April 1
John groaned when he heard his boyfriend's alarm sound
"I'm sorry. That was louder than I thought. Go back to sleep until you have to get up for…well whatever you have to get up for."
"Why are you getting up? It's your birthday for crying out loud."
"Still have you get my yoga on, babe."
"I guess I'll watch then. Make sure you do some poses where your butt's in the air and point it this way."
"Namaste." Is all Randy said. The younger man completed his stretches for the morning then showered and crawled back in bed. "Why are you still up?" He asked the older man
"I was watching your booty."
"You're going to be tired later when you have to get up for work."
John had been able to get the day off although he didn't tell the other man
"I'm ditching my WWE duties today."
"Ditching your WWE duties?"
"Yea, playing hooky. I'll tell them I woke up with a fever or something."
"Just go work. We'll see each other later."
"This is the first birthday as a couple for us and I want to spend it together."
"But I don't want you to get in trouble. What if we go out and someone takes a picture and it gets back to the higher-ups?"
"So be it. I'm the Golden Boy."
"Felix."
"I'm not going."
"You're acting like a kid right,"
"I got the day off."
"…now – you did?"
"Yes."
"Are you lying?"
"I wouldn't lie to you or skip work like that."
"Did you really get the day off?"
"Yes." John answered with a chuckle. "Thank you." He added after being kissed
"No, thank you." Randy replied
"Do you know what you get today?"
"No…do you mean gifts or something? Your undying devotion hopefully."
"My undying devotion!?" John asked incredulously. "I've been waiting for you to get a tattoo in my honor for months now. That's devotion."
"How do you know I don't already have one?" The older man lay there in silence for a few seconds
"Because I do."
"Oh, good comeback, Felix."
"Do you have one?"
"No."
"I knew it."
"Anyway, what do I get today?"
"Birthday sex."
"Oh wow." The tall man spoke dryly. "Let's combine that with morning sex and get things exciting."
"I always get things exciting." The muscular man replied getting out of bed. He grabbed his boyfriend by both his ankles and pulled him to the foot of the bed. "I need a modified plough pose please…like a half plough."
"So you know the names of the poses but you won't do them?"
"Not this one." Slowly Randy raised his legs in the air bringing them back until the tips of his toes almost touched the mattress. "That was so hot." John commented before giving the other man's hole a thorough lick. Randy purred softly which encouraged John who lapped like a cat at a bowl of fresh milk. John spat then thrust his tongue deeply
"Fuck." The younger man whispered. John knew he was on a roll. He spread the younger man's cheeks wider and buried his face as far as it could go then went to town on the hole. His tongue plunged in and out, sometimes deeply and other times oh so gently just to tease the other man. He helped Randy turn over so that he was on his knees. "Mmmohmygod." The younger man moaned feeling the other's fingers inside of him. John was ready but he always wanted to be sure that his boyfriend was too
"You ready, babe?" John asked
"Mmhm." Randy crooned, his face mostly buried in a pillow. The older man pushed inside the warm and stretched hole. "Fuck, John." The birthday boy drawled. John began slowly but with each thrust of his hips he moved harder and deeper. All he could hear was his boyfriend's emphatic whimpering as he practically mounted the younger man and rode him. He pulled out and roughly flipped the man to his back as he slid his way back inside. Randy moved along right in-step with the other man's movements
"Shit." John said throwing his head back
"No, John, not yet."
"I'm not." He looked down when he heard the man let out a large gasp and saw that Randy had reached his climax. "Thank fucking god." He spoke, his back hunching and him having an orgasm of his own
"What the fuck?" Randy muttered
"What?"
"That was so good." The other man only chuckled
Later
California's Great America
"Sorry about that." John said after the men were stopped and there was an impromptu autograph session
"It's okay. I'm glad I was here as your traveling photographer."
"Man, they really swarmed you once you said that you'd take a picture for that one family."
"I know. I don't think I was handing the correct phones back to the right people. Hopefully they sorted it all out."
