Friends.

It's what they were calling each other these days. After the year long relationship had come to an end, they were friends. Best friends actually. They could laugh and talk and even hug without it being anything but platonic.

Randy couldn't speak for Chris, but he knew that, on his part at least, that was a load of shit.

He felt for Chris what he'd felt from the moment they'd kissed. He loved him fiercely, almost dangerously. He couldn't let go of what they had and he didn't want to, ever. It wasn't that he was obsessed or psychotic, he would never hurt Chris, but he didn't want to forget about the time in his life when everything was right. He never wanted to let go of the memories of what he dared to call perfection.

He never brought it up to Chris, or asked for a second chance, or even hinted that he wanted what they'd had before because the other man seemed to be happy with the way things were. Seeing Chris happy invoked conflicting feeling inside of him. He never wanted to see the man unhappy, but to see him so happy so soon after they'd split up was hurting his heart along with his ego. He'd prided himself over his looks, his charm, and everything else including the love and happiness he'd pulled from Chris. Now that the blonde was going on like they hadn't spent the last year together he was starting to doubt himself. A thing that he'd never experienced before. He swallowed it all though, because he was never one to appear weak or whinny, and pretended to be as okay with it as Chris was. There was really nothing else he could do.

The main thing about their break-up that confused Randy to no end was WHY it had happened in the first place. There were no warning signs at all. They weren't fighting, they weren't annoying each other, they weren't spending time away from each other, they were talking to each other, neither one was showing interest in other men, they were having great sex almost every night, and they told each other 'I love you' multiple times everyday. It had come as a great shock when Chris came to him one day and said simply, "I think we should break up." The younger man could do nothing but stare at him in shock before nodding and walking out of their hotel room.

He'd cried that night and the next before he collected himself enough to think back on the relationship and try to figure out where it had gone wrong. He couldn't come up with a single thing that was worth breaking up over. He came to the conclusion that maybe they'd been too close. Maybe he'd been suffocating Chris. It seemed like the only possible answer and so he went with it. It hurt a lot and he was in pain over it, but he couldn't bring himself to be mad at Chris, not if it was his own fault.

So he thought they'd broken up over him crowding Chris.

That would've been reasonable if Chris hadn't come to him four days later and asked him to go shopping with him as friends. Randy was so overjoyed at the thought of being near Chris again that he'd accepted his offer with no hesitation. It wasn't until two weeks later, after clubs, drinks, dinners, movies, and more shopping with Chris that Randy suddenly noticed that they were spending almost as much time together as when they were a couple.

So it wasn't that they were seeing too much of each other.

