Title: Why Hello There
Summary: (I've got nothing) Will things work out for Cody? SLASH
Disclaimer: Of course, I do not own
Rating: A for aggravating (Subject to Change)
Author Note: Takes place during Legacy. I on purpose didn't list any pairings! (ain't it annoying? =D) The whole not using names makes it especially hard to write, so I'm apologizing in advance for using certain terms over and over. I also feel like the writing doesn't flow like I'd like it to in some parts but oh well!
_o_
He did his best to betray no reaction to the faint touch of a fingertip starting at the muscular curve of his neck, and traveling softly down his spine. Cody knew that if he showed any acknowledgment of the caress the man who did it would instantly pretend nothing had happened, and even worse, spend the next couple of days avoiding him.
So he stood as nonchalant as he could and continued to put his ring gear into the duffel in front of him, all the while his heart beat painfully in his chest. After a short moment of agonized waiting, desperately hoped for another touch, yet dreading it, he finally heard the sound of footsteps walking past him, deeper into the locker room.
Cody wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed at the absence of his teammate. He took a deep breath that shook through his body and slowly leaned his head forward. Cody didn't think he could pretend not to feel, not to notice, much longer.
He jerked suddenly as a large hand slapped him on the back, quite a difference from the gentle caress that had taken control of his mind. He managed a weak smile for the other member of Legacy as he playfully punched him back. "We going out tonight or just driving to the next show, and hopefully getting some sleep?" Cody asked
"Hmm, I'm not real sure, either/or sounds good to me, but let me ask our third wheel," he said, smiling gorgeously.
"Now you better call him that to his face when you ask, or I'll be sure to tell him myself!" Cody laughed as he dodged a punch that was thrown his way by his taller teammate.
"Puh-lease! Since when have I been afraid to say what I think?" he said in reply with a smirk, as he walked towards the back of the locker room.
Cody kept the smile on his face for another instant or so before falling back into his earlier thoughts. Cody just didn't know what to do about the situation. He wanted desperately to say something, but was scared of the repercussions.
How awkward would it be if Cody confronted him and he just played it off like it was nothing? Or worse, if they try to make it work and failed. He didn't want to lose a good friend, not to mention the tension it would create at work. And speaking of work, what about the other member of Legacy? They were all close, but something like this would change them forever, he was sure.
Cody slowly began banging his head quietly against the cool metal. No matter what happened he couldn't be sure of winning anything, and after this last moment, he wasn't sure he could hang on much longer without upsetting the status quo. Sooner or later it was all going to explode. Cody knew the smart thing would be to make a decision and then contingency plans, but he felt lost as to what he truly wanted.
Luckily for his head, he had slowly stopped with the abuse as he mulled over the situation he was in, and so he was able to hear the low voices of his partners as they walked his way. Quickly Cody stuffed the rest of his gear into his duffel and put a hopefully neutral expression on his face.
"So did you guys decide what we're gonna do tonight?" he asked with what he prayed was a normal sounding voice. The problem with trying to sound like you always do is that you never seem to notice how you naturally sound, and so are doomed to fail at trying to repeat it.
Carefully avoiding looking into his face as he replied to Cody's hopefully casual question, helped with concentrating as Cody heard, "Well I'm up for a couple beers I guess, though of course you guys don't have to come. What with me being a third wheel and all."
The small smirk on his face showed he wasn't offended by the term, as he stood there slowly driving Cody crazy. Cody managed a weak smile, grabbing his bags and followed them to the door, but a hand on his shoulder held him back as he turned to look into a pair of concerned eyes. But they weren't the eyes that had caused so many sleepless nights for him, just those of a good friend.
"You okay, man? You look kind of peaked."
"I'm fine, really. Just been doing some hard thinking lately, nothin' big," Cody said, hoping he sounded okay enough that his partner wouldn't pry.
"Alright, just make sure you take care of yourself. No one wants to wrestle someone who's all sick and snotty, ya know," he said with a raised eyebrow, before he hurried Cody along to catch up with their other team member.
_o_
They had only been at the bar for roughly half an hour and Cody was already about to kick his Legacy cohorts right off their barstools. All he wanted was to sit there, drink a beer or two, and try to relax, but two people kept him from this normally easily accomplished endeavor.
