Fortunate Son (Part 19/?)
Title: Fortunate Son (Part 19/?)
Authors: wrestlemanix and eric_idle_rules
Pairings: Ted DiBiase Jr./Cody Runnels, John Cena/Randy Orton
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Taking place in feudal England, Cody's family comes from a long line of farmers who work the land belonging to the DiBiase family. Despite the enormous class differences, Cody and Ted meet and form an instant connection with one another, both learning things from the other that they otherwise never would have known.
Word Count: 8227
A/N: I admit, I'm no expert on the life and times of feudal England, but I tried. Forgive any errors when it comes to time frames and whatnot...
Disclaimer: Neither of us own the WWE.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18
The days went by, one flowing into the next, and before long, Randy was given the go ahead by the Lord and Lady to begin preparing for the party. It was all a huge undertaking. Their main foyer needed garlands and ribbons and bows strung all across the walls, as did the dining room. The stables had to be arranged on the interior to allow for the number of horses that would be staying there, all separated by which horses belonged to which family. The guest bedrooms all had to be cleaned and the bedding washed.
That was where Cody ran into Layla. The footmen and valets were the ones carrying the bed sheets and pillowcases down from the many rooms to leave them with the maids, who were to wash each set of linen by hand. “Good morning, Cody,” Layla said, attempting to be coy, fluttering her lashes at him.
He gave her a smile and a nod, saying, “And good morning to you, Layla.” It never hurt to appease her. It wasn’t as though he’d ever actually accept her advances. And it didn’t look like she’d ever actually stop with her advances.
With a quick glance at Michelle, who was working right next to her, she stood from her own wash bin and walked over to him as he carried an armful of sheets. “Here, let me take these for you.” She reached out her arms underneath the pile, letting her fingers brush over Cody’s skin as she took them from him. “Thank you,” she said, smiling as she carried the pile back to her bin.
He couldn’t help but notice how her smile changed to something far more wicked as she placed the pile in between herself and Michelle and glanced up at the blonde woman. What on earth could that be about? And, god, he felt as though he needed a bath as her fingers had touched him. Maybe he’d be able to talk Teddy into bathing with him tonight he thought as he turned and headed out the room and back up the stairs to grab yet another load.
As it was though he wasn't the one who had to suggest the bath later on in the day when he finally had enough free time to be tending to Ted for more than a few minutes at sporadic intervals-- Ted came out with the idea first. His lover had been sitting on his bed (a lazy position his father would scold him for regardless of it being in the privacy of his own room) when he had entered, asking almost immediately. Surprised but none-the-less pleased Cody headed into the bathroom to prepare the bath.
Following the other, Ted wrapped his arms around Cody's waist and kissed his neck with a soft sigh before giving a rueful smile, "This is the longest that I've seen you since you came to wake me up this morning." Cody turned his head enough to brush as apologetic kiss over one of Ted's cheeks, "I'm sorry."
Giving a small grin as he pulled back Ted sheepishly admitted, "I know you're busy and there's a lot to do and I understand that, it's just..." he paused, seeming uncertain, but then continued, "I'm just feeling a bit jealous about you having to be elsewhere."
Cody -who had been in the midst of placing bubbles into the hot water- turned and arched a brow. "Jealous?" he repeated in confusion, wondering if he'd misheard. "Yes." Ted said, beginning to unbutton his shirt and remove it. "I've grown so used to having you at my side all of the time that I'm struggling to adjust to your presence being required elsewhere." he gave a slightly embarrassed laugh, "Stupid, I know, but..."
He finished undressing and Cody followed suit before Ted then helped his lover into the bath before following him. He immediately pulled Cody close and Cody curled into him slightly, fingers playing with the bubbles the way that he always did. "I miss you almost as though you aren't even in the castle at all when you're not with me." Cody saw the other blushed, clearly embarrassed with himself, and reached up to cup one smooth cheek, "I've been missing you too." he said softly.
Letting his eyes flutter shut, Ted leaned in for a kiss. But he was met with a handful of bubbles. He blinked his eyes open and found Cody biting his lower lip attempting to hold back his laughter. “You little twit!” Ted teased, though now he was chuckling himself. They’d been having such a nice moment, too.
“Sorry,” Cody said, his eyes opening wide in an attempt to feign innocence. Of course it didn’t work, as he had guilt written all over his face. And that smirk wasn’t helping his cause, either.
God, that boy was precious. He could never stay mad at him for long. Not as though he was actually angry at Cody for this. However, just because Ted loved him dearly with all his heart, it didn’t stop Cody from being a twit. “Oh, you’re not getting away that easily,” Ted told him, suddenly reaching his arms out and ticking Cody’s sides.
Squeals of laughter escaped the younger man as he tried to move away from Ted’s tickling hands. He didn’t even realize that his back had hit the wall until he felt the wet skin of Ted’s chest pressing against his. His laughter faded as his eyes met Ted’s gazing at him with hunger and lust burning at the forefront. “Teddy,” he whispered before a set of lips were crushed against his.
There was always something about seeing the pure, sweet, angelic Cody that just brought out the devil in Ted. These deep, primal urges bubbled up and boiled inside him as he claimed Cody’s lips for his own. Their tongues clashed as the kiss deepened, hands curling into one another’s hair as their hips and cocks rutted together beneath the water.
They continued to kiss, pulling back only briefly to catch a breath before picking up right where they left off. To think, all this was built up simply because they hadn’t seen one another for a matter of hours. What about when Cody left the castle to go back to his home? No, no, he couldn’t think about that. Not now. Not while Cody was right here in his bathtub kissing the life out of him.
The panting breaths fluttering over his lips sent shivers coursing over Cody's bubble-covered form, increasing the pleasure that was currently building within him. The water provided a pleasurable friction for their cocks as they moved together; the sensation causing moans to echo around the bathroom. "Oh, God, Theodore." Ted was the one who shivered this time at the way Cody moaned the given name that he had privately detested until he had first heard it from Cody's lips.
"Cody~" Ted wrapped his arms around Cody's hips underneath the water as they continued to rut together with a greater rhythm, increased urgency as they got closer and closer to their releases. The younger man's arms were around Ted's shoulders, keeping the other as close as physically possible. "Please~~ So close~~" he begged the other softly.
Although neither of them could claim that they'd be able to go for hours on end (in enthusiasm levels surely, but not in actual physical ability) they had built up a longer tolerance for their orgasms than when they had first touched one another. It was both a good thing and bad thing given that the increase in time needed to come was longer because they could enjoy the situation more, but it was also riskier.
The first one of them to cum was Cody; Ted pressing his face into the younger man's neck as he felt Cody convulsing against him underneath the water, the lusty, sated cry that left the breathless teen's plush lips echoing into his ear and sending him head-long into his own climax. Cody sagged against the bathside as Ted collapsed slightly against him in response.
For several moments after the bathroom was silent save for the steadying breaths of the two young men and the slight swishing sound of the water whenever they moved around. Cody's eyes were hooded as they met Ted's own, the pair of them engaging in a slow, lazy kiss. "I love you." Cody whispered softly, fingers caressing Ted's cheek. Ted caught his hand and pressed a kiss to the wrist, "I love you too."
Standing, letting the water cascade off his body, Cody held his hand out to Ted as his spent cock hung right before Ted’s face. Attempting to not stare (and admittedly failing at that), Ted blindly reached up for Cody’s hand and felt himself getting hauled to his feet. “Come on, let’s dry off.”
Stepping out of the tub, still holding onto Cody’s hand, Ted grabbed a towel for himself and one for Cody. He watched as Cody ran the towel over his hair, rubbing vigorously. He couldn’t help but chuckle when Cody began drying off his chest, as his hair was sticking up in every different direction, and then some. Every day, he didn’t think he could ever love Cody more than he already did. And every day he was proven wrong.
“Are you going to dry off, or are you going to stand there dripping wet?” Cody asked, moving the towel up and down his arms.
“Oh, right,” Ted said. He was just caught red handed. Of course, he hadn’t even realized that he wasn’t moving at all as he watched Cody. That boy always managed to make him forget what he was supposed to be doing. He began drying off his chest and abs, though his eyes were still on Cody.
“I know the view is spectacular,” Cody teased, now bending over to get his legs, “but I don’t want you catching a cold. Not just days before your big holiday party.”
“I will not get sick before our big day,” Ted told him, placing a hand on Cody’s bare shoulder. “Nothing is going to get in the way of us. I’ve been wanting this to happen for so long.”
“Now… after we have our first time together, our private, special, meaningful first time, does this mean that we’ll be able to make love in my room finally?”
“Mmm, yes. Or in any other place that we may so choose. Out in the barn, out in the orchard…” Biting his lower lip, blushing furiously, Ted’s voice dropped low as he whispered the next words into Cody’s ear, “Maybe even in the library.”
The gasp that left Cody's lips was much louder than he had intended at the final suggestion because that was just so-- just so unexpected. He wasn't about to lie and say he hadn't considered it (because he knew how much that room meant to Ted) but he didn't think that Ted would take to the idea.
The way his boy's eyes flickered and darkened even at the suggestion alone had Ted's stomach swooping as though he was sliding down the largest hill on the castle grounds on his sled as a child. This was really going to happen for them. Something told Ted that once they had the 'barriers' (for want of a better word) of their first times out of the way then they would be just like John and Randy-- well, slightly less shameless.
