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[tameodesza]

Dead Ends (BretShawn) ch.1

masterlist | AO3 link | ch.2>>

Summary: After stumbling upon a cabin in the woods, Bret's quest for food turns into him meeting a fiery blond instead

a/n: starting off spooky season with a zombie au (tho I have a folder full of unfinished drafts 🥴)...sounds about right

Date: May 6, 1996 Time: 9:07pm Location: Outskirts of Calgary

Bret’s boots crunched softly against the soggy leaves on the forest floor as he navigated his way through a thickly wooded path with only one goal in mind. He needed to find his way back home.

It had been over a week since his bunker was raided, forcing him away from the only family he had in the post-apocalyptic world – his younger brother Owen.

Bret still couldn’t wrap his mind around how he’d gone from surviving comfortably in his brother’s bunker to fending for his life every day against zombies, or Walkers as they were commonly referenced on news outlets at the start of the outbreak.

It was still a mystery as to what spawned the virus. Was it a mad scientist? Did it come from a diseased animal? Was it created by the government for population control?

Bret and Owen had spent many months brainstorming various conspiracy theories, but the answer remained unknown.

Now that the bunker was no longer a viable home and his brother was nowhere to be found, Bret was on a mission to head back to his childhood home.

Although he’d been shown nothing but death and carnage for the past week since he began his lone journey, Bret still held onto hope that his parents were safe and alive. They had to be. That thought alone was the only motivation keeping him sane at the moment.

Bret headed down another winding trail, shoving stubborn branches out of his way before his feet came to a stop at what lay before him. There in a short distance stood a small wooden cabin, most of its windows boarded up with no light peeking through from the inside.

The logical side of Bret told him to keep moving, to walk past the cabin unknowing of the possible dangers that lie inside. However, the rumbling of Bret’s stomach was a reminder that desperation could lead a man to do irrational things.

He approached the cabin slowly, convincing himself that he was just going to check it out, that maybe he’d get lucky and find some food or weapons that the previous owners left behind. He further surveyed the area and noted that the cabin seemed to be vacant, luck seeming to be on his side.

“Please don’t be wrong,” he uttered to himself.

Bret made his way towards the back door of the cabin, double-checking his surroundings before twisting the doorknob. He let out a sigh of relief realizing that the door was unlocked.

“Ok, in and out, Bret. In and out,” he reminded himself as he opened the door to see what appeared to be the laundry room.

Bret slowly closed the door behind him before treading lightly out of the laundry room to the living room. With the majority of the windows being boarded up, Bret moved through the small cabin with much difficulty.

Through the dim light, Bret was able to make out the shape of a couch that sat across from a broken television. But there was still no evidence of the cabin being occupied, so Bret continued moving forward to finally find what he’d been looking for. The kitchen.

As he scanned the room, his eyes landed on a few chocolate bars sitting on top of a microwave. He also spotted some canned vegetables stacked in the corner of the countertop.

Without thinking twice, Bret made a beeline for the chocolate bars and stuffed them into the pockets of his jeans to save for later. Then, he grabbed a can of green beans, quickly becoming frustrated as it was hard to lift the metal tab with his short nails.

Just then, his fingers stilled when he felt the pressure of something poking at his lower back. He heard a rough voice with a slight southern accent say menacingly, “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t bust a cap in your ass.”

Bret’s whole body froze at the unexpected presence as he stammered, “H-Hey, I don’t want any problems-”

“Shut the fuck up and put down my shit.”

Bret slowly lowered the can back onto the counter before raising his hands in surrender.

He attempted to turn around, but stopped at the stranger hissing, “Don’t you fucking move! I’ll pull this trigger and leave you for the Walkers. Don’t fuck with me.”

Bret gulped, wishing he’d listened to the part of him that said to avoid the cabin.

The man behind him proceeded to say, “Now, tell me why you’re in my cabin stealing the food that I worked hard to get.” 

Bret’s heart rate quickened, hands shaking in the air as his nerves set in. “I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t know anyone was in here.”

The stranger tsked, “You damn sure didn’t try to find out. What all did you take?”

“I didn’t take anything-”

“Don’t you fucking lie to me! Where’s the chocolate?”

Bret sighed in defeat saying, “My front pocket.”

“Just like I thought. Take it out and set it on the counter. Slowly. No funny business.”

Bret did as he was told, setting the chocolate bars on the counter before raising his hands back up in the air. “There.”

“What else?”

“That’s all, I promise.”

“Fuck you and your promises. You come into my cabin, steal my shit, and expect for me to believe anything coming out of your mouth? I should kill your ass right now just for that.”

“You’re right,” Bret quickly added, not wanting to further piss the man off. “Whether I knew someone was in here or not, I tried taking your food and I was wrong for that.”

Bret’s goosebumps rose as the man’s humored breath brushed against his cheek. “Well, at least you know. Now,” the man led as he leaned closer to Bret’s ear. “I’m feeling a little generous tonight, but only because I really don’t feel like dealing with another dead body. So guess what? I’m going to let you go, and I don’t want you coming back. Got it?”

Bret rapidly nodded, “Yes.”

“Now, run along before I change my mind.”

Bret slowly lowered his arms as he said, “Ok. Ok, I’m going.”

The smart thing for Bret to do would have been to leave the house with his tail tucked between his legs, thankful to still be alive. But as previously mentioned, desperate men tended to do irrational things.

As soon as Bret felt the pressure of the gun lift from his back, he swiftly turned around to send a flying elbow to the man’s nose, the gun being knocked loose in the process as it fell from the man’s hand and flew far out of reach across the tiled kitchen floor.

“Fuck!” The man shouted as he clutched his nose.

Not wanting to waste any time, Bret grabbed two cans of food and a chocolate bar before trying to run past the stranger. However, he unexpectedly received a knee to the gut which caused him to drop the food onto the floor. He then felt a hard closed fist hit his cheek.

Bret hit the floor in a groan, slightly out of it. Running on pure adrenaline, Bret scrambled to his feet to throw a punch of his own.

And that’s when he finally locked eyes with his attacker whose voice certainly didn’t match his appearance.

He was a beautiful man, which was hard to come by these days for obvious reasons. And even in his rugged state, the man made Bret do a double take as he quickly looked him over – pretty blue eyes, scruffy beard, and long blond hair. Unfortunately, Bret didn’t have much time to admire the man’s beauty due to the kick to the balls he received.

Bret let out a cry of pain as he folded over and grabbed his crotch in agony.

With Bret now immobile, the man turned around to make a lunge for the gun. But with what little strength Bret had, he grabbed the blond man’s ankle causing him to trip and fall face first onto the floor.

Bret kept a hold on his ankle to prevent the man from crawling towards the gun. Then the man turned onto his back and kicked Bret in the face, prompting Bret to drop the man’s ankle as he clutched at his head in pain.

Now that he was free, the blond got up on his feet in a haste. But at that moment, both he and Bret came to a stop at the sound of a gurgled snarl coming from outside the cabin. They slowly turned their heads toward the kitchen window hoping they’d heard wrong.

Then there it was again. Another loud snarl – this one a bit closer.

“Shit, it’s Walkers,” the blond said as he ran towards his gun, picking it up and tucking it into his holster before running out the kitchen.

Bret stood up painfully, still nursing his aching crotch as he followed the man into the living room. He watched as the blond packed a medium-sized bag before saying, “They must have heard the commotion.”

That was apparently the wrong thing to say as the man turned towards Bret with an accusatory finger, whisper-shouting, “A commotion that you caused!”

“Me? You were the one threatening to shoot!”

“That’s beside the point! I’ve been staying here for weeks with no issues. Then here comes your klepto ass trying to steal my shit!”

“You-”

Another snarl pulled them from their heated discussion.

The blond walked up to a boarded-up window and peeked through a small gap to see three Walkers approaching the front steps of the cabin. But that was the least of his concerns as his eyes locked on the cluster of Walkers approaching the cabin from a far distance.

Bret was startled as the blond suddenly moved from the window, shoving him out the way as he ran back to his bag to fit anything he could in the limited time he had. Bret looked on clueless as to what was going on.

“What did you see,” he asked urgently. But the blond ignored him which led to Bret asking, “What are you doing?”

“I’m getting the fuck out of here,” the blond relayed as he slung his bag on his back. He headed towards the back door, saying over his shoulder, “I don’t care what you do.”

Unfortunately, the blond threw open the back door to reveal two Walkers lurking around. He quickly slammed the door shut and locked it before heading back to the living room. “We’re surrounded,” he threw out as he walked past Bret.

Bret caught him by the arm saying, “Wait. What’s the plan? We need to find a way out of here.”

The blond snatched his arm away saying, “We aren’t doing shit. I work solo and I’m finding a way out of here.”

The two men jump at the sound of a loud bang coming from the front door followed by pounding at the back door of the cabin.

The blond grunted, gripping his hair in frustration saying, “Fuck, come on. I don’t have time to deal with this shit.”

The men ran to the bedroom and made their way towards the window. They tried to lift it, but the window wouldn’t budge.

“Shit, this thing probably hasn’t been opened in ages,” the blond squeezed out in a grunt. “We’ll just have to break it.”

Before Bret could warn against the noise possibly alerting more Walkers, the blond picked up a small wooden chair and smashed the window open, the glass shattering into multiple pieces.

The blond rushed to get out the window, gaining a few small cuts on his hands in the process. As soon as he landed, he ran, not waiting for Bret to catch up.

Hearing the front door burst open, Bret rushed out the window as well, collecting a few scrapes on his hands along the way. He dropped from the window in a thud, quickly hopping up to make a run for it.

But out the corner of his eye, he saw the same blond man with his back against a tree as he struggled to fight off a Walker that seemed to catch him by surprise.

After the altercation they’d just had, Bret had every right to leave the man to fend for himself, but he wasn’t that kind of guy.

Bret pulled out a knife from his pocket and ran in the blond’s direction. As soon as he was within reach, Bret raised the knife above the Walker’s head, driving it straight down into its skull causing the Walker to immediately cease its movement.

Bret pulled out his knife and shoved the Walker aside before looking at the blond in concern asking, “Are you ok?”

“Not until I get the hell out of here. Now move!” The man shoved Bret out of the way to take off running through the forest. Bret had no choice but to follow him as there were Walkers approaching in every other direction.

The men ran for miles nonstop, careful not to trip as the trees blurred past them on their escape into the night. They continued running until the blond slowed to a stop, resting a hand on a nearby tree as he panted heavily trying to catch his breath.

Bret stopped not too far behind, bending over as he placed his hands on his knees desperately gasping for air.

Seeing that Bret was still with him, the blond complained, “You’re still following me? I told you I work solo.”

Bret stood tall, stretching his back as he responded, “I wasn’t following you. I was running to safety just as you were.”

“Well, we’re safe now. So you can leave.”

Bret raised a brow at the man. “How about you show a little more gratitude after I just saved your ass?”

The man marched towards Bret as he said, “You saved my ass? Please. Things were just fine before you showed up roaming through my shit. Now I’m out of a cabin. Fuck your gratitude.”

Bret rubbed tensely at the back of his neck as he watched the blond man stump off to sit at the base of a tree.

As harsh as the words were, Bret could understand the man’s anger. If he hadn’t been snooping in the cabin, none of this would have happened. And to be honest, he did feel guilty about it. But how was he to know any of that was going to happen?

Bret apprehensively approached the man, making sure to keep a safe distance as he didn’t want to get kicked in the nuts again. “Look. You’re right. You are in this situation because of me. I’m sorry.”

“Keep your sorries to yourself. It’s not going to change anything,” the man sneered as he stared blankly at the ground.

Bret decided to throw caution to the wind and sit on the ground next to the man, his invasion of privacy not going unnoticed as the blond looked at him like he grew two heads.

“Just listen to me,” Bret said with his hands stretched out defensively.

The man rolled his eyes, looking forward as he chided, “Oh, this should be good.”

“I…I want to make it up to you.”

The man scrunched his brows together as he turned to look at Bret. “All you’ve done is fuck shit up. What could you possibly do to make this up to me?”

“I think we should stick together.”

 The stranger let out a loud snort, genuinely humored at the ridiculous request. “You’re joking, right?”

“Just hear me out. I’ll watch your back. I’m from around here, so I know the layout of the land. And it seems like you’re pretty skilled yourself. I think we could both benefit from teaming up.”

It was apparent to Bret that the man before him was a little rough around the edges, but he also saw him as a potential asset. The man seemed to have more experience than him, and, selfishly, Bret could really use his help.

However, his hope dwindled when the man responded sharply, “I don’t need your help.”

So Bret tried a more logical approach.

“I’m sure you’d benefit from having an extra pair of hands around. You’d have another person to help scrounge for food, to watch out for Walkers, for added protection-”

“I don’t want your damn protection. I’ve made it this far by myself just fine, so why would I want you weighing me down? I don’t need you around me making irrational decisions.”

Bret answered smartly, “Says the guy pulling out a gun like it’s a free for all.”

“Oh, forgive me for being a little on edge when we live in a world full of fucking Walkers!”

Seeing that he was only making the blond more agitated, Bret considered it a lost cause. He stood up and dusted off his pants, the blond’s eyes following him intensely. “Ok,” Bret said dejectedly. “I’ll leave then. Just wanted to help.”

Bret backed away hesitantly, his eyes lingering for a moment on the blond beauty before turning away to head who-knows-where.

He’d only walked a few feet when he heard the blond call out behind him. “Wait,” the man said with a hint of annoyance.

Bret paused his step, turning around as the blond walked up with crossed arms saying, “Fine.”

Bret gave a look of surprise. “Fine?”

“Fine,” he reiterated with an affirmative nod. “But only because I need someone watching my back while I take a piss.”

“Oh,” Bret said, unsure whether to be offended or respect the man’s honesty.

The blond walked a few steps closer, just inches away as he stared Bret down with a straight face. He said lowly, almost ominously in warning, “But just know that the moment you fuck up, I’m out.”

Bret swallowed nervously before nodding and holding up a hand as best as he could in their confined space. “Ok, deal.”

The blond looked at Bret’s hand for a quick second before walking away saying, “Come on. I’d like to find shelter before daylight.”

Bret looked on dumbfounded as his hand hung in the air, not receiving the handshake he’d expected. Shaking off the cold shoulder, he moved quickly to catch up to the man.

They ventured through the thick forest in an awkward silence. Well, it was certainly awkward for Bret, the only sound to break the silence coming from their shoes against the ground.

In an effort to break the ice, Bret cleared his throat saying, “I’m Bret, by the way.”

However, he didn’t receive a response as the blond continued to look ahead focused on not tripping on fallen branches.

Bret looked at him warily, the man’s expression was unreadable. He asked, “Can I know your name?” He again went unanswered, prompting Bret to say in an irritated huff, "If we’re going to be teammates, it’ll do us some good to at least know each other’s name.”

A short quiet moment passed between the two before the blond said curtly, “Shawn.”

Bret had to hold back asking ‘was that so hard.’

“Shawn,” Bret repeated to ingrain the name into his head. “Nice to meet you.”

Bret nearly facepalmed once formal greeting left his lips out of habit, especially considering that the circumstances of their meeting was anything but nice.

Thankfully, Shawn didn’t seem to harp on it, the blond instead asking, “Where were you headed before you rudely broke into my cabin?”

“To be fair, the door was unlocked,” Bret said lightheartedly. But seeing that Shawn didn’t see the humor in it, he said earnestly, “I said I was sorry.”

“Don’t care.”

Bret sighed tiredly, carefully stepping over a large fallen branch before answering, “Home. That’s where I was headed. I wanted to see how my parents were holding up. Took a shortcut through the woods to get there and that’s when I found your cabin.”

Bret had to stop himself from walking ahead of Shawn when the smaller man came to a stop. He gave Bret a confused look, saying flatly, “You’re headed home. Why the hell would you do that?”

The question came out rudely, but Shawn was genuinely puzzled. Every neighborhood he’d come across was either a ghost town, filled with Walkers, or was a hotspot for unfriendly run-ins with other survivors. It was the last place he’d want to lay low.

Bret took some time to respond, a bit taken aback by Shawn’s question. His eyes drifted up to the starless sky, breathing deeply before answering, “The last time I saw my parents was Christmas day. I’d promised them I would visit them again soon, but I was so busy with life that I never made the time. I just kept putting it off. Then all this shit happened, and it was too late. So… I don’t know. I just need to see if they’re ok.”

Bret was well-aware of the possibility that his parents had met an unfortunate fate, but he couldn’t dwell on that. The guilt of not visiting his parents weighed too heavily on his guilty conscience, and in his mind, this was the only way to fix it.

Bret was too buried in his thoughts to feel Shawn’s eyes watching him inquisitively, thoughts of his own swirling beyond those blue eyes.

Shawn was a brash man, molded to be so by the harsh experiences he’d faced since the outbreak began. But as cold as he could be, he had the decency not to express his true opinion – that it was more likely that Bret’s parents had turned into a five-course meal for Walkers by this point.

Instead, he looked back at the path ahead and walked forward to continue their route as he asked, “How long do you think it’ll take to get there?”

Bret snapped out of his stupor to catch up to Shawn as he answered, “If we don’t run into any trouble along the way, maybe a week.”

“A week,” the blond repeated to himself with a nod.

Bret almost ran into Shawn as the blond stopped suddenly, slinging his backpack forward to rummage inside of the bag. Bret stiffened at the sight, not knowing if the blond would brandish another weapon his way as he had back at the cabin. However, Shawn’s hand emerged from the bag holding a slightly melted chocolate bar.

“Here,” Shawn said gruffly as he forced the bar into Bret’s palm.

Bret, not expecting the kind gesture, said appreciatively, “Thank y-”

“Don’t get all sappy about it,” Shawn muttered as he zipped up the bag. “I at least want a partner who’s not malnourished.”

After securing the bag onto his back, Shawn set foot once more down the dark path. As Bret followed, he couldn’t help wondering what he’d gotten himself into.

[navybrat817]

Incandescent

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader, Steve Rogers x Female Reader, Bucky Barnes x Female Reader x Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers x Bucky Barnes Summary: Bucky and Steve try to put on a show for you. Word Count: Over 1.7k Warnings: Explicit sexual content, implied vaginal and anal sex, threesome, bondage, dirty talk, tension, polyamory, possessive behavior, porn with feels (it’s me, c’mon), tattooed Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers (they’re warnings, okay?) A/N: Welcome back to my Howling Commandos Tattoo AU! Have you missed them? I know I have! I was nervous posting this as this my first dive into dynamics with Steve and Bucky, but I love it. If that isn't your jam, feel free to skip! ❤️ Beta read by the wonderful @whisperlullaby ​but any and all mistakes are my own. Banner created by yours truly, but Bucky and Steve photos were provided by the talented @nixakimbo ! Divider by the amazing @firefly-graphics. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

Bucky and Steve were your world. You weren’t afraid to voice that. In fact, you were proud to be on their arms when you were out together. You had their hearts and vice versa. You were their best girl. Their Blossom. Nothing would ever change that.

But once you got your hands on them, you were going to strangle them. Not enough to inflict real damage. You would never. You loved them. But they were going to feel some sort of wrath.

Fucking tattooed bastards.

You struggled against the binds, your wrists bound tight enough to keep you from escaping, but not enough to hurt you. Like you wouldn't hurt your boys, they would never harm you either. Your core throbbed enough to ache when they knelt on each side of you and faced each other on the bed.

Why did I let them talk me into tying me up? Damn them and their persuasiveness.

As Bucky moved his hand upwards to cup Steve's cheek, they smiled. From their profiles, you caught a hint of playfulness and something deeper before their lips met. A bond between two men who had been through hell and back together. Somehow you became their heaven on earth, allowing them to be with you and each other. And wasn't that the beauty in your relationship? Boundlessly loving and trusting each other?

No. I will not get mushy. Not when I'm frustrated.

Bucky’s tongue darted out to lick along Steve’s bottom lip as he pulled away. “I think Blossom wants a taste,” he said, turning his head to wink at you. Had you voiced your frustrations out loud or did he know you well enough that being a mere spectator wouldn't be enough today?

Both.

“And she’ll get one when we’re ready,” Steve stated, a sympathetic smile on his face as he gazed down at you. You wondered if he was secretly a sadist since he seemed to take pleasure in your current “pain”. “We made you too greedy, didn’t we, sweetheart?”

You squinted, trying your best to glare when they chuckled at your predicament. “You know why I’m greedy? Because you two can’t keep your hands off me OR your tongues, fingers, and cocks out of me. Excuse me for getting a bit used to it when you're to blame.”

Steve chuckled at that, not disagreeing with you.

He better not. I'm right.

A coo left Bucky’s mouth as he leaned down, his lips moving along your cheek before they stopped at your ear. “Who said we’re not giving you our tongues, fingers, AND cocks? Stevie and I just wanna have a little fun first while you watch. Is that so bad? Hmm?”

You whined in response, your hips rising and pussy begging for attention. Mandy joked that your libido was in permanent overdrive thanks to your boys and she wasn’t wrong. Your body craved and welcomed them. They fit like a glove, missing pieces that made you whole.

It was also a sight watching them. The view alone would've been enough to disintegrate your panties had they not destroyed them already. But tying you up so you couldn’t touch? Not even a small feel of Bucky’s bicep or Steve’s chest? It was cruel and unusual punishment and there would be retribution. Those bastards would rue the day.

No clue how, but they will.

“Do you need to touch us that badly? Are you that desperate for us?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow when Bucky leaned back up.

“Yes! Have you seen you two?” You asked as they shifted their gazes to look each other over. They shed their clothes before they bound you to the headboard, giving you a chance to admire them. Hard muscles, sculpted tattoo gods, one blonde and one brunette. “You were created for at least one person in the world to worship you and drive people insane.”

“Aww, I think she wants to worship us,” Bucky smiled, gliding a hand down Steve’s chest. You watched the blonde swiftly inhale, knowing how much he loved the slow drag down his body. “What do you think?”

“Buck,” Steve groaned when Bucky firmly wrapped a hand around his cock.

“Maybe you can fuck my throat first?” The brunette suggested, lazily pumping him as you bit your lip. “Or at least let me get my mouth around it. Get your cock sloppy and wet before you fuck our girl.”

“Please,” you moaned, unable to spread your legs any further since they were still planted on either side. “I need it.”

If begging is what it takes, I'll do it.

“Or you can suck my cock before I fuck her? I know you love watching me slide in and out of her sweet pussy. She always takes me so well,” Bucky went on, Steve’s eyes slipping shut as he began to leave open mouth kisses on his neck. You understood why Steve shivered. Bucky had a very talented mouth. “Too bad she can’t touch herself while she watches like last time.”

Yeah. Too fucking bad.

“Touch her, Buck,” Steve ordered, making you and Bucky gasp when he gripped his hair and pulled him back with a smirk. “Slip those fingers in her cunt and show me how soaked she is from the sight of us.”

You were fairly certain that Bucky and Steve were the only men in the world who could speak about you like you weren’t there and get you hot and bothered. They didn’t have to touch you to prove how wet you were, but you weren’t going to stop Bucky from curling his digits inside you. Especially when Steve gave the order in that deep, husky tone.

“Please, Bucky?” You asked sweetly, raising your hips again. “I know I've been a little mouthy and impatient, but please? Show Stevie how wet my pretty pussy is?”

You shrieked when Bucky’s hand suddenly came down on your throbbing cunt, the smack loud in your ears. “Not your pussy, doll. It’s ours. Now be good and open up,” he said, his voice rough as he bent down and spread your lips apart with one hand, the other still pumping Steve’s hard cock. “Our pussy really is pretty. What a fucking sight.”

“You gonna apologize for calling our pussy yours?” Steve questioned, arching into Bucky’s touch the moment he slipped two fingers inside your wet hole. It hardly stung, the relief as he thrust his fingers making you whimper. “I think you owe us one.”

“Okay. I'm sorry, you fucking tattooed bastards,” you said, smiling dreamily at Steve when he narrowed his eyes. He said to apologize, but didn’t say anything about getting mouthy. Again.

“And this is why we tied you up,” he said, wiping the smile off your face. “You beautiful brat.”

Not fair.

“Oh. Now you’re being mean, Steve,” Bucky said, smirking when he brushed a thumb over your swollen clit. “But I’m not mean, doll. Gimme a few minutes and I’ll get my mouth on your perfect tits. Love hearing you whimper when I drag your nipples between my teeth.”