He tried to think of another reason. It could've been that Chris was tired of a relationship. Maybe he just didn't want the pressure of being with someone. He knew it couldn't have been him because Chris was still seeking him out. He figured maybe Chris thought that they were better off as friends. He gave up after about a month and just went with it. If Chris was happy and he was still getting to make those beautiful blue eyes shine, then he couldn't complain…too much.

~~~

So it's three months after the break-up and it's, as Chris yelled bursting into Evolution's locker room and jumped on Randy's back, 'Movie Night'. Chris informed Randy that he was supposed to go to Chris' room right after the show and settle in for a long night of cheesy movies. Chris told him that it was a best friends night only and that no one else was invited.

"Ah, come on Jericho, we're your friends too. And we like movies," Hunter playfully whined on behalf of the rest of Evolution.

"Then you can watch them in your own rooms," Chris said with a smile. "Or better yet, you can all have a big sleep-over in your suit."

"What about our friendship? Are you saying you like Randy better than us," the blonde pressed with a protruding lower lip.

"No, I don't just like Randy better than you, I love Randy."

"You don't love me?"

"Sure I do, Hunter, like a sledgehammer shot to the head," he said in a sugary voice with a sweet smile.

"What's he got that we don't got," Ric said joining in the fun.

"Well, an indescribable beauty, a hot young body, clear ice-blue eyes, a quirky since of humor to match mine, an arrogant smirk that makes me wanna yell and kiss him all at the same time, the ability to see right through me and read my mind, that little sway of his hips he's got when he walks, a voice that sends chills down my spine, a caring heart, kissable lips, and the ability to make me scream, cry, and moan as I cum seeing flashes of light. Is that enough or should I go on?"

"Damn, Orton, have fun at 'Move Night'. Sounds like your ass earned it," Dave said with a small trace of wonder still in his voice.

Hunter was looking between Randy and Chris silently asking they younger man if they were back together. Randy shook his head just enough for Hunter to see.

"All that huh," Ric asked with a laugh.

"And more," Chris assured in a sing-song voice.

Randy, never the shy guy, finally let the smug smile touch his lips. He was confused at the way Chris was speaking about him, and he'd clearly heard him say that he didn't just like him but that he loved him, but confusion wasn't going to stop him from letting his heart and ego swell at Chris' praises.

"Better believe it baby."

Chris looked him up and down with a smirk of his own. "Don't get too full of yourself, Jerky."

"Sure, I think I'd rather be full of you a lot more anyway," Randy teased. He knew he wasn't pushing anything. They'd teased each other about sex over the last three months and Chris had just basically told their friends that Randy was the best partner that he'd ever had.

"Mmm mmm mmm. Well we'll defiantly have to see about that one. But in the mean time, I think the camera is gonna be back here soon to see what's up with you guys so I gotta go. If I'm in here you'll have to start jumping me and, yeah, no that's not gonna work for me. So here you go," Chris said in a soft voice slipping a key card into the waistband of Randy's trunks. "Use it. Bye oh evolved ones," Chris called in a respectful voice as he walked out and closed the door behind him.

After the door closed Randy had stood for about three seconds before letting himself collapse face first onto the leather couch with a groan as his three friends laughed.

"'Movie Night' my ass," Ric said.

"I can't do this," Randy said into a couch cushion. "He's gonna kill me with this whole friendship thing."

"Maybe he wants to be friends with benefits," Dave suggested thoughtfully.

"You think," Randy asked hopefully as he picked his head up from the couch.

"It's either that or he's tired of being friends," Hunter said. "He wants your ass bad and I'm betting nine times out of ten you two are gonna end up fucking like rabbits tonight."

"If there's a God in heaven," Randy moaned pitifully. "It's been three fucking months."

"You mean you haven't done anything since you two split up," Dave asked in shock and even Ric raised a stunned eyebrow. Hunter was the only one who didn't look surprised.

"Neither has Chris," Hunter said.

"How in the hell did you know that," Randy asked.

"Am I right?"

"Well yeah, but how did you know?"

"The way he was looking at you. You were both staring at each other like two starving men at a buffet table."

Randy sighed pathetically. "I've been so fucking horny being around him, but I'm always around him, meaning that a) I don't want anyone else but him and b) even if I did want someone else I couldn't go off with them because he's right there. It just wouldn't be right."

"Poor, poor, Randy," Ric said with a sympathetic shake of his head.

"I know," Randy groaned letting his head fall back into the cushions.

~~~

"Hey, Chris. I brought over a movie just in case you didn't have enough," Randy said as he stepped inside the hotel room.

Chris stepped out of the bathroom in a pair of cotton pajama pants and no shirt as he rubbed a towel furiously through his hair. He laughed lightly.

"You mean in case I got something you didn't like."

"You know me well," Randy said with a smile as he sat on the bed and watched the muscles of Chris' arms flex as he moved the towel through his damp hair. "You're gonna tangle it up like that."

"I know, but you like to comb it out so it's okay."

Randy nodded. "What movies did you get?"

"Uhm, Terminator Two for you, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation for me, and Freddy Versus Jason for both of us."

"Pretty good, but we got all night and that's only three movies."

"I'm pretty sure we can find something to do if we manage to stay up through all three of 'em."

"What do you mean if we manage?"

"We had some pretty hard matches tonight," Chris said surprised.

"Not that bad. I'm not tired," Randy said.

"Oh, wait, that's right. You got your friends to come down and distract the ref and make your life a lot easier, while I have to do it all alone. How could I have forgotten," he teased.

"Now, Chris, you know that has nothing to do with it. Your body just can't take a lot of the things mine can. I didn't think it would happen this fast, but old age is setting in. It's time you came to grips with it," Randy chuckled.

