36:

I opened my eyes. I glanced around. I was in a bedroom that I didn't recognize, covered in warm blankets with a fresh pair of clothes on.

Shit. Who changed my clothes? It better have been Randy or I'll be pissed.

My head was clear and I didn't feel feverish anymore. I sat up with ease, noticing that my energy was back. I looked off to my right and saw a familiar face resting in the chair next to my bed.

No. It can't possibly be him.

He opened his eyes like he had heard exactly what I was thinking. He stood up and came over to greet me, and all I could manage to say was, "Daddy?"

"Johnny, my boy," he wrapped his arms around me, and I just started sobbing.

Dad kept his arms around me, whispering to me softly, "I missed you so much, Johnny."

"You have no idea how much I missed you, Dad," I cried.

I turned my head to one side so I didn't soak Dad's shirt with my tears, and I saw Randy standing in the doorway with a quiet smile on his face. I mouthed a thank you at him and he gave me a quick nod before he closed the door and left us alone.

:-:

I don't know how long I cried. Dad didn't say a word. He just kept holding me the whole time, like he knew all that I had been through and he knew that I needed to get it out. When I could finally stay calm enough to speak, I told him, "I wanted to see you so many times. Things have just been crazy."

Dad let me go and sat down on the bed to look me in the eyes as he replied, "So I've heard. I had plans to come in and see you anyway, even with those big, ugly looking wrestlers trying to keep me away, but I knew it would only make things worse on you, son, and I didn't want that."

I smiled and said, "I'm glad you're here now."

He pointed at the door with his thumb and explained, "Young Randal arranged for me to see you. I'm glad he did, I had some medicine to counter your allergy attack."

I was surprised that he had something, but he waved his hand and added, "It was just some allergy medication and a few tricks I picked up from your mother."

I became more serious and confessed, "Dad, I need you to know something. Randy and I have been friends for a long time, you know that, but recently...we've become more than that."

He narrowed his eyes like he wasn't quite following me, so I clarified, "I'm in love with Randy Orton, and he's in love with me."

Dad's brow lifted and he nodded his head. I waited for him to start in on me, but instead, he replied simply, "Well, whatever makes you happy, son."

He got up and started to leave, adding, "Take a shower and get downstairs. We've got supper waiting for you."

"Wait! You're not mad?" I asked, confused.

Dad stopped and turned back to face me, saying somberly, "I've spent the last few months worried sick about you, son. I couldn't see you, I couldn't talk to you, and I didn't know until a few days ago that I was being followed by friends of those wrestlers trying to keep me away from you, and the only person who gave enough of a damn to tell me what the hell was going on every single day was your Randal."

My mouth dropped open in shock. I had no clue Randy was keeping contact with my dad like that. He sighed heavily and finished with, "If there was anyone I would owe the world to, it would be young Randal. He cared about you and protected you when I couldn't. If he chooses to express that to you in other ways, and you consent to it, being mad is the last thing on my mind."

With that, he left the room. I sat there for a long time, just feeling completely content.

The only people that mattered knew the truth now, and they were okay with it. That's all I really needed to know.

:-:

I showered, dressed, and went downstairs for dinner. The sun was still setting and casting a soft yellow glow throughout the house as I maneuvered my way to the kitchen. From the layout, I appeared to be in a vacation home, and the view from outside showed a gorgeous lake nearby. As soon as I reached the kitchen, I was greeted by Dad and Mark, who both hugged me hello, then I saw Cody Rhodes seated at the kitchen island munching chips and watching WWE Superstars on a tiny TV. He glanced over at me when I came near and said, "Wassup, CenDude?"

I shook my head at his odd use of a nickname and asked, "Where's Randy."

Cody pointed behind us at the sliding glass doors, saying passively, "He's out on the patio."

I turned to look and saw Randy just a few feet from the doors, leaning against the railing of the patio and staring out at the sunset, his gaze distant like he was lost in that place again where I could never follow.

