Submitted by Jenn11: "After the match with Seth and Cesaro against Dean. Seth thinks Dean will be furious at him, but instead Dean looks at him with adoration, as if he's the most important person in the world, passion, etc... Such a totally unpredictable reaction - which is perfect for Dean, but I am curious about it. A little confused by it. I'd love to see those moments, and maybe right before they run into each other, from Dean's point of view."
Companion piece to finally breaking; i need you to breathe.
Also, a little warning: Dean wasn't drugged like he claims to, but the whole matter might be a bit difficult for some. He gets both shots but it's for his own good. And yes, this was what I had in mind when I wrote the original chapter.
'I said no,' Dean roars, ready to fight all of these jackasses off in case they won't listen to him yet another time. 'You can stick that shit where the sun don't shine.'
But no matter how much he tries to shake them off, they overpower him just by pushing him down, putting all their weight on his bad shoulder and bruised back. That match with the Swiss Superidiot cost him every last ounce of energy and then Seth had to go and lose his shit in the ring, almost kicking Dean's head off, just to end the attack with wishing for his death.
Awesome day so far.
And now he's here with all these incompetent people – who are trying to find out if the condition of his shoulder got even worse – surrounding him.
Two of them are examining his skin, jabbing at the throbbing pain as if it's some fun game. He has to restrain himself so hard to not bite off their fingers whenever they touch his shoulder just once more, to be on the safe side, Dean. Safe side; don't make him laugh. They're totally enjoying this.
Another one is standing beside him, checking for bruises, not being any more gentle than his colleagues. And then there's the fourth one, syringe in his hands and Dean starts trashing again. There is no way in hell he is gonna get that shot.
Dean only takes pain medication as a last resort. He's very picky about what he puts into his body ever since he quit drugs. And that shoulder bothers him for months now, he doesn't even feel it most of the time anyway. Why do they want to drug him up to the eyeballs now all of a sudden?
Oh, maybe he should stop running his mouth or trying to rip someone's arms off.
'This is just for your own good, Dean,' one of them says in a fake calm voice and he opens his mouth to argue in a civilized manner, but the fourth one won't even give him a chance. Dean feels the needle entering his skin before he can squeeze out a single sound.
He doesn't actually feel the liquid rushing through his veins but he damn well imagines he can and it's ticking him off so badly that he jumps up and grabs the syringe guy at the collar, yanking him around a bit, trying to come up with the perfect insult and explanation why he fucking never wants a stupid pain killer shot again.
He didn't think they would stab him with yet another needle, giving him a sedative on top of everything else. God damn, what a shitty night.
Before those jerks dope him so badly that he won't even find his and Roman's car later, he forces himself to smile at them. When he nods he's already feeling woozy; his movements getting sluggish. Whoa, he's gonna kick all of their asses as soon as this shit wears off.
Until then, he's going to enjoy walking on clouds. He actually has to tap hard on his left shoulder to make sure it's still there.
'Dean, are you alright?' one of them asks and Dean blinks, grinning like the fucking Cheshire Cat. What the hell did they give him? It's kinda awesome.
'You should stay here for a while, the side effects will wear off soon.' Dean salutes sloppily, falling back down on the cot. 'Are you feeling nauseous?' He shakes his head slowly, still smiling like a lunatic and getting really tired all of a sudden. Maybe Seth should ask for a shot of this stuff too. It would definitely stop him from stomping off Dean's head in the future.
Mmh, Seth. He wants to see him. Like, right now. Maybe they can go to Burger King tonight, Dean is yearning for some French fries and creemee. Shit, he's really super hungry. They should take Roman with them, because he always shares his meal with Dean. Seth is a selfish bastard, eating his stuff all by himself.
Or they can take over a pizza parlor. Dean wants to rub Seth's face into a hot, greasy pizza. He hasn't done that in ages. Why is that again? And why is he alone in here; where did everyone go?
More importantly, where are his brothers?
Usually, they never leave each other's side in the medical staff room, always check on the other members of their family, no matter how insignificant the injury might be. Those fair-weathered friends.
Dean sighs, blinking irritated when the light ahead blinds him horribly. 'Turn that fuckin' thing off,' he mutters to no one in particular and rolls down the cot, not taking the hight difference into account, which is why he ends up falling flat on his face. It hurts a bit, but that's good because it means that shit is actually wearing off and he can make someone pay for drugging him without his consent soon.
But he's still awfully hungry.
Where the heck is his shirt? Well, doesn't matter since his chest and left shoulder are heavily bandaged up.
Dean huffs, rolling his shoulders just to get a feeling for his limbs again and stands up, walking around a bit to test if he can do it without his legs giving out. He has no clue how long he's been lying here, thinking about his brothers and food, but it feels like a whole eternity passed.
Roman must be worried. And Seth better be concerned about not losing his shit like that again. Dean isn't mad about it, even though he's still irked that his own brother wished for his death, but he'd like to prevent the beheading part in the future. It's not awesome getting kicked in the face, no matter what people say.
There's a small sink in the corner of the room, so Dean wobbles over there and splashes cold water in his face until he feels a bit more like himself. His brain is still slow on the uptake but he can deal with that for now. He's sure that once he has eaten something and is back together with the only brother he has left, everything will be fine.
Those medics better not come back though.
He sighs loudly and closes the door behind him, only able to take one step before someone bumps into him. He knows who it is before he even looks down, able to recognize the lingering stench of that damn bleaching product everywhere.
His nose is hyper-sensitive for some reason, breathing in the smell of his little brother as deeply as it can, so his mind is able to assault him with memories of the past; nights when he came back home to the dynamic duo to find out Seth further ruined his hair, polluting their room at the same time.
If he's completely honest with himself, he misses those days. He is tired of returning to the hotel to only find Roman waiting for him. There's always this unoccupied space next to them, a void that can't be filled by anything or anyone. No matter where they go, what they do, it's always crystal clear that Seth's absence hovers over them unpleasantly.
It's time for their brother to wrap things up and come back home because Dean is starting to get used to not seeing Seth every day anymore. He's getting accustomed to turning around in the car and being disappointed that there is no one sleeping in an uncomfortable position on the backseat.
Seth seems to be perplexed and also really happy that he ran into Dean, as if that never happens anymore. It doesn't matter how big an arena is, they always cross each other's paths. Simply because they're drawn to each other – always have and always will be. That's one of the things he likes so much about their relationship.
Huh. Look at that.
Relationship. He really thought the transition from friendship to relationship would freak him out completely. It's probably the tranquilizer and painkiller in his blood that keeps him from punching Seth in the face and run out of the building. Dean has to admit, that word does have a nice ring to it.
By the way, has he ever complimented Seth for the totally intense and dark color of his eyes? Because damn, they draw him in every time he looks his friend in the face. They're so warm and comforting, like they want to tell him that everything is going to be okay. And no matter how riled up he is, Dean can always be calmed down by them, as well as one simple touch from his kid brother.
It's a miracle, but one that he welcomes in his life.
Just like Seth. Who looks really dapper in that god damn gray Authority shirt. Dean should rip it off, just for good measure. No, what he really should do is grab Seth and take him home. Screw his stupid plan and screw the Authority. Dean wants to wake up next to his whole family again.
'I'm sorry, man. I have no idea what happened out there,' Seth whispers all of a sudden very urgently and starts pushing Dean around the corner into a dimly lit hallway. Slow down, kiddo, no one is there to watch us. But on the other hand, Dean is glad to realize he has complete control over his body again. Sadly, his shoulder starts acting up almost in the same instant.
Whatever they gave him, it's bullshit. That didn't even last the whole night. He's had better for less trouble.
Seth is so cute, trying to act all protective and secretive at the same time. God, he really misses that dork. Okay, okay you better slow down too, Ambrose, he chides himself. Whatever they gave you, it's making you emotional.
That voice in his head might be right. But then again, Seth is standing here before him, apologizing and looking like a deer caught in the headlights, all adorable and insecure. Dean should be furious, should ask his friend why he lost his marbles in the ring and why he can't control his CrossFit buddy.
But the thing running through his veins helps him stay calm and collected. Seth doesn't even know how lucky he is. Then again, Dean probably doesn't either. Every week he watches his baby brother manipulate his way through Raw and Smackdown, spreading mistrust and jealousy wherever he goes.
He even manages to fulfill his and Roman's wishes for this favor or that match and has put a very loose leash on Kane. He's doing everything he can to appease his brothers, to make it up to them. Dean should cut him some slack. Even if it's just for tonight.
So, who cares if he's getting emotional? Seth is the air that fills his lungs, the blood that runs through his veins. Surely, Seth would feel better if he would just know how much he means to Dean. It would probably lift his spirits, making him invincible. And probably careless.
There is no chance that Dean will give Seth what he truly wants – he's not yet ready to say those words – but he's doing his best to show his friend how much he means to him.
Seth backs away a few steps, hands still lingering on Dean's arms. His brother's fingertips are running very gingerly over his muscles, as if he's torn between full-on groping him and stepping back to enjoy the beauty of this moment.
'Dean?' Seth croaks out, voice trembling even more than his fingers. It's really cute. The hesitation and admiration in those brown eyes quickly turns into hungry passion. That puppy, always so eager to please, rushing things when taking it slow is so much more satisfying.
It might be that the sedative-painkiller-combo is making him soft and touchy-feely but the very core of these thoughts still lies within Dean. All of this, it's him – no matter if he likes it or not. Thankfully, he's sober most of the times he deals with Seth, or he would gush over the other all day long.
Thing is, the longer Seth stares into his face, the more Dean misses him. And the more he understands that there isn't a day he wants to live without him anymore. They have come such a long way since they first met in FCW and during their time as The Shield they were so convinced that nothing could ever break them apart.
Now that he's traveling around the country with only Roman to keep him company, it's getting pretty obvious Seth leaving wasn't the worst part of all of this. Dean is very close to beg his brother to come back again multiple times, but somehow his mouth stays closed.
Patience is a virtue, he reminds himself over and over, debating with his conscience if it would be okay to hold Seth close for the rest of eternity. Just so he can memorize every second of it for the lonely nights he and Roman lie in bed and talk about how cold the room is, how dull life seems and how sunshine isn't bright anymore whenever their brother isn't around.
Maybe Seth finally deserves a second chance. Not as a third of their brotherhood, but as Dean's partner. He has proven that he'd do anything to help them even as a member of the Authority, so Dean should give him a little something in return. Just to keep him hooked. Because Seth giving up on him would kill Dean.
But then ithappens again.
The moment Seth's gaze turns frightened, Dean congratulates himself for being such a damn fool. Seth is still not ready for them, much like Dean himself. The only difference is that he would never run away from his family though.
He recognizes the haunted look in his friend's eyes. It's the same one Seth wore all these weeks ago when he ran out on them.
Second chance, his ass. Fuck this, he's out of here before that tranquilizer can meddle with his brain even more. Making him think Seth has changed. What a fucking idiot he is.