"Cena? Cena—are you listening?"
John's head jerked up as the sound of Wade Barrett's thickly accented drawl echoed in his ears. He was sitting on a metal bench in the Nexus locker room, elbows on his knees and his chin resting on the palm of his left hand. Otunga and Slater had left some time ago for something or another, and Justin Gabriel was leaning against a cement wall, his arms folded across his chest, mouth curled in a distasteful sneer. Wade Barrett was standing in front of John, his dark eyes looking down at the Champ with a mixture of impatience and mistrust. He was dressed in his ring gear: Nexus t-shirt and black wrestling trunks. Wade's brown hair was slicked down as usual, and he held a determined frown on his face. John, too, was dressed and ready to go: he was wearing his usual purple and yellow getup, and—at Wade's command—he bore a Nexus armband on his left arm, the black band barely able to stretch wide enough to encircle John's lower bicep.
It was Sunday—Bragging Rights. The rest of the week had seemed to crawl by after John's…encounter with Randy Orton. By Friday he was dying to pick up his cell phone and dial the Viper, but in the end he decided against it. Randy wasn't the type to trust easily; if John ever hoped to get to know Randy better, he'd have to earn his trust…and John eventually came to the conclusion that the best way to begin to do that would be to honor Randy's request about not seeing him before Bragging Rights. He didn't blame Randy for wanting it that way; if their roles were reversed, Cena wouldn't want another man—especially a man who was supposed to be against him—distracting him from his championship match. Still, staying away from Orton had proved to be much more difficult then John would've thought. By Saturday night he was practically going mad with indecision: he wanted so badly to push this…thing…with Randy Orton farther, but how could he possibly do that when Barrett was expecting him to make Randy lose his championship? Randy would hate John if he caused him to lose his title…that much John knew for certain. And he didn't know if he could deal with that…like it or not, he'd definitely grown an intense interest in Randy Orton. He just couldn't get the gorgeous Legend Killer off his mind…
"Sorry." John looked up apologetically at his so-called leader.
"You better get your mind out of the gutter," Wade hissed, pointing a finger a John, "My match is the most important match of the night, and you need to be on your game Cena."
"Right, right." John rolled his eyes, scowling unhappily, "You know, if I were you, I'd be more worried about Randy Orton RKO'ing your face off then about me doing my job."
"You say that like you think Orton actually has a chance of winning." Justin snorted from over by the wall, reaching up and sliding a dark hand through his black hair.
"If you don't think Randy's a real threat, then you're a damn idiot." Cena snapped, glaring over at the younger man, "He's strong and smart, and not to mention he's got more experience then everyone on the Nexus combined."
"Careful Cena," Gabriel smirked, pursing his lips as he looked at John, "Keep talking like that and some people are going to think you have a thing for Orton."
John turned a bright red at that, his sapphire eyes glowering in rage as he clenched his jaw shut, the muscles in his cheeks bulging as he tried to control his temper. God, the last thing he needed right now was for Wade Barrett—or anyone on the Nexus, for that matter—to figure out that he had taken a liking to Randy. If Barrett knew…well, John had no doubt that Wade would figure out some way to use that to his advantage. Damn, crushing on Randy Orton was like painting a target on his back…no, he'd have to do his best to make sure the Nexus had no idea that he and Randy had practically fucked with clothes on a few days ago. And he'd have to try even harder to make sure Wade didn't discover his newfound infatuation with the WWE Champion…fucking and making out was one thing, it'd be even worse for Randy if Wade discovered John actually liked him. Not that he and Randy had fucked…yet. Judging from the way Randy had moaned and whined when John was on top of him…well, it was a safe bet that sex wasn't too much further down the road… Ever since their hot makeout session, John had found himself daydreaming about Randy underneath him, squirming, writhing in pleasure…or Randy on his hands and knees, backing up against him…or Randy kneeling in front of him, his mouth wrapping around John's… Fuck. This was not what John needed on his mind before the championship match. Now he was going to be standing around the ring, watching a nearly-naked Randy Orton, picturing the champion screaming John's name while they fucked… Damn it! John shook his head, trying to rid himself of those dirty thoughts.
