Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warning: Cody's got a male!harem. and mild DX love. Nothing heavy.

Note: Cody Rhodes as a wrestler does not exist yet. He's just a puppy right now.


"I don't see why you don't like him, I think he's cute."

"Shawn. We're not keeping him."

"Aw, but c'mon, look at his little puppy eyes! It's like they're screaming, 'Keep me! Keep me!'"

"Shawn..."

"Please! Pretty please, Hunter, I promise he won't bother you! And its pouring out there, he might get a cold in that weather! Have you no heart?"

Hunter sighed, irritation evident on his face as he eyed the slighter man before him through narrowed orbs. Shawn stuck out his bottom lip and furrowed his brows together in a begging expression. Hunter would have caved in right then if not for the little monstrosity in his arms, giving him the same look, but with a furrier face. Shawn had—unfortunately—found a puppy behind a dumpster directly outside one of the emergency exit doors of the arena where they'd been performing. He'd been coddling it ever since.

"Shawn, the hotel doesn't even allow dogs."

"I can sneak him in! I swear, he'll stay really quiet, won't you boy? Won't you?" Shawn turned towards the small ball of black in his arms and cooed, rubbing his nose against the puppy's wet, black one. The mammal barked once, a little squeak of a thing, as if to confirm Shawn's question. Hunter rolled his eyes. "See, Hunter? See?"

"Yeah, yeah, I see... Ugh. Fine, we can keep him—"

"YAY! Did ya hear that boy? Did you hear what uncle Hunter said? He said you could stay!" The older man cheered, twirling around in circles, with the puppy in the air, a huge grin on his face.

"BUT," Hunter enunciated loudly, causing Shawn to freeze in his happy dance. "But, he can only stay for one night—"

"Aw, Hunter—"

"And he sleeps on the floor." Shawn pouted, cuddling the puppy under his chin.

"That's not very nice, Hunter. What if he gets cold?" Hunter shrugged.

"It's the hotel room floor or the street tar. Your pick." Shawn sighed, scratching behind the puppy's ear.

"Fine... It's okay, boy, I'll give you some blankets and everything. You'll be snug as a bug in a rug," He mewed, rubbing his cheek against the puppy's velvet soft fur reassuringly. Hunter groaned—what had he gotten himself into?

"Okay, c'mon Shawn. Let's just get to the hotel already."

Sneaking the damned dog in turned out to be a much more complicated process than Hunter had imagined, and he found himself creeping in through the bushes directly adjacent to the hotel's outdoor pool gate, a light dabble of rain falling over him.

"Okay. First, we hop the fence. Second, we sneak in through the door, which may or may not be unlocked. Third, we take the stairs and get Cody safely to the hotel room," Shawn relayed the plan in a hushed whisper, as if it were some CIA action spy movie. Hunter quirked an eyebrow.

"Cody?"

"Yeah, that's what I named him! Isn't it adorable?" Shawn held up the puppy, who yelped quietly in agreement. Hunter eyed the puppy, and silently wondered if it was secretly a human in disguise, because it sure knew when to bark.

"Anyway, there's one flaw in your plan. What if the door is locked? Then what do we do?" Hunter drawled, not terribly worried with their mission. If they couldn't get in undetected, he would just have to kill the puppy. Shawn would get over it eventually.

"Well... Then we go to plan B."

"Which is...?"

"Hide Cody in your shirt!"

"Why my shirt?"

Shawn rolled his eyes, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Your bigger n' me, duh." Cody barked again. Hunter glared at the canine. "But for now, let's stick with Plan A, Phase one: Hopping the pool fence." With that, Shawn crept across the narrow gravel path, small stones crunching underneath the soles of his shoes, and Cody in hand. Hunter scrambled to follow, after all, he couldn't let Shawn hurt himself in this whole puppy-ordeal. Seriously, though, the man could do with some self-control.

Once they reached the wrought iron gate—only four feet tall, it wasn't much of a hassle to clamber over it—despite having to carry Cody—and the two members of DX made it safely to the other side, without toppling into the chlorinated pool. "Now on to Phase Two!" Shawn proclaimed with a self-satisfied tone as he marched over to the door leading into the hotel.

Using the hand that wasn't holding Cody to his chest, Shawn shook the door handle to see if it was locked or not. No surprise, it turned out you needed a specific key card to get in, if the blinking card slot was sign enough. Shawn sighed dramatically.

"Hunter! It's locked!" He whimpered, Cody whining along with him as he indicated to the glass door. Hunter scratched his head, before pouting in mock disappointment.

"...Oh, well. We tried. Now let's get rid of the thing and—"

"Plan B! Hunter, lift up your shirt!" But before Shawn could grab the tail of said man's shirt, Hunter hurriedly dodged to the side, catching sight of a slight movement in the corner of his eye.

"Wait! I think I can get us in!" Hunter said abruptly, shoving Shawn's hand away and knocking on the glass of the door as loudly as he could without breaking it. Shawn and Cody, all the while, shooting him curious looks.

A little kid was standing in the hallway, and he turned at the sound. Hunter quickly pointed to the doorknob and mouthed the words 'Can you open the door?' The kid eyed the two of them for a moment, before he brightened suddenly and immediately ran over to them, slack-jawed with amazement.

He quickly jerked the door open and blankly stared up at the two men. "Y-you're Triple H! A-and you're Shawn Michaels!"

So, Hunter and Shawn begrudgingly signed the kid's arm and thanked him profusely, before disappearing as soon as he turned his head, not wanting anymore attention lest they get caught with sneaking in Cody.

"Whoo! We have successfully infiltrated the building. Next, we climb the stairs and hit home! C'mon Hunter," Shawn, still full of energy, dashed in the direction of the stairwell, Cody dangling in his arms. Hunter took a deep breath, and messaged his temples. He swore, sometimes taking care of Shawn was worse than babysitting two year olds with guns.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Shawn burst into another one of his happy dances, twirling Cody around as he did so. "We did it, Cody! You're safe with me! I'm gonna be the best owner you've ever had! Isn't that right, Cody? Isn't that right?" Shawn baby-talked the puppy, who barked and licked his nose, his black fluffy tail wagging back and forth maniacally.

"Hey, wait. You're not his owner Shawn. I said, one night, and that's it. Then he needs to find some other place to crash," Hunter reminded his partner, tossing his coat onto a nearby armchair and collapsing on the bed, after a Monday Night Raw, nothing felt better than relaxing in plush blankets and recovering from the earlier beat down. Unfortunately, Hunter had had to deal with some extra workout, courtesy of Cody the puppy, and he was about three times as exhausted as he usually was.

"Don't listen to the meanie Hunter, Cody! You can stay as long as you want!" Hunter ignored Shawn, and buried his face in the pillow. Maybe if he closed his eyes and counted to three, this would all go away, and he'd be curled up in his bed at home...

One...

Two...

Three...

"Aw! Hunter did you see that? Did you see that? Cody sat when I told him too! Isn't he just the cutest dog ever?"

Hunter groaned.

"Okay," Shawn began; his voice a hushed whisper, as he knelt beside Cody, who was curling up on a pile of plushy comforters. "When Hunter goes to sleep, then you can climb in and sleep with us, okay? Just don't... let him... know—"

"I can hear you, Shawn."

"...Uh, I mean, stay here, Cody! Don't," He winked, "Don't come sleep with us, once Hunter's conked out." He winked again, before ruffling Cody's black as pitch fur and moving to grab his bag, with his ring gear in it, hoping to find something to take his partner's mind off of his newfound friend. "Man, Hunter, can you believe it? That damn DiBiase ripped my pants in our match! Look at this, the ends are nearly in shreds!"

Hunter pressed the pillow tighter around his head. "Great, Shawn. That's great." Shawn scowled at his drowsy companion, before returning his gaze to his torn pants. Hunter peeked out from under the tail of his pillow case, sensing the suddenly quiet atmosphere. Quiet when there was Shawn around, meant something was definitely wrong. "Just throw it away, you have more don't you?"

"But I liked these! I've been through a lot with them!" Shawn protested, caressing the leather material of his worn pants. Hunter shrugged, closing his eyes once more.

"...Well then, if you love 'em so much, how about turn them into something. Like a... Like a blanket or—"

"That's a great idea! I can make a collar for Cody! Man, I love ya, Hunter!" Shawn exclaimed, suddenly struck with his brilliant plan and sliding off the bed in search of the scissors he usually used to cut Hunter's tape for him. Hunter immediately sat up, all earlier exhaustion suddenly forgotten.

"Collar? What part of 'only for one night', don't you understand?" Shawn smirked, plucking the scissors from a side pocket on Hunter's duffel.

"That's what she said."

Hunter shot his partner a dead look. "...Sometimes, Shawn, sometimes." Shawn grinned, taking the sheers to the end of his pants, and settling beside the lounging Cody.

