Title: Road Life

Author: capatinbartholomew

Disclaimer: Alas, I am a college graduate with a full time job, paying off student loans, paying for car insurance, paying utilities and apartment rent, so if you think I can afford to pay for Seth and Dean, you are, my friend, are sadly mistaken.

Summary: Readjusting to life on the road is hard mentally, physically, and emotionally. Although, when you have a brother who is there for you every step of the way it certainly isn't difficult to make the transition back to the absolute insanity. Oneshot. Brotherly fluff.

*a/n i: Somebody somewhere somehow along the line told me they were craving my fanfiction, so to satisfy this person's desire I wrote a nice shumpy brotherly piece to shut said person up. Then said person proceeded to heckle me from another country while they were "on vacation with their fiancée."

So here caylendar, hopefully this shuts you up for a while.

(XXXX)

Fact: Seth Rollins loved his brother, Dean Ambrose, dearly.

Fact: Seth Rollins had been out of action 8 months and hadn't spent much time with said brother during his rehabilitation (well there were several exceptions to that line of thinking).

Fact: Due to lack time spent together over those 8 months, Dean had jumped into Seth's Tesla car after the show in Green Bay, Wisconsin as they traveled to Rockford, Illinois to tape SmackDown.

Fact: While the Architect had appreciated the gesture at first, he was now ready to to shove Dean out of said Tesla car if he didn't stop his godawful singing.

"He said let's get out of this town. Say you'll remember me standing in dress staring at the babe! Wildest Dreams! AH… HA..." screeched WWE's resident Lunatic Fringe at the top of his lungs as Seth ground his teeth together forcing himself to bite his tongue in silence. He didn't want to kill them both while driving just so he could smack Dean upside the head and shut him up for a couple hours. He was also pretty sure management would be angrier than Kane trying to not overcook a s'more at a cookout if one their stars was put on the injured reserve list because another star just couldn't stand listening to him sing another line of a horrendous pop song.

"I don't get it. Why couldn't you have gone with Roman… or Sami… or Enzo and Cass? The Realest Guys in the Room seem to have taken a strong liking to you for some unfathomable reason that is clearly well beyond my pay grade," grumbled a grouchy Seth as he tried to stifle a yawn which was attempting to slip out of his mouth.

Dean chuckled and shook his head. This was the exact reason why he had come with Seth because the young man hadn't adjusted back to their way of life yet after being gone for eight months. Road life was hard. Their lifestyle was not an easy one to become in sync with. Not being able to sleep in your own bed, see your family, or relax, took a big toll on a person. He couldn't imagine what Seth was going through after giving up all those things just so he could come back and do what he loved. This is was why Dean had jumped in the Tesla car with Seth once the show in Green Bay was done. He wanted to make sure his brother was alright.

Would Dean ever tell him of his true intentions though?

Hell to the no.

"Well dear old baby brother of mine, who would be here to lookout for you otherwise?" he joked with a smirk plastered across his face as Seth shook his head, "Plus I haven't hardly seen you in 8 months since you were extremely busy redesigning, rebuilding, and getting ready to try to reclaim your title from Roman."

"Dean, you saw me when you broke into my house for pancakes at 2 in the morning after the show in Moline, plus we went to see Star Wars together with Roman when you came to visit in December, you saw me at Mania in April, and you took that horrendous picture of me and Kevin which almost broke the internet," chided Seth as Dean turned to face him with the biggest pout on his face.

"But, we haven't had quality brother bonding time in so long," whined Dean like a petulant child.

For what seemed like the millionth time, Seth sighed in annoyance and exhaustion. His body was still readjusting back to road life, he'd become so accustomed to having a somewhat average person, he'd kind of forgotten how the whole roaming nomad lifestyle of being a professional wrestler worked.

Dean chose that exact moment to interrupt Seth's inner monologue as the car lights showed a dark green sign detailing the name of the next town they were going to pass in about 20 miles.

"Ya know Wisconsin has some of the weirdest sounding town names, you know that right?"

Seth shrugged unsure of where exactly this conversation was going. "What makes you say that?"

"Well look at that one coming up, Muk-on-ack-go?"

"I think you added a few extra syllables, genius. It's probably pronounced Mukwonaggooo."

"No, it's Muk-nago!" Dean steadily objected, "You know we could stop and ask someone. According to the GPS in this car, we are only an hour and 45 minutes from Rockford."

"I highly doubt there will actually be anyone coherent enough at 1 a.m. to tell us exactly how to pronounce this town's name," grumbled Seth, "Plus do you really want the two of us spotted together? That would literally break all forms of kayfabe and Vince would be pissed."

Dean shrugged nonchalantly not really caring what damn rules or stipulations their boss imposed on them, "So? We're his workhorses, whatever punishment old Vinnie Mac dreams up won't be bad for the two us, we can take it, easily."

"Says you," Seth muttered under his breath, "Maybe I don't want to be under my bosses suspicious gaze after just coming back when he is already doubting me and my abilities..."

The Lunatic Fringe stopped for a second mulling over that thought. Seth really was down in the dumps even though he was back doing what he loved. Sure, Vince was saving him wrestling on TV for the upcoming pay-per-view and the man hadn't really gotten to talk during his promos because the guys in the back had a hard on for Roman, but he didn't expect him to be this upset about over his current situation. Deep down, Dean knew something was really wrong with his brother. Seth was never this grouchy unless something was really bothering him.

