Part 1:
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not know any of the workers of the WWE personally nor am I affiliated with them in any way. This story is a work of fiction and I make no profit whatsoever from it.
Dean felt incredibly nervous as he and Seth walked down the long, quiet corridor. They'd been told about an hour ago that they had a meeting with the boss but the messenger refused to tell either of them just what it was about. He could feel his heart beating in his chest hard, the thrumming causing his breathing to speed up. He just had a horrible feeling about the meeting that they were going to be summoned for and he couldn't shake it. No one just got called into a private conversation with the boss for no reason.
He glanced over to his right and looked at Seth. The younger man had the exact same look he had on his face. He reached forward with his hand and grabbed a hold of Seth's, their fingers sliding together and squeezing, fitting like they were always meant to be. Seth's head turned to him and he smiled, softly and with all the love that the younger man always had. The younger man always looked so innocent and caring regardless of what was going on in their respective lives and careers.
The pair had been through a lot over the past five years. It had taken every ounce of courage that Dean possessed to even confess to the two-toned man that he had feelings for him. He fondly remembered the night he had told Seth how he truly felt, his heart pounding hard in his chest, stomach swirling while it was filled with as much alcohol as he could hold onto. He was surprised he could even remember but the night had been so monumental in his life that he couldn't not remember. His memories flashed to him and he could clearly see the look on Seth's face when he told him that he liked him. The younger man's face contorted into a shocked expression before Seth had reached forward and pressed his lips to Dean's for the first ever time.
Every single part of Dean's body had set alight when those soft, pink lips touched his. His arms had reached out and wrapped them tightly around Seth's toned body, pulling the other man as physically close to him as he could. Seth's own arms had wrapped around Dean's body too while they kissed, skilled tongues playfully rolling and curling around each other the more intense and intimate their kisses got. The only thing he couldn't remember was how long they'd stayed like that, locked in a passionate embrace. They only pulled apart when both men couldn't breathe and had to stop.
They didn't have sex that night but they shared a bed, Dean's arm protectively wrapped around Seth's middle as they slept. The feeling that filled Dean's heart was something that he never wanted to leave him. He felt complete having Seth's warm body in his grasp, inhaling the younger man's scent and feeling every curve of the other man pressing hard into his own body. He would never want to have another in his arms ever again. No one would fill the void quite like Seth did.
The first time they had sex was something that Dean would never forget for as long as he lived. He'd been around the block a few times before, experiencing a number of different partners while Seth had only had a few but none compared to being with the younger man. There was something else that filled him from the first moment he pressed into Seth. Their two bodies just seemed to fit perfectly together like they were meant to be. That night had been one of Dean's favourite moments of his whole entire life and he'd never been happier than he was on that night. Not even when he won his first world championship was he that happy.
Of course not everything was straight out of a fairytale and there was problems that neither of them could ignore. Seth still had his girlfriend and Dean had his. They were secretive for the first year of their relationship, not breathing a word to anyone other than each other for fear of being found out. They couldn't even trust Roman with their secret relationship, scared that he could accidentally blab to one of his cousins which would start a domino effect that neither man was ready for.
It was easy enough for Dean to break up with his girlfriend. The pretty blonde accepting the news and moving onto another man within the first month or so but Dean hadn't even batted an eyelid. It would be hypocritical for him to be upset over his ex moving on so quickly when he'd been sneaking around her back for over a year. Seth's girlfriend, however, was not as easy to give up on their relationship. She'd kicked and screamed at Seth to give them another chance, pleaded with him for weeks with non-stop phone calls and text messages but Seth wouldn't give in to those demands. He ended up giving her their house that they'd called home for the past seven years along with her car and their dogs. It had hurt him to give up his fluff babies but he knew that he could always get his own dog again one day.
The couple moved in together not long after that into Dean's apartment right in the middle of Las Vegas. Seth had put his own spin on their shared place together and after only a few months of living together, they slowly started to tell their friends and families. They kept it with their nearest and dearest at first, not bothering to tell just anyone. Seth was nervous the whole time though, scared his other friends might desert him for now dating a man instead of a woman but none of them did. They all stood united by Dean and Seth, showing their private support for the loved up duo.
