A few months ago I have published "Equilibrium" in here. And since then I wanted to write a second part. Now I already published a few parts of this very second part on Tumblr. But I think I finally put it in here for all the people who don't have an account there and just follow me here. Now this second part of "Equilibrium" starts on the Raw before WrestleMania 31 and it ends on the Monday after WrestleMania 31. It will have eight parts - one part for every day covered. And of course it's Ambregal - I simply can't write anything else.

Now, enjoy this first part of "Equilibrium II".

"How pathetic you are, old man," William Regal heard a voice saying. It reached his ear from the dark side of this backstage corridor. And he knew this voice just too well. So he stopped.

The voice in a quite snarly tone had been coming from behind. But William didn't turn around. Instead he told the big container in front of him, "I can't recognize the difference, dear boy."

"What d'ya mean?" the voice now asked him and it sounded slightly surprised. Then a body moved up towards him and out from the darkness Dean Ambrose made himself visible to the other man.

William first shot his legs a look, and then his eyes climbed upwards until they met the pair of icy blue staring back at him. Then he smiled.

"Well, dear boy," he said, pausing for just a wink of a moment, then continued, "you act quite pathetic yourself, don't you? Hiding in the dark, observing me like some creepy stalker. I just had a rather innocent talk about your match. So, what's pathetic about that? Please tell me."

"Oh, come on, you almost crept into him. And I bet you'd like to get into his pants for real," Dean said and shot William a disgusted look, just to hide from his real feelings.

"And if so, what's that got to do with you? And why can't you just say 'hello' to me like every other normal human being? We haven't met for quite a while, my dear, have we?" William said, still smiling, and he seemed to be calm and pretty content with himself.

"Whatever," was Dean's sudden and short answer. He seemed happy enough to confront the older man but clearly wasn't there for a longer conversation. So he quickly shrugged his shoulders and went to leave.

But Dean felt a hand upon this very shoulder after just a few steps he had done away from the other man. He didn't stop though but after just another few steps, William had made a more serious attempt to stop him. And this time it worked.

William had made it in front of the young man. He grabbed both of his shoulders again and didn't left room for speculation that he was indeed serious about not willing to let the young man continue his walk away. His eyes always spoke before he even opened his mouth. And the expression in William's face made Dean not trying to do any other foolish things like he already did.

"I was really looking forward to seeing you again, Dean," William then said in a still calm but almost disappointed voice. "So, please tell me what I have done to you to deserve such childish behaviour from you."

Initially Dean wasn't able to come around with a witty answer. It has always been the confrontation between William and himself that he had liked – these edgy emotions, the heat. He just couldn't stand this courteous behaviour. That had never been something that attracted Dean about the older man.

So, instead of an answer Dean shrugged again, this time to get rid of William's hands. And one step back brought some much needed space between them. Dean felt that whatever he wanted for himself with the confrontation, didn't work. And he looked away for a moment in desperate search for a place to leave to.

But he figured that William would just come back at him and demand an answer until he finally got one. So he tried to make up some explanation, so the older man hopefully would leave him alone.

"Ya know, that's just my own special way to get noticed, like ya might have walked past me without seeing me, so..." Dean said but it wasn't transmitted with full confidence. And William recognized that when Dean went through his hair with his right hand, keeping it in his neck for a while until he caught eye contact with the other man again.

"So, you actually wanted to see me? You really waited for me?" William asked, somehow confident enough that he could have an actual conversation with the boy.

"Yeah, I mean... ya know...", Dean started, in obvious desperate need for William to stop him. But William – like always – was so fucking patient, so he had to finish this stumbled sentence. "I might be, maybe I'm kinda, ya know... slightly nervous about this ref thingy later. Ya know, there's no way people would vote for anyone else but me. And I haven't done it for quite a while. So... was just hanging around here, tried to catch you and maybe get other thoughts into my head... like... kinda."

William felt strangely amused but also touched at the same time. He might have been some fun seeing the boy struggling but he also felt for him because he seemed really concerned. So he thought that it could help to just tell him a few words of encouragement.

"I'm sure you'll be doing fine, Dean," so he simply said but added after a quick thought, "The fans will love you – as always."

"Yeah, that's my main concern, ya know?" the young man replied but couldn't hide a smile.

William knew where this was coming from. For how many times at FCW Dean had told him that he basically loved the hostile atmosphere around him when he made his way into the ring and throughout his matches? A truly born villain, who drew all his energy and passion from people who didn't like him – like a parasite depending on people foaming with rage. And William was pretty much able to feel him here. He couldn't stand a whole crowd cheering for him either. He just didn't know how to react properly – to this very day.

"You'll be doing fine anyway," William said again in hope that double the saying would mean double the truth.

"Yeah, I guess. It just doesn't help that people won't boo anyone inside the ring. I mean, two babyfaces going one after another? What's this crap? And then it's me, who's basically only there to not getting too much attention. But anyway, I'll be fine. Like you said."

As if doing fine would get him anything in WWE, Dean thought but was already on his feet back to Gorilla Position. His "match" was about to start anytime soon.

"Cheers for the... um... nice words. But I've gotta go," Dean muttered on his way back.

"Dean," William called after him just a bit louder than his usual soft speaking. And the young man indeed turned around.

"Dean, if there is anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me. You know that, right? We could go having a drink after RAW if you got something you want to get out off your chest." William said and he almost looked concerned again.

"Um, yeah, thanks," Dean replied, "but I've already got someone to go with. So, thanks again. See ya."

– – – –

Later on William watched the match on the little TV screen in Gorilla Position. And, of course, Dean wasn't doing fine. He was doing great. Whatever his concerns might have been before – if there had been any – nothing of that was visible. William enjoyed watching him like he had enjoyed watching every single match of him.

WrestleMania week was always something special. And William just knew that he would get another chance.

Thanks for reading. And as ever I appreciate every review you leave me in here. Thanksss.