Disclaimer: See Chapter 25.

Note: Hope everyone's enjoying and ready for this chapter. Hope you like it! See you Friday! Enjoy! -JJ

The Feel Again (Stay)

Blue eyes cracked open, his entire body stiff, but a smile resting on his lips. He tried to turn, finding it hard to do with someone holding onto him so tightly. The smile just seemed to grow as Cody wiggled just enough to turn over to face Roman, the tattooed arm once again tightening around him, keeping him from leaving the warm embrace. His heart was pounding as he looked up into the sleeping face. The man he loved was still holding him so tight. He sighed, his eyes dropping to Roman's bare chest, thinking of the night before.

He'd made an ass out of himself, accusing Roman of things he knew Roman would never do. He'd lashed out when he had no right. He'd jumped up and forced himself in Roman's life, hoping for things to just fall into place. His eyes closed as he moved a little closer, resting his head on Roman's chest, listening to the strong heartbeat as it echoed through Roman's chest.

Roman felt Cody stirring, but refused to let go, he only allowed the other man room to shift but then tightened his hold once again. He wasn't about to let Cody get away from him this time. Not again. He dipped his head down, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Cody's head. "I love you," he breathed, both eyes cracking open to meet soft blue ones. "How'd you sleep?"

Cody just smiled. "I love you too," he answered, his hand coming up to brush the long hair out of Roman's face. "I haven't slept that good since the last night we were together in our bed at home." His body stiffened, his smile dropping, thinking back on that time. "Ro…."

Roman laid there, quiet as Cody searched for the words.

Cody shook his head, he didn't want to think so hard in the morning. Instead of speaking, he looked up into the dark grey eyes, moving so he could press a gentle kiss to the bronze lips. He whimpered, Roman returning the gentle kiss with just slight pressure.

Roman's hand slid up to cup the back of Cody's head as his lips pushed just a little harder on Cody's. He groaned, Cody's hands already in his hair. Easily, he opened Cody's mouth with his and their tongues met. He felt that same bolt of lightening shoot down his spine as his body moved over Cody's, their lips doing all the conversating between them. He was so wrapped up in Cody that he didn't hear the lock slide and door open.

"Oi fella, how're ye gonna be home and not…"

Roman jerked back from Cody, his dark eyes meeting wide green ones. He swallowed hard, looking down at Cody's shocked face. "Wait, Shea," he started, his blood running cold as Shea blinked a few times. This was not how he wanted anyone to find out about Cody being there, especially Shea and his connection with Maxine. For a moment, he was sure that everything stood still, the shock in the those green eyes making his heart stop. He knew Shea would go back home and call Maxine or punch him in the face.

Shea was in complete shock. Never in his life did he ever think that he'd walk in on Roman in such a compromising position. He looked over the other male under Roman's body, hoping, almost praying that they weren't naked under the blankets that were currently tangled around their waists and legs. "Well… um… I'll just go," he murmured, looking down at his feet before he starting back towards the door, ignoring Roman's almost frantic sounding calls.

Roman sighed, groaning as he scuffled out of the blankets and tried to run after Shea. "Wait!" he called again, stopping at the door before he shot Cody an "I'm sorry" look. He bolted out, shivering instantly at the cold wind that was blasting into him. "Shea, wait, please!"

Shea stopped just before he walked into his own apartment, looking over Roman's state of undress and discord, the other man's hand wrapped around his wrist to get him to stop. He shook his head, holding his hand up, breaking the light contact between them. "Look mate, this isn't any of me business," he started, looking up and finding a confused look on Roman's face.

"It's not what it looked like," Roman started, wincing at the almost laughing look Shea shot him. "Okay, it wasn't completely what it looked like." He shivered, almost hopping from one foot to the other to keep them from freezing to the concrete.

Shea shook his head, pushing his door open, motioning for Roman to follow him. "C'mon, before yer a popsickle," he teased, shutting the door after Roman had walked into his apartment. "He's not going to be mad ye just left him is he?"