"Hopefully. Want to go on The Grizzly next?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because it's a wooden coaster and today's my birthday. I'm not trying to die on my birthday." John laughed
"Alright then. FireFall?"
"I'm game for anything that's not wooden." The two men waited in line but were stopped just as they were about to get on
"Sir?"
"Yea?"
"How tall are you? The maximum height requirement is 77 inches."
"I'm 6'5"." The park employee stood there with a blank expression on his face. "…that's 77 inches."
"Oh! Okay. Enjoy your ride!"
"Thanks." Randy said dryly. He and John found two seats together and pulled down their harnesses
"I've never seen a ride that had a height maximum."
"I'm used to it. I'd already seen it on the sign so I knew I'd make it."
"They should make sure the employees know how to convert inches into feet and vice versa. You could have lied and said you were 77" if you weren't."
"I totally could have…but I also would have risked falling out of here and dying if I did."
"Is that what would happen?"
"Can we not talk about dying before this thing starts?" Randy chuckled
….
"What's next?"
"I think like, two more rides is all I can handle or I'll vomit."
"I don't want you throwing up so what about one more?"
"Two." The tall man said walking off
"If he throws up on me…,"
Two Rides Later
"Oh, yea, that did it." Randy said hunched over, hands on knees after exiting the park's Vortex ride
"I told you one more was enough."
"Shut up, Felix…and I didn't throw up so I'm good."
"Not yet."
"I'm not going to. I just don't feel so good."
"Do you want some water?" John asked as he tried not to laugh
"Nah, I'm good." The younger man said standing upright
"So we can go?"
"Mmhm…back to the hotel right because I need to lie down."
"Right. Back to the hotel."
Later
Alexander's Steakhouse
"Come sit next to me, babe." The older man stood from his chair, pushed it in then joined the other in his booth seat
"What are you getting?"
"Steak definitely. I've been dying for one so this was a perfect spot for dinner."
"Are you skipping an appetizer? I know the last time you went hard you passed out in the car seven minutes into the drive." Randy eyed him then turned back to his menu
"I can handle an appetizer, thank you."
"Okay."
"Both the tuna and steak tartare sound nice but I think I'm going with the tuna."
"As you wish."
"Is this steak $250?" He asked bringing the menu close to his face
"The Trio? Yes. Is that what you want?"
"Hell no."
"You can have it."
"I don't want it. I'd like the filet mignon."
"Bone-in?"
"No, the 8 ounce. That's enough protein." John laughed. "Don't laugh at me and my food portions."
"I'm sorry." He spoke as he cleared his throat. "When do you have to go back home?"
"The day after tomorrow."
"Okay."
"What?"
"…nothing."
"Please don't."
"Don't what?"
"I know that you want to say something about me taking time off or quitting my job so I can be with you on the road. Don't. Not now…not today."
"But if you know that's how I feel then why can't you," Randy took a deep breath before cutting John off
"Why can't I what? Just do as you say? Because I'm not and I've already explained to you why. Do you realize that I pretty much do everything for you already? Why can't I have this one thing? Why do you insist on bothering me about it time and time again? My job," He stopped when their waiter approached. The men ordered with forced smiles and enthusiasm but the smiles faded once David, the server, was out of earshot
"You were saying?" John egged
"I'm not even going to continue this conversation with you. It's ridiculous that we even keep coming back to it. You know, I didn't tell you when my birthday was because I didn't think it was a big deal but you wanted to celebrate and this is how it turns out."
"How is it turning out? This argument? You haven't let me get a word in edgewise so it's truly a one-sided argument."
"I don't want to hear what you have to say honestly…and if you think this is in any way an argument then you're a fool. I argue way better and a lot louder than this."
"Nice."
Days Later: Cody and Randy's
"Hey, pal. Nice to see you home." Cody said poking his head into Randy's room
"It's nice to be home."
"Uh-oh. The tone of your voice is off and nothing about this," He said waving his hand. "Seems at all right. You can be grumpy but this is something else. What did John do?"
