A Love Worth Millions

[For Ted Dibiase]

Shawn hobbled up the ramp after their match with Hunter's arm around his waist. Steel cage matches were never exactly "fun" and even though he had the option of not doing too much in them, Hunter wasn't exactly a spring chicken anymore either. They were both older now which meant their bodies were more susceptible to injuries. Still, Shawn felt Hunter was more valuable to the company especially since he had 2-3 more years to offer while Shawn was planning to retire this year. His best friend hated it and tried talking him out of it, but Shawn didn't want to press his luck. Hell he was lucky to have lasted an additional three years let alone ten. His body was starting to feel the strain of the road again and even though it was lonely on his ranch, at least his body would be free at last from the pain being in the ring and on the road brought to it.

Hunter led Shawn back to their private dressing room where they both quickly showered, checking each other out in the meantime for any major cuts or bruises. They both felt like having a pay per view titled Hell in the Cell was stupid, but Vince's word is law.

As Shawn was getting dressed he winced, running a hand over his ribs. "Yeah I think they're bruised but I can deal with that. We'll probably have to wrestle a little tomorrow night but not much."

Hunter laced up his tennis shoes then patted his knees. "My knees are a little sore but I think it's the usual."

Hunter watched his best friend for a long time as he combed through his hair. God he loved Shawn but he knew that a relationship with his best friend wasn't meant to be. They always seemed to fight about the little things which meant they were better friends than lovers. They already spent way more time together than most best friends which made living together as lovers a little much. Hunter sighed, watching perfect hair fall gracefully down Shawn's back. It was only when Shawn caught him staring did he snap out of it.

"You okay Hunt?" he asked.

"Yeah I'm fine," he chuckled. "Sexy boy. I don't think you're capable of being unattractive."

"Oh not that again," he laughed. "Come on lets get out of here. We need sleep."

"Oh right. I forgot to mention. Some of the guys--Chris and Paul--want us to come by for a quick drink."

Shawn shook his head. "You go. I'm too tired Hunter."

H pulled his friend into a hug, kissing the top of his head. "Alright. See you tomorrow for lunch."

Shawn nodded and went back to gathering his things in a bag. He yawned as he hoisted his duffel over his shoulder and the tag belt over the other dragging himself out of the dressing room. He walked a little ways, eyes glued to the floor and bumped right into someone else. "Oh..God...I am so, so sorry Ted."

Ted lay on the mat, completely dazed. He and Cody had lost to DX. DX had used their own trick against them.

Ted slowly turned his head, looking at his best friend who lay a few feet from him on the mat. He slowly got on his hands and knees, crawling over to Cody.

"Codes. Codes, come on. Get up," Ted said quietly to his younger friend, gently slapping his cheek. Cody's eyes slowly fluttered open and his cerulean blue eyes were dazed for a few moments before they focused on his friend. Cody smiled slightly.

"Hey, Teddy," he said quietly. Ted smiled, thankful that his friend was okay.

"Hey. Let's get backstage and to a trainer, yeah?" Ted suggested, helping Cody sit up. Cody nodded and slid out of the ring, Ted right there with him. Ted wrapped his arm around Cody's waist, helping him to walk backstage.

When they were backstage, they headed to the trainer. Ted sat Cody down on an empty table and stood in front of him. He ran a hand through the younger man's hair, looking into his eyes. He could tell Cody was in pain. He sighed. "Your neck?" he asked. Cody nodded.

Ted sighed and kissed his forehead. "It'll be okay. I promise," he said and began to gently rub Cody's neck. Cody flinched at first, but then relaxed, the pain beginning to fade.

The trainer came over and Ted stepped away while he looked over Cody. He looked around, figuring he needed to change and stuff. "Codes, I'm gonna go change. I'll be right back. I'll grab your stuff." Cody nodded and talked to the trainer, answering his questions.

Ted was walked to the Legacy locker room, not expecting Randy to be there. He jumped when he saw the older man, placing a hand over his heart. "Shit, Rand. Ya scared me. What are ya still doin' here?" he asked.

Randy looked at him. "Just wanted to tell my boys you did a great job. Where's Cody?"

"The trainer, getting checked out," he replied. Randy nodded. Ted walked over to his stuff and stripped, pulling out clean street clothes. Before he knew what was happening, Randy was behind him, kissing down his neck. Ted shivered, loving the feel of Randy but knowing that this was wrong.

"Rand, please. We can't do this. You're with Cody. This, whatever this was, is over now. I can't do this anymore. Just stop," Ted said, pushing Randy away and pulling on clothes. Randy growled and pushed him against the wall.

"We're going to fuck, Ted," Randy said, leaning down and kissing his neck again. Ted closed his eyes, leaning his head back, giving in. But as quickly as he gave in, he snapped out of it.