Roman's eyes widened, groaning when he thought about what he'd done. "Fuck," he cursed, rubbing his face with both hands. He was fucking up at every turn so far and he'd only been awake for maybe ten minutes.

"Like I said Roman, it's none of me business what ye do in yer life," Shea chuckled, walking over to his table and pulling his jacket off. "I've been caught plenty of times meself." With that he let out a low chuckle, watching as Roman's eyes grew wide. "Why would I care about ye doin' the same?"

Roman eyed Shea, not completely convinced with what he was explaining. "You're not going to tell Maxine are you?" he asked, deciding it would be better to just be blunt with the Irishman in front of him.

Shea couldn't hold back his loud bit of laughter. "No, I'm not going to say anything to anyone," he went on, shaking his head. "I'm not one for the drama, Roman." He smiled, watching as Roman seemed to relax a bit. "How long's he been here?"

Roman looked down at his bare feet, his arms wrapping around himself as he rubbed his arms for a little more warmth. "He came late the night before last," he answered, his voice soft.

"That's Cody then?"

Roman couldn't help but let a smile slowly start across his lips, nodding. "Yeah, that's Cody," he said looking up into the amused green eyes. "I'm not ashamed of being caught, I just don't want her to find out from someone else."

Shea held his hands up in defense, shaking his head. "I'm not involved," he went on, letting out a sigh. He stood up, walking over and resting a hand on the skin of Roman's cold shoulder. "But yer in a serious mess if he's here and she doesn't know. Ye know that right?"

Roman nodded.

"Just don't hurt her too much, okay? She is one of me good friends and she doesn't deserve to hear it from anyone else but ye about Cody," Shea went on, pulling his hand back. "Now, you still have a naked man in yer living room."

"He's not naked," Roman chuckled, biting his lower lip gently. He wasn't sure if he would've been if Shea hadn't interrupted them or not. "Thank you, ya know, for not saying anything. If you'll give us a few minutes, I'll introduce your properly, with both of us clothed."

Shea laughed at that, nodding. "Sounds good mate." He walked over to the door and opened it, watching as Roman hurried back over to his own apartment.

Roman opened the door, sighing in happiness as the warmth enveloped him. He sucked in a warm breath and walked over to where Cody was already sitting on the couch, the sofa bed put away, dressed in a fresh set of clothing. He sat down, meeting the embarrassed blue eyes. "I'm sorry for running out like that," he started, reaching over and touching Cody's hands.

Cody was quiet, his voice completely gone. He'd been so hurt that Roman had just jumped out of the bed and ran after the other man, trying to smooth over the scene he'd walked in on. He tugged his hands back, not wanting to be touched at that moment. "Are you ashamed of me?"

Roman's jaw tightened cursing himself inwardly, sighing as he tipped Cody's head up with one gentle hand. "Never," he said firmly, leaning in and pressing his forehead against Cody's. "That was Shea. He's my neighbor and one of my good friends. He's the one that hooked me and Max up, and I didn't want him to call her about us."

Cody looked up into Roman's grey eyes, his blues narrowing. "Keeping me hidden," he muttered, wanting to jerk away.

"No," he growled, refusing to let Cody's eyes leave his. "I want to be the one to tell her, you're here." He saw Cody's eyes widen, his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed hard. "You're not some dirty secret Cody and I'm not hiding you."

Cody tried not to smile, but ended up failing miserably. "Well, that's not how I wanted to meet your friends," he started, chuckling lightly. "Talk about embarrassing."

Roman felt his lips slide up into a smile. "Now you know how I felt when we first moved in together and Michelle walked in on us in the living room. How do you look a woman in the face when you're getting fucked into the floor by her son?" he asked, his voice dropping into a chuckled whisper.

Cody felt his cheeks light up at the memory, finding it hard to keep from laughing. He remembered that day all to well. His mom had just stood there in shock for about twenty seconds before she turned and left shouting her profuse apologies as she shut the door. The next day she had returned Cody's key and said she would call before she stopped by, and everyday after that, she called asking if Cody was decent. He laughed a little harder, listening to the deep rumbling of Roman's. He looked up, calming down. "I'm sorry."

