Nice long chapter for you this time :) Hope you enjoy :)

Rolling over in the bed he had tried to make his own, Randy groaned when he automatically reached over for John. Why did he keep doing that? Since their disaster of a business dinner, Randy had avoided going into the house unless he couldn't avoid it.

When he dropped Alanna home, she would instinctively try however in the last week or so, even that had petered out. John didn't bother trying to make contact and Randy was left to keep himself company. He'd read through the information John had provided him regarding setting up a business, and he couldn't falter the man. It laid it out as clear as day what he needed to do at each stage to set up the business.

He wondered frequently whether it was worth approaching John to ask for his help and guidance, but then the loaming thought of John's threatened business always came to mind and Randy was concerned it would be selfish of him to ask when John needed to put as much time as possible into a solution for Hard Nock's.

He was just considering going back to sleep when the phone ringing, jolted his senses so he was awake. He scrambled for the phone and murmured a hello, not knowing who would be ringing him on the hotel phone.

"Dad?"

"Ally? What's the matter?"

"It's John."

Randy was up and awake, pulling on a tshirt while Alanna told him what was wrong.

"I just don't get it. He never gets up. He's spending most of his day in bed. When someone rings he won't take their calls, I hear his cell phone ringing on and off but he always lets it go to voicemail. His lawyer called and he told me to take a message. He wouldn't even speak with his mom."

"Alright, I'm coming over; are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you eating? I don't want either of you going hungry," Randy said to her, concerned over his daughter. "I should never have left."

"John lived by himself before," Alanna said. "He can take care of himself."

"Ally, please don't start, I'm concerned for both of you for different reasons. Yes, with John, I'm concerned he's not eating. With you, I'm concerned you aren't getting the care and attention you should as a teenager. Yes, both of you can take care of yourselves, but YOU shouldn't have to, am I'm sorry."

"Just come round and see him," Alanna said. "Maybe he'll talk to you."

Randy finished the call and dived in the shower before dressing and racing out of the hotel.

"I made you coffee," Ted said as Cody stirred on his bed.

"Thanks," Cody murmured as he tried to wake himself up. "How long as you been awake?"

"An hour or so," Ted said. "I didn't think you'd ever wake up. You were out late last night."

Cody tried to think back to his late night on the town with the guys, he didn't remember much. Everything was a blur, more than anything, he was remember feelings. Feelings of loneliness and annoyance.

Ted handed him the drink and took a seat on his own bed.

"Two, I think I got back at two," Cody said as though answering a question posed to him.

"Geez, Cody. How are you going to be able to get through this day; we both have interviews this morning, we agreed to hit the gym, we then have the show. We won't be out of there until about midnight," Ted said. "It's lucky we have buses, could you imagine what you would be like trying to drive right now."

"I'd find a way to talk you into driving, just like I always did," Cody said trying to throw Ted a winning smile. As he did an image shot into his head from the previous night. He was on the dancefloor, arms wrapped around someone, but he couldn't tell who.

"And I'm too wise to your ploys and would have taken a separate car," Ted laughed at Cody as he tentatively sipped at his coffee. "I think you need some food in you."

"I don't think my stomach could take it," Cody said. Another flash; an ass grinding against his crotch, he was holding them in place. Man, the guys would be ripping him to shreds when they see him.

"Not that I feel sorry for you, but, are you alright?" Ted asked as Cody felt his face heating up.

"No, I don't think I am," Cody said quietly.

"Come on, get up and have a shower, we need to get you some fresh air and something to eat, maybe that second part when we get back to the hotel," Ted said helping Cody from the bed.

"When's the first interview?"

"Mine's in an hour; yours is an hour and a half."

Alanna was looking through the lip-glosses in the makeup section. She and her friends were thinking of hitting up a party and the truth was she didn't own much in the way of makeup. What little she did own wasn't anywhere near suitable for a party.

Her dad always told her she was blessed with her mother's natural beauty and whether he was right or not, she tried to keep her makeup natural. Her mom had shown her various techniques over the years, but she always ended up falling back into old habits.

She'd given her mom a call in the morning after speaking with Ava and after a few hours her mom had sent her through a list of the type of products she'd need. Now, here she was trying to figure out how she was going to be able to afford it.

Her mom and dad each gave her an allowance for the month, but they never topped it up. It wasn't much they agreed on these days, but that was one thing they did. Both parents wanted her to learn about controlling her spending. Just because they have money doesn't mean it could be spent on the frivolous items.

But it wasn't helping her now, which was she supposed to buy? According to the list her mom sent her, she needed both the mascara and the lip-gloss she was looking at. But considering she only had enough excess left for one of the two items, she didn't know which was better to get. She'd tried her mom but she wasn't picking up. Typical, she was probably busy with Neil.

