Small little ficlet while I'm debating updating my other two stories.

Winnings: Fluffy, young Randy and Cody.

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone. ….. Sadly

Summary: Cody remembers the first time he realized he was in love with Randy.

The hall ways were dark and huge compared to a six year old Cody Rhodes walking through them. He had his lip tucked in, teeth clamped down sharply on it. His eyes scanned the nearly empty arena his dad had carried him too. He had gotten lost somewhere between the entrance and his dad carrying him into his own dressing room. He remembered squirming free and wondrously beginning to roam the halls. The six year old was on a mission. He needed to find his best friend in the world. A goofy smile came to the young boy's lips as he patted across the halls.

An eleven year old Randy Orton turned from his father as he heard the small giggle, a familiar sound. "Cody?"

"Randy!" The voice ten octaves above normal hearing range rang through the arena as Cody made a running leap into Randy's arms; he buried his face into the older boys neck. "I mithed you tho much!" his lisp prominent in his speech.

"Codes, what are you doing here?" He unwrapped the smaller from his arms and settled him back down onto the floor. Large baby blues stared up at him. Randy looked nervous, many older wrestlers were watching with curiosity at the coupling. "I'm busy…" The eleven year old motioned with a nod of his head towards the other men in the room.

"I'm thorry Randy; I wath juth excited to thee you." A throng of "Awe's" was heard around the room and Randy blushed, pushing the younger man away he took a step back. The action caused Cody to stumble to the floor. A look of pain and not understanding came over Cody's face and he began to cry. Randy looked over his shoulder at the men who were shaking their heads. "Cody, I'm busy with my dad, you should go…"

Cody looked to Randy. He didn't understand. Cody was always first to Randy. Randy was Cody's hero, his best friend. The six year olds brows creased in anger and he stood up, "Fine! I wouldn't want to hang out with you any way Randy! I'm way cooler than you are!" And he stomped away.

The eleven year old Randy looked on. He didn't mean to upset his friend. He didn't even know why he did. He just felt that he shouldn't be so soft around the older wrestlers, especially his dad who was looking at him with worry.

Turning back to the group of guys Randy tried his hardest to push Cody from his thoughts.

A very startled Dusty Rhodes was met with an arm full of Cody as he turned the corner from his locker room. "What's the matter baby-boy?" He hugged his son close to his torso and with a single finger pushed his chin up so he could look Cody in the eye. His cheeks were flushed and tear struck, his eyes were fuzzy and his lip was quivering.

"Randy puthed me daddy! He thaid I thould go!" And he buried his face into his father's neck and sobbed the broken habit of not sucking on his thumb forgotten as he pushed the digit between his lips. Dusty shook his head and smiled lightly, Cody was turning into a drama queen. But he supposed the feeling of being pushed by his best friend and told to go away would cause him too to run into his father's arms and suck his own thumb.

"It'll be okay Cody, here…" He sat the sobbing boy onto a bench in the hall. "You stay here, I'll go get you a soda from the machine and then we'll get out of here, sound good?" The six year old nodded and started to protest as his father pulled his thumb from his mouth and shook his head. "Now, none of that, you know that's not good for your teeth baby-boy. I'll be right back, do not move wouldn't want you getting lost."

Cody was swinging his legs back and forth in the air as he sat in his place on the bench. He had long forgotten the mix up with Randy and was cheerfully awaiting his can of soda. A treat he very seldom was lavished with. He didn't hear the small but larger than his footsteps making their way slowly towards him nor did he hear the distant call "Cody…"

Randy took a seat next to Cody and pulled his young friend to his side. "Cody, I'm sorry about pushing you and saying those mean things." He didn't give Cody a chance to react before he began talking. He ran his short fingers through Cody's baby soft hair as he spoke. A subconscious act he had started when he was nine.

Cody looked up, a smile plastered back on his lips. "Ith okay Randy, I forgive you!" And he turned in his seat to tackle Randy to the floor in a large hug. Randy laughed as Cody giggled. "Cody, get off." He grunted as he started to remove himself from under the youth.

"Thorry Randy." And Cody was back to his calm state.

"Here you are Cody, a can of soda just…." Dusty turned the corner only to step back as he caught the show before him. Randy was picking a crying Cody up from the floor. He had suddenly tripped on his untied shoe lace while he was showing Randy the latest ninja turtle move he had caught on TV not to long ago and had smashed his head into the corner of the bench. Randy was carrying the crying boy to the aid door down the hall and Dusty followed suit.

When the aid was done with Cody he told Randy he had just scratched his head and that he would be fine. She smiled softly at the way the older of the two boys caressed the younger with a soft hand. Cody was playfully swatting at Randy. Cody giggled as Randy rolled his eyes. Cody jumped form off of the steel chair he was set on. "Thank you for swaving me Randy! You're my hero!"Cody launched himself at Randy who caught him.

"Your welcome Codes. " And he picked the boy up again. "I bet your dad is worried about you, lets go find him." Dusty walked into the room when he heard mention of himself. "Thank you for saving my boy Randy." He playfully continued. "I am forever in your debt." And he pulled a squirming Cody from Randy's arms and handed him his can of soda. "Here you go, oh that's a nasty scratch their baby-boy."

"Ith okay daddy, Randy swaved me!"

Cody was shaken from his memories as a groggy Randy rolled beside him. "Baby, what are you doing up so late? It's three in the morning?"

"Sorry Randy, I was just thinking…" Cody curled up into Randy's side and smiled in content.

"Thinking about what?"

"The day you became my hero…" The response made Randy smile and go off into his own world of memories, memories full of young Cody scuttling after him around arenas from that day forward. Memories of saving the younger man when he was stuck in a rut… Good memories, memories he would never block out. Because those brought him closer and closer to his boy, the boy currently snoring softly against his chest.