You shuddered with your next breath, your breasts lightly shaking with your exhale. Both sets of eyes on you darkened at the movement, your cheeks hot as you squirmed. Maybe being tied up wasn’t such a bad thing after all. It didn’t give you a chance to hide from their hungry gazes. It left you open, vulnerable, ready for whatever they gave you.

And you’d take it all because you were strong and eager enough, just like they took everything you gave them. It made sense why you were their Blossom. You bloomed into the person you were now and they helped you continue to grow. In some ways, you did the same for them.

“And who said I’m not getting a taste of anything?” Steve said, batting Bucky’s hand away from his cock. “Take your fingers out.”

Bucky swiftly removed them, making you whine at the loss. A punched sound came from your gut a heartbeat later when Steve gripped Bucky’s wrist and sucked his fingers into his mouth with a grunt, not stopping until they were clean. “I may not need to get your dick wet if she's that soaked. You might be able to slide on in while I fuck you.”

Fuck, please.

It was Bucky’s turn to tremble when Steve nipped at his earlobe. “I think you’d like that. Me at your back. Her at your front. Both of us loving you the way you deserve,” he said, before he turned a fond gaze your way. One that made your throat go dry. “Loving each other the way we all deserve. I know our best girl would agree.”

“Of course, I do,” you whispered. That wasn't lust speaking, but the pure adoration you had for them.

“I love you both so much,” Bucky said without fear or hesitation, his blue eyes sparkling with joy.

You stopped shifting against the mattress, tears threatening to clog your throat. How could they simultaneously turn you on and resort you to happy crying? They made your heart and holes full.

“Love you both, too,” you said, your chest rising and falling with your next breath. “And I’ll be good and watch until you’re ready for me.”

Bucky swooped down to catch your parted lips with his. Heat surged through your body as his tongue fervently tasted your mouth. As quickly as it began, it stopped so Steve’s mouth could replace his. It was just as demanding and hungry as Bucky’s before they turned their attention back to each other, leaving you a panting mess as you watched captivated as they licked and sucked, their kiss rough and desperate.

You knew exactly how they felt.

Steve’s hand closed around Bucky’s cock, swallowing down his groan of pleasure as you could only look on. You found yourself smiling again as they got lost in each other, each of them making sure to keep a hand on you. They were beautiful. They were yours. And they were your home.

Still might strangle them a bit once I’m free. Nah. I’ll just sit on their faces. Much better way to suffocate them.

Until they took care of you, you’d enjoy the show.

Blossom already has a revenge plan brewing. Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Stucky Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[cpunkbubby]

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Header: neoj00kyo / Icon: deathmental / Song in Bio: Early Sunsets Over Monroville by My Chemical Romance / Divider: firefly-graphics

[mimwritegyuu]

☾☆☽══════ Introduction to the Crimson Playhouse. (Rules, Fandoms and Other)

When the night sky looks bright, it's because a beautiful story awaits you.

Good night and welcome to the Crimson Playhouse.

I will be your guide: Mimgyuu, "the Midnight Venus". She/they l 19 yo l I'm from Mexico, so English or Spanish is fine for me. MINORS OR AGELESS BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT, PLEASE. English is not my first language so if I make spelling mistakes, let me know so I can correct and improve my writing. I do mlm, wlw, and I will do pronouns as the request preferred, but I'm willing to rewrite and publish another post in other characteristics if asked.

Mostly I will use they/them pronouns, afab body, tall! reader, and poc.

Fluff and smut (mostly smut)

☾☆☽══════ ALL DIVIDERS FROM firefly-graphics AND anlian-aishang ══════☾☆☽ Please check out their work and support them.

∘₊✧── FANDOMS. (The ones in red are the ones I'm not so familiar with, but i can do some characters)

Shingeki No Kyoin l Boku No Hero Academia l Haikyuu!! l Chainsaw Man l Genshin Impact l Obey Me l Sally Face l One Piece l Tokyo Revengers l Hunter x Hunter l Demon Slayer l Naruto l Death Note l Jojos Bizarre Adventure l Five Nights At Freddys l And more...

∘₊✧── I WILL WRITE...

Anything I'm comfortable with, mostly all scenarios that are not on "I won't"; still if I'm not down to some request or I'm uncomfortable with some interaction I will be public about the inconvenience to maintain a communicative environment with my readers. Be polite and remember I am a person as well.

∘₊✧── I WON'T...

Write sc*t or vomit, watersports is fine to me. I do not write ag*play and each character sixteen or seventeen years of age and older (like Izuku Midoriya for example) WILL BE aged up at least to twenty years old. So I won't use images for them on my dividers. I do not write characters younger than the ages mentioned above (such as Gon or Killua, for example). Bestiality, c*nnib*lism, obscure subjects such as n*cr*philia is also a big no. Any other fetish can be suggested.

I do not share certain ideals that I will touch on in my writings as an activity outside of what is sexually consensual and previously established with the partner. Romanticizing aggressive behavior, abuse, and harmful activities is not a game. Hoping to reach only an adult audience, I hope the warnings I have already stated here will be shared and promoted by my followers or/and casual readers. Even so, at the end of each writing, if I consider it necessary, I will put some warning to keep moving the importance of combating toxic or risky traits.

"Have you heard that ominous rumor? When a witch or a wizard falls in love, they usually write about those who captivated they hearts, as this way them and their protectors do not forget the name of that person.

When the nights were still illuminated by the faint light of candles, only the moon and the stars accompanied the amorous encounters and the chats that lasted until one o'clock in the morning on the interior of the houses.

It was then when lying on the roofs, waiting for the love of their lives to pass by, were the witches and wizards: normal people, who at night turned into large black birds that stealthily prowled around the young man they fell in love with, doing all kinds of evil deeds, because this was their way of showing their love. They also wrote songs, poems and verses to dedicate to those they loved in order to fulfill their fantasies as they enjoyed sharing amorous and sensual desires shamelessly with others.

So dear witch, dear wizard, what shall we read? Tonight's story is yours to choose."

╔.★ ════

Masterlist.

═════★.╝

-Mimgyuu.

[lovinglylibelle]

—𝓲𝓷𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

~ created this blog on 03.04.2024 ☆

~ before following, please read my before you interact instruction✩

~ this blog is a sideblog for writing about anime and such ✩

~ i don't have a specific post schedule, requests are OPEN ✩

~ when requesting something, follow the rules of request ✩

~ i will write headcanons, drabbles, series and others ✩

~ Things to know about my writing ✩

* I only write female readers

* I only write x reader fics

* I write with she/her pronouns and words.

* i dont specify the body that the reader has

* I don't mention the race of the reader, or the skin color.

* I write male character x female reader until requested otherwise.

~ I am open to suggestions ✩

~ I appreciate constructive criticism ✩

~ I interact with my readers all the time ✩

~ I am constantly improving and working on myself so please do not judge me or make a permanent opinion about my writing, whether it be postive or negative ✩

~ Things I don't write ✩

* Incest and Stepcest

* x male readers. He/him pronouns, amab body

* character x character

* a/b/o verse

* character/celebrity as an animal

* specific race, body shape, body type, skin color (i don't wanna to offend anyone)

~ i respect my readers and hope the same from them ✩

~ this is a healthy and happy space so please bullshit somewhere else ✩

• ENJOY READING •

{cr- dividers by me, @saradika-graphics @cafekitsune @firefly-graphics @/random posts ; pics used- pinterest}

[no-not-without-you-blog]

Whumptember

Okay, so I have decided to participate in Whumptember. I have so many other stories to post on here and didn’t want my first writings to be these little drabbles, but I wanted to participate, so here we go. 

Divider Graphic by @firefly-graphics​, Whumptember Prompt by @comfortcap​

September 1st: Nervous to meet them.

“I don’t know if I can do this.” You felt as if your heart was going to beat out of your chest and you were sure you were going to be sick. Steve stood beside you, holding your hand. “It’s going to be fine, sweetheart. I promise.” He laid a gentle kiss on your temple.

“It’s been five years, Steve. Five… I’m sure he doesn’t even remember me.”

“That’s not true. We talked about you all the time… He never forgot, I wouldn’t let him.”  He squeezes your fingers and gently pulls you into the apartment. He set his gear down in the foyer closet and walked in a bit farther.

“Jamie? Where are you pal? I have a surprise for you.”  You heard his voice before he made his way down the hallway.

“Dad! Your home! Can we do a movie night tonight? I wanna watch the next Star Wars with you. Maybe we could get some Chinese too?” The young boy that stood in front of you brought tears to your eyes. Here, before you, was a tall, lanky, sandy haired miniature copy of Steve. The only difference between the two was their size and the color of his eyes, which mimicked your vibrantly green eyes. He was just over ten years old and came up to your shoulders. He had paused when he saw that his dad wasn’t alone.

“Jamie…” You said, although your voice was little more than a whisper. Swallowing hard as your nerves skyrocketed and you weren’t sure what to say.

“M-Mom?” He asked in disbelief, tears now forming in his eyes. He looked up to Steve for affirmation and Steve nodded his head yes.  He stood there for a long moment, trying to process what was happening. Then, all of the sudden, he ran and fell into your arms. “Mom!” He let out with a cry as he held you tight and cried.

You were sobbing at this point and looked up at Steve who was also crying. He wrapped his large arms around you both and held you tight as he saw his family finally being reunited after so long.

Life hadn’t been easy the last five years. He went on a mission that ended up being so much larger than anyone could have imagined, leaving his wife and young son safe at home. They had failed that mission and he had raced home to see if his family was still there, only to find that his wife had been dusted. Luckily, his wife had been with Pepper during all of this and when she was dusted, Jamie wasn’t home alone.

Steve’s heart was shattered at the loss of his wife, but he was so grateful that he hadn’t lost Jamie as well. He wasn’t sure what he would have done or who he would have become if he had lost both of them. He did everything he knew of to bring her back, and then when those options exhausted themselves, he poured himself into being the best father he could. He had made sure that Jamie never forgot his mom, they would constantly talk about her and share memories of her. He never gave out hope that one day, they would be reunited again. When this mission came, he didn’t want to get his hopes up too much, but the only thing he could think about during that final battle was getting back to see if you were finally back home with him.

Seeing you again was like a wave of emotion washed over him. After the battle, he ran to where you and Pepper had been five years ago and found you there, confused and scared.  You had just been there with Pepper and your son and all of the sudden they weren’t there and the whole house seemed different. You were freaking out and tried calling Steve but his number went straight to voicemail. You tried calling other friends but they either didn’t answer or their number was somehow out of service now. What was happening? You were about to start venturing away from the house, when Steve arrived on his bike and jumped off of it, not caring that it crashed onto the driveway. He was yelling your name as he ripped open the front door. You stood there in the kitchen, scared and unsure of what was happening and you saw him look at you as tears streamed down his face. He ran to you and scooped you up, holding you as tight as possible.

“St-Steve. Too tight. What’s going on? Where is everyone? I was here with Pepper and Jamie and now… now they’re not here. Where did your beard go? What’s happening???” Steve pulled away slightly to allow you to breathe better, but he instantly pulled you in for a searing kiss. You momentarily got lost in the kiss before your brain caught up with you again.

“Steve. What’s happening?”

“Sweetheart, I-I don’t know how to explain this. The mission… the mission I was on didn’t go well. We lost. You and half of the world were just… gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” You asked him, confused as to what he was saying.

“Thanos. He wiped out half of the universe. We had tried to stop him, but he was too strong at that point. We tried…”

“Steve… You said I was lost, but I’m right here. I don’t understand.” You were so confused. None of this made any sense.

He looked at you with apprehension in his eyes, hesitating as he tried to find the next way to tell you all of this. “You-You’ve been gone for a while, love. We tried to bring you all back but we didn’t know how. It-it took a while to find a way.”

You thought for a moment before you asked the question you were terrified to know the answer to. “How long?”

Steve bit his cheek, trying to reign in his emotions. He needed to be strong for you in this moment as he knew it would be hard. “Five years, sweetie. It’s been five years.”

You tried to swallow the lump in your throat but it wouldn’t go down. Your breath picked up and you felt yourself panicking. You felt like you were going to vomit and you quickly ran into the bathroom to empty your stomach. Steve was right behind you, holding your hair and rubbing your back. After you had thrown up all you could, you turned your body and sat with your back on the cool surface of the tub. Steve sat down beside you, holding you gently and kissing your head. Tears were streaming down your face constantly now.

“Five years? I’ve been gone for five years? W-Was Jamie gone too?”

Steve shook his head no. Which caused you to feel both relief for him not having lost both of you but also the realization that you  had lost five years with not just Steve but with your son as well.

“F-Five years? That would make him…”

Steve nodded his head yes. “He just turned ten last month. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I’m so so sorry.” Steve was now crying hard, holding me tight as we both mourned the loss of the time we should have had together. After a while, you both just sat silently together, having cried out all the tears you had.

“What’s he like?” You hesitantly asked.

Steve smiled softly while he thought. “He’s so smart. He got that from you. He loves to build Legos and he draws, actually pretty well for his age. Oh and god, he’s funny. He cracks me up all the time, even when he doesn’t try to. He just has this way about him that makes everyone laugh.” You listened quietly with a sad smile on your face. You knew the question you wanted to ask but were too afraid to ask it. Steve could tell what you were thinking though and he saved you the heartache of having to ask it.

“Yes, sweetheart. He remembers you. Even if he didn’t have the serum to help with his memory, we made sure to keep you alive at home. We told stories, and watched old videos, and had pictures of all of us up all over the house. You may not have physically been there for it all, but I promise, you were there.”

You nodded while tears once again fell down your face. A slight sense of relief that you hadn’t been erased completely. He stood up and reached his hand out to you, gently pulling you up off the floor.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you home. You’ve been gone for far too long.”

[neylia18]

Tower of God Main Dr

I will be talking about my Main Tower of God DR. This is the place I have yet to shift to and will shift to first.

Name: Gabby

Position: Wave Controller

Regular/Irregular: Irregular

I’m 5’5 (Endorsi height cause I would be shorter than S1 Bam if I went in with my regular height)

Species: Dragon

Dragons are rare within the Tower and often are always irregulars. Dragons have 3 forms which are known to be human, half-dragon, and full-dragon. Dragons have enormous amounts of shinsu and have multiple techniques that can pose a threat to Jahad. Not much information is known about these techniques but one dragon said that they develop on instinct and can range from dragon to dragon.

Context:

I basically lost all my memories about myself before I entered the tower just knowing what I am rather than who I am.

I just chose the name Gabby (Nickname of my CR) and went in as my human form

[Below is more or less what I look like as a human and what my Shinsu looks like]

[None of the art is mine]

It’s more easier for me to not have memories before entering the Tower just cause I personally feel it would be too much. I will shift to Evankhells floor in my dorm room.

Essentially I’ll be in my human form all throughout Season 1

I’ll have to divide it to two parts

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

// Half Dragon Form (Humanoid) // Dragon Form

[tameodesza]

Love’s Maze (BretShawn)

<< Prev. | Next >>

AO3 link

Shawn puts down his guard and finally let's Bret in. Literally.

a/n: Not me posting this on a Sunday, lol, but spicy times await!

NSFW below 🗣️🗣️🗣️

They started out slow, just as Bret had promised. Their lips moved in sync in an unhurried kiss as their hands slowly traveled along each other’s body. Bret was first to break away from the kiss, placing his head on Shawn’s as he whispered, “Let’s take this to the bed, ok?”

Shawn nodded, holding Bret’s hand as the older man led them to the bed.

“Oh, wait,” Shawn said after Bret sat him on the end of the bed. “I still have my shoes on.”

“I got you.” Bret kneeled in front of Shawn to help the blond tug off his boots. Shawn could only blush at the sweet gesture.

After setting Shawn’s shoes aside, Bret walked up to Shawn saying, “Scoot up some,” as he guided Shawn towards the headboard. He then helped Shawn lean back until his head made contact with the soft pillow placed on the mattress.

After making sure that Shawn was comfortably settled in, Bret crawled on top of him, placing an elbow near the blond’s head to hold himself up as he placed his other hand lightly on Shawn’s cheek.

He guided Shawn’s lips to his, initiating another painfully slow kiss. Shawn brought his arms around Bret’s shoulders, letting out a content sigh through his nose at the euphoric feeling of Bret’s lips on his again.

It was when a tongue slipped into Shawn’s mouth that things began to heat up once more, the kiss turning increasingly passionate as Shawn allowed Bret’s tongue to toy with his own.

Bret’s hand traveled from Shawn’s cheek down to his torso, stopping to rub at Shawn’s left nipple through his shirt. Their rhythmic kiss faltered as Shawn let out light moans, his nipples hardening just at the touch.

Bret broke away from the kiss, briefly pausing his hand as he asked, “You good?” He wanted to be certain Shawn wasn’t just going along with it. 

Shawn nodded, desperately bringing Bret back into the kiss, this time shoving his own tongue into Bret’s mouth. With that confirmation, Bret confidently trailed his hand down to Shawn’s waist. His hand stopped in hesitation before trailing further down to palm at Shawn’s crotch.

Shawn threw his head back onto the pillow as a moan escaped his lips. Satisfied with the blond’s reaction, Bret trailed his lips down to Shawn’s neck, kissing the sensitive area as he continued to touch Shawn through his jeans.

Shawn’s breathing quickened as he rolled up into Bret’s palm, so unbelievably turned on by Bret’s gentle touches. It’d been so long since someone touched him like this. Feeling cared for and having someone put Shawn’s sexual needs first before their own was…different. In a good way.

Towards the end of his past relationship, it became apparent that the only agenda in their sex life was to make Marty feel good. There were even times where Shawn wasn’t able to reach an orgasm, not that Marty cared.

But this? What Bret was doing? Shawn hadn’t realized how much he missed a gentle touch.

Bret pulled away from Shawn’s neck, intending on pulling Shawn’s pants down, but stopped when he looked up to see Shawn’s face. The blond’s eyes were closed, but he had a scrunched expression that looked as if he were about to cry. 

Bret whispered, “Shawn, are you ok? Do you need me to stop?”

Shawn slowly opened his eyes, which were indeed a little misty. “No, keep going. It feels…really good.” Yes, Shawn was a bit overwhelmed, but there was no way he wanted this to stop.

Bret brought his hand back up to Shawn’s cheek, stroking it softly before leaning down to peck his lips. “Ok. Just let me know if it’s too much.”

“I will,” Shawn whispered back.

At that, Bret leaned back on his knees to unbutton Shawn’s pants. After pulling down the zipper, he gripped the waistband as he slowly pulled down Shawn’s pants along with his underwear to reveal Shawn’s semi-hard cock.

Shawn let out a hitched breath as his dick was freed.

After setting Shawn’s bottoms aside, Bret returned to Shawn’s lips, kissing the blond ravenously whilst steadily stroking his cock. Shawn wrapped his arms back around Bret’s shoulders, spreading his legs wider as he moaned erratically into the kiss, struggling to keep up with Bret’s tongue.

It was evident to Shawn that Bret knew what he was doing. The way Bret gripped his cock with just the right amount of pressure, speeding up his strokes just to slow down at the right moment before speeding up again, never losing his rhythm while kissing Shawn was very impressive.

And Shawn knew he wouldn’t last much longer like this. 

Bret then moved down to kiss Shawn’s neck, Shawn’s moans no longer trapped as he began bucking his hips up to match Bret’s strokes. Sensing that Shawn was close, Bret slowed his strokes to a stop before placing a hand on Shawn’s waist to hold him in place. 

Shawn opened his bleary eyes after feeling Bret leave the bed only to see the man standing up with a large tent in his pants. Bret then pulled down his own pants and underwear, his shirt following suit. 

Shawn’s cheeks heated up as he watched Bret stand there in full naked glory, his girthy cock standing at full attention. It was without a doubt that Bret was a lot bigger than what Shawn was used to. That’s for sure.

Bret helped Shawn lift off his shirt, adding it to the pile of discarded clothing on the floor, before crawling back onto the bed. 

With them both now stark naked, Bret kissed Shawn as he placed a hand on the blond’s bare hip the before asking, “How are you feeling?” He felt things were going well, but still needed Shawn’s confirmation.

“I’m good,” Shawn whispered as his lips ghosted over Bret’s. “So good.” He pulled Bret’s head down to kiss him again, never tiring of the man’s lips on his own. He brought his arms back around those broad shoulders, fully appreciating Bret’s muscles now that his shirt was out of the way. 

As their passionate kiss continued, Shawn rolled his hip, their erections pressing against the other, causing both men to break the kiss in a moan. Bret rested his forehead against Shawn’s as the blond continued his motion, driving both of them to the edge with lust. 

Bret said through gritted teeth, “I don’t know how much longer I can hold back.”

It became apparent to Shawn that Bret was purposely holding off, the man going slower than he was probably used to. All for Shawn’s comfort. 

“Then don’t,” he whispered.

With Shawn’s permission, Bret fully gave into temptation. He held Shawn’s hips in place before getting out of bed to walk to his gym bag. He unzipped the side compartment, searching it for a moment before pulling out a small bottle of lube and a condom. 

The fact that Bret was stocked with lube and condoms would’ve normally raised questions for Shawn, but he was thankful that Bret came prepared. 

Bret briskly made his way to the bed, placing the condom on the nightstand before lathering up his fingers with lube. He kneeled beside Shawn on the bed, leaning over the blond to bring him back into a kiss.

As he inserted his tongue back into the blond’s mouth, he chose that moment to slowly insert a finger into Shawn’s entrance. 

Shawn clenched at the intrusion, taking in a breath as he allowed himself to relax around Bret’s finger. Bret continued to kiss and finger Shawn, deciding to insert another when he noticed Shawn’s moans starting to pick up.

Bret inserted a second finger, this time causing Shawn to gasp as his brows furrowed in slight discomfort. Bret moved his lips down to kiss at Shawn’s neck as he continued stretching the younger man. It was when Bret inserted the third finger that Shawn stilled, grunting as he gripped tightly at Bret’s shoulders. 

Bret paused, asking, “Are you ok?”

Shawn took a moment to respond, needing to just breathe. He nodded, “Yeah.”

“Do you want me to stop?”

Shawn shook his head no. He was so appreciative of Bret’s concern for him, but he made it this far and was not turning back. So he brought his hands to both sides of Bret’s face, guiding the man back to his lips. 

Bret took that as a sign to continue, stretching Shawn carefully as he kissed the man. Pretty soon, the kiss turned sloppy as Shawn’s mouth went slack as he felt his pleasure rising.

With Shawn now fitting perfectly around his fingers, Bret broke the kiss as he slowly pulled his fingers out, causing Shawn to quiver slightly in the process. Bret reached over Shawn to get the condom, ripping it open with shaky hands before rolling it onto his dick.

After lathering himself with a generous amount of lube, Bret looked up to see Shawn looking at his cock in a daze, pupils almost looking dilated. Shawn really wanted this. And Bret was more than willing to give it to him. 

Shawn widened his legs as far as they could go, his flexibility paying off, as Bret got in between them. He leaned over the blond as he used a hand to align his dick to Shawn’s ass. As the tip of his dick touched Shawn’s entrance, Bret moved his hand from his dick to Shawn’s hip, gripping it firmly before slowly pushing into the tight muscle. 

Shawn let out a sharp cry at the insertion, hands springing up to wrap around Bret’s back. Bret briefly stopped moving in concern for Shawn, but the blond shook his head in defiance, signaling that he wanted Bret to keep going.

So Bret continued to push until he was all the way in. Shawn groaned the entire way, legs shaking as he was stretched open more than he’d ever been. Once Bret was fully inside, both men let out breaths that they were both holding.

Shawn felt so full, like he could feel Bret in his stomach. Bret buried his head into Shawn’s neck, internally fighting the urge to slam into the younger man as he tightly clenched around his dick. 

Shawn rested a hand on the back of Bret’s head, rubbing it softly as he continued to breath. His breathing eventually slowed as his ass adjusted to Bret’s width. Shawn uttered softly, “You’re bigger than what I’m used to.”

Bret replied with a strained voice, “You’re tighter than what I’m used to.”

Shawn let out a humored breath. He turned his head slightly to peck Bret’s temple, thankful that he was being so patient with him. After a moment of allowing himself to get comfortable, Shawn whispered, “You can move.”

Bret lifted his head from Shawn’s shoulder, resting it onto Shawn’s forehead as he began to slowly thrust into the younger man. Shawn let out small whimpers, his ass stinging as bit as Bret’s dick continued to stretch him into shape. 

Sensing Shawn’s discomfort, Bret gave Shawn light kisses to distract him as he continued to move in and out of the man. It seemed to work as Shawn’s whimpers slowly turned into light moans, the blond finally relaxing as he loosened around Bret’s cock.