Roman cocked his head to the side, questioning Cody with his eyes as his lips refused to move out of their wide smile. "For what?" he asked, once again taking Cody's hands in his, holding them tightly. "For Shea walking in? For Michelle walking in? For this giant mess we're in? None of it's your fault. We'll work this out. Together."

Cody nodded, smiling as he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Roman's lips. At least they were going to do it together. He pulled back, wondering where this was going to lead them. He knew Roman didn't just play lip service to make him happy, but he wasn't sure exactly what the other man had planned.

Roman released Cody's hands before he slid one hand down the side of Cody's face. "Shea'll be back over in a few. I'm gonna get dressed and I'll introduce you the right way, okay?" He watched Cody as he nodded before he got up from the couch and started towards his room. He looked over his shoulder at Cody's still pink cheeks.

He knew he was in deep with everything going on and he knew there was a good chance of it all blowing up in his face, but he couldn't just give Cody up. He'd figure something out; he had to. He wanted to be with Cody. He wanted them to figure things out together. He was just afraid of how it could end.

Cody sat there, covering his face for a moment before he smiled and dropped them into his lap. He didn't have long to think about it when he heard a knock at the door. He stood, looking over to Roman's now closed door before he walked over and pulled the door open, cheeks once again flushing when he saw the ginger standing there in the doorway.

"Hey there," Shea started, watching as Cody took a wide step to the side to let him in. "Sorry bout that earlier. Musta ruined the best part." He chuckled, watching as Cody's face deepened in color, but chuckling.

"Something like that," Cody murmured, shutting the door behind Shea, watching as he took his jacket off and set it on the back of one of Roman's chairs. "So, that's not how I wanted to meet any of Roman's friends."

Shea let out a chuckle, walking into the living room and sitting down in the chair. "Well, I didn't expect to be meeting ye like that either," he teased, watching as Cody's cheeks darkened just a little more. He looked Cody up and down, wondering what it was that had Roman so captivated.

It wasn't that Cody was unattractive. Even Shea could admit that Cody was a good looking man. He cocked his head to the side, looking over Cody. He wasn't anything out of the ordinary. He wasn't exactly what he'd thought Roman would be interested in, but in a strange way he was perfect.

"Sorry bout that," Roman said, coming out of his room, pulling his hair back into a ponytail. He smiled as he walked over to Cody's side, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Cody, this is Shea. Shea this is my Cody."

Cody stiffened, looking up into Roman's bright face. He couldn't help but smile, thinking that it had been a while since he'd heard Roman talk about him like that. He looked up into the green eyes, holding on hand out. "Nice to meet you," he started, Shea taking his hand in a firm shake. "I'm normally not half naked when I meet someone the first time."

Shea couldn't help but laugh, shrugging. "No big deal, really. There's plenty of times I've been walked in on." He turned his gaze to Roman, watching how the other man looked at Cody. He'd never seen such a soft, caring look in the other man's face when he'd seen him with Maxine. Instantly, he knew Cody was the one that still held Roman's heart, he only hoped Roman knew what he was doing with both Cody and Maxine.

An hour later, all three men were sitting around the kitchen table talking and snacking on pizza. Shea was talking about how he'd barely made it home from Ireland after he'd started talking to a local girl in his hometown.

"She wouldn't let me leave!" Shea went on, waving a hand in the air. "I wasn't staying there. Me life is here in the U.S. I like it here." He laughed again, watching just how close Roman and Cody sat together, both giving each other small looks before they continued to drink their sodas. "What made it worse was me parents. All I hear from them is when I'll settle down, have some babes for them to visit."

"You and kids Shea?" Roman teased, looking over at Cody's confused face. His eyes returned to Shea. "What do you expect? You're a director of a daycare. Of course your parents want grandkids. My dad brought it up at least twice while I was in Florida."