Once they had dried and dressed and sorted themselves out so that no one was any wiser about what they had really been up to, Cody then sighed softly and wondered whether he should be heading back soon to see if he was needed. "I--" he started but Ted shook his head with a slight smile, "I need to go and talk to mother about something, so if you have an elsewhere that you need to be don't loiter on my account."
"I should be back before dinner time this evening, or even earlier if they don't need me for anything." Cody said, feeling slightly irresponsible leaving Ted even though the other didn't really need him in any professional sense. However, since Randy was in charge of the staff Cody had to do what he wanted if Ted hadn't anything that he specifically needed Cody for.
A final kiss was exchanged between them and Ted couldn't help lingering back to watch Cody walk away; feeling his heart swell when the other looked back fleetingly more than once. He had a feeling his mother was probably only going to present him new clothes that he could consider for the party (something she always did) but it meant that they had time together and so he didn't mind going through the whole process too much.
He made his way through the halls and up the stairs, meeting his mother in her bedroom. The door was open, and he spotted her holding a dress up to herself, glancing down to try and get a feel for what it would look like. Her personal lady in waiting, Jennifer, was telling her how beautiful she looked, when Ted knocked on the door frame. “Teddy, come in,” Caroline said with a smile.
“Hi, Ma.” He walked in the room, and his mother turned her body towards him, to which he said, “You look stunning in that dress.” He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself when he thought that maybe he needed to retract that statement he made to Cody about Mercury and Cody being the two most beautiful creatures he’d ever laid eyes on, because his mother certainly deserved to be on the list.
“Thank you, you certainly know how to flatter the ladies,” she said, giving him a quick wink. “Jennifer, thank you for your help; I’m going to go with this one for the party. You’re dismissed now. And if you could please shut the door on your way out?”
“Thank you, of course, m’lady,” Jennifer said with a curtsey as she scuttled out of the room.
“I have some new outfits to show you, Teddy. They were tailored just for you, and I think you will look so handsome.” She made her way to the bed, where several outfits were laid out, most likely one or two for each himself, his father and Brett. “This one is my favourite,” she told him, walking over to him and holding it up in front of his chest. “Could you?” Ted held the shirt up to himself as his mother took a step back to admire the way it looked on him. It wasn’t even on yet and she already had a hand covering her mouth from the sight of how handsome her son looked. “Oh, Teddy.”
“I take it that it looks nice, then…”
“Far more than nice. I don’t even need to see the other shirt. Try this one on, please?” she asked.
“Of course.” He quickly removed the shirt he was wearing, exposing his torso to his mother, not even thinking about any possible marks he may have on his skin. As he went to slip his arm into the sleeve, his eyes went wide as he looked down and saw a dark discoloured spot on his chest and on his arm. Blushing, he risked a look up at his mother. Just as he thought, she didn’t miss a thing. “I- I-”
Instead of commenting on it, though, right then anyway, she asked him instead, “Have you gotten anything for Cody for Christmas?”
Immediately guilt flickered in Ted's eyes because although he had been thinking about it long and hard nothing was coming to him. "No." he admitted shame-faced and Caroline fought a small smile at how dejected Ted looked even though he had more than enough time to find something if he really put the effort in. "It's so hard to know what he'd like that I can give him." he tried to explain.
His mother nodded, a contemplative expression coming across her refined features. It was a tricky situation because were Ted to give Cody an expensive gift then anyone who saw it would talk, jealousy would come up amongst the other servants and there was even the possibility that Cody might be accused of stealing the gift from Ted as opposed to being given it-- such things had been heard of before.
"Yes..." she finally conceded aloud as Ted finished placing the shirt on that he had been handed. Momentarily his mother seemed all choked up again as she stood up to inspect him wearing the shirt (walking all around him to make sure she got a good look) before then focusing back on the conversation at hand. "Perfect. So, you are intending to get him something?"
Ted knew she wasn't asking that to be insulting or funny, just making sure that Ted was truly aware of the fact he'd have to watch his steps. "Yes, Ma." They began to give ideas (shirts, a book, writing equipment) but each just didn't strike Ted as what he really wanted to give the other. He spent some more time with Caroline until Brett turned up, their conversation ending.
"Hey Ma!" Brett called, moving to her and kissing her cheek as Ted swiftly finished buttoning up the original shirt he had been wearing and handing back the one he and his mother had chosen on. God forbid Brett see any of the marks on him-- he'd never be able to explain them and he knew Brett would accidentally let slip before their father... and Ted Sr. would not be impressed.
"Well, I shall leave you both to it." Ted kissed his mother's cheek and ruffled Brett's hair as he passed, pausing in the doorway as his mother said, "Think about what we talked about, dear." he nodded and then inclined his head as he slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him. He was glad that there hadn't been lots of clothing to try because he knew his mother would want him to wear as much of it as possible and he'd already promised Cody...
Something told him though that Cody would like that shirt. Ted returned to his bedroom, for lack of anything more to do, and decided that he would read one of his grandfather's stories. Moving to the hollow bench underneath his window he removed the cushion and opened it, remembering Cody's awe at the way the space had been hidden.
Carefully shifting some papers around, Ted picked up one piece that had been bound by his grandfather’s own hand. He smiled, holding it in his hands, about to shut the bench top so he could read. Then a long box caught his eye. It had been underneath some of the parchment papers, and he realized it had been a long time since he’d gone through it. He could hardly remember any of the box’s contents. Standing up, papers in one hand, box in the other, Ted managed to shut the seat and grab the cushion to replace it. Before he sat, he placed the papers down beside him, then opened the box.
The first thing that caught his attention was a quill that fit perfectly inside the box. It was his grandfather’s preferred quill, and it was quite old. Taking care not to damage the beautiful feather, Ted set the quill to the side gently before returning to the contents. He knew that some of his grandfather’s favourite things were in here, things that meant a lot to him during his life.
At every item he pulled out, he tried to recall a story his grandfather told him about it, and most of the time, he was able to remember the story. And at every item he pulled out, the smile on his face grew as all the memoires he shared with that man came back to him full force. Not as though he ever went a day where he didn’t think about him, but as he held his things, it became impossible for every thought to not be about him.
He then looked over into the corner of the box, and he gasped. “Oh my god,” he whispered to himself as he reached inside and pulled out the small object. His grandfather’s gold ring. Every head of the DiBiase family received a ring of their own, stricken out of gold, the family crest on the front, and it was given to them at birth. When Michael left, Ted got his ring, which he wore from time to time during large events. But Ted also received his grandfather’s upon his death.
That was when he knew what he was going to give Cody for Christmas. It was stunningly beautiful, and the detail was remarkable. Plus, the ring was small enough for Cody to have it on his person at all times without anyone noticing. Or even if he kept it in his room in a safe place, no one would ever know that it was in his possession. He couldn’t stop running his fingers over the smooth, cool surface, the metal heating under his touch.
But, he realized, if Cody were to wear it around his neck (since he certainly couldn’t wear it on his finger, and he wouldn’t want him to put such a precious object in his pocket for fear that the stitching might tear), he would need a chain for it. A solid chain that wouldn’t be too heavy, but wouldn’t break as Cody went about his daily tasks here and when he was back on the farm. He couldn’t go into the village; that would be far too suspect, and it was too late to order something from one of his father’s trusted merchants. Maybe John could be of help…
Now, Ted was a cautious person by nature (one couldn't be raised with so many expectations upon them without always considering the consequences of their actions) but as soon as the thoughts of his grandfather's ring came to him -and the consideration that Christmas was not many days away now- he was on his feet and heading from his room. The ring was held tightly in his fist, the other precious items left out on his bed-covers for him to continue perusing when he returned. He could see the servants all over, each of them doing something or other to decorate the castle for the upcoming party.
Catching sight of John heading across the grounds, obviously returning back from somewhere, when he looked out of the window as he proceeded down the last of the grand-staircase, Ted hastened his stride as much as he dared; if he was seen to be in too much of a panic then he would never be able to explain himself adequately, and he didn't need all of that attention upon himself.
Heading outside he shivered slightly at the drop in temperature (if Cody or his mother saw him outside without a proper coat on then they would scold him firmly, he thought with a smile to himself) but continued on resolutely to the stables. By the wall he noted John, Justin and Heath each putting down a sack of animal feed-- oh, today must be the day when they stocked up over winter as a precaution for the weather being too bad to go into the village.
Justin was the first one to notice him and he immediately dropped into a bow. The redheaded Heath frowned at the other in confusion, "Justin, what are you--" before he then took sight of Ted and copied his adopted-brother's actions. "Young Master!" that seemed to draw John's attention and Ted sent John the slightest of sheepish grins when the baby-blue eyed man arched his brows at him in obvious question. "Go on then you two." John dismissed and they hastened off.
"What's going on, Ted?" John asked the son of his master when the other two were out of earshot and they could afford to be less formal with one another. "John, I need help." Ted said, slightly breathless from his rushing and the cold. John looked momentarily concerned and Ted hastily shook his head, "It's nothing serious." he then stopped, "Ok, it is serious, but it's not anything bad." he then took a breath and held his hand out, showing John the ring.