"But that's why you love me, right?" He offered, grin still present as he wound the strip of material around Cody's neck to be sure it was the right length—Cody lifting his head proudly as Shawn did so.

Hunter snorted, "Yeah, right." Shawn abruptly paused in his measurements, before turning to the bigger man, with his eyebrows pulled together and his bottom lip jutting out in another one of his master puppy dog faces. Hunter swore he was better at that than the puppy himself. And of course—as per usual—he caved.

"...I mean, uh, definitely. That's exactly why I love you, Shawn." HBK sobered up, as another smile appeared, he decided to take advantage of Hunter's rare moment of sarcasm laced sensitivity, and he held Cody up at eye level with the man.

"And Cody too?" Triple H humphed.

"Don't push it." And with that he rolled onto his side, wiggling underneath the fuzzy comforter. Shawn shrugged, placing Cody back on his paws, and returning to his earlier task.

"Eh, it was worth a shot," He muttered to the coal tinted puppy, snipping an inch away from his makeshift leather collar, and beaming with accomplishment. "Wait." Suddenly, the smile fell from his face, and he frowned. Something was missing... Something.

"Ah! Hey Hunter! What happn'd to that silver sharpie I bought last week?" Shawn queried, his grin back in full force. Hunter moaned something incomprehensible, rolling over in the bed. Shawn cocked an eyebrow. "Huh?"

With obvious ire, The Game jerked his hand into the air and pointed at the dresser, where there was—indeed—the silver tipped marker Shawn was searching for. He hopped to his feet, and took the sharpie in his hand, Cody at his heels, tongue lolling.

With careful, meticulousness, Shawn ever so cautiously wrote, 'CODY' in nice large capital letters, for everyone to see. Setting the marker down, HBK lifted the thick strip of leather, gleaming with satisfaction as he knelt beside Cody and held it up for his big blue eyes to get a good look. "What do you think, Codester?" Cody barked three times, with his tail flailing as he leaped from paw to paw in excitement. Shawn brightened, positively euphoric with the puppy's strange ability to understand him. "I knew I'd love you. You're the best friend a man could have!"

After calming Cody a bit, Shawn gently wound the collar around his furry little neck, still slightly awed by the softness of his dark fur. He tied it in a double-knot at Cody's breast, with the name, CODY on top. "There!" Cody barked again, before leaping onto Shawn's chest and showering the pleased man with a rapid fire of dog-kisses, pawing at his shirt as he did so.

Shawn all but toppled over backward, as Cody ravaged his face with spit—Cody being the size of your average Labrador puppy—laughing all the while, accidentally giving Cody a taste of his teeth as he did so. "Okay! Okay! Cody, I get it, you like the collar! Stop licking me!" He gasped between laughs, as gradually the puppy backed off of him and allowed him to breathe. He sat up hurriedly, casting the sleeping Hunter a cheery glance. And, scooping Cody in his arms, Shawn stood to his feet to meander over to HHH's seemingly unconscious form.

"...Hunter... You asleep?" The man merely groaned, turning his head to face the opposite direction, away from Shawn and his puppy smell. "I'll take that as a yes! C'mon, Cody!" His happiness was practically radiating off of him, as he scampered around the corner of the bed, flicking off the lights as he did so.

Lightly, Shawn set Cody down on the sheets, his paws making small indentions in the mattress, he put his finger to his lips in the universal sign for quiet, Cody seemed to understand, for he stood stock still. Shawn was delighted with Cody's comprehension, and tugged off his shirt, before tentatively easing himself onto the bed beside him.

Cody scampered over quietly to lick his face once more, before settling in at his flank as he pulled the large comforter up to his shoulders. He scratched behind his ears, before turning on his side and tossing his arm gently over Cody, so that his hand rested on Hunter's rather large bicep, said man facing away from the two.

"Goodnight, Hunter. Goodnight, Cody." Shawn whispered under his breath, as Cody cuddled up beside him, and Triple H subconsciously moved closer, upon human instinct to stick to the warmest thing possible.

He muttered something, but it was indecipherable in his state of sleep, and Cody nuzzled his nose underneath Shawn's chin. It was as if the two of them—Hunter and Cody—were saying goodnight back in their own ways. Shawn smiled sleepily.

He could get used to this.


Over the course of the night, what used to be a heavy shower of rain, transformed into a violent thunderstorm. Cody shivered, every time the thunder clapped, shaking the twenty story hotel. He was never a very brave puppy, and the harsh bursts of explosive rumbles were pushing him to his limit.

BOOM!

"Arp!" Cody yelped, instantly lurching to his paws and scurrying for the nearest cover:

Hunter's huge arm. Yes, it was quite comfortable tucked warmly underneath his bicep, against his pectoral, he smelled like Shawn, and Cody would have purred with pleasure had he been a cat. He settled in, rubbing his infinitely soft fur on HHH's bare chest and arm.

"Uhn..." Hunter murmured, with a smile, absently tugging Cody closer.

Cody would have grinned had he been a human, but he wasn't, so he simple settled for a subtle lick across Hunter's side. Said man made another incomprehensible sound, subconsciously snuggling the fur-ball even closer. Cody snuggled back.

He could get used to this.

"Mmm..." Hunter rolled onto his right side, in an attempt to block the light from his poor eyes. He didn't appreciate the early morning sunlight practically blinding him while he was still half-asleep.

Suddenly, something soft and warm, pressed up against his bare chest, and rubbed it's fluffy-feelingness all over him.

Now, Hunter was a man.

And he would never, ever admit that he wanted to giggle like girl because the soft thing was tickling him. He held in his chuckle, opting instead for lifting a hand, eyes still closed in their semi-consciousness, to gently pet the fluffiness. It was feathery beneath his hand, like down-feathers in a pillow, and he couldn't help but be drawn to it.

He bowed his head to mush his cheek against the object, rubbing it maniacally, inwardly pondering what the obscenely soft thing could possibly be. But before he could open his eyes and see for himself, Shawn's low voice interrupted his thoughts. "Seems you like Cody a lot more n' I thought you did, Hunter."

And like a tsunami, all the events of yesterday came crashing down on him.

"Agh!" He grunted, immediately darting away from the warmth of the plush creature, instantly realizing what—or who—it actually was.

Pulling himself into a sitting position, Hunter eyed Cody, as said puppy looked up at him threw playful, adorable blue eyes. Irritatingly, he was finding it harder and harder to hate the thing. Psh. And Hunter prided himself on his ability to resist everything cute, that wasn't Shawn Michaels—of course that was a matter of opinion—Jeez, he was loosing his touch.

"Funny," HHH said, glaring at Cody and his cuteness, "I could've sworn I said Cody was sleeping on the floor."

Slowly, his eyes roved over to a guilty looking Shawn, as said wrestler tossed on a shirt, hair still wet from having just arrived from the shower.

"Aw, but you gotta admit. Cody was really warm! He's like my own personal heater, complete with the whole, you know, adorable thing," HBK wiggled his eyebrows at Hunter, who growled as if daring Shawn to mention the instance from only moments ago, when he had been practically snuggling Cody.

The aforementioned puppy yawned, his pink tongue curling and his eyes screwing shut. Shawn cooed at his newly acquired pet, "See? How can you not be in love with that?" Hunter rolled his eyes.

"I can mention a million reasons why I'm not in love with that. Anyway, why are you up so early?" Changing the subject, The Game shuffled the comforter off of his lap, 'accidentally' tossing it on top of the unsuspecting Cody, who was busy gnawing on the edge of Shawn's pillow.

"Eh, Cody kept licking my face around six, so I just decided to get up," Shawn shrugged, reaching into the mini fridge in search of some small breakfast. Hunter glowered at the statement, glancing back at Cody—currently nothing more than a tell-tale lump under the covers, bumping around.

"...Has Cody eaten anything since he got here? You think maybe he was trying to eat your face, not just wake you up?" Triple H suggested—any idea that may get Cody thrown out, was a good idea. Shawn raised his eyebrows, before hurriedly dragging a half-eaten sandwich from the day earlier out.

"Cody! C'mere boy! I got food!" Shawn tugged the ham from between the slices of bread, and dangled it in the air. Cody appeared at the sound of his name falling from Shawn's lips, the blanket sliding off his fuzzy head as he waggled his tail in excitement. "C'mon! C'mon Cody-boy!" Cody launched off of the bed, landing on the carpet of the hotel floor, his upper body bowed down in a playful position as his tongue lolled out of his mouth.

Shawn lowered the pieces of ham down so that Cody could reach, and grinned as he leaped into the air, catching the meat between his teeth. Swallowing it whole, he beamed up at Shawn, his blue eyes huge as he begged for more, the occasional whimper escaping his throat.