One kept accidentally brushing against him in some way; a knee here, an arm there, and all it did was make him even tenser with every passing second. Then his other teammate seemed to be under the mistaken impression that Cody was coming down with a cold or something and just trying to tough it out by saying nothing.
If he had to hear "Are you sure you're not feeling sick?" one more time, he was going to scream. Especially since the repeated remarks had the one person he did not need staring at him intently, doing so.
"Go ahead, ask me one more time," Cody finally challenged in a testy manner, "then you can meet my beer bottle up close and personal. I swear you two are worse than my mother," he finished, rolling his eyes.
Normally, he would be touched by the caring, but right now his mind just wasn't in the right place. He continued to stare at his best friends over his bottle as he took a drink. They were all more alike than many would realize, and different in ways that were not easily seen. All of them had learned some hard lessons the past few years, but Cody felt these recent few months beat anything he had ever dealt with before.
If he thought he could force a confrontation and get it over with, he would in a second. However, Cody knew better than to think that such an action would ever end in his favor. He knew what he wanted but didn't know if he could deal with getting it. Sometimes he wished life could have gone back to the way it was before he thought he liked one of his best friends as more than just a friend.
Cody was abruptly called back to the here and now when a full bottle of beer was shoved into his hands and the voice that had been haunting his thoughts said, "You need to drink more, before your brain explodes from shock at all the thinking you're making it do."
He looked over, and sure enough, the other member of Legacy had his usual smirk on his face as he raised his beer to the words, tilting it with an acquiescent nod. Cody sighed, as both of his partners eyes watched him patiently.
"Feel the love," he replied in a dry tone, as he obediently took a swig of the new, icy cold beer, all the while watching beneath his lashes to see if the words had an effect on a certain someone.
_o_
It was a couple hours later when the three men were weaving unsteadily down the hall of the hotel, looking, unsuccessfully, for their room.
"It is this floor, okay? I am the smart one in this trio and this is the correct floor, so shut up and read the numbers on the doors!"
"If the damn numbers would just hold still we wouldn't have this problem," Cody muttered with a giggle as he desperately tried to remain upright without help.
Gravity, however, would prove too much for poor Cody as he felt himself begin to tumble and his teammates lunged forward to grab him before he hit the floor. Once they had ahold of his swaying self, they paused a moment to gather themselves and keep all three of them from falling forward. Unfortunately, gravity was on a very destructive path, and the trio found their feet tripping over each other as they toppled to the floor in a heap.
Cody was disoriented, but not so much that he didn't realize his face was laying pressed against the rough denim of his thigh. He began to panic immediately, flailing about, trying to make his drunken limbs obey his command to get up now. But his actions only made it worse, as Cody heard a painful grunt and realized he had managed to punch the other man right in the crotch in his desperate fight to regain his footing.
Cody squinted his eyes shut in mortification as he froze in place, praying for the ground to just swallow him whole, but of course it was in vain. He swore his hand was burning when he finally braved opening his eyes, hoping to God the other man wasn't royally pissed.
He could have saved himself some agonizing as the very eyes he was worried about meeting were currently closed tightly in pain, so he hurriedly turned his head slightly to search out the other member of Legacy, whose own bright blue eyes were crinkled with mirth, already standing.
"Sorry, so sorry," Cody mumbled, face red, as he fumbled to his feet, suddenly feeling beyond awkward.
He brushed his jeans off with embarrassed hands and, raising his head, his gaze was caught by the other man, who'd moved to lean against the wall in front of him, arms crossed as his once humorous expression shifted to suspicion. Cody saw the speculation in his eyes as he looked from the brunette to the man still curled up on the floor. Panic flared in the bottom of his stomach, as Cody almost literally saw the theories and ideas swirling around in his friend's head.
This was not going to be good.
_o_
These are super short chapters, BUT unlike all the other stuff we write and forget, this is already complete. So expect one or two (or more) chapters a day and rejoice in the fact you don't have to depend on our horrible updating ability!
I'm not planning on posting this in communities, just the journal and FF. Comments are always appreciated, especially in guessing who is who. Not even my better half knows!