Title: Turn of the Tide (5/??)

Author: slashburd
Pairing: HHH/HBK

Rating: M?
Disclaimer: I do not know of any of this to be true, I don't know or own these people (but I'd secretly love to!).

Summary: M/M Slash, bad language, angst

Having taken the advice of the departmental staff Hunter had gone to grab a coffee in the cafeteria and "calm down a little." He snorted at the very thought of someone, anyone telling him to do that when he was watching his lover fight injuries that still might end his life, let alone his career.

The coffee wasn't bad, hot and strong with enough sugar to keep his senses locked on high alert, particularly as he wasn't convinced that Paul had hauled ass from the hospital yet. Shaking his head in disbelief he still couldn't comprehend how Paul had got the nerve to show up. Did the man have no shame, no remorse for what he'd done? Hadn't he seen Shawn laid there covered in wires, drips, bruises?

Hunter had been delaying the moment but he reached around and pulled the envelope out and slapped it down on the table. He wondered what could be inside that was so special, so mindblowing that Paul just had to make a scene about it. With a sigh he picked the envelope up and peeled it open carefully, tipping the contents out onto the table top in front of him.

First was a slip of white card that just bore the word "Sorry" and a telephone number scrawled underneath it. This must be what Paul had meant earlier on. Pushing this to one side he picked up a smaller paper wallet and opened it. Inside were a set of black and white photos. As he could only see the hair atop one of the faces he removed them and began to idly flick through them. He had to know what was so special about them.

The first few were just of a pair of random guys sat at a table in front of a restaurant, food in front of them and it looked as if they were just talking, long trailing hair obscuring one face and the other wasn't clear enough as the man was looking down at his plate and then across towards the restaurant window. Hunter tossed them onto the table and pushed them to one side.

Looking at another picture he could see that one of the men had turned his head in the direction of the camera but was staring off into the distance. He knew that face and he knew it well. It was Jericho.

Hunter had to admit that he was intrigued, still wondering how these snaps had anything to do with him or Shawn. He looked down at the next one in the pile. The men in the photo were standing from the table, a waitress obscuring part of the men's bodies as they appeared to be paying the bill. It was definitely Chris but he still couldn't get a read on the other man. As confused as when he first opened the envelope he moved that one to the back of the pile.

It was then when he looked down and saw the men in an embrace that it hit him. Without speaking, moving or even breathing the feeling of panic set in and rushed up his back setting his skin alight. His hands trembled slightly, eyes wildly scanning the picture for more details, something to prove him wrong, anything that would make it that the picture wasn't true. But nothing came. The other man was Shawn.

*

A glance through the remaining photos showed them getting in the same car, arriving at what he assumed to be Chris' house and Shawn's arm around him as they went up the drive and into the front door. The last one of the set was perhaps the most poignant. Although Shawn had his arm across Chris' shoulders he could see that Chris' arm was wrapped around Shawn's waist, lazily draping his hand onto Shawn's hip.

Hunter flipped back through to the photo of the men holding each other. Chris' head was snuggled into the nape of Shawn's neck, a place in which Hunter thought only he found comfort and love. He couldn't put the picture down, it was as if a glue kept it stuck to his fingers, and as he tried to pull his gaze away to the window, the server on the till or even the floor tiles it kept coming back again and again to the picture in his hand.

Suppressing the urge to rip the table from its moorings and flip it over he leant his elbows on it and wrapped his fingers around the back of his head, closing his forearms against his ears to block out the clang and chatter of people and machinery. He couldn't take this, it had to be some kind of mistake. Shawn would never have done anything like this, he didn't even like Chris as a person, let alone a friend or a lover.

The shock of seeing Shawn in close physical contact with another man was almost more than Hunter could take under the circumstances and the stress that he had been exposed to in the recent hours. The fact that it was Chris Jericho his lover was with made it all the more galling.

It finally sunk into place why Paul had done what he did. His relationship with Chris was known to be on the rocks and if he thought Shawn was some sort of catalyst in that then he was going to be pissed. The hurt look on his face during all the promos, the sly punches and clips he'd given them and the move that had left them at hospital that night finally made a little more sense.

Surely Paul didn't think that Shawn was making a move on Chris? He'd got to know that they were hardly on speaking terms and hadn't been since a run-in a few years ago when Chris refused to put one of the young guys over. Jericho had spent his entire career watching his own back, making sure his position was safe whereas in later years Shawn believed in doing whatever it took to carry the business forward.

They were both ambitious and determined men and their similarity turned out to be what had kept them from being lovers or best friends at any point in their careers. Thinking carefully about what he was assuming Hunter realised that given the evidence in front of him he wasn't so sure that he could have absolute confidence in that statement any more.

Starting to feel claustrophobic Hunter knew he had to get out of the canteen, preferably out of the hospital but he couldn't leave Shawn. He just couldn't. No matter what had happened, no matter what these photos suggested or proved he couldn't leave him here alone. A rush of love came over him and it made him wince, a sharp shiver radiating from his very core.

He couldn't help but wonder whether it was love or fear, hearing Paul's words ringing in his ears: "It might just save you a whole lot of heartache and wasted hours of waiting...I've done it myself and I can't ever get that time back. Be smart, get out while you can."

Gathering all the photos and Paul's number back into the envelope he slid the chair away from the table noisily, drawing attention from all occupied corners of the room. He didn't care what anyone thought and shot the nearest person a stony glare. He ran towards the double exit doors, slamming one of them open with his arm and almost knocking out an orderly who was idly chatting to a friend on the other side of the doors.

His mind buzzed, no idea what to do. He stood in front of the elevator that would take him back up to where Shawn was and as he reached out for the call button his hand stopped with an inch to go. He had no idea whether or not he could look at Shawn right now, he had so many questions to ask, so much turmoil that he just didn't know what to do for the best.

Pulling his hand back he didn't call the elevator. Running a hand back over his hair and resting it on the back of his neck he walked slowly towards the entrance to the hospital smelling the wet night air drifting through the automatic doors. Before he knew it he was outside, standing under the canopy that shielded him from the most of the drizzling rain. A light breeze blew some of the moisture towards him and it felt cool and good on his skin. He walked out into the seating area a few metres ahead and felt the fabric of his t-shirt absorbing the rain as he sat on one of the empty benches.

Reaching into his pocket he grabbed his cellphone and opened the address book. He looked at the long list of entries and tried to find someone to ring, someone to talk to. His first instinct was to ring Vince but he decided it was a bad idea. There was no way that Vince would keep his mouth shut or his fists down when he had heard how Paul had crashed the hospital. Frankly Hunter just didn't need this fucked up situation to get any more complicated that it already was.

Cancelling back to the list of numbers his fingers hovered over the number he decided to ring. Taking a deep breath he pressed the call button and waited for the ringing to start. After several rings a groggy voice answered.

"Hey Hunter, are you ok? How's Shawn doing?"

Unable to force the words out Hunter froze, mouth open but making no sound at all.

"Hunter, are you still there? Is everything ok?"

The panic in the voice on the other end of the phone was growing and it was what finally prompted Hunter to speak.

"Shawn's ok, well, he's...I... I need you, I, er, please...can you, hell, you know I hate asking for anything but, I could really use a friend right now...."

The words just spilled out of his mouth and the tears now running fast down his cheeks tasted salty and bitter on his lips. He waited anxiously for the reply, gulping hard to stifle the heartbreak at the back of his throat.

"You sit tight Hunter. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Closing the phone and slotting it into his back pocket he looked up at the hospital and all it made him feel was confused. Hurt and confused.

A/N: All reads and reviews appreciated and thanks for sticking with me on this :)