"Hey, Orton, what you waiting for?"

"I'm not sure which to get the mascara or the lip-gloss," Alanna explained.

"Haven't you heard, there's a deal going on today, you can get both," Ava said looking over her shoulder.

"There are?" Alanna said having not noticed the signs anywhere.

"Yeah, the five finger discount," Ava said taking the lip-gloss from Alanna.

"Ava, we can't," Alanna said feeling guilty over her friends actions.

"Yes we can, come on; you pay for that one and I'll meet you outside. I love this colour by the way," Ava said as she walked away.

Randy had received a message from Alanna while he was driving over to the house to say she was going out with friends; maybe it was for the best. He needed to get John sorted, and he was sure it would involve an argument at some stage. That was their natural state these days.

He let himself in the house and noticed how eerily quiet it was. Even when he lived there and he and John had been out all day, coming home in the early hours, it was never this quiet. He wandered around the ground floor, just in case John ventured out of the bedroom, but to no avail.

Making his way up the stairs and along to their bedroom, he finally thought he heard something. He silently cracked the door and found the source of the noise. John curled up in the sheets, quietly sobbing. The sight and sound in front of him broke Randy's heart. He didn't know if John had heard him enter, but he quickly made his way to the bed, and climbed on.

"It's okay, darling, it's okay. It's going to be okay," Randy soothed getting as close to John as he could.

"No it's not. Everything is falling to pieces. My businesses are dying, Alanna doesn't like me and won't speak to me, and I don't know what's happening with us," John sobbed into Randy's chest.

"Hey, hey, hey, look at me," he grasped John's head and pulled it up to look at him. "Alanna does like you, she just a teenager. I've realised that the last few weeks. She's going to fly off the handle from time to time, but she's only sixteen, her parents split up when she was a kid and now we've been going through some stuff; I think she feels to blame."

"Even if you're right, there's still us and the businesses," John said holding tight to Randy.

"Darling, you keep saying businesses, has something happened with JC's?"

"Monthly finances are bad," John explained. "I've been putting all my attention into Hard Nock's, I didn't think about everything going on. Everyone has been giving the okay on things for the pool construction, which weren't in the plans. I barely broke even once wages for the staff had been paid."

"Darling, one month is okay. Have a word with the gym manager and tell him, all authorisations have to go through you. If it's urgent and they can't get hold of you, then they call me. I can find you and make sure you're happy for it to go ahead," Randy said. "Alternatively, you can send your scary boyfriend down there to have words with the construction crew. They are hired by you to stick to the plans. They shouldn't be moving away from that plan unless they don't have a choice."

"Are you still my boyfriend?" John asked looking up at Randy.

"I don't recall either of us breaking up. We just needed space," Randy said running a hand over John's short hair before kissing his forehead. "Honestly, though, I'm not sure-"

"Please don't give up on us, not now. I can't take it," John pleaded.

"Whoa, whoa, darling, I was just going to say, I'm not sure the space has helped. I think it made it worse, for both of us," Randy said.

"I love you," John said. "I never stopped."

"I know that," Randy said quietly. "And I hope you know that I've always loved you, from day dot one. Long before, we got together. It was a different kind of love, but it just got stronger... better."

"Then why have we argued so much recently?"

"I think it's just because we have a new addition to the house and each of us are trying to find our place. Ally doesn't want to be ignored any longer."

"I've never ignored her and neither have you," John said, his tears finally drying up.

"I don't mean us; as much as she's not ready to admit it. I think once Sam had Neil move in, maybe even before that, Ally was put on the back burner."

"And you think she's worried we will do the same?"

"Yeah, I do. Therefore, when we do have one on one time, she overreacts to make it clear she won't accept it. She doesn't want to be the third wheel. She wants to be a daughter who is loved."

"And me? What was I trying to fight for?"

"Acceptance, as a father," Randy said getting up from the bed and holding his hand out to John. He waited for John to take his hand and get up before he continued. "There are at least three parents in Alanna's life. Myself, Sam, and you."

"I'm not her dad," John denied as Randy stripped him of his shirt.

"You have been in Alanna's life since she was a baby, and when we got together, that became a significant amount of time," Randy said handing John his body spray and a fresh pair of boxers. "You are her father as much as me."

"Neil's been around more than I have," John argued.

"Neil is a prick and I don't understand what Sam sees in him," Randy said. "But I guess she had to settle, I mean she was married to me."

"Ego, honey," John said with a smirk.