"Great. Now he'll never stop." Hunter sighed, slightly irritated with his partner's horrible resistance to cuteness. Cody was reeling him in like a fish caught on a hook, and soon it would be too late to try and separate them. He had to act quickly or risk having to see Cody everyday for the rest of his life.

Not that he really had any beef with Cody, himself, he just didn't really like moochers. And... maybe, perhaps, he was slightly jealous. Slightly.

As Shawn offered up the contents of their mini fridge to Cody's ever growing belly, Hunter agitatedly made his way to the bathroom for a much deserved shower, after which he and Shawn would hit the gym like they usually did the day after Raw to recondition their aching muscles.

When he returned, dripping water onto the carpet his eyes met the sight of a beaming Shawn and a calm Cody, sitting on his rump and offering his paw out to the older man. "What are you doing?"

"I told Cody to shake, and he did!" He exclaimed, scratching behind Cody's ear in a congratulatory way.

"You know, if he already knows tricks, that usually means he belongs to someone," Triple H offered, toweling down his hair. Shawn humphed, cuddling the black puppy to his chest.

"Then that person's an idiot, for leaving poor Cody all alone in the rain," He proclaimed, and Cody barked in agreement, licking his nose as he did so.

"Yeah, well, grab your stuff. We need to get down to the gym, before we leave," Hunter muttered, hefting his bag over his shoulder. Shawn frowned in confusion, Cody sitting in his lap complacently.

"But what about Cody?"

The Game rolled his eyes. "He can stay here. Just throw out some newspaper, so he doesn't pee on the floor."

HBK gleamed, returning his gaze to the small puppy, and nuzzling his nose to Cody's wet one.

"You hear that, Cody? Hunter said you could stay!" Cody barked, pouncing off of Shawn's lap and darting over to Triple H—who sat on the edge of the bed, in the midst of tying up his shoes.

He leaped onto Hunter's torso, shoving the man to the bed, before vigorously licking his face, his tail wagging happily in the air. Shawn scrambled to his feet, at first worried that Hunter might throw Cody at the ceiling, but relaxed once he noticed he wasn't planning on breaking any of the dog's bones.

"Aw! Look Hunter, he likes you!"

Said man winced as his cheek was coated in saliva, before forcing himself vertical once more, and clutching Cody in his large hands, eying the dog, as he wiped his face on his shoulder sleeve. Cody stared back at him, his huge blue puppy orbs watching him with an almost pout. As if to apologize for his sudden attack.

Hunter flinched, trying his hardest to remain mad, and—finally unable to look the puppy in the eyes any longer—he begrudgingly plopped him onto the covers. "I swear, that damn dog gets better at that every second." Shawn grinned, dropping onto the bed beside him—laying on his stomach as Cody nuzzled up at his chin.

"You know, Hunter. He hasn't really done anything to you. I don't see why you hate him so much." Shawn murmured, his voice muffled by Cody's fur as he spoke. "And besides he's adorable. What's not to love?"

"…Nothing, I just don't really like small furry things, okay?" Hunter grunted, sliding off the bed and grabbing the newspaper he'd picked up from the stadium before they'd left. Not that he really read it or anything, he just got it because he liked carrying it around and looking as if he was actually doing something of importance, instead of just drinking coffee at breakfast. "Here, lay these out."

Shawn hopped off the bed, taking the papers and calling Cody over as he spread them on the carpet beside what would have been Cody's makeshift bed. "See these Cody? If you have to go potty, go on this so that Hunter doesn't kill you, okay?" Cody barked in consent, giving the papers a sniff, before moving to lick Shawn's hand, in a sort of 'Thank You' gesture.

"Hurry up, Shawn, the gym'll close in three hours," Hunter informed, running an impatient hand through his damp hair. Shawn rolled his eyes, before kneeling down to Cody's level.

"Okay! I'll see you later, then, Codester. And remember if you ever need me—"

"He's a dog, what's he gonna do, call you on his puppy phone with puppy-kineses?"

"Just bark, and I'll be there. 'Kay, Cody? But if you hear anything, try to keep it down or you'll get us in trouble." Shawn ignored Hunter, as he scratched behind Cody's left ear, the canine's eyes closing in pleasure, as he yelped in confirmation. Hunter had a feeling Cody'd agree to anything if Shawn merely rubbed the sensitive spot. "Okie-Dokie, Hunter, let's go..."

Triple H could hear the reluctance in his tag-team partner's voice, but he brushed it off as one of Shawn's many tendencies—not wanting to part with new things/people, was one of them. Cody followed them to the door, as if he were seeing them off, his big eyes watching them happily.

"Bye, Cody-boy..."

"Oh, c'mon, Shawn. He's not gonna go anywhere."

"Yeah, but—"

"Ugh. He'll be fine." Hunter closed the door shut behind him, sliding his key card into his duffel. "Your dedication irritates me, by the way."


Cody lay on the carpet, gnawing away on one of Hunter's boots when abruptly a knock on the door made him jump in surprise. He was on his paws in seconds, staring at the hunk of wood curiously, keeping his jaws closed just like Shawn had told him. Another knock, and then the door opened. Immediately, Cody darted under the bed, peeking out from under the cloth skirt.

A woman in black and white garments came walking in, with a cart in tow and glanced around. Cody eyed her suspiciously, slightly fearful as he scooted farther underneath the bed. "I suppose the people don't mind, since there's no Do Not Disturb sign." She murmured to herself, before tugging out a large metal contraption. Cody watched the object with wide eyes, as the lady walked to the wall and stabbed something into a jack.

Almost instantly a loud whirring sound filled the room and Cody yelped, dashing forward from his hiding place, and out the open door, before the maid could even register his presence. Only two things going through his puppy mind:

Escape and Shawn.

"Aw, dammit. Where the hell did I put that key card?"

John Cena stood in the hall, a plastic bag of hygiene necessities in his left hand as he rapidly thrust his unoccupied appendage into every pocket he could find on his jean shorts. Nothing.

Well, shit.

But before he could bust down the door, a small black furry thing ran head-straight into his ankle and bounced off. "What the—?"

He paused, kneeling in front of the currently discombobulated creature, registering that it was a puppy, with a black collar wound around it's neck—or at least something that resembled a collar... Actually, it kind of looked like a piece of Shawn's pants, with the name CODY written on it in silver sharpie... But John could've been wrong.

"Cody... That's your name?" The puppy instantly perked up at the sound of his given name, and leaped back onto his feet steadily. John tilted his head, just as Cody did so and they sat there, cocking their heads at each other, before the canine of the human variety decided on speaking. "So... you lost?"

Cody barked up at him. And John chuckled. "You can understand me then? Good." He said, raising his huge hand to engulf the puppy's velvety soft head and rub his fur. Cody watched him expectantly, occasionally glancing at the door and back to him. John scratched his head, registering what Cody was trying to convey. "...Um, yeah. The problem is, I can't find my key card..."

Cody hesitated—well at least John would like to think he did—before inhaling deeply and sniffing over to the very same ankle he'd run into earlier. Using his canine teeth, he tugged John's sock down to reveal the plastic tip of his hotel card. John raised his eyebrows.

"Woah... Houston, I think I've just found a psychic dog." Cody yelped—if in confirmation to John's statement, he wasn't sure and he scooped the puppy into his unoccupied arm, reveling in the satiny fur that brushed against his bare arm. "Man, Cody, you've got some soft fur..." Cody didn't react, simply watched the elevator doors of the hallway like a hawk, and John didn't attempt to get his attention, as he slid his key card into the slot on the doorknob.

Once they were inside and he'd set Cody back on his paws, the small black fur-ball was on his plushy bed in an instant, nuzzling into his covers. "You sure like my bed, huh boy?" John commented leisurely, plopping his Wal-Mart bag onto the counter. "I wonder who your owner is..."

He glanced at his watch for the time, and after determining he had at least five or six hours until he had to meet up with a couple of the guys for dinner, he could spare some time with a nap or a movie. "Well, I'm planning on just hanging out for a while, so you can stay with me until we hear an announcement or something over the intercom for you. Though, I dunno if they even let dogs in here... What do you think?" Cody barked his agreement, excitement gleaming in his cerulean blue eyes, as he decided to spend time with the man who looked like Hunter in size but was nice like Shawn in personality, and go searching for his favorite man, afterwards.

"Good, what shall we watch, bud?" He questioned, tugging the remote off the bedside table and turning the TV on, switching to Movies On Demand. He straightened the pillows behind him, and allowed for Cody to curl up against his shirted side, as he scrolled through the list of available motion pictures. "Ooh! Check it out, Cody! They have 12 Rounds on here! That one's got your boy, John in it! Let's watch it!" Cody made a shrugging gesture with his haunches, as he rested his head contentedly on John's muscular stomach.

