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thatoneenbyprince · 14 days ago

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Stress Toy (Part 3) [Fic]

Here we go, part 3 a day early because I'm eager!

(First part here, last chapter here)

Summary: The European Tour is in full swing. The SmackDown locker room speculates on why Cody seems to be so happy lately. Sami makes a surprise appearance backstage, looking for Cody. Cody might be feeling himself, lately, but are he and Drew flying too close to the sun, tonight? (Past Candy mentioned/one-sided Candy)

Part 3: Drink The Gossip

It was a few weeks past Elimination Chamber, during the European Tour. Drew was well into his rivalry with Damian. He may not have been getting to WrestleMania the easy way, but he was certainly getting there. Cody was holding his own against Cena, despite the paranoia of when he or Rock would show up. He kept it together, for the most part, for the cameras: the ever defiant champ of the people.

They didn't need to know about the stress he was under. Or his outlet for it.

---

Drew was celebrating another victory under his belt at catering, having successfully pinned Andrade at the top of the show. Sure, he'd gotten into a scuffle with Damian after (heaven forbid Drew pin Andrade’s arm between the steel steps and the post, then try and Claymore kick his head into said post), but it wasn't getting him down. Even when Damian glared at him.

(The catering truce from Elimination Chamber had carried over to SmackDown and expanded to the whole roster. A necessity when the whole men’s tag division hated each other.)

Despite the somewhat uneasy air (especially when Kevin graced backstage with his presence for the first time in forever, earning Randy's ire), Drew happily helped himself to some baked goods and a coffee. Cody hurried into catering, clearly still buzzing from a heated exchange with Cena at the top of the show that ended in Cody hitting him with a CrossRhodes. He made his way to the spread table. “Oh, good. I didn't miss out on these!” He said, leaning over and grabbing some pastries.

Drew briefly glanced at Cody, trying not to be obvious that he was checking out Cody's pinstriped ass. Cody, however, caught him. As soon as his back was turned to everyone, he shot Drew a flirtatious look as he bit into one of the pastries. He winked.

Is he...teasing me?

Cody started to leave. Randy stood up. “Hey, Codeman! You're not sticking around?”

Cody turned around, his face stuffed. (Why is he adorable? It's annoying.) He swallowed as Drew became very interested in the inside of his coffee cup. Then Cody shook his head.

“Sorry, Randy. I've got a lot of stuff to sort out and I need the privacy, ya know? Like my agent keeps insisting on trying to get me an audition for this movie, but I've got a meet and greet that day and, you know...” He flashed his title belt to Randy. “There's no such thing as free time for me, especially during WrestleMania season. So I need to try and finally shut that down.”

“Okay, but if you need anything...or Cena and Rock try to jump you...”

“I know, Randy. I've got you on speed dial.” Cody said with a smile. Then he left for his bus.

Suddenly, Sami arrived, to everyone's surprise. “Cody, wai–!” He shouted after him as Cody seemed to speed up. Sami sighed, rubbing at his soft neck brace.

Everyone stared at him. Sami looked a bit sheepish. “Uh...hi guys?”

“SAMI!” Every self-proclaimed good guy (and even some of the so called “heels”) cheered, rushing to hug him as best they could. Even Naomi, who was losing it (to put it lightly), gave her “honorary uce-in-law” a kiss on the cheek. Sami turned pink from all the love.

Drew, however, hung back. As did Kevin, who stayed at his table alone and picked at his food. Drew scooted over to him quietly.

“You good, Kevin?”

Kevin looked up at him like he'd asked the stupidest question in the world. “Of course I am. We know where we stand with each other...” He said, eyes settling on–and never leaving–the sight of Sami being adored. He seemed almost wistful. Or even like he still loved the bastard.

Oh God, here we go again... Drew thought as he turned to watch the annoying love fest subside.

“Why are you even here? Did you get transferred to SmackDown? Are you medically cleared?” Jimmy asked, excitedly doing his secret handshake with his honorary uce/fellow Roman bootlicker.