Cody stiffened, swallowing hard. He heard the laughter around him, trying hard to join in with a soft chuckle. He looked down at his half eaten slice of pizza, finding it hard to want to keep eating. Of course that subject would come up with Maxine there. She could give Sika grandchildren.

"Cody?" Shea asked, watching as Cody's face seemed to fall. "Hey, did I say something wrong?"

Cody shook his head, plastering a fake smile to his lips. "Huh, oh no, I'm good, just thinking a little too much," he said, giving a quick chortle. "Sorry."

Roman inwardly sighed, knowing exactly what Cody was thinking about. While he knew his father had decided to accept him for who he was and whomever he loved, Cody didn't know. He also knew children were a sore subject between him and Cody. He remembered the nights they'd stayed up just theorizing what it would be like for them to adopt a baby of their own and raise. How many times his father refused to indulge in their idea of adoption when both, mostly Roman, was perfectly capable of producing his own with a woman.

Shea knew something was off, but decided not to pry. It wasn't any of his business. Instead, he changed the subject to sports, listening as Cody and Roman debated of the best teams. He had to smile, thinking that he'd never seen Roman so happy, so open, and carefree as he was with Cody. It was certainly a change. He listened to their playful banter, saw the heated but loving looks between them. In that moment he wondered why Roman was even worried about Maxine. It was obvious that Cody made him happier, that the love between them was so much stronger.

"Roman, shut up. You're team lost their asses off last year, I don't want to hear it," Cody finally said, watching as Roman gave him a heated look. "Yeah, I said it, what're you gonna do about it?"

Roman kept his mouth shut, thinking that his threats would be better left to be said after Shea left. He pursed his lips, giving Cody a dark look, one that he knew would send shivers down Cody's spine. He wasn't let down when he saw the other man shift a little in his chair.

Shea wasn't one to miss the small details between the two and decided that it might be time for him to start back towards his apartment. "So, uh, how long are ye gonna be up here in snowy Iowa Cody?" he asked, breaking the thick tension that was starting to form between Roman and Cody.

Cody stiffened, looking down at the table. "I'm not really sure. I'm going back sometime this weekend, just depends on the flights I guess," he answered, looking up at Shea, noticing the other man looked genuinely curious. "Don't tell me you're starting to like me."

"Cheeky bastard," Shea teased, chuckling. "But seriously, yer an interesting fella. I can see why Roman enjoys yer company so much. Friendly speaking of course."

"Of course," Cody answered, joining in with the light laughter. "One day you'll have to come down and visit Pensacola. Lots of girls in bikini's down there."

"I'm in!" Shea piped up quickly, looking over to find Roman's hands over his face as he tried to hold back the biting laughter. "Just because yer not interested doesn't mean I'm not. I'll take it!"

This time Cody couldn't hold back his laughter. After they settled down, Shea said his goodbyes, talking about needed to get a few things ready for his date that night. Cody said his own goodbyes, thinking that Shea was a great guy, one that he'd love to keep in contact with. He was certainly funny, straight forward and Cody hoped they could really be friends.

Roman walked Shea to the door, waving as the Irishman walked out, adjusting his jacket just right before he walked over to his own apartment. He shut the door and turned to Cody, smiling when he saw the smaller male picking up the paper plates and walking them over to the trash. "Hey, you think you can entertain yourself for a little bit?" he asked, leaning against the wall just as Cody turned to face him. "I have to get my lesson plans finished before Friday and I've barely even started on them."

Cody smiled, nodding. "I think I can find something to do," he answered, reaching into his pocket for his phone. "I have Madden on here. I'll be busy for a while."

Roman scribbled away in his lesson book, his laptop open on the table just in front of him. He'd gotten a lot done in the last couple hours, and he was sure that at this pace he could easily have his first few weeks of classes completely planned out. He looked up from his stuff, his eyes focusing on Cody as he moved around in the kitchen. He could smell the delicious aroma coming from the stove as Cody continued to work on their dinner. His mouth was almost watering it smelled so good.

