Cooper was in a rut. There was no other way to describe it. Since retiring Mark at Wrestlemania, he'd gone on to feud with Randy Orton, Sheamus, Orton again, Kane (after the family had been dissolved), Matt Hardy, and finally Jeff of all people. He'd lost the title to Orton at Summerslam, won it back at the Rumble, then promptly lost it to CM Punk on an episode of RAW in February.

Since then, he'd been languishing in mid-card obscurity. The only thing that he'd really enjoyed was beating the hell out of 3MB. He was hoping that might've been the start of something interesting, but then the Shield came in and he became just another victim of a triple power bomb.

This brings us to why Cooper was lying on the couch with Jeff on top of him. Creative used it to give Cooper some requested time off. What Creative didn't know was that Cooper's contract was set to expire within the next 30 days and he wasn't sure that he wanted to return.

Playing with Jeff's hair while he listened to Connor still proclaim that he was the Champion, Cooper sighed loudly.

"Sup, Cooper?" Jeff turned his head "You haven't been yourself lately."

"I dunno." Cooper replied "Just bored, I guess."

"Imma make you not bored." Jeff started to rub his bottom against Cooper's groin.

"Jeff, it's not you that's making me bored." Cooper answered "In fact, you're the one exciting thing I got going for me now."

"Yay!" Jeff rolled over to make more intimate contact. "I like making you excited."

"I know." Cooper smirked, getting hard. "But I don't want Connor making another scene like last week."

"That was kinda cute." Jeff giggled

"Cute? You obviously don't remember that you were not the one chasing after him trying to get him to stop yelling that we were fucking and for five bucks, they could watch."

"Yeah… he so shoulda charged more!" Jeff moved up for a kiss.

The phone rang, interrupting Jeff and Cooper's moment. Cooper reached for the phone, but Jeff slapped his hand away.

"Let James or Mark answer it." He scolded "It's not often we get any alone time anymore."

"Not my fault." Cooper shrugged

"Yes it is." Jeff tried to look stern. "You refuse to move in with me!"

"Jeff, we've been over this before." Cooper sighed "I told you I have my reasons."

"Yeah, but you've also been a grouchy-pants and not told me what those reasons are." Jeff huffed "I thought that these rings meant that we had something."

"We do." Cooper exhaled, and for a moment debated to tell Jeff that he still felt that he was living in the shadow of Tom. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yeah. I do. Whatever it is, I will not be angry."

"No grouchy-pants from you?"

"No grouchy-pants." Jeff promised

"Okay, it's just that I still…"

"Got a minute?" Mark interrupted

"What is it, dead man?" Cooper was a little thankful for the interruption.

"That was Vince on the phone."

"If it's about my contract, I hope you told him that…"

"Actually, it's not." Mark furrowed his brow. Cooper knew that look. It meant that something was seriously bothering his father. "I don't know why Vince was told before we were…"

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Your grandfather passed away this morning." Mark exhaled

"What?" Cooper sat up fast. So fast, that Jeff almost ended up on the floor.

"Respiratory failure or something like that." Mark said

Cooper was shocked. "There's more, isn't there?"

"Yeah." Mark sighed "This is even worse."

"What could be… or should I even ask?"

"Vince asked me to come back for a few weeks to work an angle with Punk."

"And…?"

"I said yes."

...

Between the funeral arrangements, Mark's return and Wrestlemania, the last month of Cooper's WWE life rushed by. To his word, he did not renew his contract and was written off television after receiving a second triple power bomb through a table by the Shield.

Several days later, he and Jeff were lounging around Jeff's house. To Jeff's credit, he had not brought up the very uncomfortable topic of why Cooper hadn't moved in again, but Cooper knew that was only a matter of time.

"Coopy, I know." Out of the blue, Skittles in his hand, Jeff stated.

"You do? You know what?" Cooper asked

"Why you won't move in with me." Jeff curled up in the corner easy chair.

"Oh really?" Cooper tried to play it calm.