"Randy, stop! You're with my best friend. I"m sorry, but he comes first. So stop," Ted said and pushed Randy away roughly, grabbing his and Cody's stuff before leaving the room.

Ted was so out of it when he was walking that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and bumped into someone. He looked down and saw Shawn.

"Oh..God...I am so, so sorry Ted," Shawn said.

Ted shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. I wasn't paying attention. Sorry," he said, still distracted. He smiled politely and pushed around Shawn, heading toward the trainers'.

Shawn apologized again before he walked off looking back just long enough to see Ted hurrying towards the training room. He hoped that the two young men were alright because Hunter really put a hurting on them. He had to give it to the boys though. It was genius the way they isolated him from Hunter knowing how Hunter would be able to do nothing but watch as they destroyed the weaker half of DX, which unfortunately was himself. Years ago, roughly 1997, the roles would have been reversed but that's what happens when you break your back. You can't do the things you used to do not to mention being 45 years old didn't help either.

Shawn made a mental note to ask Ted or Cody how they were feeling at tomorrow night's Raw. As part of the story, DX and Legacy hated each other, but when the cameras were off they had no issues with one another. They didn't hang out or anything like that. Shawn wasn't one for hanging out these days. Between him, Hunter, Paul, Glenn and Mark, they were the oldest guys wrestling today. Dave was in that category too but most people didn't see him as a 40 year old wrestler.

Shawn's back was a little sore and his ribs hurt like a mofo. Tonight during his match, he realized that it was getting harder to kip up. That's how he knew it was time to stop wrestling and he would in just a few more months. Until then, he was going to go back to the hotel and get a good night's sleep.

Ted entered the trainers' room, heading straight over to Cody, hoping his friend didn't point out his obvious turmoil. He set the stuff down and smiled weakly at Cody, running a hand through his hair.

Randy and Cody had been dating for a year now. But about nine months ago, Randy had come onto him, and Ted had given in, despite the fact that he was his best friend's boyfriend. The affair had gone on for about eight months when Ted just couldn't deal with the guilt. He told Randy they needed to stop and the fact that the sex was mind-blowing wasn't going to stop him from leaving anymore.

Ted had almost told Cody dozens of times in the past month. But every time he opened his mouth, Cody said something about him being a great friend, the best in the world, and he shut his mouth. A few weeks ago, Randy had started coming onto him again, but Ted kept his resolve and pushed him away. Cody was his best friend and he just couldn't sneak around anymore.

Cody looked at Ted and frowned. He saw the distress in Ted's eyes, but he also saw the silent plead for him not to ask. Cody smiled slightly at him, completely clueless to what was running through Ted's mind. "I'm okay. They actually cracked my neck, like a chiropractor, and relieved some pressure that was there and that's why it hurts," he told Ted.

Ted nodded. "We should go. I wanna get back to the hotel and sleep right now," he said.

"Alright," Cody said, hopping down from the table. "Have you seen Randy?"

"Yeah, he was in the locker room when I went there. I told him you were here and he just nodded," Ted said.

Cody frowned. "Oh."

"Codes, I'm tellin' ya. He's not the man you think he is," Ted said.

Cody sighed and shook his head. "Let's not start this now. I'm tired and I know you are, too."

"You're right. Let's go," Ted said, grabbing their stuff and taking Cody's hand, walking outside. Ted drove them to the hotel, checking them in and going up to their room.

"You wanna shower first, baby boy, or you want me to?" Ted asked.

"You can," Cody said, laying on the bed.

Ted nodded and headed in the bathroom, preparing for his shower.

When Shawn got back to his room he wasted no time hitting the sack. He didn't even bother to take off his clothes. His body was sore so as soon as it felt the comfort of the soft, cushiony fabric, his body shut down lulling him into a deep sleep.

His alarm went off around six that morning but Shawn was hardly in the mood to workout. Still he knew he needed to do a little cardio or else his back would get stiff. He roomed alone most nights so without anyone around to rub his back, he needed to take extra care of himself. With a small yawn he rolled out of bed dragging himself into the restroom long enough to splash water on his face and do the usual morning routine. Thirty minutes later Shawn was dressed in some sweats heading out the door for the gym. It was right across the street from the hotel which was convenient enough for him to just walk.

When he reached the gym, he was surprised to see that only a few coworkers were there working out. He would have thought most of them took this job serious enough to get here early and work out, but then again most of the new breed were hardly the workers the group from the 90s were. There were a few exceptions like Cena, the boys from Legacy and the Harts. Shawn waved to Cena, his former tag partner and a guy he was sweet on until he pushed him away and into the arms of another. But it was for the best Shawn told himself and without thinking much of it, he put on his ipod and decided to start with the treadmill.