"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" John trilled in a falsetto and momentarily Ted was confused before then laughing as he caught onto John's joke. "It was my grandfather's," he said lowly when he calmed, "I want-- I want to give it to Cody." John's smile turned into an expression of surprise; it might never be acknowledged as a public proposal the way a man could commit to a woman, but it wasn't something that should be taken lightly because that was a serious commitment. "And, since he can't wear it openly I wondered if you could go into town for me and--" he explained what he had in mind for the chain.
“Of course I can help ya!” he said enthusiastically. “My family is close friends with the silver smithin’ family down in the village. Known ‘em for ‘bout my whole life! It’d be my pleasure ta get a chain made just for this here ring. Can I see it again real quick?”
“Sure, just… be careful,” Ted said as he handed the ring over.
“Ain’t gonna steal it now, ain’t gonna drop it, neither. Have a little faith, Teddy.” John examined the ring, holding it close to his face as he took in all the details. “Yeah, he should be able to make somethin’ for it; make it look real nice. You want the chain gold to match the ring, or in silver? ‘N am I tellin’ him that this is for you? I mean, I make a fine salary here, ‘n I’m sure he’d give me a fine deal, but that don’ mean I’d be makin’ a purchase there any time soon.”
Taking the ring back, Ted look at John rather unsurely. Would it be wise to let on that he was getting a chain made? “No, please, leave me out of it. I can’t have people talking… you know how word spreads…”
“Fair enough.”
“And I think a silver chain. I would love if it were gold, I really would, since it would match the ring, but… if Cody were spotted wearing gold…” All the family’s jewelry was made of gold. There was very little silver, so if someone saw the chain around Cody’s neck by chance, it could just as easily be some other, cheaper metal. But gold was unmistakable, and if someone saw a gold chain, then there would certainly be rumours flying around about Cody being a thief.
“I understand. Want me to head back out now?” John offered.
“Could you? I wish I had more time, but Christmas is coming up so fast, and I just discovered this ring today, and-”
“Calm down, Teddy,” John interrupted chuckling at how worked up Ted was getting. “It’s fine. I’ll head down there now, tell him what I need made, come back to you ‘n let you know how long it’ll take.”
“Thank you! I’ll give you the money for the chain when it’s finished, then? And you’ll be able to pick it up for me, right? Could you maybe tell him that… that it’s quite important that it be done as soon as possible? I can pay extra to have it finished sooner,” he offered, needing to have his whole gift ready for Cody.
"Teddy, do us a favour and breath, will ya?" John mused, sensing the other man looked close to hyperventilating with his panic over the gift he wanted to acquire for his lover. John could already bet that Cody was going to just about pop a vein in shock at the very meaningful ring that he was going to be offered on Christmas.
"Sorry," Ted looked apologetic before saying, "I mean it though John: if they want a little extra to get it done faster just have them write it down and bring the slip back-- I'll give you the money for it then." John nodded his head, looking to make sure that Justin and Heath were still continuing their work on the other end of the stable.
"I shall head out there directly to get the order placed down for you." John said, calling across to Justin and Heath, "I gotta run out a bit you two-- y'keep on working, understand?" Heath rolled his eyes when he thought John wasn't looking, seeming to forget Ted was there and could see, whereas Justin silently nodded and returned to whatever he was doing with the barest pause. Ted walked out with John, "Thanks John," he murmured, "I owe you."
John chuckled, "I'll collect sometime." he winked and then headed back towards the village as Ted made his way indoors. It wasn't until he had gotten inside that he realised how nippy it had been outside; a hard sneeze making his head spin momentarily and he prayed that he wasn't about to be struck down with a cold, for that was the last thing he wanted at such a crucial time. John seemed supportive of his gift idea and so he supposed that that was some assurance that Cody would like it too, right?
As he was heading back to his room Ted momentarily wondered whether he should tell his mother that he was going to give Cody the ring-- if something happened by chance then she would be able to help cover for the pair of them if she was aware of the situation. And also, well, he supposed in some way he wanted her blessing to give the ring to Cody. It was no frivolous gesture.
He decided to do it later because he realised that dinner would be served soon and he needn't draw attention to himself and his mother by making them late-- he had no doubt she would probably want to discuss his decision with him; he didn't get his curiosity from his father, and so he'd expect no less from his beloved Ma.
Quickly, Ted gathered up the loose objects and parchment papers and put them back into their proper places. Perhaps later that night he’d actually be able to read one of those stories has he’d intended to do much earlier that day. He then made his way downstairs to the study, where he saw more people setting up for the party, including Randy.
Well, Randy wasn’t actually doing any of the physical setting up, but he was standing around, keeping a close eye on everyone, making sure to give people a stern talking to whenever he felt they needed it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone enter the room, and he gave a small smile and bow, saying, “Young Master,” as he did so.
“Randy,” he returned. He walked over to the older man, raising his brow at anyone who stopped their work to turn and look at him. “How are things going in here?”
“Fairly well. I’ve been going between many rooms today; it’s been rather hectic. No! Not there, you idiot! That needs to be level with everything else!” Randy shouted as he watched one of the servants attempting to hang a garland in a very poor fashion. “As I was saying, I have had to deal with this sort of thing all day. There is still a massive pile of bedding that needs to be washed and dried. I believe all the rooms have been cleared out, though they’ll still need to be cleaned.”
“Sounds as though you’ve been quite busy. I never really thought about how much work you all put into decorating and preparing for this party that you won’t even be attending,” he said softly so that only Randy would be able to hear him.
“We do have our own party, which is more than many others get.”
“Yes, that’s true. But-”
“Ted, there’s no need to fret over it. We know our place around here. And we also know that if your family hadn’t taken us in, we would all be struggling out in the fields, or dying in the streets. Excuse me for a moment…” Randy trailed off as he practically marched over to the same kid he’d yelled at just minutes before, shouting at him to get things right, for God’s sake!
“I imagine dinner’s almost ready, so I’ll just let you get back to work then,” Ted told him, loud enough so everyone would know that he was leaving and they wouldn’t have two authority figures hanging over their heads.
“Enjoy your dinner, Young Master,” Randy said calmly. And then he was once more all over the young man that just couldn’t seem to grasp the whole decorating concept.
Still feeling slightly put-out about the whole procession of the party despite Randy's reassurances, Ted decided to just head on down to the study as he had originally intended. There were so many studies in the castle that everyone in the family had one, even his mother, where Ted knew she was often reading or answering correspondence.
When he knocked on the door and entered he saw that his mother appeared to be embroidering something. She smiled warmly at the sight of him, patting the space on the sofa next to her with a delicate hand. "Hello Teddy, to what do I owe this little visit?" Usually neither Ted nor Brett disturbed her in the study unless it was a matter of some urgency-- which this was, to him at least. "I think-" he looked to the door momentarily, as though scared someone would be there listening to them both. Composing himself he finished, "I think I know what to give Cody for Christmas."
Lady DiBiase immediately set her embroidery aside and turned her attention upon her middle son. "What did you decide upon, dear?" she asked. Ted took a breath and held out his grandfather's ring, depositing it gently into his mother's gloved hand when she indicated. A slight furrow touched his mother's brow as she took in the design, "This isn't your one--" Ted wouldn't risk such a thing as he needed it for special occasions. Then, her eyes widened slightly with obvious recognition.
Biting his lip slightly Ted nervously asked, "Do you object to me giving him grandfather's ring, mother?" Caroline shook herself a little, "No, not at all Teddy, I think it's such a marvellous idea," she soothed, "-but how are you going to give it to him?" his mother was obviously having the same concerns as he had.
"I'm going to give him it with a necklace." Ted said, "The necklace will be silver, which he can pass off as being less if anyone sees it. I wanted to tell you about the ring in case..." he trailed off but knew his mother understood; in case someone found it and got completely the wrong end of the stick. Leaning, Lady DiBiase kissed her son's cheek, making him pinken with a shy blush. "Ma--"
"He'll love it," Caroline said confidently as she handed the ring back and Ted slipped it onto his own finger for a while as he didn't trust that it wouldn't fall out of his pocket. "I do hope so." he said softly. Before anything more could be said Ted heard his mother's attendant's voice sounding through the door quietly that dinner was ready. Ted went into the dining-room with his mother arm-in-arm, Brett and his father already there.
“Good evening, you two,” Ted Sr. greeted them as they walked in.
“Good evening, dear,” Caroline said as she took her seat at the table next to him, on his right as he sat at the head of the table.
“Father,” Ted said in a short greeting, nodding his head as he sat to his father’s left, Brett next to him.
The table fell silent as one of their kitchen staff members brought out their drinks for their dinner, usually a light wine or beer of some sort. Moments later, another servant brought out their soup course, a loaf of piping hot bread accompanying it.
“What were you two so happy about when you walked in here?” Ted Sr. asked when the servants had left to go grab the next course.
“Hmm?” Caroline looked up from her bowl of soup, dipping her spoon under the surface repeatedly. “Oh, I just told Ted how I couldn’t get the image of how handsome he looked in the new shirt I got for him,” she told her husband to save Ted for stumbling over some other answer. It wasn’t a complete lie; she really did think he looked quite handsome in the new outfit. “Just wait until you see him, dear.” She smiled at Ted from across the table, then up at her husband.
