At a local diner a few days later, Michael Cole sat across from his partner in crime nursing a cup of coffee and waiting to hear his ideas. Normally he was not a manipulative man, but he just couldn't stand to see Mike with Randy. The younger man was far too childish for his own good, and Randy needed someone with a little more maturity and sophistication. Someone more like himself.
"Why are you trying to help me, anyway?" He asked, still skeptical about the other man's motives.
"As I said before, I want to get with Mike, and you want to get with Randy. We can help each other out, here, but we need to act quickly, " he replied patiently. He knew this was going to be a tough sell, but Cole was starting to annoy him. Not that he was going to show that. He needed his potential co-conspirator at ease.
"Why do we need to act quickly?" Cole asked.
"The longer they are together, the more of a bond they form, "the other said. "That would make it all the more difficult to tear them apart. We need to start making them feel insecure about each other now. I have some ways to take care of that, but I am going to need your help."
"Okay, what do you have in mind for the time being?" Cole asked.
"Mike has a tendency of being jealous. He has a huge insecurity problem. That's part of what led to him having problems with John."
"Well, yeah, everyone knows that! Why do you think I can't stand seeing him with Randy? He doesn't need some whiny little bitch throwing a fit-"
"I get it! You don't like him!" his companion snapped. "I personally don't mind the clingy factor. It's cute as hell, and there is no way that he will ever cheat on me."
"I guess if that's what you're into," Micheal said, laughing. "So how do we use this to our advantage?"
"I already have it planned out. All I need you to do is make sure that Mike feels bad about himself. But you have to be subtle about it. He can't think that you are bullying him, or Randy will show up and defend him."
"And while the fans are chasing Randy around the world just to get a photo with him, he'll turn into a jealous bitch." Cole was starting to like this plan. He had had it out for the little runt for a while now. He could get rid of him and have the man of his dreams at the same time? What could be better?
"Now, keep in mind, I still like him," the man went on to say. "Don't go turning him emo on me. That would kind of defeat the appeal of having him. Still, he's pretty cure, and I bet he's an amazing lay. Why else would Ortz hang around with him?"
"I guess there had to be something keeping him coming back," Cole agreed as he threw a bill on the table. "We'll keep in touch, I hope?"
"Yes, I'll keep you posted on my movements, and you'll let me know how close our little Mikey is headed towards his inevitable breakdown." he sneered. "Until then." He left and headed towards the hotel. Cole followed shortly after, hoping that this plan would work. He had wanted Randy for some time now, and as he crossed the street, to the hotel, he knew this could be the opportunity he had been waiting for. All he had to get rid of was-
"Hi, Mike," he said putting on a fake smile as he passed the younger man.
"Hey, Cole, don't you have to get to the Smackdown taping?" He asked curious.
"I had some things I needed to do here, but I was just headed to pick up my stuff now," he said casually.
"Oh, alright, I won't hold you, then. You'd better be going. Hey, tell Cody I said hi, will you? I haven't heard from him in a while." They both started heading towards the doors.
"Yeah, sure. He's doing really well for himself lately. He might even do better than Randy after a while."
"Do you think so," Miz's eye's flashed teasingly." You seem to be a pretty big Orton fan. You think you might switch teams?" He laughed when a small blush crept on the older man's cheeks.
"Don't get me wrong, I'll never switch teams or anything. I'm just saying the kid is getting good. And of course, who trained him after all? Randy is a pretty big fan favorite."
"Yeah, that he is. Not that I have a problem with that, of course. Between the two of us, I would say that I'm lucky to be even close to Randy." Was that a trace of sadness in the younger man's voice? Cole may have just found the weak spot.
"Yeah, but he's with you, isn't he? There must be something he sees in you. I mean, look at all the other people that would give anything to be with Randy right now. He has the pick of the litter after all, and here he is with you. Anyway, I need to be going. Don't be too hard on yourself, Mike. You're here for a reason. I'll see you later."
"Oh, yeah. I'll see you around. And thanks Micheal," said Miz placing a hand on the commentator's shoulder. "You're a good guy."
"Any time, Mikey," Cole said sweetly as he headed towards his room to pack. Phase one seemed to be well under way.
Mike headed up to the room that he was sharing with Randy. He knew that he was being stupid, but why did Randy want him? After he had been dumped by John, there was a fair amount of gossip claiming that the split was mostly his fault, after all. No one seemed to notice or care that John had been cheating on him with Nick for the last little while of their time as a couple.
Looking back he should have seen the signs that a breakup was inevitable. They seemed to be arguing over everything, and he did to some extent resent his in ring talent. Still, he cared about John, and when it had ended so terribly, he was devastated. He spent a whole month on Raw nursing his wounds, so to speak. Then he noticed Randy.
As he stepped inside his room, he saw his current lover sitting on the bed and rubbing his still sore shoulder, and he knew that he was this man's only lover. "But isn't that what I thought about John,?" he thought in the back of his mind. As quickly as the thought came he brushed it out of his mind. He knew that Randy loved him. And as he sat down behind the larger man and kissed his neck, he knew that he was loved no matter what.
In another part of the world, Cody wasn't feeling all that reassured at the moment. It seemed that every time he talked to Ted recently, the blond kept on bringing up people he was hanging out with. At first he thought nothing of it, but these days it seemed any superstar or diva he talked to was being put under the microscope.
"I'm telling you, Dustin, this is getting ridiculous, "he said to his half brother. They still talked on the phone whenever they got the chance, and he seemed to give pretty good advice."Was it something I said? He knows I would never cheat on him, right?"
"Well, who knows with him" Dustin laughed. "He probably feels weird because the whole thing he has to do with Maryse. He's never had to act like he's had a girlfriend before."
"So, wouldn't he want to try and keep us closer instead of giving me the third degree?"
"People act differently when they are under stress," Dustin said shrugging. "Look, just give him a couple of weeks, and if he doesn't calm down a little, talk to him about it. Just don't try and make him feel to bad about the whole thing. I bet he doesn't even know he's doing it."
Cody sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Maybe Dustin had a point. The distance was getting a little stressful, but that was no reason to get too defensive about things. And if he was truly honest with himself, the thought of his Ted hanging around other people when he wasn't there got to him, too.
"Maybe you're right, Dust," he said after a moment. "I just miss him, and I hate it when he starts to act jealous. I'll try to put up with it for the time being. Maybe he just needs time."
"I know that's all it is," Dustin soothed as a small smirk formed on his face. "You two are going to be fine, you'll see. Look, I'll talk to you later. I need to help dad out with some things today."
"Oh, alright. I'll talk to you later." Cody hung up his phone.
Dustin hung up the phone and smiled to himself. He knew that it was only going to be a matter of time now. All they needed was a little push in the right direction.
A/N: And the plot thickens.
Randy Muse: Dun Dun Dun...
JoMo Muse: This is intense stuff.
Miz Muse: I'll say...wait, did I really put on weight? ::looks in the mirror:
Randy Muse: You look fine, dear.
Me: O.o;; OK, you two are starting to sound like an old married couple. And with that, please review, everybody!