“Sorry, neither, but I'm here as a guest. I even got Aldis to okay it,” Sami said. “I've been trying to talk to Cody for weeks! But he hasn't answered any of my calls or texts, so I decided to try and talk to him face-to-face.”

“So you flew all the way to Europe...just to talk to Cody?” Damian asked.

“Yeah...that's the only reason I'm here...” Sami said, eyes darting to Kevin.

(Drew rolled his eyes. They were doing this crap, again. You two just broke up! Just freaking get married at this point...)

Kevin got up, taking his plate with him. “I'm going back to my car,” he declared, making a point to brush past Sami as he left and dumped his food in the trash. Randy immediately stood protectively in front of Sami after, as if to make sure Kevin didn't turn around and try and finish the job from Elimination Chamber.

“You know, come to think of it,” Chelsea said, as her Secret Hervice Slaygents, Piper and Alba, stoically did her nails and offered her a drink through a straw, respectively. “Cody has been acting weird these last few weeks...”

“Yeah, no, you'd think he'd be crashing out way worse...” Jade noted.

(“HE DERAILED MY SHOW!” Miz protested from the sink, falling on deaf ears.)

“Wonder what's up with him? Think he got into crystals or something?” Chelsea mused.

“Or drugs.” Piper suggested, earning a nod from Alba.

“Maybe he got one of those meditation apps or something?” Jimmy threw out there, Naomi and Sami nodding along encouragingly.

“Or he realized he was an idiot and secretly sold his soul after all, am I right, Melo?” Miz said, putting his arm on Carmelo's shoulder. Carmelo shoved him off with an eyeroll.

“I think he finally remembered to do those breathing exercises he used to do when we were a tag team!” R-Truth said.

Damian patted his shoulder. “Truth, buddy...that was his brother Goldust, not Cody.”

“You sure?”

LA Knight finally spoke up, swaggering to the center of the room with the extra cockiness one got when you recently won a title. “My guess is, Cody finally got himself laid.”

Randy crunched his cup in his hand. Drew hid his smirk with a drink.

Damian nearly spat out his own drink. “Damn it, LA! You can't just say that!” He said, wiping off his face with his hand before rubbing said hand on his jeans. “Look, what's up with Cody is none of our business...” Damian said.

“Honestly. It's kinda immature to gossip about him...” Sami said.

“What, I can't mention he's swaggering around like he did?” LA Knight asked, stubbornly clinging to his theory. Chelsea seemed to be contemplating it.

“He's not screwing anyone!” Randy said, defensively.

As Drew started to feel his smug delight devolve into concern they'd figure it out, his phone buzzed in his jacket’s chest pocket. He checked the text notification:

Come to the bus. Now.

Drew quietly slipped out as the gossip continued, passing a lingering Kevin (Guess he's not immune to this, either...), then made his way to the bus Cody was using for the European tour (sadly, it lacked a shower at all). He knocked on the door to the rhythm of Cody's old theme: Smoke and Mirrors.

He heard a hasty scurrying from inside, the door unlock, then scurrying again. “Come on in.”

Drew entered the darkened bus, locking the door behind him. “I think we need to work on our poker faces, Cody. They're noticing your good mood and LA’s joking you finally lost your virginity...”

Cody chuckled from the dark. “We both know I punched that card a long time ago...”

“Yeah. I still remember the “things Randy used to do to me” feedback you gave me when we were dating...” Drew noted as he flipped on the light switch. “But you were the one who said we needed to keep things on the down lo–” Drew turned his head...

...and was greeted by the sight of Cody, lounging on the bed, completely naked.

Drew's brain stopped working for a moment. “Damn, you are in a good mood...” He said.

Cody smirked, getting up and waltzing over to him. “Yep. Because someone is good at his job...”

“I...isn't this flying a bit too close to the sun?” Drew said as Cody pressed closer, trying to resist only out of pride.

“Maybe...but like you said: I'm in a good mood. I wanna enjoy getting a victory over Cena before things get bad again...” Cody said, running his hand along Drew's heart. He smirked when he felt it racing. “How do you feel about that?”