"You sure you're going to be able to handle this, Cena?" Barrett muttered, glaring at John as if he knew exactly what was going through his mind.
"Look, you do your job and I'll do mine." John said with a shrug, standing up as he did so.
"Fine. Let's go then, the fans are waiting." Barrett spoke with a dark grin, turning and heading towards the door.
John Cena reluctantly followed behind, the turmoil building inside of him with every step he took.
"Good luck." Gabriel snickered behind John's back, his brown eyes following them as the disappeared behind the locker room door.
Slowly but surely, John had gotten used to the booing. The stadium came to life when he and Wade Barrett walked down the ramp; the jeers from the crowd were loud enough to make John's ears vibrate. He made sure to frown unhappily the entire time he and Barrett marched down the ramp, hoping that his fans would see that he was not at all happy with his current predicament. He'd been hearing conspiracy theories from the fans: some thought he would eventually reveal he was happy to be a part of the Nexus, some thought he was secretly using his newfound team to seek revenge upon Randy Orton, and there was even a large group that thought he was actually the mastermind behind the Nexus. All of it was bullshit of course, and John wanted his true fans to realize that. The music boomed above his ears as he and Barrett strolled down the ramp, Barrett slightly in the front, smiling despite the thunderous amounts of screaming boos they were getting. John was trailing after him half heartedly, his hands already clenched into tight fists. Hundreds of flashing lights signaled people taking pictures, and to a newbie it—along with the deafening music—could be pretty disorienting. But John was used to it, and he didn't even blink when he and Barrett gripped the ropes and climbed up in the ring.
John strode to the center of the ring, gripping the purple fabric of his tee. Pulling the shirt over his head, he expertly tossed it into the crowd, causing some shrieking cheers to pierce all the booing. Barrett rolled his eyes when John did that, and then he too took his shirt off, though his motions weren't met with near the enthusiasm as John's. Taking his hat off, Cena then cast that into the crowd as well, and then he placed his hands on his hips, his ocean-hued eyes focusing up on the ramp. Barrett crossed his arms over his chest, and then his own darker eyes were staring at the same place as John's. Despite their obvious differences, both wore tight, concentrating frowns as they gazed up at the ramp. Staring up ahead, John couldn't help but feel his pulse quicken as he waited. Hell, he still didn't know what the fuck he was going to do…all he knew was that his decisions tonight would very likely determine how his budding relationship with Randy would turn out. And he really, really didn't want to screw that up.
The familiar 'Voices' song suddenly thundered through the air, and then the entire stadium seemed to shake as people stood up, screaming and cheering as loudly as they could for the WWE Champion. John could feel his breath catch in his throat when Randy finally stepped out. Orton took slow, calculated steps, taking his time as he made his way down the ramp, his muscles flexing threateningly as held the gleaming championship belt over his shoulder. As Randy drew nearer John could see that the bruises from both the attacks had faded quite a bit…though, that was really the only good thing John could say. Other than that, Randy looked downright exhausted. He had shadowy bags under his eyes, and his normally bright blue eyes had taken a pale, diluted tone. Randy was scowling deeply, but his eyes weren't looking at Wade Barrett…no, they were targeting John. Orton was staring at him with such a fiery intensity it was a wonder Cena didn't burst into flames right there in the middle of the ring. Well, John thought as Randy grabbed the ropes and climbed into the ring, it seemed he hadn't been the only one affected by their separation.
The ref stepped forward finally, taking Randy's belt and holding it high in the air for all to see. As he stepped away, placing the belt outside of the ring, John slid between the ropes, placing himself just on the outside of Barrett's corner. All the while he still felt Randy's heated gaze on him. Barrett, on the other hand, was staring at Randy with such hatred it was a bit unnerving.