After Ted showered, Cody did, too. They both dressed for bed, a pair of boxers and climbed under the comforter, falling asleep in each other's arms. It was a ritual they both fell into after their first loss as Priceless and it just... Stuck. Sometimes, if they won a match but it was on the more difficult side, they would do this then as well. It all depends on the match.

The next morning, Ted was up at 6 like every other morning, ready to go exercise. He knew Cody would want sleep, so he kissed the younger man's forehead after getting ready and grabbed his things, heading across the street to the gym. He wasn't expecting to see anyone besides Cena this early.

A lot of the locker room referred to the large man as Super Cena. They thought of him as an overachiever and a goody-two-shoes. But Ted knew better. His father had taught him better than that. He knew Cena on a more personal level. Not like he did Cody, but still, they were good friends. Cena was a just a hard working, small town man who loved the people who supported him, even if he didn't know their name or favorite color.

Ted walked in, and of course, there was the afore mentioned man. He smiled and nodded to him, a sign of respect that he held for his friend. He looked around and saw a few other, and then his eyes landed on Shawn. He smiled slightly, the run in last night gone from his mind. He was just glad to see that even fifteen to twenty years later, the man still loves the craft.

He went to the locker room and locked his stuff up, walking back out with his iPhone and headphones. He got onto the treadmill next to Shawn and played his music, setting the settings and beginning to run.

Shawn didn't even notice Teddy when he entered the gym. His eyes were always closed as he jogged to the pace of whatever song played next on his mp3 player. He purposely made a playlist that would play songs that gradually increased in speed so that he went from walking to jogging briskly. He would do this for about twenty minutes because that was usually about all he could handle not to mention his doctors told him not to push so hard. Sure he had a surgical repaired back made of steel but that didn't mean he should overdo it. Plus, sometimes Shawn would forget that he's not 35 anymore but 45 which meant his body could not handle a lot even if mentally, he could.

Shawn's pace began to slow and he glanced down at the tiny numbers on his treadmill. 2 miles... Not bad for a morning run. He shut off the treadmill leaning over it for a quick rest. He was tired but two miles was well within his range as he was technically good for 4, but since tonight was a Raw night he decided not to push it.

"Hey Shawn."

He looked up, flashing Cena a tired smile. "Hey yourself."

Cena handed him a bottle of water, reaching up to move a strand of damp hair out of his face. "Always forgetting your water."

Shawn took a sip smiling a little. "You know me almost as well as Hunter. You know I can't remember a damn thing these days."

"I know which is why I shoulda been your boyfriend and personal assistant but somebody is afraid of commitment," he teased, even though he was very much into his current lover Chris Jericho. He would always care about Shawn, but he'd grown to love Chris to the point where he hoped they were life partners.

"Yeah, yeah but you know you're just to much for me," Shawn joked back.

John grinned as he moved to stand behind Shawn on the treadmill to work on his back. It was something he did most mornings out of respect for the vet. Cena glanced over at Teddy who was in his own little world. He couldn't help himself. He smacked the back of Ted's head hard then went back to rubbing Shawn's back trying hard not to laugh out loud.

Ted was running at about seven miles per hour and completely in the zone. So when Cena slapped him in the back of the head, he messed up completely. He turned his head and his body slow - the machine did not. Ted's foot fell and the machine snapped him back, sending him into the wall behind him. He groaned. That didn't help his situation any.

He got up slowly, groaning again at the pain. He stretched and bended, hearing loud cracks. When he felt a bit better, he glared at Cena. "You're an asshole, Cena," he said, hoping up on the treadmill - the sides, not the track - and turned it off. When the track had stopped moving, he stood on it and turned to look at the two men, taking a sip of his Powerade.

"Was that really necessa-" Ted stopped midsentence and froze, seeing Randy had walked in and was heading straight toward them. Without Cody there, he didn't care who him make moves on Ted. Cody wouldn't believe them anyway. "Oh, God, why me?" he sighed quietly before Randy arrived.

"Well, look at this party. Why wasn't I invited?" Randy said and stood next to Ted, slinging his arm around Ted's shoulder.

Ted shrugged him off. "Because we don't like you all that much," Ted glared, stepping away.

"Aw, Teddy. Don't be like that. You know you love me," Randy said, trailing a finger down Ted's bare chest.

Ted slapped his hand away. "I told you to stop, Randy. So stop."

Shawn was not one for interfering in the affairs of others on the roster. He'd learned his lesson after being raped some 17 odd years ago so whatever Randy had going on with Ted or Cody, he wasn't getting in it--at least directly unless absolutely necessary. He looked down, rolling his shoulders as Cena continued to work his shoulder muscles ignoring the arrogant superstar. "God that feels good John."