Dean had been the one who pushed for them to tell their bosses whilst Seth had been more than a little hesitant. Seth knew that there wouldn't be too much backlash but he was still absolutely terrified to. Seth would never forget the look on both Stephanie and Paul's faces when they told them. Both sets of eyes bulged out of their skulls while Dean said the words, Seth much too terrified to say them out loud. It took both Paul and Stephanie a minute to finally get over the shock of the two of them being together before Stephanie's face broke out in a large grin and she happily embraced them both, saying that she was proud of how brave they were to even come out and tell them.
A few months after they had told their bosses, they both decided that it was time to make their relationship public. They had been together for almost two years at that point and living together for one. Again, Seth was the hesitant one, always trying to stall the date that they would make their announcement while Dean just wanted it over and done with. The older man just wanted to be able to live his own life again not that he ever put anything out in the public eye but this was something that he didn't want to hide anymore. He didn't necessarily want to rub his and Seth's relationship in anyone's face but he did want to share with the world that he had found his soul mate.
They advised Stephanie of their plans and she wholeheartedly encouraged them to do it. She even set it up so that they could make their announcement on the WWE network as a special presentation. Out of the corner of their eyes they never saw the glaring looks that Paul was shooting them, his eyes narrowed and his lips twisted into a scowl. They were both far too wrapped up in what they were doing as a couple to even notice that their boss was shooting them filthy looks when the camera wasn't on him. Hell, they hadn't even noticed that he wasn't exactly too thrilled about them being in a relationship together. Stephanie had taken over the spotlight from her husband, forcing him into the background while she lavished attention over both men.
Their announcement had been screened on the network and attracted a whole range of media attention from across the country and around the globe. Both men did countless interviews about their relationship and promoted the company whilst doing it. In turn they both received an even bigger push than what they were getting already and within the next twelve months, they had each held a world title and headlined several more pay-per-views. There had been some backlash on their relationship from some fans but it never affected either Dean or Seth.
Three years later and both men were as still happy. Slowly and steadily, their relationship had almost been pushed under the rug by the company. There had only been a few comments about their relationship during commentary and that was when they had their final tag team match together. After that, their relationship was never brought up again unless the question was asked first despite the fact that both men were in the top tier of talent alongside their former stable mate.
Seth was the most upset about the steady decline of their careers. It didn't happen all at once but gradually, both Dean and Seth were forced out of the headlining matches and often relegated to the pre-show or not at all on pay-per-views. Seth definitely took it to heart and became a little paranoid, convinced completely that it was because they had come out. Dean had tried to persuade him that it wasn't about that at all, that their decline in TV and pay-per-view time was down to a lack of timing and momentum. Although the more he thought about it, Dean was starting to get more and more convinced that maybe Seth was right.
Dean was pulled away from his memories as they grew closer and closer to their destination. They were so close to stepping through the doors and meeting their fate whatever it might be. He squeezed Seth's hand tighter and pulled the younger man into him, their arms pressed together while he avoided the stares of their co-workers as they walked along the seemingly never-ending corridor. He could feel his stomach twisting in knots as they closed the gap towards the door. He glanced over at Seth and saw that the other man felt the same, the fear written all over his face. They were both shit scared of what was going to happen.
The couple finally stopped when they came to their destination. Blue and brown eyes raked over the words 'Paul Levesque, Chief Operating Officer' that were on a plaque stuck to the door. Dean sucked in a hard breath, exhaling slowly to try and calm his racing heart beat even though he knew it wouldn't work. With a shaking hand, he slowly lifted his hand and knocked three times on the dark coloured door.
His stomach clenched uncomfortably when they both heard the words "come in" muffled through the door. He leaned forward and pecked a soft kiss to Seth's bearded cheek, mumbling words of love before he opened the door and both men stepped inside of the small office space.
Paul looked up from the papers on his desk and had to fight the urge to scowl as he saw the two men that walked into his office holding hands. "Close the door." He said sharply. He watched the two men fidget uncomfortably whilst in his presence and it actually made his chest swell with pride a little bit. He waited until the door was securely closed before he spoke again. "Take a seat gentlemen. Please."
Seth and Dean split then, their hands dropping as they each took a seat on the two chairs that were opposite of their boss. The tension was thick inside of the room and Dean admittedly felt a little sick. He had a horrible feeling that this meeting was not going to end well for both him and Seth. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "You, uh, you wanted to see us Mr. Levesque?"