And then the bell rang.
Randy and Wade circled each other, like two wolves ready to fight for dominance. Wade struck first, lunging forward and attempting to punch Randy in the gut. John bit his bottom lip as Barrett made the attack, but to his relief Randy dodged it and countered with a kick to the gut. Everything after that happened quickly: punches and kicks were exchanged, slams and submissions were given here and there, and right when one began to have an advantage over the other, the tides would turn. Randy managed to scoop slam Barrett three times, and every time John found himself smirking in satisfaction as Barrett's body smacked against the floor, the entire ring shaking from the force of it. Wade caught Randy with a particularly nasty clothesline, though, sending the Viper straight to the floor. John had cringed at that, thinking for sure that Randy wouldn't be standing up after that one. But as chants of R-K-O rang out, Randy managed to scramble to his feet and dodge an elbow that Barrett was trying to drop on his head. Orton then retaliated by performing a stunning dropkick, nailing Barrett right in the teeth and causing the slightly taller man to crash to the ground. John had cheered openly at that, clapping his hands loudly. He had always thought that Randy executed the best looking dropkicks in the business…and that was why it didn't surprise John that it was the dropkick that ended up making all the difference.
Barrett didn't stand up after the dropkick. He remained on the ground, his body wriggling in pain as he clutched his jaw. Cena's heart pounded against his chest as Randy began doing his infamous Orton stomp: he rained down kick after kick after kick on Barrett, not even stopping when Barrett tried to roll away. After a few minutes, he finally stopped, backing up a few feet, staring at the downed man with pure rage in his eyes.
And then he fell to the ground, pounding the ring floor with his fists, baring his teeth like an angry lion. The crowd went wild as Randy did his predatory dance, smacking the floor and growling out with total hostility. John started pacing then, reaching up and running a hand through his bristly, short hair. What should he do? Randy was about to take Barrett out…he was about to finish the match, there was no doubt about it. Staring at the infuriated Orton, John could feel his indecision settling in his gut, ripping at his stomach. Help Wade Barrett and ruin his future with Randy…or help Randy and risk getting fired by Barrett? Fuck, there was no good choice, no middle ground for him to take. Help Randy or help Wade…help Randy or help Wade… John continued pacing, chewing on his bottom lip, listening to the screaming crowd. What the hell was he supposed to do? Risk his career? Risk Randy? Do nothing? God damn it he had no idea what choice was the right choice… The crowd began chanting Randy's name, and finally he stood up, bent at the knee, ready to RKO Wade Barrett into next week.
The Viper charged forward, ready to strike, when suddenly he found himself face to face with John Cena. The booing was louder than ever as John bolted into the ring and physically placed his body between Randy and Wade. Barrett groaned on the floor, still holding onto his injured face. Randy, on the other hand, was standing at his full height, his eyes full of disbelief and blue fire.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Randy roared, his voice barely discernable over the shouting crowd.
"You know I can't let you do that." John yelled back, meeting Randy's enraged glare, "You know if I let you win I'll get fired! You know I don't have a choice!" He was standing maybe three feet away from Randy…just far enough where he'd have good warning if Randy decided to attack. Just far enough to see the hate fill Randy's eyes.
"No choice? No choice?" Randy snarled, pointing an angry finger at John, "Don't tell me there's no fucking choice! There's always a fucking—"
Suddenly there was a flash of color, and Randy was sent sprawling backwards, a cry of pain escaping past his lips. Wade Barrett had leapt from the ground and speared him right in the gut, sending Randy flat on his back. The crowd booed hysterically as Barrett stood back up, a cocky smirk on his face as he looked down at Randy. Orton was lying on the ground, writhing back and forth, his arms clutched around his stomach, his eyes clenched shut in pure pain. Cena was staring down at him in shock, completely surprised by the sudden attack. Neither he nor Randy had even seen it coming…
"What the hell are you doing?" John screamed at Wade, his eyes still wide.