“Are you wearing this shirt to the Christmas party?” his father asked directly to him.
“I am,” Ted answered. Now he had to make sure that Cody picked out this shirt. Maybe he could just tell the other that his mother had this shirt made for him, and it would mean a lot to her if he wear it. And that was the truth. When he told Cody how his mother had choked up upon seeing him in it, there was no way that Cody would want him to be in anything else. Not when he knew how close to his mother he was.
“Good, good.”
Soon, another couple staff members came into the room. One clearing up the soup bowls and spoons, two more delivering the main course out to them. Their chatter continued, Ted hoping that the conversation didn’t turn back to him. Thankfully for him, it didn’t. But Brett wasn’t so lucky. Ever since his engagement, almost daily the topic of the wedding came up.
The meal was over soon enough, Ted managing to slip out of the room as his father all but held Brett hostage as they discussed the wedding. He saw that Cody was out in the hall waiting for him, his eyes lighting up when he saw him. “Hello, Cody.”
"Good evening, young master." Cody responded, mindful of his duty with the chance of others happening across them. When they were out of earshot though he turned to look to the other a little, "You look happy," he then paused and seemed to reconsider his words, "I mean-- you look very happy. Did something happen?"
Oh, how Ted wished he could tell him the truth. However that would completely ruin his surprise and so he settled for a mysterious smile and nodded with the ambiguous answer of, "Yes, something did." Reaching the top of the stairs Ted then indicated that they go towards the library. He had some more time before he was expected to turn in and he fancied a change of location.
Obediently Cody followed the other man into the library, the curious expression not dying from his face. Despite himself he was momentarily concerned by the fact that Ted wouldn't tell him exactly what was going on; paranoia was not something he had frequent experiences with and he didn't enjoy the small flashes he sometimes got with concerns to himself and Ted. "Are you alright, Cody?" Ted asked, seeing a strange expression crossing his lover's face as they entered the library. "No-- I mean yes, yeah I'm fine." he said, shaking himself slightly and smiling.
Momentarily Ted looked uncertain but then nodded and moved aside to the shelves of books, picking the one that caught his fancy. Sitting in his grandfather's chair he motioned Cody to sit on his lap. The dark haired teen blushed, looking at the door, "What if someone comes in?" he asked, but Ted merely shook his head at the other. "No one will come in." Hesitating for a few more moments Cody then allowed himself to perch atop Ted's lap.
"Oh," Ted said after a few moments of flicking through the book to get to the first page of the story, "I needed to ask you a favour." Curiously, a little uncertainly, Cody nodded his head, "What is it?" Ted then explained about the shirt that his mother had bought him. "I know I said you could pick out my clothes and I still stand by that, but the shirt... it'd mean a lot to her if I wear it, and--"
Cutting Ted off by placing a gentle finger on his lips as he chuckled softly. "I can still choose the rest of your outfit, right?" Ted nodded mutely. "And I can undress you after, right?" Again, Ted nodded. Cody smiled brightly, displaying the adorable gap between his front teeth, "So don't worry about wearing the shirt."
“I knew you’d understand,” Ted said once Cody dropped his finger away as he was leaning in for a kiss. As they kissed, Ted’s hand dropped subtly to his pocket, feeling the small ring in there. During dinner, while they were waiting for their dessert to be served, Ted managed to slip the ring off his finger and into his pocket, since Cody could not see his gift yet.
They pulled apart, Cody still smiling his adorable smile, and then they both turned their attention down to the book. “Did you want me to try and read this?” Cody asked, uncertain. The things he’d read so far, they’d been written for young readers. This looked far more advanced. And while he thought that he’d be able to read it to some extent, he knew it would take him a long time to get through all the words.
“Actually, I’d like to read to you,” Ted responded softly. He loved listening to Cody read, but there were times he wished it could be the other way around, with him reading as Cody listened on intently.
“Really?”
“If that’s ok with you.”
“I’d love if you read to me,” Cody told him. He always loved listening to Ted’s voice, no matter what the context. It’d been a while since he’d been able to listen to Ted read him a story, though, so he was more than welcome to the idea.
“You’re going to follow along, though, right? And watch the words as I read them, won’t you?” Ted asked. Even though he wanted to do the reading, he still wanted it to be a bit of a learning experience.
“I will,” Cody confirmed.
“Good. Let’s get started, then.” Ted began reading, the words flowing smoothly, rolling off his tongue as he went on, page after page. He had no idea how long they were in there, but they managed to get quite a far ways into the book. Once they reached the end of a chapter, Ted placed a ribbon in there to mark his place and shut the cover. “What do you say we go get ready for bed?”
Unable to help yawning beneath his hand, Cody then nodded his head. "Sounds good." Ted's voice was equal parts mesmerising and soothing and had he not been having to follow along with Ted's reading he probably would have been lulled to sleep by the smooth melody of the rich accent. He stood, allowing Ted to stand up and replace the book back on the shelf.
Brushing a kiss on Ted's cheek as the other passed Cody murmured softly, "I could listen to you reading to me all day long and not get bored." Ted pinkened at the compliment, sending the other a shy smile before then opening the library door and stepping out into the hallway and heading towards his room.
Upon entering he moved and sat down on the bed as per their usual routine and Cody closed the door behind him before kneeling down before where his lover sat. Removing Ted's boots and socks Cody dropped a kiss to the arched instep of both of Ted's feet in turn, resulting in one of those adorable little giggles Ted gave whenever Cody tickled him even slightly.
The process continued with Cody dropping kisses upon each body-part that he uncovered of Ted's as he folded the other's clothing up. "Cody..." the delicate kisses and gentle hands that tended to him so ardently tested Ted's control on numerous occasions and this was one of those times. Cody merely sent him one of those little smiles that denoted he was attempting to be innocent but couldn't resist teasing his lover a little. Soon, he had Ted completely naked. Godly.
Reaching for Ted's fresh nightshirt he then slipped it on over the other teen's head. Reluctantly he hid Ted's magnificent body from view with the shirt and then dropped a kiss to the other's lips. "There you go." Skin tingling, feeling almost aflame from those continuous light touches, Ted cupped Cody's cheek and pulled the other into his arms, "You little minx." he then released the other and watched Cody going to put his clothing in the laundry hamper. Suddenly, remembering the ring he yelped and dove forward, catching the shirt, "Wait!"
Looking at Ted, confused, Cody arched a brow. “Does this not go in the hamper?” he asked. Ted’s shirts always went into the hamper at the end of the day, so why Ted was diving after a dirty shirt, Cody had no idea.
“Oh, um… it does… I just…” he stuttered as he fumbled around in an attempt to get the ring out of the pocket without Cody noticing. “I just thought I may have… forgotten… something…”
“Ok? Are you… all set, then?”
“Yes, sorry… I just remembered that I picked up a coin earlier in the day downstairs, but I guess I already put it away. Um… here you go,” Ted said, handing the shirt back over while he gripped the ring tight in his other hand.
Cody tossed the shirt into the hamper, then walked back to Ted, wrapping his arms around his lover. Placing a quick kiss on his lips, Cody muttered against them, “I should be getting downstairs now. I’ll see you later tonight, won’t I?”
Hugging Cody around his waist, clasping his hand around the wrist of the hand in which he held the ring, Ted nodded. “I will do everything in my power to get down there tonight.”
After one final long, lazy kiss, Cody headed out of the room, shutting the door behind him. On his walk downstairs, he couldn’t help but think of Ted’s strange behaviour all throughout the day. What on earth could he be up to? Maybe it was just his nerves, since the party was just days away now… Or maybe he was starting to have second thoughts about what they were intending to do after the party. No, Cody told himself, Ted couldn’t be having those thoughts. They loved each other, and on many occasions Ted told him that he was ready to give himself over to him completely. He may be nervous, but there was no way he was having second thoughts.
Right?
Ok, now he was beginning to worry himself over nothing. Firmly, Cody forced the little voice of uncertainty in the back of his mind to shut up as he continued down the main stairs to the foyer, and across that to head down to the kitchens.
Wade was in there, no doubt preparing some things for tomorrow's meals; he had been very flustered recently concerning ingredients and such, but given that they had the big party coming up that was understandable. Had it not been for the fact that he had seen Wade snapping at Heath the other day when the redhead had offered to help him Cody might have offered to help. However, as it was he merely greeted the man, keeping out of his way.
Wade didn't seem to mind this at all and Cody exhaled a breath that he hadn't even realised that he had been holding when he entered the hallway that his room resided upon. Entering the bedroom he closed the door behind him and proceeded to strip out of his own clothing. Shirt, trousers, socks, shoes... he neatly set the shoes aside and then painstakingly folded the uniform up and set it on the dresser, the clothing clean enough to wear again.
As he was tugging his own sleep-shirt on he heard the sound of low voices next door... it seemed that John and Randy had returned. Cody prayed that the pair of them kept their hands off of one another that night also, or at least toned it down. Considering that they had been working so hard lately he knew the other couple hadn't had as much time together recently, he doubted this would happen.
And, sure enough, a few minutes later he heard the sound of a deep moan that he had come to recognise as Randy's. Not that he would ever admit to anyone that he had heard John and Randy having sex so much that he could identify which of them made certain noises. Noises that prompted him to wonder what noises Ted would make when they finally got to make love.
