Disclaimer: I don't own anything; the OCs and plot belong to wweanddegrassi.

Summary: This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to fall in love with her sister's boyfriend. But, then again, Taylor rarely did what she was supposed to do. RandyOC, requested by wweanddegrassi, oneshot

Alrighty. So here this is, requested by the very nice wweanddegrassi. It's pretty different than what I usually write, and there is a lot of material to cover, so it's going to be rather (okay it's extremely) long. I apologize for taking so long writing this, but I do hope I managed to do your characters justice! I always get nervous when writing other people's OCs. Please enjoy!

Contrast

It was a pretty day by anyone's standards. The sun was out, the sky was a bright blue, it was that perfect temperature - not too hot, not too cold. Taylor mused on this as she pulled her backpack onto her shoulders, smiling as she began to walk home from school.

It had been a long day, two tests and a small essay due, so she was all too glad to be heading back to her house. To her bed and her video games and the bag of Cheetos she had stashed in her nightstand drawer.

As she turned the corner to her house, she pursed her lips when she saw who was also there. She ignored the car as she usually did and made her way to the front door. The door was open, signifying that - as she expected - her sister made it home before her.

And wherever her sister went, he followed.

She tried to ignore the way his name floated across her thoughts, but it was to no avail.

Randy Orton.

Taylor wasn't sure when this whole thing started. It could have been the first time she met him or it could have been any time between then and now. Regardless of the moment it occurred, she knew that her particular...condition at the moment was not one she needed to be afflicted with.

It was wrong on so many levels. He was a senior, she was a sophomore. He was popular, she was a nobody.

He was also dating her sister.

Alice was perfect, as far as anyone in their high school was concerned. Sometimes, Taylor figured that any flaw Alice might have had before was long gone, sanded away by time and practice and popularity. She was tall, leggy, with short, orange hair - always brimming with confidence; Taylor herself was shorter, with pale skin and dark and curly hair. The difference between their looks and personalities was almost comical.

Though they weren't sisters by blood, Taylor felt that their bond was stronger than most blood relatives. Alice's dad and Taylor's mom found each other when they were younger and it had been as if they had always been sisters ever since. It was strange, the bond that formed between the two of them, but it was there nonetheless.

It was also why this was just so difficult.

"Taylor!"

The aforementioned girl turned around, looking for the owner of the voice. Her heart skipped several beats when she saw that the source of all her problems - although he was unknowing of this particular fact - was jogging to catch up with her.

"Um...hi?" she asked, looking at him as if he were an alien. And, really, him being so up close and personal like this...was the most alien-like thing she could think of.

"You dropped this," he stated.

Taylor stared at the comic book in his hand, her stomach twisting. She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. "Ah...thank you," she said quietly.

She was grateful for Randy's help, really, but she just couldn't stop herself for feeling embarrassed. Her love for comic books was well known, and of course after he left he was going to make fun of her for having the latest Captain America in her possession -

"My personal favorite is The Hulk."

Taylor looked at him as if seeing him for the first time, her eyes round and wide in her face.

"C-Cool."

He smiled at her, and that very action was enough to make her feel antsy for the rest of the day.

It was getting worse, she was sure.

At first, she was able to ignore it. Able to stamp down the feelings. He was just a cute guy with tattoos and piercing baby blue eyes. Tanned and toned and athletic. Star of every sports team he participated in. Admired by many, envied by more.

The tight, crushing feeling she felt when she was around him only escalated. Toward the beginning of this particular problem, it had been only a small hint of pressure on her chest, just an inkling that she thought more of this man than she originally figured. And then, as it progressed, the pressure increased. More and more and more...

Until now. Now it felt as if she could barely breathe any time she was around him. As if her chest was being compressed by the heaviest of substances.

Taylor wanted to deny this feeling. She had been good at doing it so far. But there is only so much that one can deny before it comes back to bite them in the most unpleasant way.

"Randy is looking at you," Taylor's friend, Emma, whispered almost in an conspiratorial manner at her. "Randy Orton."

"Nah...that's not realistic at all, and you know that!" The laugh that followed that comment was nothing short of forced.

"Mind if I join you?"

Taylor looked up, her eyes widening as she saw Randy standing above her, his paper bag lunch in one hand and his backpack in the other.

"What about my sister?"

Randy shrugged. "She ditched me. Went off campus for lunch. Didn't tell me anything. Found out from a text."

