A/N: Well, it's been a while since I've had time to publish anything, but I'm back with this story, probably my favorite so far. Like my other story, "Therapy," featuring Rollins and Ambrose on an airplane, this piece was written essentially as a way for me to work out my anxiety about elevators (I know, I'm weird). Hope you all like my fun, fluffy take on elevator drama, and I hope the boys entertain. Reviews are what keep me going, so please feel free to let me know what you think :)
Enjoy!
The jolt nearly knocked all three men to the ground as the hotel elevator came to a jarring halt on its way up to The Shield's room.
"Dean! If you pushed the emergency stop button again, I'm gonna throw you out of the elevator," Seth said with a dangerous growl.
"Heh, I'd like to see you try Rollins," Dean replied, egging the smaller man on.
"Hate to interrupt with common sense, but if Dean would've hit the button, the emergency lights and alarms would be going off," Roman said, casually pointing out the obvious.
"So what, we're stuck for real?" Seth asked.
"Looks that way," Roman said.
"Cool, I always wondered what it'd be like to really get trapped in an elevator," Dean said as he began to hop lightly. A huge grin spread across his face when he noticed Seth's looks of unrestrained terror and panic.
Roman, sensing Seth's unease, turned a stern glare in Dean's direction. "Stop it Dean, you're scaring him."
"No he's not, I'm fine," Seth replied weakly. Sometimes, Dean reminded Seth of a shark when it smells blood: once Dean knew there was a weakness, he launched an all out attack.
Dean continued to hop from foot to foot, enjoying himself as the elevator groaned in protest. Seth scrunched his eyes shut. "Okay Dean, you win. I'm scared, alright? Now will you please stop being a jerk?"
Smiling triumphantly, Dean instantly stilled as he asked, "Now was that so hard to admit?"
Roman simply rolled his eyes as he watched the now content Lunatic Fringe settle himself onto the ground to wait for help.
"You better hope you get a good head start 'cause you're dead meat when we get out of here," Rollins muttered under his breath.
Once everyone seemed settled for the moment, Roman took out his phone and called for help. Apparently the authorities had already been alerted, but it would take time for help to arrive.
"Alright, think you two can keep from killing each other until we get out of here?" Roman asked as he massaged his temple, already feeling the buildup of a migraine behind his eyes as he joined Dean on the floor.
"Well that depends on Dean," Seth said with a sneer.
"Hey, I'm a freakin' angel," Ambrose replied with a sly smile, bouncing against the elevator floor to make it jitter.
Rollins squeezed his eyes shut again, his death grip on the railing tightening even more; none of the men would be at all surprised if he left permanent indents on the metal bar. Reigns pinned Dean with a glare that immediately stilled the squirming man.
A few minutes passed before the inevitable happened: "I'm bored," Dean whined. Without being able to torture Rollins, being trapped in an elevator was not nearly as exciting as Dean had imagined.
"Well, play on your phone or something until help gets here," Roman offered.
"I can't."
"Why? I showed you how to download games last week."
"Aside from the fact that I've already forgotten most of what you told me, my phone died back at the arena."
Roman sighed. What was he going to do with the technology challenged Ambrose? "Well here, play on mine. It's got some games you like on it," Roman said, offering his phone to the blond man.
Dean took it quickly and scrolled through the games. "A coloring book app? Really Roman, I had no idea you were so artistic." To Dean's surprise–and pleasure–even the frightened Seth laughed.
"Shut up Ambrose, it's for my daughter."
"And I supposed this dress-up game isn't yours either huh?" Ambrose asked, wagging his eyebrows playfully as Rollins chuckled again.
Roman took a deep, calming breath. "Maybe Seth's idea of throwing you out wasn't such a bad one after all."
Dean pretended to look annoyed, then a large smile grew, "Nah, you wouldn't do that."
"Oh? Why not?" Roman asked.
"You'd be bored without me."
"That wouldn't be a bad thing," Seth interjected.
Trying to derail the current conversation before an argument about Dean's entertainment value broke out, Roman turned his attention to Seth. "Might as well sit down Rollins, it's going to be a while before help comes."
"Nope."
"You're going to stand there, for who knows how long, with a death grip on the railing?" Roman asked incredulously.
"Yup."
"Why?" Dean asked, not bothering to look up from Roman's phone now that he'd found a game he liked.
"Because when an elevator falls, if you can jump at the right time, you'll survive."
"Um, I'm not sure that's how it works," Dean said.
"Shut up Dean, yes it is. You're just trying to mess me with again."
"Okay man, whatever, but I'm pretty sure the laws of physics don't work like that," Dean said offhandedly.
Feeling a new fight brewing, Roman said softly to Dean, "Just let him be. If it makes him feel better to think he can survive by jumping, let him."
Dean simply shrugged. It didn't matter to him one way or the other anyhow.
Silence enveloped the elevator as Dean played quietly, for once, on Roman's phone, Seth stood stock still and gripped the railing, and Roman leaned against the elevator wall, dozing after his brutal match with Triple H.
Dean huffed in annoyance as his little pixilated man was eaten by zombies...again. "This is a stupid game."
"I know you're not about to throw my phone," Roman said. He didn't even need to open his eyes–he had a perfect mental picture of Dean's posture: his blond friend's arm cocked back, ready to throw the small, offending device.
"I wasn't," Dean lied, pretending to be insulted by the accusation.
"Good. Keep it that way."
Dean huffed and looked around for something else to do. He glanced over at Rollins who finally seemed to have relaxed his grip ever so slightly on the railing. A mischievous smile crept onto Dean's face as he slowly reached up and push the button labeled "1."
"Dean, stop it!" Seth cried out, his panic renewing as Dean's sneaky movements did not go unnoticed.
"Hey, I'm not doing anything," Dean said, smiling at Seth as he pushed the next button, "2."
"Dean! You're going to break it!"
"Psh, it's already broken," Dean replied, returning his attention to the design he planned to create with the lit up buttons.
Suddenly, the elevator heaved, falling several feet. Seth tightened his grip on the railing, squeezing his eyes shut as Roman sprang to his feet yelling, "What did you push Dean?!"
"Nothing, I swear! I'm sorry!" Dean replied, just as alarmed with his hand hoovering over the seventh floor button.
The elevator began falling again, much faster than it'd ever traveled with the three men on it before.
"Rome!" Seth cried out. The big Samoan quickly found his way to the smaller man's side as Dean too, stood up and, clutching the railing, used it to maneuvered over to his brothers.
Jim, at least according to the name stitched on his blue button up shirt, swiped at tears that slide down his cheeks as he struggled, without success, to catch his breath. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so hard; never in his life had he witnessed a funnier scene. After jiggling some wires to get the elevator to return to the first floor, Jim had straightened, preparing to obey his boss and do just about anything, including beg, to earn the hotel guests' forgiveness. However, he couldn't get the words out as, when the door opened, he saw three grown men jumping as high as they could. Repeatedly. Oblivious to the fact that the elevator had stopped moving, and the door to freedom was now open.
"I hope you boys... didn't think... that was actually...going to work?" Jim asked through fits of laughter.
All three men in the elevator turned as red as the emergency button on the panel next to them. "No, of–of course not," Dean stammered, the first to regain his indignant composure. "I told you it wouldn't work," he whispered over his shoulder to Seth.
Seth, having no energy to do anything else, simply shrugged as he allowed Roman to guide him out of the elevator. Seth used all of his self control to keep himself from collapsing to kiss the ground like he'd seen in the movies.
Roman pinned the mechanic with a glare that instantly silenced the laughing man. "Let's take the stairs," he said softly to his brothers, his gentle voice contrasting his steely gaze.
The End