And as the playful man recited the lines of the film word for word, Cody felt his eyelids drooping at the alluring warmth that John emitted, and the hardy scent that radiated off of him in constant cradles over his short fur. He pawed at his t-shirt, nuzzling his nose deep into the material, as he tilted his head and lost himself in the world of unconsciousness. A world full of chewable shoes, Shawn Michaels, bones, odd movies, and a tennis ball.


"Jeez, I'm sore... and sweaty..."

Shawn dragged a soiled towel across his brow, casting an accusing glare in Hunter's direction.

"What? I didn't make you bench twenty more pounds than you're used to, you offered. That's what you get for being so full of yourself," He muttered, as they stepped out of the elevator on their floor. Shawn sneered.

"You could've stopped me, you know."

"I tried. But you just kept saying, 'No! I don't wanna have to stay long, I miss Cody!' What was I supposed to do?" Hunter growled, lugging both he and Shawn's duffels as they stopped in front of their hotel door. Shawn pouted, tugging the key card from his pocket.

"Stop me..." He murmured in reply, turning the knob and shoving the door open. He stepped into the room, expecting to see Cody grinning up at him with his tongue lolling, and his tail wagging. He even half-hoped his puppy would jump on him in slow-motion like the movies.

Alas, he was met with neither of the aforementioned, and he frowned, instantly worried. "Cody! Cody-boy! Where are you?" When nothing but the quiet hum of the air conditioner met his call, he bit his lower lip. Hunter stepped in, as Shawn immediately darted from one empty crevice to the next in search of his new friend.

"What are you doing?"

"CODY'S GONE!" Shawn shouted, alarmed, as his eyes darted wildly back and forth. Triple H flinched in surprise, before giving the room a once over, realizing indeed that there was no Cody in sight... But the room was a little bit cleaner... Had the maid been in?

"Maybe the maid kidnapped him or something," Hunter suggested offhandedly, but he was jumped on by Shawn who was gripping his forearms with a frantic disbelief in his dark eyes.

"No! Hunter! We have to find him!" HBK sounded desperate as he clung to his taller friend, anxiety obvious in the way he clutched onto him. Hunter would never admit it, but the sight of Shawn wallowing in misery was something that made his heart shatter, and he pulled his eyebrows together, before encircling the man in his huge arms, hefting him onto jelly-like legs. He knew what he was about to say, and he prayed he wouldn't regret it.

"Man-up, Michaels. We have a puppy to find."


A banging knock on the door, jerked John from his quiet reverie, and he started in surprise, causing Cody—previously resting on his abs—to jump too. "John! Open the door, I think I left my aftershave in here!" A deep, all-to-familiar voice sounded from the opposite side of the wood, and John groaned, realizing he'd fallen asleep in the middle of his movie, much like Cody.

"Hold on. I'm coming..." He grumbled, sliding off the bed, Cody leaping after him, curious as to who it was outside. Stepping over to the door, John tugged it open to reveal the tall, lanky form of Randy Orton, eying him through narrowed gray orbs, his forearm resting impatiently against the door pane. "What'd ya want?"

"I said I think I left my—" He paused, his eyes catching sight of the midnight colored pup at Cena's heel, watching him inquisitively. "Is that a dog?" John, slowly recovering from his nap, nodded.

"Yeah... His name's Cody. Pretty cute, huh?" Randy quirked an eyebrow at the older man.

"You make it sound like he's your new boyfriend or something. Why do you have a puppy with you?" He questioned, pulling himself into a full on vertical position and crossing his arms. John chuckled nervously.

"Look, I know the hotel doesn't allow pets, but I just found him outside my door, I swear. I only let him in, because he helped me find my key card," John informed, moving to sweep Cody into his arms, holding the puppy up for Randy to see clearly. "And because he's an adorable thing, really."

Randy leaned forward, eying the dog curiously, and cocking his head to the side much like Cena had done earlier. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could form words, Cody leaned forward and playfully licked his exposed lips, his tongue making contact with the pearly whites beneath.

"Agh!" Randy instantly retracted, his arm to his affronted mouth to wipe away the violation. He glared furiously at the puppy, speechless.

John laughed outright. "Hah, Cody's lovable like that. He's real friendly, you know. And I think he likes you."

Cody watched the lean figure of Randy droop, as the man sunk into a sort of cesspit of pity—disappointed in himself for having been caught off guard like that—the puppy couldn't help but wish to cuddle up next to his side. Something about his lithe body shape reminded him of Shawn and he struggled in John's grip.

"What is it, bud? You want me to give you to Randy?" Cody yelped to confirm John's assumption. "I don't think he likes you much, though..." The puppy barked again, this time more commandingly, and John reluctantly thrust him into Randy's unsuspecting grip.

"What—?" The Orton began, but before he could finish his question, Cody pawed his exposed collar bone—exposed by the unbuttoned fabric of his shirt—sniffing Randy's bare neck, wet nose leaving a cool trail along his skin. He was trying to see if perhaps Randy was alike with Shawn even more than just physically. But he instantly cocked his head at the scent that met his coal colored nose. He didn't smell like Shawn.

But he did have some likeness that Cody couldn't quite place, and to his puppy mind, that was enough of a reason to love the man before him. With all the tenacity of a Golden Retriever, Cody began to furiously lick Randy's face in a loving flurry of dog-kisses.

Randy—taken aback by the sudden onslaught—nearly fell backwards with surprise, grunting as he attempted to stop the tongue on his face.

"Wow. He really does like you... Well that's not fair. He didn't give me the royal treatment..." John frowned, crossing his arms in a petulant pout. Randy growled.

"Shut-up and get 'im off me!"

"Oh, quit whining! He's just a baby, the worst thing he could do is bite your nose," John reprimanded, as Cody paused in his ministrations, to be sure he hadn't suffocated the man with his slobbery kisses. Before cuddling his head underneath Randy's chin, his velvety fur causing the tall man to stiffen, the muscles lining his forearms tensing around Cody's form.

"I don't get why he likes you so much. I'm nicer." John muttered.

Randy's initial instinct was to drop the puppy to the floor, but he hesitated, as said puppy nuzzled the crook of his neck, his tiny heartbeat thumping lightly against his own chest. He paused, before he raised his opposite hand, gradually placing it against the furry animal's back and caressing the curve of his spine as he pet him carefully. Not quite sure why he was doing so in the first place.

"Aw. Who would've thought I'd live to see the day? Randy Orton cuddling up to a puppy?" John crooned, a jesting grin on his face. Randy shot him a particularly nasty glare as he gently brushed Cody's fur.

"I suggest you shut-up and give me my aftershave back, so I can leave, or you'll see the day when Randy Orton's fist knocked your teeth out in about three seconds," Randy hissed, his deep voice vibrating Cody's head, and causing the strangely comfortable puppy to bury his head closer, occasionally glancing over Randy's shoulder, in case Shawn went by.

"You're such an angry man, Randy. And I don't have your aftershave, can't think of a reason why I would have it in the first place... Now give Cody back, we're in the middle of watching a movie." John held up his hands demandingly, his brows furrowed. Randy took a step back, moving into the hallway, his hand wound protectively around Cody's body.

"You sure? I could've sworn I left it over here..."

"Positive. Cody. Now."

Randy swallowed thickly. "Why? He's not yours." John narrowed his eyes, already sensing where this conversation was going.

"So? I found him first."

"He likes me more."

"Randy. Do you really want to fight with me over Cody?"

Randy blinked, suddenly realizing that he was arguing with John... over a puppy. What was the world coming to?But just as he rethought his situation, and prepared to hand Cody back, the canine sat up and gave him a friendly lick under the jaw, his fur brushing against the sensitive skin of his collar bone.

"Yes."

John sighed. He should have never listened to Cody. Now The Legend Killer wanted him for himself. Silently, Cena wondered if perhaps Cody was a witch in disguise, using a spell on the two men to make them want to cuddle him to their chests like a pair of schoolgirls. John eyed the innocent puppy as he nibbled at Randy's collar, before nodding resolutely.

Yup. Definitely a witch.


"MY PUPPY'S MISSING!"

Shawn sobbed, banging his head against the nearest wall. Hunter grasped him by the neck of his t-shirt, to stop him. "Get a hold of yourself! Cody needs you to be a man. He could be out there dying—"

"NO! CODY!" This statement only brought on a whole new wave of angst, and Shawn's lower lip trembled at the thought of Cody being harmed. Triple H groaned, slapping his unoccupied hand to his forehead, that was not what he'd intended.

"Hush, Shawn. If I hear one more peep out of you, I'll stop helping you look for him," Hunter threatened, and his partner instantly shut his mouth, but his lips remained in a perpetual pout.

It was only quiet for a mere second or two.