"It's Paul. Please." Paul instantly corrected Dean's words. "And yes I did. Now there is a reason that I called you both in here for this meeting today. Do either of you have an idea as to why that might be?"
"No idea." Dean answered simply with a shrug. He glanced over at Seth who had paled slightly. He wanted to reach out and gently place a hand on the younger man to let him know that everything was alright but he didn't really think it would be appropriate in front of their boss.
"Both of your contracts are expiring in the next month and after a long deliberation with the members of the board, we have decided that we will not be renewing them." Paul said quite simply. He watched as both faces fell from his words. "You have both been a great asset to the company over the past few years and you are both great superstars. On behalf of the company, I would like to wish you both the best in your future endeavors and thank you for your time in the company."
Seth was in shock. He'd just been fired from the job he'd worked so hard to get to. "What did we do wrong?" He asked in a small voice.
"You haven't done anything wrong." Paul answered instantly. "It's just been decided by management that you two will both not be required as part of the roster for the company moving forward."
Seth's brows creased. There was something he didn't like about the way that Paul was speaking. "Is it because we're gay?"
"No. Darren was gay and that didn't matter." Paul answered.
"Yeah but Darren wasn't the caliber of talent that we are." Seth shot back. "And you got rid of him pretty quickly after he came out too."
"I don't know what you're trying to insinuate Rollins but I wouldn't step over a line that you get back from if I was you." Paul said sharply.
"Do you think we're fucking dumb?!" Seth snapped. "You're trying to get rid of us because you are a homophobic jerk! And who gives a fuck if I do step over that line, it doesn't fucking matter! You just ruined both of our life dreams!"
"Look Seth and Dean, I know you must be upset but believe me that we as a company are not homophobic and we certainly didn't make the decision to release both of you because of that." Paul tried to calm down Seth but he knew he was failing. "I will say that it didn't help matters that you both are that way inclined. We are trying to run a family program after all."
"What the fuck does that mean?!" Dean yelled loudly this time. His whole body had been on fire, his heart racing hard in his chest while Seth and their soon-to-be former boss had been going at it verbally. "It was your wife that encouraged us to come out to the public and put it on your network. And now you're just going to turn your back on us?"
"It is a decision that we as a board didn't take lightly. We just believe that you two have reached your full potential in the WWE." Paul answered sharply. "If you want to keep going though, I can make your end of employment here effectively immediately."
Seth stood up suddenly. "Good! Because there is no way in hell that I want to work for a homophobic pig like you!"
"I'm not homophobic!" Paul snapped back.
"If you're not homophobic then you won't mind if I just go and sit on my boyfriend's lap." Seth closed the gap between he and Dean and sat down on the older man's lap. He kept his brown eyes locked onto Paul's as his ass connected with Dean's strong thighs, the older man's arms wrapping around Seth's middle naturally. There was a flicker of something that flashed across Paul's eyes and Seth definitely didn't miss the scowl that briefly appeared on the oldest man in the room's face. "You fucking asshole."
"Your contract with this company has now officially ended." Paul said sharply. His face was pulled tight, his lips barely moving as he spoke. The rage was visible on his face as he spoke. Nobody spoke to him like that. "Please get your belongings and leave the arena immediately."
Seth stood up and grabbed a hold of Dean's hand. "I'm gonna sue you for everything that you're worth."
"Go ahead and try boy." Paul shot back. He knew he shouldn't be playing into the bait but he couldn't help it, this was just the kind of person that he was.
Seth dragged Dean to the door and pulled it open, yanking it hard enough that it smacked hard against the wall. He knew that there was going to be dints but he really didn't care. He was so fucking angry and upset that he couldn't give a fuck if he got reprimanded for it. He didn't work here anymore.
Dean took control of Seth's hand and tugged him through the door quickly. They kept their heads down as they walked back to the dressing room they shared with Roman. Even after the Shield had split and Roman had been pushed to the moon and back, they still decided to share a locker room. Their bond as brothers was something that would never break. He felt a rush of sadness wash over him as he thought about abandoning Roman, leaving the one who was pegged for greatness right from the start in a tank full of hungry sharks.
