Title: The Reason
Rated: M (Mature)
Genre(s): Romance/Drama
Pair(s): Big Show/Cody, Randy/Adam, Mark/Phil, Kane/Zack, etc.
Summary: Because of the GM, Cody now has to balance life on the road with life as a new father. The GM took his boyfriend from him, and now, he's all alone…
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, besides my OCs.
Warning(s): Slash, Mpreg, Violence
Part: 9/10 – The Talk
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After the show, the wrestlers went back to their hotel. Soon, Cody found himself outside of his boyfriend's hotel room. He carried Cayden in the removable car seat. The little boy had a dark blue binky in his mouth and his wide, murky blue eyes took in all that surrounded him. Carefully, Cody shifted him to the other arm and knocked on Paul's door. There was a moment of silence and Cody feared that Paul had decided that this wasn't the best idea after all. But after a minute, the door opened and Paul allowed him inside.
Cody walked inside and set the removable car seat on a little table, before he unbuckled the tiny infant and carefully scooped him out into his arms. The baby cooed softly around the binky, but otherwise he didn't make a sound. Over the time that he had traveled with Cody, he had become used to having several unfamiliar faces around. Paul led Cody over to the couch, where they both sat down. Cody shifted the baby a bit so that his head was supported in the crook of his arm. Cayden's murky blue eyes flickered over to Paul.
"Is that?" Paul couldn't force the rest of the words out. All of this seemed so surreal, almost as if he were in a dream. He couldn't believe that he could actually see his son for the first time.
"Yes." Cody said with a small smile on his face. "This is Cayden Randall Wight. He's your son, Paul." Cody confirmed. Carefully, he fixed the little beanie on the baby's head.
Paul hesitated for a moment, almost unsure if he should ask. His eyes locked with Cody's for a moment and all of the nerves went away. "May I hold him?"
Cody smirked. "Of course you can hold him, Paul. He's your son."
Thankful that he hadn't been denied, Paul leaned forward and allowed Cody to carefully shift their baby into his arms. Cayden let out a soft, startled cry. All of a sudden, his brilliant blue orbs blew wide and a few tears welled in them. But Paul shushed him softly and started to rock him back and forth, just like he had done with his daughter. Immediately, the little boy calmed. He was more interested in Paul's beard. He reached up with one tiny hand and locked his fingers into the mess of hair, pulling Paul down closer to him.
Cody chuckled easily. "He likes you."
Paul smiled down at Cayden. He had been so sure that he would never be able to hold him like this. "He's beautiful… because he looks just like you."
Cody's smirk never faltered. "Nah. I think that he inherited the bald trait from you. I intend to have a full head of hair until the day that I die."
Paul just shook his head. Cody's vanity was no less than comical. "Whatever you say, Codes." And then, he looked at his boyfriend seriously. "But like I said earlier, we really need to talk."
Cody nodded. They did need to talk. Slowly, he stroked a hand over Cayden's blue swaddling cloth. "Why did you sell out to John Laureinitis? Why did you say that Cayden and I don't mean anything to you?"
"I'll start with the fact that all of that was a lie. All of it. I was frustrated with myself and with this damn company and I took it out on you. It was wrong and I'm so, so sorry. Words can't even describe how I feel." Paul said.
Cody looked deep into his eyes and could see that he was telling the truth. "Okay. I believe you."
Paul seemed more than a bit relieved to hear that. "As for selling out to John Laureinitis, you know that I was married before I met you and that I have another child. Well, after her birth, my wife wanted to re-do her body."
Cody seemed a little bit confused. "Okay."
"She bled me dry of every dime that I had and it still wasn't enough for her. In the end, she left me because I was flat broke and took my daughter away as well." Paul said lowly. He was ashamed to admit to his shortcomings.
Cody's heart almost broke as he watched the Giant slowly start to fold under all of the pressure that life had put on him. He had had a difficult life. He had been bullied in school because of his size and weight. The women that he had loved so much only wanted him for his money. And now, after almost two months, this was the first time that he got to see his newborn son. Cody felt bad, but at the same time, he had done what he had believed was best at the time to defend his family. Could he truly be blamed for that?
Cayden seemed to sense Paul's distress, because he started to shift and fuss as his father became more and more upset. When Paul realized this, he hurriedly calmed himself and made a funny face for the baby. Cayden's tears slowed and he even seemed to smile around the binky. Cody went off and warmed a bottle for him, before he came back and handed the bottle to Paul. Bringing Cayden with him may have been the best idea that he had had in the last two months. It certainly eased the tension between them.
"I can't even convey how sorry I am about this, Cody. But I'll say it as many times as you need to hear it. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry for what I've done to you and to Cayden." Paul said honestly.
"I know that you're sorry." Cody said evenly. "And it doesn't matter how many times you say it. The fact still remains that you betrayed several close friends, and me, in order to earn that iron-clad contract and that bonus."
Paul truly looked ashamed of himself. As much as Cody didn't want to kick the man while he was down, he had to show him that it wasn't okay to treat other people like shit and think that one little 'I'm Sorry' would fix all of it. It would take months for all of the wounds that he had created to heal properly, but there would always be a scar. Still, Paul seemed to understand that his actions had crossed the metaphorical line. He was in the water so deep and there were no life boats within reach.
Cody didn't want to be the villain here. He had to admit that it had taken a lot of guts to spill all of that information to a man you weren't even sure loved you anymore. That in itself deserved some kind of reward. Just as a look of defeat started to form on Paul's face, Cody leaned forward and kissed him. Hard and fast, it was all of the passion that Paul had missed from his younger lover over that week when he thought that they could be separated long term, maybe even forever. He had been so afraid that Cody would find someone younger and better to take his place.
"You're forgiven, Paul." But just as a smile started to form on Paul's face, Cody raised one hand. "On several conditions. You have a choice here. Abide by them and we can get back together. Don't, and I walk out on you now."
Paul nodded hurriedly. He wasn't sure he would survive if Cody walked out on him for a second time. "Whatever you want, it's yours. I'd do anything for you, Cody."
Cody smirked. He actually believed that. "One – you apologize to everyone that you've hurt. That includes Cena."
Paul raised one eyebrow. "Why Cena? What did I ever do to him?"
Cody rolled his eyes. "Paul, he was one of your best friends and you claimed that he didn't even care that you were fired. You really hurt his feelings. Apologize to him or the deal is off."
Paul frowned. He had no other choice. "Fine, I'll apologize to John Cena."
"Two – you go to the Board of Directors and ask to have your contract reversed. You won't be better than anyone else. You'll just be normal." Cody said. "No iron-clad rules, no big fat bonus."
"But what about the -," Paul tried to protest.
"You don't need to have money to make me love you, Paul." Cody said honestly.
Paul relented. "Fine. What else?"
"Last but never least, three – your reign as a heel is over. I want you to make a formal apology to the WWE Universe, the other wrestlers, and anyone else who could have been hurt by your actions. Do I make myself clear?" Cody said.
"Yes. I'll do all of that and more if it will make you happy." Paul said.
"Good." Cody smiled and leaned in until his mouth hovered inches away from Paul's. "I love you."
Those three words were like music to Paul's ears. "I love you too, Codes."
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A/N: Please Review!