"B-But what are we gonna do? What if my Cody-boy's out crying somewhere, alone?" He protested, starting up another whining streak as the two made their way down the hall, catching sight of a stock still Randy Orton, where he stood outside John Cena's door.

"Let's just ask Orton if he's seen him first, okay?" Shawn grimaced, not at all pleased with having to speak with the crass younger man, but agreed for Cody's sake.

"Fine... But only for Cody-boy."

Cody froze in his coddles, nerves perfectly still, as a strong draft of a wonderfully familiar scent washed over him like a tidal wave of warmth. He felt Randy hesitate at his abrupt stillness, and before the man could react, Cody's boisterous bark ripped through the air like a knife through butter.

"ARP! ARP! ARP!"

Randy flinched at the harried yelping next to his ear, and shot an anxious glance at John, but just as Cena had stepped forward, moving to take Cody back in order to calm him, a holler cut in abruptly, causing the two to jump

"MY CODY-BOY!" Shawn's harsh voice sent a ringing through the other mens' ears, as they caught sight of a frantic Michaels running like a speed-demon, and arriving just in time to rip Cody from Randy's arms. The Orton blinked at Shawn who squeezed the puppy to his chest, as if he were some lifeline, Cody doggy-kissing him rapidly, as he barked excitedly.

"...Shawn?" John questioned, quite surprised to see the older man cuddling Cody. Suddenly, Hunter appeared, looking slightly irritated, as he caught sight of the small animal, his gaze stoic.

"Jeez, Cody. What the hell? Don't you ever run away like that again, or ol' Shawn over here'll go bat-shit crazy on me," He reprimanded, his big hand rubbing the ashamed puppy's head, in an absent gesture, though, Shawn could tell Hunter had been sort of worried too. Even though he'd rather babysit two year olds with guns than admit it.

"Uh... Am I missing something? You guys know Cody?" John cocked his head curiously, his arms crossing in confusion. Shawn glanced up from the scruff of fur he'd been rubbing his cheek against, to narrow his eyes at John suspiciously.

"Yes. I found him outside the arena last night. He's my puppy." His eyes darted to Randy, who flinched at the icy stare. "What were you two doing with him?"

"Oh, well. He ran into me, and I was just watching a movie with him. Then aftershave-boy here showed up and tried to take him away! I think he was going to try and keep him for himself." John smirked at Randy who mouthed the words, 'You fucking asswipe.'

But before Shawn could give Randy a proper verbal lashing, Hunter threw his arm around the older man's shoulders, and tugged him to his side. "Well, thanks for finding our dog, anyway. C'mon Shawn, we have a hotel room to get back to." And with that, Triple H carefully prevented the explosion that nearly imploded from Shawn's mouth, as he dragged him along back to their room.

Randy and John stood in the hallway, still slightly lost as to what was going on. Randy scratched his head awkwardly. "So... You think maybe Hunter has my aftershave?"

John flicked Randy's ear as hard as possible.


"Why'd you stop me from kicking Orton's ass, Hunter?"

Shawn scowled at his partner, from where he lay, grumping on the cushion-like mattress, with his arms behind his head. Cody, who usually tried to spend as much time as he could with Shawn, had opted for settling beside Hunter—who had taken a kind of tolerance for him—because The Heartbreak Kid was radiating such a pissed-off aura, the puppy was slightly fearful. Unfortunately, his obvious avoidance of Shawn, was putting said man even more on edge.

"I stopped you, because you would have made a fool of yourself. Fighting with Randy Orton over a dog, would seem like a pretty small thing to get suspended for. Killing coworkers is illegal in the U.S. you know," Hunter murmured noncommittally, as he flipped through the most recent WWE Magazine, chuckling at a comment the editor had made on Randy's evil-ness—finding it ironic that the man had just been cuddling a puppy only seconds ago. Oh yeah, the guy was the epitome of all the was despicable. Because when he was cuddling that puppy, he wasn't just cuddling it, he was cuddling it evilly.

Cody barked his agreement to Triple H's earlier comment, watching Shawn with furrowed brows, as he rested his muzzle on his black paws, where he lay against Hunter's thigh.

"Your sarcasm irks me." Shawn growled, turning on his side, hesitating and then sighing. "...Hey Cody-boy? I'm not angry anymore... So can you come lay beside me now?" He whimpered, his back to the small puppy. Cody paused, before carefully leaping to his feet and creeping across the bed, Shawn oblivious to his slow progress towards him.

It was quiet, as HBK assumed Cody had decided to stay with Hunter, before abruptly he was pounced to his back, as his puppy launched himself to his stomach his back bent in a playful pose, tongue lolling. Shawn's grin could have cracked his face in half it was so big, as Shawn raised his arms to snuggle the furry creature to his chest. "I knew I was your favorite, Cody!"

Hunter rolled his eyes, flipping the magazine shut and tossing it lazily onto the bedside table, as he watched Cody lick Shawn's face as if it were a piece of ham. His face twisted into a scowl. It was disgusting. But maybe he was just biased. He didn't appreciate anything licking his Shawn's face. Ever.

HBK was still laughing heartily, Cody nuzzling into his hair, when he caught Hunter's irate glare. He quickly rolled the puppy onto his furry back to subdue the ball of energy, rubbing his belly, as he grinned over at Triple H with a knowing expression. The aforementioned man blinked at him in confusion.

"What?"

Shawn smirked. "Don't glare at Cody like you don't like him. I heard you earlier with John and Orton in the hallway when you called him our dog. I know you secretly love him!" He crooned, his eyebrows pulling together as Cody barked in agreement, his own big baby-blue eyes sparkling up at him.

"Hey, wait wait wait! I only said that to get Cena and Orton of our backs, and leave as soon as possible. I don't love that runt. I was just trying to keep you from launching yourself at aftershave-boy okay?" Shawn rolled his eyes, unconvinced.

"Sure whatever." And he continued on with his Cody love fest, burying his nose into the puppy's irresistibly soft coat. Hunter scowled, crossing his arms as he eyed his partner suspiciously from where he stood at the corner of the bed, opening his mouth, preparing to repeat his earlier words, sensing Shawn's unbelieving air. But before he could make a sound, there was thudding knock against the hotel room door.

Casting Shawn a half-hearted reproachful stare, Hunter made his way over, The Heartbreak Kid watching him curiously with Cody bundled in his arms. The taller man tugged the door open to reveal the hulking form of John Cena and—behind him—a lanky, muscular, tattooed Orton. He eyed the two, glancing back and forth.

"Since when did you two get so close? Now your knocking on doors together too?" Over his shoulder he noticed Shawn sliding off the bed and stepping up behind him, Cody dangling from his arms.

John sighed. "Randy just wanted to know if you had his aftershave. And I wanted to play with Cody!" Shawn eyed him with obvious dislike, from behind Hunter's shoulder, squeezing Cody closer in a possessive, protective manner. John quickly continued in an attempt to clear his name in The Heartbreak Kid's book. "I swear if I'd known he was your puppy, I'd have returned him much earlier, but he's really good company! We're best friends, and I didn't get to say goodbye when you took him!"

Randy scowled at John, shoving the man to the side, trying to get more door-space as he spoke. "Hey. I didn't only come for my mysteriously-disappearing aftershave, I wanted to see Cody too. He really likes me, you know."

Hunter turned his nose up at the two before him for their words, positively revolted by their sudden obsession with Shawn's puppy. He swore, was Cody on everyone's Christmas List, this year?

Shawn was just as displeased with the two younger wrestlers. "Why should I have to share Cody with you guys? He's my puppy. And he likes me more than both of you combined." HBK glared, as Cody absently licked the tan skin of his forearm. John noticed the movement, and an idea suddenly materialized in his mind, remembering the fact that the small black puppy could oddly understand him when he spoke to him.

"Well, why don't we ask Cody if he wants to play with us?" He suggested, the puppy perking up at the emphasis on his name.

"Yeah, that sounds fair," Randy inputted, unawares to how childish he was acting. Shawn narrowed his eyes, before glancing at Cody conspiratorially and turning around so that the other men couldn't see.

"What do you think, Cody-boy? Do you really wanna play with John and Orton?" He whispered, an obvious distaste for the previously mentioned men lacing his hushed voice. Cody seemed to contemplate this, before barking his consent, the comfortable memories of sleeping on John's stomach during that movie and licking Randy's exposed skin flashing through his mind.

Shawn frowned, not exactly pleased with his puppy's reply. But he sighed, before returning his gaze to the other wrestlers, hesitating as they all eyed him expectantly.

"...Cody said it was okay..." He muttered, shooting a downcast stare at the hotel room wall, as he forced himself to thrust Cody into John's grip, biting his lower lip to control himself. John grinned, apparently pleased with the outcome and rubbed his nose against Cody's.

