Quick note here: Time in this story goes by VERY quickly. Right now - all chapters combined - we've gone through a good month. Yes. 30 days have passed you by already. lol
Okay.... back to the story.
*-*-*
RAW came to a close with Evan having done nothing major. He had worked extremely hard to get on the show, and was very content with not having much to do. As much as that thought surprised a lot of people, Evan Bourne had really come up the ladder because of one man: Chris Jericho. His main intention was to get on SmackDown, but Vince felt it better that the man was placed on his flagship show, and no one argues with the boss.
The locker room was empty by the time he got there. His boot laces tangled a bit as he struggled to untie them. He yanked at the laces, finally giving up when the knot tightened instead of loosened. He sighed heavily and sat down on the bench with his bare back pressed against the locker, and looked up at the ceiling to vent his thoughts.
//What am I going to do?// The lights blared into his eyes forcing him to squint, //It's obvious that he doesn't see me as anything more than a human being, but how can I even hope to change that when I can't even touch him?// He sighed again, but slapped his cheeks with both hands and looked straight ahead with a flash of determination shooting across his eyes, //I can't give up! Remember as long as you keep thinking positive, good things will happen. I can't give up now!//
The door swung open, startling Evan and bringing him from his thoughts, and into reality. His dark brown eyes that had gotten wider with surprise went back to their normal shape after seeing who it was that had entered the room. He smiled brightly at the man in the door way.
"Hey Shawn."
Shawn smiled at the younger man before kicking off the wall and sauntering towards Evan. The door shut behind him. "Hey Evan. What's up?" He took a seat beside the young man and gazed at him. "You look down."
"I'm okay." Evan looked away and focused on the tiles below his feet, "Just thinking you know."
"About Chris?" Evan's heart skipped two beats and his shock-filled face gave the answer Shawn needed. Shawn's smile curled a bit at the ends, "You're wondering how I know?"
Evan looked pleadingly at the older man – begging him telepathically not to gossip on the topic. Shawn simply nodded and looked ahead in thought.
"A while back, probably before you even thought of wrestling, Chris and I were an item."
"An item?" Evan thought a bit, but gave up when he came up empty. "What does that mean?"
Shawn glanced at him, chuckled softly, and then resumed looking ahead. "You're real funny you know that." He sighed a bit, "Chris and I used to be in a relationship." His kind tea greens slid over to Evan in an Orton-like fashion, "A sexual relationship."
Evan's breath hitched. //W-What? C-Chris and Shawn?!// "W-What happened?"
Shawn gave another dark chuckle, "I don't really know. I think the best term would be that we 'fell out of love'. I can't blame Chris though. The guy was young and fresh, and hungry. Probably more than Hunter. Being with me got a bit too frustrating for the guy, so we parted ways." He looked at Evan, "Not on good terms though."
Dark brown orbs dropped solemnly to stare at the floor. "That's really sad. I didn't know Chris had a boyfriend – I mean if you leave out the guys he slept with because they wanted their careers to take off, and the few who really loved him – but I can't believe he was with you." //How the hell do I compete with the likes of Shawn Micheals?//
Shawn planted a firm grip onto the back of Evan's neck and forcibly dragged the younger man's head onto his shoulder. Evan looked up at him – a bit uneasily. Shawn shot him a dangerously playful smile.
"Well all that's ancient history. As you witnessed a few days back, we no longer hold any of those feelings for each other. Only animosity." He laughed dryly at Evan's bewildered expression, "Lighten up kid! I'm not going to eat you. By the way, who are you riding with?"
Evan creased his brows a little, "Um... I think Randy's giving me a drive today. Or Ted."
"How about I give you a lift? I'm willing to wait till you get ready."
A wide smile grew on Evan's face as his eyes lit up instantly. //S-Shawn Micheals is offering me a ride?// "I would love to, but..." His expression saddened as his tone died down. "Cody and Randy made me promise not to go with anyone else but them and Ted, and Cena." The hurt puppy look sat on Evan's face, "I'm really, really sorry! If it wasn't for that, I would definitely go with you!"
Shawn's smile cruelly morphed into a sly grin. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind. It sounds to me like everyone, except Chris, is okay." His index finger stroked the back of Evan's neck soothingly.
Evan chewed his lower lip in thought. "Um...I don't know..."