Bret steadily rocked into Shawn for some time, wanting to make sure the man was not in pain. Eventually, all signs of discomfort seemed to disappear once Bret hit that certain spot that caused Shawn to break out of the kiss, letting out a boisterous moan that seemed to surprise them both. 

Bret gave another thrust in the same spot, causing Shawn to moan loudly again as he slightly arched his back. That’s when Bret knew that he found Shawn’s prostrate. 

Bret placed his lips back onto Shawn’s, their kiss soon losing its rhythm as Bret sped up his thrusts, never leaving that spot that satisfied Shawn to no end. It didn’t take long before Shawn was a moaning mess, clenching tightly around Bret’s his dick as the feeling in his stomach became tighter. 

“Mmm, yeah. That feels so fucking good, Bret. Ah!”

Bret let out satisfied grunts, tightly gripping Shawn’s hips as he rocked fluidly into the man. The bed creaked loudly, almost drowning out the noise of their skin slapping with each thrust.

“Shit, Shawn,” Bret said, feeling his orgasm building up. 

“Go faster… mmm, yeah!”

Bret gave Shawn exactly what he wanted, balls slapping rapidly onto the younger’s ass as he pounded into Shawn with no mercy. It was a type of pleasure that Shawn had never experienced, the blond not even being able to think straight.

Greedy for more, Shawn pushed up on Bret’s chest, causing the man to stop his thrusts, nervous that he was hurting the younger man. Quite the contrary.

Before Bret knew it, Shawn used what little momentum he had to roll them over, hissing as his ass stretched a little wider now that he was sitting fully on Bret’s cock in a straddle.

“Slow down,” Bret cautioned upon seeing Shawn’s pained expression, but Shawn had no intention of slowing down.

After allowing a short moment for himself to adjust to the new position, Shawn slowly rolled his hips forward, moaning in complete bliss as Bret’s cock fully hit on his prostate.

Bret was also in his own ecstasy, groaning as his hands gripped Shawn’s waist, slightly lifting him to help guide him on his dick. “Mmm. Like that, Shawn. Fuck! Ride me just like that.” And Shawn did just that, confidence through the roof at Bret’s encouragement.

It was taking everything in Bret not to lose control. However, his resolve soon crumbled after hearing Shawn basically beg, “Oh, fuck me. Please! Bret, fuck me!”

“Come here,” Bret said as brought Shawn down to his chest, tucking the blond’s head into his neck before thrusting relentlessly up into Shawn.

Shawn wailed loudly in Bret’s ear as drool pooled outside of his mouth. “Yes! Yes! Oh, just like that. Ah, fuck!”

Shawn’s endless moans were a huge turn on for Bret. “You like that, huh? You like the way I fuck you?” Bret asked the question this time not to check if Shawn was ok, but because he had no doubt that the blond was enjoying it.

“Yes! Give it to me,” Shawn pleaded, orgasm on the horizon. Bret was getting close as well, but he wanted Shawn to finish first.

After one particularly hard thrust that hit Shawn’s g-spot perfectly, Shawn’s eyes nearly rolled into his head as he shouted, “Oh my god! Don’t stop. Don’t fucking stop!” Not long after, Shawn was letting out short, rapid moans as he came. 

Shawn’s orgasm alone was enough to bring Bret to the edge. He turned his face towards Shawn, kissing him sloppily as he jutted into the man greedily. His thrusts came to an abrupt halt as he gave one final slam into Shawn’s ass, grunting as come shot into his condom, sparing Shawn’s ass of the heavy load. 

Shawn shook violently in aftershocks, collapsing onto Bret’s chest after coming down from his orgasm, both men breathing heavily in exhaustion.

Bret let out a sigh as he rubbed his hands across Shawn’s back soothingly. He brought a kiss to Shawn’s temple, closing his eyes as he tried to calm his racing heart, which was nearly impossible to do with his dick still inside of Shawn.

“Shawn,” Bret whispered.

“Hmm,” Shawn said faintly.

“I need to pull out, ok?”

“Hmm,” Shawn said again, not really paying attention. He was still out of it, his head feeling fuzzy. That was until Bret slowly pulled out, causing Shawn to let out a mixture of a moan and hiss until the man was all the way out.

Bret rolled them over, laying Shawn on his back before tending to his cum-filled condom. He pulled it off, tying it lazily before tossing it somewhere across the room. He then tugged Shawn back into his arms, guiding the blond’s head to his chest as he placed an arm around his waist.

Both men laid there for a moment, completely spent. 

When Shawn felt Bret’s hand stroking the side of his face, he fluttered his eyes open and looked up to see Bret smiling down at him. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

Shawn smiled lazily at him as he answered, “Tired.”

“I figured. Did I hurt you,” Bret asked worriedly. 

Shawn placed a hand on Bret’s cheek, caressing it to ease his worries, “Besides stretching my ass to next Tuesday, no.”

That did manage to bring a smile to Bret, but there was still something he needed to be sure of. “Did you…did you enjoy it?”

“God, yes. If you couldn’t tell by my vocal performance, it was really good, Bret,” Shawn said bashfully, though they were way past the point of being shy. “Fuck, I don’t think I’ve experienced an orgasm that intense in a long time.”

“That’s good to know,” said Bret, pecking Shawn on the lips just because he could. “If you ever need to experience it again, I’m at your service,” he said, giving a sly grin. 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Shawn watched with a smile as Bret intertwined their hands together before kissing the back of Shawn’s. “Thank you for being so careful with me. I really needed this.”

“Of course.”

They laid in each other’s arms for some time, both relishing in the silence as they each replayed the moment they’d just shared. They both knew they needed to take a shower, but neither wanted to be the first to break away from the hold.

With Shawn so close to him, and after they’d just been so intimate, Bret felt he needed to tell Shawn exactly how he felt about him. There was no better time.

“Shawn?”

“Hmm?” His eyes were closed again as he laid comfortably on Bret’s chest.

“Look at me.” Shawn slowly opened his eyes at the request, his smile faltering when he noticed Bret’s serious expression.

“Is there something wrong?”

“No,” Bret said as he tread his fingers through Shawn’s hair. “I need to be honest with you because I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance again.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “Look, I really like you. I’m sure that’s not hard to guess after what we just did.”

Shawn cheeks reddened, nodding his head before Bret continued. “But I’m not just interested in your body, Shawn. You’re funny, smart, talented, and so damn beautiful. How could anyone not fall for you?”

Shawn’s heart melted at the kind words, especially coming from Bret. However, panic slowly began to rise as he realized where Bret was going with this. “Bret-”

“And I know that you just got out of a shitty situation, but I’ve got to be honest with you. I’d really like to give us a chance.”

The blond looked at Bret speechless, not knowing what to say.

He’d just recently come to terms with the fact that he had feelings for Bret. The man was so sweet to him, he listened to him, and cared about his feelings. Plus he was Shawn’s type looks-wise. And apparently was really good in bed.

A relationship with Bret Hart sounded so appealing, and there should really be no reason why Shawn should say no. 

However, Shawn was a complicated man, and he still had doubts.

It was hard to forget how much Marty shattered his heart into a million pieces, and as much as Shawn didn’t want to admit it, he still wasn’t over it. He wanted to be, but it was so hard, especially after spending such a long time with him.

Kissing Bret, having sex with Bret, cuddling with Bret – that all felt right, like it was meant to be. But jumping into another relationship so soon didn’t sound like a good idea. 

Shawn looked down at Bret’s chest, not having the courage to look the man in the eyes as he said, “Bret, I’m sorry. I really am, but I don’t know if I have it in me to start dating again right now. I really like you, too, but the truth is I still haven’t completely healed, yet. I don’t know if I’m ready for something serious right now.”

That certainly stung, Bret’s heart feeling like it had been stabbed by a hundred needles. He didn’t know what he expected Shawn to say, but it certainly wasn’t that.

Bret put a hand on Shawn’s cheek, lifting his face so that Shawn was looking up at him. As much as he understood where Shawn was coming from, he couldn’t hide the hurt in his voice as he said, “I get it.”

Shawn frowned, “Bret, I’m sorry-”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Shawn. I just needed to get it off my chest. That’s all.”

Shawn furrowed a brow asking, “Are you mad at me?”

Bret immediately softened at how vulnerable Shawn sounded. He was disappointed, yes, but he couldn’t be mad at Shawn.

He stroked a thumb across Shawn’s cheek as he said lightly, “No.”

“Why,” Shawn asked genuinely. If anything, it made less sense for Bret not to be angry.

Bret sighed, “I know how much Marty hurt you. It takes time to get over something like that. And I never want you to feel like you need to spare my feelings. I’ll always be here for you, Shawn. Whether it’s as a friend, an acquaintance, or something more. I want to be here for you. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Shawn teared up a bit as he said, “You’re so sweet, Bret. I don’t want you wasting your time on me.”

Bret wiped at the corner of Shawn’s eye at the tear that threatened to fall. “Trust me. You’re not a waste of time. Whether you know it or not, you’re special. And you deserve someone who’ll treat you right, even if it’s not me. Even if you don’t want to be with anyone and just want to focus on yourself, I’ll still be here to support you.”

Bret’s thumb caught another tear that escaped down Shawn’s cheek. Shawn smiled sadly, his voice trembling as he said, “Thanks, Bret.”

He placed his head back onto Bret’s chest as the older man tightened his arms around him, sighing heavily at the weight of the situation .

It was silent for a moment, Bret thinking Shawn was starting to drift off to sleep before he heard the blond whisper, “Try again in a couple months?”

That was all Bret needed to hear to remain hopeful. It wasn’t a hard ‘no.’ Just a ‘not right now.’ He could live with that.

Bret nodded saying, “I like that sound of that.”

Both men eventually got up to properly clean themselves and collect the scattered articles of clothing from the floor. Although the status of their friendship was still uncertain, they ended the night in each other’s arms, both thankful that they did not have to spend Valentine’s Day alone.

[tameodesza]

🍓Strawberry Prince

₊˚⊹♡ Prince!Shawn Michaels x Commoner!Bret Hart ♡⊹˚₊

masterlist | AO3 link

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Summary: Prince Shawn begins his courtship with Bret, but all it takes is one day for them to fall for each other.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ a/n: meant to get this out sooner, but I’ve been sick all week. but anything for the people 🫡

Bret stood outside of his humble home, feet shifting restlessly against the ground as he anxiously awaited the prince’s arrival. It felt like it was just yesterday that he received his letter of courtship, a messenger from the palace hand-delivering the official document folded neatly into a thick white enveloped, sealed in gold metallic wax imprinted with the McMahon family’s crest.

Bret had been giddy with glee, but a bit disappointed that the courting date on his letter was two months away. For two months, not a day went by that he didn’t think about the prince – their conversation at the palace, the kindness that was shown to him, how beautiful the prince was. He could only anticipate the day he’d be graced with Shawn’s presence again.

But as delighted as Bret was to see the prince once more, he also grew more concerned as the date approached, often questioning how he, a common man, could impress the young prince, a person who had everything he could ever want at his fingertips. 

It was without a doubt that Duke Mark and King Ric could spoil Shawn with all of their riches, both men coming from nobility and wealth. Unfortunately, Bret knew he wouldn’t be able to do the same. And seeing Shawn on his outing with King Ric certainly hadn’t helped to ease his worries.

After an encouraging pep talk from his family, Bret decided the best thing he could do was be authentic. Show the prince the real him and hope his personality alone would be enough to capture the prince’s heart.

Shawn looked out the window of his carriage in awe as he neared Bret’s home, feeling a sense of peace he’d never experienced in the confines of the royal palace. He admired the nature they were surrounded by, the beautiful landscape where animals roamed free, and the simple cottage homes they passed by as they ventured further down the dirt road.

As the carriage slowed to a stop, Shawn’s peace evolved into a nervous excitement once his eyes landed on Bret. He thought the man looked so handsome in his simple attire, the older man wearing a white linen shirt, loose brown pants, and thick work boots.

Shawn looked down at his own attire, feeling a bit overdressed in his white button-up long-sleeved shirt, gold cufflinks, tailored tan pants, and fancy loafers. Just before his guard could open the carriage’s door, Shawn quickly rid himself of his too-tight hair tie, freeing his golden locks before unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt in an effort to look more casual.

Bret’s heart dropped upon seeing Shawn descend the carriage’s steps, hair blowing gently in the wind, the light breeze carrying his sweet-smelling cologne towards Bret’s nose. The blond looked ethereal as the sunlight reflected off the diamonds in his necklace, his blue eyes having their own twinkle under the rays.

As Shawn neared Bret with a soft smile on his lips, Bret’s nerves seemed to melt away, the butterflies in his stomach reminding him that there was no other man he’d rather spend his time with.

“Prince,” Bret said in a breathless whisper, not even knowing how to start a conversation with the beautiful man.

Shawn said lightly, “Please, just call me Shawn. If you are to be my betrothed, you shall call me by name.”

Shawn’s guard on duty, Sebastian, tilted his head at the odd request, noting that the prince hadn’t given his other suitors the same privilege. Alarmed, Sebastian proclaimed, “My Lord, if I may, it is customary for commoners, such as Mr. Hart, to address royalty by the proper title-”

“And being that I am royalty, I can choose how others address me. Can I not?”

Under Shawn’s pointed glare, Sebastian immediately backed down, saying, “Yes, of course. My apologies, young prince.”

Bret could only look on in astonishment at Shawn’s power play, impressed that the blond could make such a high-ranking guard squirm from a mere look.

Shawn’s smile returned as said to Bret, “It’s nice to see you again, Bret. You look rather dashing.”

Bret thought otherwise, his attire being put together at the last minute as the rest of his clothes were still air-drying. But he kept that to himself, instead choosing to compliment the blond. “You as well,  Pr- I mean Shawn,” he corrected himself.

“You think so,” Shawn asked insecurely, hoping for the first time in his life that he didn’t look as dolled up as he had when he’d first arrived. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Bret answered before holding his arm out in invitation. “Shall we?”

Shawn stepped forward, wrapping his hand around Bret’s arm without a moment’s hesitation. “We shall. Lead the way.”

Bret led Shawn inside of his home, giving him a small tour of the two-story wooden structure. Though he thought it wasn’t much to brag about, he thought it was a good way to show Shawn where he came from.

He was surprised to find that as they walked through the modest home, Shawn seemed infatuated in the place. There were no rooms full of pointless furniture sitting as decoration or overpriced décor hanging about. It felt cozy, lived-in, and not soulless and cold like the palace.

As they reached the back door of the house, Shawn noticed a pile of shoes strewn haphazardly across the floor, prompting Bret to explain, “I have a lot of siblings, as well as a hoard of nieces and nephews. The house is usually filled with my family, but they’re all out in the market right now.”

Shawn said in concern, “I hope I am not impeding on your duty to work today.”

“It’s fine. I have plenty of family to cover for me. Besides, missing a day’s work is worth spending just a moment with you.”

Shawn couldn’t hide his blush, bashfully looking away from Bret’s tender eyes. While doing so, his eyes landed on a swing located in the backyard. He lit up, excitedly asking, “You have a swing? We were never allowed those at the palace.” Another consequence of never being allowed to be a kid under the monarchy’s watch.

Bret raised a brow as he observed Shawn’s longing look, asking, “Would you like to give it a go?”

Shawn nodded enthusiastically, as he said, “May I?”

Bret didn’t know if it was the fact that Shawn, a member of the monarchy, asked him for permission or the fact that Shawn looked absolutely adorable, but his heart melted at the question, answering, “Of course, you may.”

Shawn barely fit on the swing, it being meant for children the size of Bret’s nieces and nephews. But that didn’t stop the prince from squeezing onto the wooden plank. After Shawn was settled, Bret stood behind him and gave a gentle push.

Sebastian abruptly warned, “Remember that physical contact is limited only to the holding of the arms, Mr. Hart.”

Bret instantly pulled his hand away, not wanting to get in trouble with the guard. However, Shawn nipped that in the bud when he said flippantly, “Nothing harmful will come of a light push, Sebastian. It is fine.”

Sebastian stood there puzzled, conflicted between enforcing the orders given to him by the palace officials or following orders given to him by the prince. But with no officials in sight, he inevitably decided to give in to the prince’s demands as long as no harm came of it.

Seeing that Sebastian ceased his protest, Bret gave another push, his heart warming at the joyous laughter Shawn let out as he was pushed higher into the air. It was sweet to know that something as simple as a swing could bring the prince so much happiness.

Unbeknownst to them, a smile also made its way onto Sebastian’s face before he quickly straightened his expression.

Once Shawn was satisfied with the swing, they headed over to the stables located just a few feet from the Harts’ house. Shawn led the way almost too eagerly as Bret and Sebastian struggled to catch up to the young man.

Upon reaching the stable, Shawn was immediately enamored when his eyes landed on a beautiful brown horse that neighed at his arrival.

A smile graced Bret’s face as he entered the stable, approaching Shawn as he said, “So, I see you’ve met Lucy.”

“Lucy? That’s a pretty name. Hey, Lucy,” Shawn gently greeted as he held up his hand, allowing Lucy to get acquainted with him. Shawn’s smile widened as Lucy brushed her nose against his hand, prompting the blond to softly brush his hand alongside her neck. “How long have you had her?”

Bret was slow to answer, shocked with Lucy’s interaction with Shawn being that she was one of their grumpier horses. “For quite some time. She’s one of the horses we use to pull our crops to the market.”

“One of?”

“Yes, we have two in total, Lucy and Bo. But we swap them out. Don’t want to overwork them especially with how heavy our crops can get on those carts.”

Shawn nodded, chuckling lightly as Lucy leaned her weight closer against his hand. “That’s very thoughtful, Bret. Your family must take very good care of them.”

“Most certainly. Without them we wouldn’t have a business. So we try to treat them like gold as much as we can. Even though this one doesn’t like me very much,” Bret said as he attempted to pet the horse, but Lucy sneered in his direction. “I don’t know why she always does that.”

“That’s because you’re doing it wrong,” Shawn softly quipped. “Don’t be so heavy-handed. Here.” Shawn grabbed Bret’s hand, the touch making both of their hearts flutter, before lightly placing Bret’s hand onto Lucy, guiding it slowly across the horse’s neck.

“It can’t be,” Bret whispered in astonishment.

“See? You must be gentle.”

Bret was stunned into silence as Shawn lifted his hand from his, Lucy allowing him to pet her without putting up a fight. After receiving a satisfied whinny from the horse, Bret said to Shawn, “Wow, you’re good at this. Do you have experience with horses?”

It was a simple question, but one that unknowingly took Shawn back to a place he tried so hard to forget. Bret noticed Shawn’s sorrowful expression, fearing he’d somehow offended the prince. Just as he was about to apologize, Shawn said with a distant look in his eye, “I had a horse once. Biscuit.”

Bret was unsure on if he should pry into a topic that seemed to be quite sensitive for the blond. But he was curious, wanting to gain an understanding on what made the prince who he was. He asked gently, “What happened to Biscuit?”

Shawn sighed, looking at Lucy as he answered, “My father got rid of her. I…I don’t really want to get into the details.”

“Then we won’t,” Bret promised, concluding that whatever happened to Biscuit must’ve ended tragically. He instead asked, “What was she like?”

The question brought a sudden smile to Shawn’s face, the blond turning to Bret as he answered, “She was a feisty one, but sweet. And very intelligent. I’d won so many tournaments with her, and I even taught her a few tricks. She was the closest I had to owning a pet as they’re not allowed in the palace.”

Bret blinked in surprise. “No pets? Not even dogs?”

Bret’s surprise shifted to disappointment once the prince shook his head no. Much of Bret’s joy during childhood came from the various pets they had growing up in the Hart house. Out of curiosity, he asked, “Did you ever get another horse after Biscuit?”

“No, I quit riding after I hurt my back. No horse could replace her anyway, so there would be no point in getting another.”

Bret sympathized with Shawn, sad to know that the prince had such a strict upbringing. He knew royals were pressured to present themselves a certain way to the public, but he hadn’t realized how the expectation may have impacted Shawn’s childhood. It was no wonder to him now why Shawn seemed so excited at seeing the swing.

After a final goodbye to Lucy, they headed away from the stables, Shawn looping his arm around Bret’s as the man led them miles away to their crop fields, the land expanding miles into the horizon.

Along the way, their comfortable silence was filled with idle chatter as Bret commented, “I must say, I was quite shocked to learn that you wanted to travel all this way to Beauville for our courting.”

Shawn shrugged, tightening his hold onto Bret’s arm as he said, “Why not? It’s just as fine of a town as any other. If not, better.”

Bret beamed, “It pleases me that you think so highly of my small village. Many wouldn’t share your kind sentiment.”

“Well, I must admit that I am a bit biased. I’ve had some fun times in your village. Though my fun has often turned into troubles for the palace.”

Bret snickered as he nodded, “Yes, I remember the headlines. ‘Young Prince Bares His Crown Jewels at Local Beauville Pub.’”

Shawn gasped, playfully tapping Bret’s arm, Sebastian silently scrutinizing the touch behind them. Shawn said with a laugh, “Hey, that was one time!”

One time, but a wild time. The blond had convinced a newly hired guard, Kevin Nash, to take him to the village past curfew, bar hopping until the wee hours of early morning. Kevin was closer to Shawn’s age than the other guards and was easily persuaded to let the blond engage in debaucherous acts, Kevin sometimes joining in. For that reason, along with rumors of the two screwing around, Kevin did not last long on the job.

After their laughter died down, Shawn said, “Beauville has always treated me well. It’s a place that has brought me great joy. And potentially, has gifted me a great husband.” Bret couldn’t help his wide grin, trying to hide his blush, but failing as Shawn said triumphantly, “I saw that!”

“You saw nothing.”

They continued their walk, sometimes chatting about nonsense, and other times allowing the comfortable silence to float between them.

Their walking slowed to a stop upon reaching a particular spot, Bret announcing, “This section of land is reserved for our strawberry fields.”

Shawn gasped, excitedly squealing as he looked around, his eyes landing on the strawberries sprouting from the stems along the ground. “This is really where it’s grown?!”

“Yes, and these here are just about ready for picking.”

“Really? How can you tell?”

Bret stooped down to the ground, looking for a good example. After finding a good strawberry, he plucked it off the stem, placing it in his palm before standing to show Shawn.

Shawn leaned over Bret’s palm, listening intently as the man explained, “The biggest thing to look for is a consistent color. We like for our strawberries to be red from the top to the tip. The leaves at the top should be a healthy green, not brown or dried. Also, the fruit should be firm, not hard. With all of those conditions present, you should have a sweet, delicious strawberry.”

Shawn broke his attention from the strawberry to look at Bret, wondering how a man’s knowledge about strawberries could be so attractive. He looked back to the fruit, asking curiously, “Am I allowed to eat it?”

“I’m afraid not. It needs a good wash before it can be consumed. But if you’d like, we can pick some for you to take back to the palace.”

Shawn said with a doe-eyed expression, “That would be lovely.”

After gathering a basket, most of their afternoon was spent in the strawberry fields talking casually as they picked strawberries that were ripe enough for consumption.

During their conversation, Shawn learned more about Bret’s background - his large family, his activities in the market, and his efforts to help the community. Shawn found it admirable that not only was Bret a hardworking man making an honest living, but he cared for his fellow villagers, helping out wherever he could.

Shawn also asked Bret more strawberry-related questions, Bret informing him of the appropriate climate and soil needed to properly grow strawberries.

Bret hoped the knowledge he shared would allow the prince to grow his own at the palace, to which Shawn responded, “The staff would have a fit if they ever saw me doing manual labor. Besides, my strawberries wouldn’t be as good as yours.”

“If you closely follow my instructions, they will.”

Shawn answered cheekily, “You know, I’ve never been one for following the rules, Bret.”

Bret gave a sly smile of his own saying, “That’s apparent, Shawn.” Bret then glanced over his shoulder, eyes landing on Sebastian who’d been following from a safe distance, too far to hear their conversation but too close for comfort. Bret asked, “Do they always follow you like this?”

Shawn looked over at Sebastian as well before looking to Bret, answering, “Usually. I’m used to it by now, but it does get rather annoying. I understand that it is for my safety, but I yearn for a moment where I can be truly in private.” Bret would like that as well, not comfortable with the way he felt Sebastian’s eyes on them throughout the day.  

Shawn took a moment to observe their surroundings, noticing that just ahead of them stood the cornfields with grass that towered above their heads. He then turned around seeing Sebastian momentarily distracted as he tried to readjust his hold onto Shawn’s strawberry basket.