They reached their locker room faster than expected and as Dean opened up the door, he was thankful that they were alone. He closed the door sharply and dropped hands from Seth to pull the younger man in close to him. The enormity of what had just happened had just embraced him and the anger dispersed into sadness. This was the end of their lifelong dreams. This right here, working in the WWE was both of their lifelong dreams and with one wave of a hand they were shoved away as if they didn't exist.
His hands tightened around Seth's waist while the younger man's wrapped around his neck. Seth's face was buried right in his neck and it pained him to feel the wet spot that was from Seth's tears. He tried to remain strong for the sake of his boyfriend, knowing that if he cracked then they would both never be able to pull themselves back up. He could hear the soft sobs and he just pulled Seth in tighter to his own body, his hands gently rubbing up and down Seth's smooth black t-shirt.
He could feel the tears brimming at the corners of his blue eyes. They were there and they were ready to fall but he tried to hold them off. He didn't want to crumble and become the one who needed the consoling. But the more the realization sunk in, the harder it became to hold back the tears. They'd just lost everything. Literally everything that they had worked so hard to even earn. He felt a single warm tear roll down his cheek and he knew he was done for. He buried his face against Seth's cheek and let the tears flow whilst he sobbed quietly against the younger man.
"What's going on?" Roman's voice sounded obscenely loud in the otherwise quiet room. The Samoan man was taken aback when he saw the bloodshot, red eyes of his two former stable mates. "What happened?"
"We're gone Roman. We've been fired." Dean answered through a muffled sob. He took a deep breath as he looked over at the other man.
"What?! Why?!" Roman's voice was loud and grew in volume the more that they spoke.
"We're not good enough for the company moving forward." Dean answered. He felt Seth's face push into his neck and once more he was forced to be the strong one. "I think it's cause we're gay."
"They can't fire you because of that! That's discrimination!" Roman was outraged.
"Well they did." Dean said simply. "And now we lose our dream and we have to go back to find something else to do with our lives. Cause I sure as hell don't ever want to wrestle again."
"I'll go talk to them! I'll convince them otherwise!" Roman was desperate now. He couldn't lose his two best friends because of a stupid reason like that.
"Don't." Dean shot back. "There's no point all three of us getting fired because Triple H is a homophobic asshole."
"It's not fair though." Roman sighed. "You two shouldn't be punished because you're in love. You can't chose who you fall in love with."
Dean shrugged. He could feel more tears welling up in his eyes and he tried desperately to hold them back. Seth was clinging to him so tightly that he could barely breathe and the sounds of his boyfriend sobbing were starting to affect him. He knew that they both needed to get out of this arena, catch a plane and go home. "We need to leave."
Seth pulled back from the tight embrace he was locked in with Dean and moved away to pack up their belongings they'd brought from the hotel. He didn't say a word as he did, just kept his eyes purely focused on his task while he continued sniffling every so often.
Dean turned back to Roman and just looked at the Samoan man. "Well Roman, it's been great working with you. I'll miss you. You're the brother I never had."
"Dean." Roman's face fell a little at the words and without warning, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms tightly around the slightly younger man. He pulled Dean in close to his body and squeezed him tightly. He could feel the tears that were pricking at the corners of his grey eyes. He almost didn't want to believe that it was real. He was going to lose his two closest friends. Wrestling definitely wouldn't be the same without them. "I don't want either of you to leave."
Roman's words struck at his heart hard. He didn't want to leave either and he knew Seth definitely didn't. He pulled back from their tight embrace and looked Roman right in the eye. He could see the sadness in the Samoan man's grey eyes and he knew that his own feelings were reflected into those captivating orbs. "You'd better not forget about us."
"Forget about you?!" Roman asked incredulously. "You two are my best friends! I can't believe they kept Ryder on the roster and let go of you two!"
"Ryder doesn't suck dick that's why he got to stay." Seth said sharply. He could feel his anger rising again. His head was a cluster fuck of emotions, switching rapidly from anger to sadness. He truthfully didn't know how to feel. He didn't know if anyone could tell him how he should feel right now. He had never been in this situation to even judge it properly.
