A slow, content smile spread across John's after waking up when he found Randy still there this time. Randy on his stomach on the other side of the bed. He still had the clothes on he'd shown up at John's door wearing. He was sleeping, soundly from what John could tell.

One of Randy's arms was still thrown over John's waist and his face was turned towards John on the pillow. John had such an incredibly strong urge to close the distance between them and to place a kiss on Randy's parted lips.

He didn't, of course. He wanted Randy completely conscious when he made that move. He had time, anyway. He just hoped Randy wouldn't be too adverse to it.

Xxxxxxxx

It was Randy who kissed him first, about a week and a half after he'd shown up at John's door at three in the morning. They were sitting on the bench in the locker room. Randy was lacing up his boots and John was watching Evan and Morrison talk on the other side of the room.

They'd spent a great deal of time together since Randy had shown up at his door. So much time, in fact, that John was beginning to get a bit frustrated with himself. He'd never been a coward but he'd chickened out, repeatedly, when he'd decided to make the first move.

As it turned out, he really didn't have anything to worry about and he wasn't the one who made the first move.

"You know, half the locker room thinks we're fucking," he blurted out suddenly when he saw Morrison's gaze dart over to them.

Randy paused, his hands stilling and he looked over at John. "I know," he stated simply.

"You think that's ridiculous?" John asked tentatively.

"I think sometimes this place is like being back in high school." There was a smile on Randy's face when he went back to his boots.

"Yeah. But you think…?" John trailed off; unsure of how to form the question or even if he should ask.

Randy finished with his boots, made sure his kneepads were in place before leaning close to John. "I think you shouldn't care so much what other people think."

"Right." John was a tiny bit disappointed. At least, he was until Randy leaned into his personal space and wrapped those long fingers around the back of John's neck, pulling him close. The kiss was brief, light and Randy pulled back before John could fully register it had happened. The smile on Randy's face was soft, his expression open.

"I like you too," he stated plainly. He reached for John's hand, turning it so he could see John's watch. "I have to go. Wish me luck." He hesitated a moment. "You gonna wait for me?"

And suddenly, Randy looked so unsure of himself that there was really only one way John could answer. "Of course."

He was smiling when Randy left the room and he totally didn't care what anyone who might have seen the kiss thought.

Xxxxxxxxx

He was nervous. The feeling invaded Randy and he fidgeted by his car, waiting impatiently for John. The kiss earlier hadn't exactly been a spontaneous decision. He'd seen the way John had been looking at him before and Randy had been thinking about it for a while.

Getting up the nerve to actually do it had been more difficult than he'd thought it would be. It wasn't as if he hadn't been with guys over the past few years. Cody wasn't the only person he'd taken back to his hotel room but this…this was different.

There was something different about this thing with John. Something that had him pacing nervously. Something that had him reluctant to initiate anything between them. Something that made his stomach tighten into knots and made him desperately wish he hadn't quit smoking.

He wasn't used to it. He hadn't felt anything for, well, really for anyone, since he'd first been moved up to RAW years ago. But he was feeling something for John, something other than anger.

It was that that had him reluctant to start anything. It was the reason why he had taken so long to take the first step. He'd learned years ago that getting into anything-even friendship-with anyone in the business was a stupid idea, a mistake.

But the weeks since John had found him stumbling along the hallway and not simply passed by like everyone else had were too difficult to ignore. The look in John's eyes lately was. He couldn't ignore it. He didn't want to.

He liked the feeling. He liked that John hadn't passed him by. He couldn't suppress the feelings he got when he thought about John getting hurt either. It was one of the reasons why he'd interfered when John had been getting double teamed.

He still couldn't quite believe that it was happening. He was sure that, like most of the guys in the locker room, John had hated him for a long time. Randy couldn't even blame him for it. He'd done a lot of horrible things to John when they'd been fighting over the title.

Lately, though, Randy found himself not even caring about the title. John had it but Randy had felt no urge to go after him for it. He wanted something else from John.

"Hey!" John's call brought him out of his thoughts and Randy couldn't help but to smile as he made his way over.

"Hey." The nervousness settled back into his stomach but he did leave with John and he couldn't regret it.

Xxxxxxxx

John was practically vibrating with energy by the time the show ended and he made his way out of the arena, towards the parking lot to meet Randy. He couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. In fact, it had been difficult to concentrate on his match.

Randy had admitted that he felt the same as John with that kiss and John couldn't help the smile that stayed on his face from the moment Randy had walked out of the locker room until he saw Randy again. Not even Batista could ruin his mood.

Nothing could ruin his mood. Any hesitation he'd felt about taking things further with Randy had flown from his mind the moment Randy's lips had connected with his. He didn't waste any time when they finally made it back to Randy's hotel room.

Xxxxxxx

Somehow, Randy ended up with his back pressed against his hotel room door, with John's lips attached to his collarbone. Apparently, John had been waiting just as long as he had. Apparently, the kiss in the locker room was the only invitation John needed.

Not that Randy was complaining. In fact, the noises that made their way past his lips as John pulled at his shirt, pressed his body against Randy's and let his lips roam held no protest in them.

Randy couldn't think, not with John's lips attacking his own and any protest he might have come up with against this flew from his mind and he found himself pulling John impossibly close, digging his fingers into John's shoulders.

John's hands found their way under Randy's black shirt and his fingertips grazed over the muscles on Randy's abdomen, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind. When John's fingers went to Randy's belt buckle, however, Randy's thoughts unclouded and he placed his own hands over John's, stilling them.

"What's wrong?" John asked, pulling back, confusion in his blue eyes.

"I just…" Randy bit his lip, already missing John's and wondered how to express his thoughts without making John think he was regretting what just happened. When he saw the look that in John's eyes, he could see his hesitation had done that job anyway.

"You don't want this?" John backed away from him, sat down on the bed. "I thought…"

"It's not that," Randy protested. "I wouldn't have kissed you in the first place if I didn't."

"Then what's the problem?"

Randy sighed and dropped down on the bed beside John. Pulling one leg up, he rested his chin on his knee and stared at John. "Maybe…maybe this is moving a little…fast," he explained hesitantly.

"Right." John frowned at him. "I guess we did leap over a few steps."

"I just…I don't…" Randy chewed his lip, frustrated with himself. "I'm not great at this. But I don't think I want this to just be about sex," he admitted. He'd done that before. Jumped into bed with someone. Most of the locker room was under the impression that he was a bit loose and he couldn't exactly argue with that assessment but what he was feeling for John…It was new and bright and he liked it. He liked the feeling he got whenever he was around John and he didn't want John to turn into another one of the distractions he'd indulged himself in over the years.

"I don't want that either," John said after a moment, bringing Randy out of his thoughts. "I don't do one night stands, Randy."

Randy nodded with a frown. He didn't want it to be that, for the first time in years. He'd had lots of sex before, but he hadn't had any real feelings attached to it in a long time.

"Don't worry," John spoke up again. When Randy looked up to meet his gaze again, John's was open with no trace of anger in them. He leaned forward and kissed Randy again, this one soft. John was smiling when he pulled back.

"I can wait."