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Boredom.
That was the only word that came to Shawn’s mind as he sat alone in the banquet hall, wallowing in self-pity with his head resting lazily in one hand as he twirled a fork on the empty plate in front of him with his other hand.
He, as well as many other wrestling spouses, had been invited to the Slammy Awards in support of those nominated. The award show ended about an hour ago, and with the camera crew gone, an open bar, and no fans in sight to judge, the wrestlers and WWF execs were able to finally let their guards down at the after party.
With Bret being gone to catch up with his brother and friends, Shawn was left to people-watch from the table he and Bret had been placed at for the evening.
It was entertaining at first. From his observations of the party, he’d concluded that his husband surely did work with a strange crew of people.
He thought back to the many crazy stories Bret would tell him about how wild things tended to get when the wrestlers partied, especially when alcohol was involved. Shawn could only hope that the night wouldn’t end with anyone getting arrested…again.
Unfortunately for Shawn, people-watching soon became uninteresting as time stretched on without Bret’s presence. What was even more unfortunate was that his own friends weren’t around to entertain him.
Scott, Kevin, and Sean were gone to another company. Thankfully, Hunter was still around, but he was occupied with talking to his new girlfriend, Joanie. Shawn smiled when he thought to himself how cute they looked together, but he was still bummed that Hunter was busy.
Sadly, it was highly unlikely that anyone else was going to talk to him.
With him being the husband of such a respected wrestler who had a leg up in the company, Shawn was convinced that people were afraid to talk to him without Bret around. Maybe it was the fear of saying something accidentally offensive to Shawn or being accused of hitting on him. Whatever it was, Shawn’s evenings without Bret were usually uneventful.
One of the few downsides, if any, of being married to Bret Hart.
Shawn scanned the room in another desperate attempt to find his husband. He didn’t have to search for long, spotting the older man in the corner talking to Owen and Jim. Davey walked up behind Bret to shove another shot in Bret’s direction, Bret accepting the drink reluctantly.
Shawn sank lower into his seat as he moped, “It’s going to be a long night.”
As much as he could pull the whiny husband card to get Bret back where he wanted him, he didn’t want to ruin Bret’s fun. So he settled on twiddling his thumbs as he impatiently waited on someone to take him out of his misery.
Shawn wasn’t sure how much time had passed from him staring at his fingers, but his attention was soon drawn to the sound of the chair next to him scraping against the floor as someone said, “Oh my. You really are as pretty as they say.”
Shawn jumped slightly in a startle at the unexpected intrusion before looking at the person in question. He couldn’t form any words, completely taken aback by the person’s appearance.
Almost on instinct, Shawn’s eyes shifted back towards Bret’s direction, disappointed to see that the man was still busy. He turned his attention back to the enigma of a person sitting beside him.
The man had long, platinum blond hair that was obviously a wig. He wore a face of makeup consisting of black eyeshadow with sprinkles of gold glitter, eyes lined with black eyeliner, thick mascara, and black lipstick. Shawn also noticed his nails were painted a golden color, matching his perfectly tailored gold suit which he wore with a black shirt underneath.
Shawn could confidently say he’d never seen anyone like him.
Noticing Shawn’s stunned silence, the stranger quickly stated, “Oh, where are my manners? I’m Dustin, but my friends call me Goldust. You’re Bret’s husband, right?”
The mention of Bret’s name seemed to relieve Shawn a little. Dustin – Goldust? – must know Bret somehow. Maybe they work together?
“Yes,” said Shawn as he nodded slightly. He was still a little weary to talk to him. However, Bret always encouraged him to make new friends, and what better time than now when his husband and best friend weren’t giving him any attention?
“Whew, I thought I’d mistaken you for someone else for a second. Our husbands work together.”
Shawn raised an interested brow. “Oh, really? Nice to meet you. I’m Shawn.”
Goldust extended his arm to shake Shawn’s hand as he expressed, “Oh, I know who you are.”
“Hm? How?”
Although Shawn traveled with Bret from time to time, he didn’t remember interacting with any other husbands of wrestlers backstage, let alone someone who looked like Goldust.