Authors: wrestlemanix and eric_idle_rules
Pairings: Ted DiBiase Jr./Cody Runnels, John Cena/Randy Orton
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Taking place in feudal England, Cody's family comes from a long line of farmers who work the land belonging to the DiBiase family. Despite the enormous class differences, Cody and Ted meet and form an instant connection with one another, both learning things from the other that they otherwise never would have known.
Word Count: 8227
A/N: I admit, I'm no expert on the life and times of feudal England, but I tried. Forgive any errors when it comes to time frames and whatnot...
Disclaimer: Neither of us own the WWE.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18
The days went by, one flowing into the next, and before long, Randy was given the go ahead by the Lord and Lady to begin preparing for the party. It was all a huge undertaking. Their main foyer needed garlands and ribbons and bows strung all across the walls, as did the dining room. The stables had to be arranged on the interior to allow for the number of horses that would be staying there, all separated by which horses belonged to which family. The guest bedrooms all had to be cleaned and the bedding washed.
That was where Cody ran into Layla. The footmen and valets were the ones carrying the bed sheets and pillowcases down from the many rooms to leave them with the maids, who were to wash each set of linen by hand. “Good morning, Cody,” Layla said, attempting to be coy, fluttering her lashes at him.
He gave her a smile and a nod, saying, “And good morning to you, Layla.” It never hurt to appease her. It wasn’t as though he’d ever actually accept her advances. And it didn’t look like she’d ever actually stop with her advances.
With a quick glance at Michelle, who was working right next to her, she stood from her own wash bin and walked over to him as he carried an armful of sheets. “Here, let me take these for you.” She reached out her arms underneath the pile, letting her fingers brush over Cody’s skin as she took them from him. “Thank you,” she said, smiling as she carried the pile back to her bin.
He couldn’t help but notice how her smile changed to something far more wicked as she placed the pile in between herself and Michelle and glanced up at the blonde woman. What on earth could that be about? And, god, he felt as though he needed a bath as her fingers had touched him. Maybe he’d be able to talk Teddy into bathing with him tonight he thought as he turned and headed out the room and back up the stairs to grab yet another load.
As it was though he wasn't the one who had to suggest the bath later on in the day when he finally had enough free time to be tending to Ted for more than a few minutes at sporadic intervals-- Ted came out with the idea first. His lover had been sitting on his bed (a lazy position his father would scold him for regardless of it being in the privacy of his own room) when he had entered, asking almost immediately. Surprised but none-the-less pleased Cody headed into the bathroom to prepare the bath.
Following the other, Ted wrapped his arms around Cody's waist and kissed his neck with a soft sigh before giving a rueful smile, "This is the longest that I've seen you since you came to wake me up this morning." Cody turned his head enough to brush as apologetic kiss over one of Ted's cheeks, "I'm sorry."
Giving a small grin as he pulled back Ted sheepishly admitted, "I know you're busy and there's a lot to do and I understand that, it's just..." he paused, seeming uncertain, but then continued, "I'm just feeling a bit jealous about you having to be elsewhere."
Cody -who had been in the midst of placing bubbles into the hot water- turned and arched a brow. "Jealous?" he repeated in confusion, wondering if he'd misheard. "Yes." Ted said, beginning to unbutton his shirt and remove it. "I've grown so used to having you at my side all of the time that I'm struggling to adjust to your presence being required elsewhere." he gave a slightly embarrassed laugh, "Stupid, I know, but..."
He finished undressing and Cody followed suit before Ted then helped his lover into the bath before following him. He immediately pulled Cody close and Cody curled into him slightly, fingers playing with the bubbles the way that he always did. "I miss you almost as though you aren't even in the castle at all when you're not with me." Cody saw the other blushed, clearly embarrassed with himself, and reached up to cup one smooth cheek, "I've been missing you too." he said softly.
Letting his eyes flutter shut, Ted leaned in for a kiss. But he was met with a handful of bubbles. He blinked his eyes open and found Cody biting his lower lip attempting to hold back his laughter. “You little twit!” Ted teased, though now he was chuckling himself. They’d been having such a nice moment, too.
“Sorry,” Cody said, his eyes opening wide in an attempt to feign innocence. Of course it didn’t work, as he had guilt written all over his face. And that smirk wasn’t helping his cause, either.
God, that boy was precious. He could never stay mad at him for long. Not as though he was actually angry at Cody for this. However, just because Ted loved him dearly with all his heart, it didn’t stop Cody from being a twit. “Oh, you’re not getting away that easily,” Ted told him, suddenly reaching his arms out and ticking Cody’s sides.
Squeals of laughter escaped the younger man as he tried to move away from Ted’s tickling hands. He didn’t even realize that his back had hit the wall until he felt the wet skin of Ted’s chest pressing against his. His laughter faded as his eyes met Ted’s gazing at him with hunger and lust burning at the forefront. “Teddy,” he whispered before a set of lips were crushed against his.
There was always something about seeing the pure, sweet, angelic Cody that just brought out the devil in Ted. These deep, primal urges bubbled up and boiled inside him as he claimed Cody’s lips for his own. Their tongues clashed as the kiss deepened, hands curling into one another’s hair as their hips and cocks rutted together beneath the water.
They continued to kiss, pulling back only briefly to catch a breath before picking up right where they left off. To think, all this was built up simply because they hadn’t seen one another for a matter of hours. What about when Cody left the castle to go back to his home? No, no, he couldn’t think about that. Not now. Not while Cody was right here in his bathtub kissing the life out of him.
The panting breaths fluttering over his lips sent shivers coursing over Cody's bubble-covered form, increasing the pleasure that was currently building within him. The water provided a pleasurable friction for their cocks as they moved together; the sensation causing moans to echo around the bathroom. "Oh, God, Theodore." Ted was the one who shivered this time at the way Cody moaned the given name that he had privately detested until he had first heard it from Cody's lips.
"Cody~" Ted wrapped his arms around Cody's hips underneath the water as they continued to rut together with a greater rhythm, increased urgency as they got closer and closer to their releases. The younger man's arms were around Ted's shoulders, keeping the other as close as physically possible. "Please~~ So close~~" he begged the other softly.
Although neither of them could claim that they'd be able to go for hours on end (in enthusiasm levels surely, but not in actual physical ability) they had built up a longer tolerance for their orgasms than when they had first touched one another. It was both a good thing and bad thing given that the increase in time needed to come was longer because they could enjoy the situation more, but it was also riskier.
The first one of them to cum was Cody; Ted pressing his face into the younger man's neck as he felt Cody convulsing against him underneath the water, the lusty, sated cry that left the breathless teen's plush lips echoing into his ear and sending him head-long into his own climax. Cody sagged against the bathside as Ted collapsed slightly against him in response.
For several moments after the bathroom was silent save for the steadying breaths of the two young men and the slight swishing sound of the water whenever they moved around. Cody's eyes were hooded as they met Ted's own, the pair of them engaging in a slow, lazy kiss. "I love you." Cody whispered softly, fingers caressing Ted's cheek. Ted caught his hand and pressed a kiss to the wrist, "I love you too."
Standing, letting the water cascade off his body, Cody held his hand out to Ted as his spent cock hung right before Ted’s face. Attempting to not stare (and admittedly failing at that), Ted blindly reached up for Cody’s hand and felt himself getting hauled to his feet. “Come on, let’s dry off.”
Stepping out of the tub, still holding onto Cody’s hand, Ted grabbed a towel for himself and one for Cody. He watched as Cody ran the towel over his hair, rubbing vigorously. He couldn’t help but chuckle when Cody began drying off his chest, as his hair was sticking up in every different direction, and then some. Every day, he didn’t think he could ever love Cody more than he already did. And every day he was proven wrong.
“Are you going to dry off, or are you going to stand there dripping wet?” Cody asked, moving the towel up and down his arms.
“Oh, right,” Ted said. He was just caught red handed. Of course, he hadn’t even realized that he wasn’t moving at all as he watched Cody. That boy always managed to make him forget what he was supposed to be doing. He began drying off his chest and abs, though his eyes were still on Cody.
“I know the view is spectacular,” Cody teased, now bending over to get his legs, “but I don’t want you catching a cold. Not just days before your big holiday party.”
“I will not get sick before our big day,” Ted told him, placing a hand on Cody’s bare shoulder. “Nothing is going to get in the way of us. I’ve been wanting this to happen for so long.”
“Now… after we have our first time together, our private, special, meaningful first time, does this mean that we’ll be able to make love in my room finally?”
“Mmm, yes. Or in any other place that we may so choose. Out in the barn, out in the orchard…” Biting his lower lip, blushing furiously, Ted’s voice dropped low as he whispered the next words into Cody’s ear, “Maybe even in the library.”
The gasp that left Cody's lips was much louder than he had intended at the final suggestion because that was just so-- just so unexpected. He wasn't about to lie and say he hadn't considered it (because he knew how much that room meant to Ted) but he didn't think that Ted would take to the idea.
The way his boy's eyes flickered and darkened even at the suggestion alone had Ted's stomach swooping as though he was sliding down the largest hill on the castle grounds on his sled as a child. This was really going to happen for them. Something told Ted that once they had the 'barriers' (for want of a better word) of their first times out of the way then they would be just like John and Randy-- well, slightly less shameless.