Randy handed John a shirt and helped him on with a pair of cut off cargo pants, fastening them for him before cupping his face and kissing his lips.

"What about you?"

"Let's see, I'm trying to find a way to remain relevant in everyone's life," Randy said with a shrug. "After getting my daughter back in my life on a permanent basis, she doesn't need me all that much."

"Well I've been a mess since you left the house, I think you're relevant in my life," John said wrapping his arms around Randy, holding him to him.

"Johnny, darling, if you didn't have this ordeal going on with Hard Nock's, I think you would have coped just fine. You don't need me like I need you," Randy said with a shrug.

"Don't think that for a second. You are the reason I fell apart. Not the gym," John said squeezing Randy. "Tell me you believe me."

"Johnny, you had other things in your life. When I left, my daughter chose to stay here. That was my only lifeline. I had nothing else, that's why I decided to get moving with the school. So I had something to fill my time."

"Listen to me; you are the most important man in both my life and Alanna's. Regardless of what you say, you are her father, and I cannot live without you. Just look at the state you found me in."

"I love you, I want you to know that, and we're going to continue this conversation," Randy said smiling at John.

"But?"

"But; I'm hungry and since I found you in bed still, I'm guessing you need to eat," Randy said pulling John out of the room. "How about I cook you something?"

"Can we curl up together on the sofa and eat?"

Alanna sat on the low wall outside the shopping mall; she was leant against Brad with his arm slung around her shoulders.

"Are you girls done yet?" he asked, clearly bored of going around the shops.

"Orton?" Ava asked. It was annoying slightly that Ava could never call her by her first name; surely as her friend she could call her Alanna or Ally.

"Um, I have everything I need. It would be nice to have a new top but I don't know if I'd be able to afford one," Alanna said not bothered if she had one or not.

"Come on, I'm sure Brad won't mind if we get one last thing," she said dragging Alanna back in to the mall. "In fact, Brad, do you want help her pick one out?"

"Hmm, don't think she would wear what I'd pick out," Brad said sending a wink Alanna's way. Alanna blushed at the comment. Maybe she was reading too much into it. Brad knew she wasn't anywhere near ready to commit at that level.

Ava dragged Alanna into the nearest shop inside which held something Alanna would wear comfortably. She'd changed her style considerably since coming to Florida, however she had her limits to what she would wear. In truth, when she wasn't with her friends, she tended to fall back on wearing her jeans. She always felt like she was stylish, keeping up with the trends while keeping her own style. Yet when she met Ava and Brianna she found it was easier to wear the same as them.

In the end she didn't mind, it was cooler to wear her skirts and strappy tops in the Florida heat. The one thing she was pleased about doing was getting her lip pierced. She regretted doing it behind her dad's back but she'd wanted it for a long time. Now it had healed she was going to switch it out for a small diamante stud, rather than the sleeper ring, that was the one bit of it she didn't like.

"Ooh, look, this one would look amazing on you," Ava said holding the top up. It was a little more revealing than Alanna liked, but if she wore the lace bolero John bought her when he took her shopping, then she could dress it up slightly.

"I guess," Alanna said not wanting to commit to it. "Now the big question, how much?"

Without saying anything, Ava held up her hand wiggling all five fingers, indicating the five-finger discount she had used in the previous store.

"No, I can't," Alanna said looking around sure someone was watching them. "I'll just wear something I've already got."

"Come on, everyone does it. It's expected that you'd do it."

"Just rip the tag off and we'll slip in another bag, burying it under other clothes. They never look that closely," Ava said ripping the tag off and then thrusting it into Alanna's hands.

"Ava, no, I can't," Alanna said straightening up when she saw a store clerk coming near. "Maybe I'll come back next week and get it. I'll have a little more money then."

"Whatever," Ava said turning on spot and walking out.

Alanna hung the top back on the hanger before replacing it on the rack. As she walked toward the exit toward her friends, she spotted the security guard looking at her, giving her a small nod. He'd clearly seen what had happened. She was glad she wasn't weak enough to give in that much to her friends. She gave a pathetic smile back and quickly walked out the store.

"Is it even worth looking elsewhere?" Ava asked, clearly pissed off at Alanna.

"No, come on, let's just go. I need to head home soon anyway, John isn't well," Alanna said without going into detail.

"You better not try and worm your way out of this party," Ava said looking over at her from the corner of her eye.

"Is he awake?" Alanna asked quietly as she entered the family room.

"Dozing," Randy said quietly as he ran a hand over John's head.

Alanna thought things were looking better than they had for a long time. The last time they'd spent time together like this, they were sitting on different sofas. This time, John was led out alongside her dad, with an arm around his middle.

"Did you have a good time at the mall?"