"I always wonder where he goes when he's inside his head," I mentioned aloud.

Cody looked at me and replied, "Don't you know? He's thinking about you when he gets lost in that place."

"Me?" I asked with complete surprise.

Cody added, "Well, yeah! He's been making that dopey lost boy look for as long as you two have known each other, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so," I hadn't really thought about it until Cody said something.

Sighing with frustration, Cody asked me, "Think about it, John. Who else would Randy care about enough to put that much deep thought into? You're obviously the one true voice inside of his head."

I could barely believe it. I stared at Randy through the glass doors, wondering what he was thinking about now that had to do with me.

Dad waved at me as he and Mark left the kitchen, telling me, "We'll be in the living room, son."

I nodded in acknowledgment and made my way out to the patio, coming to stand beside Randy as I said quietly, "I told my dad about us."

Randy's blue-green eyes looked at me with concern as he asked, "How'd he take it?"

"He was happy that I was happy. He says he owes the world to you," I smiled.

Randy scoffed and replied, "I probably owe him more than that for letting you become a professional wrestler. I never would've met you otherwise."

I paused to look out at the lake, then I asked, "So where is this place?"

"My parents used to take me here as a kid. It's probably the only place I didn't think Punk would ever find us," Randy replied.

"Thank you," I said after a short silence.

"For what?" Randy asked dryly.

"For saving Gabriel. For saving my dad. For saving me," I answered.

Randy closed his eyes and sighed heavily, mentioning, "The cheese, Cena."

"Doesn't matter, I want to say it. I need to say it," I told him.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't save you from everything. I had no clue about Batista, and Punk is still trying to be a little bitch," Randy tried to downplay his heroism.

I grabbed him and pulled him into me, wrapping my arms around him and burying my head in his chest. He was surprised at first, then he slowly put his arms around me, running his fingers through the short hair on top of my head like he always did to show wordless affection. I started to feel choked up again, so I got the words out before it would be too hard to say them, "I love you, Randy Orton."

He pressed his lips against the top of my head, then he squeezed me tightly and replied, "I love you too, John Cena."

I moved my head to look up at him, and he started to lean in to kiss me, but a strange sound made us both turn our heads in the direction of the sliding glass doors.

Cody was on the other side with his lips sucking against the glass, mocking our attempt at a romantic moment. I started laughing hysterically and broke away from Randy. Cody continued sucking the glass as Randy stormed over to the doors and tried to open them to get inside, but Cody had conveniently locked them. Randy stared at Cody's hilarious scrunched face and exploded lips still sucking the glass, deliberating on what to do, then Randy suddenly flicked the glass with his fingers right where Cody's nose was.

Cody grabbed his nose and fell away from the glass, shouting, "Ow, my face! Not the face!"

I had used the term 'laughing my ass off' before, but this was one of those moments where I thought it truly applied.

:-:

Randy stayed up and watched TV with me while everyone else went to sleep. We waited until we were sure the others were completely out before Randy and I sneaked back upstairs together.

I took my clothes off before Randy could tear them off. He wasn't happy about that, but I smiled and told him, "I'll let you tear something off later."

He seemed satisfied with that condition, and I we fell against each other on the bed as I pulled off Randy's t-shirt, then I made him stay down so I could slowly remove his jeans and boxers.

I pulled then down to his knees, but I didn't completely take them off, making it hard for him to move his legs. Randy stared at me with anxious confusion, waiting for me to hurry up so that he could pounce on me again.

I wanted to show my appreciation to him for all he had done for me in the last few days. With Randy's legs mostly restrained by his own jeans, I pushed against his hips with my hands to hold him in place, then I leaned down and licked the underside of his dick.

Randy let out a sound that I hadn't heard him make before. It was like an outcry that was stifled by a moan. I leaned down further and touched his balls with the tip of my tongue, and he let out another moan, pounding his fists against the mattress as he breathed, "John."

Damn. I thought he'd like this, but I didn't expect him to be so...responsive.