Taylor felt an unexplainable rage build within her. She tried to stamp it down, but it didn't work. "Oh. I'm sorry."

Again, that shrug. "Yeah, it's fine. I guess."

He didn't say anything else, but did focus the conversation to comic books and the superheroes and music and movies.

Taylor found herself thinking that he was perfect.

"Randy, seriously, I don't see how it's a big deal."

Silence.

"Listen, you're the one always going off and doing things without me."

Silence.

"No! I am not being a hypocrite! You're bugging the hell out of me."

Alice had been on the phone for an hour, having the same fight over and over again.

Taylor had been listening to it all, a slight frown on her face and that pesky tightness in her chest.

Snickering.

Taylor had a bad feeling about that snickering. It had been going on for the majority of the day, particularly when she was around. When she'd turn to look at whoever was causing it, she was faced with an almost deafening silence.

And then, it had happened.

Suddenly, she was gripped from behind, her backpack tugged from her shoulders violently. Taylor was shoved to the ground in the process, scraping the palms of her hands on the concrete.

"Hi, Tay-lor," came a sing-song voice. "What are you looking at today? Your comics?"

Her heart started to beat faster and faster as they removed the three issues of The Incredible Hulk she had brought with her to school that day to pass time between classes.

"Hey! Stop it!" she exclaimed, trying to get up. One of the people in question - tall and leggy and blonde, a cheerleader, a stereotype - pushed her back down to the ground, this time ripping the sleeve of her hoodie.

The blonde's boyfriend stepped forward, taking one of the comics in his hands. A heartless smile spread across his face as he ripped each of the books apart, making cruel comments each time a page hit the ground in front of her, sometimes even throwing them in her face. Every time she tried to get up, another person pushed her back down. She wasn't sure how many people were there, crowded around them as they were, but all she knew was that she had to get away -

"Hey!"

That voice was familiar, but Taylor didn't allow herself to get her hopes up. Maybe it was just a product of her imagination, maybe it was -

Suddenly, the crowd dispersed, being pushed aside by...by him.

Randy's face peered through the crowd, looking at her as if she were the only person there. He gave her a relieved smile and helped her up from her place on the ground. The comic pages swirled around their feet, some being taken by the wind.

"Randy, you're just as crazy as this bitch."

"Man, I thought you were cooler."

But he ignored them all, repeating the same phrase, "I'm so sorry," as he did the unthinkable.

Randy Orton embraced her.

Taylor sighed as she looked at the broken and battered comics at her feet. She had made it through the school day okay - she would not allow them to have the satisfaction of making her go home for the day after that fiasco - and was now sitting on her bed, flipping through the horribly mutilated pages of her three favorite Hulk comics.

She tried not to think of what prompted her to read about that particular superhero that day.

The doorbell rang.

Without really thinking, Taylor made her way down the stairs to the front door and opened it.

"Hey, Taylor," Randy said.

Her heart skipped several beats. "H-Hello..."

"Come with me."

Taylor blinked. "Wh-What?"

Randy stepped aside. "You'll like where we're going."

"Cocky."

Randy's lips quirked sideways in amusement. "Always."

Taylor's mouth had opened wide when Randy ended up taking her to the finest comic book store in town.

"What...what is this?" she spun around, her cheeks flushed, her eyes wide.

Randy looked at her, smiling. It was strange - that smile was different than all the others she had seen him give. It was soft, meaningful - but then again, maybe she was imagining things.

"Looked to me that you needed a few new comics," he said, giving that infamous shrug again. "I'm buying."

Oddly touched, she replied, "You didn't have to...you don't have to..."

"I know," he said, "but I want to."

That night, Taylor went to sleep with a smile on her face and three brand new comics tucked under one arm.

"What is up with you?"

"Nothing...why?"

Alice looked furious as she stood over her sister. "You and Randy. You two hang out. A lot. And now you're all...all..."

"He's just being nice."

"Right. He's just being nice. Don't you get a big head over it."

Taylor pursed her lips angrily, unable to even formulate a response.

"He's mine. Don't forget that."

Taylor sighed and ran a hand over her hair, continuing on with her current game of Portal.

"He's mine...don't forget that."

The words had circled her mind for hours on end, and no amount of video games could stop that. She could picture her sister, angry and glaring, fists clenched, that fiery orange hair almost reflecting her rage.

She sighed, and the sound seemed to resonate within her very bones. The quiet was pleasant - it was even more pleasant with the soft sounds of the video game in front of her. The bean bag crinkled slightly as she pressed herself down further into it.

