Randy's eyes gingerly opened and he groaned at the sudden shot of pain that traveled from his backside up his back. Who would've known two weeks was all it took for him to feel like a virgin again? Despite the sting in his ass, he wouldn't give up last night for anything. Any and every night with John was amazing and he couldn't believe he'd even lasted 2 weeks without a piece of his fiancé. It truly spoke volumes of his traumatized state. Thankfully, he was putting it all behind him. John was right; it was time to let it go.
Randy turned to stare at the man beside him and slowly smiled. He looked so sexy laying there, the sheet haphazardly thrown over his muscular body, his naked ass peeking out from the side edge of the blue cotton sheets. Randy slowly trailed his fingers down his spine and back up again before leaning down to place a kiss on the indentation in his back. John sighed softly in his sleep but didn't wake up.
Randy smiled and slowly eased himself out of bed, trying not to disturb his sleeping lover. He walked over to the dresser and quickly pulled out some clothes before heading into the bathroom. The feeling of ease was slowly returning to him and it made him happy. He knew Sam was looking forward to getting back to her life and even Alanna wanted to go back to her school and friends. It wasn't fair what he was doing to them, whether or not he thought he was right. John made him see it. Then again, John made him see things in a different light most of the time. There was no one who could make it all better like him.
John awoke slowly, his forehead crinkling into a frown when he turned and saw the open space on the bed beside him. The sound of the shower reached his ear and he realized that's where his lover must be. He smiled and got off the bed quickly, quietly walking and entering the large bathroom in their suite.
John shut the door behind him and saw Randy's silhouette through the glass doors of the large shower and his breath was suddenly stolen. He watched as the water cascaded over Randy's face, and then trickle down his body. Realizing he couldn't bear to just watch, John stepped in the shower quietly, turned Randy around and kissed him, running his hands all over his fiancé's wet body. Randy broke the kiss and raised one eyebrow playfully.
"And just what do you think you're doing?" he questioned.
"I'm sorry," John smirked. "I couldn't resist."
He pulled Randy into another toe-curling kiss before whispering into his ear tenderly. "You have no idea how beautiful you are. You take my breath away every time I see you, every second you're with me. I love you so much, Randy."
This time it was Randy who pushed John into the wall of the shower and initiated another voracious kiss. John moaned from the contrasting sensations of the cold tile on the shower wall against his back and Randy's hot flesh pushing against his front.
"Ran . . ." John sighed, wrapping his arms around the man he adored. They held one another as the hot water flowed over them, kissing occasionally. Pulling away slightly, Randy began to kiss his way down John's body, tasting every inch of muscle and skin on John's upper body under his lips. He ran his tongue down John's stomach, stopping to explore his navel, then continued down to just above John's erect member. Randy bit the bare skin gently, evoking a groan from John as he threw his head back against the wall of the shower. Randy wrapped his mouth around the tip of John's erect cock, moving his tongue underneath. John came undone as Randy's mouth worked rapidly on his cock. He thrust forward and Randy swallowed every drop of his release. John panted as he leaned against the wall of the shower. Randy slowly moved back up and kissed him gently.
"Take that as my version of I love you, too, OK," Randy smiled.
"Babe, you have the best I love you in the world," John said, still trying to catch his breath. He smiled as he looked into Randy's deep blue eyes and saw the love the younger man had for him in them. John put his hands on Randy's shoulders and ran them up his neck as they kissed. Randy sighed into John's kiss, his hands holding on to the older man's waist tightly. He could feel the love and passion behind John's kiss as their tongues intertwined and their hands roamed each other's bodies.
Finally, Randy pulled away and rested his forehead against John's. "You know, I did come in here to actually shower. I wanna get some breakfast and hit the gym before I go pick up the girls. I want to see Sammy's parents before they leave, too."