I came back up and took the tip of his erection into my mouth, suckling it lightly. Randy covered his face with his hands and groaned with satisfaction, his legs struggling against the restraint of his jeans. I pushed down harder against his hips and slid my mouth a little further over his shaft, continuing the light, deliberate suction to tease him.

Randy chanted my name as he moaned, and the more I took him in, the louder he got. I was beginning to worry that he was being too loud, when Randy grabbed a nearby pillow and held it over his face to stifle the noise. I wanted to laugh because he was going to crazy over what I was doing, but I was enjoying this too much.

His dick tasted like a mix of salt, sweat, and something else I had never tasted before. It wasn't a really great taste, but it wasn't bad, either. I could feel his erection throbbing against my tongue, and all I wanted to do was make him come so I could taste that, too.

Randy took the pillow off of his face and tossed it aside. He grabbed the headboard and pulled violently against it to release the building tension, calling out to me, "Oh, fuck, John!"

I knew he was about to peak, so I stopped sucking and completely relaxed so I could swallow Randy's entire shaft, which wasn't easy, considering his larger size. He completely filled out my mouth, and I could feel the very tip of his dick tickling my tonsils.

"FUCK!" I heard Randy shriek, followed by a loud CRACK!

I let him go just as Randy came, missing the chance to taste his ending. I looked up at him and asked, "What the hell happened?"

He looked as shocked as I was. We both looked down at his left hand, where he was holding a large chunk of the headboard, and we realized at the same time that the cracking noise was the sound of Randy breaking off a piece.

I laughed and said, "Oh shit, that's amazing!"

"Whoopsy," Randy joked dryly, tossing the piece to the floor.

There was a knock at the door, then Cody asked us from the other side, "Are you two alright in there?"

"Fine," Randy shouted back shortly.

Cody continued to torment us, asking through the door, "Are you guys doing something kinky in there? Should I be worried? I'm in the bedroom below yours, and if both of your ugly, naked bodies come crashing down on me through the ceiling, I'm gonna be so traumatized..."

"GO AWAY!" Randy and I shouted to Cody at once.

Cody made a loud and exaggerated sigh, then we could hear him noisily making his way back down the hallway. When I was sure he was gone, I turned to Randy with a wicked smile and asked, "Want to do it rough so we can scare him?"

Randy chuckled and I came up to meet his lips. He parted my lips and his tongue pushed its way in, exploring my mouth regardless that it tasted like his dick. He kicked off his jeans the rest of the way while we made out, then when we broke away from each other, I told Randy, "I want you to fuck me the way I see you thinking about when you give me your Viper's stare."

Smiling wryly like he ached for the chance, Randy looked away and said quietly, "I don't know if you're gonna like that."

I gripped his shoulders tightly so he would look back at me, then I said boldly, "I'd like anything you do to me."

Randy took one of the pillow cases and tore it into pieces. He used one piece to tie my wrists together above my head, then he used the other piece to tie my ankles so that my legs were fastened tightly around his waist. He put on a condom and slipped inside of me in the position where I was facing him, then he held me down and began fucking me hard.

He started off deliberate...one...two...three...his hips making quick, hard thrusts in, then he would take his time pulling mostly out before making a quick, hard thrust back in again.

I was experiencing more pain than usual, but I was also feeling more pleasure than usual, so when Randy stopped for a moment to wordlessly ask me with his eyes if he should keep going, I nodded and moaned, "Yes, keep going, please..."

He began thrusting in faster motions, but kept his strength on the same level of roughness. He slowly pulled his left hand out of my grasp, then he clasped his palm around my throat, pressing his thumb against my Adam's apple just enough to make my insides tingle anxiously as he leaned in and whispered, "Do you like that?"

"Yes," I breathed, staring into the depths of his dilated eyes.

"Then say it," he ordered me, brushing his lips teasingly along my own as he pounded into me once more.

I groaned with the pleasure of feeling him balls-deep inside of me, then I told him, "I like that."