Cena chuckled at this, but it didn't stop him from glaring daggers at his old friend Randy. They had practically grew up together in OVW and were both drafted to the main roster at the same time. During that time, they struck up a friendship as WWE made plans to make big stars out of them both. However, Cena never expected Randall, or Randy, to change so much. He was a talented, third generation star who would have made it anyway on genetics alone. However, he seemed to have let his new place at the top get to his head so Cena rarely had anything else to do with him aside from ring work.

After a while though, Cena couldn't take Randy's antics anymore so he moved from behind Shawn just enough to get within arm's reach of Randy. "Randy how about you go back to your own little corner of the universe? No snakes allowed over here. That means you so slither away. I'm sure Ted won't mind and neither will the rest of us."

Randy glared at Cena, crossing his arms and trying to look scary. "I don't think this is of any of your business, Super Cena," he quipped.

Ted sighed. "Can we just not do this? I'm far too tired," he said, running a hand through his hair.

Cody walked in, seeing everyone over at the treadmills. He smiled when his eyes landed on Randy. He walked over, looking at everyone. When he saw Randy's look and Cena's he frowned. "What's goin' on?"

Randy looked at him and smiled. "Nothing, babe. Just a little misunderstanding. Let's go work in the ring, yeah?" he said, pulling Cody away from the group.

When they were gone, Ted turned to Shawn and Cena. "Sorry about him. He has problems, but Cody don't listen to me."

Shawn nodded. "Hey you don't have to worry about me kid. I don't ask questions so no need to explain anything to me. Randy's like many others around here only he doesn't care to hide his issues. Nothing new Ted."

Cena shook his head. "Naa Shawny, see, Ted's got a point. Randy's got some serious crazy genes up in that skull of his and he's just puttin' on for Cody. It ain't right and Cody's just blind to it. Sorry Teddy but your boy needs to wise up."

"Control issues," Shawn muttered.

"Huh? Come again sexy boy?" Cena asked.

"Well..." he began, stepping off the treadmill and leaning against Cena, "Randy reminds me of Hunter circa 2002. I had just gotten back to the WWE after my four year hiatus. I'm sure you know the story but the short of it is, I broke my back at the '98 Royal Rumble in a match against the Undertaker. Since I was WWE Champion at the time, it was my duty to put over another before retiring. I wrestled Austin at Wrestlemania 14 despite the broken back and then had the surgery which kept me out of the ring for almost 5 years."

Cena lowered himself enough for Shawn to climb on his shoulders where he sat. Cena stepped backwards until they were flush against the wall so Shawn could rest his back against it.

"Anyway," Shawn continued looking down at Teddy, "when I came back in 2002 Hunter had changed. Sure we were best friends but in my absence Hunter got power hungry. He was now the sole leader of DX and when I left in '98, Hunter immediately got to pick up where I left off and run with it. By 2002, Hunter was all about power, sex, and money. Remember when they formed Evolution? I'm willing to bet some of old Hunter rubbed off on Randy."

Cena rubbed Shawn's legs still glaring daggers across the gym. "I remember, but I was on Smackdown at the time. Didn't get moved over until around the time Evolution started having some tensions in the group I think. I'm not sure."

"Yeah, they kicked Randy out after he won the WHC, but not before molding him into the perfect, manipulative bastard. Took Randy a while to get to the top, but he's reeking of that Evolution attitude now," Shawn finished. "Hunter's changed so much since then but I think Randy mighta took the Evolution attitude to heart. He's power hungry and he appears to be a little on the controlling side. That's why Hunter and I didn't last. I don't like being controlled. Give me the chance to submit and don't treat me like I'm some sort of puppet."

Ted nodded, looking over at Randy and Cody. Cody was laughing at something Randy said, who had a smirk on his face. Randy looked over, as if he knew Ted was looking at him, and winked. Cody looked over after seeing that something had caught Randy's attention and saw Ted. He smiled and waved. Ted smiled back, unable to deny his friend's incredible cuteness. He waved before turning his attention back to Shawn and John.

"Randy's had problems for a while. His dad, too. My father never wanted me around Randy's family. Randy, like myself, picked up a lot of his personality from his dad. Only, his dad isn't as good a role model as mine. His father's a royal class jerk. He wasn't too bad when he was younger, which was why I actually hung out with him. He grew into this person he is now. At first, I didn't really notice the changes. They were small and far in between. But here he is, a fucking psycho. If I had known he was going to end like this, I never would have let Cody anywhere near him.

"Ah, Cody. He such a sweet boy. And I use the word boy, not man. He's very naive. I love him to pieces, and I would do anything to protect him. I want him to know how Randy truly is. I've known him since we were kids, and I've only ever done my best to protect him. I don't understand why he can't just listen to me. I understand he;s in love and all, but I'm his best friend. Bros before hos and all that. And Randy is most certainly a ho. Or, well, a whore.