Then Shawn got a wild idea.

He leaned close to Bret, keeping his eyes on Sebastian as he whispered, “We ditch him on three.”

Bret’s eyes widened as he asked, “What?”

“Three!”

Shawn took off running towards the tall grass, Bret trailing behind puzzled as he tried to catch up to the younger man.

After hearing the shuffling of feet and seeing that Shawn and Bret had taken off, Sebastian followed in a panicked sprint, struggling to hold the basket of strawberries as he ran shouting the prince’s name. But he was no match for their speed, the guard losing sight of the men as they entered through the tall grass.

Shawn ended up leading them away from the cop fields, veering off path into the trees of the nearby forest. Once Shawn was certain they’d lost Sebastian, he came to a stop, laughing wildly as he rested his back against a tree.

Bret rested next to him, panting heavily trying to catch his breath before joining Shawn in laughter, saying, “You’re insane.”

“Maybe so, but that was so exhilarating! Ugh, I just know Sebastian’s going to give me an earful when we get back.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“You’ll be fine. It’s me he doesn’t have to save face for.”

Shawn sank down onto the forest floor, not caring of the dirt rubbing against his expensive clothing. He beckoned for Bret to sit next to him which the older man happily obliged. Bret asked, “You think the palace will hear of this?”

“Not if I bat my eyes innocently at Sebastian. He’s always had a soft spot for me, so I don’t think he’d tell.”

“Good.”

“Why? Are you scared?”

“No, but I’d rather not have anyone thinking I’ve kidnapped the prince.”

“But is it really kidnap if I’m willing to go,” Shawn asked, causing them both to chuckle.

“I’m afraid it’s whatever the palace deems it to be.”

“Well, you’re not wrong about that.” Shawn shifted a bit to sit more comfortably, resting his head against the tree as he sighed, “This day has been so fun. I don’t want it to end.”

Bret said in relief, “I’m happy to hear that. I know it’s not a royal outing but-”

“It’s perfect. Simple. Like you,” Shawn answered as he lifted his head from the tree to get a better look at Bret.

Bret curled a brow, playfully asking, “You think I’m perfect?”

Shawn snickered, “No, you silly man. Simple. Everything about you is simple. Your profession, your family, your lifestyle. It’s nice. I’m actually quite envious.”

Bret said with a shrug, “You make it sound better than it really is.”

“Because it is better. Trust me, being this kingdom’s beloved prince is not all it’s cracked up to be,” Shawn muttered as he brought his knees into his chest, wrapping his arms around his shins.

Noticing Shawn’s change in demeanor, Bret apologized, “I didn’t mean to upset you-”

“You didn’t,” Shawn said, resting his head atop his knees as he looked blankly at the ground. “It’s just…it sucks sometimes, you know? Living a life where no one sees you. Where they only see the status. The power. The money. No one sees me.”

It saddened Bret immensely to know Shawn felt that way about himself, the blond being much more than royalty to him. Bret hesitated before putting a comforting hand on Shawn’s shoulder, the blond lifting his head to face him.

Bret said tenderly, “I see you, Shawn. When I look at you, I don’t just see a prince. I see a young man with aspirations to freely live his life, to break the social norms, to unapologetically be himself. I see a man who appreciates the little things, who is great with animals. You’re a good person, Shawn. You’re nice, funny, kind, and not afraid to get your hands dirty for some strawberries.” 

That got a laugh out of Shawn, the blond saying, “Well, they are worth getting dirty for.”

Bret nodded with a smile before saying sincerely, “Look, I know I’m not the most…ideal person for you. I certainly wouldn’t be the palace’s top pick, and I can’t promise you a life of riches. But what I can promise you is a life where you’re put first, Shawn. Where your feelings matter, and not the opinions of some old aristocrats. But a life where you’re seen. I see you.”

Tears pricked at Shawn’s eyes, touched at the sincerity behind Bret’s words. Shawn wiped at his eyes, chuckling, “Don’t mind me. I’ve always been a crier.”

Bret stretched out the sleeve of his shirt before moving Shawn’s hand away, using his sleeve to dab away Shawn’s tears. After seeing that Shawn’s eyes were dry, Bret said with a warm smile, “There.”

A quiet moment passed as they sat looking into each other’s eyes, both aware of how close they were. Shawn whispered, “You know, there’s one thing you got wrong.”

“What?”

Shawn’s cheeks reddened, eyes shifting away before returning back to Bret, shyly answering, “You are the ideal person for me, Bret. Any man that’s willing to go out of his comfort zone to be with me, to deal with the bullshit royalty brings when he could just continue living a simple life is an ideal man for me.”

Bret’s heart quickened at the admission, Shawn’s words seeming to confirm his own feelings. Bret asked, “But what about the opinions of the monarchy?”

“Fuck the monarchy.”

Bret was surprised to hear the bold statement coming from the member of the royal family, but he was even more relieved to know that the prince felt strongly about him. “Do you really mean that?”

Shawn scooted closer to Bret, whispering, “I do. And I know it’s probably too soon to say this, especially with the courting process still ongoing, but I like you, Bret. I really do. No other man has made me feel the way you have. And what I’m about to do is going to get me in a world of trouble if anyone ever finds out.”

“What do you me-”

Before Bret could finish his question, Shawn leaned forward, closing his eyes before planting a soft kiss onto Bret’s lips. Bret quickly reciprocated, not caring of the courting rules as he melted into the kiss, applying pressure against Shawn’s lips.

Shawn was also aware of the rules they were breaking, but that’s what made it even more exciting. With Bret, there were no rules. Shawn could truly be himself around him, not caring of the consequences. Yes, Mark was nice. And yes, Ric spoiled him in riches. But they were royals, too afraid to even breathe the wrong way around Shawn.

But Bret wasn’t afraid to show Shawn how he felt. And that became even more apparent as Shawn felt the older man slip a tongue past his lips, to which the blond gladly welcomed.

Shawn placed a hand on the side of Bret’s neck, deepening the kiss as he drew them closer together while Bret placed a hand onto Shawn’s waist in a firm grip. Shawn let a light moan slip out, the sound being a turn on for the older man.

It’s no telling how far the two would have gone had it not been for them hearing the faint sound of Sebastian shouting, “ Prince Shawn! Where are you?! Please come out!”

They broke away from the kiss, breathing heavily as they looked into each other’s eyes, a smile gracing both of their lips. Shawn dipped his head into Bret’s neck groaning, “Damn his bad timing.”

Bret snickered, rubbing a soothing hand across Shawn’s back as he relayed, “He is only doing his job. What if the big bad commoner snatched away the dearest prince?”

“Then the big bad commoner would be doing this prince a favor.”

They sat there for a short while enjoying each other’s embrace until there was another frantic shout from Sebastian. Shawn reluctantly pulled away, saying, “I guess we should go before he loses his head.” 

“Agreed,” Bret nodded about to get up, but was stopped when Shawn pulled him into a light peck. 

Shawn pouted as he whined, “I want to stay with you.”

Bret nodded, rubbing gently on Shawn’s shoulder saying, “I know. I want to stay with you, too. But I don’t want you getting into any more trouble, ok?”

“Ok,” Shawn moped.

After one more long-lasting kiss, they made their way back into the crop fields, meeting Shawn’s distressed guard halfway. It was obvious that Sebastian was on the verge of demanding the prince of his whereabouts, but remembered his place, saying politely, “Welcome back, young prince. I have been awaiting your arrival.”

Shawn stopped himself from smiling before saying, “Sorry, Sebastian. We got lost.”

Sebastian didn’t seem to believe them, saying to Bret, “Need I remind you, Mr. Hart, that it is a security breach to take off with the prince without supervision.”

“It’s my fault,” said Shawn, not wanting the blame to be put on Bret. “I asked him to race me and we got lost. That is all. Please do not blame him for my mistake.”

And as expected, Sebastian folded under Shawn’s plea. “Of course, my Lord. But may I request that you not run off again for it causes me great worry.”

Shawn felt a little bad at that, not meaning to stress out his guard. He answered, “You have my word.”

As the sun began to set, their day had sadly come to a close. Shawn needed to head back to the palace before dark and Bret’s family would be back home soon. But that didn’t stop the men from taking their time walking back to Shawn’s carriage, neither man wanting to part.

As they neared the carriage, Sebastian announced, “Well, we best be off. The prince has a few duties that must be taken care of tonight.”

“Can you give us a minute,” Shawn asked Sebastian with a hopeful look in his eye.

Sebastian was hesitant but agreed, saying, “Sure, my Lord. But I implore you not to get lost again.”

Shawn smiled awkwardly, waiting for his guard to get out of hearing range before whispering to Bret. “Thank you for today. I really enjoyed myself and… I meant what I said back there. I really do like you, Bret.”

Bret grinned, “I like you, too.”

“Good. I’m glad I didn’t scare you away yet.”

Bret chucked, “You could never scare me away.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Royal life can be a bit…overwhelming. So I’d understand if you’re having second thoughts.”

Bret grabbed Shawn’s hand but pulled away at hearing Sebastian clear his throat in the distance. He and Shawn smiled sheepishly at each other before he reassured, “I knew what I signed up for since the day I arrived for suitor selection. I know I’m not from your world and will likely get judged for it, and I know how shallow and vain royals can be. No offense.”

“None taken.”

“But you’re nothing of the sort. As long as I have you by my side, I’ll be able to get through it.”

“You’re saying all the right things,” Shawn said in a sing-songy voice, to which they both chuckled. “They’ll have no choice but to respect you if we marry. Prince Bret. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

Bret stalled, “I…actually haven’t given that much thought.”

It was the first time he realized what marrying Shawn meant. He’d be marrying into wealth. His status would be elevated. His life would never be the same. But as he looked into Shawn’s beautiful blue eyes, he knew the change would be worth it.

“Well, think on it because the reality may be closer than you think.” Shawn then sighed, saying sadly, “My heart’s heavy that we must part.” Being with Bret had brought him comfort and he couldn’t help the empty feeling inside at him leaving.

“Likewise,” said Bret.

Not wanting to end their night on a sour note, Bret peaked at Sebastian before turning back to Shawn, daring to plant a light kiss on his cheek.

“I saw that,” Sebastian said in an annoyed grunt.

Shawn snickered, saying teasingly, “You’re in trouble now.”

They laughed in tandem, neither wanting the sweet moment to end. But they had no choice as Sebastian neared, announcing, “Sorry to interrupt, my Lord, but we must leave now to make it back in time for supper.”

It was a melancholy parting of ways, both men unwilling to leave each other’s side. As Bret watched Shawn’s carriage pull off into the sunset, he could only hope that the other suitors hadn’t captured Shawn’s heart the way Shawn had captured his.

Little did he know, Shawn grinned the whole way back to the palace, knowing he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Bret.

[tameodesza]

👑 Prince AU: Headcanon

₊˚⊹♡ Prince!Shawn Michaels x Commoner!Bret Hart ♡⊹˚₊

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Summary: Shawn, a 28-year-old prince, and Bret, a 35-year-old farmer, live completely opposite lives. But despite their difference in social status, their paths cross in ways they least expect.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ a/n: Welp, this was supposed to be a short HC, but as always, I got carried away with writing, lol. Had this idea for some time, but never got around to it. Cleaning out my drafts, so more of this to come!

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn is the Prince of Asteria, a large kingdom that’s been ruled for many centuries by the McMahon family. Shawn’s the first-born son under the reign of King Vince McMahon II. As the oldest child, he was technically next in line to the throne. But he caused quite a stir after voluntarily relinquishing his title and royal duties as Crown Prince to his better-suited younger brother, Prince Shane.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Since the age of five, Shawn had been groomed to one day lead the kingdom. His adolescence mainly consisted of etiquette classes, diplomatic meetings he was too young to care for, and studying to receive the highest grades in his class, his family expecting nothing less. He’d never been given the opportunity to just be a kid which later led to a lot of resentment towards the monarchy.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ He grew into a rebellious teen, garnering the reputation of being the ‘rowdy royal’, a title that stuck with him even into adulthood. He had no desire to become King of such an establishment, nor did he desire to take on the added pressure and duties for a title he didn’t even want. So when his more responsible brother came of age, Shawn gifted him his Crown Prince status, stepping down to accept just the title of Prince.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn had already been on thin ice after making numerous headlines in newspapers for his rebellion, debauchery, and endless scandals that the family has had to sweep under the rug. But the embarrassment of Shawn forfeiting his crown was the final straw for the royal family. Vince was pressured by the royal counsel to marry Shawn off to a well-respected bachelor, someone who would be able to tame the wild prince as well as bring honor to the family. So Vince gave Shawn an ultimatum: Get married or get stripped of his royal status.

"A bit dramatic, don’t you think,” Shawn mumbled, sinking further into his chair as he endured his father’s scolding. “This family has suffered enough from your selfish misdeeds – public intoxication, drug scandals, spotted in male brothels. Now this?! Has our reputation not suffered enough scrutiny?" “So, you care not if I marry out of love, but to merely save face?” “You’ve left this family no choice! You are to marry before year’s end or you shall forfeit your royal standing.”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn was reluctant to agree, but being stripped of his status meant being disowned from the family. Just the thought of never seeing his sweet younger sister, Stephanie, hurt just as much as the thought of not being able to annoy his little brother, Shane, anymore. He rarely saw them as it was being that they were both busy with their own lives. Shane had married a lovely young princess from another Kingdom, while Stephanie was in the midst of being courted by Lord Hunter Helmsley, a childhood friend of Shawn’s. Both of his siblings seemed happy with their significant others, so Shawn figured it couldn’t be so bad. Right?

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ So he agreed to the bogus request, but on his own terms. Shawn negotiated with his father on the pool of suitors. He wanted to include commoners. “We’d be the laughingstock of Asteria!” was the King’s first response. But when the prince didn't budge, he eventually agreed knowing that a commoner wouldn’t be able to woo his son anyway with his expensive taste.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Word spread rapidly throughout the kingdom and beyond at the announcement of Prince Shawn’s suitor selection, and more importantly, the possibility of those other than royals being given the chance to court the young prince.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bret tightly gripped at the newsletter, the paper crinkling from pressure as he read the headline. His family, a long line of crop farmers, had worked for the royal family for many decades delivering fresh crops to the royal chef. He’d caught glimpses of the prince one too many times during his delivery runs but never had the chance to talk with him. Not that he’d even be allowed to with the number of guards that roamed the place.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bret lived in an overcrowded wooden home on the outskirts of their village. Although the home was tiny, it sat on a large plot of land with plenty of room to grow the various crops they sold in the market.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥Bret was encouraged by his family to attend the banquet, though some had their own selfish reasons which became apparent after one of his sisters mentioned they’d be ‘set for life’ if Bret married into wealth. His younger brother, Owen, seemed to be the most genuine in his efforts to persuade Bret on attending the event.

“You have nothing to lose. And you’re only getting older.” “Thanks for the reminder,” Bret playfully rolled his eyes. “But how would I even get there if I did decide to go? What would I even wear?” The only mode of transportation was their family’s carriage that they used to move their crops to the market. He glanced down at his tattered clothing, dirty from a day's work, noting that the attire wouldn’t be appropriate. Owen grinned, “Don’t you worry, dear brother. I have a plan.”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Owen convinced the village seamstress to allow Bret to borrow a nice suit. “It’s for love, Lucille! Do it for love!” Needless to say, Lucille agreed just to get Owen out of her face. But getting transportation hadn’t been as easy.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bret was the last to show, nearly arriving late to the palace after hitching a ride with from friendly villager. The villager’s horse wasn’t the healthiest and it wasn't able to travel up the palace's steep pathway. So Bret was dropped off as close as the horse would allow, but it was still about a mile walk up the densely wooded path towards the palace gates, then another mile until he reached the palace itself.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bret had been the only commoner to arrive, many not having the resources to attend the event even if they wanted to. He immediately felt unwelcome upon walking through the large gold-plated doors. He felt as if all eyes were on him, honing in on his slightly disheveled look, sweat dampening his back from his unexpected hike. He was directed to the throne room filled with the world’s most elite bachelors, some residents of Asteria and others even traveling from other kingdoms all over the world for the opportunity to court the prince.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ “Champagne?” A worker asked which Bret politely declined. He wasn’t sure how to behave in such a setting. He awkwardly sat in the room, looking around wondering if he’d made the right decision on coming there.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ The suitor selection process wasn’t as exciting as Shawn had hoped for. He expected to have a room full of attractive men throwing themselves at him, yet he sat at his throne bored out of his mind as man after man introduced themselves to him and his parents. If anything, some seemed to want to impress the king and queen more than Shawn. It was almost an hour in when someone finally caught his eye. A tall man dressed in dark clothing with a daunting aura about him. Shawn’s interest came purely out of curiosity as the man introduced himself as the Duke of Death Valley, Mark Calaway. It sounded scary. But Shawn was intrigued.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Next to peak his interest was an older gentleman, much too old for Shawn. The man introduced himself as King Richard Flair of Arcadia. “But you can call me, Ric, dear Prince.” The man was handsome. But Shawn was more interested in draining his wallet during the courtship than tying the knot.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ But it was the final man that interested him the most. Chatter in the banquet hall quieted down when the last suitor stepped forward, snide remarks coming from the royals as it became apparent that the man before them was of no noble standing. He introduced himself as Bret Hart, a crop farmer from a nearby village, Beauville, which seemed to only cause more murmurs to spread amongst the room:

“My word, a commoner really came,” said a hushed whisper. “How pathetic.” “Poor boy actually thinks he has a chance”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn heard a few of the comments, not the least bit amused. Unlike his wealthy comrades, he didn’t care much about status. He treated every common person with respect, oftentimes enjoying their company more than the pompous bastards he was forced to deal with. “Enough”, he said, the room quieting as he stood from his throne. He thanked everyone for coming, announcing that there were just three men he wanted to move forward with.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ He walked throughout the room, a few men getting their hopes up when Shawn stopped in front of them just for them to deflate as he moved on to the next. He stopped in front of Duke Mark, announcing him as the first suitor, which received a few applause. He then moved on to King Ric which received a louder round of applause. His last decision came after much deliberation, the prince walking around the room and circling back before stopping in front of Bret – the commoner.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bret had been staring at the ground wondering why he thought he stood a chance when Shawn stopped in front of him. His heart nearly leapt from his chest when he looked up to see the beautiful man standing so close to him. Shawn gave him a gentle smile, one no other man in the room was given the luxury of seeing, as he announced Bret as his final pick. Confusion filled the room, barely any claps following the announcement, and the few that did were done so out of politeness.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ The king and queen held their best poker as their royal peers look at them wondering what had gotten into their son. A mysterious duke. An old, widowed king. And a village commoner? The only comfort was knowing that two out of three suitors were royals. The Duke came from a wealthy family and owned lots of land. King Ric was known to live a lavish lifestyle. Both men surely offered more to his son than the commoner ever could.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ An official declared, “The Prince’s selections have ceased. For the men who have not been called, your carriage awaits. Thank you for your consideration.” After the room clears out, King Vince says to the men that “You’ve each been afforded the privilege to court my son, Prince Shawn. Let it be known that the prince holds the right to cease the courtship at any moment.” The king really wanted to avoid that. “You shall look forward to receiving correspondence from the royal court on your courtship duties. Have a good evening, gentlemen.” The men bowed, Bret a step behind, before being escorted out of the room.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ After the men left, Shawn got into a heated argument with his parents, the few guards in the room awkwardly standing by in the crossfire as the King and Queen berated their son for his poor choices. They thought Shawn bypassed men who were better-suited, and Shawn was offended that they questioned his taste in men. "If you're going to marry me off, I should at least get a say in who I choose!" But shit hit the fan when the King brought up Shawn's ex-fiancé, Marty Jannetty: "We wouldn't even be in this mess if you'd have committed to Lord Jannetty!"

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥To be fair, Shawn hadn't told his parents the extent of everything that led to him calling off the engagement. But he was offended by his parents’ audacity. Shawn stormed off, his past with Marty too painful for him to comment on.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ He sat at his bedroom window wishing he lived a simple life. Wishing he’d been born into a family that worked hard for their money rather than generating wealth by charging outrageous taxes to its residents. He longed for a life where he didn’t have an entire nation scrutinizing his every move, where he didn’t have such high expectations to live up to. As he reflected on his life, his attention was drawn to someone walking down the long windy road leading away from the palace. It was the commoner, Bret. Why is he walking, he thought.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn quickly headed down, bypassing the confused guards as he made his way out the door. Sebastian, the most senior guard for the royal family, trailed behind him saying, “Prince Shawn, we can’t let you wander out alone. You’re not allowed to interact with your suitors before courtship-” Shawn waved him off saying he’ll be fine as he continued his stride towards Bret. Bret heard a faint “Hey, wait up,” turning to see the prince jogging towards him a bit out of breath with a beam of sweat trailing down the side of his head. Bret quickly came to a stop, guilty that he had the prince chasing after him in such extreme heat.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ “Prince.” Bret quickly remembered his formalities and moved to bow, but was stopped by Shawn asking in concern, “Are you walking home?” Bret blanks, not wanting to admit that he didn’t have a ride. But he also thought it wasn’t wise to start off his courtship lying, so he nodded. Shawn probed, “Why?” Bret stalled before saying, “My carriage’s being used for crops today. So I lucked out on a ride.” Bret felt a little pathetic. The feeling worsened when he watched the other suitors leave in fancy, decked out carriages just moments before.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bret was expecting a judgmental look, but Shawn only nodded in understanding. He gave a gentle smile before saying, “Well, we have plenty. I can’t believe no one saw to it that you got home safely.” The blond was honestly ticked off. He didn’t know if his staff did it on purpose or not, but there should be no reason Bret was even allowed to walk out of the palace's gates in the first place, and Shawn intended on letting everyone know about it.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bret instantly turned down the offer, not wanting to worry the prince saying, “It’s ok. I walked on the way up.” That certainly did not calm the prince’s worries. “Like that’s any better,” said Shawn, glancing back at the guards who were shamelessly watching from afar.

“Come on. Let’s get you home.” “Oh, no it’s really ok-” “No, I insist. I’m not sure how far you live from here, and it’s still pretty hot out. I can’t have my potential husband having a heatstroke, can I?” Husband. The word alone made Bret's heart skip a beat. “Come on,” Shawn said again as he waved Bret forward. “Don’t make me beg.” Bret smiled softly saying "Ok, if you say so."

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ They walked a slow pace back to the palace, purposely done so by Shawn so he could lengthen his conversation with the commoner. He knew he was breaking the rules of his courtship, but he was pissed, though he did a good job at hiding it. Fuck them and the rules they created, he thought. “What was it that you said you did again,” he asked.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bret was also aware of the rules, knowing that he shouldn’t be having a full-blown conversation with the prince until their courtship officially began. However, the prince was leading the conversation. And as a mere commoner, it was considered rude to ignore royalty. So he answered.

“My family and I grow and sell crops for the village. Anything from grains, to vegetables, to fruit. We grow it all. I'm also tasked with delivering crops to the palace.” “Wait,” Shawn halted, exclaiming in excitement, “your family grows those delicious strawberries in the summer?!” Bret's smile widened, finding the prince's excitement cute. He nodded, “Yes. My mother and sisters mainly tend to the fruit, but I help out where I can.” “Aww, that’s nice.” Shawn noticed them getting closer to the palace, so he walked slower before asking, “Are you close with your family?” Bret took a moment to think on it, wanting to be as honest as possible without saying too much. “For the most part. There’s a lot of us, so I guess it’s safe to say I’m closer to some more than others. What about you?” Shawn slowed to a stop, twisting his lips in contemplation, prompting Bret to quickly utter, “Forgive me for asking-” “It’s ok. It’s…complicated.”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ They reached the palace to see the king and queen standing at the steps with disapproving looks. Bret watched as Shawn left his side to head up the steps, engaging in a hushed conversation with the king and queen. Although he couldn’t hear the conversation, it didn’t take much to know they were talking about him. Shawn motioned his way before pointing to the staff around them. “Should’ve offered him a fucking carriage” and “absolutely unacceptable” were the only legible sentences Bret heard slip through before the blond was hushed by the queen.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ With the conversation seemingly over, Shawn stormed into the palace, pissed that he wasn’t allowed to say goodbye to Bret. The king and queen kept their faces neutral, still trying to save face as they headed back into the palace. A royal official then headed over to Bret saying “On behalf of the royal family, we’d like to extend our sincerest apologies, Mr. Hart. A horse and carriage is being arranged to ensure you arrive home safely.”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Bret thanked the man just before he heard horses galloping his way with a carriage in tow. As he’s taken away, Bret looked out the carriage’s window to get one last look at the palace. He saw Shawn standing on a third-floor balcony, the blond looking gloomy until his eyes met Bret’s. A warm smile spread onto his lips as he gave a wave. Bret smiled as well, heart fluttering as he waved back until the prince was out of sight. Shawn sighed wistfully as his mind lingered on Bret, the crop farmer with the delicious strawberries.