"Dude, I came with you so we could have some quality brother bonding time, what the hell is your problem? Do I have to get physical and literally pull that metaphorical stick out your annoyed ass? Cause God help me, Seth, I will!"

"Don't you mean 'You can and you will?'"

"Can it, you Roman want to be! Seriously Seth what the heck is wrong?"

Seth let out a sigh and gave Dean a quick glance before turning his attention back to the road. He kept his eyes locked on the road and then quietly muttered something.

"Uh, what was that Mr. Architect? I didn't hear you the first time."

"I'm homesick!" Seth blurted out ashamed. "I've been at home in fuckin' Iowa for so long I forgot what this life was like. I forgot about having to travel every couple days. I forgot we leave our families behind for a paycheck. I forgot about how all this worked. I want to be able to play Madden on my big screen, go on weekend trips with my non-wrestling friends and family,, to have a routine schedule. I want to be able to spend quality time with the Kevin the Dog and Daryl the Cat! I want to be able to be normal! You probably think I'm pathetic now."

Dean could have sworn Seth was about to burst into tears then and there. Crap, what did a person do with a crying Seth Rollins? Did he record it on his phone and put it on Twitter for all the fangirls to go gaga over? No, that didn't seem right. Did he jump out of the car and walk the rest of the way to Rockford? Nah, management wouldn't be happy if he showed up to the show with road rash all over his body and an explanation of "I didn't want to deal with my brother's emotions." Did he call Roman and beg for help? No, Dean could handle this on his own, he was a grown man after all. He could handle this emotionally volatile Seth on his own, right? Right?

"Are you craving a grilled cheese sandwich cause I am?" Dean blurted out the first thing that popped into his head and it had to do with a damned grilled cheese. Wow, was he a good comforting soul or what during his brother's time of emotional distress over being homesick?

"Uh no, why, are you?" questioned Seth confused while fixing the Lunatic Fringe with a bemused look.

"Yea, grilled cheese is the world's best comfort food, yea know?" Dean stated matter of factly, "Plus a chocolate milkshake to go with it, man does that hit the spot!"

Seth was now thoroughly confused about what was happening.

"I know none of this is easy for you, yea know? But grilled cheese and chocolate milkshakes are a comfort food because what is better than melted, gooey, warm cheese and an ice, cold, chocolate milkshake? It will make you feel better in a jiffy," stated Dean as he turned to look at Seth. Then Dean proceeded to say, "You probably have way too many emotions going on right now with readjusting back to the bundle of crazy that is our lives. Especially with trying to prove to yourself to our bosses and everyone else that you are better than you were before.

"You know what? I know you are. I know you are because if you aren't I will kick your ass all the way back to fuckin' Iowa with no regrets whatsoever until you are ready to be CrossFit Jesus or Kneesus or whatever the kids are calling you these days. You know why?

"I'm your brother. I'm here for you. I'll always be here even when we are 3,000 miles away from each other, on another freaking continent or just standing inches away from each other in the ring. I want you to push yourself to the damn limit just so you can have a taste of gold again because I can't think of anyone more deserving of it than you. I'll always be here to back you up even if we aren't related; you're still my brother even if you are an emotional mess at this moment in time. We're family and…"

"Family doesn't end with blood," Seth answered calmly back to his best friend, his wrestling soulmate, his brother.

"So don't be homesick, Seth because when your with your family you are never alone."

Dean could already see Seth's demeanor had improved tremendously after his little pep talk. Ambrose had proven to himself that he could easily handle an emotionally volatile Rollins with no Roman there to back him up. Sure, Seth was just getting back into the swing of things now, but Dean had no doubt the young man would be perfectly okay in the end. If he wasn't, well they'd pick up the pieces together as coworkers, as friends, as brothers.

"So how about we stop for those grilled cheese sandwiches and milkshakes? I'll drive the rest of the way to Rockford," offered Ambrose. Hey, if he was going to bring up eating grilled cheese sandwiches and milkshakes, he wanted to eat a grilled cheese sandwich and have a milk shake. Hell, they were in Wisconsin, the Dairy State, after all.

Seth nodded too tired to even attempt an argument with Dean as he let out a full yawn this time while carefully navigating the car off of the freeway. The Architect figured he could probably use some sleep after everything that had happened in the last week after his return. Rockford wasn't too far so Seth could somewhat trust Dean not to crash his Tesla car. He could only hope the Lunatic didn't do anything stupid, but Seth had some faith in the man so he couldn't worry too much.

"Oh and Dean," Seth mumbled quietly as he navigated the Tesla off the freeway toward a Mom and Pop diner with a gas station nestled on the outskirts of a town he was pretty confident in pronouncing.

"Yea what?"

"It's actually pronounced Muk-won-a-go."

"Seth?"

"Yea?"

"Shut up."

The End

*a/n ii: Not my best work, but hopefully it satisfied the feels of caylendar so I can go back to living my life and focus on becoming the CrossFit Mary Magdalene… but I do have a fic I need to write that is the follow-up to What Is and And What Should Never Be and A Moment in Time. I'll Turn Back.… get ready for some feels people! Happy 4th of July! –cap :)