"Yeah. I is stupid really. It's the same reason you wouldn't take Tommy's ring… you hate to be reminded of why we're together." Jeff said "I don't know why I didn't realize it earlier."

"Jeff, I do love you." Cooper answered

"But it's been two years." Jeff answered "Isn't it time to move on? Fuck, even Matty and Randy have accepted the fact that we're together!"

"They have?" This was news to Cooper.

"Yeah… for six months! Now are you gonna get off your butt and do something about us or do I hafta?"

That sounded like an ultimatum to Cooper. "What you gonna do about it then?"

Jeff pouted… for half a second. "This, mister."

He jumped out of the chair and walked on his knees across the floor to Cooper. Taking Cooper's hands in his, he said the four words that, looking back, Cooper wished he'd had the balls to say.

"Will you marry me?"

…

"Do I look alright?" James asked for the tenth time.

"You look fine." Mark replied for the tenth time.

"But…"

"After the shit you put the Hardy family through, you should be thankful that Cooper and Jeff want you there." Mark finished knotting his bow tie.

"I was only being a good daddy." James sulked

"Keep telling yourself that, psycho." Mark answered "Now hurry up. The limo's waiting."

"I still don't get why you get to be the best man."

"Because Cooper was afraid you'd throw an episode if he asked you… especially since he is marrying one of the Hardys… or don't you remember that part of the conversation?"

"Vaguely." James went to tuck a small silver object into the inside pocket of his suit coat, but Mark stopped him.

"And you are not getting drunk at the ceremony!"

"But Marky…"

"You can get drunk at the reception, although God knows why booze is even being served with you as a guest." Mark was beginning to get a headache. "Now hurry up… the limo's waiting."

…

"Family, friends, and acquaintances. We are here today to witness the joining of Jeffrey Nero Hardy and Cooper Benjamin Lawson in the union of marriage. For what these two bring together, let no one tear apart."

For all the stressing out, the planning, and the panic, Cooper was finally relaxed. It helped looking over and seeing Jeff as the bride, with Natalya, Layla, Alicia Fox, and AJ as his bridesmaids. Ironically, Mark, James, Matt, and Randy were his groomsmen. He only hoped that his fathers would behave; at least at the chapel.

"Should there be anyone here who knows of a reason why these two should not be joined, let them speak now…"

"and die…" James muttered. For all his complaining, he truly wanted things to go off in a non-typical WWE way.

"…or forever hold their peace."

There was complete silence all through the exchanging of vows. Jeff and Cooper had written their own. Jeff from some of his poetry and Cooper had basically just stolen lyrics from songs he liked.

"Then through the power invested in me by the state of Massachusetts, let me present to you… Misters Jeffrey and Cooper Lawson."

There was applause and many sighs of relief.

"If you're gonna suck face, now would be a proper time to do so." The minister smiled.

"Like we need an invitation?" Cooper and Jeff shared their first kiss as newly married.

…

"Marky… hey Marky!" James shouted across the hall.

"Excuse me for a moment." Mark separated from Matt and Randy. "Looks like it's time to do damage control."

"Damage control?" Matt whispered "They haven't even served dinner yet!"

"Better get used to it… you're part of the family now." Randy whispered

"Not funny." Matt answered "But eventually, so will you."

"Uh... what are you saying?"

"Don't you think it's time we set a date?" Matt's eyes twinkled.

The newly married couple joined Matt and Randy. They both had rosy cheeks, a sign that they'd been into the liquor as well.

"It's about time you two did that." Jeff said

"What did I miss?" Mark finally finished rescuing James from an arrest. Dragging his drunk lover by the sleeve, he came back just in time to see Jeff's acrobatics.

"Matt and Randy are finally gonna set a date." Jeff bubbled.

"You are?" Mark asked.

"I guess so." Randy confirmed.

"Yay Marky… we gets to go to another wedding soon!" James was happy. Yes, he'd had way too much to drink.

Cooper could already feel the drama llamas starting. "Now this is definitely overload."

THE END

Dedicated to the memory of Bill Moody a.k.a. Paul Bearer 1954-2013