[tameodesza]

Love's Maze (BretShawn)

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AO3 link

The moment comes where Bret finally meets Shawn's parents

EPILOGUE – 2 Years Later

The sun beamed a soft orange hue as its warmth traveled in the light summer breeze. Shawn’s loose hair danced in the wind, Bret’s being contained in a low ponytail. The couple ascended the mahogany steps of the front porch, Shawn’s hand tightly holding Bret’s left as the older man clenched a bouquet of daisies in his right hand.

It was a big day – the day Bret would meet Shawn’s parents.

Shawn and Bret had come a long way in their two years of dating – two years that Shawn claimed as the best years of his life. All because of the man walking beside him.

Bret was the perfect boyfriend in Shawn’s eyes, always putting Shawn first before himself. Shawn was still getting used to that as he’d been so accustomed to putting himself last for so long.

It’s because of Bret that Shawn learned what a healthy relationship was supposed to look like.

The door of their hotel room slowly creaked open as Shawn made his way into the dimly lit space. As he kicked off his shoes, he said apprehensively, “Sorry for coming back so late.”

Bret set aside the book he’d been reading before getting up from the bed to walk towards Shawn, pulling the blond into a hug once he was within reach. “It’s ok. Did you have fun?”

Shawn knitted his brows, pulling his head back to look at Bret as he asked, “You’re not mad?”

Bret tilted his head, saying with a confused look of his own, “No? You were out with Hunter, right?’

“Yeah. I know I was supposed to be back sooner so we could watch movies. I just lost track of time-”

“Shawn,” Bret stopped him short. “How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t have to explain yourself to me? I figured you were out enjoying yourself.”

Shawn lowered his eyes from Bret, lips downturned like a scolded child. Bret placed a finger under Shawn’s chin, lightly lifting his head to meet his gaze, saying gently, “I trust you, ok?”

The sincerity in Bret’s tone along with his tender eyes were enough to suffice Shawn’s worries. The blond nodded, saying breathily, “Ok.”

Bret placed a reassuring kiss on Shawn’s temple before whispering, “Let’s go to bed.”

That was early on into their relationship, but Shawn still looked back on the moment warmly. Not only did he learn that it wasn’t normal to always expect an argument, but it was also the first time he truly realized how much Bret trusted him.

Not only did Bret trust him, but he was a very supportive boyfriend. Whether it was helping Shawn with a match, standing up for him against locker room bullies, or just listening to Shawn rant about whoever pissed him off that day. Bret was always there, never failing to build up Shawn when he was tearing himself down, to be the hype man that he needed.

Bret had even been the biggest supporter when Shawn threw out the idea of getting “HBK” tattooed on his ass cheek, which they still got a laugh out of.

“You’re really encouraging him to get that tatted on his ass,” Kevin asked Bret flatly in disbelief.

Kevin, Bret, and Shawn were in the dingy basement of some guy’s house in a shady part of town. It wasn’t the most ideal circumstance, but it was the only way Shawn could have Bret there as moral support without breaking kayfabe.

“Shut up,” Shawn directed at Kevin through clenched teeth in defense of Bret.

The blond rested chest-first on the tattoo table, face pressed firmly against the leather padding as one arm hung off the side of the table, the other pulled towards Bret to interlock their hands. He squinted in discomfort as the sharp needle dug deeper into his fully exposed ass cheek.

Bret rubbed his thumb soothingly on the back of Shawn’s hand before responding to Kevin’s question. “If it makes him happy, then yes. I encourage it.”

Honestly, Bret was a little thrown off when Shawn first suggested the tattoo, but the blond seemed so excited about it. And what type of boyfriend would Bret be to tell him no?

Kevin faked a gag as he said, “You guys make me sick.”

Shawn let out a low whine at the slight pain of the needle, squeezing Bret’s hand for support before saying with a strained voice, “If you’re jealous, just say so. AH! Fuck,” he groaned as the needle lingered on a tender spot.

“It’s ok,” Bret whispered, bringing Shawn’s hand towards his lips to kiss his knuckles. “You’re almost done.”

Despite Kevin’s jokes, he looked on at the couple in adoration, glad that Shawn had someone like Bret in his life.

Shawn was out of action for a few weeks to allow his tattoo to heal. That somehow turned into Bret staying with him for a few weeks in San Antonio to make sure he was taking care of the tattoo properly. It was during those weeks together that the blond almost told Bret that he loved him.

Despite being so content with each other, the couple did experience a few bumps along the way – most notably, Shawn’s drug abuse.

Although he’d slowed down his usage after ending things with Marty, it was a struggle for Shawn to completely wean himself off of pills.

He initially thought he didn’t have a problem. It’s not like he needed them every day.

But whenever memories of his past began to haunt him, Shawn would quickly revert back to his old unhealthy habits, trying to get high enough just to make himself numb. He would shut down in these instances, often distancing himself from Bret both figuratively and literally.

However, the more Shawn tried to create a barrier, the more determined Bret was to not leave his side.

Bret sat on the bathroom floor, cradling Shawn in his arms as the blond cried into his neck. He gently swayed their bodies side-to-side as Shawn came down from a particularly bad high, the relapse being triggered by rumors of Marty returning to the WWF.

“You don’t need them, Shawn,” Bret whispered softly, referring to the pills sitting on the sink.

Shawn sniffed, as another sob racketed through his body, “I do.”

Bret sat back, coaxing Shawn’s head out of his neck before placing both hands firmly on the blond’s cheeks. He rested his forehead onto Shawn’s as he emphasized, “You don’t. Please. Let me help you. Don’t shut me out.”

Shawn closed his eyes, too tired to keep them as he said weakly, “Why am I like this? I don’t like feeling like this, Bret.”

“I know you don’t,” Bret soothed. “I’m here to help.”

“I just don’t get it.” He opened his eyes, backing up a little from Bret as he said almost angrily, “I’m such a fucking mess. Why are you still with me?”

It took just a second for Bret to respond with much conviction, “Because, I love you.”

It was the first time either of them officially said it out loud.

Shawn looked on astonished, asking with a shaky breath, “You love me?”

Bret nodded, tucking an unruly strand of hair behind Shawn’s ear. “Yes, I do. Without a doubt.”

Shawn’s vision became blurrier as Bret’s words settled. Bret tugged the blond closer, guiding his head onto his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around him.

Shawn hugged him back just as closely, hands grasping tightly at the back of Bret’s shirt, his mind now occupied with Bret’s confession.

 After taking a moment to calm himself down, Shawn took in a deep breath, letting it out before saying, “I love you, too.”

Shawn couldn’t see it, but Bret was grinning ear-to-ear. It probably wasn’t the most romantic way to discover Shawn loved him back, but Shawn’s never been the most conventional guy.

Bret turned his head slightly to kiss Shawn’s cheek, whispering, “We’re going to get through this, ok? Together.”

It was then that Shawn knew that Bret was someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

They’d shared so much of their lives together in the span of a couple of years, but the one thing that was missing was Bret meeting Shawn’s parents.

To be honest, Shawn felt a little guilty that it took this long for it to happen.

He’d had it easy with Bret’s family as he’d met many of the Harts on multiple occasions throughout the business. It had only been a couple of months into them dating when Shawn was invited to spend Christmas in Calgary, being proudly introduced to Bret’s family as his boyfriend.

On the other hand, Shawn’s parents were well-aware of Shawn dating Bret. It was hard not to when nearly every sentence leaving Shawn’s mouth included ‘my boyfriend’ this and ‘my boyfriend’ that.

But as much as Shawn liked to brag about Bret to his family, he was a little hesitant on introducing them, especially with how badly his last relationship ended. It also didn’t help that his dad made it no secret that he believed no man was worthy of his son’s heart, and that the next guy would have a hell of a time proving his worth to him.

That ‘next guy’ being Bret.

Upon reaching the front door of his parents’ home, Shawn turned to Bret, saying with a tender tone, “Don’t be nervous.”

“I’m not,” Bret said unconvincingly.

Shawn gave a soft smile as he unlaced their hands to smooth down a crease on Bret’s collar. “You are.”

Bret let out a sigh, bringing Shawn’s hand back into his own as he said, “Ok, maybe I am a little.”

“Aww,” Shawn said with a pout. “It’s going to be ok, babe. I promise. If they get out of line, we’ll leave. Let’s come up with a safe word.”

Bret raised a brow, shaking his head in disapproval. “Shawn, you haven’t seen your parents in five months. I’m not going to be the reason your visit gets cut short.”

Shawn narrowed his eyes as he repeated, “Safe word.” Yes, it had been awhile since he saw his parents, and he missed them dearly, but he had no issues making an abrupt exit if they disrespected Bret.

Seeing that Shawn wasn’t budging, Bret said begrudgingly, “Mushrooms.”

Shawn asked, slightly amused, “Why mushrooms?”

“Because you hate them. Thought it’d give you enough of a clue that I want to get the fuck out of there if need be.”

“Ok,” Shawn said with an affirmative nod. “Mushrooms. Let’s do this.”

Shawn lifted his free hand to knock on the door but halted as if remembering something important. “Oh, and just to let you know, I’m a bit of a daddy’s boy,” he warned. “So try not to be intimidated if my dad goes all ‘protective dad’ mode.”

It was something Shawn probably should have mentioned well in advance instead of seconds before Bret was to meet said dad.

“Oh, lovely,” Bret said uneasily.

Shawn pecked Bret on the cheek for one final confidence boost before ringing the doorbell, the familiar tune barely finishing as the door flung open, the nostalgic scent of the house rushing out as if to welcome Shawn home.

Mrs. Hickenbottom stood at the door, flashing a radiant smile as she jumped for joy, exclaiming, “Is that my Mikey?!”

“Mom!”

Shawn detached his hand from Bret’s, the older man reluctant to let go, before being pulled into a loving embrace by his mom. “Oh, my baby boy. I missed you so much!”

“I miss you, too, Ma,” he said as he pulled away to get a good look at her.

She placed her hands on his cheeks, cooing, “Look at you. Just as handsome as always.”

“Oh, stop smothering the boy,” Shawn hears his dad bellow as he comes up behind his mom.

“Dad!”

Mr. Hickenbottom took his wife’s place, hugging Shawn as if he’d fly away in the wind. “Welcome home, son! I missed having you around here.”

“I missed being around here,” Shawn chuckled, having to blink a few times as he felt his eyes watering. The warmth of his parents’ love never got old.

Shawn backed out of his dad’s embrace as he heard his mom say, “And you must be the ‘Bret’ we’ve been hearing so much about.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bret answered politely as he held out the bouquet of daisies. “These are for you.”

Her face lit up like a kid on Christmas. Shawn rejoined Bret at his side, linking their arms together as he smiled fondly at his mother. He quietly whispered, “See? I told you she’d love them.”

Shawn’s mom was a simple woman to please. But his dad was a different story.

“Oh, these are lovely! Look, honey,” Mrs. Hickenbottom said as she turned towards her husband.

Shawn’s smile faded seeing his dad’s expression, the older man seeming unfazed by the kind gesture. Mr. Hickenbottom walked slowly towards Bret as he looked at him with a stoic expression.

Shawn looked back and forth between the two men, unsure if he should step in. Bret noticed Shawn getting antsy and wanted to put him at ease.

Not wanting to show how nervous he truly was, Bret held out a hand saying, “Pleased to meet you, sir.”

Shawn’s dad looked at the outstretched hand for an uncomfortable moment of time, before finally reaching out his own hand to strongly grip Bret’s in a firm handshake. “Likewise.”

It wasn’t quite a warm welcome, but it was as good of a reaction as Shawn could have hoped for.

Unbeknownst to Shawn, it was pretty surreal for his parents, especially Mr. Hickenbottom, to finally be in front of Bret. Shawn had gushed to them countless times about the man – about how well Bret was treating him, how much Bret cared for him, how much he loved him.

And it’s not that they weren’t happy about that. They truly were, but they’d all heard it before with Marty.

In essence, Bret was paying for the crimes of another man, and getting into the good graces of the Hickenbottoms was going to be an uphill battle. But Bret was willing to go through it all for Shawn.

After the awkward handshake, Mrs. Hickenbottom looked at the young couple, noting, “You two look so cute together.”

The men both gave soft smiles, Shawn’s cheeks reddening as he and Bret shared a loving look with each other.

Unfortunately, Shawn’s dad didn’t seem to have the same sentiment, the older man huffing as he turned to walk back into the house.

Shawn looked at his dad’s retreating back with a frown, not loving the way the man was acting. But he was pulled from his thoughts when Bret gave his hand a squeeze in reassurance, a sign that he could handle this. But there was only so much Shawn was willing to let slide without saying something if his dad kept up this act.

Mrs. Hickenbottom either didn’t notice the tension or decided to ignore it as she brightly said, “Well, come on inside, boys! Hope you’re hungry. We’re just about done setting up the dinner table.”

Despite the rough start, dinner was actually pleasant. Or as pleasant as it could be with Shawn leading the conversation between his parents and Bret, his mom engaging in most of the conversation while his dad sat quietly observing everyone at the table. Mainly Bret.

It was towards the end of dinner that Shawn became worried when his dad suddenly asked Bret, “Hey, can I talk to you outside?”

Shawn’s fork stopped midway to his mouth as he froze, alarmed at the thought of his dad being alone with Bret. He quipped, “You can just talk to him right here, Dad.”

“I just need a moment for a one-on-one, son. Guy talk.”

“But I’m a guy, too!”

Bret placed a gentle hand on Shawn’s arm saying, “It’s fine. I’ll be right back.”

“But-” Before Shawn could finish, both men were already out of their seats, making their way towards the front door.

Shawn looked at his mom for some sort of help, but she didn’t seem too concerned.

As soon as he heard the front door close, Shawn shot up from his chair, hastily making his way to the door. He pressed his ear up against it in hopes of hearing something. Anything! He needed to be sure that Bret was ok.

However, his plans were foiled when he felt a sudden pinch and tug on his left ear. His mom dragged him away from the door as she lectured, “Michael Shawn Hickenbottom, didn’t we teach you better than to eavesdrop?! Now, let them be and come help me clear the table!”

Shawn whined the whole way to the kitchen, reluctantly listening to his mother as he was pulled further away from Bret.

Outside on the porch, the air was thick as the two men stood by each other, staring ahead with tense expressions.

Mr. Hickenbottom broke the silence by asking, “I need to know, and answer me honestly. What are your intentions with my son?”

It was one of many things he’d wanted to ask Bret a soon as he laid eyes on the man. But he knew it would have been nearly impossible to ask any tough questions with Shawn around.

Bret furrowed his brows, turning to look at Mr. Hickenbottom, the elder man keeping his face forward as he answered, “It’s my intention to make him happy. And to be with him for as long as he’ll allow me.”

“Hmm,” Mr. Hickenbottom said, unimpressed. “Are you serious about him?”

“Of course.”

Mr. Hickenbottom then turned towards Bret, narrowing his eyes as if he didn’t believe a word coming out of the man’s mouth. He said with much bitterness, “The last idiot my son was with said the same thing. All nothing but empty promises. I’m sure Shawn’s told you all about him.”

“He did, sir.”

“He left my son in a state I never want to see him in again. You can understand that, right?”

Mr. Hickenbottom was still haunted by the memory of Shawn being strung out on whatever drugs he took to ease the pain, his own heart breaking at witnessing his son’s demise. He never wanted Shawn to have to experience that again.

Bret nodded because he did understand. He’d seen how broken Shawn was after Marty, and that was only the half of it. He could only imagine the state of mind Shawn was in when he visited his parents fresh after the breakup. He felt Shawn’s dad had every right to be skeptical of him.

Mr. Hickenbottom then asked, “Do you even know my son? I mean really know him?”

The accusatory tone of the question caught Bret by surprise, the man getting defensive and a little offended that Mr. Hickenbottom was acting as if their relationship were only superficial.

Feeling the need to prove himself, Bret answered matter-of-factly, “He bites his nails when he’s nervous. It’s a problem he’s had since he was a child. His favorite color’s red. He hates mushrooms with a passion. He claims he loves horror movies but can only watch them with a pillow blocking half his face.”

Mr. Hickenbottom tilted his head inquisitively as Bret rattled off a list of things he’d grown to learn and love about Shawn.

“He has a huge sweet tooth, but surprisingly has only had one cavity in his life. He dreams of living on a ranch when he retires. He loves his family and hopes to have a family of his own someday. He-” Bret hesitates before saying, “He looks up to you a lot. He aspires to have a relationship as loving and long-lasting as yours and your wife’s. And he hopes to be just as great of a dad as you are to his own kids.”

The older man stood still, mouth slightly agape as Bret revealed details about Shawn that he hadn’t known. He tried not to show it, but he was impressed.

“Anything else I don’t know, I’ll learn along the way. But regardless of how long he and I have been together, I know him very well.”

A silent moment stretched on, the only sound coming from the faint chirping of the crickets outside.

Mr. Hickenbottom gave Bret a final hard look before letting out a sigh, his demeanor seeming to soften as he said, “Look, I’m not trying to come off as a hard ass. It’s just that when it comes to Shawn, my baby boy, I worry about him. He’s been through so much pain, too much. All I want is to see him smile, for him to find someone who will love him and be committed to him.”

Bret listened intently, knowing exactly where the man was coming from. “I agree with you on that. All of it. So I’m telling you, man to man, that I do love Shawn. I take him and our relationship very seriously. I wouldn’t be meeting his parents if he didn’t.”

Though Mr. Hickenbottom appeared to be lightening up, the older man seemed to still have his reservations. So Bret decided to be completely honest.

Bret cleared his throat, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he said, “I was married once.”

Mr. Hickenbottom certainly wasn’t expecting to hear that, the man’s brows raising slightly in surprise.

“For nine years. I know all too well the pain of heartbreak, of having your trust broken by someone you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with. Shawn and I could relate on that. Sir, I can confidently say to you that I’d never put Shawn through that type of pain, as I wouldn’t want the same for myself.”

The elder man went quiet as he processed what Bret had revealed, not knowing what to say. He found his transparency to be admirable, and it became apparent to him that there’s more to Bret than what meets the eye.

Bret then asked, “Sir, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“You know about mazes, right?”

Mr. Hickenbottom was unsure on how to answer, the question seeming to come out of left field. Skeptical that it was a trick question, he answered carefully, “Yes?”

“I’ve always had this analogy that love is like a maze. You start out with so much confidence, hyping yourself up to believe it’s easy to navigate. But all it takes is one wrong turn into unchartered territory to lose that confidence, to question if you should accept defeat with your head hung low. But if you don’t give up, remain level-headed, and use every wrong turn as a learning experience, it’s inevitable that you’ll reach that reward at the end. Shawn’s that reward for me, sir. And knowing how hard it was to get to this point, I never intend on letting him go.”

Mr. Hickenbottom was left in awe, finding the analogy to be a very insightful and optimistic take on love. It was a vow, a promise, that regardless of how many hard times or ‘wrong turns’ they’d encounter, Bret was in it for the long run.

For the first time that evening, Shawn’s dad was put at ease, relieved even, that Bret was the man his son had chosen to carry on his life with.

Mr. Hickenbottom stretched out a hand towards Bret, shaking his hand as he said earnestly, “Please take care of my son.”

The request was simple, but it had a deeper meaning. He approved of their relationship.

Bret answered just as sincerely, “I will.”

Shawn practically flew to Bret as soon as the front door opened, looking the man over as if expecting to see an injury.

His dad grumbled, “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. I didn’t hurt the boy!”

“Better not have,” Shawn moped as he latched himself onto Bret, wrapping his arms around the man’s neck, Bret bringing his hands onto Shawn’s waist.

Mr. Hickenbottom excused himself to the kitchen to go check on his wife. When his dad was out of sight and hearing range, Shawn looked at Bret whispering, “What did you guys talk about?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Bret taunted.

Shawn whined, “Hey, don’t tease me.”

Bret grinned, pecking Shawn on the lips before saying, “Sorry, baby. It was a good talk. So don’t stress about it. He just wanted to know my intentions-”

“Uh, he’s so embarrassing,” Shawn groaned. “Was he mean to you?”

Bret quickly refuted, “No. Concerned, yes. But understandably so. Who wouldn’t be if some random Canadian came to snatch up a son as beautiful as you?”

A bashful smile involuntarily made its way onto Shawn’s face, the blond hiding into Bret’s shoulder in retreat. “Stop it.”

Bret smiled down at Shawn, tightening his arms around him, both men unaware of Shawn’s parents looking on at them fondly.

The rest of the evening went on without hitch – Shawn curling up next to Bret on the couch as his parents told embarrassing stories about him, Bret promising to come back the next time Shawn decided to visit, and Shawn’s parents having a newfound appreciation and respect for the man that would be in their son’s life for many years to come.

[tameodesza]

Dead Ends (BretShawn) ch.4

<<ch.3 | masterlist | AO3 link | ch.5>>

Summary: Bret and Shawn have a conflict over leaving the camp, but a herd just may force them out.

Date: May 9, 1996 Time: 6:25 pm Location: Abandoned summer camp

It had been two days since they arrived at the summer camp and they’d yet to discuss any plans on moving forward.

Bret tried his best to be patient, especially knowing how drastic things had changed for Shawn, but the longer they put it off, the more antsy he became.

He’d asked Shawn about it countless times, the blond only seeming to gain an attitude the more Bret brought it up. The one thing Shawn despised was being asked the same question repeatedly, and although he understood Bret’s concern, the older man was getting on his last nerve.

The pair were sitting at the campfire pit, bellies full after finishing the most satisfying meal they’d had in some time – a snake Bret had caught crawling through the grass. After Bret had killed it, Shawn skinned the animal and roasted it over the fire until the meat was tender.

“So,” Bret led, “we need to come up with a plan. I think we should leave at sunrise-”

Shawn cut him off, leaning forward in his chair as he said, “I told you we’d talk about this later. Why the fuck are you bringing it up again?”

Bret could tell by the blond’s tone that he’d already pissed him off, but he wasn’t backing down this time. “Because we don’t have time to-”

“We don’t have time, or you? Because I have plenty.”

“Shawn-”

“Look, I know you’re new to this whole survival thing, but when you find a place like this, you need to enjoy it while it lasts. Because I guarantee you that once we leave this place, we won’t have it so easy.”

“And I understand that. But the whole point of us walking out this way was to make it to my parents. What if something happens to them, something I could have prevented had I been there sooner?”

Shawn exhaled, saying unbelievingly, “We’ll leave tomorrow night.”

“You said the same thing yesterday.”

“And I changed my mind. Don’t make me change it again.”

Bret could only look at Shawn completely baffled at how the blond was behaving. There was only so much Bret could take, especially when it came to his family.

Bret challenged, “Oh, yeah? Go ahead and see if you won’t be staying here alone.”

Shawn scoffed, “Is that supposed to be a threat?”

Fed up, Bret answered, “If it needs to be.”

There was an ominous silence that lingered between the two, Bret second-guessing the words that had just left his mouth. But it was too late.

Shawn stood up abruptly from his seat, towering over Bret as he yelled, “Leave then! See if I fucking care!”

Out of spite, Shawn grabbed his water bottle and dumped the remaining liquid into the firepit, the flames instantly dying down with a hiss as Shawn stormed off towards the main building.

Thrown off by Shawn’s sudden outburst, Bret chased after the blond as he said in disbelief, “Why are you mad? I’m the one that should be angry right now. What’s your problem?”

Shawn swiftly turned around, marching up to Bret as he seethed, “What’s my problem?! You’re the one that’s been riding my fucking coat tails for the past few days, and now you’re acting like you’ve got some kind of pull all of a sudden.”

 “I’m not acting like anything! I’m just tired of sitting around here doing nothing when my parents could be at risk right now.”

“Go find them then! The hell do you need me for?!”

Bret said frustratedly, “Because we’re a team, Shawn! I don’t want to leave you out here-”

“That’s not what you just said a minute ago! Hear this loud and clear. I don’t need you. Not even in the slightest bit. I was fine before you, and I’ll be just fine without you!”