Once they had dried and dressed and sorted themselves out so that no one was any wiser about what they had really been up to, Cody then sighed softly and wondered whether he should be heading back soon to see if he was needed. "I--" he started but Ted shook his head with a slight smile, "I need to go and talk to mother about something, so if you have an elsewhere that you need to be don't loiter on my account."
"I should be back before dinner time this evening, or even earlier if they don't need me for anything." Cody said, feeling slightly irresponsible leaving Ted even though the other didn't really need him in any professional sense. However, since Randy was in charge of the staff Cody had to do what he wanted if Ted hadn't anything that he specifically needed Cody for.
A final kiss was exchanged between them and Ted couldn't help lingering back to watch Cody walk away; feeling his heart swell when the other looked back fleetingly more than once. He had a feeling his mother was probably only going to present him new clothes that he could consider for the party (something she always did) but it meant that they had time together and so he didn't mind going through the whole process too much.
He made his way through the halls and up the stairs, meeting his mother in her bedroom. The door was open, and he spotted her holding a dress up to herself, glancing down to try and get a feel for what it would look like. Her personal lady in waiting, Jennifer, was telling her how beautiful she looked, when Ted knocked on the door frame. “Teddy, come in,” Caroline said with a smile.
“Hi, Ma.” He walked in the room, and his mother turned her body towards him, to which he said, “You look stunning in that dress.” He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself when he thought that maybe he needed to retract that statement he made to Cody about Mercury and Cody being the two most beautiful creatures he’d ever laid eyes on, because his mother certainly deserved to be on the list.
“Thank you, you certainly know how to flatter the ladies,” she said, giving him a quick wink. “Jennifer, thank you for your help; I’m going to go with this one for the party. You’re dismissed now. And if you could please shut the door on your way out?”
“Thank you, of course, m’lady,” Jennifer said with a curtsey as she scuttled out of the room.
“I have some new outfits to show you, Teddy. They were tailored just for you, and I think you will look so handsome.” She made her way to the bed, where several outfits were laid out, most likely one or two for each himself, his father and Brett. “This one is my favourite,” she told him, walking over to him and holding it up in front of his chest. “Could you?” Ted held the shirt up to himself as his mother took a step back to admire the way it looked on him. It wasn’t even on yet and she already had a hand covering her mouth from the sight of how handsome her son looked. “Oh, Teddy.”
“I take it that it looks nice, then…”
“Far more than nice. I don’t even need to see the other shirt. Try this one on, please?” she asked.
“Of course.” He quickly removed the shirt he was wearing, exposing his torso to his mother, not even thinking about any possible marks he may have on his skin. As he went to slip his arm into the sleeve, his eyes went wide as he looked down and saw a dark discoloured spot on his chest and on his arm. Blushing, he risked a look up at his mother. Just as he thought, she didn’t miss a thing. “I- I-”
Instead of commenting on it, though, right then anyway, she asked him instead, “Have you gotten anything for Cody for Christmas?”
Immediately guilt flickered in Ted's eyes because although he had been thinking about it long and hard nothing was coming to him. "No." he admitted shame-faced and Caroline fought a small smile at how dejected Ted looked even though he had more than enough time to find something if he really put the effort in. "It's so hard to know what he'd like that I can give him." he tried to explain.
His mother nodded, a contemplative expression coming across her refined features. It was a tricky situation because were Ted to give Cody an expensive gift then anyone who saw it would talk, jealousy would come up amongst the other servants and there was even the possibility that Cody might be accused of stealing the gift from Ted as opposed to being given it-- such things had been heard of before.
"Yes..." she finally conceded aloud as Ted finished placing the shirt on that he had been handed. Momentarily his mother seemed all choked up again as she stood up to inspect him wearing the shirt (walking all around him to make sure she got a good look) before then focusing back on the conversation at hand. "Perfect. So, you are intending to get him something?"
Ted knew she wasn't asking that to be insulting or funny, just making sure that Ted was truly aware of the fact he'd have to watch his steps. "Yes, Ma." They began to give ideas (shirts, a book, writing equipment) but each just didn't strike Ted as what he really wanted to give the other. He spent some more time with Caroline until Brett turned up, their conversation ending.
"Hey Ma!" Brett called, moving to her and kissing her cheek as Ted swiftly finished buttoning up the original shirt he had been wearing and handing back the one he and his mother had chosen on. God forbid Brett see any of the marks on him-- he'd never be able to explain them and he knew Brett would accidentally let slip before their father... and Ted Sr. would not be impressed.
"Well, I shall leave you both to it." Ted kissed his mother's cheek and ruffled Brett's hair as he passed, pausing in the doorway as his mother said, "Think about what we talked about, dear." he nodded and then inclined his head as he slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him. He was glad that there hadn't been lots of clothing to try because he knew his mother would want him to wear as much of it as possible and he'd already promised Cody...
Something told him though that Cody would like that shirt. Ted returned to his bedroom, for lack of anything more to do, and decided that he would read one of his grandfather's stories. Moving to the hollow bench underneath his window he removed the cushion and opened it, remembering Cody's awe at the way the space had been hidden.
Carefully shifting some papers around, Ted picked up one piece that had been bound by his grandfather’s own hand. He smiled, holding it in his hands, about to shut the bench top so he could read. Then a long box caught his eye. It had been underneath some of the parchment papers, and he realized it had been a long time since he’d gone through it. He could hardly remember any of the box’s contents. Standing up, papers in one hand, box in the other, Ted managed to shut the seat and grab the cushion to replace it. Before he sat, he placed the papers down beside him, then opened the box.
The first thing that caught his attention was a quill that fit perfectly inside the box. It was his grandfather’s preferred quill, and it was quite old. Taking care not to damage the beautiful feather, Ted set the quill to the side gently before returning to the contents. He knew that some of his grandfather’s favourite things were in here, things that meant a lot to him during his life.
At every item he pulled out, he tried to recall a story his grandfather told him about it, and most of the time, he was able to remember the story. And at every item he pulled out, the smile on his face grew as all the memoires he shared with that man came back to him full force. Not as though he ever went a day where he didn’t think about him, but as he held his things, it became impossible for every thought to not be about him.
He then looked over into the corner of the box, and he gasped. “Oh my god,” he whispered to himself as he reached inside and pulled out the small object. His grandfather’s gold ring. Every head of the DiBiase family received a ring of their own, stricken out of gold, the family crest on the front, and it was given to them at birth. When Michael left, Ted got his ring, which he wore from time to time during large events. But Ted also received his grandfather’s upon his death.
That was when he knew what he was going to give Cody for Christmas. It was stunningly beautiful, and the detail was remarkable. Plus, the ring was small enough for Cody to have it on his person at all times without anyone noticing. Or even if he kept it in his room in a safe place, no one would ever know that it was in his possession. He couldn’t stop running his fingers over the smooth, cool surface, the metal heating under his touch.
But, he realized, if Cody were to wear it around his neck (since he certainly couldn’t wear it on his finger, and he wouldn’t want him to put such a precious object in his pocket for fear that the stitching might tear), he would need a chain for it. A solid chain that wouldn’t be too heavy, but wouldn’t break as Cody went about his daily tasks here and when he was back on the farm. He couldn’t go into the village; that would be far too suspect, and it was too late to order something from one of his father’s trusted merchants. Maybe John could be of help…
Now, Ted was a cautious person by nature (one couldn't be raised with so many expectations upon them without always considering the consequences of their actions) but as soon as the thoughts of his grandfather's ring came to him -and the consideration that Christmas was not many days away now- he was on his feet and heading from his room. The ring was held tightly in his fist, the other precious items left out on his bed-covers for him to continue perusing when he returned. He could see the servants all over, each of them doing something or other to decorate the castle for the upcoming party.
Catching sight of John heading across the grounds, obviously returning back from somewhere, when he looked out of the window as he proceeded down the last of the grand-staircase, Ted hastened his stride as much as he dared; if he was seen to be in too much of a panic then he would never be able to explain himself adequately, and he didn't need all of that attention upon himself.
Heading outside he shivered slightly at the drop in temperature (if Cody or his mother saw him outside without a proper coat on then they would scold him firmly, he thought with a smile to himself) but continued on resolutely to the stables. By the wall he noted John, Justin and Heath each putting down a sack of animal feed-- oh, today must be the day when they stocked up over winter as a precaution for the weather being too bad to go into the village.
Justin was the first one to notice him and he immediately dropped into a bow. The redheaded Heath frowned at the other in confusion, "Justin, what are you--" before he then took sight of Ted and copied his adopted-brother's actions. "Young Master!" that seemed to draw John's attention and Ted sent John the slightest of sheepish grins when the baby-blue eyed man arched his brows at him in obvious question. "Go on then you two." John dismissed and they hastened off.
"What's going on, Ted?" John asked the son of his master when the other two were out of earshot and they could afford to be less formal with one another. "John, I need help." Ted said, slightly breathless from his rushing and the cold. John looked momentarily concerned and Ted hastily shook his head, "It's nothing serious." he then stopped, "Ok, it is serious, but it's not anything bad." he then took a breath and held his hand out, showing John the ring.