Goldust let out a hearty laugh. “No one scoops up a Hart and goes unnoticed, especially tying down someone like Bret. I don’t know if you know this,” he lowered his voice as he leaned forward, “he’s a bit intimidating.”
Shawn got a kick out of that. Bret? Intimidating? Please. His husband really did have quite the reputation.
Shawn smirked as he said, “He’s nothing to be intimidated by. Trust me. He’s a big softie, but you didn’t hear it from me.”
“It’s still impressive that you were able to sliver your way into his heart. But you’re quite the catch yourself, Shawn, so I can see why.”
“Why, thank you,” Shawn said smugly, never one to shy away from a compliment. “But it’s not hard to sliver your way into his heart when he’s the one chasing after you.”
“Ooo,” Goldust perked as he leaned closer to Shawn. “Do tell.”
Shawn found Goldust’s enthusiasm quite amusing. He didn’t think his and Bret’s love life was that fascinating, but apparently it was from Goldust’s reaction.
Shawn answered, “He was just very persistent with me. Kind of desperate if you look at it from another angle. But I’m glad he didn’t give up on me, no matter how many times I rejected him.”
Goldust gasped dramatically. “So you’re telling me the almighty Bret Hart was rejected?”
“Yeah. Well, it’s really a long story. To make things short, I was attracted to him, and I did have feelings for him, but I wasn’t ready to be in a relationship. Thankfully, he kept coming back and eventually talked me into dating him.”
“Aww, how cute. Reminds me a little of me and my Mickie.”
“Mickie? Wait. Who are you married to?”
Goldust smiled fondly as he said, “Mick Foley,” pointing a finger in the man’s direction.
Shawn followed the line of sight to a man who stood across the room talking to another wrestler. The man had shoulder-length curly brown hair and was wearing a suit that didn’t seem to fit him too well. What really caught Shawn by surprise was the brown leather mask adorned on his face.
Goldust continued, “Even without the fans around, he still stays in character. His dedication is one of the many things I love about him.”
The longer Shawn looked at the man, the more he remembered seeing him a few times backstage, but he’d never officially met him. He also never even knew the man’s real name. He was more familiar with his current gimmick, Mankind.
“Isn’t he a stud,” Goldust said endearingly.
Shawn turned back to see Goldust looking at Mick with stars in his eyes. Although Mick seemed a little odd, it was quite obvious that Goldust loved him and appreciated his quirks.
Shawn asked, “How’d you two meet?”
Goldust averted his attention back to Shawn as he answered, “We met through the business, as most people do. Many years ago, I was working in the independent circuit as a costume designer. I did makeup sometimes too, as you could probably tell,” he said as he gestured to his face. “But my main focus was on making ring gear.”
“Wait, seriously? You used to make ring gear? Sounds like a lot of hard work.”
“Oh, trust me. It was. But it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. I worked under my industry name, Goldust.”
“So that’s where the name comes from?”
Goldust’s smile widened as he explained, “No. Well, actually, it’s a funny story. Silly, really when you think about it. Before Mick and I got together, there were times where we would run into each other backstage, and he’d always ask, ‘What’s that gold dust on your eyes?’ He refused to call it eye shadow, no matter how many times I corrected him. So, he started calling me Goldust whenever he saw me, and it stuck.”
“That’s…creative. Was that his way of flirting?”
“No, Mick’s just cute like that. He’s always making up cute little nicknames for me. Goldust is probably my favorite though. I mean I did use it as my ring name when I wrestled.”
Shawn’s jaw nearly dropped. “You used to wrestle too?!”
Goldust’s smile seemed to falter briefly in hesitation before he put back on his confident smile. Although the moment was brief, Shawn caught it. It seemed like something was bothering the taller man.
Right as Shawn was brainstorming how to switch the conversation, Goldust answered, “Yeah, I wrestled for a short while. A little before I became a costume designer and a little afterwards. To be honest, I really didn’t want to do it. I only got into it because of my dad.”
Shawn nodded, “I see. Was he a big wrestling fan?”
Goldust was amused at Shawn’s obliviousness. “No, sweetheart. He was a wrestler. Dusty Rhodes ring a bell?”
Shawn was quickly learning that Goldust was full of surprises.