"Seth, c'mon. It can't have been because of that." Roman tried to reason. He closed the gap between himself and the smaller man. He hesitated, scared to make that final move, knowing that once he hugged the younger, smaller man that it very well could be the last time he held or even spoke to him for a while to come. He still didn't move, his feet planted firmly to the ground.
Seth made the move for him, the two-toned man leaning forward and wrapping his arms tightly around the much larger Samoan's body. He could feel his chest tightening, heard the sharp inhale of breath that Roman sucked in before those strong, tattooed arms pulled him in closer for a long, soothing hug. He could feel the tears as they pricked at the corner of his eyes and when he looked over Roman's shoulder at his boyfriend, his resolve crumbled.
He pulled himself away from Roman's strong hug to throw himself back into Dean's arms. No other could soothe him the way that Dean could. He sobbed hard into the older man's t-shirt, his hands grabbing at the thin cotton, pulling Dean impossibly closer. He drew comfort in knowing that Dean was always there to hold him up and protect him from the rest of the world. His whole body was shaking as he poured his emotion out onto Dean's shoulder, only stopping momentarily when he felt his boyfriend's lips press a soft kiss to the side of his head. He pressed in closer, desperate to get more of Dean's comfort, eager to never leave these arms again. This was the only place he felt safe.
Dean's hand gently ran through Seth's two-toned coloured hair, soothing the younger man. To watch him go from a raging lunatic to a sobbing mess literally hurt his chest and made his heart lurch uncomfortably. "We should probably go. It's not like we work here anymore." He tightened his arms around Seth and gave him one last squeeze before pulling back slightly. "C'mon Seth. Let's go home."
Seth nodded mutely. He stayed snuggled in close to Dean, his face buried deep into the older man's warm neck. After a few moments he pulled back slightly and actually looked at Roman. The Samoan man looked visibly distraught. "Thank you for being one of the best team mates we could ever ask for and our closest friend. Imma miss you Ro."
"I'm gonna miss you both too." Roman said sadly. He watched as Dean grabbed their large sports bag and slung it over his shoulder while Seth stayed glued to his other side. "Hey Dean?" He called out, the younger man turning and looking at him with sadness etched in his blue eyes. "Take care of him, won't you?"
"Of course." Dean answered automatically. He looked down at the man that was pressed right against his side, his brown eyes still leaking tears as they took the first step out of their former locker room.
His heart was racing as they walked down the corridor, the piercing eyes of their now former co-workers watching their every move. He felt a little panicked, his chest tightening and he thought he couldn't breathe for the scantest of moments. He was absolutely terrified of what their life would be like not as WWE superstars. He didn't know how he could even think about it. He could feel the anxiety that was rushing through his body and he knew that once they'd stepped out of the arena doors and climbed into their rental car that it was over. His dream was over. Their dream was over.
He tried not to let Seth see this vulnerable side of him. He usually hid it so well, his walls brought up to hide the side of Dean Ambrose that no one got to see. The side that had been hidden away from public eyes since he was a young boy. Since that first time he found out what his mother did for a living. He cried himself to sleep that night, the horrifying memories flashing across his eyes while he stupidly tried to sleep. He'd been thirteen at the time and being foolish, he went into his mother's alcohol cabinet and pulled out a bottle of cheap vodka. He didn't remember how much he drank only that he woke up in a pile of his own vomit the next morning.
Alcohol had been his way of coping and while he didn't do it as often as he did when he was a teenager and young adult, the soothing taste of it washing away all of his problems that he wasn't ready to deal with was always comforting in some way or another. He'd gotten better over the years but he could feel his willpower cracking. He needed something to calm him the fuck down before he stressed out so much that he had a panic attack or worse.
He opened the door up for Seth before climbing into his own and drove. The only thing that could get him through their long journey home was the promise of a drink, his salvation and escape away from their problems. He knew he was being selfish in not trying to protect Seth more but sometimes saviours had to fall. Every superhero had their own kryptonite.
Not everyone could be strong through it all.
TBC
A/N: so something a little bit different to what I usually write. This will be a three-part fic and the next two chapters will get a lot darker and deal with some other issues. I hope you guys liked it. I mean, if you don't, I'll just pull it down. The song that inspired this whole fic is "Acid Rain" by Avenged Sevenfold. Thanks for reading and reviewing! GatesVengeance x