"And I feel horrible about sneaking with Randy behind Cody's back for eight months. I helped the man he loves commit adultery. And I'm his best friend. I'm going on about wanting the best for him and I slept with the man he loves behind his back multiple times. God, I'm a horrible friend. I feel so stupid. It was the biggest mistake I made, and I've made more than my fair share of mistakes. Cody deserves a better friend than me," Ted was ranting, gesturing wildly with his hands which is something that he generally did when he was upset.

Cody glanced over at Ted again and saw this. He frowned. "Rand, I'll be right back," he said and began to walk away.

Randy gripped his arm. "You aren't going anywhere," he growled.

Cody's head snapped around to look at him, and the grip on his arm. "Ow, Randy let go. You're hurting me," he said, pulling his arm from Randy's grip. He had never seen Randy like this.

Randy let go and cleared his throat. "Sorry. I don't know what came over me. Go ahead," he said, smiling.

Cody made a face before turning around and walking over to Ted, who was ranting about money and his inheritance. "Teddy? You okay?" he asked.

Ted looked at Cody. "Codes! Hey, Baby Boy. Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little stressed. Why?"

"I saw you gesturing with your hands while you talked and you only do that when you're deeply bothered. You sure it's just stress?" Cody replied.

Ted nodded. "I'm sure. Go finish your workout," he said. Cody nodded and walked away.

"I should tell him, I just can't find it in me to do so," Ted said to Shawn and John after Cody was out of earshot.

Shawn let out a low whistle. "Wow." He really had no idea what to make of Teddy's confession, but he could tell the boy was truly sorry for what he did. Shawn had a sneaking suspicion that what happened between Teddy and Randy was due to Ted possibly having a thing for Randy too. Of course, Randy was more to blame in Shawn's eyes for taking advantage of both men. He was older and knew better, but since Randy was on a power trip he doubted Randy cared too much anyway.

"Man that shit's whack," Cena fussed. "And just look at how he goes running back to his lover not bothering to really dig deep for the info." John squatted to the ground low enough to help Shawn off of his shoulders.

"Thanks John," Shawn said, his eyes glued to the scene across the gym. "I think Cody knows something isn't quite right but like most people who are crazy in love with someone, they tend to overlook things or become blinded by the love. Not much you can do Teddy. If you want to get it off of ya chest then you probably should tell Cody what happened. Thing is, you'll be risking the end of a friendship, especially if he doesn't believe you."

Cena nodded in agreement. "Yeah I wouldn't put it past that snake to come up with some bogus story about you being jealous and if you are Teddy then I shake my head at you. You can do a lot better than Randy," he said pointedly.

"Normally I wouldn't insert my two cents, but I can't help but agree with John here," Shawn said patting Ted's back. "Your father's a good man. He helped me a lot when I was coming up in the business and even though I don't know you all that well, you've shown me enough just now to prove you're a good man at heart. Keep watching over your friend. A wise man once said those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." Shawn checked his watch. He'd stayed longer than he meant to. "Hey guys I gotta run. Shower and food's calling to me."

"Yeah I'm gonna get going too. The atmosphere here stinks now, but at least I was able to get a little weight on shoulders. Shawn, you're not as light as I thought," Cena teased.

"Yeah, yeah."

"So Ted you gone be alright? Wanna grab lunch with me later or are you gonna try to talk some sense into your buddy?" John asked.

Ted sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking back over at Cody. "I honestly don't know right now. I just wanna sleep for the rest of my life," he replied, his look so empty yet so full as he looked at his best friend. "I don't know if I can talk sense into him. Cody's one of the most hard headed people I know."

Honestly, Ted felt better now that he had told people what had gone on between him and Randy, and how he felt about the whole situation. But he still felt tired. And not just physically, but mentally. He felt like he couldn't take anymore of Randy's harassing, or the guilt over what he had done to Cody.

"I'll let ya know in a couple hours. I just need some alone time to think and sort through the whirlwind of thoughts I have going through my head right now," he said to John before smiling. "I'm gonna go," he said and walked away.

Shawn and John both shook their heads as he walked away. "This is why I don't get myself caught up with these young guys," Shawn stated quietly as he and John left the gym.

"Yeah I know but just because Ted's having a rough time doesn't mean anything Heartbreaker," Cena argued. "You're smart enough to sniff out the snakes Shawn. Maybe you didn't used to know back then but this new you is different. This new you I like," he added, putting an arm around his good friend.

"Yeah well this new me isn't ready for anything except his retirement."

"Aww man why you gotta bring that up?" John groaned. "Life around here without you is going to suck donkey balls man. I'm serious. Besides maybe Ted and a few others who want my spot someday, everyone hates my fucking guts except you."

"Hunter doesn't hate you--er...never mind," Shawn laughed.

