As the two men walked down the hall laughing, eyes sparkling the way they did when they were both younger, a bounce in their steps that had been missing since days long past, the people they left behind could not help but look at them. Some of the observers were those younger men standing in awe at the sight they never thought that they would see again, The Rockers, the two men that made them what they were, once again together if only for one night. Some of the observers watched with jaded hearts remembering old times when the sight was not a pleasant thing. They remembered the chaos and trouble that the two men could cause. Yet another small group watched with bitterness as a hand sneaked over catching one of the other mans pulling him over for a quick kiss before they ran up the stairs. They took it as a sign of an opportunity lost. Slowly they all turned and walked off, all except for one man.

Sad eyes watched with longing and insecurity as the men appeared together on the screen. He watched the way the men moved together as if the years of separation had not passed. He wasn't here when they were together before. His daddy had been on his way out by the time they debuted. Hell he'd only been 8 at the time. Seeing them now though, it took his breath away. These weren't just men who worked together or traveled together; they were partners in every sense of the word until the business got in the way and split them apart.

Now thought they had found their way back to each other. They looked at each other like a couple who had been together forever. They had that aura around them that told a man he just couldn't compete with that. Sad blue eyes dropped down looking at the ground as the match ended and turned to leave only to find someone blocking his path.

Sighing he lifted his eyes to see Hunter's jaded hazel eyes staring at him. "You know you can't compete with that. I tried to tell you. Not only will you never be a legend, not only will you never beat Taker, but you'll never really have him. Shawn is so far above you kid that you can't even see the bottom of his boots. You're nothin. You're weak. You're pathetic. I can't wait 'til the day you crawl back to me. I'm gonna enjoy watching you squirm."

"Paul what bullshit are you talking out your ass now?" Marty asked coming up to stand next to Randy as Shawn easily moved forward slipping his hand into Randy's standing on the other side. Paul's eyes narrowed as he looked at the older man. "You better watch your step." Marty laughed bouncing around hyperly. "Whatcha gonna do Paul?" Marty asked lagging as he bounced in a circle around the much bigger man. "Fire me?" Randy couldn't stop his lips from twitching as Paul's eyes narrowed angrily and his jaw clenched. Paul raised his fist, as Marty bounced in front of him laughing, intending to hit the older man only to find himself being thrown forward.

"Oops, my bad," Dave drawled softly as Paul tumbled to the ground. Looking up, Paul moved his eyes from Dave to Marty and back astonished when Dave's big arms slipped comfortable around Marty's shoulders as the smaller man bounced in front of him. They looked like it was a position they were quite familiar with and Randy couldn't help but gawk himself. When Shawn chuckled in his ear, his hot breath tickling sensitive skin, Randy shivered and turned his eyes down to look at his lover's smiling face. "I told ya that you didn't have anythin' to worry about baby." Shawn drawled laughing.

Randy turned his attention back to Dave and Marty and when Dave winked at him Randy found himself blushing. Slowly Paul picked himself up off the floor glaring daggers at the group before turning his attention back to his initial victim. "Go ahead kid, buy into their crap. That ain't gonna change the fact that I'm right. It ain't gonna change the fact that you'll never mean more to him than Marty. I know this game. I watched it from the start. You ain't got a chance and when you realize it…" Paul paused rubbing himself crudely. "When you realize it you know what you gotta do."

As Paul backed away laughing Randy's eyes dropped once again looking at his hand still clasped with Shawn's and couldn't help but wonder if Paul was right. "Hey," Shawn said softly putting a finger under Randy's chin and lifting it. "Have some faith huh?" Randy tried to believe Shawn. He tried to believe that it was him Shawn loved and wanted to be with forever, but as he turned his eyes and saw Marty watching him… he couldn't help but wonder if it was really true.

"Paul's a bastard," Marty said softly resting the back of his head on Dave's shoulder. "He always has been and he always will be. I won't tell you that I don't love Shawn cause I do. I always will, but we can't be together kid. We aren't good for each other like that. I got Dave now, and Shawn has you. And hopefully with the help of you and Dave, Shawn and I can finally be happy."

Still unsure Randy lifted his eyes upward to look at Dave who was the one person that he knew he could trust and believe in. They had history, they had a friendship that went beyond all this, and he knew that Dave would always have his back just like Dave knew Randy would always have his. "Have I ever let you down baby?" Dave asked softly and slowly Randy shook his head no. "I don't blame you for believing Paul. You and I both know that the reason he's so good at manipulating people is because there is always some truth in every lie he tells. You and I have been friends long before all this. You and I were more than friends long before this. Hell baby, you and I have the same connection Shawn and Marty do and yet they trust that we're only friends now right? How is it any different for them?" Randy cocked his head to one side as he chewed on his lip. He'd never thought to compare his complex feelings for Dave to Shawn and Marty before, but the comparison made sense. Randy loved Dave more than life itself. He'd bleed, he'd suffer, he'd die for the man… he just couldn't be with him anymore. Their goals were too much the same, their egos were too much the same, and their ambitions were too much the same to cohabitate in a committed relationship. "'Sides if blondie there hurts you I'll just beat the fuck outta him."

Randy finally smiled big bouncing as Marty giggled and Shawn tried to look offended. "I'll… I'll…" Dave raised an eyebrow looking at Shawn. "You'll what?" Shawn puffed out his chest. "I'll bite your kneecap!" Randy couldn't help but giggle as he pulled Shawn into his arms sighing s he felt his doubts slip away when the older man's arms easily fell around his waist and his head rested on his shoulder. "I love you Randy. I need you. If I lost you…" Shawn shuttered and Randy nodded. He knew exactly how Shawn felt. He just hoped that he could keep the doubts at bay if only for a little while.

~~* La Fine*~~