"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!" John trilled in a falsetto and momentarily Ted was confused before then laughing as he caught onto John's joke. "It was my grandfather's," he said lowly when he calmed, "I want-- I want to give it to Cody." John's smile turned into an expression of surprise; it might never be acknowledged as a public proposal the way a man could commit to a woman, but it wasn't something that should be taken lightly because that was a serious commitment. "And, since he can't wear it openly I wondered if you could go into town for me and--" he explained what he had in mind for the chain.
“Of course I can help ya!” he said enthusiastically. “My family is close friends with the silver smithin’ family down in the village. Known ‘em for ‘bout my whole life! It’d be my pleasure ta get a chain made just for this here ring. Can I see it again real quick?”
“Sure, just… be careful,” Ted said as he handed the ring over.
“Ain’t gonna steal it now, ain’t gonna drop it, neither. Have a little faith, Teddy.” John examined the ring, holding it close to his face as he took in all the details. “Yeah, he should be able to make somethin’ for it; make it look real nice. You want the chain gold to match the ring, or in silver? ‘N am I tellin’ him that this is for you? I mean, I make a fine salary here, ‘n I’m sure he’d give me a fine deal, but that don’ mean I’d be makin’ a purchase there any time soon.”
Taking the ring back, Ted look at John rather unsurely. Would it be wise to let on that he was getting a chain made? “No, please, leave me out of it. I can’t have people talking… you know how word spreads…”
“Fair enough.”
“And I think a silver chain. I would love if it were gold, I really would, since it would match the ring, but… if Cody were spotted wearing gold…” All the family’s jewelry was made of gold. There was very little silver, so if someone saw the chain around Cody’s neck by chance, it could just as easily be some other, cheaper metal. But gold was unmistakable, and if someone saw a gold chain, then there would certainly be rumours flying around about Cody being a thief.
“I understand. Want me to head back out now?” John offered.
“Could you? I wish I had more time, but Christmas is coming up so fast, and I just discovered this ring today, and-”
“Calm down, Teddy,” John interrupted chuckling at how worked up Ted was getting. “It’s fine. I’ll head down there now, tell him what I need made, come back to you ‘n let you know how long it’ll take.”
“Thank you! I’ll give you the money for the chain when it’s finished, then? And you’ll be able to pick it up for me, right? Could you maybe tell him that… that it’s quite important that it be done as soon as possible? I can pay extra to have it finished sooner,” he offered, needing to have his whole gift ready for Cody.
"Teddy, do us a favour and breath, will ya?" John mused, sensing the other man looked close to hyperventilating with his panic over the gift he wanted to acquire for his lover. John could already bet that Cody was going to just about pop a vein in shock at the very meaningful ring that he was going to be offered on Christmas.
"Sorry," Ted looked apologetic before saying, "I mean it though John: if they want a little extra to get it done faster just have them write it down and bring the slip back-- I'll give you the money for it then." John nodded his head, looking to make sure that Justin and Heath were still continuing their work on the other end of the stable.
"I shall head out there directly to get the order placed down for you." John said, calling across to Justin and Heath, "I gotta run out a bit you two-- y'keep on working, understand?" Heath rolled his eyes when he thought John wasn't looking, seeming to forget Ted was there and could see, whereas Justin silently nodded and returned to whatever he was doing with the barest pause. Ted walked out with John, "Thanks John," he murmured, "I owe you."
John chuckled, "I'll collect sometime." he winked and then headed back towards the village as Ted made his way indoors. It wasn't until he had gotten inside that he realised how nippy it had been outside; a hard sneeze making his head spin momentarily and he prayed that he wasn't about to be struck down with a cold, for that was the last thing he wanted at such a crucial time. John seemed supportive of his gift idea and so he supposed that that was some assurance that Cody would like it too, right?
As he was heading back to his room Ted momentarily wondered whether he should tell his mother that he was going to give Cody the ring-- if something happened by chance then she would be able to help cover for the pair of them if she was aware of the situation. And also, well, he supposed in some way he wanted her blessing to give the ring to Cody. It was no frivolous gesture.
He decided to do it later because he realised that dinner would be served soon and he needn't draw attention to himself and his mother by making them late-- he had no doubt she would probably want to discuss his decision with him; he didn't get his curiosity from his father, and so he'd expect no less from his beloved Ma.
Quickly, Ted gathered up the loose objects and parchment papers and put them back into their proper places. Perhaps later that night he’d actually be able to read one of those stories has he’d intended to do much earlier that day. He then made his way downstairs to the study, where he saw more people setting up for the party, including Randy.
Well, Randy wasn’t actually doing any of the physical setting up, but he was standing around, keeping a close eye on everyone, making sure to give people a stern talking to whenever he felt they needed it. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone enter the room, and he gave a small smile and bow, saying, “Young Master,” as he did so.
“Randy,” he returned. He walked over to the older man, raising his brow at anyone who stopped their work to turn and look at him. “How are things going in here?”
“Fairly well. I’ve been going between many rooms today; it’s been rather hectic. No! Not there, you idiot! That needs to be level with everything else!” Randy shouted as he watched one of the servants attempting to hang a garland in a very poor fashion. “As I was saying, I have had to deal with this sort of thing all day. There is still a massive pile of bedding that needs to be washed and dried. I believe all the rooms have been cleared out, though they’ll still need to be cleaned.”
“Sounds as though you’ve been quite busy. I never really thought about how much work you all put into decorating and preparing for this party that you won’t even be attending,” he said softly so that only Randy would be able to hear him.
“We do have our own party, which is more than many others get.”
“Yes, that’s true. But-”
“Ted, there’s no need to fret over it. We know our place around here. And we also know that if your family hadn’t taken us in, we would all be struggling out in the fields, or dying in the streets. Excuse me for a moment…” Randy trailed off as he practically marched over to the same kid he’d yelled at just minutes before, shouting at him to get things right, for God’s sake!
“I imagine dinner’s almost ready, so I’ll just let you get back to work then,” Ted told him, loud enough so everyone would know that he was leaving and they wouldn’t have two authority figures hanging over their heads.
“Enjoy your dinner, Young Master,” Randy said calmly. And then he was once more all over the young man that just couldn’t seem to grasp the whole decorating concept.
Still feeling slightly put-out about the whole procession of the party despite Randy's reassurances, Ted decided to just head on down to the study as he had originally intended. There were so many studies in the castle that everyone in the family had one, even his mother, where Ted knew she was often reading or answering correspondence.
When he knocked on the door and entered he saw that his mother appeared to be embroidering something. She smiled warmly at the sight of him, patting the space on the sofa next to her with a delicate hand. "Hello Teddy, to what do I owe this little visit?" Usually neither Ted nor Brett disturbed her in the study unless it was a matter of some urgency-- which this was, to him at least. "I think-" he looked to the door momentarily, as though scared someone would be there listening to them both. Composing himself he finished, "I think I know what to give Cody for Christmas."
Lady DiBiase immediately set her embroidery aside and turned her attention upon her middle son. "What did you decide upon, dear?" she asked. Ted took a breath and held out his grandfather's ring, depositing it gently into his mother's gloved hand when she indicated. A slight furrow touched his mother's brow as she took in the design, "This isn't your one--" Ted wouldn't risk such a thing as he needed it for special occasions. Then, her eyes widened slightly with obvious recognition.
Biting his lip slightly Ted nervously asked, "Do you object to me giving him grandfather's ring, mother?" Caroline shook herself a little, "No, not at all Teddy, I think it's such a marvellous idea," she soothed, "-but how are you going to give it to him?" his mother was obviously having the same concerns as he had.
"I'm going to give him it with a necklace." Ted said, "The necklace will be silver, which he can pass off as being less if anyone sees it. I wanted to tell you about the ring in case..." he trailed off but knew his mother understood; in case someone found it and got completely the wrong end of the stick. Leaning, Lady DiBiase kissed her son's cheek, making him pinken with a shy blush. "Ma--"
"He'll love it," Caroline said confidently as she handed the ring back and Ted slipped it onto his own finger for a while as he didn't trust that it wouldn't fall out of his pocket. "I do hope so." he said softly. Before anything more could be said Ted heard his mother's attendant's voice sounding through the door quietly that dinner was ready. Ted went into the dining-room with his mother arm-in-arm, Brett and his father already there.
“Good evening, you two,” Ted Sr. greeted them as they walked in.
“Good evening, dear,” Caroline said as she took her seat at the table next to him, on his right as he sat at the head of the table.
“Father,” Ted said in a short greeting, nodding his head as he sat to his father’s left, Brett next to him.
The table fell silent as one of their kitchen staff members brought out their drinks for their dinner, usually a light wine or beer of some sort. Moments later, another servant brought out their soup course, a loaf of piping hot bread accompanying it.
“What were you two so happy about when you walked in here?” Ted Sr. asked when the servants had left to go grab the next course.
“Hmm?” Caroline looked up from her bowl of soup, dipping her spoon under the surface repeatedly. “Oh, I just told Ted how I couldn’t get the image of how handsome he looked in the new shirt I got for him,” she told her husband to save Ted for stumbling over some other answer. It wasn’t a complete lie; she really did think he looked quite handsome in the new outfit. “Just wait until you see him, dear.” She smiled at Ted from across the table, then up at her husband.
