Title: Lovin' You Ain't Easy
Author: Candy_rko
Pairings: John/Randy, Cody/Ted
Disclaimer: Not mine
Author's Notes: Like the rest, most of these can be found on LJ. But enjoy on ffnet. Review please ^_^
Chapter 1/1
Randy pretended to not listen to Ted have an argument with his wife on the phone, Ted's face contorted with fury. Lately that seemed all Ted and Kristen did; fight. Randy knew about that personally. Sam had been on his ass for the stupidest shit. "I can't do anything right with her," Ted said, shaking his head. "It's like she's Satan."
"So long Satan, hello Sheamu!" Cody piped up from his chair, snorting into his beer, the bubbles spraying his nose.
Randy scowled at Ted, "You let him watch Jeff Dunham. You know how he gets! I swear, if he starts bouncing around, shouting I kill you, I'm gonna murder you, Ted Dibiase!"
"Hey, next time you talk to my wife and listen to her rant about something she thinks she knows. She's accusin' me of cheatin' on her with both Bella twins! I wouldn't touch those whores if you paid me to," Ted made a face.
Randy raised his hands, "I'm not talking to Kristen, man. Because if I did, I'd probably tell her about you and Boy Wonder over there," he nodded to Cody, the brunette giggling madly at nothing in particular, his baby blues shining with intoxication. "But no, I have to be a good friend and keep my fucking mouth shut. Damn, the things I do for the two of you!"
"Randy loves me, Randy loves me, Randy loves me!" Cody sang, the chair underneath him wobbling dangerously. Randy looked around them, thanking whatever god that was up there getting a good laugh out of this, that no one was paying attention to them. A drunk Cody was an annoying one, who obviously couldn't hear himself from how loud his voice was.
"Yeah, I do, brat," Randy said, almost fondly, Cody turning in the other direction to chat with an inebriated Evan Bourne. Randy planted his foot firmly on the bottom rung of the chair to keep Cody stable. "Hey, he's your boyfriend."
"Sometimes, Randy, I wonder why I put up with him," Ted sighed, smiling wanly. "But I guess he's worth it. He makes me happy."
Randy couldn't rightly remember the last time that he'd been content. Sure, Sam was a good woman and a dutiful wife but their marriage was dull. It lacked the spark that Ted and Cody shared. And Randy adored his daughter but there were times he wondered if that was the only reason he'd taken a wife in the first place; to carry on his blood. Now that it was assured that the Orton name would live on… "I'm glad."
"HEY!" Cody suddenly shouted, "This is my song!"
Randy groaned. Womanizer. Whoever the fuck let Cody listen to Britney Spears in the first place should have been murdered. Because outside of alcohol, Cody hated pop music but once the liquor was flowing through him… It was like watching a train collide with a bus. "Cody, you're fuckin' another man. I don't think that makes you a womanizer."
"Dude, you're just jealous!" Cody stuck his tongue out. "I got a hot piece of ass to fuck every night and you got your hand."
"Ooooh! BURN!" Mike grinned, equally sloshed, cobalt eyes glittering in the lights.
Were Randy and Ted the only ones not inebriated? But at the alarming rate that Ted was pounding shots, well, Randy would be in Sober Land by himself soon enough. He glanced at his friends, wondering why he even bothered to go out anymore. His days of partying hard into the wee hours of the morning were the glory days of old. He seldom turned to the bottle anymore. It was sad. Mike, Evan, and Cody were singing loudly to Womanizer. Jake was cheering them on from his chair, the big blonde probably too tipsy to stand. Jason was dancing with a buxom blonde.
"Want one, handsome?"
Randy glanced behind him to see John Cena, a Blue Moon in one hand and a shot of Jack in the other. "I think you've had one too many but thanks," Randy said, accepting the Jack but putting it on the table next to him. He wasn't giving into that particular temptation, not with John Cena right there.
"Aww," John pouted, "I braved my way through the masses to get you that."
"John-"
"Randy."
Sighing in defeat, he downed the liquor, not wincing at the burn sliding along his esophagus. "Happy?"
That dimpled grin was enough of answer. "What's your boy doin'?" John pointed toward the bar, Randy not shocked that Cody was standing on top of it. Touch Myself was echoing throughout the crowded club. Cody was stumbling on the narrow counter, his hands teasingly lifting the edge of his shirt, showing off his sculpted abs. "He's got Ted's attention, don't he?"
"I love myself! I want you to love me!" Cody's voice was off key but truly it didn't matter, not with the show that Cody was putting on for everyone close enough to see him. "When I feel down-" Cody giggled- "I want you above me! I search myself! I want you to find me!!" He was looking at no one but Ted, hips moving to a point that he looked like he was fucking the air. "Forget myself, I want you to remind me! I don't want anybody else. When I think about you, I touch myself!!"
The crowd went wild, Jason and Mike cat calling, Evan whistling, the rest of the on lookers rooting raucously for Cody and Cody was seconds away from tossing his shirt, "Hell no," Randy hissed, yanking Cody down by his hand, "Don't you fuckin' dare, Codes. Remember the last time you did that crap?"
Cody frowned, "Randy…"
"Hey! Go fuck off!" Randy snarled at the disappointed shouts. "NOW! And you, what the hell's wrong with you?" He snapped at Ted, the younger man looking ashamed. "You want everyone staring at your pretty? Wanting him? Because last time he did that shit, he was molested in the fuckin' bathroom and it hadn't been for Shawn, he-" Randy cut himself off, not wanting to remember it. He'd been terrified that Cody had been raped.
"Shit, 'm sorry," Cody hung his head.
"No, baby, I shouldn't have brought it up," Randy sighed, pressing a chaste kiss to Cody's forehead.
"You guys are impossible," Evan said, rolling his eyes, "Why don't you just fuck and get it over with?" Apparently Evan was immune to the Viper Glare or he was too drunk to notice.
"We've tried," Ted frowned, handing Cody back his shirt.
"Ooh, HOT!" Evan grinned, giggling, falling heavily against Mike's chest, sighing dreamily.
The horny little nerd… Randy kept the urge to strangle Evan to himself. "Ok, you boys done? We have a show tomorrow night."
Seven simultaneous fuck no's were his answer. Randy bit his bottom lip. It was his own fault. He knew how they got, knew they wouldn't leave until Randy physically forced them to, and Randy, stupid as always, came regardless because he felt it was his job to keep an eye on the younger stars. Being the glorified DD sucked. Randy sank down in one of the booths, watching as Evan, Mike, Jake, Ted, and Cody surrounded a pool table. At least they'd keep out of trouble. He hoped.
"Ya know, those five aren't much younger than you," Jason commented, "You can't play Daddy all the time."
Randy's eyes bored holes in Jason's back as he went to join the younger men. And he really didn't like how close Jason was standing to Evan. John laughed. "Wow, Poppa Orton. It's like you're Mary Poppins."
"What does that have to do with- You know what, never mind. Yeah, I'm like Mary Poppins," Randy agreed, knowing arguing with a drunk John was as pointless as telling Cody to keep his clothes on. Cody always ended up losing his clothes at some point in the night. "What the fuck's it matter?"
"Hey, just sayin', man. You got this whole…" John chewed his bottom lip, finding the right words, "This whole Rottweiler vibe. Tough. But your barks worse than your bite. And hell, whoever messes with what's yours better go ahead and bring their own body bag."
"Real introspective, John. A little morbid."
"Dude, I've seen what you do. Remember when Adam looked at Cody wrong? He had a black eye that came from mysteriously running into a wall. Yeah, ok," John scoffed. "Whatever you say. You're attached to that kid whether you like it or not."
"What if I am?"
John signaled the server for another beer. "Fuck him and get it over with."
There might have been a day when Randy would have done just that, regardless of the consequences. "I'm not who I used to be, John. And I know you don't believe that," he added, seeing John's face twist in disbelief.
"You don't spend years doin' somethin' then stoppin' all a sudden."
"Yeah…" Randy glanced at the six men, Ted and Jason facing off, the others standing around, drinking beer, laughing at a joke that probably wasn't even funny. He could faintly hear Cody imitating Peanut. His lips curled into a smile. Cody was definitely in a league of his own.
"You're beautiful. Like that. Smilin'," John stated, the beer loosening his tongue. "You don't do it enough, Randy."
How did one respond to that? Randy was used to compliments from all walks of life. Men and women both vying for Randy's attention. But with John, it was so open, so honest, so different. It wasn't a ruse to get in Randy's pants-of which, he could detect through the bullshit-but an actual flattering remark. "No reason to."
"And Cody's a reason?"
Randy heard the jealously in John's voice. Their friendship had suffered through the years. Randy's holier than though attitude and provocative ways had a driven wedge in a relationship that had Randy had once cherished. Now? They only talked during promos or when they were all out with the rest of their group. Rarely one on one. "Cody's… He's someone I want to protect. Someone I want to keep safe from the rest of the world. If I could lock him up, I would."
"You don't give the kid enough credit."
"Probably not. I feel the same way with the rest of them. Cody's just, look, I don't need to explain myself to you."
John chuckled, slamming his fifth-sixth?-beer down. "Touchy, are we?"
"Bite me, John," Randy growled, about to get to his feet, some asshole a little too close to Cody for Randy's comfort.
"Just…let him be. You really think Teddy's gonna let anyone near his man?"
"Ted's wasted."
Randy was almost to his feet when suddenly Cody was surrounded, Ted and Jason out front, both men looking threatening. The asshole quickly apologized before hastily running off. "See? He's fine. He doesn't need you ridin' in on your white horse. He's got enough people watchin' his back."
"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Randy murmured, settling back down, "Why are you bothering me, John? Isn't there some club bunny to fuck?" he gestured towards the women milling around, all in hopes of fucking one of the superstars in the bathroom.
"You… You really hate me, don't you?"
"No, I don't. I never did."
John scooted closer to Randy, their thighs touching, John's hand a little too close to Randy's by his side. "What happened, then? To us? You," John chuckled breathlessly, "Do you remember when we used to spend all night playing fuckin' video games and talkin' about the dumbest shit? Or that one time when we were in Canada and we kissed?"
Suddenly, John didn't seem so drunk. "We were trashed, John."
"I still remember what you taste like."
"John, that was years ago." He wasn't going to admit that he'd kept that memory close to his heart. "Why are you talking about it?"
John's fingers twined with his. "Because I'm not drunk now."
Randy couldn't react, not with John's lips moving sensuously against his. The music faded in the background, the lights dimmed, and all he could focus on was John. Feeling John's tongue tangle with his, exploring John's mouth, listening to his own heart beat madly in his ears. This wasn't that drunken kiss of years gone by. This was clear without any fogginess of liquor clouding his senses. "You-"
"Lovin' you ain't easy, Randy Orton but I do."
Randy laughed, "You are by the far the most annoying man I've ever met. You have the emotional maturity of….of Cody and- And you're perfect. Fuck, John. Why didn't you say something sooner?"
John shrugged, grinning brilliantly, "I didn't think I stood a chance. Not with how you always look at Codes."
"Dumbass, if you'd stopped analyzing Cody and me, you would have seen how I look at you."
"I guess I got some makin' up to do."
"Yeah, after we get these idiots into bed. You ready to round them up, partner?"
"Hah, only if I get to be play cowboy with you later."
Randy rolled his eyes, "You're such a dweeb."
Randy watched as John walked towards the other men, smiling. Cody threw his shoe (Randy did not want to know why it was off in the first place) at John's head, looking like he was three seconds from throwing a temper tantrum. Evan was mimicking Cody, his arms crossed in front of his chest defiantly. Ted and Jason were woozily attempting to pick the passed out Jake up from where he was lying against the wall. Mike was in the middle of his 'I'm Awesome' speech to any person that would listen. Randy met John's eyes, his smile widening, before he joined his friend.
His lover.