He pulled out and pounded into me again, tightening his grip around my throat so that I could still breathe easily while simultaneously feeling the threat of possibly losing that same breath. It was so stimulating, I couldn't take it anymore.

My knees squeezed against Randy's hips as I came hard, my seed erupting onto his stomach. He didn't pull out right away, but lingered inside of me as he stared deeply into my eyes. He slowly untied my wrists, then he took my right hand and brought it down to his stomach. He used my index finger to wipe off some of my cum, then he brought my hand back up to his face and licked it off of my finger, making a satisfied grin as he swallowed it and said, "Mmm...salty."

"You are such a freak," I said jokingly.

He leaned into me and replied dryly, "Yeah? I'll bet you like that, too."

"Oh hell yes, I like that," I grinned.

:-:

-Inside CM Punk's Head-

Vincent McMahon had called me into his office. I assumed it was because Randal and Johnathan had gone missing, and I was the prime suspect. The fact that I had broken Wade's nose and dislocated Daniel Bryan's jaw before said disappearance didn't help my case.

I took a seat in the guest chair and Vincent leaned against his desk, folding his arms and giving me his usual intimidating stare-down.

He thought it made people fear him, but it just made me laugh.

"So, what seems to be the problem, sir?" I asked politely.

Vincent sighed and his expression went blank.

Here come the accusations. I'm well prepared.

"Punk, your contract with the WWE is about to come up for renewal, and I've asked you here because I don't think I want to re-sign you," Vincent told me.

Fucker. Cunt-ass lying sack of shit-faced weasel fucking self-righteous pig-headed asshole...

"Really? What may I ask is the problem?" I said calmly, despite my racing mind.

My mind continued cursing as Vincent explained passively, "You're just not a big part of the storyline right now. I don't really have a lot of use for you."

I badly stifled a laugh to aggravate him, then I stated loudly, "I'm the leader of The Nexus, sir! I think that counts for something!"

Vincent nodded like he knew I would bring that up, then he told me, "Look, frankly, you're not a big bet for Nexus. Wade was the creator of the group, and now he, Gabriel and Slater want to head to Smackdown."

"Perfect! That means I can design it the way it should be," I interrupted.

Vincent narrowed his eyes at me, so I sat back and let him finish, "Punk, you're not the biggest part of Nexus. Cena, Orton and even Batista make more headlines than you in this business, which means they've got so much more potential to carry the sign of the leader."

Cock sucking ass fucker sick fat fucking psycho asshole shitting carpet muncher fucking skunk...

"Well then, make Batista the leader! I can live with that!" I offered.

Vincent stared at me like I was little more than an infant to him.

I want to push you into the wall and watch your skull bounce off of it.

"You're not understanding me here, Punk..." Vincent started.

"No, I think I understand! You want to get rid of me because you think it's for the good of the company, and I'm telling you it's not!" I countered, letting my anger boil to the surface.

Vincent warned me with his eyes not to interrupt again. I waited and he explained with more agitation in his voice, "I've been looking into your background since you publicly announced yourself as co-leader of Nexus."

Leader, asshole. I'm the leader.

Motioning to several file folders on his desk, Vincent explained further, "I know that you had a half-brother named Lincoln "Blackshaw" Brooks. He was an amateur wrestler in England and you two had very opposite personalities, but remained close."

How could he know about Lincoln? Fuck.

"Lincoln was working his way to the top when he met another amateur wrestler, whom we know as Wade Barrett."

He's telling me this to scare me. There's no way he knows enough to stop me.

I sat back and listened intently as Vince continued, "Lincoln was complaining that Wade was stalking him, then Lincoln suddenly disappeared. It seemed like an open-and-shut case, until I dug a little deeper and it turns out that Lincoln's close friends all said he had a very severe drug problem, and they all said he most likely died of an overdose."

My eyes widened a little but I betrayed no emotion. Vincent paused to let it sink in before he revealed to me, "Wade was not stalking Lincoln. Wade was trying to help Lincoln, but he didn't want it."