"Ha ha! Oh, Todd, you're so funny!"

Taylor jolted at the sudden burst of laughter that broke through her reverie. Downstairs, she could hear the scuffling of feet, the murmuring of voices. However, there was one huge question in her mind.

Who's Todd?

She called Emma that night. Emma was kind and friendly - really, she was Taylor's only friend in the world - and always ready to lend a helpful ear.

"No," Emma breathed over the phone, "I can't say that I've heard of a Todd before...why?"

Taylor pursed her lips, fighting another one of those all-consuming sighs. "No reason. I...I just heard about him..."

"Ooh," Emma prodded. "Do you like this guy?"

"No," she replied, without hesitation. "No. I don't."

"What are you doing tonight?"

Taylor paused, back rigid, breath stuck in her throat. "Uh..." She could only think back to her pile of video games stacked on the dresser. "Nothing..."

Randy looked at her, grinning in that confident way of his. "I have the new Mario Party game."

A snicker escaped her without her consent. She quickly covered her mouth and looked at him with wide eyes.

"You think Mario Party is a joke?" Randy asked, his tone conveying false insult.

Taylor erupted into a fit of giggles. "I-I...no, it's just funny," she started, between fits of chuckling, "that you pick Mario Party over more...manly titles."

Randy quirked a brow, clearly amused. "Have you seen Mario's mustache? He's clearly the manliest character out there."

"Sure," Taylor admitted between giggles, "sure he is."

"Oh, look, it's the beauty Taylor," a voice snarled.

Taylor made her way through the crowd, tugging the hood of her sweatshirt down over her face. The wind and rain blustered against her hair, causing some of the inky strands to fall in her face, but nonetheless she mustered the resolve to make it to her next class on time - regardless of distractions.

"She's a regular Heidi Klum, isn't she?" a male voice, pointed like a barb, snapped at her.

Someone grabbed her hoodie and pulled her to the ground. She fell, getting the wind knocked out of her in the process. As she gasped for breath, she looked and found the perpetrator - a callous looking brunette girl with harsh gray eyes.

And Alice, standing nonchalantly amongst the crowd.

"Hey," Randy said, looking Taylor over. Her hair was wet and sticking to her face, but she hadn't bothered to wipe it from her cheeks. Class was close to starting and she hadn't heard a word from the people around her, including Randy. The buzz of voices might as well not have been there, for all the attention she paid to them.

Really, she should have figured. Though they were close, Alice really had never come to her aid any time that she was in trouble with the "popular crowd" and never spoke of the events themselves. But...it really was another thing to have her stand there, speaking with the perpetrators as they assaulted her...

A warm hand on her cheek.

Taylor tensed, spinning and looking at Randy, who was brushing the wet strands of hair from her face.

"You can't read the board with hair in your face," he said softly, his hand lingering for a few seconds too long before he finally pulled away.

Her cheeks had been tingling all day from where his hand had softly brushed her face.

Taylor threw her soaked clothes into the washing machine, almost angrily. She listened to her sister as she talked on the phone to whoever-the-hell-cares and then stormed into her room, shutting the door behind her.

Her heart pounded, the beats thrumming along to the name of the one she held most dear.

A knock on the door on Saturday afternoon roused her from her usual position, in the beanbag in front of the television, a game controller in one hand and a Pepsi in the other.

Being the only person in the house, Taylor contemplated not getting it. Contemplated leaving it be. But she had never been good at being mean, so she rose from her seat and made her way down the stairs.

Through the peephole, she recognized the form of Randy Orton.

Taking a few unsteady breaths, Taylor opened the door and moved aside for Randy to barge through the opening.

"Where's Alice?" he demanded, snarling.

Taylor looked at him, eyes wide. "I...she...went out with Eve...her friend..."

Randy's nose wrinkled. "Eve," he spat. "Sure."

"That's...that's what she told me..."

"Did she tell you about this Todd guy, too?"

Tayor stared at Randy. "I...heard her talking to a guy named Todd...but I didn't know what it was about..."

"Apparently, she didn't think we were exclusive."

"I...I..."

"I'm here to break up with her." Randy's eyes blazed. "I was lying to myself when I was with her. I'm tired of all the drama and politics and fabricated stories."

Taylor's heart thudded in her chest.

"You were lying...to yourself?"