But Bret couldn’t say the same. As unsteady as his dynamic was with Shawn, he knew he’d be a fool to stray away from the younger man. So he chose to put his pride aside in hopes of salvaging whatever relationship he and Shawn had.

Bret let out a deep sigh, rubbing a hand at the back of his neck as he said, “Look, I’m not trying to be a dick.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

Bret ignored the comment, saying slowly, “It’s just…my family means a lot to me. I don’t want to waste any precious time that I could be spending with my parents. They’re already up there in age, and if the Walkers haven’t gotten them, their health just might.”

Bret looked at Shawn cautiously, noting the blond’s unreadable expression. He then said, “But if you say we should wait, we’ll wait. I’m not leaving here without you, man.”

Shawn looked off to the side, silence engulfing the pair as the air thickened. Bret was beginning to worry that the blond would end their partnership right there. However, he was pleasantly surprised when Shawn said, “We leave at dawn,” before walking off into the building.

The tension in the room could be cut with a knife, each man sitting on their respective cots not acknowledging each other. It’s not that Bret wanted to ignore the man, but he thought it’d be best to stay quiet in an effort to not set the blond off again.

As Bret focused on the trees swaying outside of the window, Shawn laid flatly on this cot, arms folded behind his head as he glared at a hole in the ceiling. He needed a distraction, the only thing he could think about being his argument with Bret.

Shawn wasn’t proud that he’d lost it so quickly. As hot-tempered as he could be, he wanted to believe that he had some sort of control over his emotions. But anger was always his immediate reaction to situations that threw him off, and Bret threatening to leave did just that.

Shawn had never been good with people leaving him unless he was the one kicking them out. It was a trigger, one only worsened by his forced isolation in the post-apocalyptic world. And although Bret was still a stranger in his eyes, the older man threatening to leave, to toss him aside like he meant nothing, still hurt all the same.

No, not hurt. Shawn had too much pride to admit that. But it definitely made him wonder if he should trust Bret or even waste his time getting to know the man if all he was going to do was use him and leave.

Only time would tell - time that wasn’t promised.

Shawn sat up from the cot, breaking the silence in the room as he announced, “I’m taking first watch. I’ll wake you up when it’s your turn.”

Bret watched silently as Shawn dragged a chair towards the window before plopping down in a heap.

With the air still being tense between them, Bret decided to take his chances on sleep, hoping that things between them would be better in the morning.

Unfortunately, morning never came.

It was two hours later when Bret was suddenly awakened from his sleep, Shawn tapping his shoulder frantically as he said in a panicked whisper, “Bret, Bret get up.”

Sensing Shawn’s urgency, Bret shot up in alarm asking, “What? What’s going on?”

“Walkers.”

Bret’s heart quickened at the revelation asking, “Where?”

At that moment, both men’s attention were drawn towards the sound of guttural snarls coming through the barricaded door.

Bret turned back towards Shawn only to see the blond pacing by the window. “Shit, the window’s too small to climb out of. We need to find a way out of here,” he said as he scanned the small room.

Bret asked, “Why don’t he just hunker down? Wait until they leave?”

 “There’s no telling how long we’d be stuck here.”

“And there’s no telling how many there are out there.”

“Do you want to see your parents or not?” Bret went quiet, stumped by Shawn’s response. “Exactly. I’m not leaving shit up to chance.”

Shawn shrugged off his backpack, crouching on the ground to dig through it before pulling out a gun.

“What are you doing,” Bret asked as he saw Shawn load the gun.

“Preparing us for battle. Here.” He handed Bret the gun before taking out another one and loading it as well.

Bret held the gun awkwardly, not having experience with firearms. “Wait,” Bret expressed as Shawn stood after placing the bag onto his back. “You want us to go out there?”

“We have no choice. And by the looks of it, we don’t have much time either,” Shawn said, drawing Bret’s attention towards the window. In the far distance, there were dozens of Walkers emerging from the woods.

“Shit,” Bret said breathlessly. “Why’s there so many of them?”

“Must be a herd passing through, and I’m not trying to be here when they get here.”

“So what do we do?”

More snarls could be heard beyond the door which kicked the pressure up a notch.

“Fuck,” Shawn groaned. “Ok, I need your help unblocking the door. The noise is going to get their attention, so we need to be quick.”

Bret nodded before rushing towards the door with Shawn. They scooted the desk out of the way, both cringing as the legs of the desk scraped loudly against the floor. And as expected, the noise drew the Walkers towards the door, their snarling and groans only getting louder as they approached.

Shawn then held his weight against the door as Bret struggled to move the bookshelf out of the way on his own.

“Hurry,” Shawn stressed.

“I’m trying,” Bret grunted.

As the bookshelf was halfway from the door, Shawn felt a sudden jolt as the door was slightly forced open by Walkers. Shawn gritted his teeth as he tried to keep the door shut while Bret continued moving the heavy bookshelf.

Once it was fully out of the way, Bret rushed to Shawn’s side, forcing the door to close before it was pushed slightly ajar again.

“What’s the plan,” Bret strained, sweat beaming down his neck trying to keep the door closed.

Without warning, Shawn moved from the door, the gap widening to reveal three Walkers. Shawn aimed his  gun before letting out three loud shots, each perfectly hitting their target.

Bret looked on wide-eyed as he heard the Walkers drop to the floor, but he didn’t have time to process anything when Shawn said, “Let’s go. Stay close to me and watch my back.”

Bret felt as if his heart were in his stomach as he and Shawn crept out of the room. Shawn slung his bag forward onto his chest so he and Bret could walk back-to-back, Shawn leading them towards the front of the building as Bret watched out for Walker’s behind them.

Bret jumped in a startle, freezing briefly when Shawn let out two shots in front of them. After hearing the bodies drop, Bret felt Shawn aggressively tug on his shirt, bringing their backs together again as he hissed, “Didn’t I say stay close? Now, come on.”

The men walked a few more steps until Shawn stopped, letting off three more shots, this time aimed at a few Walkers attempting to crawl through a broken window.

Unbeknownst to Shawn, behind him stood a very panicked Bret as he watched two Walkers emerge out of a room and advance towards them. Bret aimed the gun, hands trembling as he struggled to get a good shot. He jumped again as he heard Shawn’s gun let off another round, shooting his target with no issue.

Unfortunately, Bret hadn’t been doing so well, the older man letting off multiple shots that sent bullets flying nowhere near the Walkers.

“Uh, Shawn?” Bret tried to get the blond’s attention, but Shawn was busy leading them closer towards the front doors after killing another Walker.

Bret let off another shot that missed, the Walkers only getting closer in their short distance.

“Shawn!” Bret shouted desperately once the Walkers were almost within arm’s reach.

Shawn whipped around, brows raising in surprise as he realized the danger they were in. He quickly raised his gun and shot both Walkers straight in the head. After watching the bodies drop, Shawn looked at Bret livid as he yelled, “Are you trying to get us killed?!”

Bret was at a loss for words knowing there was nothing he could say to justify what had just happened.

Not wanting to waste more time in the building, Shawn snatched the gun from Bret saying, “Give me that since you don’t know how to use it.”

Shawn covered them both on the way out, the blond stretching his arms out as he let out rounds from both guns at any Walker he spotted. Bret followed closely like a kicked dog disappointed in himself, but did not have the time to dwell on it. They needed to focus on getting out of there.

Shawn killed one more Walker before they both sprinted out of the building, stopping only once they were a few yards out. Shawn tucked his gun into his belt before placing the other one back into his bag.

He looked up seeing that the herd of Walkers had crowded the building they’d just run out of. By the large number of them, Shawn knew it would have been a feckless effort trying to kill them all. They needed to leave.

After one final look at the camp, he and Bret set off into the night, running for safety and back out into the unknown.

Trees flew by like blurred shadows as the men ran off into the night. The sounds of crunched leaves and snapped twigs filling their ears as they thrusted themselves further away from the campsite, the only thing on their mind being survival.

It wasn’t until they emerged from the forest onto a paved road that they came to a stop along the sidewalk.

Shawn bent over, hands supporting himself on his knees as he breathed heavy breaths. Bret leaned against a tree with heavy pants of his own as he felt an uncomfortable cold sweat trickle down his back.

He took a glance at Shawn, noticing how tired the younger man seemed. With much effort, Bret pushed off the tree and walked towards Shawn with clumsy legs.

“Are you ok,” he asked with a light pat on Shawn’s back.

But Shawn was in no mood for a civil conversation.

The blond instantly stood and shrugged off Bret’s hand before forcefully pushing Bret and shouting, “Am I ok?! Really?! What the hell was that back there?!”

“Shh,” Bret quickly hushed the man, urgently stating, “Walkers could be nearby.”

Taking heed to the warning, Shawn whisper-shouted instead, “Oh, the same Walkers you couldn’t kill?! Would’ve been nice to know ahead of time that you don’t know how to shoot a gun.”

“I’ve never owned a gun!”

“You don’t have to own one to know how to use one! How the hell have you been surviving this long without one?”

“I’ve been surviving just fine with my knife.”

Shawn could only look at Bret, shaking his head as he sneered, “Pathetic.”

It’s not that Shawn was against the use of other weapons. He had a knife of his own that was tucked away in his bag that he only used in case of emergencies. However, knives were a waste of time and energy, energy he’d rather conserve by shooting Walkers rather than physically fighting them.

Bret quieted as he watched Shawn pace circles in front of him, the blond obviously lost in some kind of internal dialogue. Bret could only assume the worst as he was reminded of his major fuckup that’d taken place at the camp.

He’d missed his shot – multiple times. He wouldn’t be surprised if this were the final straw for Shawn.

However, Bret was thrown for a loop when Shawn stopped his pacing and walked up to him stating plainly, “If you’re going to be my partner, you need to know how to shoot. And as soon as we find a place to rest, I’m teaching you.”

Shawn stomped off leaving Bret standing there in brief dismay, shocked that Shawn hadn’t kicked him to the curb.

Bret followed suit, catching up to Shawn to say, “I don’t need any damn lessons.”

“Like hell, you don’t.”

“But I don’t even have a gun.”

“I have one to spare, so now you do.”

“But-”

“Shut it,” Shawn said sternly, not having the energy to go back and forth with Bret.

Fortunately, the older man complied, immediately shutting his mouth so Shawn wouldn’t change his mind.

[tameodesza]

Bittersweet

₊˚⊹♡ Prince!Shawn Michaels x Commoner!Bret Hart ♡⊹˚₊

masterlist | AO3 link

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Summary: Prince Shawn informs his parents of his decision to marry Bret, but when their disapproval threatens to tear the pair apart, a plan is concocted to unite the lovers once again.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ a/n: promise I’m working on a oneshot where bretshawn gets together, but I couldn’t help but write some angst for this au!

Silver utensils clinked softly against porcelain plates as the royal family finished their dinner. The king and queen spoke in hushed conversations, Shawn barely engaging as he didn’t have much interest in the topic of trade negotiations. His mind was rather occupied with thoughts of Bret, anticipating the discussion he needed to have with his parents that would ultimately seal his fate.

Shawn finished off his glass of wine, gathering courage as he set his fork down onto his plate. He let out a breath, saying plainly, “Mother. Father. You should be happy to know that I’ve made a decision regarding my suitors.”

The king turned to Shawn quizzically, the queen matching his curious expression. “Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. I know it’s quite soon, but I’m confident in my choice. I…I choose Bret.”

Those words seemed to echo throughout the dining hall as the king and queen went eerily quiet. The two glanced at each other with stone-faced expressions before looking back at Shawn.

Shawn furrowed his brows, greatly confused by their reaction. He assumed his parents would have been overjoyed at the news. He was following through with his betrothal, was a step closer to appeasing the royal council, and he’d finally agreed to commit to someone for once in his life for the sake of carrying out his royal duty.

Yet, all he received was the king’s disapproving grunt as he expressed, “We were afraid you’d do so.” Shawn’s blood ran cold, not liking the ominous undertone. “Son, I need to make you aware of something. Following your suitor selection, multiple concerns were raised by the council concerning your suitors. Well, more specifically, the commoner.”

Shawn frowned, “Concerns? I don’t understand. Isn’t this what everyone wanted? For me to find a partner before years end? That’s what I’ve done.”

“Be that as it may, the council has taken issue with the commoner’s social status, and it was discussed that in the event that you made the wrong choice, the betrothal would be null and void.”

Shawn felt as if the rug had been pulled from under him, anger immediately taking the forefront as he fiercely said, “Wrong choice? How could my choice ever be wrong if it’s supposed to be my fucking decision?”

“Hey, watch your tongue,” the queen scolded. “You cannot marry some measly commoner, Shawn. It would bring great shame to the family. That commoner and his family cannot offer anything of value to us. Your father and I are considering what’s best for the monarchy.”

Angry tears pricked at Shawn’s eyes as he exclaimed, “What about what’s best for me?! If you’ve felt this way about him this entire time, why allow him to court me?! Why allow me to fall for him?! Why wait months after suitor selection to tell me I never even had a choice?!”

The king answered boisterously, “Because we never thought you’d actually pick him! No royal in their right mind would do so. But leave it to you to always go against the status quo. Think about it, Shawn. He can’t take care of you. Do you really think he can afford your expensive lifestyle with him living in a shack?”

“He doesn’t live in a shack,” Shawn scoffed, feeling the need to defend Bret’s honor. “Even if so, I would happily live in a shack if it meant I didn’t have to deal with this royal bullshit!”

“How dare you speak ill of the very establishment that’s raised you, you ungrateful petulant child! Do you know how many people would kill to have a life like this?”

“Then let them have it, because a life without Bret isn’t a life worth living.”

That seemed to stun his parents, the queen saying lowly, “Surely, you don’t mean that. You’re too young to understand-”

“Do not speak as if I’m uneducated. I understand that this isn’t right. Father, please. You can’t let them do this! You’re the king. Your decision overrules anything the council decides.”

“Son, l have a duty to fulfill and a reputation to uphold. And quite frankly, your actions have caused much distress to this family for quite some time. I cannot go against the council on this ruling seeing as your previous unruly behavior has already damaged our family’s name.”

Shawn thought that was a bunch of bullshit. Regardless of how strongly the council felt, Vince had the majority vote. If he wanted to, he could have easily shut down the council’s bogus suggestion.

“What if I refuse,” Shawn asked indignantly. “You cannot force me to marry.”

Done with Shawn’s backtalk, Vince venomously spewed, “If you plan to stay in this family, to see your siblings again, to continue having your riches and security, then you shall! Otherwise, your refusal to marry will be seen as a treasonous act and you’ll be exiled from the family. And as long as you are living under this roof and tied to the McMahon name, your opinion on the subject doesn’t matter. Forget about that commoner. You are to marry a suitor of our choosing and that’s final!”

Shawn left the table in a tearful retreat. He was shocked beyond disbelief, feeling completely blindsided by what had taken place. He refused to believe this was reality, but the conviction in his parents’ voice told him otherwise.

He ran towards the palace doors desperately needing to get away. As he approached the foyer, he ran into Sebastian, begging the man, “Take me back, Sebastian. Please. I am begging you. Please take me back to Bret.”

Sebastian was alarmed by Shawn’s desperate plea. He hadn’t been near the dining room during the argument, but he heard bits and pieces of it as the angry voices carried down the palace halls. He was just as appalled as the prince in the king and queen’s actions. But even with his sympathy, he had his own duties to uphold.

“My Lord, it is after hours. I am not permitted to-”

“If you will not take me, I shall find a way myself!”

Sebastian stood perplexed as the prince looked at him with a determined gaze. It would be a breach of policy to allow Shawn out of the palace past curfew, let alone take him to the home of the man he’d just been forbidden from seeing.

However, Sebastian also cared about Shawn’s wellbeing, and knew the blond would likely get lost if he attempted to head to Beauville alone. That and the danger Shawn would be putting himself in by wandering aimlessly throughout the night was enough for Sebastian to reluctantly agree.

-

Bret’s slumber was abruptly interrupted as he felt a hand tapping frantically on his shoulder, Owen’s voice following, “Bret. Bret, wake up!”

“What is it,” Bret groaned.

“It’s the prince. He’s outside.”

Bret was up before Owen could even finish his sentence, throwing on a pair of shoes before hastily making his way to the front door. He opened it to reveal a teary-eyed Shawn, the blond looking as beautiful as he remembered even under his duress.

Upon seeing Bret, Shawn immediately threw himself into the man, his tears unleashing as soon as he felt Bret’s comforting arms wrap around him.

“Shawn. What’s the matter,” Bret worriedly whispered into Shawn’s ear only to receive another sob from the blond.

Bret’s heart clenched tightly at hearing the prince’s cries of sorrow. He had no idea why Shawn was so upset, but knew it had to be serious for the young man to travel all this way.

Bret shushed the blond, lightly caressing the back of his head as he said gently, “I’m here, Shawn. I’m here. Please try to breathe for me, ok?”

As Shawn tried to control his breathing, Bret’s attention was drawn to the crowd that had formed consisting of his nosy siblings and concerned parents. He waved them off, but they refused to leave. Bret then shifted himself and Shawn outside and closed the door behind them for privacy.

After realizing they were outside, Shawn tightened his arms around Bret, not wanting to be separated from the man.

“I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere,” Bret whispered, lightly running a hand across Shawn’s back. Over Shawn’s shoulder, Bret spotted Sebastian standing nervously by the carriage, glancing ever so often down the road as if anxiously awaiting someone’s arrival.

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Needing answers, Bret pulled away slightly to rest his hands on Shawn’s cheeks, wiping away at the streaks, asking delicately, “Tell me what’s wrong.”

The question only seemed to make Shawn cry more as he blubbered out unintelligible sentences. Bret was eventually able to make out the words, “I told my parents that I want to be with you.”

Bret’s heart leapt at the confession. Shawn wanted to be with him. He told the king and queen. It’s official. But as happy as Bret wanted to be, he couldn’t wrap his head around Shawn’s reaction.

Bret smiled softly, wiping away at Shawn’s eyes as he expressed, “That’s wonderful, Shawn. You have no idea how ecstatic I am to know you want this just as much as I do. But I don’t understand. Why are you crying?”

Shawn lowered his head to Bret’s chest, mumbling, “They won’t allow it. The marriage cannot take place without their blessing.”

Bret stiffened at the revelation, feeling as if a joke were being pulled on him. He gently lifted Shawn’s head from his chest, asking, “Why?” The blond averted his eyes, causing Bret to plead, “Shawn, please tell me why. Did I do something wrong? Is there a way I can fix it? There must be something I can do-”

“You can’t,” Shawn whispered, stepping away from the man hanging his head in shame. “It’s because you’re a commoner that they will not carry on with the betrothal. I’m so sorry, Bret.”

Bret didn’t know how to feel. There were so many emotions rushing through him at once – confusion, anger, embarrassment, betrayal, heartbreak, love for a man he couldn’t have. All because of what? His social status? A class he was born into, just as the prince was born into his?

It was then that Bret understood Shawn’s contempt for the monarchy, the older man growing resentful himself. His love for Shawn only grew as he realized that the blond hadn’t let his family’s prejudice against commoners cloud his ability to fall for one.

Bret let out a sigh, running a frustrated hand across his face before pulling Shawn back into his arms. Shawn seemed surprised by this, assuming that Bret wouldn’t want anything to do with him after the revelation. But he melted into the warm embrace, wrapping his arms around Bret’s neck to hold him closer. They stayed like that for some time, words unable to express their anguish.

Sebastian was conflicted as he watched, for once in his life questioning the decisions of the monarchy. He’d been with Shawn on every outing with each of his suitors, and although it was his duty to remain impartial, he couldn’t ignore the chemistry he witnessed with Shawn and Bret. Sebastian was actually put at ease knowing that someone with such a humble background had captured the prince’s eye. Unfortunately, the monarchy hadn’t felt the same way.

Bret eventually broke the silence when he asked, “What now? What do you want to do?”

“I wish to be with you. Only you,” Shawn whispered into Bret’s neck.

Bret smiled into Shawn’s hair whispering back, “I wish to be with you, too.” A smile also made its way onto Shawn’s lips, but was short-lived when Bret said, “But you must go back.”

Shawn’s head sprung up from Bret with knitted eyebrows, saying, “What? No-”

“I don’t want to make you choose between me and your family.”

“They’re the ones making me choose, not you,” Shawn shouted, no longer able to contain his anger. “You mean so much to me, Bret. What am I supposed to do without you after you’ve claimed my heart?”

Bret felt his throat tighten, clearing it in his best effort not to cry. “But they’re your family, Shawn-”

“I don’t care! That’s how much you mean to me. That’s how much I want to be with you. Do you not feel the same?”

“I do, Shawn,” Bret said softly, shushing Shawn as he pulled him back to his chest. “I do. Please don’t doubt it.”

“It’s not fair,” Shawn sobbed.

“I know it’s not. It’s just…this is so damn hard. I wish I knew what to do to make this right.”

Noting how late it was getting, Sebastian slowly approached the lovers, saying reluctantly, “My Lord, I must inform you that you are expected to return to the palace tonight. It is without a doubt that a search has been issued-”

“No,” Shawn said over his shoulder, refusing to separate from Bret. “I’m not leaving him, so you may as well head back to the palace without me.”

“I- you know I can’t do that, young prince.”

There wasn’t much room left for arguing as the trio heard the rapidly approaching sound of hooves galloping against the dirt road. Knowing who it could be, Shawn pulled Bret into a short kiss, pouring every emotion into it, unknowing if he’d ever have the opportunity again.

“I love you,” he whispered against Bret’s lips, the older man’s eyes watering at the confession as he returned the same phrase.

Just then, multiple white and gold carriages pulled up the house, the largest being the center carriage that housed Shawn’s parents. Several guards exited the other carriages as a coachman opened the door for the king and queen.

Queen Linda was first to step out followed by King Vince, both tooting up their noses in disgust as they took in their surroundings. A desolate neighborhood, dirt roads, tiny homes. This is what their son was drawn to? Ridiculous.

Unbeknownst to them, Bret’s family was watching anxiously from the inside, trying their best not to be seen as they crowded by an open window.

“We’ve got to go out there,” Owen said as he tried to walk to the door, but was pulled back by his dad, Stu.

“Let them handle it,” said the elder man. “If it looks like Bret needs our help, then we’ll head out.”

Owen relented, sitting next to his brother, Bruce, who was just as antsy.

Linda remained standing beside the carriage as Vince slowly approached his son. His eyes immediately went to Bret’s hand that was interlocked with Shawn’s, directing a disapproving glance to his son. He stopped shortly in front of the two, saying, “Ok, Shawn. You’ve made your point known. It’s time to stop playing games and come home.”

“This is not a game, father. If I am not allowed to be with him, then I’m not going anywhere. I love him.”

“Love,” Vince tsked. “That’s outlandish. You barely know the fellow.”

“Yeah, almost as outlandish as marrying a stranger for status,” Shawn smartly replied. “I told you, I’m not coming.”

That seemed to wipe the smugness off the king’s face as he said menacingly, “I wasn’t asking.”

At the flick of his hand, a group of guards rushed towards the lovers, ripping Bret away from Shawn as the blond shouted, “Bret!”

A rush of events took place after that - Bret’s brothers running out of the house in his defense, guards forcefully holding them down as their parents and sisters watched angrily from the doorstep, Shawn breaking away in an effort to get to Bret only to be withheld by Sebastian.

The commotion ceased as Vince’s voice boomed, “If you do not come willingly, these people will be arrested for resisting authority and disobeying royal orders! Is that what you want, Shawn?!”

Shawn struggled to get out of Sebastian’s hold, shouting, “No, you can’t do that! They have nothing to do with this!”

“I can and I will. It’s up to you how this goes.”

Shawn’s eyes frantically darted across the yard, taking in the sight of Bret’s brothers kneeling on the ground under the guards’ force. Then his eyes landed on Bret’s who, even under the painful grasp of a guard, kept his face neutral in an effort to calm Shawn.

Shawn helplessly looked to his mother, saying with a crack in his voice, “Mom?”

The queen was seemingly affected by her son’s plea, but after taking a breath, she said flatly, “Listen to your father. Do not make this any harder than this has to be.”

Shawn lips trembled, feeling an ultimate sense of betrayal. Although his relationship had been rocky with both of his parents, he got along better with his mother. If there were one person he thought could fix this, it would be her. But seeing that she took Vince’s side, Shawn felt hopeless.