"Old big nose is yet to forgive me for making moves on my tag partner but dude. Can you blame me?" he teased.

Shawn rolled his eyes. "I don't know and your flirting's getting worse by the morning again. Means I need to go to the gym an hour later," he joked as they entered the hotel again.

As they rode the elevator back to their floor, Shawn couldn't help but go back to what happened at the gym and how clueless Cody seemed, but what was equally sad was the way Ted was terribly torn up about it. Keeping secrets like Ted's bottled up inside often hindered performances in the ring, or in Shawn's case, it hindered his ability to play nice backstage. So many times did he rip people's head off backstage all because he was pissed off at Bret.

"So Sexy Boy, breakfast or lunch?" Cena asked.

Shawn checked his watch. It was nearing 8am. "Um...breakfast in an hour."

Cena's eyes lit up like a baby's. "Can we eat at--"

"Waffle House. Yes."

Cena grabbed his friend pecking his lips. "Don't tell Chris but I fucking love you right now. Waffle House is my love."

"Yeah I know, now get going before I change my mind."

"Yes sir and hey, don't stress too much over Randy. I know how you are but just...leave the snake to me. If I ever catch him alone I'll have a few choice words for him."

Shawn nodded his head before going inside to take a quick shower with thoughts of the whole Randy, Ted, and Cody three way on the mind.

Ted arrived to his suite and headed straight for the bathroom. He stripped off his clothes, turning the water as hot as his body could take and stepping under the soothing, forgiving spray.

He stood under the water for a while, his mind spinning with the possibilities of his dilemma with Randy and Cody. He honestly didn't know what to do. He knew only that he needed to tell Cody about the affair, even if it ruined their friendship. He couldn't keep lying to his best friend, and he wouldn't.

When the water started to cool a bit, he snapped out of his reverie. He washed his body slowly, carefully, thoroughly, focusing on each circle of his hand as he rubbed the slippery substance onto his body. He stared ahead at the wall, which was an off-white color with a floral design in a variety of different colors. It wasn't the least bit interesting, yet he could not force himself to look away, as if the designs and colors were hypnotizing him.

He stepped under the spray as he finished washing his body, though his eyes never left the wall. He sighed softly, assisting the water in cleansing his skin. He picked up the shampoo/condition, pouring enough for his hair into his hand and lathering it in, closing his eyes as his fingers massaged his head. He stepped back once more and washed the soap from his head before turning the water off, stepping out and wrapping a towel around his waist.

He walked into the bedroom of the suite - and was surprised to see Cody sitting on the bed. He walked over to his stuff, getting dressed, neither of them saying anything. The room was quiet, save for the noise drifting in through the open window. The room was bright with dawn sun, the rays drifting in through the open curtain. The silence was deathly, ringing in Ted's ears worse than blasting music ever would.

After Ted had dressed, he sighed and turned to Cody. He walked the few steps to Cody, each feeling like his feet were bags of sand weighing him down. He sat next to Cody and started at the wall, not sure what to say.

The suite he was staying in was one of the nicer ones, on the top floors of the hotel. The wall was purple, the trim gold, giving it a royal feel. On the wall, in different places, were gold designs. Floral, geometrical and other shapes decorated the room. It was he who spoke first.

"We need to talk," he said to Cody, though he didn't look at his friend. He didn't know what he would see, and he was scared. This was going to be hard enough without having Cody's bodily reaction burned into his mind.

"We do," Cody said quietly.

"I've made many mistakes throughout my life, Cody, but all I've ever wanted to do was protect you. About nine months ago, I failed to do so. I was drunk, and so was Randy, though he was not as much as me. He seduced me, and we slept together. The next morning, I remembered nothing but the sex. And I felt horrible, not matter how mind-blowing it was." Cody opened his mouth to say something, but Ted stopped him. "No. Let me finish. I told myself as I got ready for the day that it would never happen again. But it did. Multiple times. It lasted eight months before I couldn't handle the guilt anymore and broke it off. Randy has been trying to get me back, but I won't let him. I love ya, Codes. And I'm so sorry for doing what I did. My whole life I have tried to protect you from the pain that I know my actions are now putting you through. And I know that telling you might end our friendship, but I would rather have you hate me and know the truth. I can't go on everyday, smiling for you and knowing what I did," Ted finished, then looked at Cody.

The pain was evident on the younger man's face, and he knew that he had messed up big time.

"I hate you," were the only words that came out of Cody's mouth, tears running down his face as he left the room in a hurry.

Ted sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He pulled out his phone and called John. "John? Yeah, I think lunch sounds good," he said, a single tear rolling down his smooth, tan face.

