Disclaimer: See Chapter 9

LegacyChick: Nope. You're being realistic and I like that!

CheekyClaudine: I'm sure you're not the only one thinking that love.

InYourHonour: Thanks dear! Eh… in his defense, only Ted knows about that spot!

PassionWriter101: I'm glad! It's hard trying to pack information in without giving EVERYTHING away, or at least it is to me. Sometimes, being real is harder than doing what's right. Yeah, yeah it was. Yeah, poor Rome. Well, here's the next chappie love! I hope it's just as good!

Sparkled Blue: Well, my job is done! To be honest, this is the first time I've ever written Maryse where she's not a total bitch. XD Yeah… I'm glad you liked it! I hope you like this one just as much!

megsjedi: I'm assuming so, but they are pretty cute together, at least on google. XD Shoot, I understand completely! Right! I guess Cody didn't get that memo. I can't answer those questions yet, but I can promise that we will see what happens. I hated seeing it too. Tata love!

Should Have Known Better

Roman woke the next morning, wondering when he'd fallen asleep. He looked around the room, the sun just making its way into the large living room. He pushed the blanket to the side, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, the sound of an infomercial playing softly. He was no stranger to a couch, but he was always stiff when he first woke up. He stood, stretching upwards, eyes finally coming into focus and landing right on the other lump on the adjacent couch. His heart jumped, the sleeping man's face contorted in a dark, hurt look. He sighed, thinking about the night before.

He shook his head, knowing he shouldn't let it bother him. He was putting himself out there too fast, too easily. The grey eyes looked over at the other male once again, thinking how handsome he was before he wondered why Cody had fallen asleep on the sofa when he had a bed he could've easily slept in. He shook his head, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before looking around for the bathroom.

He looked into the mirror, pushing his loose hair back. He looked down at his wrist, wishing he knew where his hair band had gone, only to remember that Cody had stolen it the night before. He turned the water on and splashed some onto his face, telling himself to stop thinking about it. "So fucking stupid," he muttered, turning the water off and looking at himself in the mirror. He looked rough, though the over sized t-shirt and lounge pants didn't help him. He looked away, trying to start his day as normal as possible.

Cody woke half an hour later to the smell of breakfast wafting in the air. He groaned, smiling at the wonderful smell. "Mmm," he groaned, rubbing his eyes and curling up a little tighter into a ball before sitting up, pushing his own blanket away. "Roman?" He looked up, the strong back to him. He felt his heart thump in his chest.

Roman easily flipped the eggs before returning to the sausage in another pan. He smirked, stomach growling at the smell. He'd always been able to cook, something his mother had forced him to learn when he was young.

Cody stood, rubbing his eyes with a fist like a little kid again. His own pajama clad legs took him to the kitchen, pulling out a barstool from the island and sitting down. He cocked his head to the side, brows furrowing in curiosity when he noticed that Roman had tied his hair back with a spare pen. "Smells good," he said, causing the bigger man to jump. "Didn't mean to startle you."

Roman turned, eyes falling on the sleepy eyes. "Morning," he greeted, turning back to their breakfast. "Sleep okay?" He felt stupid for starting small talk between them like nothing had ever happened.

Cody shrugged, crossing his arms on the counter and resting his head on them. "Bad question, try again," he laughed, watching as Roman moved along his kitchen. "I'm glad you can cook. I'm not functional enough to make breakfast this early." He smiled, the deep chuckle from the other man's throat reverberating in his ears. "How did you get your hair up like that anyway?"

Roman smiled, turning the fire off and scooping out the eggs with his spatula. "Practice," he said easily, dividing up the food onto the two plates. "I hope you don't mind I borrowed your kitchen."

Cody shook his head, stomach growling. "Not at all. I told you to make yourself at home," he repeated, scooting the plate closer to him and taking the offered fork. "This looks amazing!" He easily dug into the delicious food, smiling at the empty plate when he was finished. "I don't get food like that unless I'm at my mom and dad's. Thank you."

Roman shook his head, looking over from his own seat, only nibbling at his own. He'd been starving when he'd started, but now with Cody awake, his stomach had turned sour, making it hard for him to eat. "No problem." He took another bite, scooting around the remaining food, wondering if they'd talk about the night before or sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened.