"Yeah, it was okay, um Ava asked me around her house tonight, to stay, would that be okay?"

"Of course sweetie, what time are you going round?"

"Her and Brad are outside, we're heading over to Brianna's before going to Ava's," Alanna explained.

"I take it Brad won't be staying over with you," Randy said seriously. He didn't want to start an argument, but he wasn't about to let Brad anywhere near his daughter when he shouldn't be.

"No, just me and Brianna are staying. Chloe's grounded so isn't allowed," Alanna said.

"Okay, sweetie, what time will you be back tomorrow?" Randy asked her. "Don't forget you have homework."

"I did it all last night; I only have some reading to catch up on which I'll do when I'm in bead tomorrow. I don't need it until Wednesday anyway," she said with a shrug. "Will you be here tomorrow?"

"If I don't stay in the spare room, I'll come back as early as possible," Randy said nodding affirmation.

Alanna went over to her dad and gave him a hug, "I'm glad you two are working it out. I don't like you two being apart."

"I'm glad as well, but let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said as though he didn't want to jinx things.

"I'm just going to grab some clothes and disappear. I'll let you know when I'm going," she called back as she went to the stairs. She wanted to stay and not worry about the party, but if things were improving it would probably be better for John and her dad to have some time alone. She'd get back as early as possible so they could all spend some time together.

"Thanks for having me," Cody said ending the interview and hanging up the phone. He hated radio interviews over the phone. He'd much rather go in person and speak with them, but then that would be difficult considering they were in California and he was currently in New York.

"Was that the last?" Ted asked handing Cody a bottle of water.

Cody sipped from the bottle, feeling a lot better since he woke up that morning. He still wasn't up to eating, but Ted made sure he kept his fluids up. The truth was as the day went on, he was remembering more and more of the previous night, and it was the final memory that kept his stomach from truly settling.

All the flashes of memory he'd had of someone grinding against him were wrong. It was he, Cody Runnels, who was grinding against them. More specifically, against him, he couldn't remember his name, but he was dancing with another man. Thankfully, everyone else had already gone and no one could take the mick. That was definitely the way to confirm your gay.

"Codes, you have to take better care of yourself, baby," Ted said squeezing his shoulder. Wait, what did he call me? He turned around slowly in his chair to face Ted. The man looked a little shocked and uneasy.

"Teddy?"

"Johnny, I love you, but I only want you to do this if you're sure," Randy said stopping John as he moved in to kiss him.

"I'm sure. I should never have stopped you the times before, or been so mean at the restaurant," John said moving so he was sat straddling Randy's lap on the sofa. "And if this goes further than a kiss, I don't want you stopping to second guess. I love you Ran, honey, and I want you back in our bed."

Randy slid his hands up John's back and held him by the back of his head as he closed the distance and latched on to John's lips. They took their time, savouring the taste of one another as they kissed properly for the first time in nearly a month. Everything else was small pecks or out of frustrations, nothing as meaningful as this one would be.

John held himself up on the back of the sofa as Randy's hands started running up and down his back. Tongues started meshing as they explored each other's mouths. John moaned into the kiss and then bit Randy's lip gently before running his tongue over the area, he loved biting Randy's lips, and they always felt so succulent.

Catching on fire, Randy's hand held John tight to him as his other slipped down and rested on John's hips, his fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. He wanted to wait for John to give him the go ahead before taking the next step regardless of what John had already told him. When John started grinding against him, he took that as the go-ahead and his hands slipped under the shirt, bunching the material up and pushing it out of the way, as they continued kissing.

"Randy, please," John whimpered as he broke the kiss.

"What do you want?" Randy asked

"You, right here," John said kissing him fervently.

"No, Johnny, if this happens, I want it to be in our bed, please," Randy said calming John down slightly.

"I don't want some gently session," John said. "I want us, as we always are. Passionate and needy. Both of us."

"I know darling, and I'll make sure you get that, but you can still take a ride upstairs," Randy said keeping his hands moving over John's back. "It also gives us space for different positions."

John thought about it for a second before climbing off Randy and pulling him to his feet. They kissed and groped their way through the entranceway and then up the stairs, all the way to the master bedroom.

"We can reclaim this as ours, darling," Randy said leading John over to the bed.

John sat down on the edge, his eyes automatically falling at the same height as Randy's cock. Without thinking, he reached out and undid Randy's pants, licking his lips as he saw Randy's boxer covered cock come into sight. Randy let him explore and nuzzle his swollen member before he set it free.

"Can I?" John asked, looking up at Randy, his lips already edging closer to the cock.