"Aw! Thanks Cody! Your so cute! Yes you are, yes you are!" He crooned, his minty fresh breath washing over the puppy's furry face, causing him to tilt his head forward and lap his tongue across his mouth, curious to see if his lips tasted the same as they smelled. And they did. "Aw, I knew you liked me too! You were just being nice to Randy earlier, right?"

Hunter groaned, shaking his head in a disappointed gesture. He caught sight of Randy watching John and Cody with a frown, and remembered The Viper's earlier reason for coming. "Oh, and Orton? I don't have your aftershave. Seriously, if you want to blame somebody, I'd bet you twenty bucks your DiBiase boy took it."

Randy paused, before his eyes grew wide as if he were having some sort of epiphany. Hunter rolled his eyes at the younger man's ignorance with a sigh, as the Orton slapped his palm to his forehead, cursing. It wasn't hard to guess what he'd just realized.

"Alright John, you've had your fun. Give me my Cody back," Shawn muttered, a perpetual pout marring his expression, his eyes never leaving the puppy's fur covered back. John frowned, snuggling Cody to his warm chest protectively.

"But... But I don't wanna."

"Yeah, and I haven't even held him yet," Randy—seemingly recovered from his moment of idiocy—added, casting Cena his signature viper-glare. John sneered at him, and shifted passed Hunter and Shawn, moving to their bed and settling down comfortably on its sheets.

"I'll stay in here. I promise. I just haven't seen such a cute puppy in years. And this one actually likes me, so let me play with him for a little while longer." John looked up at Shawn his eyebrows pulled together, and bottom lip jutting out.

Now, normally Shawn would be immune to such faces—being a master himself—especially John's pout, but Cody was curled in his arms, shooting him the very same pleading stare. And, well, of course there was no way The Show Stopper could possibly say no. Cody was adorable.

"Fine... Just remember to share and... and play nicely," He mumbled grabbing a towel and grunting something about taking another shower because he was all sweaty from working out. John grinned, flopping Cody to his paws and crouching in front of him on the plushy bed like a tiger preparing to pounce.

"You hear that, bud? He said we could play!" He exclaimed and Cody barked excitedly, kneeling down in his own playful position, his tail wagging so violently his entire back side was shaking back and forth mischievously.

And as he launched at John's huge form, Hunter huffed, plopping onto the armchair in the corner, taking absolutely no pleasure in the situation, while Randy stood, his tall form leaning against the wall, arms crossed tightly, as he watched Cena roll around on the sheets with the furry black ball of energy.

Hunter sensed the tension flowing off of The Viper in frustrated waves and ran his hand through his long hair. Jeez, this situation was turning into a wrestler-filled soap opera. And he was seriously starting to feel like the only sane man in the room.


Two hours later, everyone had conked out.

Of course, they were all absolutely exhausted from the Raw screening the night before, and normally they spent their Tuesdays napping in the hotel rooms, anyway because the next day they'd be boarding a plane.

John had passed out on the bed, his mouth open as he snored lightly. At his feet, Randy lay with his arms spread out at full length and his chest rising and falling slowly as he breathed deeply, Cody curled up at the crook where his neck met his shoulder. Shawn was hugging a pillow to his chest, his face buried in its cushy softness, most likely imagining it was Cody's delicate fur. Hunter was snoring away on the armchair, his head thrown back, looking every bit the tired old man, he was sometimes jokingly called.

But—in a way—they were all a bunch of rambunctious kids every once in a while, wiped out from playing too hard.

The door to the hotel room was propped open with one of Hunter's boots, in case someone came looking for Randy and John, seeing as how they weren't in their rooms and they were sans the cell phones. Though they hadn't counted on dozing off all at the same time, so actually—if a stranger wanted to—they could easily walk in and steal whatever they wanted.

Fortunately, their floor was pretty secure, and the only people allowed up there were WWE staff. Speaking of which...

Cody whimpered, as his stomach growled for food once more. He twisted in his rolled up position against Randy's neck. His bright blue eyes blinked as he cleared the sleep from his vision—along with the images of meat. Tugging himself to his furry black paws, Cody lightly stepped across the large bed to Shawn, lazily licking his face in order to wake the older man.

"Uhn, not now Hunter..." HBK muttered, lifting a slow hand to swipe away Cody's wet tongue. Said puppy frowned, falling back onto his bottom with a whine. He was starving and his stomach growled again as if to reiterate this statement.

Moving to his paws once more, Cody prepared to go and lick John's face in an attempt to awake the man, but before he could begin to move towards him, a fruity scent suddenly wafted into his nostrils. He cocked his head, as if that would help him understand what the strangely becoming smell was, as he saw someone walk past the door.

Instinctively, he leaped off the bed, casting a reluctant glance at Shawn's slumbering body. He'd be back before his Shawn even knew he'd left. Yeah. And with that comforting thought in mind, he bounded out the door in search of the yummy scent that had drifted by.

Jeff Hardy popped another skittle into his anticipating mouth, as he glanced from room number to room number, curious as to which was his. He and a couple of the Smackdown wrestlers that were supposed to be appearing at the Pay-Per-View that Sunday had gone ahead and caught a flight over to the Raw staff's hotel, so that they'd all be together for the screening and there wouldn't be confusion later. He wasn't going to be on the Smackdown episode they were filming that night anyway, so he had a day to kill, before the Raw brand packed up their things and flew down to Florida.

Once he'd reached the end of the hall he stopped, scratching his head in confusion. "Well dammit, where the hell is my room? I could've sworn they said eight-oh-seven... But it could've been seven-thirty-three..."

"Arp! Arp!"

Jeff froze at the barks, spinning around in surprise. A small charcoal colored puppy was at his feet, it's eyes as clear as spring water staring intently at his bag of skittles in his left hand. Jeff cocked an eyebrow, inwardly wondering if the hotel even allowed dogs.

"Uh... Hi, puppy."

"Arp!" It yelped again, carefully padding closer, blue orbs locked on the red skittle wrap. Jeff glanced around in search of the puppy's owner, and—catching no one in sight—flopped onto his butt, dangling the skittles in front the puppy.

"You want one of these?" He questioned, and the puppy yapped in answer, jumping from paw to paw excitedly. Jeff's eyebrows raised. "Huh. I wonder what your name is, tiny." He searched the dogs furry covered neck in search of a collar, and noticed the thin black leather wound around it, with the name, Cody scrawled on it in capital letters.

He frowned. Whomever thought up that name obviously didn't get an 'A' for creativity... If he had a puppy, he'd name it... Like, Sparky or something.

"Cody, huh? Cute." He muttered for good measure. The puppy barked in agreement, his eyes still watching the skittles as if it were some sort of wondrous deity who's existence only took place in fairy tales and drug corners—much like the way Jeff constantly viewed skittles.

He allowed a small grin to quirk up at the corners of his mouth. He and Cody had something in common. He nodded. He could grow to like this puppy.

"I can see you really want a skittle, huh? Here, but only one. They're a delicacy in certain third-world-countries, you know."

And with that Jeff dipped his fingers into the bag carefully, gradually extracting a red colored skittle, the white S on it's front symbolizing its tasty, delicious, addictive properties.

He held it out for Cody, who instantly lapped it up from the surface of his palm, and swallowed it only seconds later. Jeff was watching him very closely, gaging the puppy's reaction to the sweet, tangy tantalizing flavor of the skittle.

Cody paused, allowing the taste to sink into to his sensitive taste buds, relishing in the rainbow tinted flavor. He blinked once the skittle's remnants finally disintegrated into nothing more than a hollow aftertaste. A low rumble ignited in the back of his throat, a need for another delectable bead of candy goodness, and—without properly thinking—he pounced onto the curious form of Jeff Hardy, shoving the man backwards and onto the carpet of the hall, licking his face viciously, tasting the remains of skittles on his lips as he did so.

Jeff was taken aback and he grunted as he was coated in dog-spit, Cody having taken a liking to his wonderfully sweet candy-drug.

"I-I... I guess that... that means you like 'em then?" He managed out in between licks, as Cody continued to dog-kiss him, in order to taste skittles and in thanks for letting him have one in the first place.

Yup. Jeff was now officially 'up there' on his, "Humans I Like" list. Along with Shawn, John, Randy and—Maybe—Hunter. Well, the big man was, but Cody'd never say so.

By now, Jeff was gasping for air, and he dropped his skittles onto the floral carpet of the hotel hallway before his arms flung up to grasp Cody in his hold, tugging him back and away from his face. "Hah... Jeez, Cody. You trying to kill me?"

Cody seemed to grin, as he licked his jowls and nudged his damp nose against Jeff's upper arm, silently asking for more skittles. Jeff laughed outright, realizing he'd accidentally abandoned his skittles—an act he used to think he was incapable of—and he hurriedly reached for them, pouring a handful into his opened palm, his opposite arm holding Cody down to keep the puppy from pouncing on him once more.

