Just after Raw - July 27, 2015
"Go ahead and gloat," Seth called out as he glared over at where Dean stood about twenty feet away.
Dean jumped slightly and then peered around curiously until he finally spotted the source of the voice. Seth was sprawled out on the floor behind some boxes, his back propped up against the cement block wall. "Seth?"
"Don't 'Seth?' me like you didn't realize I was here," Seth replied irritably. "You've obviously followed me out here to give me shit about my match with Cena. So just go ahead and do it already so I can go back to being alone."
"I didn't follow you out here," Dean said, walking closer to his former stablemate. "I didn't even see you there."
"Yeah, so you just happened to be out here in the loading docks at the same time as me," Seth replied sarcastically.
"Yep. Pretty much."
"Well, we're both here now for whatever reason, so let's just get knock each other around a little bit and get it over with," Seth said, hopping to his feet.
"Eh, I'm getting kind of tired of that," Dean said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He walked even closer and plopped down on the floor next to where Seth was currently standing.
Seth looked down at Dean, his eyebrows raised. He started to walk away but then thought, The hell with that. I was here first! So shrugging his shoulders, he sat back down as well. After sitting side-by-side for several seconds, Seth cleared his throat uncomfortably. "This is weird," he finally said.
"Yeah," Dean agreed.
Several more seconds of uncomfortable silence passed as Seth tried to examine Dean using only his peripheral vision. What the hell is he doing? he wondered. For some reason a calm Dean unnerved him much more than a combative one.
"So, whatcha doing out here?" Dean finally asked casually.
"What do you think I'm doing out here?" Seth snapped, irritated at his own uneasiness.
"Umm, practicing your mad ninja skills?" Dean suggested thoughtfully.
"While sitting on the floor?" Seth asked, rolling his eyes.
"Could be some kind of ninja meditative mind control thing," Dean offered.
"No," Seth answered.
"Well, maybe you're playing a game of hide-and-seek then?" Dean suggested next.
"And just who would I play hide-and-seek with?" Seth countered scornfully. He left the I have no friends part unsaid.
"Hmm… so it's not that either." Dean tapped his chin. "I know! You are really an android, and your power is low so you are sitting there to recharge."
"Really, Dean? An android?" Seth asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Yeah," Dean answered. "I kind of like the idea that the real Seth is locked in a closet somewhere, and you are just an evil impostor sent to make my life miserable."
"It would kind of suck for the real Seth, though," Seth responded soberly.
"Yeah, there is that."
"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not an android," Seth answered.
"I'm pretty sure an android would tell me the same thing."
Seth ran his fingers through his hair, exasperated. "Really, Dean?" he said with a huff.
"Okay, okay," Dean said, raising his hands placatingly. "I get it. You're not an android. You have to admit, it would be kind of cool, though. Do you want me to keep guessing? I can do this all night."
Seth took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. "The question was supposed to be rhetorical."
"Oh. Why didn't you say so?"
Seth looked at Dean, his jaw clenched. Dean wasn't there to harass him or beat him up. He was there to drive him up the wall.
"So, whatcha doing out here then?" Dean repeated.
Seth stared unseeingly into the distance. It looked like Dean wasn't planning on going anywhere any time soon, so he could either leave himself or give Dean an answer. Seth guessed it wouldn't hurt to talk to him. Things could hardly get any more weird after all. "I guess I'm just out here to lick my wounds after losing to Cena," Seth finally answered, keeping his eyes fixed in front of him. "And I didn't really want to face Hunter and Stephanie either."
"Hm," Dean said softly in acknowledgement.
Seth waited for Dean to comment further, but when he didn't he turned to look at Dean again. "This is the part where you give me shit about how I'm a total joke of a champion and don't deserve the title and all that," he prompted.
"Because you lost to Cena?" Dean asked, turning to face Seth for the first time.
"Uh, yeah?
"Eh, Cena beat me too. The dude's tough," Dean answered philosophically. "You probably would have held out a lot longer if your title had been on the line."
Seth stared blankly at Dean. He had been wrong. Things could get even weirder. Not only was Dean not giving him a hard time about his loss, it seemed like he was actually trying to make him feel better.
