Title: Resemblance
Summary: Life is weird and sometimes similarities abound between two people more than they even know. Oneshot.
*a/n i: I blame Finn Balor, that adorable troll. He Instagrammed this adorable photo of Seth and him lying in hospital beds side-by-side with a Triple H poster between them on Valentine's Day. And my little old brain went into complete and total overdrive trying to figure out a fanfiction. This is that result. You're welcome.
(XXXX)
65 days until WrestleMania...
He had been so close to reclaiming the spot he had lost at last year's Mania, but his damned knee, his damn fucking knee.
Why did this keep happening to him?
Why was he here once again trying to count all the dots on the ceiling and failing miserably at it? It was just like he had the first time he was in this god forsaken place.
He had sworn he was never going to come back here as long as he lived. Yet, here he was as Doc was treating his re-torn MCL.
He let out a frustrated sigh as he continued to stare up at the ceiling and the fucking portrait of Triple H bore a hole into his soul as it sat next to him, pissing him off a little more each second.
Seth should have known that bastard had a Plan B.
Oh, the irony.
The young man just hadn't factored in Hunter exploiting his knee as a weakness.
That fucker was going to get his not if, not how, but when Seth returned to the ring to topple the proclaimed destroyer. Once Joe was out of the way, then Seth was going to raise his sword and slay the king like he had told the fans and silently promised himself the night Hunter had turned on him.
Yep, slay the king and the kingdom he built would fall apart becoming a heaping pile of rubble in the process. Seth had lost everything: his friends, his brothers, his championship, even his health, next thing he'd lose would probably be his mind over this obsession with Hunter. He had said it before, but now Seth 'freakin Rollins really had nothing else to lose.
A sharp pain sparked through Seth's knee as he hissed in pain breaking from his thoughts. He couldn't topple an empire like this. He groaned as he moved his knee slightly trying to reposition himself comfortably on the bed. For as much pain as he was in, he was thankful that the Doc hadn't recommended another surgery, but to miss another WrestleMania was more than even he could bear to take. Triple H had taken yet another thing from him. The world could add that to the list of things Seth had to surrender to the King of Kings.
"Fuck this shit!" Seth growled out as he ground his teeth together in disgust.
"Well then," spoke a voice from beside him, "I knew you were all dark and broody from what I'd seen while you were here, but I didn't realize you were that dark and broody, Rollins. Just FYI, you're not the only one pissed off about being injured."
Seth had forgotten who had been in the room with him also icing his injury after rehabbing for the day at the facility. This had to be some sick twist of fate and somebody somewhere was getting a sick laugh from this whole situation.
"Sorry," mumbled Seth as he ran both his hands through his hair while he tightened the bun it was in to keep it out of his face, "I… umm… erhmmm…"
"The whole Joe and Triple H partnership thing is getting to you?" questioned the voice with a chuckle, "That guy was such a pain my arse even without Triple H. The freakin' Demon King could barely even manage to handle him."
Seth turned to face the man who had been put in the rehab facility several months earlier by his hand. Finn Balor laid with his hands outstretched behind his head looking up at the ceiling, a deep, solemn look on his face.
"I forgot you fought Joe," Seth said quietly as he looked at the other man while Balor continued to stare at the ceiling.
"Eh, you were probably too busy to pay attention to little ol' me, mate," Balor said with a shrug as Seth frowned at the other man.
How could he even engage in a civil guilt-free conversation with the man he had injured? It was one thing in the business to injure yourself, but for you to injure another was a totally different story. The guilt had eaten away at Seth's soul ever since he had learned of the injury to Balor that night at SummerSlam in August.
Hell, he had gone and personally apologized to Balor after the rookie had been told by the doctors he would need surgery and have to forfeit his recently won Universal title. Seth had forced this young man to go into the hell he had just experienced himself. As much as he hated being injured, he never wanted to wish that to another human being in his life.
So for that to actually happen was like spitting in his face saying 'Ha Ha! Suck it, Seth!'
Balor accepted Seth's apology that late summer night by saying injuries happen and it wasn't his fault. Seth still carried a heavy weight on his heart from everything that had happened with the young man.
To make things even more twisted, the two of them now sat here together both nursing injuries.
One man injured by the hands of a former rival and the other man injured by the other's most difficult advisory. It was weird how life came full circle in wrestling.
"I watched Finn," Seth said quietly as Balor slowly turned to look at the Architect in surprise, "I watched, I learned and I took notes. I knew you'd be joining us soon, but I didn't realize that Joe would sell out to Triple H."
Balor shook his head in surprise, "Of course, he'd sell out. That's Joe's thing. Go where the money is. Destroy whoever gets in his way. He just never had friends, brothers... like you did. He never had the humanity like you did with Ambrose and Reigns keeping you somewhat grounded. It's kind of creepy how familiar it is, isn't it? Like seeing a distorted picture of sorts?"
Seth frowned and looked down at his hands before stammering, "I…"
"You don't need to explain yourself to me," said Balor raising his hand halting the other man's protests. "Joe is a sellout and promise me you'll punch that arsehole in the face when you finally get your hands on him."
Seth grinned slyly and nodded, "I can certainly do that for you. Anything else I can do for you?"
"Now that you ask," stated Balor as he turned to stare at the crummy poster that sat on the nightstand between them staring at the two wrestlers with a mocking smirk, "Save some of Triple H for me."
The former member of the Shield raised an eyebrow in confusion. Why would Balor want to take on Hunter? It wasn't as if the man had betrayed the former Universal Champion in any way.
"Stop looking at me like that," muttered Balor annoyed at the look on Seth's face, "He betrayed you and not five seconds after I was injured put the title on Owens. I never got a phone call, a text, an e-mail, bloody hell, a freaking fruit basket would have been nice. For all his love that he puts into his NXT darlings, it's like once you are called to the main roster he couldn't care less about what happens to you. So, I think it's time the King of Kings met the Demon King."
Seth couldn't help, but realize how eerily familiar this all was, but shook his head of the sense of deja vu he was having.
"Well get in line, pal. I have first dibs," Seth said venomously, not wanting to share his thirst for revenge with anyone.
"Oh trust me, you can have your revenge," Balor said with a dark chuckle, "But when you're done, it's going to be time for the Demon King to clean up the pieces of the King of Kings."
Seth nodded silently as he understood the revenge Balor craved after being cooped up for months on end in this desolate rehab facility.
"The sooner you and I blow this joint Balor, the sooner we can reclaim what is rightfully ours."
"I like the way you think, Rollins."
"But in the meantime, tell me more of what you know about Joe. I'm going to need all the training, knowledge and help that I can get with this one."
"Sure, but before I tell you can we do something else too?" questioned Balor as he sat up slowly and pushed his way toward the poster sitting between them, "Let's get rid of this piece of crap."
Seth nodded as Balor grabbed the poster and rummaged around in his pocket for something. The Demon King then pulled out a lighter.
"You always said you wanted to burn the place to the ground, right?"
Seth smirked once again and let a dark chuckle escape his lips. Seth slowly got up and began to gingerly limp following Balor down the hallway to the outside of the rehab facility where they could safely burn that piece of garbage.
"I think this may be the beginning of a beautiful alliance, Balor."
"I couldn't agree with you more, Rollins."