"Here ya go, boy," Jeff said cheerily, plucking an orange skittle from his bunch, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger, his dark painted nails making the candy sphere appear even brighter and more inviting. Cody's tail wagged vigorously in anticipation as Jeff placed the skittle on his outstretched tongue. He instantly curled it into his mouth, savoring the tangy citrus taste.

Jeff grinned, obviously amused with the puppy's sudden liking to skittles. He'd never heard of a canine who ate candy... He raised the hand that wasn't carrying skittles, in order to scratch behind his left ear, recalling hearing about that being one of a dog's favorite spots. Cody's eyes closed in content, and he snuggled his muzzle into the thin cloth of Jeff's black tank, as if to return the pleasing gesture.

Jeff continued to rub behind his ear, as he stuck a purple skittle in his mouth—his favorite, his cheeks sunk in as he puckered his lips, cherishing the taste. Ah, yes.

Cody sniffed along his torso, eying the four remaining skittles in Jeff's palm. One yellow, two green, and one purple. Cody's gaze fixed on the violet tinted one, the image of The Enigma's indulgent expression as he chewed down on his own purple skittle constantly replaying in his mind's eye.

Jeff noticed the puppy's stare, and lifted the purple candy in his fingers. "You want a purple one too?" Cody barked in confirmation.

Jeff gnawed his bottom lip as he thought over the decision, his eyes catching sight of the pouting blue orbs looking sullenly up at him. "...B-But I love the purple ones..."

Cody's puppy look didn't wane, as he bowed his head with a depressed air, as if to say: "Well, okay. I-I didn't want one, a-anyway..." Jeff's lower lip quivered, a hurt expression marring his face.

"...Er, but you can have it..." He said quietly, his voice thick with reluctance as he gently held out the purple skittle, fighting to keep it from shaking. Cody perked up instantly, his tongue lolling and tail bobbing. He launched forward to engulf nearly all of Jeff's hand in his mouth, as he sucked on the skittle.

After a moment of agonizing torture, Jeff finally found the voice to ask the question that had been resting patiently on the tip of his tongue. "S-so, did you like it?" Cody paused, licking his jaws, before pouncing to his paws and surprising Jeff. He barked eccentrically, bouncing around on The Enigma's belly, as if he were on Speed.

Jeff couldn't resist chuckling at the ecstatic puppy, as the fur ball buried his nose against his collar bone, in a grateful gesture. "So I guess it's your favorite too?" He presumed, gulping the remaining three in his mouth and using both his free hands to scruff Cody's fur affectionately. Cody yelped, 'yes' to his question. Jeff tugged the puppy close to his face, puckering his lips for a dog-kiss. Said puppy complied full-heartedly.

"You know, Cody. I think this is the start of a beautiful, skittle-loving, friendship."

Cody licked his lips once more, nuzzling their noses together, as if to say: "Yes, indeed."


"Mm..."

Randy rolled to his left, grasping a handful of sheets and tugging it towards him as a draft of cool air washed over him. He grunted, the nape of his neck suspiciously cold, when mere minutes earlier it had been the warmest part of his body. His hand reached up absently to caress the naked skin in the aforementioned spot, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth. His eyes squinted in dazed confusion.

What was he missing? He felt as if something had been taken from him... But what?

And then almost as if he'd been whacked in the skull with a baseball bat, he jerked into a sitting position, gray eyes jerking back and forth wildly in search of the black puppy he'd grown to enjoy.

Unfortunately he saw no sign of his signature pitch as night fur. "Cody?" Randy's deep, guttural voice caused John to stir from his slumber. He cracked a blue eye open, his hand raising to swipe a bit of drool from his lip as he eyed Randy with apparent agitation.

"Why are you yelling?" He grumbled. Randy scowled at him.

"I wasn't." John seemed honestly surprised by his words.

"You sure?"

"...Yeah." John shrugged, tugging the pillow underneath his head closer to his body.

"Oh. Okay then, goodnight." Randy rolled his eyes, moving his foot to jab against the older man's abs. John jumped, as if he'd already fallen asleep in the small span of two seconds from when he'd spoken, and he tumbled off the bed in a heap, hitting the carpet with a dull thud and a dazed, "Ow..."

"You're an idiot. Now what'd you do with Cody?" Randy questioned, leaning over the bedside to see John attempting to sit up as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I didn't do anything with Cody... I thought he went to sleep next to you," He muttered, finally gaining full consciousness, and becoming alert. Well, as alert as a man like Cena could be anyway. Randy swallowed hard.

"...Uh, John?"

Said man's eyes narrowed at the worry that seeped into The Viper's tone. "What?"

"I think Cody's missing."

The speed with which Shawn had appeared at their side, caused both of the men to cry out in girlish surprise.

"Cody's what?"

His voice was dangerously low, and oozing enough venom to make The Legend Killer himself piss his pants. The hissed question jostled Hunter from his light rest and he groaned once he realized Shawn's state of mind at the moment.

Jeez. Now they were in for it.


"Hey, Cody? Won't your owner be looking for you, soon?"

Jeff sat with his back against the wall, Cody lounging complacently between his knees as they shared the remnants of his last skittle bag. The puppy seemed to flinch at his comment, and he cast a worried glance in the direction of the open door leading to Shawn and Hunter's room.

Jeff followed his gaze. "Is that your room?" He hesitated. "Wait, so does that mean that you belong to one of the wrestlers?" The Hardy brother questioned, astonished. No way, one of Raw's wrestlers was harboring a furry fugitive! Albeit, an adorably awesome furry fugitive, but a fugitive nonetheless!

Cody barked his consent, returning his pure blue eyes sending a strange shiver down Jeff's spine. The man wasn't sure why he thought so, but Cody had the prettiest eyes he'd ever seen, which was peculiar, because he'd never thought he would think a puppy's iris's were all that great. Maybe it was the artist in him talking. He shrugged to himself.

"You've got a pair of the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen, you know that? My last girlfriend's eyes—and trust me, I'd thought they were nice—have got nothing on yours. Really, they're not just blue. They look almost transparent. And since your so innocent. It shows through them and makes them even more appealing. I sort of wish my eyes were so fascinating. I'd get laid at least seven times a day!"

Cody cocked his head to the side, curious as to what the hell the man before him was going on about. Jeff noticed his confused stare, and shut his mouth with a self-depreciating laugh. "Sorry, Cody. I tend to ramble sometimes. It comes with the ADD."

Cody lifted onto his haunches, in order to lick Jeff's cheek as if say, "I forgive you for being kind of weird." Jeff grinned, planting his own kiss at the top of the puppy's fuzzy forehead. He opened his mouth, about to speak when a sudden shout caused both he and Cody's heads to whip in the direction of the open door it had come from.

"OW! I SWEAR IT WASN'T ME! I DIDN'T DOGNAP CODY!"

Jeff cocked his eyebrow, as John Cena came tuck-and-rolling out the hotel room, a frantic expression on his face as he darted towards the two in the direction of the emergency stairwell, constantly glancing over his shoulder as if he were being hunted by some deadly predator. And to John—well, he practically was.

Jeff Hardy was to his feet in seconds, his abrupt movement catching the eyes of the hysterical man, and he skidded to a halt the instant he noticed the small furry form of Cody, bundled in Jeff's arms, cerulean blue orbs watching him curiously.

"BUD!" John pivoted on the heel of his tennis shoe, darting to Jeff's side just as Shawn came stomping out the door, with narrow-eyed glare that would put The Viper's to shame. "Jeff, I don't know what the hell you're doing with Cody, but hurry and hand him over or Michaels will go psycho-protective-father on both our asses!"

Jeff cast a bewildered glance at Cody. "Shawn Michaels is your owner?" Cody yapped cheerfully, doggy-grinning in the direction of the No. 1 man on his aforementioned "Humans I Like" list.

Shawn wasted no time at all materializing beside the two men, the absolute rage that radiated off of him, causing them to flinch away. He eyed Jeff. "You. What are you doing with my Cody." It wasn't a question. It was a demand.

And although Jeff was always intimidated by the older, more experienced wrestler, he stood his ground, his eyes never leaving Shawn's. "He wanted some of my skittles. So I gave him some." Cody barked his assent, leaning forward in Jeff's hold to lap at Shawn's bare forearm, seeing as how the man was standing so close, practically nose to nose with Jeff himself.

"I see. Well your skittles are gone, Hardy. So give me Cody back." As he spoke, Randy and Hunter appeared from the open doorway of the hotel room, rushing over to the two unawares to Jeff's involvement in the predicament.

"Shawn! Don't do anything you might regret!" Hunter was shouting, hesitating as he made his way over to the three wrestlers, noticing how Shawn wasn't beating John to death with a vending machine. Once he reached them, he scratched the back of his head—hair frazzled from when Shawn went ballistic—oblivious to the tension. "...Wait. Why aren't you killing John? And why is skittle-boy here?"

