He pats the tickets tucked in his pocket- makes sure they're still there and smiles with some sense of mischievous malice- he figures since it has been a couple of months since that first Friday night out eating pizza, following several other Fridays out- decides that he ought to be a bit extravagant tonight to celebrate the tradition. That and the fact that he can't help spoiling Jay. He checks his watch and realises that jay's classes have ended and purposefully walks over to the other building to seek him out- sees him talking with a few other friends and hangs back to watch Jay- watches how he laughs at a joke or how he gestures with his arms excitedly- eyes practically shining as he tells something of his own- randy mills around before catches jay's eye- the blonde smiles widely at him and bids his friends goodbye and heads over to randy, practically bouncing giddily and randy has to wonder what's got him so happy.

"what are you doing here?" Jay asks, head tilting slightly in curiosity

Randy shrugs, "thought you could use some company back to the dorms"

Jay grins wider, "that'd be great!" knows that randy has several other plans maybe- it is Friday after all.

They start the hike to the dorms- Jay being talkative regales randy with several stories regarding his day and randy listens attentively- something he never does with his other friends or his dates- comments and laughs- finds it utterly refreshing and not boring and can't keep his eyes off Jay- takes in everything that makes him Jay.

"so guess what?" Jay says, dumping his bag onto his bed- springs creak and randy wonders how many books jays got stuffed in the pack

"what?"

"guess!" Jay insists, hopping up on randy's bed beside him- randy wonders when he'd been noticing how long these little invasions in his private space have been going on and why he continues to allow such when he's typically snapping at the first person to lay a hand on his stuff.

"you passed organic chemistry?"

"... Well... Yeah... But something else!"

Randy can almost imagine a tail wagging in anticipation, "I give- what is it?"

"Dereks dad owns a jazz bar and he invited us to see him play!"

"that's..." randy hesitates, "when?"

"tonight!" Jay says cheerfully, glad he has something else to do other than homework

Randy can't help the twitch his smiling face gives as he tries to keep it up, "that's... That's great"

"you can go out with... um... michelle...?" when randy nodded Jay continued happily, "you can go out with her tonight!"

"yeah..." randy nods and gets up suddenly, feels like he's been hit with a tree, "so... I'm gonna head out"

"what? Why?" Jay glances at the clock, "it's still early"

"library" randy lied, "thesis crap."

"oh... That sucks..." Jay says, climbing off randy's bed to see him off, "need help? I mean you and Adam copy paste off the net a lot so-"

"no, I'm pretty sure I can figure it out" it hurts to be there and he can't wait to get out, practically eyes the door steadily

"um..." Jay can't understand the sudden cold turn of events and looks at randy who refuses to look at him unlike always, "I'll see you..."

"yeah." it's bland and randy hurriedly leaves- slams the door and walks quickly away- not to the library- just- away. He knows he should be happy for Jay because he has something else to do on Friday nights- knows it's selfish of him to want to keep Jay for himself- sleeping on that chair and worn from studying all week but still waiting for him to come home- no matter how badly he wants to- he can't keep Jay. So he turns tail and hides- doesn't matter where- so long as it's isolated- where no one can see him- he can pretend that everything's alright and it's just one night after all- he feels the tickets in his pocket and fishes them out- folds them back into his wallet in bitterness and wanders the empty corridors.

Jay looks at the clock and slips into his hoodie- it's odd- Adam has already come by to change into his more rugged clothes for his date and briefly congratulates Jay about the bar before heading out for the night- he has yet to see randy though- wonders if he's still at the library- checks his phone for any irritated messages about the thesis or being in the dusty library- there's none and Jay feels like he should at least text him or something and he types a short

"where r u?" he waits for the reply- usually randy would send one immediately- but Jay frowns at the clock- already fifteen minutes has passed and he's going to be late if he doesn't go out now, checks the phone again, bites his lip worriedly and wonders if randy is okay

"TC- I'll tell u all about it." he texts and grabs his sling bag to head out. "have fun with Michelle!" and presses send and hopes randy's okay as he locks the door.