Cody got up and placed his plate in the sink, turning to lean against it so he could face Roman, though is eyes never left the floor. He swallowed, knowing Roman felt just as awkward as he did. He looked down at his arms crossed over his chest, the black band popping out against his tanned arm. He pulled it off and handed it over to Roman. "I should give this back to you."

Roman looked up, taking the band and slipping it down his wrist. He pushed his near empty plate away before pulling the pen out and letting his hair fall down his back. He groaned, feeling the tension ease out. He didn't like using pens in place of hair bands only because it gave him a headache, but when desperate times called for desperate measures. "Thank you. I was wondering what happened to it earlier," he said, gathering his hair up easily and tying it back in a neat bun.

Cody nodded, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat. "About last night, I… I'm still sorry. It wasn't…" he paused, lost for the right words. "He's the only one…"

Roman shook his head, stomach turning. "Don't apologize," he bit out, trying to ignore the words begging to come out. "You don't have to explain yourself."

Cody let out an annoyed sigh, smashing a fist into the counter, the loud banging catching Roman's attention. "Yes, I do!" he snapped, frustrated beyond belief that it was so hard to get the words out. "I wasn't thinking about him. It was just… he's the only one that knows about… about that spot on me. It was out of reflex." He looked down at the floor, clenching his jaw, wishing he could go back and change it.

Roman smiled softly, standing and walking over to Cody, tipping the other man's chin up so they could meet eyes. "It's fine," he breathed, trying hard to tell himself that it really was. "I'm used to it."

Cody felt his heart drop when Roman's hand left him. He looked away, moving to the side so Roman could put his dishes in the sink as well. "It shouldn't be like that," he mumbled, looking up into the slightly taken back eyes. "No one should be a substitute for someone else."

"Sometimes, it's easier that way."

Cody growled, grabbing Roman by the front of his shirt and pulling him down for their eyes to be level. "No, it's not. You can give me that tough guy act all you want but we both know you're lying." His mouth turned down into a deep frown, his body shaking from how close the other man was.

Roman smirked, gently touching Cody's hands, untangling them from his shirt. "You win," he whispered, standing straight, but keeping Cody's hands laced with his. He was surprised when he felt two plump lips on his in a soft, gentle kiss. He felt his heart race, his mind telling him not to let it sway him. His eyes closed, a hand leaving Cody's to cradle the soft cheek. He felt Cody's tongue slip out of the hot mouth and run over his lower lip. He pulled away. "We shouldn't."

Cody looked away, slightly hurt. "I'm sorry," he whimpered, taking a step back, breaking all contact they had between them. "If you want a shower, it's upstairs, first door on the right." He turned, mentally slapping himself for trying to force fixing things between them. "I'm going to get dressed."

Roman nodded, holding every fiber in his body back from following Cody and pulling him into a plethora of kisses. He sighed softly, walking into the living room to grab his bag, thinking a hot shower would do him some good. He hoped it would take his mind off of Cody.

He climbed the stairs, noticing the pictures hanging along the wall. He took a moment to look each one over as he made his climb, smiling at the family photos, knowing his house had ones just like them all over. It was the one at the top that made him stop.

There in a mahogany frame was a picture of Cody and Ted standing in their swimming trunks at a beach, two smiles brighter than the sun bouncing off the water plastered to their lips. Ted had his arm wrapped around Cody's neck, their cheeks pressed against each other's. Cody's hand was resting low on Ted's hip, right on his hip bone under the blue material.

Roman shook his head, wondering if he could make Cody smile like that. He doubted it, telling himself that he wasn't the dating kind, that he didn't get into serious relationships to keep from getting hurt or hurting the other person when they wanted more than he was ready to give. He turned, taking the last step and reaching for the door handle. He opened the door and stepped into the spacious bathroom, taking in the white tiled floor and matching marble counter top. He had to admit, Cody had good taste.

He undressed slowly, folding his clothes and stuffing them in the bottom of the bag before pulling out his clean clothes for that day and setting them on the counter. He pulled out his soaps and turned to the shower. He opened the shower door and stepped in, shutting the door behind him before looking over the single knob.

Roman looked at it for a moment, hoping he knew how to work it. It was always new to him no matter how similar a shower could be to another, none of them were ever the same, meaning he had to learn quickly how to adjust the water temperature before he either scalded himself or froze.