Shawn leaned in closer towards the younger man – his penetrating stare darting right into Evan's large eyes. Evan blushed hard. "I'll take full responsibility for any consequence. If Randy really doesn't like me driving you anywhere, then you just inform him that I'm all ears for his complaints." His smile returned almost instantly, "Okay, Evan?" The name rolled off his tongue laden with lust.
Evan's eyes flickered a bit at the overwhelming appeal the man had bearing down on him. //W-Why is it...so hot...in here?// His breathing got heavier by the second as he gazed drunkenly into the older man's eyes. //I-It's like that time...with Chris...// Shawn raked the man's flushed face over with his eerily calm eyes. His hand had not loosened its' hold on Evan, and he simply drew the man closer towards his face. Noting his compliance to the sudden movement, Evan tried to draw back. Shawn Micheals was getting too close. //M-My body won't....// By the time he registered what was going on, Micheals face was now a mere millimeters away from his.
"U-Um...S-Shawn..."
Shawn placed a crooked finger over Evan's lips – silencing the man mid-sentence. He wiped the tip of his finger over both of Evan's lips, working from the bottom up. His hand withdrew momentarily, only to come back under Bourne's chin and steady the man's head.
"I can see why he likes you." His voice was downed to a mere whisper. "It's not easy to find a virgin as beautiful as you. And it's even harder to find one who's been saving themselves solely for you." He smirked deviously, "I'm guessing he's gotten a kiss from these warm lips. But being the coward he is, he stopped when the heat rose."
//W-What is he...talking...// Evan swallowed thickly. His body refused to move. His eyes couldn't break the stare that Micheals held them in. Somehow his strength was draining away quickly. He trembled a bit as fear slowly ate at him.
Shawn ran his mouth over the outline of Evan's ear, smiling cruelly when the man flinched a bit to the feel. "You know," His husky voice etched into Evan's listening ear, "I happen to love guys like you. Everything about you screams 'I want to be taken'."
Evan's voice stretched a bit, but nothing came out of his open mouth. Shawn looked on at Evan's face, slowly shook his head and grinned at the younger man's failed efforts at resistance. In the sickest way known, it pleased him to see Evan struggling.
"But you want Chris to be the one to take you don't you?"
//C-Chris?// Unsure of why the name was said but liked that it was said anyways, Evan nodded his head.
"I knew it." His facial features darkened as though a shadow had been cast over them, "But, I don't want Chris to take you. I want to take you. So, Evan, give up on Chris. For me." Shawn moved his face closer to Evan's.
Evan stared at the man. //Chris? Oh yeah. I have to figure out how to make him like me.// His eyes widened as the request Shawn had made trickled in to his cerebrum. Shawn's incoming face took a while to register, but once it did, Evan – thankful to whatever forces compelled him – broke away and stood quickly to his feet. Shawn looked up at the man – surprised at his sudden action - but hid it well behind a placid mask.
"What's wrong Evan?" The question had an underlined teasing tone attached to it.
Evan glared down at the older man, but soon his expression softened, "I-I'm sorry. I think I'll just -"
"Evan!" A roar entered the room, followed by the loud bang of the door as it swung open.
Shawn threw his eyes to the origin of the sudden interference, and Evan looked up in shock.
"R-Randy?"
Randy stormed into the room, his piercing blue eyes locked on Shawn. "What the hell is going on here?" His calm tone of voice betrayed his fuming anger. He stood in front of Evan, blocking the younger man from the on looking deadly tea greens. "Your answer better be good Micheals."
Shawn chuckled a bit, "It's just as it seems Randy. I'm trying to make a move on Evan. There's no law against that."
Randy all but glared harshly at the man, "Evan belongs to Chris. Keep those filthy paws, and ideas away from him."
Shawn let out a cruel laugh, "Evan belongs to Chris? You're obviously blind. The guy wants nothing to do with him. Nothing. He's too afraid to make a move. So I'm just here doing what he will never, ever do." He smiled playfully, "And that is love Evan."
Evan cringed a bit at Shawn's statement, but opted to stay silent. Randy gritted his teeth as he forced himself to stay calm. "You're a married man Shawn."
The usual kind twinkle in his tea green eyes died with his happy tone. "That only goes as far as my employment with the WWE. As long as I work here, I have no wife."