Of course Shawn was aware of the Dusty Rhodes. He was one of his and Hunter’s favorite wrestlers growing up. He was a legend. However, as much of a wrestling fan as Shawn was, he was unaware that Dusty even had a son that wrestled.
In disbelief, he asked for confirmation, “Dusty Rhodes is your dad?”
Goldust nodded. “Yep. Imagine trying to follow in those footsteps.”
“Sounds like an unfortunate situation to be in.”
“Oh, it was. I was never completely in love with wrestling the way my dad was, but I wanted to make him proud. And it’s not like he gave me much of an option. I had to live up to his legacy, continue the wrestling tradition. I’d convinced myself in the beginning that I enjoyed it, but I didn’t. I wasn’t happy at all.”
That was sad for Shawn to hear. Fortunately for Shawn, he never had to deal with the dilemma of coming from a wrestling family like Goldust and Bret did, but he could still relate to Goldust, especially on wanting to make his dad proud.
At one point in Shawn’s life, his dad was very adamant on him joining the military to follow in his footsteps. It didn’t help that Shawn was quite an unruly child which further led his dad to believe that Shawn needed the structure and discipline the military offered. Needless to say, Shawn quickly and adamantly shut down that idea. His dad also made it no secret that he’s less than happy with Shawn’s househusband status.
Not quite the same pressures of coming from a legendary wrestling family, but the feeling of disappointment was all the same.
“Did it ever make you happy,” Shawn asked.
“Yeah, but only when I began to wrestle the way I wanted to. I started doing things I liked and wearing what I wanted to wear. Sadly, what I liked seemed too…flamboyant for my dad. As soon as I started making decisions for myself, I’ve been nothing but a disappointment.”
Shawn really wished he knew how to comfort Goldust, to tell him he’s not a disappointment although he’d just met the man. Shawn knew those feelings too well and was glad he had Hunter around as a friend during those dark days.
“I’m sure you’re not a disappointment, Goldust.”
Goldust gave a sincere smile, not the usual one that masked his feelings, but one out of pure appreciation at Shawn’s attempt to comfort him. “You’re too kind, Shawn. But he’s made it known all too well how disappointed he is in me. We haven’t spoken in years.”
Shawn couldn’t help but feel a little upset at hearing that. As much as his own dad didn’t approve of his lifestyle, he never shunned Shawn or refused to talk to him because of it. Of course, he never missed an opportunity to remind Shawn that he had more to offer to the world than being a stay-at-home husband. However, he loved Shawn dearly and, admittedly, would be a fool to not see how happy his son was with Bret.
“Do you miss it? Wrestling, I mean.”
Goldust took a moment to respond as he thought on the question. “Not really. It was a blessing in disguise that I got out when I did. Mick and I had been dating for a few years by then, and the stress of wrestling on top of family drama was really starting to get to me. Getting out was the best decision I could’ve made for myself.”
“What was it that made you finally leave? Anything in particular?”
Goldust sighed, “Mick always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do. He gave me the strength to go out there in the ring and wrestle in a sparkly gold suit, a wig, and a face full of makeup. He supported whatever made me happy, and it meant so much to me.”
“But it wasn’t enough to make you stay,” Shawn concluded.
“Yeah. Regardless of how much support Mick provided me, it was hard. I didn’t have the passion for wrestling to help me get through it. Not to mention, not many men backstage respected an openly gay man in makeup. The taunting, the harassment, the bullying. It was all too much.”
“I didn’t even think about it from that perspective. That must’ve been horrible.”
“Very. There was a point in time where I would cry almost every day, often to Mick. He saw how I was treated and wanted me out, but he didn’t want to force me. I was also worried about my finances. I made more money wrestling than I ever did designing costumes or doing makeup. Quitting just didn’t financially make sense to me at the time.”
Shawn could also relate to that. Before marrying Bret, he’d been working in an office, and as much as he hated the job, he was hesitant to leave it when Bret initially brought up the idea. Shawn wasn’t used to having to depend on someone else financially. It was a scary thing to think about. But it was the best decision he’d made to be with Bret.
Goldust continued, “But I eventually made the decision to jump ship when Mick proposed to me. He promised to take care of me, so I’d never need to wrestle again. Now, it’s not like Mick’s rolling around in money, but he’s a pretty frugal guy, and he’d saved up a good bit of money around that time. I had no doubt he’d do his best to provide for me, and he has.”