John wasn't expecting Ted to get back with him. In fact, he half expected Ted, Cody and Randy to have lunch together as if not a damn thing was wrong about the whole situation. Teddy was the kind of guy that would put on a front if it meant keeping his close friends happy all the while letting pain eat him from the inside out. Cena knew his type well because he used to be the same way. God how he hated Hunter back in 2003. The way he would control Shawn...

In a way, Randy really did remind him of the twisted, manipulative bastard H was back then. The situation also brought back memories of himself taking care of Shawn when they were partners. God how Cena more than welcomed the opportunity to work with Shawn. It got him close to one of his idols and somehow snapped Hunter out of evil funk. Cena was pretty sure Hunter only came around in the beginning because he thought Shawn was replacing him, but John knew H could never be replaced. At the same time, he'd like to think he managed to find his own place in Shawn's heart as a good friend.

John said he would come knocking in a few before he went to get Shawn. Shawn was done dressing for a change for he was ready to walk right out the door when Cena knocked. "Wow. You're...actually ready?" Cena checked his watch. "New record Ms. Man."

Shawn rolled his eyes shoving Cena out the door. "You know John, contrary to popular belief, I'm still a guy when I need to be."

John smirked leading them towards Teddy's room. "I'd sure love to find out," he teased smacking his friend's ass playfully.

"Alright Johnny. Don't make me tell Chris you're touching goods aside from his sparkly ones." Shawn raised his hand knocking on Teddy's door. He could hear Teddy rustling around the room which meant he probably wasn't quite ready yet. He leaned back against Cena speaking lowly. "Is he alright John? He was pretty intent on not going with us earlier. What changed his mind I wonder?"

Cena shook his head. "Don't know Shawn. He did sound kinda down over the phone so maybe he'll open up to at least one of over lunch. I just want him to know he could talk to me despite how the rest of the locker room may feel about Super Cena."

Shawn nodded. "Yeah. Me too. I care...about guys like him. I just want to see him succeed and not let people get him down the way they got me down years ago. I almost--well you know the story." Both Shawn and John got quiet waiting for Ted to come to the door, the both of them thinking thoughts of their own about the whole situation.

When Ted hung up the phone, he wiped the tear that had fallen. It did little though, because it was just replaced.

Ted never full out sobbed. If he needed to cry, he got it out slowly. Usually only a couple tears at a time. When he wiped those away, they were replaced almost immediately with a couple of new ones.

Ted laid back and closed his eyes, trying to relax. He shouldn't have called John and said yes, but he just didn't want to be alone, wrapped up in his thoughts about how much Cody hated him.

He glanced at the time and knew that he needed to finish getting ready. He sighed softly and got up, walking over to his bag. He opened it up and right on top was a necklace that Cody had gotten him a while ago for no reason. He had said, "Friends don't need a reason to get each other stuff, Teddy. I got this because I love you, and I can't imagine where I would be in this life without you." That thought let loose a few more tears.

Ted sighed and pulled on the necklace. It was simple, a silver chain with a 'T' that was made in diamond. When you flipped the 'T' over, there was an inscription. It read, "Teddy. My best friend, my brother, my protector."

He sighed again, pulling out some socks and slipping them on. As he was pulling them on, there was a knock on the door. His heart sped up a bit, but he knew it wasn't Cody. He shook his head, slipping on his Nikes and grabbing his phone and key card. He walked into the bathroom, seeing that he didn't really look like he was crying. He splashed some water on his face and dried it off before walking out.

He walked over to the door, putting on a smile and opening the door. "Hey guys," he said as he stepped out of the room and closed the door. "Where to?"

Shawn and John exchanged looks before Shawn peeled away from Cena."Waffle House because that's Johnny boy's favorite place to put on weight."

John put an arm around both Teddy and Shawn walking between them. "Waffle House is the best southern restaurant period. Just imagine all that butter and grease being cooked into perfect waffles with eggs, two strips of bacon and sausage. I just loooooove me some sausage," he grinned.

Shawn rolled his eyes. "And I'm starting to wonder if Chris feeds you enough of it."

John shook his head. "No, no he doesn't which is why I'll be glad to have some of yours. Hell I'll take Teddy's too," he teased.

"Oh geez. John you're such a kid. Ted, ignore him." Shawn's eyes rounded on the necklace Ted was wearing. "That's pretty...your necklace," he pointed out. "Where'd you get it? I had one with my initials on it. It was a gift from Marty, my old tag partner from years ago but in a match against a douch bag- I won't call his name- the necklace was ripped off of my neck and it broke. I was...furious."

Ted chuckled at John. He was already glad he decided to come out. He looked down at his necklace when Shawn asked him about it. "Codes got it for me a while ago. I never wear it in the ring. I don't want to risk anything happening to it. That match would go from staged to real in mere seconds if someone broke it, even if it was an accident," he replied, wrapping his hand around the 'T' and sighing softly.