Randy opened his mouth to retaliate, but Evan pushed him aside and stared at Shawn with shock written all over his face.
"You have a wife?!"
"Part time." His playful smile and calm demeanor returned like clockwork. "I love you Evan, so please be with me."
Evan caught his breath at the ease at which Shawn countered. "I-I can't believe you." His eyes shook a bit as he processed the situation. "Y-You want me to -"
"Be with me." His tone grew more serious. "Nothing is stopping you Evan."
"Stop messing with the kid Micheals." Randy eased back to his original position, and took a quick second to look at Evan – annoyed to find the smaller man lost in thought. He lifted his chin upwards and slid his cold eyes down towards Shawn. A small smirk graced his hard expression, "This bull shit you're pulling out of your ass probably would have worked on any other young guy. But as I said before, Evan belongs to Chris."
Shawn laughed shortly, "And as I said, you're obviously -"
"You're blind Shawn." Randy's sharp tongue quickly cut into the older man's sentence. "You were blind then, and you're sure as hell blind now. Back then you couldn't even see the hold you had on Chris, and you sure aren't seeing the hold Chris has on Evan." He flexed his neck a bit, "I want to make one thing perfectly clear Shawn. If you come near Evan again, unlike so many others, I will not stop with only breaking your back. I'll rip off your skin and make you watch me wear it."
"That's way too animalistic Orton. And for a kid who doesn't even belong to you."
"Animalistic? No. I told you. I'll make you watch me wear your own skin. That's called premeditation." His grin widened. "And while this kid doesn't belong to me, he belongs to a guy I owe my life to. And if he didn't, it's just because scum like you paw after him why I'll gladly take up the role to protect his hide."
A brief, silent stare down ensued between both men – one challenging the other to just make any sudden move. Knowing that Orton was famous for intimidation and carrying out threats to the letter, Shawn decided to bow out after sensing that his back was against a wall now. He quickly stood up and walked out of the locker room without saying a single word. Randy watched him leave with the same intensity in his eyes that a hawk would have when watching its' prey. Once Micheals left Orton's radar, he focused his attention to the man behind him.
"Evan -" He stopped short and stared at the smaller man. "A-Are you okay?" He knelt down and tried to get a look at Evan's face – that was being shielded by the younger man's hands. "Hey. Did he do anything to you?" Concern laced into Orton's tone, "Look at me Evan! Did that bastard -"
"Is that true?" His voice was merely a whimper. "Is what you said, true?"
//What I said?// Obviously taken aback, Orton stayed silent for a moment. "What are you talking about Evan?"
A small sob escaped Bourne, alerting Randy to the reason why the smaller man was stooping, with his knees stitched together and his face buried into his palms and arms. "Evan b-belongs to Chris? Was that true?" He stifled another sob, "S-Shawn told me t-that he could see why Chris liked me. And then you said that I belonged to him. I-Is that really true Randy?"
Randy sighed with relief and smiled gently even though Evan couldn't see. "Yeah. That's the truth Evan. And don't you ever forget it."
*-*-*
Anger spewed from each and every pore of his being. The locker room was empty – no surprise there – but this time, everyone left because the humongous dark aura that surrounded Chris Jericho had suddenly doubled in size and was almost visible to the naked eyed. The man sat on the bench, still clad in his ring gear, and glared at the floor ahead.
//That son of a bitch!// For the past few hours, Chris had not been able to close his eyes for a second without the thought of a smug Shawn Micheals invading his mind. //And now he has his eyes locked on Evan! That sick bastard! As if I'd let him touch the kid!// He stopped glaring after his last thought and simply gaped slightly at the shock of it all. //W-Well, it's not as if I own Evan right? So technically...// A cruel flashback from his blotchy past entered his mind and left just as quickly. His anger returned instantly. //Technically my ass! If it were some other guy who had the hots for the kid, I'd be happy to bow out, but Micheals?! Over my dead, rotten, corpse! If he lays one finger on Evan I will personally package his hide to Hell! //
"Jericho."
At the sound of his name, Chris immediately looked up at the door. "Oh. It's you Mysterio. What do you want?"
Rey walked into the room and sat down beside Chris. He looked up at the man with observant eyes. "You know, I've always wondered what a tortured soul looks like, and now I know."
//Huh?// Chris felt his skin crawl. "You have a sick mind you know that."