Randy gazed at her, almost predatory in nature. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time in a long time, as if he had missed her and wanted her and -

But that was clearly in Taylor's imagination, right?

"I also came here for something else."

"Oh..." Taylor fumbled over her words. "You forgot your Mario Party game from the other night. I was going to bring it to you, but - "

Randy's mouth was on hers before she even had time to think. Taylor gasped into his mouth as his strong hands cupped each side of her face before making their way down to rest on her hips, pulling her so close she felt as if she were suffocating. The kiss was long, deep, full of meaning. Taylor's mind was completely blank as she kissed back - she could think of nothing but him and the way his body fit to hers in an almost perfect manner.

And then, her senses came back to her.

"Wait..." she breathed against his mouth. "What are you..."

"I am in love with you."

Those words, said so roughly, took all the oxygen from Taylor's lungs.

"You...that's not possible," she replied after a long silence.

He gripped her shoulders tightly. "It is. And I'm pretty sure you're in love with me, too."

The long silence resumed.

Taylor gaped at him, her eyes wide in their sockets, a flush creeping over her cheeks.

"I..."

Randy waited as she pondered over the words in her head, trying to figure just how to put them together to achieve what she wanted.

In the end, she said, "You're right."

The words barely escaped her lips when he crashed his mouth on hers, teeth banging together in the ferocity of the moment. His large hands wove their way through the strands of her hair, and she gasped as he gave them a little tug - not out of pain, but out of shock.

Randy hefted her in his arms and walked upstairs, holding her as if she were some precious cargo. Taylor wrapped her arms around his neck out of instinct, her heart swelling as he lowered a gentle kiss to her forehead before capturing her lips with his own, just as he used a hip to coax her bedroom door open.

Taylor could think of nothing else as they kissed. Nothing else in the world seemed to matter - not the bullies at school, not the way they teased and taunted her, nothing. It was just him.

She held onto him tightly as the bedroom door closed gently behind them.

Monday rolled around without pretense.

Things were...odd.

Taylor knew that they would be, considering.

She felt...lighter, somehow. Lighter and heavier at the same time, and that was an odd feeling in and of itself. It was as if she had told the biggest secret of her life to someone - and she had, really - but then had taken on a whole new secret on her shoulders. She felt a bit like Atlas.

Randy would sneak a glance or two at her, and they would share moments in the hallway when no one was looking - or when everyone was looking. Randy didn't care; it seemed as if he wanted nothing more than to be around her. Taylor couldn't see why, couldn't even fathom the truth of what he told her, but he seemed as if it were the simplest thing in the world when in reality it was the most complicated.

She tried to not remember that night, but it was very difficult. Every time she shut her eyes, she could remember what he felt like - the strength of his arms, the heat of his breath, the way they moved together, the way he gasped her name...

She blushed and continued walking, oblivious to the stares and the comments that, "Taylor seems different."

And, as she rounded the corner and Randy slipped his hand into hers, Taylor could only agree.

Alice was holding hands with Todd.

Taylor pursed her lips, looking to Randy, expecting him to be furious.

However, he was just looking at Taylor.

Only Taylor.

"How dare you?"

Taylor turned around, meeting eyes with her step-sister. Even furious, Alice was absolutely beautiful.

But, for once, Taylor didn't have it in her to care.

"How dare I?" she asked, feeling the sarcasm before she even realized what it was.

"Randy." It was one word, one name, and yet it said everything.

Taylor narrowed her eyes at her sister, a rage building up within her that she didn't even knew she could possess. She held her ground, tightening her fists at her sides, and stared levelly at the girl in front of her. "Listen - "

"You fucked him, didn't you?"

Taylor almost winced at her bluntness, her cheeks flushing despite herself. "You..."

"How could you?"

Taylor felt her hackles rising. Before she knew it, she was speaking - hard, harsh words that she felt no remorse for. "No, you don't get to judge me. You were speaking to some other guy the entire time you were dating Randy and now you're with him. You lied to Randy, told him you were places that you weren't - "

Alice slapped her. It was both degrading as well as painful. "That still didn't give you the right."

"I know!" Taylor exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. Tears pricked her eyes despite herself. "I know! We were both in the wrong here, clearly, but...but - "

- I love him. I really, really love him. If you loved him you wouldn't have done what you did. I love you, too, Alice, but I suppose if I really loved you I wouldn't have done this. But this is so hard. And I'm selfish and this is horrible and I don't know what I'm going to do now but I love him -

Alice looked at her, impassive; Taylor inhaled shakily, suddenly more tired than she'd ever felt, her anger suddenly fading and replaced with a despair that felt more at place on someone vastly older.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was filled with tears when she didn't want them to be.