"He attempted to bring up me not working to go on the road with him again…on my fucking birthday."
"The birthday he insisted on celebrating, he in turn ruined?"
"That very one."
"Why is he so hung up on you traveling with him?"
"Because I'm so great. It's a gift and a curse."
"Oh God," The younger man groaned. "This is going to be a bone of contention between the two of you until he gets it through his box head or…," He just trailed off
"Or what!?"
"The two of you break up because I know you, you're not going to quit your job and you shouldn't. Him cutting this shit out or you guys breaking up are really the only two options."
"Well I don't want to break up with him."
"I know you don't. I don't want you to because you're happy. This is the happiest I've seen you since Julien."
"That didn't turn out so well."
"No, it didn't but for years the two of you were happy and the cutest couple of homos I'd ever seen."
"Did your mom drop you on your head as a baby? I mean really." Cody laughed
"No she didn't or at least she's never told me." Randy sighed
"I'm in such a bad mood and me being in a bad mood is making me feel worse."
"Let's go out for drinks. Maybe you need to get a little drunk."
"…well it is Friday."
"Shit. You must feel bad. I was ready for some resistance and you gave me nothing."
"Nope. I feel like shit. Let me take a shower then we can go."
….
"Are those your Burberry pants?"
"Yes. Why?"
"I've been wanting a pair because they look so nice on you."
"Oh. Thank you."
"One more question."
"Yes?"
"Are you on the prowl? Because this looks like a prowling outfit. Like you're open to whatever happens."
"How is this,"
"You got your tattoos all out, pants hugging your little butt…shirt a tad on the tight side,"
"It's fitted and no I'm not on the prowl."
"Whatever you say. Let's go." They headed out and jumped in Cody's BMW X4 and drove over to the Iron Barley restaurant
"Don't eat too much. It'll take longer to get you drunk."
"Cody."
"I'm just saying. Where do you want to go after this? I was going to suggest Just John's but you can see why that might be a bad idea." Randy picked up his beer and downed it. "Okay, a really bad idea. Sorry."
"Anywhere but there…and no drag queens."
"Are you still traumatized from the last time?"
"Every time! I'm damn near assaulted every time I'm near drag queens."
"But that one time though…they really got you." The older man eyed the other. "So no drag queens ever. Got it." After dining on hearty comfort food and Randy having a few more beers, Cody and Randy then went over to Rehab Bar and Grill
Rehab Bar and Grill
"Don't they have drag queens here?"
"Yes but not tonight. Trust me." They found and empty booth centrally located for people watching. Immediately the men were approached by a staff member who took their drink orders
Bored on his bus, John thumbed through his social media. He opened his Instagram app and going through his timeline he found a few pictures of Randy and Cody in what appeared to be a club. Randy's eyes weren't a sparkly shade of blue but glassy letting John know that he was drunk. He didn't even know or think that Randy got drunk. It made his blood boil. He scrolled back to the top and refreshed only to see a new photo posted by Randy himself
"I'm surprised he's coherent enough." John looked at the picture, which was partially blurry, of what looked to be the man's arm covering part of his face, hiding some of his smile. He stared at the picture before looking at the hashtags: #IAintGotNoWorries and the laughing emoji
He hadn't spoken to the other man since they last saw each other. John was livid
Later
"I'm not as drunk as I want to be." Cody spoke
"One of us had to stay sorta sober and it wasn't going to be me. You wanted me to get drunk."
"True. You haven't drank like that since you were Fat Randy."
"I wasn't fat. I was thicka than a snicka." The younger man burst out laughing
"What the fuck?"
"I was still in shape with a nice body but this one's better."
"…is that really going to help?" Cody asked referring to the second coconut water his friend was consuming
"Probably not. Fuuuuck I'm drunk."
"Well go to bed. You can drink that water in your room. Say goodnight to Jelly Toast."
"Goodnight Butterscotch crumpet."