Chris laughed loudly. "You're body can take what mine can't. I'm hearing this from the little boy who passed out the first time we had sex?"

"Hey, you confessed to all of Evolution that I can make you scream, moan, and cry when you cum. Not to mention the flashes of light."

"But I don't lose consciousness!"

Randy had to laugh at that. Not only was it true, but Chris' happy laughter was infectious. His eyes were sparkling and his smile was wide showing off pearly white teeth. He looked beautiful.

"You're right, you don't. Maybe I just wasn't working hard enough."

Chris shook his head immediately. "That wasn't it. If you worked any harder I wouldn't be walking."

"Is that a complaint leaving your mouth, brat," the young brunette asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, never," he said with a quirky smile. "You're like one of those characters out of a trashy romance novel. You know, like the Duke who seduces all these virgins by knowing exactly what to do and when to do it."

"Never had my sexual ability compared to a fictional character before, but whatever."

"It's a compliment, trust me."

"I knew that, I'm a brunette not a blonde," he said reveling in Chris' offended squeak.

"You're getting mouthy, Orton. We might have to find something to stuff in there to make sure you can't talk."

Randy felt his throat tighten. He knew that voice and what usually happened when the older man used it.

"Oh? Something like what," he managed in a murmur.

The towel slipped from Chris' hands and the distance between them seemed to disappear instantly as Randy found himself looking up at the beautiful blue-eyed man who'd held his heart and soul for over a year now. He felt his lips spread into a slow smile almost of their own accord as Chris' did the same.

"Time to talk about this relationship of ours?"

Randy nodded. As much as he wanted to lay Chris down and make up for lost time, he knew they had to straighten out a few things.

"I think so."

"Okay," Chris said sitting down on the bed next to Randy. "I guess you wanna know why I broke up with you?"

"That's pretty high up on the list of things I wanna know, yeah."

"You hadn't done anything wrong. It had nothing to do with me not being happy with you."

"I kinda came to that conclusion when you kept hanging out with me. I thought you just didn't wanna be in a relationship anymore."

"It's not that either. I-I wanted to be friends with you. Not because I didn't wanna be with you, but because we were never just friends. You just came to me one night and we had sex and we ended up falling in love. We skipped the whole friendship step and I wanted us to have that."

"Wait, let me get this straight," he said softly. "We know each other better than we know ourselves. We would put our lives on the line for each other, do anything for each other. We love each other on every different level there is. All that and you're telling me that you broke up our near perfect, extremely happy, one year relationship because you thought we were never friends? I'm not seeing what the fuck was going through your head, Chris. I'm trying, but I'm just not getting it."

He wasn't yelling and he was pretty sure he should be. Truthfully, he wasn't angry, not really. He was more hurt and shocked. Chris was his best friend in the world and he thought that Chris felt the same way he did, but he guessed not.

"Randy, I know how it sounds but it's not like that. You're my best friend. I trust you with my life and I would give my own for you. I love you. I'm not saying that we're not friends, but we weren't before we got together. I never got to hang out with you as just my friend and not my boyfriend. I never got to know you and you never got to know me without sex being involved. I wanted to make sure that we could do that, that we could make it work every single way before I did what I wanted to do."

"What you wanted to do? What are you talking about?"

Chris got up from the bed and walked over to his bag. He took something out and closed his hand around it before Randy could see it and then walked back over to the bed. Instead of sitting back down he kneeled on the floor between Randy slightly parted legs.

"First, I wanna ask you to forgive me for the pain I caused you. I never wanted to see you hurt, I swear to God, but I had to be sure. I love you more than anything in the world, Randy, and I know that I was made to be with you. Please tell me that you still wanna be with me."

"I still wanna be with you, Chris. I never stopped wanting to be with you. I love you," Randy said blinking back his gathering tears as he tried to pull Chris up.

Chris refused to be pulled up. "I'm not done. I, fuck I don't know how to do this. I don't wanna mess this up."

"What is it, baby," Randy asked starting to worry.