Randy turned and grabbed the soap, but John stepped up behind him and plucked the bottle from his hands. "It's your own damn fault for being so tempting,"
Randy smirked and nodded. "I know. I'm so damn hot,"
John laughed, happy to have his old Randy back. "Turn around,"
John asked softly, opening the bottle and pouring some soap on the washcloth. He lathered the soap and washed Randy thoroughly, slowly, and affectionately, enjoying every moment of contact and exploration. He gingerly washed Randy's entrance, noticing with a frown the younger man's flinch as he gently touched the area.
"Sore?"
Randy turned to look at him from over a tattooed shoulder. "Yeah, just a little. I'll be fine tonight, though," He raised an eyebrow and smiled suggestively before pulling the washcloth from John's hands. "My turn,"
John smiled and his eyes immediately fluttered closed at the sensation of Randy's hands on him. The couple delighted in each other, running their hands all over each other as they cleansed their bodies and kissed under the hot water.
Minutes later they turned off the shower and dried off, walking back into the bedroom. Randy gathered the dirty clothes from where he had dropped them and walked around the room gathering John's discarded clothes, as well. Throwing them in the laundry bag hanging over the knob of the closet door, he lifted the bags John had been sorting the night before and settled down to finish the job.
John smiled over at him from where he stood in front of the closet. "I guess you're back to normal if you're organizing clothes."
Randy smiled and lifted himself off the floor once done. He walked over to John and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I feel much better; most of it because of you. I'm done with the clothes, though, so I'm gonna go get us some breakfast. I suggest you get dressed because we have to put in some serious gym time before we get the girls."
John nodded, a yawn escaping his lips. "OK. Bring me some coffee, please."
Randy nodded and grabbed his wallet and phone from the table before walking out of the room. John watched him walk away, a small smile on his face. He could already sense the change in him. It filled his heart with joy and some much needed relief to see Randy back to normal.
John pulled out a pair of basketball shorts and a plain black t-shirt, his usual work out gear and quickly changed into them. As he dropped onto the bed to put on his sneakers, a frantic knock came from the front of the room. John frowned and quickly slid on the sneakers as the knocking continued. He walked over to the door and pulled it open.
"Hey, where's the fire?"
Ted pushed past John and continued into the small living room area. John frowned and shut the door behind him. He looked at Ted, who was frantically pacing the area.
"Ted, what's wrong? Are you OK? Is it Cody?"
Ted shook his head rapidly from side to side. "No, it's not Cody; it's me. I'm fucked beyond comprehension right now, John."
John frowned and walked over to the younger man. "Ted, what's going on?"
Ted took a deep breath and grabbed John's hand. "Johnny, you're my best friend. I hate that I have to tell you what I have to tell you right now. I swear, I never meant for it to go this way. You were never supposed to find out. I hope you can one day find a way to forgive me but right now all that matters is that we stop him..."
John shook his head and squeezed Ted's hand. "Ted, stop, slow down. What are you talking about? What's going on?"
Ted sighed and pulled John over to the couch. He lowered down onto the soft cushion and pulled John with him. The older man frowned at him, worry and impatience clouding his usually bright blue eyes.
"We've always had an amazing friendship, the four of us. We've done things that only we know and it's because we trust each other like a family does. We've been through hell in our lives and somehow we all found each other and vowed to never be hurt again. We've taken care of each other always but now I may have done something that will get us all killed."
John raised an eyebrow and his gaze hardened. "What?"
Ted lowered his eyes, unable to meet John's stare. "I haven't been honest with you guys. What we do was always supposed to stay between us; between our family. I broke that rule. I told someone all about us and what we've done and I trusted him to do things for me I couldn't do for fear of losing you guys. Now, it's coming back to bite me in the ass. He's gonna tell everyone and I'm gonna lose you all but I don't care because I have to save Cody. He's going to hurt Cody, John!"
"So, I'm guessing by 'he', you mean Nathan..."
Ted's eyes shot up and he met John's eerily calm stare. "What? You know about Nathan?"
John sighed and stood up. "Yes I do. I've known for awhile now, Ted. Don't you think I've kept tabs on Nathan since he attacked Randy that night? I have watched that asshole so closely I practically know when he takes a shit. Imagine my surprise when I discovered you and him developing a little side relationship a year ago. I didn't understand it but as long as he stood away from Randy, I didn't care."