"I resent that," Jeff commented, narrowing his eyes in the older man's direction.

"Turns out skittle-boy—"

"Hey!"

"Had Cody in his clutches the whole time," Shawn informed, ignorant to Jeff's interruption, his hands to his waist, as he shot the man an accusing stare. Hunter's eyebrows pulled together, as his gaze lowered from Jeff's face to the ecstatic animal in his arms—ecstatic for the fact that every one of his favorite people were all within each other's breathing space, it was like a puppy's dream come true!

"Cody. I think you're partly at fault as well. I told you, man to mammal, not to leave Shawn or mine's supervision. And did you listen? I don't think so." Shawn smacked Hunter's bicep.

"Don't blame Cody, he's just a baby!" The older man reprimanded, turning his gaze to level with Cody's, grinning from ear to ear. "Give me my puppy now, skittle!" He ordered, already reaching for the puppy.

Hunter acted abruptly, wrapping his arm around Shawn's neck and tugging the smaller man away. "Uh-uh, I don't think so, buddy! You do not reward him for his recklessness. Besides, you're partly at fault too. You told me you'd keep an eye on him, and he escaped. So, I'm officially grounding both of you."

Shawn's jaw dropped and Cody yelped in dissent. The Game eyed the puppy, before releasing Shawn and forcibly extricating him from Jeff's grip. "Hush you. You're under room arrest, and you're not allowed to even breathe Shawn's air." He said harshly, plopping the puppy one-handedly into Randy's unsuspecting arms, his other hand holding back Shawn at the chest.

"You're so mean! We're so over, Hunter! I swear it!" Hunter smiled.

"You don't mean that."

"I do!" HHH ushered for the remaining men to follow him as he dragged Shawn along by the shirt collar. Cody was pouting, curled in Randy's hold, looking every bit the image of a child who's favorite flavor of lollipop had been violently taken away.

"We can still play with him, right?" John questioned, sticking close to Randy's side as he rubbed behind Cody's ear with his two forefingers, in order to occupy his mind and keep his thoughts off Shawn who he was currently barred from making any kind of connection with.

"Yup, it's only Show Stopper over here."

Jeff started at Triple H's words. "Then me too?" Hunter shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess..." He muttered. "I still don't see what the pull is..." He continued in a more subdued tone, casting Cody—who was feeling slightly better—an irked glance.


They piled into the room, tying Shawn down to the bed in quite a kinky fashion, by way of the white sheets—wrists to bedposts, with a clean sock shoved in his mouth. Put there by Hunter after he finally got fed up with the man's whining. Jeff, John and Randy were curled up at the foot of the bed, a bowl of popcorn and a separate bowl of skittles between them—the supplements that substituted for dinner along with a couple of Cokes. Cody resting comfortably on John's thigh as Jeff popped him the occasional skittle and Randy fed him a piece of popcorn every once in a while.

All their eyes were glued to the screen, staring open-mouthed, absolutely transfixed by the images that flashed by, finding themselves oddly captivated by the movie's enticing plot twists. They realized they were thinking thoughts like: "Who cares if this is a chick-flick, it's so damn great!" and "Why don't I transform into a werewolf?" and "What the hell is with that vampire dude? He's such an ass to her! Leave him, leave him now!" and "Dayum! That Jacob kid is—" Well. You get the idea.

Twilight 2: New Moon would forever be imprinted on their innocent minds.

"Hey. You think maybe we should give Cody a bath? I mean, he might be really dirty, since he was outside and all..."

The credits of New Moon were scrolling across the screen, as John glanced to Shawn and Hunter for a reply to his statement, his hand absently petting Cody's furry head, where it rested on his lap. Jeff and Randy were in the process of picking the bits of skittle and popcorn from the carpet and tossing them—Or Randy was tossing them, Jeff was feeding the fallen skittles to Cody.

The sock had been—thankfully-removed from Shawn's mouth, by way of his signature puppy eyes in Hunter's direction, and said HBK spoke from his still tied down position. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. My Cody-boy could probably do with a bath. But if he doesn't like it, you take him out immediately, got it?" He shot John a warning glare and the man nodded quickly, shifting to his feet.

"Wait. I want Orton to do it. Out of the three of you Cody-lovers, he seems the most responsible. No offense," Hunter ordered, from where he lounged beside Shawn on the bed, having been bored into near submission by the movie they'd been watching and just now deciding to speak. Everyone else had thought he'd died and gone to Hunter heaven.

John grimaced. Apparently not.

"Fine." He was none to pleased, as he gently handed Cody over to Randy who took him carefully, cradling him to his chest, as the puppy saddled up to him with a distracted lick against his bare collar, eyes glued to Shawn's trapped form.

Randy headed over to the bathroom, not at all sure of what he was really doing, but he held Cody to his chest with one hand as he knelt by the tub-side, turning the customary knobs as the water began to flow out, with a repetitive tattoo of light taps.

He adjusted the temperature, sticking his hand in the steady stream every second or so, being sure to keep it nice and warm. Once he got a comfortable heat, he stuck the rubber stopper in the drain, feeling much like a father washing his child for the first time, as the water level began to rise. Cody, all the while, staring out the door at Shawn.

After it was about three inches off the bottom, Randy eased the water flow, glancing down at Cody.

"Okay, Cody. You ready?" He questioned rhetorically, but the puppy barked in reluctant confirmation anyway. With a small smile, Randy held Cody up at eye level, his own gray orbs staring reassuringly into his shimmering blue ones. "You'll be fine. Promise. And if you don't like it, I'll be here to pull you out immediately okay?"

Cody seemed to nod, his eyebrows tugged into a pout. Randy could barely force himself to set him into the hot water, his paw pads making contact with the smooth surface of the tub bottom. When Cody didn't yelp or leap up, Randy cupped his hands under the light trill of water and, once his palms were filled with warm H2O, he moved to pour it over Cody's midnight colored fur.

The next few moments were something of a blur—as, almost instantaneously, a humongous puff of smoke erupted from the tub, knocking Randy backwards. The loud POOF that resounded afterwards, caused Hunter, John and Jeff to dash to the bathroom entrance in surprise.

Coughing, Hunter attempted to wave away the smoke, "What the hell is this, Orton?"

"Yeah, what'd you do?" Jeff added, eyes beginning to water from the gray smog. But before Randy could reply—most likely suffocating in the sooty vapor that engulfed the bathroom, something darted through the three men in the doorway, catching all of them off guard as they fell to their butts in surprise.

"What the—?"

"AGH! HOLY SHIT-CAKES! WHAT THE—WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" Shawn's shout pierced their ears, and they scrambled to their feet, Hunter never having moved so fast in his life. As the smoke dissipated they saw something their minds would never be able to forget.

There. On top of Shawn's constricted body, was a pale, slight, black haired—stark—naked boy who looked no older than twenty, in the process of nuzzling his decidedly human nose into the crook of the positively freaked Shawn Michaels.

Usually, Hunter would have gone into his signature protective, possessive mode and would've launched himself at the intruder, but this wasn't usually and he was far too disturbed to even breathe. He and the other two cognizant wrestlers gaped at the naked boy snuggling up to Shawn's defenseless self, eyes wide with disbelief and "What-The-Fuck?"-ness glazing over their faces.

"GUYS?" Shawn yelped, attempting to shove the boy off of him, but his appendages were bound, so he was finding the task rather difficult. The boy paused, in his nuzzling—cocking his head to the side, curiously. Shawn froze, his eyes locking with the stranger's. Frantic cobalt tinted orbs fastened on a pair of eyes he'd never felt were so familiar. Aquamarine hued innocence stared back at him, blinking silently, a dot of confusion flashing through them as they watched him adoringly.

Shawn sucked in a breath, gawking—slack-jawed—at the brunette straddling him with a puzzled frown pulling at the corners of his particularly human lips. No. No effing way. It wasn't possible... Shawn's brain felt as if it'd just been high-voltage electrocuted, blown to Timbuktu and then eaten by a diseased lion. Yeah. It was that bad.

He couldn't believe the name that was about to fall from his mouth. "C-Cody...?" The boy grinned, crouching down, dangerously close to his face.

What happened next, caused all four of the currently conscious men, to feint from pure, unadulterated horror. The nudist's—strangely dry—nose met with Shawn's as he rubbed them together affectionately, before bowing his head as he prepared to show his Shawn how much he loved him.

He stuck out his—human—tongue and dragged it across Shawn's parted lips, before exclaiming:

"Shawn!"

Oh, boy.


Is it weird to find my own story adorable? ...Oh well.

Reviews and ConCrit are welcome!

Thank you for reading, I'd like to know if this is worth continuing or not.