“I feel like I wanna devour you...” Drew said, not letting his brain do anymore of that pesky thinking. Pride be damned.

Cody traced his finger down his torso as he looked up at him. “And what if I told you that's exactly what I want, tonight?” He purred, undoing Drew’s kilt and playing with the hem of his shirt.

Oh, he hadn’t seen this bratty side of Cody in years! This was going to be fun. As he let his kilt fall to the floor, Drew threw off his jacket and kicked off his boots. Cody peeled Drew's shirt off. Drew scooped Cody up in a straddling fashion before nipping at his neck and digging his nails into his back and thigh, eliciting a moan from Cody.

“Then I'd have no choice but to give you what you asked for...” He growled against his skin.

---

The gossip didn't seem to be dying down. Catering had become a high school cafeteria at this point, all it needed was a food fight. Only this time Kevin won't get pied in the face... Sami mused to himself, trying not to think about how adorable he looked when he pouted about it.

Randy turned to Sami. “You wanted to talk to Cody, right?”

Sami nodded. “Yeah, sorry I caused this mess...”

Randy shook his head. “It's no problem. We're all just glad you're okay, again. C'mon, I can take you to his bus...”

“He's on his bus? Not his locker room?” Everyone knew the parking lot was the most dangerous place to hang out in, even when the show was pretty much over. Hell, Cody should've known that, given what went down with Kevin.

“The bus has more exits.” Randy said simply. “And if he needs to use it as a weapon...”

Sami nodded. It was unhinged, but he got the logic. He followed closely as they made their way to the parking lot, nerves fluttering in his stomach at the thought of finally getting to talk to Cody. He knew things had been weird between them since The Rumble, but he wanted to try and fix them if he could. Especially if Cody knew that he–

They heard the sound of the bus rocking. Randy and Sami immediately started running towards it, assuming Cody got ambushed. There were grunts coming from inside. Randy tried to open the door, only to find it locked. “Damn it! I don't have a key to this bus!”

They heard Cody cry out, followed by another’s. Randy immediately went for plan B and shoulder checked the door open as Sami contemplated the...tone of the cries...

Randy determinedly dragged Sami along into the bus.

Stuff started to click. “Randy, I don't think he's–!”

The wrestlers were greeted by the sight of Drew being straddled by Cody; both were naked, panting, sweaty, and entangled together in an upright embrace. Neither seemed to notice them (especially Cody, whose scratched back was turned to them). Drew nuzzled into Cody's neck. Sami tried to cover their lower halves from his vision with his hand, otherwise frozen in shock.

“Did I hurt you?” Drew purred, rubbing his back.

Cody shook his head.

“Are you gonna behave from now on?” He said, his hand travelling lower to rub his backside.

Cody nodded.

“Good. You did so good, beautiful...” Drew said, kissing his shoulder.

Sami tried to turn to an even more stunned Randy around to escape before they were noticed, but it was too late. Drew's eyes flitted from Cody to his unwitting, unwilling audience. At first, he glared at them, especially Sami. Then he locked onto Randy and smirked.

“Cody,” he said sweetly. “I hate to drag you out of this headspace you're in, but we unfortunately have guests...”

Cody stiffened. “Wha–?”

Drew leaned back a little, “Randy, Sami, don't you know how to knock?”

Cody turned around. His eyes filled with fear when he saw the two of them. He yelped and grabbed the sheet, holding it to his chest as if THAT was the part of him they (well, Sami) hadn't seen before. “SAMI!?” He exclaimed. Then he looked at Randy. “Randy?”

“Cody?” Randy asked, confused and a little hurt.

Sami grabbed Randy. “Sorry! We'll just let you finish...this...” He gestured to the two of them, “...and talk to you later!” He added with a forced cheerfulness, dragging Randy out of the bus. “And, uh...sorry about the door!”

Sami closed the door as he heard Cody say “Really? You couldn't have said something sooner!?” Randy stared at the asphalt.