"What did you expect, Cena?" Wade grinned, taking a step towards John, "This is a championship match…a match that I intend on winning."
"You said you wouldn't hurt him!" John spat, reaching out and placing his hands on Wade's chest. Letting out a growl of frustration, he shoved the leader of the Nexus hard. Wade stumbled backwards, nearly losing his footing, but he managed to catch himself on the ropes. It was then that, out of the corner of his eye, John saw Randy roll out of the ring, landing on the floor clumsily, still holding onto his injured side.
"What the bloody hell are you doing Cena?" Barrett snapped as he straightened himself back up, "Might I remind you that you can be fired at any moment if you disobey me?"
"You said he wouldn't get hurt!" John repeated furiously, "You promised me!"
"Well, I don't know if you realize this Cena," Wade snorted arrogantly, "But I don't have to keep my promises. I can do what I very damn well please…because unlike you, I wasn't ordered to work for someone!"
"You lying piece of shit!" John howled angrily, so mad with Barrett right now he feared he was about to strangle the man, "I swear to god when this bullshit is over I'm going to—"
The crowd suddenly exploded, screaming and jeering at the top of their lungs, causing both Wade and John to turn around.
The rest of the Nexus was storming down the ramp.
Otunga and Gabriel reached Randy Orton first. They began hitting him, punching and kicking with as much power as they possibly could. Then Slater's ginger ass made it to the party, and he dropped an elbow directly on Randy's stomach, earning a moan of pain from the Legend Killer. John turned and gave one quick look at Barrett—who was smiling evilly, his lips curled in a nasty grin—before storming towards the group. The rest of the Nexus hadn't heard the exchange between John and Wade, so they were caught by surprise when John suddenly jumped over the ropes and into their group. He grabbed Otunga first, throwing him against the ring, allowing himself a small grin of satisfaction as he heard David's back slam into the ring wall. Slater backed off then, holding up his hands defensively, but that didn't stop John. He shoved Heath in the chest just like he did Barrett, only this time he managed to knock the redhead off his feet. Gabriel lunged at him, and he managed to punch John in the stomach. It was a glancing blow, though, and Cena shrugged it off pretty quickly. He grabbed Gabriel by the wrist, and then the crowd turned insane as he lifted Justin into the air and slammed him onto the ground—executing a picture-perfect Attitude Adjustment. Gabriel screamed in pain at that, and—fortunately for him—he did not get back up.
Then John finally turned towards Randy.
Orton was lying on the ground—looking barely conscious. His eyes fluttered open, and then those pale icy eyes of his were staring up at John, begging him, pleading with him for help. John felt like someone had swung an iron bat against his chest when Randy looked up at him like that. Bending over, he gently helped Randy to his feet, earning ear-splitting screams from the fans. Orton whimpered in pain as he tried to step forward, and John slowly began walking him up the ramp, one limping step at a time. The cries of the crowd were so loud Cena barely heard the words of the ring announcer as he declared the match a disqualification, but he most certainly heard Wade Barrett screaming like a madman. He was screaming at John to leave Randy, screaming at him to return to the ring, but John didn't care.
As he helped Randy up the ramp, he only cared about getting the younger man back to his locker room.
Fuck Wade Barrett…fuck the Nexus…fuck the pay-per-view.
"I'm sorry." Cena whispered in Randy's ear as they reached the top of the ramp.
"Yeah," Randy slurred, his words stringing together, "I thought you'd say that."
Everyone in the stadium heard Wade Barrett's howl of fury as John Cena and Randy Orton disappeared from view.
Sorry this took me so long to update. The next couple chapters will come much faster, I promise. As always, thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, and please keep it up! Your reviews are really what keep this story going!
EDIT: I've posted a poll on my profile. If you could take the time to go check it out, I'd appreciate it.