Liar. Stupid...FUCKING LIAR!

I shifted in my seat and tried to keep my emotions in check. Vincent just kept going, "I have a theory here, Punk. I think you, being the straight-edge man, went a little off the deep end after your brother's death from the very drugs that you chose never to put into your body. You probably did all the research you could about how drugs affected the body and what kinds of drugs there were out there, trying to understand what your brother did. I think that Wade tried to help your brother, but you needed someone to blame, and because your brother was trying to make Wade look bad for helping him, you decided to point the finger at Wade because he was an easy target."

I stared blankly at Vincent as he leaned in and told me, "I think you were hoping that Wade would get signed to WWE so that you could exact your revenge. Wade started obsessing over Cena, and you twisted it all around in your mind so that you believed what Wade was doing to Cena was exactly what he did to your brother. You used Cena as an opportunity to get to Wade, and you dragged Randy into it, and The Nexus into it, and even Batista and eventually the entirety of both rosters. What surprised me was that you disguised yourself so well, I was sure you were after Cena, but in reality, it was all about Wade."

Fuck. He knows.

"You don't have anything to back this little fantasy of yours up, sir," I said calmly.

Shrugging, Vincent nodded and told me, "Yes, you're right about that, but I do have the power to do what I want with you while you're under contract with my company.

Oh, shit.

Vincent stood up straight and stated loudly, "I think I'm going to have Randy and John break away from Nexus. John will go solo, and Randy will turn on the rest of the Nexus members and eliminate them through various matches on RAW until it's just you left. I think I'll have him take you on at Wrestlemania, and he'll basically get to do whatever he wants to do to you in that ring, and if I like what I see, I might decide to renew your contract."

"You can't do this..." I started.

Vincent turned on his heel to leave, but stopped mid-step to turn back and tell me, "Your games will stop, Punk. You will become a normally functioning member of this roster, and you will do as I say, or you will find yourself in a whole mess of legal trouble when everyone finds out that you've been administering illegal drugs to other wrestlers, one of many in a long list of offenses I would just love to tell my lawyers about."

I continued to stare at him with a devoid expression. He smiled shortly at me and said, "Oh, and one more thing: if Randy decides to do something crazy while you're in the ring with him on RAW or at Wrestlemania, and he breaks your nose or your arm or something, just go with it. If you fuck up, it's really bad for business."

Then he walked out, slamming the door and leaving me alone in the silence.

:-:

Mark got the call from McMahon that Punk was done. Gabriel called Randy an hour later to fill him in on the new storyline for The Nexus, including Wade, Gabriel and Slater's move to Smackdown, as well as Randy's free reign to obliterate what was left of The Nexus.

I said good-bye to my dad, then Randy and I drove in his truck to get to the next arena, while Mark and Cody took off in their own car to get back to Smackdown. I was smiling like an idiot all through our drive, overwhelmed with joy that Randy and I were free, and things were finally going back to normal.

"Hey Randy, I want to ask you a serious question," I beamed.

Rolling his eyes, he asked dryly, "What?"

"When they legalize gay marriage, are you going to marry me in the ring like I've always dreamed?" I tried really hard not to laugh.

Randy scoffed and replied in his usual dry sense of humor, "Of course not. Everyone will think it's another shitty storyline and I'm too afraid Kane will burst through the ring like he did at Lita and Edge's wedding."

I busted out laughing. Randy shuddered and added, "Kane's freaky-ass coming out of that ring still gives me nightmares."

I stopped laughing to catch my breath, then I asked more seriously, "Do you ever think about it, though? I mean us, being together...forever?"

Randy's expression hardened, and I could see him going off into that place inside his head again.

He looks more endearing now that I know he's thinking about me when he's in there.

I slid across the seat so that I could be closer to him, then I rested my head on his shoulder and waited for him to come back and answer me.

"I think about it all the time," he whispered, kissing the top of my head before returning his focus to the road.

THE END