“What the hell?” He glanced at Sami. “Are you okay with that!?”

Sami shook his head. “My alleged friend is apparently boning a guy who hates me? Why would I be? But I'm not looking to get Claymored by McIntyre when he's got his dick out!” He took a deep breath, holding up his hands. “I'm sure there's an explanation, we just gotta be calm about this.”

Even though I'm freaking out...

They heard the door open. “Come in,” Cody called. Sami and Randy obeyed. They entered to find Drew sitting casually in the bed in just his kilt. Cody was pulling his shirt on and thankfully had pants on. “So...” He said, laughing nervously. “What do you wanna ta–”

“Actually, I want to talk to Drew privately. You and Sami can talk, though.” Randy said, glaring at an amused Drew.

Cody paled, which made Sami feel a gnawing dread. “Uh, sure, I guess. Sami and I can talk outside...” Cody made his way to the door as Randy went towards Drew. “You and I will definitely talk later, Randy.”

“Of course.”

Drew condescendingly shooed Sami with his hand. “I'll see you in a bit, Cody.” He said, winking at him. Cody looked annoyed, despite his blush.

Sami put on his poker face. He hurried Cody out. “Glad we all agree. Have a good talk, guys.” He closed the door behind him after he left the bus. He turned to Cody and immediately dropped his façade.

“Cody, what the hell!?”

[To Be Continued]

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thatoneenbyprince · 16 days ago

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The Vows in the Valley

Pairing: Jey Uso/Cody Rhodes

The sun glows gold through the palm fronds, filtering in soft lattices over Jey Uso’s bare chest as he stands barefoot in the red earth. His heart pounds beneath his ribs, not from nerves but from something deeper—something that’s been building in his bones for months now. He hears birdsong, the faint rustle of wind across the jungle canopy, and Cody’s voice—laughing behind him, teasing Sami Zayn about stepping in mud again. The others are farther back, slowed by the rugged trail, but that’s part of the plan. Jey asked them to hold Cody back, give him a few extra minutes to prepare. The clearing is perfect. Lava rocks circle a small altar Jey built from driftwood and black stone. Ti leaves line the ground, green and gleaming. Flower garlands hang from trees like blessings. The scent of plumeria rides the wind, and above it all, the sound of the ocean crashes in rhythmic waves, faint and constant like a heartbeat.

He wipes his hands down the sides of his white linen pants. No shirt. No shoes. Just the Samoan tatau stretched over his chest, inked like history. Today is about being raw. Real. Sacred. He hears footsteps.

Cody appears between two trees, sweaty and flushed, dragging off his bandana. “Bro,” he says, smiling. “You dragged me into the damn Amazon, didn’t you?”

Then he stops. The smile fades, not from shock, but from sudden understanding. Cody looks at the altar, the quiet circle of jungle, the white folding chairs Jey’s cousins carried in. Jey watches the change roll over his face—confusion, disbelief, and then something more vulnerable. Reverence.

“This is for us?” Cody asks.

Jey nods once, stepping forward. “You remember last time we talked about marriage?”

Cody breathes through his nose. “You said you didn’t want the lights. Cameras. All that showy bull—”

“I wanted this.”

Jey holds out a simple band made of koa wood. It’s not polished, not perfect. It’s carved by his uncle, the same man who tattooed his chest, and it smells of the forest. “You married me in a courthouse in Georgia,” Jey says. “Now I’m marrying you in my home.”

Cody looks down at the ring, then up again, eyes glassy. “You serious?”

“I got your suit hangin’ on a tree over there,” Jey says with a crooked smile. “But I was hopin’ you’d keep that tank top on. You know I like you sweaty.”

Cody laughs wetly and wipes his eyes. “Man, I don’t even care what I’m wearing. I’d marry you in the dirt.”

“Good,” Jey murmurs. “’Cause that’s where we’re standing.”