He turned the handle, jumping at the cold spray that hit him before warming up. He smiled, stepping into the hot water, letting it run down him. It easily took the tension out of his head, making him sigh, before running down his shoulders and tense back, down his perfectly sculpted ass, swirled around his legs before plummeting into the shower's floor and sliding down the drain. He looked down at his feet, pulling his hair free, keeping the band on his wrist.

He started shampooing his hair, scrubbing his scalp with the pads of his fingers, his nails tracing down to his neck, making him think of how gently Cody's fingers had ran through it. He tried to push it from his thoughts, rinsing the soap out and conditioning.

He sighed, letting the water run over him again, his eyes shut, his mind's eye replaying how gently Cody had kissed him the night before over, his heart racing and fingers tingling. He could hear his cousins' voices in the back of his head yelling at him to get out, leave while he still had the chance. Part of him wanted to listen, another telling him to stick it out and give it a chance.

He breathed in a hot breath, thinking about how it had all started with Cody in his bed. Normally, he would've just let it go, chalked it up to a one-night stand but when he'd seen the video, when Cody had punched him, he'd been enticed by the little firecracker. He'd allowed himself to want to know more about Cody, making his initial lust for that body turn into more of a burning desire to get to know Cody and let things play out.

"Yeah, that was a great fucking idea," he mumbled, running a hand over his soaked face, Ted's name floating through his brain. He was there, in Cody's house, his heart begging to let the walls down and go after the younger man. He couldn't go through that kind of pain again.

"Hey Roman, I brought you a towel. Um, I'll set it on the counter for you."

Roman turned, thankful for the frosted glass when he heard the door open. He watched Cody step in, setting the large towel where he said he would, eyes never leaving the floor. His throat was tight. "Thank you," he finally managed to say, those eyes looking up for only a split second. He turned back to the water, unable to keep his eyes on the smaller man. "I'll be out in a few."

Cody nodded, face hot. He'd gotten a glimpse of Roman's outline in the frosted glass, only making his imagination run wild with how the other man looked naked. He headed out, shutting the door. His heart raced in his chest, his breathing labored. He hadn't meant to invade on Roman's time in the shower, knowing they both needed some time alone but it was better than Roman calling to him afterwards.

He hurried down the stairs, telling himself to calm down. He sucked his lower lip into his mouth, arms crossing over his chest as he stood at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes lingering on the bathroom door. He still felt like an idiot from the night before. He'd seriously messed up. He sighed, sitting on the second to last step and resting his face in his hands, thinking that it was probably good that they had stopped.

He blew out an irritated puff of air, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands, wondering why he was even thinking about it. He needed to move on from Ted, let himself take chances but the night before wasn't what he'd had in mind. He did want to explore the attraction, the chemistry between him and Roman but he didn't want to jump into bed with him. He'd just wanted to kiss him, but his mind had went numb after their lips touched and his body blindly took over, seeking more.

"Fuck," he growled, looking up at the front door. He'd begged Roman to stay, and at that moment he wasn't sure what to do. He didn't know if he should just let it go or figure out some way to fix it. He shook his head, replaying their conversation. He knew Roman didn't want to get hurt anymore than he did. He didn't want to be the next one to do it to him, and he didn't want to just be another meaningless relationship to the Samoan.

Cody felt his heart twinge, realizing that his attraction went deeper than just chemistry. He liked Roman. He liked how gentle he was, his thoughtfulness, his boldness. He felt his body start to tremble. He really liked him and that scared him.

He looked up at the top of the stairs, wondering how he was going to make it down that road. He'd never seen himself with anyone other than Ted, even if they were part-time lovers. The thought of starting over was frightening, especially with someone like Roman, where there was always a chance that he could be left for wanting more than Roman was willing to give. He looked back down at his hardwood floor, the fear settling in him.

He stood, walking away down the hall, telling himself he had to cut it off, had to stop whatever it was between them before one of them or both got hurt. He stopped when his hands touched the counter top of his island, his mind reeling. "Fuck, why is this hard?" he asked out loud, voice trembling.

He leaned over, resting his head on his hands, feeling his heart slam against his chest in a steady rhythm. He softly sighed, mentally preparing to tell Roman that it would be better for them to remain friends and to keep their hands and lips to themselves. He was saved from listening to his inner voice of reason when the doorbell rang. He looked up, hoping for whomever it was would take his mind off of Roman.