Randy feels his phone vibrate in his pants but ignores it, doesn't want to be sociable right now. Doesn't make any effort to even contact Michelle- he doesn't want to be with her today- or any day. Finds himself longing for shining blue eyes and that unfaltering smile

It's cold and dark and very very uncomfortable and Jay fidgets with the long sleeves of his hoodie- wishes he'd borrowed randy's jacket- hates the smell of smoke that makes his nose itch and makes him simultaneously want to sneeze- but smiles wearily when his friends talk to him. the music isn't as great as he had thought either- he'd expected the rhythm to be alive- instead it is sad, wailing- mourning with grief- and he can't stand it and he sighs, stirs his iced tea and wonders what randy is doing and if he's faring better than he is.

When it's over, Jay can't run out of there fast enough- hastily bids his friend's farewell and checks his watch- it's only seven and he's glad for once that it's early- sighs and checks his phone, two messages from Adam and still nothing from randy, Jay is more bothered that randy hasn't bothered to even text him his whereabouts. He decides to hitch a taxi home.

The door is unlocked much to his surprise- Jay knows Adam won't be coming back tonight- he peers in and sees randy on his bed, leg swinging from the side, staring at the ceiling- his phone is discarded by the desk and he doesn't look up when Jay comes in.

"randy?"

"hn?"

"are... Is everything okay?" Jay asks carefully, it's unusual to see him doing nothing on a Friday night, "how was your date?"

"I didn't have one" randy says shortly, still staring at the ceiling

Jay removes his bag and sets it on his chair, lingers beside randy's bed, "why not?"

Randy shrugs ambiguously, still doesn't look at Jay as though something on the ceiling fascinates him so.

"um... How did the thesis go?"

"what thesis?"

Jay hesitates, "you know, the uh... The library work earlier?"

"oh. I lied about that."

Jay feels frustrated suddenly, doesn't understand why randy would deliberately lie to him- maybe White lies he could understand, but never a real lie. "what is wrong with you today?" he finally bites out, feeling immature and childish- he doesn't like being ignored.

"nothing." randy says flatly and Jay can't help but feel irritated at the answer, doesn't understand what the heck is eating randy orton.

"it's not nothing if you can't even look at me" he says- unable to control the quiver in his voice

And when randy does look at him it scares Jay- those gray eyes are cold and uncaring and all the things Jay knows randy is capable of but never ever shows. Never shows him.

"what did I do?" he asks softly, looks at his sneakers, can't stand how those eyes regard him with such coldness that it hurts to look, "tell me what I did wrong and I'll apologise."

"it's nothing" randy says coldly

"no- it's not nothing if you look at me that way!" Jay snaps stubbornly.

Randy snorts dispassionately, "how do I look at you?"

"like... Like I don't matter. Like you don't care. Like you don't see me."

That chips at his iced heart and randy sits up, looks at Jay- really looks at him- hes standing there- hands balled in fists and shaking with a quiet rage- there's a sadness beneath that frustration and randy knows- just knows that Jay is close to crying

"I'd never look at you that way" randy says quietly, "you matter to me, I care about you a lot... More than Adam does maybe..." he can't say the last three words that are just dying to roll off his Tongue- even if he wants to- he's not sure how well the fragility of their emotions right mow would stand up to it.

"then what's wrong?" Jay asks, looks at randy- and there's concern there- worry- maybe fear- because he doesn't want to think of losing one of his best friends- the very thought terrifies him.

"it's nothing... Really." randy dismisses with a small smile, "c'mere," motions Jay close- he hesitates before nearing and randy gives him a hug- Jay hugs back tightly, sniffles softly against his shoulder

"sorry"

"sorry too- for getting mad..." Jay apologised earnestly

"nah... I'd be pissed at me too." randy said truthfully, feeling like a jerk.

"what are those?" Jay asks, peering behind randy- looking at the tickets on the other guys bed curiously

"oh... Uh..." randy tries to fish his brain for excuses but he can't because Jay has already picked them up and looked them over with great interest

"wow! You got tickets to nickelback?" Jay said, eyes wide with surprise, "how'd you do that? I've been trying but they'd been sold out months ago!"

Randy shrugs, he hopes it looks casual, "my dad knows a guy..."

"oh... But I thought Michelle hated nickelback?"

"you don't."

Jay stares at randy uncomprehendingly

Randy sighs and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, "I got them for you?"