By the time Cody changes, more guests arrive—Sami, Kevin, Bianca, Jimmy, Roman. None of them are in formalwear. No one is supposed to be. The invitation was verbal and short: “Come to the forest. Bring your soul.” Even Paul Heyman shows up, sweaty and disoriented, with a shell necklace askew around his neck. The sun dips low, throwing the forest into golden flame. Candles flicker on rock outcroppings, and torches blaze near the water’s edge. A young priest from the local village stands barefoot at the altar. His words are brief and powerful. When Jey takes Cody’s hands, there’s no crowd. No noise. Just wind and birds and fire.

“I never believed in peace until I met you,” Jey says, voice quiet but firm. “You don’t fix me. You just love me where I’m cracked. That’s more than I thought I’d ever have.”

Cody grips Jey’s hands tighter. “I was afraid you’d never let yourself be happy. You think too much about who you’re supposed to be. But Jey, when you’re just you… that’s the man I fell in love with.”

They exchange wooden rings. Jey’s slips snugly on Cody’s finger; Cody slides his onto Jey’s thumb, where it rests perfectly against the line of ink. The priest calls on the ancestors, the land, the water, the fire. There’s no “I now pronounce you”—only silence, then a deep, resonant chant from one of Jey’s uncles, rippling like thunder through the trees.

The kiss is long. Quiet. Their foreheads touch after. Jey whispers something in Samoan against Cody’s skin, and Cody replies in a shaky whisper, “I love you, Uce.”

The celebration is wild and soft at once. Torches cast long shadows while drums thump in the distance. One of Jey’s cousins plays a ukulele. Another pours coconut water into carved gourds. A pig roasts on an open fire. They dance barefoot on wet grass. Jimmy breaks into a haka with Roman and a few others, slapping their chests, howling, fire in their eyes. Cody watches, arms folded across his chest, moved and silent.

Later, he wraps a garland of plumeria around Jey’s shoulders and leans into his ear. “Thank you. This is the most beautiful thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

Jey shrugs, bashful. “You got my heart. You might as well get the island too.”

“You gave me your name when no one else would.”

“You gave me a reason to carry it right,” Jey says. Night deepens. The sky spills stars between the tree canopies. Jey takes Cody’s hand and pulls him away from the crowd, down toward the cliffs. They sit at the edge, legs dangling over volcanic stone, waves crashing below like drumbeats from the deep.

Cody leans into Jey’s shoulder. “You always knew we’d end up here, didn’t you?”

“I had no clue,” Jey admits. “I thought we’d blow up. We was fire and fire. But you kept holdin’ me down, like… like you was the ground and I was the storm.”

Cody closes his eyes. “That’s the most poetic thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“I got more where that came from,” Jey teases. “Just gotta marry me again next week.” Cody chuckles, then turns quiet.

“Jey?”

“Mm?”

“What do we do now?”

Jey thinks about it. The match schedules. The long flights. The nights apart. The media questions. The weight of two names that stretch across eras.

“We make it work,” Jey says. “Like always.”

“But what if—”

Jey cuts him off with a kiss, rough and sure. “Ain’t no ‘what if.’ It’s us.”

Back at the camp, the fire burns low. The guests sleep in hammocks and tents. Palm leaves rustle in the breeze. Somewhere, a wild boar calls. Jey and Cody lie beneath the stars, shoulder to shoulder, on a mat covered in soft furs and worn blankets. Cody traces the lines of Jey’s chest tattoo with one lazy finger, eyes half-lidded.

“You realize we just got married in the middle of nowhere with no paperwork,” Cody murmurs.

Jey grins in the dark. “We already did paperwork, remember?”

“But this—this was real.” Cody’s voice thickens. “This was spirit. Family. Earth.”

“Yeah,” Jey breathes. “This one’s the one that counts.” They lie in silence, breath synced. Jey tucks Cody into his side, wraps an arm around his waist, presses a kiss to the top of his head.

“You good, baby?” he whispers.

Cody nods against his chest. “Best I’ve ever been.”

The jungle hums around them. No cameras. No crowd. Just vows whispered into leaves, sealed in firelight, and a love strong enough to echo off the cliffs into forever.

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