Cody stood, straightened his shirt and made his way back to the foyer. He touched the cool knob and put on a smile, trying to cover up how flustered he really was. He pulled the door open, his eyes going wide. He swallowed, heart stopping in his chest and stomach dropping. He took in the blue eyes ahead of him, a nervous smile on the pink lips. "Teddy?"

Ted's lips turned up into a more confident but still weak smile. "Hey," he whispered, licking his lips before looking down at the stone under his feet. He looked back up, the shocked face still staring at him.

Cody stepped to the side, body numb. He motioned for Ted to come in. "What… um… what are you doing here?" he asked, shutting the door and leaning heavily against it, sure that if he didn't he'd have fallen from how weak his legs felt.

Ted shoved his hands in his pockets, looking down at his shoes. "I came to apologize," he started, voice trembling. He was nervous. Him and Cody had been through break ups and make ups before, but the last time he'd been more harsh than he'd ever had. "I miss you."

Cody's heart sped up, his eyes looking up at the top of the stairs. He didn't want to think about Roman being up in his shower with Ted in his foyer. "I… I…." he stammered, wishing he knew what to say. He missed Ted too, but it felt wrong to say it.

"I haven't heard from you since that night and I said some mean things to you. I… I said some things I didn't mean," Ted explained, nipping his lower lip, looking up to blue eyes. "I'm sorry, I love you. I want us to be together."

Cody felt like his dreams were coming true but being shattered at the same time. He stood there, silent, eyes searching Ted's. He wanted to say yes, let things go back to the way they were. "I…" he whimpered, thinking about what Maryse had told him the day before. "I…" The memory of Roman's kiss filled his head. "Ted…."

"I'm serious Cody. I want to fix this. I…" he paused, reaching out and taking Cody's hands in his. "I told Kristen about us. She said she'd accept it as long as it didn't interfere with her and Tate."

Cody felt his heart nearly stop its hammering, the one thing he'd wanted was right there. "Ted, I…" he breathed, biting his lower lip, tears burning the backs of his eyes. He didn't know what to say. He was so conflicted. He felt Ted pull him in, soft lips on his. He closed his eyes, hands breaking away from Ted's to clutch the chest of Ted's shirt.

Roman smiled, pulling his hair back, the towel over his shoulders. He looked down at his sock clad feet, telling himself he was going to take a chance. He breathed in deep before letting it out slowly, trying to fend off the nerves. He would ask Cody if they could take their time; learn together. He turned, pulling the towel from around his neck and draping it over his forearm. He grabbed his over night bag and opened the door.

"Hey Cody, what do I do…" he stopped, grey eyes landing on Ted and Cody at the bottom of the stairs, their bodies pressed close together, Cody's hands clutching the front of Ted's shirt, lips fused. Roman's heart slammed up into his throat, his jaw clenching. 'It doesn't matter how long Ted's gone, they always get back together'ran through Roman's head, Josh's voice loud and clear. "…with this?"

Cody heard Roman's voice. He pushed Ted away, fear filled eyes looking up at the tall man at the top of his stairs. "Roman," he murmured, stepping back from his ex, breaking all contact.

Ted turned to look at what had caught Cody's attention. When his eyes landed on Roman, they darkened, a deep set frown touching his lips. "What's he doing here?" he asked, all since of dignity leaving him.

"Don't worry, I was just leaving," Roman growled once he'd made it to the bottom of the stairs. He didn't look at Cody as he passed him, handing over the damp towel. He bit his lower lip, cursing himself for even indulging the idea that he could try a relationship with Cody. He found his shoes at the end of the couch he'd slept on and quickly pulled them on, telling himself to just go.

Cody hurried into the room, leaving Ted in the foyer. "It's not what you think," he started, reaching out and touching the tense shoulder. He pulled his hand back when he saw the fiery look in Roman's eyes. "Please. I know what it looked like."

"It doesn't matter," Roman answered coldly, tying his shoes and standing. He went to walk past Cody, the smaller man blocking his every attempt to leave. He sighed in frustration, looking down into Cody's pleading eyes. "What?"

"Don't go…" Cody whispered, eyes begging for Roman to wait, let him explain. "Not like this."

Roman shook his head, clenching his jaw and hiking the long strap of his bag up on his shoulder. "Right now, I need to," he answered, looking away. He took a step towards the door, Cody stepping in front of him again.

"Just let him go," Ted snarled, coming up behind Cody, arms crossed over his chest. "Unless he's your new lover." He looked over the bigger male, jaw set, ready for anything the other man had.

