Author's note: Apparently, I've no luck with my beta-readers, so this chapter (a part for the first part, for which I thank Devata for her help) is completely translated by me! There will be a lot of mistakes, but I hope everything will be, at least, understandable!
So, I'm quite in a rush, so few words before letting the chapter to you: I don't know when I'm gonna update next, 'cause my exams are begun today, but, in the meanwhile, here it is a very extra-long chapter! It's the longest one of this fanfiction and i really hope you're gonna like it! Let me know, it's really important your support, especially in these hard times LOL As always, thanks to who read/review/favorite/followed!
Just some informations before you get your head in the reading:
-I'm Italian, so English isn't my first language. I'm trying to do my best to translate it, but if there are any grammatical mistakes or other kind of mistakes, feel free to let me know: I'd really like to improve my English knowledge;
-The title of the story, "Anything but Ordinary" comes from a song by Avril Lavigne. The lyrics are quoted in the first chapters and many part of it will eventually be used as chapters' name. If you have never listened it, go search it on youtube: it's really amazing and it's the thing that inspired this entire story;
-Obviously (and sadly!) I do not own Dean Ambrose or other of the WWE Superstars that will be mentioned in this story. I own just Lydia and some other original characters you could easily figure out.
-There will be strong languages, violence and sex scenes.
-I have updated my profile here: give it a look, you'll find some pictures on Lydia/Dean and even a cover of the story!
And that's all: enjoy!
21. You're all I wanted
«Lydia!»
Seth Rollins ran toward the girl who advanced toward him with slow steps. Lydia raised her gaze and on her face there was a weird expression, almost bewildered. Seth stopped in front of her and stared, concerned, at her: she seemed to have… turned herself off.
She was withered like a forlorn flower, which had been even badly trod.
«What's wrong, sweetheart? I don't like your face at all.» he said, automatically raising one hand to brush away some locks of her hair from her face.
«Why thank you.» she grumbled, wrinkling her nose into a grimace.
«No, I didn't mean…» he sighed, scratching his nape. «What I mean is that you don't look so good… You sure you okay?»
Lydia shrugged.
«I feel a bit confused, if truth be told.»
Seth raised his hand again and gently pressed it to her forehead. Lydia shivered at the contact of his cold fingers.
«You're hot…» Seth murmured, cupping her face with both his hands and beckoning her to raise her head, so he could examine her directly in those bewildered eyes.
«Fever…?» she slurred with a sigh.
Who knows why, there was a part of herself which kept yelling at her that, if her face was burning, it wasn't because of a simple cold. The reason had a name and a surname. Even more than one, actually.
Jonathan Good.
Dean Ambrose.
Jon Moxley.
Just remembering that violent kiss with which he had surprised her made her stomach crawl and her head whirl dangerously.
No, it wasn't fever at all. It was another kind of disease, the lowest one.
«Come on, let's get back to the car.»
Seth's voice was a distant whisper to her ears. Lydia nodded distractedly and let herself be guided toward the car.
«Did you get your cell phone?»
«No… Dean… ehm… he… he said…» Think, Lydia, think! «…He said he left it at home! He… he will give it to me… then.»
It was clearly a lie, but she hoped Seth didn't become aware of it and that he was confused by her incoherent slurring as a consequence of the fever that Lydia didn't reject having. It was the end of November, but the temperature wasn't cold yet, and yet she had goosebumps on her naked arms and her cheeks were literally steaming.
«Mmm.» it was the only thing Seth said, before he opened the car's door and helped her get inside; he didn't add anything else, not even when he got into the car, too, and Lydia realized she had been able to convince him…at least for now.
«You okay, baby girl? Can we go?» Roman asked, glancing at her from the driver's seat.
Lydia, who had rested her head against the window, trying to soothe the warmth which was burning her skin, nodded tiredly.
«Yeah, yeah…» she slurred.
Cesaro turned, too, and looked at her: Lydia had now closed her eyes and tightened her arms against her chest, curling herself up on the seat.
«What's with her?» he asked, shifting his gaze from the girl to Colby.
«She's running a fever, I guess.» Seth answered, stretching out one hand to tenderly touch her face and remove some locks of her hair from her forehead, which now seemed even warmer. Lydia didn't even respond to the contact of his pads as her eyes remained closed, and her face rested against the window… Maybe, she had fallen asleep. Colby sighed heavily. «It's because of the cold she had caught yesterday night, outside the arena. When I found her, she was freezing. She was irresponsible to go out in the middle of the night with just a light t-shirt on.»
Joe, who had finally started the car and had driven out from the parking lot of the hotel, nodded thoughtfully.
«Yeah, when you brought her back into the locker room, she was shaking like a leaf. I had to give her my hoodie.»
«It's all because of…» Seth started, clenching his jaw, but the curious glance from Cesaro convinced him to desist from expressing his thought «…Let it go, it's better.»
Claudio didn't know anything about Lydia's situation and neither Colby nor Joe wanted to reveal anything else. That business was exclusively about them and that little, fragile girl who, now, was curled up next to him, sleeping calmly.
When Lydia reopened her eyes, the first thing she was aware of was that the car was firm. They weren't travelling anymore… were they already arrived to Long Island? Had she slept during the whole trip?
The second thing she was aware of, then, was that she wasn't rested against the window anymore, but she was lying on one side, her legs curled up to her chest and her head on…
«Welcome back, beautiful.»
…on Seth Rollins' thighs.
It was his unmistakable voice the one she had just heard.
A bit because of the position in which she was, a bit because of that nickname with which he had called her… and a bit because the image of him, completely naked, at Dean Ambrose's home, had inexplicably crossed her mind, Lydia felt her cheeks starting to crackle under the typical redness of the embarrassment.