“Wow, that’s good to hear. He sounds like a sweet person based on what you’re telling me.”
“He’s the sweetest guy. I know I don’t deserve him, but he loves me for some odd reason,” he said as he playfully twirled a lock of hair. “So I’m going to cherish him for as long as he’ll let me.”
“You do deserve him, Goldust. Everyone’s deserving of someone who loves them as deeply as you’re describing.”
“If you say so. Mick’s all I have. It’s been like that ever since we met. I know I can be a lot to handle. I wouldn’t know what to do if he ever got bored of me.”
Shawn exclaimed, “Bored of you? That doesn’t seem possible from what I’ve gathered.”
Goldust beamed, “Well, thanks for the confidence boost, darling. It’s just that I know I seem quite odd to most people. Then again, Mick and I are certainly an odd couple, not even going to lie.”
“Hey, whatever works for you two. I’m not judging.”
“That’s good to know. Anyways, sorry for making the conversation all about me. I really did mean to come over to get to know you and have a little fun.”
“It’s fine. I’m enjoying getting to know you. I am curious about something, though. Does your husband ever get shit from the boys for being with you?”
It was a question he’d asked purely out of his own concern for Bret. Bret hadn’t openly announced to the world that he was gay, but it was no secret either, and he certainly didn’t shy away from the fact that he was married if anyone asked.
Shawn only hoped that Bret didn’t have to deal with the bullying or harassment that Goldust had been through. If the guys harassed Mick for it, it wasn’t far-fetched to think they’d target Bret as well.
Shawn’s concern lessened when Goldust answered, “No, I don’t think so. Or at least Mick hasn’t told me. I think his odd persona makes people turn a blind eye to him anyway. Plus, he’s an up-and-coming guy in the company. They tend to not get bothered backstage.”
“Well, that’s great,” Shawn said reassuringly to himself. “I’m just worried about Bret is all. I don’t want him going through what you went through with the bullying. And lord knows he wouldn’t tell me if it happened to him.”
“Psh! A Hart getting bullied? No, honey. His family has too much power for that to happen. You have nothing to worry about.”
That was all Shawn needed to hear to be put at ease. Deciding to switch up the conversation, he asked, “So what do you do now?”
“I mostly travel with Mick these days. I’ll still help out the guys with their gear from time to time. Only if they ask nicely,” he ended with a mischievous grin.
At that moment, Shawn felt a pair of warm hands resting on his shoulders before hearing Bret whisper into his ear, “So I see you’ve met Dustin.” He gave Shawn a peck on the cheek before slumping down in the chair on the other side of Shawn.
Shawn gave a warm smile as he reached for Bret’s hand, intertwining their fingers, thankful that his husband was finally with him after being stolen away from him for most of the night.
“You look a little flushed, babe,” Shawn said in amusement, taking in the red undertones of Bret’s cheeks. It’s not like Bret couldn’t handle alcohol, but it was clear to Shawn that he was a little buzzed.
Bret groaned, “Yeah, Davey kept feeding me shots and Owen was egging him on.”
Shawn snickered, “Yeah, I saw.”
“And yet, you didn’t come save me,” Bret grumbled.
“Hey, it looked like you were having a good time!”
It certainly did not look like Bret was having a good time.
“Oh please,” Bret said, unamused. “I couldn’t get away any quicker.”
“You were gone for so long, though,” Shawn pouted.
“I’m sorry, baby,” said Bret, kissing Shawn’s hand in comfort. “I’m here now and I’m not leaving.”
“Good,” Shawn said with a cheerful smile that was returned by Bret.
Shawn and Bret were in their own world until they were both caught off guard by a bright flash. They looked to see Goldust holding a disposable camera pointed in their direction. “Aww, you two are so cute! I just had to capture the moment.”
“I’m not sure if I should be weirded out or flattered,” Bret said half-jokingly.
Goldust frowned. “Oh, just take the compliment. I’ll give the picture to you once I get it developed. You’re welcome.”
“Is it not enough that you were talking my husband’s ear off the whole evening?”
“Shawn looked like he was bored out of his mind before I came over. I was purely providing entertainment. Some people would pay top dollar to talk to me, you know?”
Whatever retort forming on Bret’s tongue was cut off by Goldust bellowing, “There goes my man!”
Shawn looked up to see Mick walking up behind Goldust, smiling widely, or at least as wide as his mask would allow him, as he said, “Hey, Goldie.”
Goldust pulled the man down for a quick kiss, promptly wiping away the remnant of his black lipstick from Mick’s lips before gesturing for Mick to sit in the chair on his other side.
Mick waved to everyone at the table before asking Goldust, “You enjoying yourself?”
Goldust nodded as he gestured to Shawn. “I’ve been talking to Bret’s lovely husband, Shawn. He’s been really good company.”
Mick perked up as he noticed Shawn holding hands with Bret. “Oh, you’re Bret’s husband? I knew you looked familiar. Nice to meet you,” he said with another friendly wave. “I’ve heard so much about you from Bret here.”
Shawn raised a brow, grinning towards Bret inquisitively. “Really? You talk about me?”
“All the time,” Goldust piped in. “How do you think I knew what you looked like? A while ago, he showed me a picture of you that he keeps in his wallet.”
Feeling embarrassed, Bret felt the need to defend himself, stammering over his words before saying, “To be fair, you wouldn’t quit bugging me on who I was married to. So I showed you.”
“I was only curious about who could steal the hitman’s heart.”
“Curious or nosy?”
“Both.”
Mick chuckled, “That’s my Goldie. Gotta love him for that.”
“Right,” Bret deadpanned.
Shawn squeezed Bret’s hand in appreciation. He didn’t want to embarrass his husband any more than he already was, but it felt nice to know that Bret showed him off to his peers. Certainly put his heart at ease on the thoughts of what Bret did when he wasn’t around.
“Which picture was it,” Shawn asked out of curiosity.
Instead of answering, Bret reached into the pockets of his suit to pull out his wallet. He pulled out the picture, handing it to Shawn begrudgingly. Shawn accepted the photo, smiling fondly once he recognized the picture. He remembered the day the picture was taken like it was yesterday.
It was a picture of him dressed in a sweater, thick coat, and a beanie as he spread his limbs out on the snowy ground, smiling enthusiastically at the camera, proud of the snow angel he’d created. It was Shawn’s first trip to Calgary, and of course Bret chose to invite him during one of the coldest days of the year. As miserable as Shawn was in the chilly weather, he was amazed at the sheer amount of snow that collected on the ground and demanded that he and Bret make snow angels before leaving. It still remained one of his favorite memories with Bret.
“This picture is so old, Bret. You could at least show people a more updated photo,” Shawn said lightheartedly.
Bret shook his head no as he grabbed the picture from Shawn, returning it to its rightful place in his wallet. “It’s one of my favorite pictures of you. We could recreate it if you want.”
“Hell no,” said Shawn, quickly recoiling at the thought of laying in the freezing Canadian snow again. Although he was a resident there now, his tolerance for the cold was still minimal.
“So what do you do up there in Canada,” asked Goldust, pulling Shawn’s attention back to their conversation.
Shawn shrugged, “Nothing much.”
“You don’t hang out with friends?”
“Most of my friends are in the states, so I don’t get to see them as often.”
Goldust gasped. “Bless your heart. You must be so lonely up there.” He grabbed a lone fry, tossing it in Bret’s direction. “How could you leave your poor little husband up there all alone?!”
Shawn burst out laughing as he exclaimed, “That’s what I said!”
Bret put up his hands in defense, “Hey, don’t gang up on me! He’s free to travel with me whenever he wants.”
“It’s ok, Shawn,” said Goldust, ignoring Bret’s plea. “I’ll visit you in Calgary and we’ll have lots of fun. Mick will just have to put up with me being gone. That ok, Mickie?” Goldust twirled a strand of Mick’s hair as he waited for a response.
“Of course, Goldie,” said Mick, earning another peck from Goldust.
Bret groaned a little at the idea of a nosy Goldust roaming his house, but the look of excitement on Shawn’s face was all he needed to not comment on it.
The night ended with Shawn and Goldust making plans to hang out in Canada, both hearts full at knowing they’d made a new friend.