"Shh," Chris insisted tenderly calming the worry inside his young lover. "Randy, you make me so happy. I've never felt what I feel for you about anyone else. You're my perfect match in everything. As a lover, as a friend, as a partner. I know now that no part of my life will ever be complete without you in it. I love you and I don't ever wanna lose you again."

"You won't," Randy whispered.

"I need you to promise me that."

"I promise."

"No, I need more than that," Chris said with a small smile.

"What do you need me to do?"

Chris took Randy's hand and dropped a small object into it. Randy tore his gaze away from Chris' eyes to look down at his hand. He gasped when he saw the ring.

"I need you to say yes. I need you to tell me that you want to be with me for the rest of your life just like I'm ready to be with you for the rest of mine."

"Yes! I'll be with you forever, Chris! I'll follow you to the ends of the fucking earth," Randy cried happily. "Put it on me!"

Chris laughed happily and fumbled twice before he finally slid the ring onto Randy's left ring finger.

"Mine?"

"Yours," Randy said nodding emphatically. "I have to call the guys," he said casting Chris a pleading look.

Chris nodded with a soft smile and stood as his new fiancée almost tripped over himself to get to the phone.

"Hunter! Is Dave and Ric with you?……..Come over here right now!"

"They're gonna think I'm trying to kill you or something," Chris observed with an amused grin when Randy slammed the phone down. Anything else he was gonna say was forgotten as the younger man launched himself at him knocking both of them to the bed.

"I love you so much, Chris. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with you, are you aware of that?"

"It hasn't really sunk in yet. I'm still waiting to wake up," he answered truthfully.

"Neither one of us is dreaming baby. This is a dream come true."

"Yeah it is," Chris said wrapping his arms around Randy's lower back and holding him close. "You feel so right against me."

"I was made to be here," the younger man murmured before joining their lips in a slow sweet kiss that felt like coming home again. All the pieces of their hearts that had been missing for he last three months were now locked back into place. Their souls were intact again. Everything was right.

"What! Randy what's wro-" Hunter trailed off when he saw them.

"Fuck kid you called us here to watch you and Jericho make out," Dave said in pure annoyance.

"I got off the phone for this," Ric said teasingly.

Randy vaulted off of Chris and bounced over to them. "I'm getting married!"

"We're getting married," Chris corrected from the bed slightly more subdued than Randy.

"You're getting married," Dave asked in shock.

"Married," Randy confirmed with a nod.

"Married," Ric said turning the word over in his head. "That's big."

"Of coursed it's big, it's marriage."

"Are you two ready for marriage," Hunter asked. "I mean it's…marriage."

"Marriage," Randy repeated with a sigh. "Isn't it great?"

"If you're happy I'm happy," Ric said to both Chris and Randy.

"I'm happy," Randy informed.

"Very happy," Chris added with a brilliant smile.

"Well congratulation," Dave said hugging Randy and then walking over to hug Chris. "Married?"

"Married," Chris told him again with a laugh. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, fine, its just…wow married."

"I know," Hunter said shaking his head with a laugh. "Who told you you could grow up and get married," he asked hugging Randy hard. "I still remember the wide-eyed twenty-two year old who was star-struck the night he found out he was gonna be in a stable with Triple H, Flair, and Batista. Now you're getting married and shit."

"Married," the brunette echoed happily. "You're going to be in the wedding right? All of you."

"We'll be wherever you want us to be," Ric said with a happy smile.

"It's fine with me," Hunter told him.

"You know I'm there."

"This couldn't get any better," Randy said with a dreamy sigh.

"Oh yes it could and it will," Chris said with a mischievous smile. "Thanks for coming over guys and giving us your blessing but my fiancée and I have to, uhm, finalize our engagement if you know what I mean. We'll see you later."

The three Evolution members all filed out of the room calling out their goodbyes and best wishes over their shoulders as they did so. Randy closed the door behind them and locked all the locks before turning and leaning his back against the door.

"Come'ere Chrissy," he breathed. When Chris came he wrapped his arms around his back and drew him flush against his body. "You've made me the happiest man in the world tonight and I love you so much."

"Ditto."

"Not very talkative anymore are you?"

"Tired of talking," the blonde murmured grabbing Randy's neck and pulling him down for a kiss.

They didn't talk much after that.

End