Ted shook his head. "Why didn't you say anything? You know Randy hates Nathan. Why did you let me continue to see him?"
John shrugged. "You're a grown man, Ted. I'm not going to treat you the way Ran treats Cody. Honestly, though, I didn't think that friendship would last. I figured you would realize your mistake in befriending Nathan and confess to us. When you didn't I figured I could use the situation to my advantage. Keeping the enemy close would be the smart thing to do. I never thought you'd be stupid enough to tell him about us, though. I damn sure never thought you would use him, either. What has he done for you, Ted? What is he going to do now?"
Ted's lips trembled as the fury finally started to creep into John's voice. "I thought he was my friend. He promised to be there for me and just for me. I needed someone who was only there for me, John! I needed to be first in someone's eyes."
John glared at him angrily. "What the hell are you talking about? We were there for you, Ted!"
Ted angrily slammed his hand on the couch cushion. "No! You weren't there for me! Randy was your number one. He always has been! He's everyone's fucking number one! Cody chooses him first for everything, too. I never had either of you be there for me and only me! It was always Randy. I fucking hate him! That's why I told Nate.."
John's eyes widened and he reached down to grasp Ted's throat angrily, cutting off the younger man's words. "What the fuck are you talking about Ted? What the hell did you promise Nathan if he helped you?"
Ted grasped John's hand and pulled on it. "I promised Nathan I would help him get rid of your beloved Randy, that's what,"
He didn't think it was possible John's hand could grip him any tighter but he was wrong. John's grasp on his neck made his eyes tear as he desperately tried to get oxygen into his lungs.
"John, please..." Ted pulled frantically on the older man's wrist and finally got his hand loose. He gulped in gusts of air as John reached for him again. Ted averted his grasp and moved back onto the couch.
"John, stop! Stop! Listen to me. Just listen to me, please!"
"What! What the hell can you possibly say to me after that, Ted?" John's fists were clenched tightly at his sides and his nostrils flared.
Ted held up his hands in self-defense and breathed heavily. "I'm sorry, John. I don't know why I did it. I'm a moron, OK. I've done many stupid things when it comes to Nathan and now I'm gonna pay for it. You can kill me, John, if that's gonna make you feel better but you can't until we get rid of Nate. John, we have to get rid of him. He's gonna do something to Cody and we have to stop him..."
"Why the hell should I help you do anything? You got yourself into this mess by trusting Nate. You should get yourself out of it." John glared at Ted, who nodded.
"You're right. I got myself into this but I'm not the one who's gonna pay. He's going after Cody first, John and then he will come after Randy. He's obsessed with him. He's the one who broke into Sam's and your house and he's the one who set off the alarms in Al's school. That's how close he's been to all of you. He told me he's going to make Randy suffer by hurting the people he loves most. You can't just stand by and let it happen, John."
John clenched his jaw tightly, a muscle jumping in his skin as he moved away from the sofa.
Ted sighed and slowly stood up, walking over to him. "Johnny, I know you hate me so much right now and that our friendship is officially ruined. You trusted me enough to let me remain in your lives even though you knew I was seeing Nathan. You never thought I would betray you like this but I did. We have to work together one more time, though. Then, you can do with me whatever you feel you have to. We have to stop Nathan, John. He's so close to us and he knows everything about us. It's all my fault, John. I know it is. I regret every minute I spent with him but I can't change time. What's done is done and I have to try to fix it."
John swirled around and grasped Ted's shirt in his fist, pulling the younger man close. "You will do nothing. I will do it all. I will take care of Nathan and when I am done with him I will put a bullet in your head for what you have done. The only thing you have to look forward to is death, Ted. The question is will it be a quick death or a long, drawn out death? It all depends on how quickly I end Nathan. If he lays even a finger on one of my loved ones, I will make killing you the most fun experience of my life."
Ted gulped as he stared into John's eyes. He knew better than anyone how cold, vicious and devoid of emotion John could be. It was the most threatening sight Ted had ever seen and at that moment he feared what John could do more than what Nathan could do.
"John, please. I can help you. I need to help. I can't stand by and watch you all get hurt because of something I did. Nathan talked to me, too. I may know things you don't..."
John released him and shoved him backwards before letting out a bark of sarcastic laughter. "You fucking moron. Haven't you figured it out yet? Nathan was using you to get information about all of us! You think you got to know him in a few months? You didn't! I have been watching this man since he was released. I know everything about Nathan Orton and I have for over a year now..."
A loud gasp behind him made John turn. His eyes met the wide, shock filled blue eyes of Randy's. The younger man stood in the entryway of the living room, his hands loaded with bags which he slowly let drop. John sighed as he cursed inwardly. He turned his eyes toward a shocked Ted.
"Get the hell out of here. I'll deal with you later. We're not even close to done."
Ted nodded and quickly headed towards the door. He shot a look towards Randy, who still stood in the entryway, shock registering on his face so he barely noticed Ted as he slipped out of the room.
John sighed and slowly approached Randy, his hands outstretched. "Baby, don't freak out. Let me explain..."
His hands touched Randy's gently and the touch broke the younger man's trance. He snatched his hands back and blinked his eyes rapidly. "Don't touch me,"
John pulled his hand away and nodded. "OK, I get that you're confused right now, Randy. Let's just sit down. Can you please just sit and listen to me?"
Randy stared at him, his gaze boring into John's eyes. He finally nodded and slowly walked into the living room, lowering his body to the sofa. John slowly sat next to him, leaving a space between them for fear of the younger man bolting.
"I want you to let me explain before you go off." He looked into Randy's eyes and took a deep breath. "I know how you feel about Nathan and what he did to you; not only when you were kids but that night 2 years ago, Ran. That's why I needed to keep tabs on him. I needed to know where he was at all times because I couldn't risk him getting near you again."
Randy lowered his intense glare down to his hands. "How does Ted fit into this? You said Nate was using him..."
"Ted has had a little friendship with Nathan for almost a year now. I found out about it when I got word from the investigator I hired that told me Nathan was released from prison. Ted actually initiated the relationship. I didn't know why and I didn't care. Now I wish I would have confronted Ted about it when I first found out."
John sighed deeply and Randy raised his eyes, a frown on his face. "Ted and Nathan have been friends for a year and you knew it? Why didn't you ask Ted about it? He's been lying to us, me especially, all this time. How could you let him do that?"
John shrugged. "Because as long as nothing bad was happening, I didn't see the harm in it. Ted should be allowed to be friends with whoever he wants."
Randy raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you find it weird he would choose someone who hurt me so badly? Why didn't you question that, John?"
"I didn't want to be the overbearing dad of this group, Ran! I wanted him to make his mistake and realize it and come to us. I thought he would come clean to us when he realized how much of an asshole Nathan is!"
Randy nodded. "But that's not what's happening, is it?"
John shook his head. "Ted fucked up. Nathan convinced him they were friends and he spilled his guts to him. Nathan knows everything there is to know about us and apparently has a plan of his own."
Randy raised his eyebrow and nodded calmly, though his hands were beginning to shake. "But you have a plan of your own, don't you?"
John nodded quickly. He reached over to Randy and clasped his hands tightly. "I'll take care of it, baby. I promise you that Nathan won't get near you or any of us. Trust me, Ran."
Randy nodded, his eyes still downcast. "What is Nathan planning, John? Just be honest with me and tell me the truth. What did Ted tell you he's planning?"
John sighed. "Baby, don't worry. I'll take care..."
"John," Randy cut him off. "I'm not a child. I can deal with whatever it is. Just tell me."