"It was a joke Jericho." Rey smiled softly, "But it is the truth."
//That makes no damn sense!// Chris leaned back onto the lockers lining the wall behind him. The sudden cold feeling jolted him a bit, "So, what do you want? Shouldn't you be with Batista right now?"
"Well, I should be, but I'm not ready to go yet." He dropped his eyes slightly downwards, "I saw Shawn yesterday at the gym. Mark told me they're fighting at WrestleMainia, so he'll be around for a bit. I was a bit disgusted with the idea of having Micheals back here, but at least he's over on RAW right?"
Jericho's long forgotten anger came back with full speed, "No it's not alright that that creep is on RAW! Do you have any idea who exactly is on that show?!"
Rey looked at him curiously.
"It's a young, small guy who, when compared to you, may as well be a little boy!" Chris' eyes lit up with rage, "And that guy is the most oblivious, and dense person on planet Earth! He doesn't understand anything! And knowing Micheals, he'll soon realize that and use it to his advantage!"
"Who are we talking about?"
"Evan Bourne you fucking idiot!" Jericho had to draw in long deep breaths to calm him self down. "Even though Orton's over there, the guy can't be in ten places at once. He's got to keep his eyes on Cody, and on his career. Evan basically has no one to watch his back every second. Micheals...he'll swoop in and take that kid. With force if he has to!" His blue eyes dropped to the ground. "I can't let history repeat itself. Micheals has too many people under his belt. Me included. I won't let a nice guy like Evan fall for that false facade Micheals has going on."
"This is a first."
Chris slid his eyes towards Rey. "What is?"
"You are actually calling someone by their first name. And you're not even sleeping with Bourne."Rey gave Jericho a sweet smile, "It sounds to me that you like this Bourne guy very much."
"I don't like him that way."
"You suck at lying Jericho." Rey scoffed, "I can say from experience that you really are into this kid. But knowing you, you're just going to act as if his feelings aren't there even while you're off protecting him. If that's the case, he's better off with Micheals."
Jericho glared down at the smaller man, "What the hell?! You don' t even know -"
"I'm also under his belt Jericho."
Chris swallowed hard. "O-Oh. S-So how exactly are you with Batista?"
"It's easy Jericho. I let it go. Sure Shawn trampled me into a sticky mud hole, but Dave took his time and worked around my defenses, found the weak spot, and broke down all the barriers I had set up against him." He smiled at Chris. "Do you know what that weak spot was?"
"Good sex?" Chris chuckled. "No I don't know."
"I had set the barrier up against guys like him. All he had to do was change just one aspect of himself, catch me by surprise, and that was it."
Chris stared at the smaller man. His eyes curtained by heavy lids as he mulled over what was being said. Rey stared at him in reverend silence, before patting the man gently on his knee and getting up to leave.
"W-Wait a second Mysterio."
Rey stopped, and half-turned to face Jericho.
"What exactly did Batista change?"
Rey stared silently at the older man before finally answering, "He stopped smiling."
The smaller man left the locker room shortly afterward. Chris stared at the floor ahead locked deep in thought. //Is it really that easy? All I have to do is wait for Evan to find my weak spot and we'll all be happy together?// He bent his knuckles under his chin and frowned a bit at the tiles. //Will my past simply vanish after that?//
It was a long shot for Chris Jericho. After going through countless years by simply being the one on the receiving end, he thought a bit about what it would be like to be the one who was giving. If he intended to wait on Evan to change, the chances of Shawn moving in would be closer to extremely high, but if he stepped up to the plate and moved in on Evan, then the threat of Shawn would be nullified. A slight tinge of hate rang through Jericho's being as he realized the obvious truth – no matter which way he took, it would all conclude with him loving Evan out of pity, or worse, as a means to get back at Shawn. With that in mind, Chris stood up and headed for the shower. His track record of five seconds was tied once again.
*-*-*
Me: "THAT IS IT!!!!!" *grabs rope and chokes Jericho* "YOU ARE DEAD! DEAD! WHY DID YOU ALLOW SHAWN MICHEALS TO GET WITHIN BREATHING RANGE OF EVAN?!"
Randy: *sipping coffee now* "Well at least I got in there right?"
Me: "Yes. Yes that's right."
Randy: "I think Jericho's dying."
Me: *glaring at him* "That's the intention."