John smirked. "I'm sure Shawn would have killed the big guy if he could have, but Shawn's a lot smarter than he used to be," John teased.

Shawn smacked him aside the head. "Don't joke! If it wasn't for Chris I really would have beat that douche."

"Or died trying," Cena snickered.

Shawn moved away from John. "I'm gonna stand closer to Teddy now." Shawn moved so that Teddy stood between him and Cena as they headed out the door for the short walk towards the Waffle House. "That means a lot to you I see," he said with a warm smile. "I really hate that I was dumb enough to wrestle with mine on, but I never took it off except to clean it. No one else dared to use that as a way to get one over on me but... Well I can't blame nobody but myself."

"Hey Ted, speaking of Codes..." But John stopped mid sentence when Shawn shook his head, a sign that meant maybe now's not the time. "You know, never mind. Let's just get in here and gain a few extra pounds. Last one in gets the tab!"

Both Shawn and John grinned before running ahead of Ted all the way to the Waffle House.

When John started talking about Cody, Ted tensed slightly, not wanting to talk too much about him. But when John dropped it, Ted relaxed. He knew that Shawn had told him not to say anything, and for that, he was thankful. He just wanted to get his mind off it right now.

When Shawn and John ran ahead of him, he shook his head and chuckled, jogging so he didn't get left too far behind them. He was perfectly fine with paying the tab. It wasn't like he didn't have the money. He slowed to a walk when he approached the doors and walked through Shawn and John, who had stopped, waiting for him to catch up. He walked in the restaurant and smirked. "Looks like I'm not paying the bill," he smirked as he waited for his friends.

Shawn and Cena cut each other looks. They were both tempted to try and squeeze through the door, but John knew he was picking up the tab this morning because he would never make his idol and old crush pay.

Shawn grinned as he slipped through the door. He too knew John would pick up the tab because he was just that nice of a guy. In fact, Shawn remembered having to yell at Cena one night just to get him to let him pay the bill. It was ridiculous. Shawn led John to the table in the back Ted picked out for them sliding in the booth with John creeping in next to him.

"Damn Teddy you really got one over on me this time," Cena smirked. "But now that you've pulled this trick once, please note it won't work the next time."

"He's just mad cause he was too much of a gentleman to make me fork over the tab and I'm pretty sure my bank account's right up there with Ted's considering I've been working 20 plus years. I got a hella lot of money. Money can't buy happiness but there are times when it makes me grin."

"Yeah, yeah sexy boy," John grumbled. "So are you guys done feuding with each other on screen?"

Shawn shrugged. "I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure Ted's tired of getting Pedigreed while I know poor Cody's tired of me kicking his head off. But they take it like men. I'm impressed."

Ted chuckled. "Well, you guys are the dumbasses who waited for me OUTSIDE the restaurant," he said with a smile.

"No offense, but Hunter hurts a Hell of a lot more than you, so I'd rather take the bundt of his abuse. Cody's strong and all, but he's too fragile for Hunter. I'm just glad that this feud us ending soon. Then me and Codes are turning on Randy and I couldn't be happier about that."

Ted looked at the waiter when he came over. He was young, early twenties at the latest. He had black, shaggy hair and a defined face. He was built lean, but you could see that he was strong and his clothes hugged him in the right places. He, basically, was downright gorgeous and Ted definitely noticed. He put on his charming smile and ordered his meal before motioning to the other two men to tell their orders.

"Hey! I only stopped cause Cena Poo stopped," Shawn sulked.

"Yeah, but do you always follow my lead sexy boy?" John asked, grinning and poking at his friend's pouty lip.

"That's not funny John." Shawn smacked John's hand away and started looking over the menu. He didn't really notice the good looking waiter who was staring among them with wide eyes as if he recognized them. The waiter's attention soon deviated to Teddy, smiling and blushing like mad as he took his order. Only John seemed to notice and since he had Chris and was still flirting with Shawn, he made no effort to get the waiter's attention.

"Yeah, I'll have steak and eggs--oh and a side of waffles and sausage," John ordered.

Shawn shook his head. "My God you're so greedy."

"Yeah but big men gotta eat."

"You ain't that big," Shawn noted.

John raised his brows. "You wouldn't know sexy boy but I sure as hell could show you anytime you wanted."

Shawn rolled his eyes. "Can you stop flirting with me for all of five seconds? Flirt with Ted. He's closer to your age," Shawn pointed out before ordering a simple ham and chocolate chip waffles.

"Age ain't nothing but a number to me Heartbreaker, but I'll comply. Teddy's pretty sexy too so how about it Ted. Wanna see how big Little John really is?" he joked. "Or dare I not compare to the hot waiter that has eyes for you?"

"You know John, if you flirt like this around Chris, I'd be surprised."