"I want you naked first," Randy said pushing him onto his back. Starting at his waist, Randy placed kisses on John's torso as he moved the shirt out the way. When he reached John's nipples, he lavished each of them individually, tweaking one as he bit down gently on the other.

John was moaning underneath him, trying to grind up against him, but Randy had him pinned down that he couldn't. Instead, as Randy feasted on his skin, John shrugged his shirt off. He let his hands run across the back of Randy's shoulders. Then out of nowhere, Randy moved down, his hands leading the way on John's back, raking his fingers down his skin, and grabbing the back of his pants. John always wore his pants loose enough that Randy didn't need to undo the zipper.

"Ran, please," John begged as Randy's mouth neared his cock.

Instead of settling in the area, Randy kept going south, lifting John's legs so they were over his shoulders. He attacked John's opening with his tongue, making John thrust up from the mattress.

"Oh my god, Randy... honey... ohhh," he moaned as Randy loosened him up for later. "More."

John was gripping at the sheets as Randy shed himself of his shirt, which thankfully he'd worn a button-up top. With his shirt gone, Randy pulled away from John and moved to his bedside cabinet. Opening the drawer, he found their lube in the same place they'd always kept it, looking as though John hadn't used it for his own enjoyment.

John pulled himself into the middle of the bed and flipped over onto his front, looking over his shoulder at Randy.

"You were right, this is better," he said as Randy poured some lube into his hand and moistened his cock ready to enter John.

Randy climbed onto the bed and spread John's legs so he could move in close to him. He raised his hips and lined his cock up with John's entrance. "Gonna go slow, until I'm in you," he whispered and he pressed in gently against John. He took his time, pressing him bit by bit, fighting to hold back the moan he wanted to let go. It had been too long since he and John had been together.

When John did start moaning and pushed back against him, he knew John wanted him to go faster. He held himself up above John, and thrust a little faster, getting a pleasured moan from John. As he got the pace going that they liked, he lower down so he was flush to John's back. Wrapping his arm around John's chest, John instinctively grabbed it, using it as leverage to push back against Randy.

John turned his head and Randy latched their lips together, hungrily kissing each other as Randy continued thrusting.

"Fuck, Ran, honey... ohhhh... god," John moaned as Randy thrust hard into him, both of them needing to make up for lost time. "I'm… shit… I'm feeling it honey."

"Will you take me with you when you cum, darling?" Randy asked, short of breath from the speed of his thrusts.

"Yes… I want us to go together… fuck, right there… oh fuck… Randy, honey, please," John cried as Randy hit his prostate.

"John... darling... going to cum... oh fuck... fuck... yess... fuuccckkkk," Randy cried emptying his load into John as John cried his own completion, loud enough they could wake the neighbours.

Randy got his breath back and then withdrew, pulling John to rest against him, "Your ass is going to be sore tomorrow."

"Don't sound so pleased," he said with a chuckle.

"Hey, I'm going to be falling asleep in my own bed, with my boyfriend, who I just had fantastic sex with; why wouldn't I be pleased?"

"Because your boyfriend is going to have a sore ass tomorrow and you will have to put up with the complaining," John retorted with a smile.

"Don't worry, if it's that unbearable, I can always switch ends. You did seem eager earlier," Randy said pulling John even closer. "Now, no witty comebacks. Time to get some rest."

"After you make me one promise," John said already sounding sleepy.

"What?"

"You check out of that hotel and bring all your stuff back here," John said closing his eyes on Randy's chest.

"Promise darling, tomorrow I move back in."

"I... I... it slipped out," Teddy said moving away from Cody.

"Did you call me baby?" Cody asked. "Like John calls Randy honey."

"No. Maybe. It just came out," Ted said trying to explain.

"Maybe? Maybe, as in yes?"

"Cody, just let it drop," Ted pleaded. "It was a mistake."

Ted went to move away but then stopped, spinning around on the spot to face Cody who was looking confused as though he was trying to process what had been said.

"Okay, yes. Maybe as in yes. I like you. I tried ignoring it, but I can't. I think about you all the time when we're apart, which, granted, isn't much of the time, but I do. I have done everything I can to not make this so, then I realised, it's out of my hands. God made me this way; I have to trust his instincts. So, yes, I called you baby. Because I like you. More than I should as a friend."

Ted went to leave again but stopped himself when he got to the door, his hand on the doorknob. No matter what he couldn't go without some kind of response from Cody, he'd been running too long.

"I like you as well," came the whisper from behind.

Ted turned on the spot but didn't say anything. The two men simply looked at each in confusion and amazement as well as something new neither knew what it was.

A/N: There you go, hope you like it :) Please review and let me know what you think :)