“Are you wearing this shirt to the Christmas party?” his father asked directly to him.
“I am,” Ted answered. Now he had to make sure that Cody picked out this shirt. Maybe he could just tell the other that his mother had this shirt made for him, and it would mean a lot to her if he wear it. And that was the truth. When he told Cody how his mother had choked up upon seeing him in it, there was no way that Cody would want him to be in anything else. Not when he knew how close to his mother he was.
“Good, good.”
Soon, another couple staff members came into the room. One clearing up the soup bowls and spoons, two more delivering the main course out to them. Their chatter continued, Ted hoping that the conversation didn’t turn back to him. Thankfully for him, it didn’t. But Brett wasn’t so lucky. Ever since his engagement, almost daily the topic of the wedding came up.
The meal was over soon enough, Ted managing to slip out of the room as his father all but held Brett hostage as they discussed the wedding. He saw that Cody was out in the hall waiting for him, his eyes lighting up when he saw him. “Hello, Cody.”
"Good evening, young master." Cody responded, mindful of his duty with the chance of others happening across them. When they were out of earshot though he turned to look to the other a little, "You look happy," he then paused and seemed to reconsider his words, "I mean-- you look very happy. Did something happen?"
Oh, how Ted wished he could tell him the truth. However that would completely ruin his surprise and so he settled for a mysterious smile and nodded with the ambiguous answer of, "Yes, something did." Reaching the top of the stairs Ted then indicated that they go towards the library. He had some more time before he was expected to turn in and he fancied a change of location.
Obediently Cody followed the other man into the library, the curious expression not dying from his face. Despite himself he was momentarily concerned by the fact that Ted wouldn't tell him exactly what was going on; paranoia was not something he had frequent experiences with and he didn't enjoy the small flashes he sometimes got with concerns to himself and Ted. "Are you alright, Cody?" Ted asked, seeing a strange expression crossing his lover's face as they entered the library. "No-- I mean yes, yeah I'm fine." he said, shaking himself slightly and smiling.
Momentarily Ted looked uncertain but then nodded and moved aside to the shelves of books, picking the one that caught his fancy. Sitting in his grandfather's chair he motioned Cody to sit on his lap. The dark haired teen blushed, looking at the door, "What if someone comes in?" he asked, but Ted merely shook his head at the other. "No one will come in." Hesitating for a few more moments Cody then allowed himself to perch atop Ted's lap.
"Oh," Ted said after a few moments of flicking through the book to get to the first page of the story, "I needed to ask you a favour." Curiously, a little uncertainly, Cody nodded his head, "What is it?" Ted then explained about the shirt that his mother had bought him. "I know I said you could pick out my clothes and I still stand by that, but the shirt... it'd mean a lot to her if I wear it, and--"
Cutting Ted off by placing a gentle finger on his lips as he chuckled softly. "I can still choose the rest of your outfit, right?" Ted nodded mutely. "And I can undress you after, right?" Again, Ted nodded. Cody smiled brightly, displaying the adorable gap between his front teeth, "So don't worry about wearing the shirt."
“I knew you’d understand,” Ted said once Cody dropped his finger away as he was leaning in for a kiss. As they kissed, Ted’s hand dropped subtly to his pocket, feeling the small ring in there. During dinner, while they were waiting for their dessert to be served, Ted managed to slip the ring off his finger and into his pocket, since Cody could not see his gift yet.
They pulled apart, Cody still smiling his adorable smile, and then they both turned their attention down to the book. “Did you want me to try and read this?” Cody asked, uncertain. The things he’d read so far, they’d been written for young readers. This looked far more advanced. And while he thought that he’d be able to read it to some extent, he knew it would take him a long time to get through all the words.
“Actually, I’d like to read to you,” Ted responded softly. He loved listening to Cody read, but there were times he wished it could be the other way around, with him reading as Cody listened on intently.
“Really?”
“If that’s ok with you.”
“I’d love if you read to me,” Cody told him. He always loved listening to Ted’s voice, no matter what the context. It’d been a while since he’d been able to listen to Ted read him a story, though, so he was more than welcome to the idea.
“You’re going to follow along, though, right? And watch the words as I read them, won’t you?” Ted asked. Even though he wanted to do the reading, he still wanted it to be a bit of a learning experience.
“I will,” Cody confirmed.
“Good. Let’s get started, then.” Ted began reading, the words flowing smoothly, rolling off his tongue as he went on, page after page. He had no idea how long they were in there, but they managed to get quite a far ways into the book. Once they reached the end of a chapter, Ted placed a ribbon in there to mark his place and shut the cover. “What do you say we go get ready for bed?”
Unable to help yawning beneath his hand, Cody then nodded his head. "Sounds good." Ted's voice was equal parts mesmerising and soothing and had he not been having to follow along with Ted's reading he probably would have been lulled to sleep by the smooth melody of the rich accent. He stood, allowing Ted to stand up and replace the book back on the shelf.
Brushing a kiss on Ted's cheek as the other passed Cody murmured softly, "I could listen to you reading to me all day long and not get bored." Ted pinkened at the compliment, sending the other a shy smile before then opening the library door and stepping out into the hallway and heading towards his room.
Upon entering he moved and sat down on the bed as per their usual routine and Cody closed the door behind him before kneeling down before where his lover sat. Removing Ted's boots and socks Cody dropped a kiss to the arched instep of both of Ted's feet in turn, resulting in one of those adorable little giggles Ted gave whenever Cody tickled him even slightly.
The process continued with Cody dropping kisses upon each body-part that he uncovered of Ted's as he folded the other's clothing up. "Cody..." the delicate kisses and gentle hands that tended to him so ardently tested Ted's control on numerous occasions and this was one of those times. Cody merely sent him one of those little smiles that denoted he was attempting to be innocent but couldn't resist teasing his lover a little. Soon, he had Ted completely naked. Godly.
Reaching for Ted's fresh nightshirt he then slipped it on over the other teen's head. Reluctantly he hid Ted's magnificent body from view with the shirt and then dropped a kiss to the other's lips. "There you go." Skin tingling, feeling almost aflame from those continuous light touches, Ted cupped Cody's cheek and pulled the other into his arms, "You little minx." he then released the other and watched Cody going to put his clothing in the laundry hamper. Suddenly, remembering the ring he yelped and dove forward, catching the shirt, "Wait!"
Looking at Ted, confused, Cody arched a brow. “Does this not go in the hamper?” he asked. Ted’s shirts always went into the hamper at the end of the day, so why Ted was diving after a dirty shirt, Cody had no idea.
“Oh, um… it does… I just…” he stuttered as he fumbled around in an attempt to get the ring out of the pocket without Cody noticing. “I just thought I may have… forgotten… something…”
“Ok? Are you… all set, then?”
“Yes, sorry… I just remembered that I picked up a coin earlier in the day downstairs, but I guess I already put it away. Um… here you go,” Ted said, handing the shirt back over while he gripped the ring tight in his other hand.
Cody tossed the shirt into the hamper, then walked back to Ted, wrapping his arms around his lover. Placing a quick kiss on his lips, Cody muttered against them, “I should be getting downstairs now. I’ll see you later tonight, won’t I?”
Hugging Cody around his waist, clasping his hand around the wrist of the hand in which he held the ring, Ted nodded. “I will do everything in my power to get down there tonight.”
After one final long, lazy kiss, Cody headed out of the room, shutting the door behind him. On his walk downstairs, he couldn’t help but think of Ted’s strange behaviour all throughout the day. What on earth could he be up to? Maybe it was just his nerves, since the party was just days away now… Or maybe he was starting to have second thoughts about what they were intending to do after the party. No, Cody told himself, Ted couldn’t be having those thoughts. They loved each other, and on many occasions Ted told him that he was ready to give himself over to him completely. He may be nervous, but there was no way he was having second thoughts.
Right?
Ok, now he was beginning to worry himself over nothing. Firmly, Cody forced the little voice of uncertainty in the back of his mind to shut up as he continued down the main stairs to the foyer, and across that to head down to the kitchens.
Wade was in there, no doubt preparing some things for tomorrow's meals; he had been very flustered recently concerning ingredients and such, but given that they had the big party coming up that was understandable. Had it not been for the fact that he had seen Wade snapping at Heath the other day when the redhead had offered to help him Cody might have offered to help. However, as it was he merely greeted the man, keeping out of his way.
Wade didn't seem to mind this at all and Cody exhaled a breath that he hadn't even realised that he had been holding when he entered the hallway that his room resided upon. Entering the bedroom he closed the door behind him and proceeded to strip out of his own clothing. Shirt, trousers, socks, shoes... he neatly set the shoes aside and then painstakingly folded the uniform up and set it on the dresser, the clothing clean enough to wear again.
As he was tugging his own sleep-shirt on he heard the sound of low voices next door... it seemed that John and Randy had returned. Cody prayed that the pair of them kept their hands off of one another that night also, or at least toned it down. Considering that they had been working so hard lately he knew the other couple hadn't had as much time together recently, he doubted this would happen.
And, sure enough, a few minutes later he heard the sound of a deep moan that he had come to recognise as Randy's. Not that he would ever admit to anyone that he had heard John and Randy having sex so much that he could identify which of them made certain noises. Noises that prompted him to wonder what noises Ted would make when they finally got to make love.