"Plus you broke his nose!" Dean continued excitedly. "Now I don't have a problem with Cena or anything, but still, that was awesome. His nose was on the side of his face!"
"Yeah, I guess."
"First Lesnar's ribs and now Cena's nose. You might not be winning all of your matches, but you sure make sure make sure you leave an impression."
Seth nodded uncertainly, not at all sure of how to take Dean's comments. He decided to change the subject. "So what were you doing all the way out here if you didn't follow me? Why aren't you back at the hotel with Roman?"
"Oh. Roman wanted some time alone to 'talk' to his wife," Dean answered, raising his hands to make air quotes as he said the word 'talk.' "He rode back to the hotel with Naomi. I thought I would kill some time by exploring the arena before driving back. That's how I ended up here."
"Oh," Seth said. He and Dean used to kill time together when Roman wanted private time with his wife. He'd never stopped to wonder how Dean filled that time now. Must be kind of boring.
"Well... Ro left a while ago. It should be safe to head that way soon. I guess I should go get my stuff," Dean said hesitantly, as if just now truly realizing the strangeness of their situation.
"Yeah, well… be safe," Seth offered awkwardly.
The former friends looked at each other but neither made a move to get up. Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey Seth?" he suddenly blurted out. "How long do you think you're gonna be on this whole 'proving yourself' mission?"
"What?"
"You know, how many more goals do you have to achieve before you prove to yourself that you really are good enough? I mean, you're already WWE World Heavyweight Champion."
"Yeah, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion that everyone thinks is a joke," Seth mumbled.
"Well stop acting like a joke then!" Dean said forcefully, raising his voice. "Get your shit together and act like the champion I know you can be. I already know what you're made of. Get it together, and show the world already!"
Seth sat silently, stunned.
Dean looked at Seth appraisingly. "You know, Trips and Steph knew just what they were doing when they singled you out. You like to think of yourself as the smart one, but I think I understand more about you than you realize. Underneath that arrogant exterior is an insecure little boy just dying for some parental approval. I mean, with a mom who basically ignored you because she was always preoccupied with her friends and her parties and her shopping and a hardass dad who never thought anything you did was good enough and constantly told you so, I guess you couldn't help but turn out a little messed up. And Trips and Steph played right into that, didn't they? Offering you the attention and validation that you craved so bad? Man, you must have licked that shit up with a spoon. But make no mistake, Seth. What they are offering you? It's not real. They are just playing you."
Seth closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You psychoanalyzing me now?" he asked without opening his eyes.
"Am I wrong?"
Seth shrugged.
Dean sighed. "Look, I know Ro and I made some mistakes too. We unintentionally played into your insecurities as much as Trips and Steph preyed on them."
Seth opened his eyes. "Why are you being so nice to me?" he said, finally voicing the question that had been plaguing him since Dean first sat down beside him.
This time it was Dean's turn to shrug. "I've tried being angry. I've tried kicking your ass and insulting you and ignoring you, but none of it made me feel any better. So I thought I'd give being brotherly a try. Plus, I just had to give you props for breaking Cena's nose. That shit was gnarly!"
"Oh." Seth paused, unsure of what to say next. "Well… umm... thanks."
Dean pushed up to his feet, and Seth did the same. As Dean began to walk away, Seth called out, "Hey Dean?" Dean stopped and turned back around. "Be careful around the Wyatts, okay? I hear things, and you might as well have a target painted on your back. They're gunning for you."
"I think I can handle a few brainwashed weirdos," Dean said with a smirk.
"Alright. I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"Says the guy who curb stomped my head into cinder blocks."
"Well, you know, the sentiment doesn't really hold when I'm the one doing the hurting."
Dean and Seth exchanged a knowing look. You can fight with your brother all day long, but it is a whole different story when someone else tries to do the same.
"Yeah, I know," Dean said simply and turned again to walk away.
As Seth watched Dean disappear around the corner, he knew that something fundamental had just shifted between them. It might not be apparent to anyone else, but he knew it was there, and it felt good. He smiled to himself. I should knee Cena in the face more often, he thought as he followed Dean's path back to his locker room.