The blond’s shattered expression hit Bret hard with emotion. Against his better judgment, he spoke, “It’s ok, Shawn,” which earned him a hard knee to the gut.

Shawn lurched forward but was held back as he watched Bret grunt in pain struggling to catch his breath. “Shawn,” Bret said in a strained voice.

The guard then unsheathed his sword, pointing it at Bret’s neck which caused Shawn to say in a panic, “Ok! I-I’ll go! Just…please don’t hurt him.”

Owen gasped, “No, Prince,” but he was met with the same fate, getting a knee to his side.

“Stop hurting them! I said I’ll go,” Shawn said in distress. Before being led away, he said to Bret, “I’ll never forget you. I’m so sorry this has happened, but never forget that I love you.”

“I love you, too, Shawn,” Bret whispered with a quiver in his voice.

Shawn was led to his parents’ carriage, the blond shrugging off Sebastian’s grasp once he made it to the doors. The king and queen followed behind, the door slamming shut before the curtain on the window was quickly closed.

With the royals out of sight, the guards finally let up on the family before heading to their own carriages. After the loud whinny of a horse, the line of carriages left the home with no intention of ever returning.

Bret sat on his knees a broken man, staring down the dirt path as silent tears streamed down his cheeks. He felt numb as his family crowded around him, tugging and pulling him different directions in concern. With the help of his brothers, he eventually got up and was led inside of the house.

After finding his voice to tell his family he was ok, Bret headed to the stables to get away from everyone. When he was finally alone to his thoughts, Bret cried his eyes out, mourning the loss of a love he only had the privilege to briefly experience.

Shawn found himself in the same position, the blond balled up in the corner of the carriage as endless tears poured from his eyes, not even daring to look at his parents.

The king and queen sat clueless, not knowing what to make of their son. Vince had never been good at comforting his kids, and Linda didn’t know how to fix the situation without giving Shawn what he wanted, an offer that wasn’t on the table.

After another squeak in Shawn’s voice, Linda tried, “You’ll find someone better, I promise. Someone more worthy of the royal-”

“I will never find anyone like him! You’ve ruined everything! I hate you!”

His parents were stunned into silence and nothing else was said for the rest of the ride. After arriving at the palace, Shawn rushed to his room, bypassing the concerned looks of his staff. He cried throughout the night, his sobs not going unheard as Sebastian stood guard outside of his door overtaken with guilt.

-

There was a light knock at Shawn’s bedroom door, followed by Sebastian’s muffled voice, “Your daily news, my Lord.”

Shawn groaned as he rolled his eyes and threw off his heavy comforter, sluggishly making his way out of his bed towards the door. He’d been camped to his room for over a week, refusing to interact with anyone in the palace. His parents initially thought it was a phase. Surely, Shawn was just acting out and would get over it in a couple of days.

But when the days stretched on and Shawn began requesting to have his meals sent to his room, they soon realized Shawn’s tantrum wasn’t as simple as they thought. But that didn’t change the fact that they were still adamant about Shawn finding an appropriate suitor.

Shawn opened his bedroom door and grabbed the paper from Sebastian’s outstretched hand. He unfolded it, lazily glancing it over in disinterest until he froze after catching sight of a bold headline:  

The Search Continues: Prince Shawn Remains on the Quest for Happy Ever After His Majesty, King Vince II, has issued a statement that has shocked the kingdom. His son, Prince Shawn, is still hoping to find Prince Charming. The King states, “Queen Linda and I are very grateful and thankful to the multitude of suitors who expressed interest in our son, Prince Shawn, months ago. But as a result of his courtship, we’re afraid we’ve not yet found a match. We’re announcing that the palace will be hosting another suitor ball, this one not as open as the last. Potential suitors will need to be of royal blood, come from a long line of wealth, and meet various royal standards that the royal council and I deem fit. More details will be released in the following-”

Shawn couldn’t even finish the article, his blood boiling as he pushed past Sebastian to rush towards Vince’s office. The door was heavily guarded, a guard blocking Shawn from entering as he said, “Forgive us, Prince Shawn, but the king-”

“I don’t give a shit what he’s doing. I need to talk to him now.”

As one could assume, the conversation wasn’t productive, it consisting of various obscenities and insults hurled each other’s way.

The screaming match ended when Vince proclaimed, “You’ve embarrassed this family long enough! We’ve accepted your unconventional lifestyle. We’ve swept away your scandals. We’ve even let you relinquish your title. The one thing we ask of you is to marry of the same class! Think of Shane and Stephanie, and how brokenhearted they’d be knowing their older brother chose a mere commoner over his own blood. I’m not going to let your selfishness tear this family apart, so this is happening whether you like it or not!”

-

Bret nearly crumbled after reading the article. He was still in shock at how someone he loved could be ripped away from him so easily. Shocked at how the royals’ privilege allowed them to not only mistreat his family but mistreat their own son as well. He was still haunted by the anguished screams Shawn let out that night, frustrated that he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

For a week, Bret shut himself out from the world, remaining in his room except to tend to the horses and crops. His absence was felt in the market as he refused to work, wanting to avoid the villagers’ pitying glances. Word had traveled fast after his family’s encounter with the royals. Many villagers had visited the Harts to express their condolences, wishing the young couple could experience a happy ending.

But there was also a subset of villagers who were jealous of Bret’s opportunity to court the prince, a few even spreading absurd rumors such as Bret attempted to hold the prince hostage. Fortunately, many of the villagers came to Bret’s defense – a true testament of his good character and positive impact he’d made on the community.  

“Hey, man. How you holding up,” Owen asked after entering Bret’s room to find him sitting on the edge of his bed with the news article in hand.

Bret answered blankly, “I can’t believe they’re forcing him to do this. I know this is not what he wanted.”

“What can we do?” Owen was just as affected over the situation as Bret, offended that the royals would cause such a raucous at their home. And over what? Their son falling in love with his brother? It was outrageous and Owen was fully prepared to do whatever it would take to reunite his brother and the prince.

But his bravado diminished as Bret answered glumly, “There’s nothing we can do. We’re not royalty. We don’t come from wealth. And the palace sure as hell isn’t going to welcome me as a suitor again. It’s a lost cause.”

That saddened Owen immensely. His brother was a hardworking man who always put the family and the village first. Because of this, Owen always worried that his brother would be destined to a lonely life. The prince was the one person that gave Owen hope that his brother had found his better half. But life always seemed to be the cruelest to those least deserving.

With the recent news, the last thing Owen wanted was for Bret to be alone. He gave Bret a light pat on the shoulder, saying, “Come one, man. Let’s go to the market. Work should be a good distraction from all of this.”

Except it wasn’t.

Between the villagers staring at him as they walked past his stall to others shamelessly asking him about the prince, Bret soon regretted his decision, wishing he’d listened to his gut and stayed home. He was constantly reminded of Shawn throughout his shift, especially after a patron asked for a bag of strawberries.

Bret searched throughout their stall double-checking their inventory but was confused to find no strawberries in stock. After excusing himself from the customer, he asked his mom, “I can’t seem to find any strawberries. Are we out?”

“Oh, yes. Sorry, I forgot to tell you, dear. A purchaser from the palace bought everything we had this morning. They even placed an order for a batch of strawberries that are ready for picking in the fields.” Well, it’s not that she forgot to tell him. More so, she wanted to keep anything palace-related from her son, fearing it would only cause Bret more pain.

Bret curled a brow in question. “That’s odd. Why would they order so much?”

“Well, the gentleman didn’t say much. Only that it was requested by someone within the royal family. Any idea who it could be?”

Bret’s heart swelled as he thought of only one man with a strawberry addiction. 

-

Back at the palace, Shawn hadn’t been doing any better.

“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, my Lord, but I don’t think you can survive only off of strawberries.” 

Shawn was in the middle of finishing his third bowl of the day as he sat at his vanity table, opting out of breakfast that morning for the delicious fruit. Normally, he would still be hungry, but his appetite had been lacking ever since being literally ripped away from Bret.

Shawn moped, “If they won’t allow me to be with him, I can at least enjoy his product.” He popped another strawberry into his mouth, relishing at how delicious it was. Yet, he wasn’t able to fully enjoy it as memories of Bret flashed through his mind. 

Sebastian stood by silently, his concern for Shawn only growing in the passing weeks. On multiple occasions, he’d almost crossed the line of professionalism in his worry for the prince. He tried to hint to the king and queen about Shawn’s declining mental state, but he was often ignored as the royals brushed it off as an act for attention.

Their nonchalant approach was unsettling, and it was moments like this one where the prince stared absentmindedly into his bowl that Sebastian knew he had to step in. Royalty or not, everyone reached a breaking point, and Sebastian’s sympathy for the man outweighed his obligations to the monarchy.

Sebastian slowly approached Shawn, pointing to the empty spot on the bench, asking, “May I?”

Shawn looked up, blinking in surprise. His guards usually avoided getting anywhere near him out of formalities, but also out of fear of being accused of doing something indecent with him.

“Sure,” Shawn nodded as he scooted over to make more room for Sebastian. 

After taking a seat on the opposite end of the bench, Sebastian said, “My Lord. I’d first like to apologize for my behavior that night.”

Shawn didn’t need to ask which night Sebastian was referring to. He paused mid-bite into his strawberry, not expecting an apology. After placing the fruit back into the bowl, Shawn said tiredly, “You were just doing your job. I can’t blame you for following my parents’ foolish orders.”

Sebastian bit back the instinctive need to defend the king and queen, insisting, “Even so, my Lord, that night has caused you great pain. And I am ashamed to have ever been part of it. I’ve served your family for nearly 30 years. I’ve watched you grow from a young boy to a young man. In all my years of serving, I’ve never seen you as upset as you were that night. I hope someday you can find it within yourself to forgive me.”

Shawn observed Sebastian, his heart aching for the man as he saw the guilt pooling in his eyes. Shawn didn’t hold a grudge against any of the guards, understanding that they were just following orders. He knew how tyrannical his father could get when he didn’t get his way.

It only made Shawn grow more bitter towards his parents. So much pain had been caused just because of their obsession with appeasing the council rather than their own son.

Shawn gave a gentle smile, saying sincerely, “I accept your apology, Sebastian. No need to allow this to become a burden.”

“Thank you, my Lord. I am relieved to hear that. I also feel that it is my duty to try and right this wrong.”

A look of puzzlement crossed Shawn’s face as he asked, “Hm? What do you mean?”

Sebastian smiled softly as he relayed, “I’ve been with you on every courting, young prince. With Mr. Hart, you two seemed to be better suited for each other. You seemed happier in his presence, so happy that you ran off into the woods with him and left this poor old guard behind.”

Shawn said sheepishly, “Sorry about that.”

“It is fine. The point I am getting at is that a love like that, one naturally formed between two strangers, is hard to come by. I’ve seen so many royal pairings live a loveless marriage, one full of dread and sorrow knowing they’re destined to a life with someone out of duty. It is not for the faint-hearted, and I fear you may be destined for the same. You deserve better than that, and I have too much care for you to idly sit by as it happens.”

Shawn felt his eyes watering, touched to know that someone within the confines of the palace actually cared about his feelings. Sebastian’s kind words only reminded Shawn of Bret, of how the older man made him feel seen.

Sebastian handed Shawn a handkerchief, the blond taking in graciously before dabbing his eyes. “Thank you, Sebastian. Not just for the handkerchief,” he chuckled. “But for having my best interest at heart. I’d give anything to see Bret just one more time. I…I miss him dearly.”

“Worry not, my Lord. I have a plan.”

—

A month had passed since that fateful night and Bret attempted to move on. But that was easier said than done, and he was starting to believe that the phrase ‘time heals all wounds’ was a lie.

He sat on a stool next to his stall, his sore feet thankful for the short break. But his break was short-lived as an odd man in discrete clothing approached him, casting a shadow over him as he blocked the sun from Bret’s view.

Bret glanced up to tell the man that they were closed for lunch, but he was shocked to see that it was Sebastian standing before him in a dark, tattered cloak.

“Sebastian?” Bret asked before looking around eagerly hoping to find Shawn in tow.

But he was disappointed when Sebastian whispered, “He’s not here, Mr. Hart. I’m actually here on his behalf. Um, may we please go somewhere private? I would like to avoid being seen.”

“Yes, of course,” Bret said before hastily leading them around the corner to a dark alley. After ensuring no one was around, Bret urgently whispered, “How is he? Is he ok?”

“He’s,” Sebastian stalled, but decided to be transparent. “Honestly, he’s not doing well, sir. Your forceful departure has left him quite shaken. He wishes for me to tell you that he deeply regrets putting you and your family in the position you’re in.”

“He shouldn’t regret anything. None of this is his fault. He and I have been nothing but pawns in the hands of the monarchy, and it’s not fair to either of us. God, if only I could see him one more time. At least to tell him he doesn’t have to harbor any guilt over this. I-” Bret cut himself off in a grunt, deeply frustrated with the situation.

“Well, that’s exactly why I’m here. I’m sure you’re aware of the masquerade ball that is taking place next week at the palace.”

“How could I not be,” Bret muttered. The extravagant event had been the talk of the kingdom, only the most elite suitors being invited to the occasion.

“I hope you’d be pleased to know that my Lord has extended you an invitation.”

Bret was taken aback, unsure if he’d heard the man correctly. “An invitation? Me? At a ball? At the palace?”

“I know it is a risk, but it is something I am fully prepared to help you with if you so choose to attend.”

“I don’t understand. How would I even get in unnoticed, especially with my dingy attire?”

“A valid question, Mr. Hart, but worry not. We’ve got it all planned out. If I can get your measurements today, I can have a tailored suit delivered to you by the end of the week. Since it’s a masquerade ball, you will not be expected to show your face. When arriving at the palace, you shall identify yourself as the Duke of Cardonia, Lord Jericho. He’s a close friend of the prince and has been made aware of this plan. I’ve done all I can up to this point, but it is up to you to take hold of the opportunity.”

Bret felt a bit overwhelmed, Sebastian’s information coming at him a mile a minute. It was a risk, a huge risk, to sneak into the event, and if it didn’t go well, Bret didn’t even want to think of the repercussions. But then he thought of Shawn and how miserable he’d been ever since they were separated from each other, knowing he wouldn’t rest easy if he let this opportunity slip by.

So Bret agreed to the plan, allowing Sebastian to quickly measure him to get the proper dimensions for his suit. As he finished up, Sebastian said, “Oh, before I forget.” He dug around under his cloak before pulling out a sealed envelope stating, “It’s a personal letter from the prince. I’ll leave you to it. Fair well, Mr. Hart.”

Bret held the envelope with shaky hands, heart pounding as he caught a whiff of the light cologne Shawn had spritzed on the paper. It was the same sweet cologne he wore on their courtship, the smell immediately taking Bret back to that day.

He opened the envelope, pulling out a folded piece of paper before opening it to reveal Shawn’s neat handwriting:

To my dearest Bret, Words cannot express how much I cherished our time together and loathe our time apart. Every day without you feels like a cruel punishment from the gods, and I grow resentful every second of my life that you are not in my presence. Though it is a risk, I hope that you’ll accept this invitation to the masquerade ball for I wish to see you once more. I miss you. And I hope to see you soon.  I love you, Shawn

Bret was misty-eyed after reading the short letter, no doubt in his mind that he was going through with the plan.

[tameodesza]

👑Prince AU: Headcanon 2

₊˚⊹♡ Prince!Shawn Michaels x Commoner!Bret Hart ♡⊹˚₊

masterlist

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Summary: Shawn's courting process has begun, and this focuses on Shawn’s courtship adventures with Mark and Ric.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ a/n: I’m writing a one-shot for Shawn’s courtship with Bret, so stay tuned for that ! But Bret does make a small appearance in this headcanon.

Duke Mark ݁ ˖ ⭑ ‧₊˚ ⋅ જ⁀➴࣭ ₊˚ ⋅

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Mark was the first of Shawn’s suitors to start his courtship with the prince. Shawn left early that morning to make the long trip to the secluded land of Death Valley. He wasn’t excited for it, but was eager to leave the palace, his morning already starting off on the wrong foot after getting into yet another argument with his parents at breakfast:

“You must take this seriously, Shawn. The sanctity of marriage shall not be disrespected,” the king warned. “Sanctity? I fail to find marriage’s sanctity if one must marry not for love.” “Whether it is out of love or duty, marriage, especially one of royal standing, is to be expected. You must commit, as I have with your mother, for living the rest of life as a bachelor will not be fulfilling.” “Do not speak as if your marriage is one to envy when you’ve lain with women other than your wife. Is that the life you envision for me as well?”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ The hurt look on the queen’s face made Shawn regret his words, but he was so done with his father’s hypocrisy. Who was he to question him about marriage’s sanctity when he’d been unfaithful to his mother on multiple occasions? Just because he was better at hiding his scandals from the press didn’t mean it didn’t happen.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Sebastian, his guard for the day, politely advised Shawn to remain open, to not let his sour mood sway him from giving Duke Mark a fair chance.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ His bad morning was forgotten as his carriage pulled up to a large dark castle, his white carriage a stark difference to the black one parked in front of the castle’s steps. At the bottom of the steps stood Mark and a portly short man with a creepy smile, both dressed in all black. Shawn was a bit taken about by the shorter man’s wail of a voice as he welcomed Shawn to their land. Everything about their surroundings screamed unconventional, but only made Shawn that much more curious about the mysterious Duke.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Their date started out a bit awkward as they rode in Mark’s black carriage in silence. Shawn attempted to make small talk, but it wasn’t nearly as easy or effortless as it was with Bret. Although Mark was a man of few words, he was nice to look at, so that was a plus. If they weren’t being watched so hard, Shawn had no doubt he would’ve tried to make out with the man at some point during their ride. 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn was spooked when the carriage rolled up to a funeral parlor attached to a massive cemetery. It was quite bizarre. Not his typical idea for a first date. But he was put at ease when Mark informed him that his family offered mortuary services and specialized in casket-making. His family had been providing services in the kingdom for decades, and the business was passed down to him once he came of age.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ As they walked along a path in the cemetery, Mark spoke of the history of the valley, stopping at a few headstones of important figures like the town’s old mayor whose wife requested for Mark to build a custom casket for her husband. He also spoke of a judge from a few towns over who’d garnered such a bad reputation that the family traveled all the way to the valley, hoping they could find someone to give him a proper burial, which Mark did. 

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn listened intently as he got lost in the stories, finding them a good distraction from their ominous setting. He didn’t bank on having a potential husband that dealt with dead bodies for a living, but he didn’t judge.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥  All was going well until they stopped at a particular headstone. Nothing like meeting someone’s deceased parents on the first date:

“Here lies my mother and father. They died in a tragic accident many years ago.” “Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that,” Shawn gently relayed. He couldn’t imagine what it felt like to lose a parent. As much as he fought with his own, he knew he’d be devastated if anything tragic ever happened to them. “It’s ok, dear prince. They still visit me.” Shawn raised a brow asking, “Visit? As in your dreams? “Something like that,” was the only explanation Shawn received, which he wasn’t sure what to make of. “In a recent visit, my mother told me that she didn’t want me to live the rest of my days alone. She yearned for me to find someone kind, beautiful, bright, and deserving of my love. When I saw that you were on the quest for love, I realized that you were the answer to my mother’s wishes. And it would be an honor to have you walk a path of darkness by my side.”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn felt like the Duke laying it on pretty thick, but he acknowledged the kind words, appreciating that Mark was confident enough to wear his heart on his sleeve. Shawn left the date feeling like Mark was a nice, sweet man. Odd, but nice. They went on a couple more outings after that, but Shawn still wasn’t sure if he was ready to run to the altar.

King Ric ݁ ˖ ⭑ ‧₊˚ ⋅ જ⁀➴࣭ ₊˚ ⋅

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn’s courtship with Ric was one he’d rather forget.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ It started out fine, the wealthy king taking Shawn out fine dining in one of the richer towns near the palace. Ric spent an uncomfortable amount of time boasting about how pretty Shawn was before spending the rest of the evening talking about himself. Shawn was barely able to get a word in, but he didn’t have much to complain about as he drank continuously throughout the night, shamelessly running up the bill.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ The only thing of value he learned of the king was that if they were to marry, this would be Ric’s fifth marriage, and Shawn would become a stepdad to three children. No thank you.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn didn’t intend on moving things further, but somehow, Ric was granted permission to take Shawn out again the next day. Shawn was highly confused about it because only he was allowed to request additional time for courtship. Shawn suspected that Ric must have either flexed his power to his staff or brown-nosed his father to allow it to happen.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ It rubbed Shawn the wrong way. But he played along, determining that if he’s forced to be around the insufferable man, they’d at least do something that he wanted to do. So Shawn convinced Ric to take him to one of his favorite places – Beauville:

“Why would you want to visit that treacherous village,” Ric asked in disgust after they settled into Shawn’s carriage. Shawn had to stop himself from replying with a sharp retort, feigning ignorance as he said innocently, “Even commoners deserve to catch a glimpse of who their prince is marrying. Do you not agree?”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Never one to pass up showing off his royal status, Ric agreed, ordering the coachman to take them to the village. Wanting to impress the prince, Ric told Shawn to buy whatever he wanted once they entered the village’s market. Shawn happily did so partly to help out the small businesses, but also as payback for Ric extending their courtship without his permission.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ They stopped by various stalls, Shawn asking the king to buy a wide array of trinkets, fabrics, and jewelry. Ric’s nose was tooted up the whole way, internally scrutinizing the poor quality of the items.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ As they made their way through the market, they happened to stop by the Harts’ stall. Seeing that Bret was working, and knowing that Bret was also a fellow suitor for the prince, Ric flexed his wealth in front of the common man:

“Buy whatever you please, young prince. I’m sure this common fellow will do well to serve us.” Shawn side eyed Ric, displeased in his smug behavior, before bringing his eyes to Bret. A smile crept onto his face as he asked gently, “What would you recommend?” A light smile made its way onto Bret’s face, his heart skipping a beat before saying, “The strawberries. Freshly picked this morning.” He grabbed a bag and handed it over to Shawn. Shawn’s eyes lit up, taking the bag as he said enthusiastically, “Thank you.” As Ric attempted to pay, Bret refused, “It’s on the house.” To which Ric rudely snapped, “Unlike you, I’m not a charity case.”

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn wanted to punch the man, and likely would have if he’d face no repercussions. Instead, he watched as Ric threw down a wad of cash, steeply overpaying for the small bag of strawberries.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shawn threw Bret a mischievous smirk, giving him a look that said not to inform the king of the mishap. Bret snorted in laughter but played it off as a sneeze when Ric looked back his way. Ric then held out his arm, Shawn taking it in a grimace before being whisked away from Bret. His short interaction with the man only made him that much more excited for their courtship.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ If the date had ended right there, Shawn would have been pleased. But unfortunately, the worst was yet to come.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ After their shopping spree, Ric took Shawn back to the rich town they’d visited the day before. They dined at another fancy establishment, and just like the previous night, Ric droned on and on about himself – gloating about his riches, flexing his status, offering to show Shawn the world if he’d let him. “I don’t need a man to show me anything I can see myself,” Shawn quipped. But that was all that needed to be said for the king’s mask to slip:

Ric let out a humorless breath, cutting into his steak as he voiced, “I was warned of your smart mouth, young prince. It is of no wonder that the palace is searching for someone strong enough to keep you in line.” Shawn scowled, not liking the crude undertone. “I don’t need anyone to keep me in line. Besides, it’s not like you’d be the one to do it if need be.” Ric tsked, quietly uttering in French, “Tu verras une fois que je t’aurai au lit.” (You’ll see once I have you in bed)

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Unbeknownst to Ric, Shawn was fluent in the language and understood him loud and clear. Shawn grabbed his half empty wine glass and doused the red liquid onto Ric’s face, shouting, “Tu es un putain de cochon!” (You’re a fucking pig)

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ The noise alerted Shawn’s guards who were standing outside of the private dining area. As Sebastian checked to see if the prince was alright, another guard forced Ric out of his chair, backing him away from the prince to create space. Shawn requested to be taken home and was quickly escorted out, ignoring Ric’s cries of it being a misunderstanding. Safe to say their courtship was null and void.

Bret ݁ ˖ ⭑ ‧₊˚ ⋅ જ⁀➴࣭ ₊˚ ⋅

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ one-shot coming soon!

a/n: used google for the French translations, so sorry if it’s not accurate!

[tameodesza]

Dead Ends (BretShawn) ch.2

<<ch.1 | masterlist | AO3 link | ch.3>>

Summary: Bret attempts to learn about his new partner, but Shawn remains a mystery. However, Bret is an open book.