"wow... Really? Um... Thanks?" Jay says, suddenly feeling flustered, "Why? I mean it's not my birthday and it's way to early for Christmas"

"I..." randy shrugs and kicks at the floor, "no reason I guess..."

"randy... These tickets cost an arm and a leg- so unless if you're missing a kidney or part of your liver you cannot have gotten these for 'no reason'..." Jay points out

Randy chuckles, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you" he says evasively

Jay crossed his arms stubbornly, "try me."

Ah well, he did try. "I like you."

"I like you too, but what does that have to do with these?"

Randy smiles a bit, definitely Jay all the way, "no Jay, I like you."

"we're supposed to, we've been together for ages it'd be weird if you didn't"

"no- wait... Let me rephrase that" randy steps over to Jay who's still puzzling over the enigma of his friend- and he whispers, "I love you."

Jay tilts his head at him- a small frown of contemplation before it sinks in- randy can tell- there's the widening of jays eyes and the way he says 'oh...' then repeats it again with better realisation, "oh."

Randy takes it as a sign of good faith that Jay doesn't bolt away from him despite their close proximity and instead continues to puzzle over randy, attention diverted from the tickets

"but I thought... I mean you go out with-"

"it was just to compete with Adam" randy shrugs, "can't have him think any less of me now can I?"

"I guess..." Jay chews on his lip in thought, "it was kind of scary that you didn't care about any of them"

"I had my eye on you already- they were just distractions."

"wow... Uh, since when?" Jay asked, he'd never had anyone confess to liking him before- or loving him- he was still kind of novice in that department and didn't really know what to do about it- he'd just assumed he be confessing to someone and not the other way around.

"dunno... I think I've always liked you since even when we were kids but Adam got in the way."

"you're not planning on killing him are you?"

"so long as he stays out of my way"

Jay sighs, "and I tried so hard to keep you two from killing each other!"

"I won't kill him- maybe hurt him." randy appeases

"... You never said anything till now..." Jay tilts his head at randy again

"I didn't think I could lose you till now."

Jay feels a heat creep up his neck and blossom on his cheeks, "oh... So um... What now?"

"we could go to the concert" randy suggests, picking the tickets from jays grasp. "we can still catch the opening gig if we go now."

Jay grins, "cool- it'll be like a date" considering it is randy, it won't be so traumatising.

"... Not our first one." randy reminds, holding open the door as Jay puts his sling bag on

"we've had dates before?" Jay asks, looks to randy as he locks the door, "when?"

"Friday nights." randy says with a grin, when realisation dawns on that face again

"Ohhh... Wow... I owe you a lot of goodnight kisses..." Jay said thoughtfully as randy unlocked his car

"you'll think of something" randy says with a laugh, feeling much much better than he did

"um..." Jay squirms a bit in his seat, "now what?"

Randy shrugs and starts the car, heads down the freeway, "how bout we'll see where it goes?" glances at Jay who seems to feel some sort of pressure nobody is putting him in

"so what are we now? Because I don't wanna be the girl."
"I haven't really thought that far off yet."

"oh no what if- what if you wanna do it?" he looks horrified at randy who raises an amused brow

"what?"

"I mean- you know! After the third date or something-" he feels like hyperventilating into a panic right now, "and we've gone on hundreds of dates that I'm not even aware of-"

"Jay easy!" randy commands, reaches and pats his shoulder to calm him down, "I don't think either of us are ready for that"

"oh... Oh... That's a relief- I think... But... But you're gonna want to do it eventually" his voice sounds small and far away randy has to look to check if he's still there.

"eventually Jay. Doesn't mean tomorrow- it could be years till then- and who knows if it'd still be us?"

"well why won't it still be us? You've liked me for half our lives I think we're still gonna like each other another half more."

Randy smiled at that thought, "I'd like that."

"me too." Jay agrees, settling down, "at least you're not so scary or mean."

Randy laughs, sees Jay beam up at him, "why don't we just watch the concert for now? It'll be our first real date and you don't have to put out or anything"

"ok... Sounds like a plan" Jay nods, feeling somewhat happier than of late- doesn't know why- but definitely feels on the verge of euphoria with randy- more than anyone else he's ever met, "I'm glad we're friends- or, you know- more than friends"

"me too." randy says with a smile.