
"You sound so sweet," Dwayne whispered. His tore his lips away to bite down into the tender flesh of his neck. Shawn gripped his shoulders moaning then screaming with pleasure from every thrust until they both reached their peaks spilling themselves all over each other. Dwayne rolled over pulling the blonde next to him. Shawn had to admit that it felt good being in someone's arms. Far too long has it been since he's been held and right now he was certainly glad he took another chance. "Thank you," Dwayne whispered. "For taking this chance." Shawn let out a fully satisfied sigh.
"No, thank you." Dwayne kissed his neck and played in Shawn's hair until they both drifted off into the perfect sleep.
~*~*~
The next morning Shawn woke up to find that he was all alone. A dream… Figures. I knew it was too good to be true. He rolled over to his side to find an envelope with his name on it lying on top of a pillow. Huh? Shawn rubbed his eyes making his eyes adjust only to find that he was not in his room. He was in a suite – a very expensive looking suite which meant…
"Oh…It…" It wasn't a dream? Shawn quickly tore open the letter and began reading. As he read warm tears streamed down his face but they weren't tears of sadness. They were tears of joy.
Dear Shawn,
Thank you for taking a chance with me. Because of you, I plan to
take more risks and hopefully I'll figure out what truly makes me
happy. If I never make my way back to the WWE for good, I will
however, find my way back to you. I'll never forget last night and I
will never forget you.
Love always,
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