Alice looked at her, the coldness gone from her eyes, but she didn't move to comfort her.

"Yeah," she snapped in response, but the intent to wound wasn't there. Her voice was flat, almost as if she were tired. "Me too."

Alice brushed past Taylor as she left, not looking at her once, but putting a palm to her shoulder before she disappeared from sight altogether.

Things wouldn't be okay with them for a long, long time, but that was a start.

Meet me today?

The text from Randy caused Taylor to stop short. A million different things flashed through her head - excitement at seeing him, nervousness as to what he might want, that tinge of guilt - but she tried not to focus on the bad things as she typed back a response.

Of course.

The park that Taylor arrived at just as dusk was settling in was one of the nicer ones in town. There was a winding trail that made its way around the entire stretch of land, and in the middle were swings and slides and a jungle gym and various other things that any kid would find enjoyment in. She hadn't dressed up, so she hoped that would be okay. She was still getting used to Randy, and she wasn't really sure what he liked -

"Taylor," he said from behind her.

She started, turning around and looking at him, a smile automatically breaking over her face - despite the stinging sensation she felt when the smile tugged at where Alice had slapped her. She tried not to think about that.

"Randy," she breathed, smiling.

"You are early."

"I...was anxious."

Randy threaded his fingers through hers. "You have no need to feel anxious around me." Suddenly, his eyes found her cheek. It was red and starting to bruise slightly and no amount of make-up could take that away from it. The fingers of his opposite hand lightly touched the injury, causing her to wince. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she said, her voice tiny.

A darkness crossed over Randy's face. Taylor felt a chill come over her as she watched. "You can tell me."

"I don't want you to be angry with her - "

"Alice," he said. There it was - that tinge of danger that sometimes colored his voice. Taylor's silence all but confirmed his suspicions.

"I kind of deserved it," she said.

Randy's fingers trailed along the sensitive skin of her wrist. "You didn't."

Taylor shook her head before realizing that Randy was leading her to a picnic table. Her breath caught in her throat.

It wasn't the table itself that was striking - it was the display that had been carefully arranged on top of it. Plates and glasses and silverware, Tupperware bowls full of food, and candles lit in the center of it all. There were even tablecloths set out in front of two of the spaces on the table.

"Oh..." It wasn't eloquent, but it was all Taylor could muster at the moment.

Randy only smiled at her. It was wry and almost secretive, but it was his smile nonetheless. His fingers squeezed hers as he led her over to the picnic table.

The park was cleared out for the evening, Taylor attributed it to the fact that no parents really carried their children out to the park with night approaching. Randy released Taylor's hand when they arrived at the table, allowing her to sit down before moving to his own place.

Taylor couldn't speak. The set up was modest, yet beautiful; understated yet overstated to the nth degree. The kindness of the gesture made her feel as if she were hollowed out, filled with nothing but the fluffiest of clouds. With a shaking hand, she ran her fingers over her jean-encased leg.

"I asked around," Randy began, his eyes searching hers. "I found out your favorite foods - I was actually surprised that I didn't know that before - "

"Why?"

There was that amused smile, yet again, "I wanted to do something special."

Taylor wanted to ask 'why' again, but Randy continued.

"I realized," he started, licking his lips in a nervous gesture, "that we haven't been out on a proper date."

An almost hysterical sounding laugh came from Taylor. She ran a hand over her face, trying to hide the joyful tears that welled in her eyes. She was suddenly speechless, unable to form even the simplest of words.

"I just wanted to let you know that...that night wasn't a one time thing," Randy said, his words measured and soft, soft as the candlelight that flickered in front of them. "I know this has been hard on you - and there are still some tough times ahead - but I just wanted you to be aware that I'm going to be around for as long as you want me. I'm not going anywhere."

Taylor inhaled a shaky breath, finding a wry joke where she thought there should be none, "What happened...to that bad boy I heard so much about?"

Randy smirked at her. "I was never that bad to begin with."

"I know," Taylor whispered, blushing. "I know."

And, with the rapidly approaching sunset casting a lovely shade of orange around the two of them, Randy said, "I love you."

A feeling akin to soaring took hold of Taylor as she replied, "I love you, too."

In that moment, it was all that mattered.

End.