She slowly raised one hand and pretended she was rubbing her eyes in a tired gesture, even though she was trying more to hide her face and impede him to become aware of how much ridiculously she was blushed.
«Are we already arrived?» she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
«Nope, we're still in mid-travel. We stopped to an highway stop, Joe and Claudio went to buy something to eat. You have to go to the Ladies?»
Lydia slowly shook the head and finally lay on her back, so she could look at him: Seth smiled at her from above, moving one hand to tenderly caress her hair and her forehead. Even if a shiver lightly shook her shoulders at the cold touch of his fingers, Lydia shyly smiled in return.
«It seems sleeping helped you, you're less warm than before.» Colby said in a thoughtful tone.
«Good…» Lydia sighed «Sorry I'm slipped on you during the sleep.» she added then, with a sheepish grimace.
«No problem, sweetheart. Am I cushy?» he teased her with a chuckle.
«Much.» Lydia answered, giggling as well and biting her bottom lip «But if you're not comfortable, I…»
«Relax.» he interrupted her, resting one arm askew on her abdomen, as he wanted to stop her before she could get up «You're not uncomfortable to me.»
The dark and piercing glance he gave her put her stomach in turmoil, so much that Lydia wondered if he could feel it shaking under the forearm he had delicately rested on it.
«You sure my big head isn't heavy?» she asked with a new giggle, trying to lighten the tension which, suddenly, had stiffened her shoulders.
Seth seemed to be surprised by that statement, because his dark eyes widened, his brows arched and his lips curved into a weird smile.
«Big head?» he repeated «You don't have a big head, sweetheart.»
«No? Look at it!» she insisted, frantically pointing at her head.
Colby frowned: everything he could see, observing her, was a graceful face, two big, particularly colored eyes, fleshy and tempting lips and a shock of auburn hair which now was spread on his thighs. Maybe, she was talking about her hair, when she affirmed to have a big head.
Lydia was really a funny girl.
At last, Colby slowly shook the head and sneered.
«I don't see a big head, beautiful.» he said, bending forward and resting one hand on her forehead, as he wanted to keep her firm and force her to look at him in the eyes «I see just a very cute, little head, which thinks always too much.»
Lydia would have wanted to find something else ironical to say, but her brain seemed to be melted into a mush which weren't able to collaborate with her anymore. She felt her cheeks burning red again and she just hoped that, from the outside, it wasn't so evident as she suspected. From the smirk on Seth's lips, she understood it had to be even worse.
Luckily, before something else could have been said – or she could say something really stupid -, the front doors were opened and Roman and Cesaro got back inside the car.
«Aw, the sleeping beauty is come back to us.» Cesaro said, greeting her with a soft smile as she took advantage of that distraction to hang on the front seats and come back sitting. Seth's muscular arm remained around her waist, unless until Roman handed him a cardboard cup.
«Your coffee, Col.» he said as Seth grabbed it and nodded as thanksgiving «How are you, baby girl?»
«Way better, thanks.» Lydia answered, returning to sit composed behind Cesaro.
«You hungry?» Roman asked her.
The rumble of her stomach answered for her, making her lightly blush.
All the three guys burst out laughing.
«I guess this is a yes.» Cesaro said, starting to pull out some packages from a bag he had on his knees; he turned around and handed to Lydia a fuming croissant «They told me you have Italian origins, so I put myself over for you to have an Italian breakfast. The big man here was about to buy you a sandwich which would be enough to feed an army.»
Lydia giggled and grabbed the hot croissant: just smelling its sweet perfume made her stomach grumbling again, so she immediately took a bite; it was really good, soft and with strawberries jam inside.
«Thank you.» she said, after having swallowed the first morsel «Roman is always afraid I starve: every time we eat together, he keeps to fill my plate! I'm sure after this trip I've put on at least five kilograms!» she sniggered, shaking her head and taking another bite.
Joe, who had driven in the traffic again, shrugged.
«It's just that you seem so tiny and fragile: you must eat, if you want to be in force and be able to sustain our schedules! Otherwise, you're gonna end falling asleep in our locker room after each and every show and we'll have to carry you in our arms to the hotel, again.»
Lydia blushed and a sweet, guilty expression crossed her face as she took another bite from her croissant.
«Okay, daddy.» she answered, with a baby voice, sticking her tongue out to him, even if just Seth could see her and he chuckled amused.
«Jeez, didn't know I had a fourth child.» Roman complained with a smile, looking up to the sky.
«Fourth?» Lydia asked curious, frowning and appearing in between the two front seats.
Moving, her legs distractedly brushed against Colby's tight and he felt a weird sensation crawling inside his stomach, so he sank in his coffee, trying to distract himself and think about something else.
«I thought you had just one daughter!»
«You're forgetting about Dean and Seth.» Joe answered with a sneer.
Lydia and Cesaro burst out laughing and Seth opened his lips, indignant.
«Hey!» he protested «Speak for Dean, I'm not a child!» Lydia laughed even harder, so Seth scowled at her and pointed his index finger against her face «Don't you laugh! You're not less child than I am!»
«So, you admit it!» she jeered at him, trying to hide other laughs behind her hand, with lack of results.
«Absolutely not.»
«Admit it!» she provoked him.
«No!»
«Admit it!»
«No!»
«ADMIT IT!»
«NO!»
«Kids, be quite back there!» Roman rebuked them, causing Cesaro to laugh again.
Seth and Lydia turned toward Joe and pointed one the other.
«He started!» Lydia exclaimed and contemporaneously, Seth «She started!»
«Really mature of you.» Cesaro commented and Roman raised his eyes to the sky, with an amused smile.
«Have you heard the Swiss?» Lydia said, folding her arms on her chest «Really mature of you, Rollins.» she repeated.
«Hey, he was talking about you.» Seth answered, crossing his arms to his chest, too.
«Actually, I was talking about the both of you.» Cesaro said.
«Shut up!» Lydia and Seth exclaimed contemporaneously.
Cesaro raised both his hands in a resign gesture.
«Next time, remind me not to accept a ride from you.» he said to Joe, who sniggered.
«And would you prefer to have a four hour ride with Colter who keeps to make his drag on immigrants?» Roman taunted him.
«It may be better…»
«Hey! I resent that!» Lydia protested, interrupting her staring-contest with Rollins to appear again in between the front seats «We can't be worse than Colter, come on!» she said, pouting her bottom lip and giving him her best puppy eyes.
Cesaro widened his eyes and stared at her with an odd expression, almost sheepish.
«No, anything but those eyes.» he murmured defeated.
«Does she pull out her puppy expression?» Roman laughed «You're fucked, man. You can't resist her, we all have tried to, but when she pull on those big eyes, she always wins. Even against Dean.»
Lydia chuckled, but before she could force Cesaro to do anything she wanted, just thanks to the power of her "puppy expression", as Roman had renamed it, Seth gently grabbed her by a shoulder and forced her to return to give him her attention.
«Don't distract yourself, woman. There's an argument in here and I don't like to be ignored.» he said, moving his hand to point himself and Lydia repeatedly.
«Do you mind? I was trying to convince Cesaro to admit we're better than Colter.»
«Actually, I…» but before Seth could finish the sentence, Lydia pressed her hand on his mouth and hushed him.
«Behave, now.» she slyly smiled at him and was about to return to dedicate her attention to the Swiss, when…
«UGH! SETH! YOU LICKED ME!» Lydia exclaimed, removing her hand from Seth's mouth, which bend into an amused and satisfied smirk «Roman! Antonio! Seth licked me!» she complained, trying to clean her palm against Rollins' shoulder, who, though, snapped his arm forward and grabbed her wrist, keeping her firm and impeding her to clean up on his shirt.
«You deserved that.» Seth said with a snigger.
Lydia tried to wriggle free, but each and every effort was completely useless: Colby was too strong, even if he seemed to know exactly which was the right pressure to make not to hurt her. Lydia raised also the other arm, to try to open his fingers and wriggle free, but he was quicker and grabbed even her other wrist, blocking her.
«Oh, well, yes: this is really mature of you, Rollins. Seriously.» she said, puffing out her cheeks.
Seth showed her an irreverent smirk, then he pulled her to himself and made her fall again on his thighs, keeping her trapped on him. He bend forward, so he had his lips few centimeters away from her ear, and she widened her eyes and blushed.
«If you want, I can show you how much mature I am, sweetheart.» he whispered in her ear, so that she was the only one to hear him, even because Roman and Cesaro had apparently decided to ignore them and they were now talking about RAW.
When Colby raised again his head, Lydia still had her eyes widened and he had to admit that, when her cheeks were so red, she was even more beautiful.
Lydia stared at him from below, her head still rested on his thighs and her hands blocked by one of Seth's hand, who had tangled both her wrists with one hand and was now keeping them firm on his lap.
If he would have just pushed them a bit down, Lydia could have felt a weird bulging under the crotch of his black trousers, so Colby was really careful in keeping them exactly where they were.
The glance Seth was giving to her was so deep that Lydia was afraid to lose herself in those dark irises. Roman and Cesaro's idle chatter was just a distant and indiscernible background for her ears, now deafened by the hastened beats of her heart.
Colby smiled cocky and brushed his fingertips against her forehead, lightly drumming his pads on it.
«Breathe, beautiful, or you're gonna faint.» he teased her, making her blush even more.
«I don't…!» she tried to protest, but her brain wasn't collaborating very much and that made Seth chuckle.
Lydia puffed out her cheeks and turned her face to the other side, because Rollins was still holding her from the wrists and that impeded her to lift herself up and return to a sitting position, away from him.
«Aww, come on, don't get your panties in a twist, sweetheart. I was just pulling your leg.»
She didn't answer, she just made a sound of annoyance, snapping her tongue on her palate, and she didn't turn to look at him.
«Lydia?» Seth called her then.
Nothing.
«Sweetheart?»
Still silence.
«Beautiful?»
Same reaction.
«Oh, come on! Who's the one who's acting childish, now?» Seth rebuked her with a smile, tenderly stroking his thumb on one of her wrists he was still holding in his lap; but, again, Lydia kept to give him her back, so Seth sighed «What can I do to make you forgive me?» he whispered with a smile.
«What do you have to offer me?» she asked, finally exiting from her capricious silence.
«A lot of beautiful things, but are you sure you wanna go all the way with this request, sweetheart?» he answered, his tone half amused and half randy.
«Seth!» she exclaimed, finally turning to look at him and glancing warningly at him, her cheeks still red.
«What?» he asked innocently.
Lydia shook her head in exasperation.
What was wrong with Rollins, that morning? He seemed to be passing through a terrible hormonal crisis… and, to that though, Lydia had to struggle to chase away again from her head the image of Seth completely naked.
And then… what was that suspicious bulge that now she could glimpse with the corner of her eyes? Was Seth… Enough, Lydia! Change subject.
«You know, there's nothing bad in being a bit childish, Sethie.» she said, with an odd smile «A lot of fans of yours adore that you are the puppy of the group.»
BAM! Hit and sunk! That was definitely a way to cool down his hot spirits!
Seth widened his eyes and Cesaro and Roman, who apparently heard just what they wanted, burst out in a clangorous laugh.
«Puppy?» Cesaro repeated among hysterical.
«Sethie?!» Roman said instead, among uncontrollable barks.
Colby scowled at her and Lydia had to do her best not to burst out laughing as well. She tried to maintain a neuter expression, but her lips trembled uncontrollably.
«Sethie, the puppy of The SHIELD!» Roman laughed again «We should buy you a puppy mask and you should wear it like Rowan wears the lama's one!»
«L-lama…?» Cesaro repeated confused, glancing oddly at him «Hey, dude: it's not a lama, it's a…» but he couldn't finish the question, because Colby interrupted him.
«Oh, shut up!» he muttered, clouting Joe's nape, who laughed even harder; then, Seth returned to look at Lydia with a dark glance «You're gonna pay for this, sweetheart, you better know it.»
«Aww, come on, don't get your panties in a twist, Sethie. I was just pulling your leg.» she said in a sweet, little voice, using the same words he had pronounced briefly before.
«I didn't told you anything, about that nickname, because it had to remain something between me and you, beautiful. I haven't given you the permission to make it public.»
«Uh no?» she answered, shrugging innocently «Ops, my bad.»
«Sethie…» Cesaro repeated, trying to suppress another giggle «Tonight I'm gonna say to Justin to announce you with this new ring-name.» and here there were other laughing from Cesaro himself, Lydia and Roman.
«Don't you dare. Or I'm gonna tell Lilian to introduce you as Very Mysterious Ice Cream.» Seth threatened him.
Roman laughed even harder, risking to drive out-street, and Lydia, instead, gave Seth a puzzled glance.
«Very Mysterious… Ice Cream?» she repeated confused, a little amused smile on her lips «What's this story?»
«A story that will remain out from our next conversation.» Cesaro interrupted her, scowling at Colby «Not a word, Col. Or I'm gonna tell everyone about that episode at FCW.»
«What episode?» asked Roman, who had been finally able to recoup from hysterical – much for their safety, considering he had risked to go off-street twice.
«No. Not-a-single-word, Castagnoli. Or the Los Ice Creams will be the least of your problems.» Seth threatened him, pointing his index finger against him.
«No, come on! Don't be mean: you can't provoke us and hide away!» Lydia complained «What's these secrets? We wanna know, don't we, Roman?»
«Absolutely.» the Samoan sneered, receiving a punch on the shoulder from Cesaro and a new slap in the back of his head from Seth. «Hey, hey, hey! Have you confused me for a piñata or what?» he rebuked them «I'm driving: behave yourself if you wanna arrived to Long Island in one piece.»
«I've got your back, Ro! Don't worry!» Lydia exclaimed, trying to get up to face Cesaro and Rollins, but this last one just had to press again his arm against her abdomen to force her to remain lie down.
«You what, sweetheart?» he taunted her, with a crooked smirk.
«I…! Uff.» Lydia crossed her arms against her chest and puffed out her cheeks, so Seth grabbed her face and pushed on her cheek, making her pouting her lips.
«For how long do you know each other?» Cesaro asked, taking advantage of the moment to shift the conversation to a different argument «You all seem to be very attached to this young girl.»
«Actually, it's just a week, maybe even less.» Seth said, keeping to play with Lydia's cheeks, who scowled at him from below with a reprimand gaze.
«Really?» Cesaro seemed to be struck «I would never say that, you've such a chemistry, it's unbelievable you know each other since a so little time.»
«Yesh. It'sh jusht…» Lydia tried to speak, but having still her lips pouted, words came out weird and slurred «Exchushe me…?» she said to Seth, who chuckled and let her cheeks go «Thanks. I was saying: it's just that I'm adorable.» and she winked to Cesaro, who smiled at her.
«What a modesty.» Rollins mumbled.
«I have no doubts about that.» Cesaro said instead «And how come the scary SHIELD has decided to take this adorable young lady on tour with them? You have never given such a possibility not even to your girlfriends…» he noticed, thoughtfully glancing at Lydia, who felt immediately in awe «I'm still waiting to know the beautiful Leighla, Col. And your bride-to-be and your daughter, Joe.»
«You're gonna meet them soon.» Roman said with a smile, trying to immediately shift the argument, but Cesaro seemed not to be inclined to give up.
«And how come have you decided to take her with you, instead?» he asked again.
«It's… it's a long story.» Lydia simple said, offering him a little smile and hoping it would be enough to close the argument.
Cesaro turned toward her.
«We're still stuck in this car for another hour: I've got all the time to listen to it.»
Lydia felt Seth's muscular arm stiffening against her stomach and she understood he had to have tightened a hand in a fist. She raised her gaze on him and gave him a worryingly look.
Seth looked at her back with an hard gaze: Lydia's face was now pale and there wasn't that nice redness to color her cheeks anymore.
She had an anguish expression and he was sure he was being able to feel her heart frantically beating in her chest.
«It's not really an interesting story, Claudio, that's it.» Seth said, with an harsh tone, as he wanted to make him understand to cut the conversation.
Cesaro seemed to understand, because he raised both his hands in the air and shook the head.
«Okay, okay, got it.» he gave up.
A tensed silence filled the car and that was making Lydia more and more anxious. Instinctively, her hand ran to search for Seth's one who, immediately, interlaced his fingers with hers, in a gesture of reassuring protection.
"Thanks." Lydia mimed with her lips, tightening the grip on his hand.
Seth smiled and simply nodded, brushing her hair away from her forehead.
«Talking about interesting stories: why don't we tell Lydia about that accident at FCW among Damien Sandow, Ryback and Brad Maddox?» Roman proposed, finally breaking the silence.
«Oh, yeah! That's a story to listen!» Seth exclaimed.
«Okay, okay: but I'm the one who's telling it, though! I was there when it happened and I remember each and every detail!» Cesaro said, already starting to snigger.
Lydia was grateful for that idea, because the rest of the trip passed among hilarious stories on FCW or RAW backstages episodes and she was not argument of conversation anymore.
For the entire trip, Lydia remained lie with her head on Seth's thighs and their hands interlaced.
Lydia didn't meet Dean Ambrose until he made his entrance inside SHIELD's locker room. They hadn't bump into him neither in the hotel nor in the Arena's hallways, but Seth and Roman knew he would have reached them before the show start.
And, indeed, about an hour before the beginning of RAW, the locker room's door opened and Dean came into the room, the gym-bag on his shoulder and a cap on his head.
«You took your time.» Seth said, as a greeting, deserving a warningly glance from Roman, who certainly didn't want a new fight between the two of them.
«I'm here, aren't I?» Dean simply answered, launching the gym-bag on a bench and starting to rummage inside it, pulling out his attire.
He didn't deign Lydia of a single glance and that made a lump climbing into her throat.
She was afraid she could burst out crying from one moment to another and that was a satisfaction she didn't want him to have.
Dean Ambrose, Jon Moxley, wanted her to broke apart… but that would never happen. Never.
Lydia snapped on her feet, completely catching Seth's attention, who gave her an odd look.
«Everything okay, beautiful?»
No-one noticed Dean Ambrose's shoulders stiffened just hearing him pronouncing that loving nickname.
«Yep, I'm gonna look for something to eat in the catering.» Lydia nodded, starting up toward the exit «Roman said I have to eat more, if I wanna to be in force and be able to sustain your schedules, right?» she smiled toward the Samoan, who winked and put his thumb up.
«You sure you wanna go alone?»
«I'm big enough, Sethie.» she teased him.
This time, both Dean's hands stiffened into two trembling fists.
«Be right back: you want something?»
«Do us a favor, baby girl: take some bottles of water.»
«Yes, sir!» Lydia exclaimed with a smile, coming to attention.
Then, without adding anything else, she quickly exited from the locker room.
Find the catering was less difficult than she thought it would be: in the backstage, already teeming of Superstars, Divas, security guys and staff members, there were signs hung up on every wall, with the various indications: Gorilla, Make Up Zone, Parking Lot, Audio Zone… Catering!
Following the instructions – and coming across various Superstars and Divas along her path, such as The Funkadactyls and The Bella Twins who were chatting sitting on some trunks, Dolph Ziggler who was warming up for the show, the 3MB who was trying new solos for his air band and The Miz who was excitedly talking at the phone – Lydia finally reached the catering.
The room wasn't much crowded, much to her luck, but there were Natalya and Tyson Kidd sitting to a table, Ryback and Curtis Axel were entering in that very moment and Randy Orton seemed to be bored to death by Brad Maddox.
Lydia tried to pass unnoticed, hoping everyone just thought she was a staff member and didn't ask weird questions, and she approached the buffet: there were delicious plates on there, but she had no desire to eat. Even if she had said to the SHIELD members – or better, to Seth and Roman – that she was going out to look for something to put in her stomach, the truth was far away from that.
She had to go away from the locker room.
She couldn't look at Dean Ambrose anymore. Not after what had happened, not after what he had told her. The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't understand how things could have fallen down that way in just one night.
She had to admit that, since they met, occasions in which they had had a fight weren't few: there had been the morning after the incident, when he had – maybe even rightfully – suspected she was just putting on all of that only to stay with him; and then, there had been that time at The Discordant Note, when she had freaked out and had rejected his help, too upset to understand enemy was inside her head and not in front of her.
Then, when Seth and Roman had entered the entire picture, Lydia had to admit her relationship with Dean had grown better and better: she couldn't deny the strong attraction she felt toward him, it was something that went beyond the simple fan crush – that she had now accepted to have. There was something else… something else she couldn't explain, but that always and irremediably drove her closer to him. Electric shocks she felt every time their bodies brushed one against the other, butterflies in her stomach every time he looked at her with that deep and cocky expression, the confidence with which he talked to her, the dangerous authority which, sometimes, emerged in his gestures – like when he had protected her at the airport or had threatened her inside the car – and the sweetness he was able to give her occasionally and with thrift – like when he had nailed her against the wall before the show and had softly and tenderly touched her and then had given her his dog tags.
And then, everything had faded away.
Lydia understood him, she really did. She had always known wrestling, for Dean Ambrose, was all his life. The only positive light he knew he had, the only thing that made him feel alive, the only reason to keep breathing… to keep living. But all of this didn't mean she could forgive his behavior: she would have justified him, she would have forgiven him, if everything stopped to what had happened inside the locker room, after his match. She would have understood him: Dean had talked out of anger, it was normal, he didn't mean to hurt her, he didn't think what he had said… but then, things had gone worse and worse that morning. And the more she thought about it, the more Lydia couldn't understand what had made him change that way.
Then, there was a flash inside her mind, a sentence he had said to her.
"I wanted to forget last night, I really did… but then this morning…"
«Feed me more.»
A deep and hoarse voice interrupted the long, infinite string of her thoughts, making her wince.
Lydia spun around, finding herself in front of the stern and frowning face of Ryback, who was handing her an empty dish.
«E-excuse me?» she asked puzzled.
«Feed-me-more.» Ryback repeated, pushing more the plate toward her.
«W-what…?»
Ryback heavily snorted and growled annoyed, scowling at her.
Lydia shivered: what did he want from her? Had she exchanged her for…
«You moron? Feed-me-more, waitress.»
Lydia blinked and swallowed, because now Ryback had come closer to her and was staring at her from above with dark and threatening air, towering over her with the bulky presence of his muscles.
«But I'm not…» she began, in a tiny voce, taking a step back and stealing a glance at the catering entrance, hoping to see a member of The SHIELD appearing – even Dean would be a great option, in that very moment!
But there was no trace of The Hounds of Justice – just when they were needed! – and not even the shadow of Cesaro or Sandow.
«Feed-me-more.» Ryback repeated again.
Lydia took another step back, but she couldn't back any further, because her shoulders bumped into a solid, rock wall.
Or, at least, she thought it was a solid, rock wall… unless until a husky and sexy voice didn't vibrate against her back and an arm didn't encircle her shoulders.
«Stop harassing this little girl, Ryback, and help yourself.»
Lydia's heart jumped into her throat: shyly raising her head, she found herself looking at the face of… Randy Orton.
Ryback scowled at Randy with a furious expression, which hardened his squared jaw, but it was enough for the WWE Champion to just glance at him sideways to convince the Big Guy to grumble something unclear and leave with his tail between his legs.
Lydia could finally sighed in relief.
«Thank-» she was about to say, but Randy didn't give her the time.
He forced her to turn toward him, keeping to hold her by the shoulders with one arm, and gently grabbed her chin between his fingers, beckoning her to raise her face until their eyes locked.
Lydia widened her eyes, completely caught off guard by their sudden closeness: Randy Orton was even taller than Dean and was observing her from above with a curious glance, a little, mischievous smile on his lips.
«Don't mind Ryback, he's a brute.» he said, with a seductive smile.
Lydia, definitely in awe, raised one hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
«Yeah, I saw…» she weakly murmured, trying to wriggle free from his grip to re-established the proper distances between them, but without results.
«I've never seen you around before… are you a newbie, dolly?» he asked, cocking his head to one side and slowly licking his lips.
«S-something like that…» she answered, cursing herself for having stuttered.
She didn't like that situation. At all.
«Aww: you blushed, dolly. Is that because of me?»
Eek! Somebody helps me!
«Randall: you never get tired of making a pass at everything that breathes?»
It was a little, unexpected voice to save her. Lydia shifted her gaze until she found the tiny, smiling figure of AJ Lee, who had her arms crossed to her chest and was scowling disapprovingly at Randy Orton, who snorted annoyed.
«And you never get tired of being a killjoy?»
«No, never.» AJ smiled «Now, leave this poor girl alone: this isn't the best way to welcome her in WWE.»
Randy let Lydia's shoulders go and she could return to breathe normally, as Randy reached the Divas Champion, looking at her up and down with a challenging gaze. Brave, AJ faced him without even blinking.
«What, are you jealous because you don't have enough attentions, little April?» Randy taunted her with a grin «Punk doesn't satisfy your needs?»
«Oh, trust me, Orton: Punk satisfies all of my needs.» AJ shot back, with a naughty smirk.
«If you content yourself with little things…» he murmured in her ear.
AJ snorted and looked up to the sky.
«I've no intention to play your stupid game, Orton.»
«That's a shame, you would have a loooot of fun.» he answered, stretching in all his height; AJ decided not to answer further and then Randy turned around to steal another glance at Lydia who, still behind him, winced a little «See ya around, then, dolly.» he winked and then, with a laugh, he left.
Lydia sighed all the air she didn't even realize she was holding until now, closed her eyes and delicately massaged her temples.
She couldn't handle all of that. Troubles seemed to go round her just like planets go around the sun. What in the hell had she done, in her previous life, to deserve all of that? She was seriously starting to think she had to have been such a terrible personality, like Hitler or Attila.
«You okay…?» AJ's kind voice forced Lydia to snap out from her considerations.
The Divas Champion was giving her an encouraging smile and had now rested one hand on her arm, as she wanted to assure herself Lydia was okay. Lydia smiled back and nodded.
«Yeah, I'm fine… they just break me back. Thank you, by the way, to come to the aid of me.»
AJ winked.
«No problem. I know how hard is to acclimate here and now you're the new girl, a lot of person will come bothering you, but this is just a phase, it will be over as soon as other new flesh will come into the business.» AJ said with a sigh «Not that you're a mere piece of meat, I didn't mean that!» she hastened to add.
Lydia chuckled and shook her head.
«Relax, I understood what you wanted to say.»
«You're not a waitress, I guess.» AJ noticed and, again, Lydia shook her head.
«Nope, I'm not. Actually, I don't work for the company at all, I'm just a guest.»
«Do you mind if we leave the catering? I don't want someone to come here and bother you and, moreover, I need to go get ready for my match, but I don't want to leave you here alone.» AJ said, nodding toward the exit.
«Yeah, sure. Just let me…» Lydia quickly went to grab three bottles of water, then she came back to AJ, who curiously glanced at her «We can go, now.»
The two girl exited together from the catering and walked through the crowded hallways of the Arena toward the female locker room.
«Ah, I'm AJ Lee, by the way, but you can call me April.» the Diva introduced herself, friendly stretching one hand out to Lydia, who smiled and fiddled with the three bottles of water to shake AJ's hand.
«I know who you are: I'm a fan.» she smiled, lightly giggling «Nice to meet you, by the way: my name's Lydia.»
«So… you said you're here as guest, right? Guest of who, if I can ask you?»
Lydia bit her bottom lips and blushed inexplicably.
«Of The SHIELD.»
The expression on AJ's face clearly expressed her surprise.
«Seriously? The SHIELD?» she said, then he giggled «So, the three bottles of water are for them.»
«Yep…»
«You're a lucky girl, Lydia: in spite of everything, Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns are good guys, no matter what you hear around about them.»
Lydia couldn't help but smile and nod, totally agreeing with her.
Okay, maybe in that very moment she didn't think Dean Ambrose was a good guy, but if she deleted the last day and remembered only what he had done for her… well, she couldn't deny it.
«Fine, I'm arrived.» AJ said, stopping in front of a door on which it was hung up a sign with the written "DIVAS" «Do you think you can come back to The SHIELD's locker room alone, from here?»
«Uhmm… Yes, I guess. At worst, I ask around.»
AJ oddly glanced at her.
«Wait me here.» she said, then she entered in the locker room.
Lydia stared at the door with a puzzled expression, but AJ exited from there briefly after and she was holding the cell phone to her ear.
«Can you come in front of the Divas' locker room? I need you to do me favor. Yep, thank you.» she hung up and showed a big smile to Lydia «I don't want you to bump into Orton or Ryback again and being harassed by them once more, so…»
«April!»
Both the girls turned toward the voice which had interrupted them and Lydia widened her eyes, finding herself in front of the most polemical and stubborn wrestler of the WWE.
CM Punk.
As Lydia blushed from toes to hair, because Punk was now curiously glancing at her with his magnetic olive green eyes, AJ reached him and quickly side-hugged him.
«Thanks for coming.»
«No problem, shorty.» Punk answered, tenderly kissing her temple «How can I help you?»
AJ pulled away from him and came closer to Lydia, who had remained silent and in the cold, too much sheepish to be able to move even a single muscle. AJ gently pushed her forward, forcing her to take a step toward Punk, and Lydia thanked God not to have stumbled in her own feet.
«This is Lydia, she's a friend of The SHIELD.» AJ said as introduction.
Punk addressed her a curious smile, then he winked.
«Nice to meet you, Lydia.»
«N-nice to meet you, too, Punk…» she whispered, wrinkling her nose into a sheepish grimace.
Punk tenderly chuckled: it was clear Lydia was a fan.
«Can you accompany her to the SHIELD's locker room? Ryback and Orton already gave her their welcome and I don't want her to…» AJ said.
«Of course, no problem at all. Come with me, Lydia.» Punk answered, giving her a new smile and making a nod with the head to follow him.
Lydia nodded and hastened to reach him, but before she turned toward AJ and showed her a big, bright smile.
«Thank you, AJ!»
«You're very welcome, Lydia. If you need me, you know where to find me.»
Lydia nodded and reached Punk.
«Good luck with your match, shorty.» Punk said as goodbye.
«Phil: luck's for losers!» AJ answered with a laugh.
«That's my woman.» Punk said, laughing as well and winking at his girlfriend, before the Divas Champion disappeared inside the locker room.
Lydia sheepishly followed CM Punk through the hallways, silent: being at his presence really intimidated her… it was always like that, when she met a new Superstar.
And then, CM Punk had always been one of her favorites… you could easily say that the fan crush she had on him was almost comparable to the one she had had for Dean Ambrose.
Yeah, Dean… every time she thought about him, her heart ached a little more.
«So, you're a friend of The SHIELD, huh?» Punk asked, breaking the silence.
«Yeah, something like that.» Lydia nodded with a smile.
«And are they treating you well?»
"Yes, everyone but that idiot of Dean, but these are details." She thought, but instead she said «Yes, they're all very kind and gentle with me. They make me feel at home.»
Punk winked, comprehensive.
«And that's always the most important thing: feeling at home with some special person, not in some material places.»
«From the way you've said it, it seems you know it very well.» Lydia noticed with a shy smile.
Punk just nodded thoughtful.
«You can say it out loud.»
The conversation went down: Lydia didn't sincerely know what else she could say… who knows if she had always been this socially awkward girl.
«So, Ryback and Orton bothered you?» Punk asked after some seconds.
«Yeah, but it wasn't nothing serious, really. Ryback just thought I was a waitress and Randy Orton… well, I think he was simply being Randy Orton.» Lydia shrugged as she wanted to say it didn't really matter.
«Yeah, I can imagine it.» Punk observed, running one hand through his hair «Well, I know you're with The SHIELD, so you can't be more protected, but if you will ever be in trouble again and they won't be around, just give me a call and I'll put them back to their place.» he added, winking.
Lydia couldn't help but blush, as her heart started to furiously beat in her chest.
CM Punk… THAT CM Punk had just offered her his protection?
Okay, now she could die happily.
«Ehm… I… thank you, Punk.» she whispered, trying to keep at bay her fangirlish side, which was freaking out inside her stomach.
«No problem, gorgeous…» G-gorgeous? Lydia's brain shut off for some seconds, totally assorted by the internal scream of her fangirlsh side «… every friend of April is my friend.» Punk said, giving her a friendly flick on her arm, and Lydia hoped he hadn't said anything else, because that would have been definitely sheepish, so she shyly smiled and clutched in one shoulder.
There was no time to add anything else.
«LYDIA!»
The girl spun around and her eyes met the panting figure of…
«Dean…?» she murmured puzzled, seeing him approaching them with big steps, his hair all messed, his arms so contracted that every, single muscle seemed to be even bigger, the expression on his face hard and terribly stern.
He seemed angry, again.
And she was afraid of him, again.
What had she done, now?
«Where in the hell were ya? It's half an hour we're waiting for ya!» he snapped at her, as soon as he had reached her.
Lydia winced involuntarily and the bottles of water almost slipped from her arms.
«I…» she tried to explain herself, but he didn't let her.
«I don't fuckin' care about ya excuses. Let's go.» he hushed her, grabbing her by a wrist.
He would have dragged her away, if CM Punk didn't intervene.
«Hey, cool down, Ambrose. I don't think that's appropriate to treat her like that.»
Lydia didn't know how that happened, because it happened all too quickly, but in a heart-beat she found herself behind Dean's back and he and Punk were facing each other, their noses few inches away.
«And I think that's appropriate ya don't fuckin' mess with me, Punk.» Dean hissed, dangerously narrowing his eyes.
«Or what?» Punk provoked him, with a crooked smirk, crossing his arms on his chest.
«Ooooooh, ya wouldn't like to find it out, trust me.» Ambrose answered, replaying CM Punk's smirk with a little smile anything but reassuring.
«Come on, then.»
«Hey, no, wait! Stop it…» Lydia intervened, pulling Dean from the arm of which hand was holding her by the wrist «There's no need to start a fight over a simple misunderstanding.» she flanked Ambrose, resting one hand on his chest, trying to capture his attention, but he remained with his eyes fixed on Punk's face, a dangerous sparkle which burned in the deep of his blue eyes «It's okay, Punk, really.»
Phil finally shifted his gaze from Ambrose's one to observe that little girl who was now showing him a shy smile.
«You sure?» he asked doubtful.
«Ya heard her, Punk. Get lost.» Dean answered for her, with hard tone, letting her wrist go just to slip his arm around her waist and tightened her to himself in a possessive way.
Lydia widened her eyes, totally caught off guard by that gesture, but she tried to remain lucid and smiled toward Punk, weakly nodding.
«Yeah, relax. I'm safe with Dean, you can go.» Lydia said and she swore she had felt Dean's muscular arm tightening her stronger; maybe, if she had raised her gaze, she would have seen a little, smug smile softly bending his lips, but she didn't, so that would remain a mystery.
Punk gave her a long glance, then he nodded and raised both his hands in resignation.
«As you wish. If Ryback and Orton bother you again…»
«I know where to find you, thanks.»
Punk made a gesture of agreement with his head.
«See you around, Lydia. It was a pleasure to meet you.»
«You, too.» Lydia answered with a smile.
«Ambrose.»
«Punk.» Dean said his goodbye through gritted teeth and his gaze never left the figure of The Best In The World until he disappeared behind the corner.
Once Punk was definitely gone, Lydia and Dean remained in a tensed and overwhelming silence, which she didn't absolutely know how to break and which he didn't absolutely seem willing to interrupt. He just kept to simply look in the abyss, as he was elaborating some distant and dangerous thoughts which Lydia, still tightened against his chest by his arm which possessively encircled her waist, wasn't sure she wanted to find out. So, when finally he spoke, with unstressed and sharp voice, Lydia couldn't help but wince.
«What's this story?»
Lydia frowned and raised her face to observe him, but Dean kept to obstinately stare in front of himself, without looking back at her.
Story? Oh, if he was now intentioned to make a jealousy scene toward Punk, she… she didn't know what she would do, but she certainly wouldn't reacted well.
«What are you talking about?» she asked back, gingerly, trying to study the reaction of his face, which though remained hard and stern.
«What does Punk mean with "If Ryback and Orton bother you again"?» he asked and his voice, before emotionless, was not clearly angry «What the fuck happened?»
Lydia was totally taken aback by that question, it wasn't what she expected.
Dean was… worried about her? But, hadn't he told her she was just another ring-rat? And now he got mad if someone bothered her? That man was… unf! She couldn't even find the proper words to describe his attitude.
«Lydia: what the fuck happened?» Dean repeated.
He loosened the grip around her waist just to grab her from the shoulders and beckon her to look at him in the eyes. Lydia swallowed and bit the inside of her cheek.
«Nothing happened… Ryback thought I was a waitress and wanted me to serve him to eat and Randy…» how could she explain what has happened without him to misinterpret too much? She could already see the rage which was burning inside his soul and she didn't want him to get pissed off even more than that «I guess… I guess he was just being Randy Orton, that's a-»
Dean didn't let her finish, the grip on her shoulders loosened and he quickly turned around, furiously starting up towards who knows where. Believing to have a pale idea, Lydia widened her eyes and hastened to follow him.
«No, Dean, wait! Where are you going, now?» she stopped him, grabbing him by an arm and forcing him to stop.
«Making myself sure Ryback and Orton didn't come closer to ya again not even by chance.» he simply answered, without even turning to look at her. He was about to leave, but Lydia's hand didn't let his arm go, so, unless he didn't drag her behind himself, he was forced again to stop «What?» he snapped annoyed, turning to finally look at her.
There was an icy storm inside his very light-blue eyes.
Lydia frantically shook her head.
«Let it go, it's not necessary you get into troubles for me.»
«I decide what's necessary and what not.» he answered sternly, shrugging off from the weakly grip of her little hand, which burned on his skin more than salt on an open wound.
Lydia retreated her hand and snorted, as a new deaf pain enlarged in her chest.
«May I know what your problem is, Dean Ambrose?»
Jon stole her a glance.
«Excuse me?»
«Why are you behaving like that? I… Oh, don't mind it!» Lydia snapped, shaking her head and turning the back on him, ready to go away.
She didn't want to have the umpteenth fight against him, she couldn't handle it!
But, she hadn't taken even a step that Dean bluntly grabbed her by a wrist, forcing her to stop and to spun around toward him again.
«Finish your thought, Sunshine.» he commanded, with a low murmur.
«I can't handle this, seriously!» she snapped at her breaking point.
«May I know what the fuck did I do now?»
«Now?!» she attacked him «It's not about what you did now, Dean! It's about how you've behaved yesterday night! It's about what you did this morning, it's about what you said to me! Am I not just another ring-rat to you? So why do you care so much about what happened to me? What do you want from me?!»
Without giving her time to add anything else, Dean pushed her against the wall and pinned her there, pressing his body on hers. His lips immediately found her ear and one hand inserted itself in her hair.
«What do I want from ya?» he murmured, in a husky and low voice «I want ya, Lydia. And, remember this: I always get what I want.»
Lydia felt her heart beating faster and faster in her chest. For one moment, she believed he would kiss her again or he would add something else. Instead, unexpectedly, Dean Ambrose loosened his grip on her shoulders and pulled away. Then, without looking at her again, he turned his back on her and went away, leaving her completely alone and completely destroyed.
So, what do you think about it? Do you like it? Do you not like it?
And, moreover, after this chapter, which side are you on? Team Seth/Lydia or Team Dean/Lydia? Let me know in your reviews!