"Damn it, Randy." Cody could hear the tall man laughing at his joke from the other side of his bedroom door. Early the next morning Randy's yoga alarm sounded and to his own surprise he actually got up but instead of working out he undressed, showered then fell back into bed for more sleep. A few hours later he awoke again but this time to the buzzing of his phone
Felix: what did you do last night?
Randy: what?
Felix: I saw those posts on Instagram
Randy: then that means you know that I went out with Cody. What the fuck are you asking me?
Next John sent over a screenshot of the conversation between Randy and Julien:
Jules_Babineaux are you in town
RandyOrton yea and I will be for a long time
Jules_Babineaux oohhh. Talk later
Randy: are you fucking serious?
"Hello!?" Randy barked into the phone
"Yes I'm serious."
"What are you asking me, John? If I met up with my ex-husband and slept with him because I'm so down about you? Don't flatter yourself. I was so drunk last night that sex, with anyone, was the farthest thing from my mind. Just because I don't like you at the moment doesn't mean I'll cheat."
"You must be mad. You just called me John."
"Hell yea I'm mad."
"Why?"
"I feel like you don't respect me or something."
"You're talking about the traveling aren't you?"
"Yes because that's what this is about. You keep pressuring me like I'm a kid who doesn't know what they want. You should be happy that I don't want to up and quit so I can live off you because, ultimately, that's what I would be doing."
"You're right and I'm sorry." There was a long, almost uncomfortable, pause on Randy's end. "Did you fall asleep?"
"No. I'm thinking."
"About?"
"Whether your apology is sincere."
"It is. I'm stubborn and if I didn't really want to apologize then I wouldn't have."
"You don't have to tell me that you're stubborn."
"Yea, well…what's going on now?"
"With us you mean? I don't know. I'm still upset and hungover and I didn't work out this morning so I'm in a mood." John cleared his throat
"Are you coming to Europe with me?" He heard Randy sigh and knew the man's answer before he verbally responded
"No."
"Why? You're just going to pass up a trip like that?"
"I can't get prepared for the time off of work in a week and I don't want to rush and run around trying to do so. And I've been to Europe before."
"But you haven't been with me."
"That's true but I still can't go. Not going now doesn't mean the two of us can never." There was silence on John's end. "I mean if that's how you feel,"
"It's not that,"
"No, it is. Your silence pretty much said everything."
"Randy."
"What?"
"I just need to have someone with me, by my side,"
"And I'm not going to drop my entire life for you so we're not going to work. I get it." John said nothing. What could he say? "Bye John." Even after the younger man disconnected the call, John held the phone to his ear. What he was waiting for he didn't know. After a while he finally put the phone down
"Knock. Knock." Cody announced opening the door to his friends' room. "What's the matter?"
"I'm hungover."
"And? Because you look a little more than hungover."
"John and I broke up."
"Aww, man. Are you okay?" He asked taking a seat on the man's bed
"No." Randy answered honestly as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hands
"What happened if you don't mind my asking?"
"Of course I don't mind. I'm basically not there enough for him is what it boils down to. Me not going with him to Europe was the final straw."
"How come you're not going?"
"I leave in a week and that's not enough time to get my work together. I told him I wouldn't even try and rush it either."
"Your work is important and you shouldn't rush it. You've also been to Europe a ton of times."
"I know but if it were possible I would have gone for him but I can't."
"John's very selfish. I loved you guys together but this is really his loss. You can be prickly but you're a great catch and went out of your way to make things work. You did more than I would have. Just watching you was exhausting."
"Well now I don't have to anymore." Randy sniffed
"You need to blow."
"Excuse me?" The other man stood and went to the bathroom. He came back with a box of Kleenex. "Oh. Blow my nose."
"Do I want to know what you thought I meant?"
"No."
"Okay then. Do you want anything? Some tea?"
"Sure."
"I'll be right back." For the rest of the day Cody and Jelly Toast checked on Randy making sure he had enough to drink then finally making him eat some food before going to bed