"He said something about Nathan going after Cody first and then me and Al. Apparently, Nate is the one who broke into the houses in St. Louis and Al's school. He wants to hurt you so he's going to target the people you love most before ultimately going after you and Ted was going to help him. He has strong feelings towards you and they're obviously not friendly feelings. I never knew that, baby. "
John sighed as Randy clenched his jaw tightly. His eyes filled with tears and he pulled one hand out of John's grasp to wipe it away. "I can't believe this. I can't believe this is happening."
John raised Randy's hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "Baby, I promise you...no, I swear to you I won't let him hurt any of us. I will find him and end him. You don't have to worry. He will pay and so will Ted. He won't get away with this betrayal."
Randy shook his head and stood, pulling his other hand free. "I don't give two shits about Ted. I can't believe you have done this to me. That's the only betrayal I care about."
John frowned. "Randy, I didn't betray you. I just wanted to protect you, baby. You didn't need to know anything about Nathan. I know just the sound of his name makes you sick, baby. I didn't think Ted would ever go this far with him. I thought as long as I monitored them it would be OK,"
"You thought, you thought? You thought wrong, John! How could you think any contact with that man was wise? How could you not see something wrong with Ted befriending the man who made my childhood miserable? Why did you keep something like this from me? I thought Ted was one of my best friends and all he was doing was betraying me. Nathan has wanted to destroy me for years and Ted has now given him all he needs to do it...and you have known about it for months. I can't believe you stood by and let this happen."
John closed his eyes as he listened to Randy's words. He opened them gingerly and tried to meet Randy's gaze. "Baby, I'm sorry but I swear to you, I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted to protect you. Ted being friends with Nate started to seem like a good idea; like I could keep an even closer eye on him. I never figured Ted would let Nate hurt any of us. I assumed if Nathan ever made threats against any of us that Ted would finally confess and we would take care of him. I didn't know Ted was going to help him go after you! I didn't know Ted had all these feelings of hate and anger towards you! How was I supposed to know my best friend was going to do this?"
Randy sighed as he leaned against the wall. "All of your assuming and thinking has us fucked right now. This asshole broke into our house and was in my daughter's school, John,"
John's eyes shot open at Randy's statement. "I never meant for him to get close to our daughter, Randy," he said, putting an emphasis on the word 'our'.
Randy nodded. "But he did and God knows how close he is to Cody right now. You never meant for any of this to happen. In your mind, you were just protecting me. Ted betrayed you as much as he betrayed me. Is that what it all comes down to? Is that your whole defense?"
John stood and slowly approached his fiancé. "Yes, and it's the truth. You are the love of my life. Our daughter is the most important thing in the world to both of us. Why would I stand by and let someone hurt either of you? Do you honestly think I knew what Ted was thinking; that he had this hatred in his heart for you and was going to help your enemy hurt you? I would kill someone for even looking at either of you the wrong way. I'm sorry that this is happening to us, baby. I never wanted this; I never thought it would come to this. I fucked up and I am so sorry but I will fix it."
Randy nodded and John breathed a sigh of relief as he enveloped the younger man in his arms. He buried his face in Randy's neck and kissed the skin there gently. "God, I love you so much, Randy. I will fix this, baby, I swear. He won't come near you; any of you."
Randy lifted his arms slowly and held on to John's waist tightly. He lowered his head, moving his lips to John's ear. "I have never loved and trusted someone more than I love and trust you, John. You have been my entire world for almost 3 years now and the thought of a future with you made me happier than I ever thought I could be."
He pushed at John's hips gently and stepped out of the older man's embrace. John looked at him with a frown as Randy caressed his face gently before leaning forward to place a kiss on his lips. John barely had time to respond as Randy quickly pulled back. The older man stared into his lover's eyes, unable to read them for the first time since they met so many years ago. Randy looked at him, a sad smile on his face.
"We're over. I never want to see you again."
He turned and quickly walked out of the room, tears filling his eyes and the room door slammed behind him. John watched him go, his mouth agape as his own eyes filled. He lowered his body to the ground and remained there, staring at the door for what seemed like hours, the image getting blurry as the tears began to fall from his eyes.