Bret and Shawn were like oil and fire, the only thing they had in common being the need to survive.

Beyond their initial greetings, Shawn was quiet, quick to shut down any attempts Bret made at small talk. It’s not like Bret was a chatty guy himself, but with the long journey ahead, he’d rather pass the time by getting to know Shawn instead of hearing their boots tread on the marshy ground.

As the night turned to day, Shawn seemed to become increasingly irritable, the lightening sky mockingly reminding him that they’d yet to find shelter.

He was beyond exhausted, his adrenaline from escaping a herd of Walkers long gone. He desperately needed a place to rest – a safe place. The longer their journey continued to stretch in their search, the more Shawn festered over the fact that if it weren’t Bret, he would have been resting in the comfort of his own cabin.

Unaware of Shawn’s growing contempt, Bret tried to ease the tension by asking, “So, what’s your story?”

As expected, Shawn ignored his question, so Bret tried again. “How long have you been surviving alone?”

Crickets.

After being ignored again, Bret said almost amusedly, “You’re not very talkative, are you-”

“Do you ever know when to shut the fuck up,” the blond snapped, coming to a stop as he turned to face Bret.

Bret didn’t know whether to be shocked at Shawn’s tone or the fact that Shawn even responded in the first place. Bret said warily, “I’m just trying to pass by the time.”

“And I’m just trying to have a piece of mind. Kind of hard to do that with you talking my ear off.”

Unlike Bret who was grateful to be in the presence of another human, Shawn had grown accustomed to being alone. Alone with his thoughts, alone with no one to answer to.

Bret’s line of questioning was starting to irk Shawn enough that he began wondering why he’d agreed to partner up with the older man.

“Ok,” Bret said. “I’ll shut up.”

Shawn turned in a huff as he continued walking, momentarily calmed by the silence he was finally granted. However, his solitude was soon interrupted as he heard Bret humming a tune, the deep timbre of his voice assaulting Shawn’s ears.

Shawn contemplated shooting the man, and he probably would have if he weren’t concerned about wasting bullets.

Shawn said emphatically, “What the fuck did I just say?”

“What,” Bret asked innocently. “You said I couldn’t talk. Not that I couldn’t hum.”

Suddenly, wasting bullets didn’t seem like the worst offense.

Shawn felt his temper rising and had to calm himself before he popped a vein.

Not wanting to hear Bret hum another note out of tune, Shawn humored him by asking, “What’s your story? How’d you end up in the woods?”

Bret paused, a bit stumped that Shawn was initiating a conversation. “Um,” Bret pondered, not even knowing where to begin. “I was in a bunker when the virus began to spread.”

“A bunker. How lovely,” Shawn said flatly. While he’d been out fighting for his life every day since day one, Bret had been living a privileged life in a bunker.

Bret explained, “It was my brother’s. Owen. He’d been obsessed for the longest time with doomsday prepping. As soon as he and his wife bought their house, he renovated the basement into a makeshift bunker, stockpiling it with food, water, medicine and whatever else he thought was necessary for any emergency.”

Bret smiled faintly to himself as he remembered Owen dragging him to a supermarket to fill up his car with tons of supplies he’d bought that day to stock up the bunker.

“I used to tease him so much for it, saying that he’d better not be dipping into his son’s college fund to afford this lifestyle. Little did I know, his bunker would have been our saving grace just three years after he began building it.”

Shawn listened to Bret intently. Initially, he didn’t care to learn anything about the older man. He honestly planned on ignoring him after asking the question. But the more Bret went into his backstory, the more Shawn became curious as to what would follow.

Shawn asked, “What was he prepping for specifically?”

Bret made a face as he struggled to recall. “I remember him being concerned about a nuclear fallout. He wanted enough food and supplies to last us until the armed forces came to the rescue. I don’t think he ever envisioned his bunker being used as a shelter to avoid a zombie apocalypse.”

“I don’t think anyone ever envisioned there being a zombie apocalypse,” said Shawn.

“Yeah. I remember that day like it was yesterday.”

Date: February 9, 1996 Time: 5:35 am Location: Calgary, Alberta 

Bret jogged up the steps of his suburban home breathing heavily from his morning run. Upon entering the home, he headed straight for the kitchen to grab a drink of water and a napkin to dab the sweat off his forehead. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he noted that he had a few hours to get ready for his job as a personal trainer.

Just as he was about to head upstairs, his eye was caught by the red light flashing on his telephone signifying that he had a few missed calls. Being that it was five in the morning, Bret found it quite odd.

He was about to check his answering machine when the phone rang loudly, Bret immediately putting it to his ear to hear his brother’s frantic voice.

“Bret! Bret! Hurry, you need to get here quick!”

“Woah, Owen slow down. What happened?”

“Haven’t you heard?! There’s been attacks all across the city! People eating people! It’s the zombie apocalypse!”

“What?!” Bret couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Zombie apocalypse? Like in the movies?

“Get here quickly! Now!”

“My brother had been known to be a jokester, so I wasn’t sure if he was playing a trick on me. But there was no mistaking the panic in his voice. And on the drive to his house, I saw everything with my own eyes. Walkers roaming the streets, people getting torn limb from limb, the same people coming back as Walkers themselves, others fighting for their lives. It was tragic.”

Shawn nodded, remembering just how tragic his own town had become in the wake of the virus.

“So, we stayed in the bunker. Me, Owen, his wife, his son, and my sisters Diana and Georgia.”

“A lot of people for a bunker,” Shawn added.

Bret let out a chortle, “Could’ve been more if we included the whole Hart family. There’s twelve of us in total.”

“Damn,” Shawn said, baffled as he wondered why the hell anyone would raise that many kids.

 “It’s a lot, I know. We stayed in the bunker. Tried to make do with what we had. It wasn’t too bad in the beginning. We still had power, running water, and stayed updated with what was going on via the news. But once the power shut off, we lost all communication to the outside world. We had no idea how long we’d be stuck down there, but we knew it was unsafe to go anywhere else.”

“If things were so great, why’d you leave?”

Bret answered thickly, “I was forced out.”

Shawn glanced at Bret questioningly before looking back at the trail as he waited for the man to elaborate.

“We were raided. One minute, I’m sitting in the corner watching over my nephew as he takes a nap. The next minute there’s explosions, tear gas, gunfire. Complete chaos. I couldn’t see a thing and we somehow got split up in the commotion. The last thing I remember is running out of the emergency exit of the bunker before the house exploded. The force of the explosion sent me flying and I was knocked unconscious.”

“Oh, shit,” Shawn said, furrowing his brows at the bizarre chain of events. He had no idea what he’d expected Bret’s backstory to be, but it certainly wasn’t that.

“I don’t think I was out for long, but by the time I became conscious, the house was ablaze and there was a group of walkers headed my way. I didn’t want to leave, not without my family. But I had no choice but to run. That was about a week ago.”

Shawn crossed his arms, thinking heavily on Bret’s situation. The older man’s desperation back at the cabin made a lot more since now, not that Shawn thought it excused his behavior. But to go from having food, water, and shelter at his fingertips from the very beginning to now having to survive on his own, Bret hadn’t been trained to survive like Shawn had been forced to.

But something about the story seemed off.

Shawn said, “No one just raids a bunker like that. You must have had a rat in your camp.”

“Or in my family.”

Shawn raised a brow. “You think someone in your family did this?”

Bret sighed, “I haven’t had the greatest relationship with some of my siblings, especially my older brothers. It’s not hard to assume that they were probably bitter over Owen not offering the bunker to them. I just don’t want to believe that any of my brothers would do that-”

“Well, believe it,” Shawn said sternly. “You can’t trust anyone in this world. Not even family.”

It made sense. Who else would’ve known the location of the bunker aside from his family? Shawn was fortunate enough to be an only child, and this situation only proved his point.

Neither man knew how to continue the conversation after that, both opting to walk in silence.

Bret was battling with the idea that his family had turned on them. Although he didn’t always get along with his siblings, he would never do anything that would put his family in harm’s way. But he didn’t know if he could say the same about some of his siblings.

Bret only hoped that his sisters, Owen, and his nephew made it out ok. The last thing Bret wanted was for them to get split up. In a world like this, there was strength in numbers.

That was another reason why he was so adamant on visiting his parents’ home. What if Owen was headed there as well? They could be reunited. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but being optimistic was the only way Bret knew how to cope.

The silence between them was eventually broken when Shawn said offhandedly, “You need to shave once we get a hand on a razor.”

The comment came at a left field, Bret having to think on it before asking, “What? Why?” He’d barely call what he had a beard. It was stubble at best.

Not to mention, Shawn’s blond beard was fuller and scruffier than Bret’s. So who was he to talk?

Shawn asked, “Have you ever had Walker guts get in your beard? The smell is awful and takes forever to get rid of.”

Bret was dumbfounded as he asked, “Why would I ever be in a situation where Walker guts would be in my beard?”

Shawn stopped walking, looking at Bret as if the answer were obvious. “When you’re in the midst of covering yourself with Walker guts, a beard tends to get in the way.”

Bret scrunched his face in disgust saying, “Why would I do that?”

Shawn’s temper began to flare, irritation laced in his voice as he said, “How the hell have you survived this long without knowing the most basic thing there is to know about Walkers?”

Bret said smartly, “Well, seeing as I was in a bunker for nearly three months, my experience with Walkers is pretty minimal.”

The blond groaned, facepalming as he realized this was who he agreed to be his partner.

He took a deep breath, clasping his hands together before saying, “Ok. Walker 101. Walkers are blind but have a strong sense of hearing and smell. They mostly rely on sound to get around, but also rely on smell to pinpoint humans.”

“Ok, I’m following,” Bret nodded slowly.

“Now, let’s just say you’re in a desperate situation where there’s a herd of Walkers and the only way out is to go through them. If you cover yourself with the blood and guts of a Walker, your human scent will be masked, and you can walk through the herd undetected. I’ve had to do it a few times, and don’t want to ever do it again.”

And it was a situation Bret never wanted to be forced to deal with. He said, “Got it. No beard. I’ll take care of it if I get the chance.”

“Also, if you haven’t learned by now, don’t let a Walker bite you. It’s a sure-fire way for you to turn.”

“That one seems obvious.”

“I thought Walker guts were obvious, too, but here we are.”

“Ok, ok, I got it,” Bret said in defense. He asked out of curiosity, “Is there a cure for it?” He and Owen held onto hope that the government would figure out a cure to the virus quickly.

Shawn scoffed as if offended by the question. “There’s no curing that shit.”

So much for hope, Bret thought to himself.

Bret was about to take off walking again when he noticed Shawn looking him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. “What?”

“You’ll need new clothes, too.”

Bret looked down at his attire before asking, “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

Shawn tilted his head with an arched brow, “You’re wearing flannel.”

“Ok?”

Shawn huffed, “The shirt is too thin and stiff, easy for Walkers to rip through. And your jeans-”

“Oh, come on-”

“They’re too tight. The fabric doesn’t allow for much movement. And the worst offense of all, your fit is just plain ugly.”

Bret blinked a few times as he tried to recover from the dress down he’d received. Who knew in a post-apocalyptic world that his fashion would be criticized.

Bret looked over Shawn’s outfit in an attempt for a comeback. But he had to admit that the blond’s black cargo pants, stretchy long-sleeved shirt, padded vest, and combat boots were better suited for survival.

“Noted,” Bret said.

“Good,” said Shawn as he set off walking down a different path.

Bret briefly collected himself, clearing his throat and dusting off Shawn's insults before trailing behind the blond.

“Holy shit,” was what Bret heard upon reaching Shawn, the blond looking on in disbelief as he read a sign that was nailed onto the bark of a tree. “Happy Valley Summer Camp. 4 km Ahead.”

Shawn didn’t have the mental capacity to convert that into miles, but he knew that they couldn’t have been too far from the camp.

“Come on,” the blond ushered as he walked forward with more of a pep in his step. “Shelter must be ahead.”

“Hey, wait up,” Bret called as he jogged to catch up to the younger man.

It took some time to travel down the curvy path, but after emerging from a few trees, both men were relieved to see a large sign stating: Welcome to Happy Valley Summer Camp! Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

Shawn sneered upon seeing the sign, “The only thing I’m happy about is having a place to rest. Let’s check it out.”

Bret followed Shawn’s lead as they walked down the entrance, taking in the sight of the camp. There was a large building in the center of the campground surrounded by multiple cabins. There was also a firepit and a lake located behind the buildings.

“Seems small,” Shawn stated as his eyes scanned the area.

“I remember this place,” Bret said in a gasp. “It’s been around for decades. Wasn’t called Happy Valley in my day, but it looks the exact same. My parents used to drop me and my siblings off here every summer.”

“Good, so you know the layout.”

Bret nodded, “If it’s anything like I remember, then yeah.”

“Hm,” Shawn said in thought. Teaming up with Bret was beginning to sound less dreadful, not that Shawn would admit it.

“Ok,” Shawn said definitively. “You take the lead.” Bret looked at Shawn unsure if the blond were being serious as he’d been leading the two of them since they got together. But seeing that Shawn’s expression didn’t waver, Bret said, “Ok,” and began walking with Shawn in tow.

[tameodesza]

Dead Ends (BretShawn) ch.3

<<ch.2 | masterlist | AO3 link | ch.4>>

Summary: The men explore the camp, and Bret takes a trip down memory lane.

Date: May 7, 1996 Time: 2:03 pm Location: Abandoned summer camp

The men spent most of the afternoon exploring and checking the perimeters of the camp to ensure that there was no immediate threat in the area.

Bret first led them through each of the five small cabins that surrounded the main building. They searched the cabins meticulously of not only Walkers, but other survivors as well. Fortunately, they’d only been met with dusty bunk beds, cobwebs, and tiny rodents.

They then headed to the main building which consisted of the dining hall, kitchen, office, recreation room, supply room, and medical center.

The medical center was Shawn’s holy grail as he’d stocked up on various supplies – pain medicine, gauze, bandages, ointment, and whatever else he could stuff in the front compartment of his backpack. He’d had one too many close walls with Walkers, and the last thing he wanted was Walker juices getting into an open wound.

“Here,” said Shawn as he tossed Bret a few bandages and alcohol pads.

Bret barely caught them, unprepared for the sudden throw. “What do you want me to do with these?”

“Cover your wounds. We both got scratched up back at my cabin.” The scrapes that Shawn and Bret had collected on their hands from escaping through the broken window were light cuts that were probably already healing, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Bret did as he was told, hissing a bit at the sting of the alcohol before covering the back of his hand with a large bandage.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t been as lucky while exploring the kitchen.

“Dammit,” Shawn grimaced as he opened yet another empty cabinet. “What type of summer camp doesn’t keep snacks around?”

“Well seeing as the virus began to spread early in the year, I’m pretty sure the camp was closed.”

“Still,” Shawn said as he moved to a lower cabinet, “There’s gotta be something in here.”

And that’s when he found it. Not snacks, but two full cases of bottled water that seemed to have been accidentally left behind.

Like a kid opening presents on Christmas Day, Shawn wasted no time ripping open the plastic packaging. He tossed Bret a bottle before cracking open one of his own.

The water was warm and tasted a bit stale, but both men greedily downed their bottles, not caring about rationing for once since there was plenty of water available.

Bret had just finished his second bottle, saying satisfactorily, “God, I really needed that.” Bret hadn’t drank clean water since leaving the bunker, so he was extremely grateful of what they’d come across. “Who knew water could taste so good?”

Shawn was busy making more room at the bottom of his bag so he could house as many water bottles as could fit. “Enjoy it while you can. Who knows how long we’ll be staying here.”

“Wait,” Bret questioned, pausing from opening a third bottle . “I thought we were just staying for the night. I still need to head home, remember? I mean, that was the whole point of this trek.”

Shawn stood from his backpack, facing Bret as he said plainly. “Look, I’m tired. Exhausted. Drained. And whatever other synonym fits the bill. I just need a break to clear my head. We’ll discuss it in the morning,” he said as he turned back to crouch by his bag on the ground.

“Shawn-”

“In the morning,” Shawn repeated emphatically. He wasn’t just physically drained, but he was mentally exhausted as well. He didn’t have it in him to think of a plan.

Seeing that Shawn was still busying himself with his bag, Bret relented, “Fine. The morning.” Morning couldn’t come quick enough.

They searched the kitchen a little while longer but determined that there was nothing else of value.

Shawn picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder saying, “I checked the taps earlier. Seems like the place doesn’t have any running water. I’m gonna go wash up at the lake before it gets dark. Cover for me, will ya?” It was more of a command than a question, a common theme in the way the blond spoke to Bret.

It shouldn’t have been a big deal. Shawn wasn’t asking Bret for much – just to keep a lookout for any threats while he’s in the lake. He could do that. No problem.

But Bret soon became uncomfortable upon reaching the lake, his ears reddening when Shawn began undoing his belt before carelessly shedding his clothes and plopping them on a nearby picnic table.

Out of respect for Shawn, and himself, Bret turned away to put Shawn in his peripheral vision, but out of clear view of his naked body. It wasn’t until Bret heard Shawn entering the lake that he turned around, just catching a glimpse of a tattoo on Shawn’s ass cheek before it was submerged out of view.

An ass tattoo. That was something Bret didn’t expect to see, especially from the seemingly uptight man.

“I’ll be quick,” Shawn called Bret’s way as he treaded his hands through the water.

The blond fully submerged himself underwater for a few seconds before coming up for air, his blond hair now darkened by the water that trickled down his strands. He rubbed his eyes clear before moving his hands along his body in an effort to clean himself. Although he didn’t have any soap for a thorough wash, just being in the water helped him feel somewhat clean.

Shawn let out a content sigh, this being the first time he felt truly relaxed in a long time. Things had been so tense ever since the outbreak, especially with him being forced to survive on his own. He’d never been given an opportunity to let go, even just for a moment.

But with Bret around to watch his back, Shawn was going to take full advantage of the opportunity.

Shawn closed his eyes, allowing himself to become weightless as he floated in the lake, taking in the sun that beamed on his skin.

As Shawn soaked in his tranquil state, he was unaware of Bret’s lingering gaze. Despite his apprehension, the older man hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of Shawn ever since the blond stepped into the water.

Bret was privy to the fact that he thought Shawn was attractive. Very attractive. But between the blond’s angry tirades and the frequent insults he hurled Bret’s way, it was pretty easy for Bret to ignore those thoughts.

But seeing Shawn so…exposed, vulnerable, and calm was having an effect on him.

Bret eventually forced himself to look away – not just out of fear of Shawn catching him looking, but also out of fear of the way his body would react.

So he focused on surveying the area – the unkempt grass surrounding the cabins, the trees beyond the lake, the faint chirping of birds that managed to survive in the area. Anything to keep him from focusing on the man inside of the lake.

As he took in the current state of the summer camp, Bret couldn’t help but reminisce on the times he spent there as a kid. For multiple summers throughout his childhood, he’d come to this very camp making new friends, painting in the recreation room, roasting smores in the fire pit, swimming, and canoeing in the lake.

Those were happy times for Bret. The camp had been his safe haven. It allowed him to escape from his hellhole of a home despite some of his siblings being at the camp as well.

He liked it so much that he even became a camp counselor in his later teenage years – and boy were those summers to remember.

It was during those years that he shared his first kiss on the dock of the lake with a girl he had a crush on all summer. And that next year, he had his first summer fling with a pretty boy who’d caught his eye. That summer was one he’d never forget, one full of self-discovery, first loves, teen angst, and experiences that helped shape who we was at present day.

Those were simple times that Bret wished he’d appreciated more as he reflected on the current state of society.

Bret was pulled from his nostalgia by the sound of Shawn rising out of the water. As promised, the blond’s swim was quick, the man only being in the lake for about five minutes.

Bret chose to look elsewhere as the blond approached, but briefly caught a glimpse of the man as he handed him a towel he’d found in the supply room. He instantly looked away, fighting his curiosity.

As Shawn dried himself, he asked, “Are you getting in? I can cover for you.”

Bret said all too quickly, “No, I’m good.”

Shawn curled a skeptical brow at Bret before shrugging it off, sliding on his boxers as he said, “Suit yourself.”

After dressing and roughly towel-drying his hair, Shawn led them both back towards the main building. “So about our sleeping arrangements. I think we should stay in the medical center. It’s cleaner and there are enough cots in there for us to have our own space.”

Bret glanced at Shawn, noting how his hair dried into a nice wavy pattern. He shook off the thought, asking, “What about the cabins?”

“You saw the state of those. I’d rather not sleep with critters if I don’t have to.”

Amused, Bret teased, “You’re scared of a little spiders?”

Shawn deadpanned, “It’s not the spiders I’m worried about, jackass. It’s the snakes you told me roam around here at night. Those cabin doors are not secure, and I’m not trying to wake up to a snakebite.”

That was something Bret could agree with.

After claiming a cot in the medical center, the men barricaded themselves inside with a desk and a bookshelf they’d found in the room.

“You think this will hold,” Bret asked skeptically, his voice slightly winded from moving the large bookshelf.

“It’s all we have, so it’ll have to do,” said the blond before walking back to his cot.

‘Dinner’ that night was pretty sad, the two opting to share half of a granola bar and a stick of jerky as Shawn was running low on snacks. They drank a few bottles of water hoping it’d help suppress their appetite until the morning.

Both men rested on opposite sides of the room trying to find comfort on the stiff cots. Bret tried to busy his mind by counting the cracks in the ceiling to pass the time.

As the night approached, Bret’s attention was caught by the sound of Shawn raucously digging through his backpack as if looking for something important. Bret squinted his eyes in the darkening room to see that the blond had come to a stop, staring into the bag lost in thought.

Bret thought the behavior was odd, but remained quiet not wanting Shawn to know he was observing him.

After a short moment, Shawn seemed to snap from his haze and closed his bag before setting it aside on the ground. Although Bret didn’t have a good view, there was no mistaking the gloomy look that made its way onto Shawn’s features, and Bret wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Maybe Shawn was just tired. It had been a long day, and Bret was pretty sure the blond was still upset over losing his cabin.

So Bret stood up from his cot as he announced, “I can do the first watch. You should get some rest.”

That seemed to pull Shawn from whatever state he was in, the blond asking, “You sure?”

Bret confirmed, “Yeah, I’m not that tired anyway.” Which was a lie. “I don’t mind.”

Shawn didn’t look as if he believed him, but with the thoughts that were looming in his head, he could use the rest.

“Ok,” Shawn said before lying flat on his cot, curling onto his side and shutting his eyes in hopes of quickly shutting off his mind.

Bret found a chair in the room and placed it next to the window before taking a seat. He looked out onto the dark horizon, the starless night only illuminated by the full moon in the sky.

Bret gazed at the moon inquisitively, a silly thought coming to mind as he wondered if the virus had made its way up to space. It was a thought he knew his brother would be fond of, the man always open to what-ifs. If only Owen were around for Bret to share the thought with.

Bret took his eyes off the moon, not wanting to upset himself of his brother’s absence, and focused on the sound of Shawn’s evening breaths. As Shawn’s breathing seemed to deepen, Bret glanced over to check if the man was asleep.

“Shawn,” he softly called, but didn’t receive a reply.

Bret sank back into his chair as he let out a deep sigh. Everything seemed to hit him all at once in that moment, his thoughts running wild over what had taken place in such a short period of time.

It seemed almost unreal that he’d just been in the safety and comfort of his family. And just like that, it was gone in an instant. Just like that, he was catapulted into a world he hadn’t grown accustomed to, or rather hadn’t been forced to grow accustomed to until now.

It was even harder for him to wrap his head around his new partner.

Shawn was a wild card. And although Bret was grateful for the blond’s expertise, he was unsure if he could trust the man. Yes, they seemed to be warming up to each other. But Shawn’s warning to Bret still stuck with him:

“The moment you fuck up, I’m out”

That along with how flippantly Shawn had pointed a gun at him during their first encounter put Bret a little on edge.

If he said the wrong thing to the blond, how was he to know that the man wouldn’t slit his throat in his sleep, or leave him in the middle of the night?

He didn’t know him well enough to brush away those thoughts. And with Shawn refusing to open up about himself, Bret could only speculate.

But as unsure as he was about the man, Shawn was valuable. Shawn taught Bret so much in their short time together than Bret could have ever learned on his own.

Bret knew he needed to keep Shawn around at least until he made it to his parents’ home. That was his ultimate goal. What would happen of their partnership after that, Bret had no idea.

He’d just have to wait and see.