Roman's lips turned up into a smile, unable to keep it held back. He'd honestly been surprised that Cody had made it almost an hour just playing on his phone. He was sure the other man would grow bored before then. What had surprised him even more was the fact that Cody had asked to cook them dinner. It wasn't a rare occurrence, at least before the accident, but normally Cody only cooked when Roman wasn't feeling up for it. It was a pleasant change.

Roman felt his smile widen, thinking that it really felt like home again. He really missed that comfortable feeling between them, how easy life had been. He missed their nights in, making dinner together, then snuggling on the couch or video games, sometimes a late night swim or a quick run. It was the little things like this that made him miss Florida more and more.

Without thinking, Roman pushing his chair back and stood. He didn't care he was mid sentence and that the thought was probably lost forever. He stood in the doorway to the kitchen, listening as Cody hummed along to his phone as it played a relatively new rock song. He walked in, Cody's back towards him as he stirred the stew on the stove. He eased his arms around Cody's waist, pressing his face into Cody's neck. "I love you," he murmured, closing his eyes and just allowing himself to sink into Cody's body.

"I love you too," Cody returned, leaning back into Roman, listening to the other man's steady breathing. He tried to smile, but couldn't find the will. He knew this, them being together like this, was only temporary. This wasn't something that would continue after the weekend. He knew they had to talk seriously about this.

"Ro," Cody started, standing up just a little straighter, but still remaining in Roman's loose hold. "We can't stay like this." He felt Roman start to pull away from him, the air around them changing. "Eventually, I have to go home." He turned to face Roman, his blue eyes looking up to see that Roman's grey ones were set off to the side. "Unless you want me to stay."

Roman sucked in a breath, letting it out slowly as his eyes met Cody's. He wanted Cody to stay, but at the same time he didn't. He didn't want Cody to have to give up his life for him. And even if Cody did stay, he knew they both would rather be back in Florida. "Cody," he started, pausing to think over the words he wanted to say. He rubbed his face with one hand, looking down at the floor before looking back up into Cody's blue eyes. He knew Cody was waiting, searching for an answer.

As if on cue, Roman's phone began to ring, cutting their conversation short and saving Roman from actually having to put his thoughts into words. He reached into his pocket, apologizing as he looked at the name. He swallowed hard, hitting the accept button and holding it to his ear. "Hey babe."

Cody felt his heart drop, his chest tightening. He turned away from Roman, returning to his stew. He focused hard on the simmering food, thinking that it wouldn't be much longer before it was finished.

"Hey, since you've been working so hard on your lesson plans, I was thinking of treating you to one of your favorites," Maxine said, her voice light, cheerful on the line. "Think you can take a little break and enjoy it with me?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Roman answered, taking a step back from Cody. He told himself he knew what he was doing. He was going to get a few things straight between them, all of them. "Yeah, I'll unlock the door for you. See you when you get up here." With that he hung up.

Cody rolled his eyes, feeling hurt and jealousy creep up into his chest and expand. At least this time he didn't have to hear them exchanging 'I love you's'. He sneered down at the food, thinking that he'd just be locked up in Roman's bedroom while Maxine was there again. He felt Roman's hand on his shoulder, tugging him to turn and face him. He ignored it. "I know, Maxine's coming up," he bit out, the coldness of his tone very evident. "I'm guessing you want me to hide in your room again until she leaves, right?"

Roman shook his head, sighing loudly, almost exasperatedly. He reached over and took the spoon from Cody's hand and set it on the counter. This time, with both hands he turned Cody to him, looking him straight in the eyes. "No more hiding. I want you to stay," he said gently, watching as blue eyes widened in shock. "Stay."

(A/N): Oooh, so they're going to see each other. This is gonna get good. Thoughts, feelings? I'd love to hear them! Hope you're enjoying! As always, onwards and upwards. Title is The Feel Again (Stay) by Blue October.

JacktheSinister_JaketheJust