Cody whipped around; hurt fresh on his features. "It's not like that!" he snapped, brows furrowed. "We're just friends."

Roman let those words slam into him. Just Friends. He smirked, evading Cody and walking past Ted, their eyes locking as he passed. "See? Just friends," he rumbled, not daring to look back at Cody as he left the house. He pulled the door closed behind him, hands shaking as he dug in his bag for his keys. He swallowed hard, getting into his SUV and pulling out, wanting nothing more than to go back in and beat the living daylights out of Ted.

Cody stood there, eyes closed, knowing he'd fucked up again. "Dammit!" he snapped, throwing the towel at the couch. "Why? Why did you have to do that?!"

Ted stood there, a little shocked at Cody's outburst. "Cody?" he asked, turning his lover towards him. "Baby, talk to me. Why was Reigns here? What's going on?"

Cody shook his head, sighing out loud. "I can't be your number two Ted, not anymore," he cried, frustrated beyond belief. "I can't do this. I love you, I do but I can't keep sharing you!" He felt tears start down his cheeks. "I can't keep doing this."

Ted wrapped his arms around Cody pulling the smaller body close to him. "Hush, calm down, you're upset. We'll talk about in a little while," he soothed, hot tears splashing into his shirt. "Cody?"

Cody pulled away, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "No, we need to talk about it now," he said, standing his ground. "You have your wife, your son to be with. That's your first priority right?" He turned his head, biting his lower lip, telling himself not to regret what he was going to say. "No matter what I'll always come second. We'll still sneak around and I'll see you when it's convenient. I want more than that Ted. I want someone who can be all mine."

Ted was shocked, his eyes following back to the door. "I can't give you all that," he muttered, swallowing hard around the lump in his throat. "I love you, we can make this work. I'll see you as often as I can. I'll give you everything I can."

Cody shook his head again, watery blue eyes meeting Ted's. "It's not enough. You have a family: they come first. I know that and I would never ask you to change it but I need more. I want a real relationship where I'm number one."

Ted sighed, it finally hitting him that Roman had to have gotten out of the shower. "And Reigns can give you that? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" he asked, voice deep, agitated. He looked away, fuming at the thought of those hands all over Cody. "Is he what you want then?"

Cody stood still and silent, eyes closing for a brief moment. "Yeah," he breathed, a fresh stream of tears falling. "I want to try. I deserve that at least." He gave a soft, sad smile, hanging his head and looking at their feet. "I'm sorry Teddy."

Ted stood there in shock, heart aching. He looked around the room, hurt and anger building in him. He could feel the burn of tears in his own eyes. "Fine," he murmured, throat tight. "Is he better? Is that it? Does he fuck better than me?"

Cody looked up, fire in his eyes. "We haven't…"

"Don't lie! Why else would he be here? You left the bar with him that night, why wouldn't you let him do it again?" Ted asked out of anger, regretting it just as soon as it left his mouth. He took a step back, cursing his mouth for running faster than his head. He was lashing out because he was hurt; he knew it. "Cody, I didn't-"

"Get out."

"Cody?"

"Get out!" Cody yelled, pointing to the door. "Just fucking get out!" He looked up, hurt prominent in his eyes. "I'm done with being the one on the side. I'm doing being your whore. I'm sick of loving you like I do and watching you walk in and out of this fucked up relationship! Just go!"

Ted bit his lower lip, turning to leave, knowing it would be better than trying to apologize for his rash and harsh words. "I'm sorry Cody. I didn't mean it," he breathed, heart breaking at the sound of Cody hiccupping. He walked away, stopping when his hand touched the cool door knob. He looked back, Cody still standing there, eyes focused on the floor, tear tracks thick on his cheeks. He sighed, that sight tearing him apart inside. "I love you."

"Out!" Cody cried, stalking towards Ted and forcing him out the door, slamming it shut. He leaned heavily against the door, closing his eyes as he slid down it, arms wrapping around his knees as he let another wave of tears go. "Just go…."

(A/N): A pretty deep chapter, if I do say so myself. The hurt keeps on coming, doesn't it? Thoughts? Let me know what think lovelies. Funny sidenote, this is the only chapter so far that doesn't have a line break in it. I'm pretty proud of that! XD I don't have much to say at the moment so as always, onwards and upwards! Title is Should Have Known Better by Hinder.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust