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A/N: Hey, everyone! This is a one-shot request from LegitElizabethFanGirl, and since I love writing about any of the Shield members, I decided to go for it. This is my first attempt at pairing Seth with an OC, but I hope I did it justice. To anyone who takes time out of their day to read this, I appreciate you more than words can say. I really hope you like where I've gone with this, and thanks for giving the story a chance! Also, the song that inspired this little fic is called Sad Eyes, sang by Enrique Iglesias.

Those dismal, violet eyes never lied. Not even once. She said she was fine, that she no longer needed their relationship to maintain solid footing, but in those telling eyes, her core truths were revealed. In a single gaze, they told the story her heart felt — the tale she feared using her words to express. She belonged to Seth, and she always had, but she covered that fact up with fabrication, a web growing so tangled she almost couldn't see past it any longer. The hurt was making her blind.

Seth liked to think her ultimate plan wasn't to cause him pain. If he told himself she was only scared or uncertain, his heart could beat a little easier and he could take a full breath, the kind that he could pull in deeply and release through pursed lips, while he stared down an old photo with his arm around her, wishing for the return of better days. He tapped his foot to the beat, nodding along with the music playing through his earbuds, as he watched his peers enter the arena. There were only a couple of hours until Raw would go live, and he planned to get through to Ellie before then.

In a sea of faces, she wasn't hard to spot. Seth felt her presence long before he actually saw her, and he took in a sharp breath when he spotted her dark, rippled hair, the same color as a cup of morning coffee. Much like the hot beverage, she warmed him from the inside out, simply by being there. A spark flared in her eyes when she noticed him, only for a second, then she must have remembered they were no longer an item, because she ducked her head, trying vehemently to ignore him. In doing so, she lied to herself a little more.

Sometimes, Seth wished he could pick her brain, to know exactly what went through her head and how she convinced herself they were better off apart. There was no Seth without Ellie, and now, Seth wanted her to see that there was no her without him, either. Some people could drift apart and find happiness down other avenues, but not them; they needed each other, much like their bodies required oxygen and water to live. Summer Rae was at Ellie's right, one of the Bella Twins at her left, but Seth didn't care to figure out which one. He had one goal, one job, and his time had come to put it into the works.

As Ellie approached, sandwiched between two of her best girlfriends, Seth tugged his earbuds out and tossed them away, on a lone table. Ellie cast a few furtive glances in Seth's general direction, probably hoping he was gone so she wouldn't have to confront what was right in front of her, but he wasn't going away. It was time to get his girl back, so he raised his index finger to catch her attention. "Hey, Ellie, you got a sec to spare?"

"Nope, sorry," Summer answered for her, sliding her arm around Ellie's shoulders.

"She's had a tough weekend, and she needs space," Bella Number 1 said, or perhaps she was Number 2. Perhaps Seth didn't really give a damn, when it came down to it.

"Thanks for the answers, but I wasn't really asking you guys for your permission. I was talking to Ellie," Seth stated. She was only a foot away from him, mere inches, then a light breeze hit his face as all three girls passed, effectively leaving him in the dust. Cursing under his breath, Seth grabbed his iPod and jogged after them, knowing he was working on borrowed time, since he couldn't very well follow the trio into the women's locker room. He had to act fast. "Can you stop for one second, Ells? I really gotta talk to you."

"I can't," she said, like she was warding him off with a stick. He sighed, slowing to a stop and not moving from his spot until he watched her round the corner, chocolate waves swishing behind her body. His chance was lost, but he could rest a tad easier knowing she still cared, and she absolutely did care. His attempts to see her wouldn't have evoked such an emotional reaction if she were completely unattached to him. She wanted him back, just like he wanted her, but the hurt was clouding her judgment.

"Didn't have much luck, huh?" Roman asked, coming up behind Seth and slapping him companionably on the shoulder. Seth gave a blank stare and he shrugged, displaying a sheepish smile. "I didn't catch the whole thing, but it sure looked like she was running away from you. Why can't she just give you a minute or two of her time?"

"You'd have to ask her that," Seth replied, catching his forehead between the forefinger and thumb of his right hand. He massaged his temples, which were now pulsating under the stress of the constantly ticking clock going off in his head, reminding him of how rapidly his chance was slipping away. "She won't even talk to me, and especially not when she's got her friends around. They try to keep her away from me and really only make things worse between us. I know they're only trying to do what's right and protect her, but it's so damn obnoxious."

Roman latched onto Seth's arm, steering him out of the center of the hallway and near the wall, so the people entering could get by. He lowered his voice, so as not to be overheard. "I thought those girls liked you. You were on real friendly terms with The Bellas and Summer, back when you and Ellie were together."

"I know, but in the event of a break-up, girls always take their friend's side. That's just how it works, pretty much like how you and Dean have had my back ever since all this crap happened."

"Bros before hos," Roman said, eyes widening when Seth gave him a death glare. "That came out really wrong. I didn't mean Ellie's a ho, but I'm just sayin', you can't stop your whole life for this one girl. If she doesn't want to give you the time of day, there are a million other girls who will."

"I don't want a million other girls," Seth said, grim determination washing over his face as he flipped his hair back and began walking away. "I want her."

"Just be careful, dude," Roman called after him, but Seth had already tuned him out.

Emma was a beloved babyface in the storyline and, in some ways, she embodied the face of the entire Divas division. There was a subtle power, a hidden fire, raging from within the pale skin and sparkling eyes that shined at all the right times. Seth liked to think she was one of the best all-around Divas since Trish Stratus, but that could have been the bias in him talking. Either way, she was at the top of the food chain and tapped to eventually win the Divas Championship from AJ Lee who, as far as Seth was concerned, had far overstayed her welcome in the WWE, but since she was Ellie's friend, he tolerated her.

Vince and Hunter sat at the main production table, watching the women's match play out, a solid two hours into the Raw broadcast. Seth had already done his duty for The Shield that evening, accompanying Roman to the ring and cheering him on at ringside with Dean as he battled for supremacy, fighting to keep their image intact. Roman, he liked to think, was the leader of their stable in plenty of ways, and Seth figured that dominance trickled over into real life. Even with so much trust in Roman, it became a struggle when Seth questioned whether or not to accept Roman's advice or go with his heart, two completely separate roads down which to travel.

He had been told to accept his fate and let Ellie go her separate way, but he couldn't when so much was at stake. They could have a future together, a real one with marriage, kids, and everything else that made for a greatly fulfilled life. When she returned through the curtain, forehead glistening with sweat beads as she huffed from the exertion of her match, Seth had his answer. She was just as much his as she'd ever been, and he had to get her alone, without friends who only wanted to interrupt and undermine his efforts to rebuild what they had once shared.

Vince exchanged a few brief words with Ellie, congratulating her on a job well done, and AJ came back through the curtain shortly after, tossing her arms around Ellie and generally singing her praises. Then, they broke apart, and Seth watched Ellie's face drop when she noticed him standing there. Instantly, the light in her eyes was dimmed, replaced by the droopy gaze he so desperately wished to overthrow, once and for all. He never wanted to see that look on her face again, so he swooped in and took his chance, knowing he was either a genius for trying, or an absolute idiot for not backing off.

Seth rushed to Ellie, scooping her up in his arms and tossing her over his shoulder, sweat-dampened hair, clammy skin, and all. "Seth!" she screeched, and he made out a slight trail of laughter, emanating from the humorous sight of them as he wrangled her up and whisked her away. At least the bystanders thought his efforts were amusing. He could use that to his advantage, if need be. "Seth, put me down!" she demanded, slapping at his back. "Whatever you're trying to do, I'm not interested."

"Well, you're going to have to be, because I have to talk to you."

"I don't want to hear it," she said, voice trembling as she bounced against his shoulder with each of his footsteps. "Put me the hell down, now!"

"Stop it, Ells, you're killin' me," Seth groaned. He passed by Dolph Ziggler, who had stopped chewing his gum mid-chomp when he noticed them, opening his mouth to ask what was going on. Before he could form the words, Seth shook his head and waved him off. "Don't ask, bro. I couldn't explain this to you, even if I wanted to."

He came upon an empty locker room and thrust the door open, kicking it shut with his foot after entering and depositing Ellie on the wooden bench, not as lightly as he meant to. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared. "Ouch!"

"I'm sorry, okay?" Seth said, pacing the room with his hands on his hips. "I'm sorry for everything. I wish I could have convinced you to stay with me, and I wish I could be exactly what you need all the time. Actually," he took a thoughtful pause, coming to a stop in front of her and kneeling at her feet, "I think I am what you need. I see it in your eyes, Ellie. You don't know how to communicate with me in an effective way, and that's the only reason we're having problems now."

"Oh, so it's my fault?" Ellie screeched. Seth winced at her shrill volume, but she wasn't finished venting. "I've been just fine without you, Seth. You were fun, all right? We had a good time together, but whenever I tried to mention making a real commitment, you dodged me. You wanted no part in getting serious with me. All you want is a girl to go out drinking and dancing with, and maybe for some occasional sex, too. You never had intentions to be with me long-term."

"But I did, though."

"No, you didn't."

"I did," Seth argued. "I always thought we would have something real, and I didn't mean to tuck tail and run, but all this marriage talk was freaking me out, okay? We've only been together for a year, and you were ready to take me to the altar just that quickly. I love you, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart, but you can't fault a guy for getting scared of the idea of marriage. I'm only 27 years old."

"Well, I'm only 24, and I already knew I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life," she said, swiping some hair out of her face angrily. She shook her head, turning away from Seth, but he still had a view of her profile, and he saw how her bottom lip trembled. She was about to crack. Seth reached for her hand, and, surprisingly, she allowed him to hold it. "I never doubted my love for you, but if you don't want to get married, that must mean you doubt how you feel about me, at least on some level. I don't want to be with a guy who doesn't even know if they want me."

"I do want you, and I tried to tell you that, but your friends form this human shield around you when we fight, and they won't even let me get to you."

"How ironic. I thought you were supposed to be the one in The Shield," she said, letting her guard down, even if only for a second. Seth's heart sang at the breakthrough.

"Yeah, well, those friends of yours give me a run for my money. Maybe they can form the all-girl version of The Shield," he said, chuckling softly and poking Ellie's stomach with his index finger, until she finally gave in and allowed herself to see the humor in the situation. She laughed, and the sound was pure music to Seth's ears. He started in on her again, wanting to keep the positive momentum going. "You know, Ellie, I think you love me just like I love you, but you're afraid to say it right this second. Maybe I've made you afraid, and if I have, then I'm truly sorry, but you have to stop lying to me and to yourself."

"What am I lying about?" she asked.

"When you tell me you're fine and that we don't need each other, I know that's not the truth," Seth explained. He reached for her hair, and she allowed him to brush his fingers through her natural waves as best he could, given their entanglement after her match. "You're saying that to protect yourself, because you're afraid of what I might say or do. I need you to know that you're so important to me, and that's why I went through all this trouble to get you alone. I need you to know that I love you, and just because I'm not ready for marriage right now doesn't mean I won't be in the future. We have time, so if you can be patient and give me a little more of that, I promise I'll let you know when I can feel in my heart that it's right for us to take the next step forward. I'm in this forever."

"You mean it?"

"I do."

"You promise?" she said, her true smile returning and spreading across her face, like the sun finally peeking through the clouds after a rainy, overcast day.

"I do promise," Seth replied. "You're all I ever think about, and I would never view you as only the girl I go out to have fun with. You're so much more than that to me, and the fact that you don't already know that sort of proves my point that we need time to build this relationship as high as it can go before we get married. It won't be perfect, since relationships never are, but it can be a lot better, wouldn't you agree?"

"I would," Ellie said, finally giving in. She tossed her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a firm hug, and Seth squeezed back, closing his eyes and giving a silent prayer that he had his girl back. On the other side of the door, Seth noticed an influx of female voices, but he didn't think much of it, too wrapped up in Ellie to care. "I'm sorry for being so stubborn. I should have given you a chance earlier, and I should have answered your calls when you tried to get through to me over the weekend. I feel so guilty now," she said, pulling out of their hug.

Seth ran his index finger down her cheek. "Don't feel guilty. It was only a small fight, and now it's all over. I'm ready to be the best boyfriend around, if you're ready to have me back."

"I am," she said, the plum shade of her eyes growing deeper as they expanded in shock when the locker room door burst open without warning. They had visitors: AJ Lee, Summer Rae, and Nikki and Brie Bella. Seth and Ellie exchanged glances and covered their mouths at the same time to stifle their laughter. "Um...guys, what's this all about?"

"A little birdie may have told us you were stolen by Seth near Gorilla position and witnesses confirmed you guys came in here, so we came to make sure everything was okay," Nikki said, answering for the group. Seth looked at AJ and she averted her eyes, a guilty expression crossing over her features. Seth smirked and shook his head. If nothing else, Ellie had a loyal and protective group of friends, and whenever he couldn't be with her, he would rest easier knowing they were around to take care of her. "So, is everything all right?"

"It's better than all right," Ellie answered, gazing longingly into Seth's eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's perfect."

"That's right, it is," Seth agreed, leaning in for a kiss, while the girls gave a sound 'aww' at the cute display, as it played out before their eyes. Seth tapped the tip of Ellie's nose with his index finger after pulling away and gave her one last reminder before they followed her friends out of the abandoned locker room. "No more of those sad eyes, okay?"

"Okay. Even if I tried to cover up my sad, puppy dog eyes, you would still notice them."

"That's because sad eyes never lie, baby."