CJ didn't know how Dean got that second wind, and she really didn't know why the Wyatts were still standing around them, but she did know that she wasn't a fan of looking like a damsel in distress. So she stood up and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Dean despite his efforts to push her behind him. He was too weak to hold her back and it wasn't long before Seth and Roman showed up and made an effort to box her in, but she pushed herself between Roman and Dean. Dean glanced over at her while Roman looked at Harper, both men quietly admiring her courage.
"Back off. You won the match already, leave us alone." Seth requested as Dean's stance began to falter. The fact that he was standing was a miracle in CJ's opinion.
"You can hide behind this shield of yours all you want, Miss Jericho. I see the cracks in The Shield- your shield- and I will reach through the cracks and snatch you for myself." Bray called as he, Harper, and Rowan backed up, Bray turning in circles as they made their exit. But not before Rowan turned around and looked directly at CJ.
"Run."
"Let's get him to the trainer's office." CJ suggested, trying to will the fear away, and Seth nodded. CJ stepped back so Roman could step in and she watched as they carefully carried Dean inside.
After helping CJ get the now unconscious Dean into his bed Roman left Seth with CJ, who was oddly quiet. Seth knew that it wasn't her being tired that made her mute, but he wanted to make sure she was okay before he just left her to her thoughts.
"You doing okay?" He asked quietly, seeing her dig through her suitcase with trembling hands.
"I'm fine, Seth. I'm just-"
"If you say tired, I swear to god, CJ-"
"I'm scared. Bray Wyatt fucking called my miserable ass out before you and Roman showed up. I'm worried about Dean, and- I'm not used to feeling vulnerable."
"I know you're not, babe." Seth soothed, wrapping his arms around her waist and rubbing her back. "You're going to be okay. I'm right next door if you need anything."
"Thank you, Seth. I know you're probably not-"
"My feelings for you aren't going to change any time soon, CJ. You're the one that I want. If you discover that you want more, I'll be here. If you decide that you want somebody else, I'll still be here for you." Seth assured before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Get some sleep, beautiful."
"You too, Sethie." CJ whispered, leaning up to kiss his cheek before letting him go and taking a step back. She turned back to her suitcase and Seth made his leave, sending on last glance back at Dean before shutting the door behind him.
CJ made sure that the door and all the windows were locked before she changed into her pajamas and went to get into bed. She stopped after pulling the covers back and turned to look at Dean. Before getting into her bed she gently pushed Dean's hair out of his face and kissed his forehead softly then got into her bed. It took a moment, but the feat was accomplished and she was fast asleep.
The sound of Dean fussing startled CJ out of her slumber, cheeks flushed and oddly aroused. She didn't understand why she was dreaming of Seth and Bray Wyatt watching her have sex with Dean, but it definitely made her uncomfortable. Slowly sitting up, she looked over to see Dean with his eyes shut tight and he was mumbling something about her while tossing and turning. She wasn't sure what to do, but she knew that if he kept squirming like that he would hit his head on the nightstand between their two beds.
"Dean."
"I can handle it."
"Dean. Wake up." CJ called a second time, this time getting out of bed and standing over him. She went to shake his shoulder but he grabbed her wrist before she had the chance, making her yelp in surprise.
"CJ." Dean breathed, easing himself into a sitting position but not releasing her wrist.
"You were fussing and two seconds away from hitting your head." CJ informed, sitting on the edge of his bed. "What were you dreaming about?"
"It wasn't important."
"Dean, if this is going to work you need to trust me just as much as I trust you." She said softly, placing her hand on his that was still holding onto her wrist.
"You trust me?" Dean asked, and CJ was a bit offended that he thought she didn't trust him.
"You haven't given me a reason not to." She stated with a shrug, prying his hand off her wrist so that she could straddle him without awkward arm positioning. "Tell me about your dream, Dean."
"Will you tell me about yours?" He asked, smirking when she but her lip.
"Sure."
"Bray Wyatt got to you and I couldn't save you from him. He...did things to you and made me watch. I couldn't do anything and it looked like he was hurting you, CJ." CJ could see and hear how disgusted he was, but she wasn't sure if it was disgust with what happened to her or disgust with how weak he felt. Either way it was a sign that he truly cared about her. "What about you?"
"Uh, it was no big deal. For some reason we went on a legit date and then came back here and for some reason Seth was there and he watched us." She felt it would be best to leave the Bray Wyatt part out of it.
"You had a dream about us fucking while Seth watched?"
"Sounds stupid, huh?"
"Sounds hot." Dean murmured, stroking her cheek gently. CJ instinctively leaned into his touch, her eyes watching his face closely when his other hand began massaging her side. "If my back didn't hurt so fucking bad, I'd pound you into the fucking mattress like I know you want me to."
"CJ, come on. Let's go." Dean called, gently hitting her with his pillow. "Come on, your highness. You've already slept through breakfast."
"Dean?" CJ mumbled, sitting up slightly and rubbing at her eyes.
"Who the fuck else? Get up and dressed, hot stuff. The guys are waiting."
"How are you feeling?" CJ asked, pulling her suitcase from under her bed so she could pull out something to wear.
"I've been better and I've been worse."
"That sounds familiar." She teased and Dean smirked, easing himself onto his bed and looking away while she shimmied out of her pajama pants and into some jeans. "Your title is in my duffle in the trunk."
"Thanks. How did you match go last night?"
"I won." CJ stated simply, digging through her bag for a long sleeved shirt. "Damn."
"Huh?"
"I don't have any clean long sleeved shirts."
"You have an expensive looking coat, so-"
"I don't like the way the material on the inside feels against my skin, so I don't like wearing short sleeved shirts with that coat." CJ explained, going back to digging through her suitcase until Dean tossed a zip up hoodie at her head. "What's this?"
"I'm not letting your ass freeze. Wear it under your fancy coat."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Finish getting dressed so we can get the hell out of here."
"Hey Dean?"
"Yeah?" She had to admire the way he kept his head turned so he wouldn't see her in just a bra.
"Have you ever had a dream inside of a dream?"
"What do you mean?" Dean asked, looking over at CJ to see her in the Red Rooster shirt he loved so much.
"Like, you have a dream about something and wake up from that dream to still be in a dream? I don't know if that makes sense, but-"
"It does to me. It's happened to me before. Scary, right?"
"After last night, I need a new definition of scary." CJ mumbled, zipping up her suitcase after stuffing her pajamas inside. She could already tell that today would be a long day.
It was CJ's first night as an official "Heyman Girl". She'd been with Paul and Brock since she got to the arena with The Shield. The guys were having a "Shield meeting" and, as much as Seth assured her that they weren't mad at Dean for his disappearance, she knew that they were actually pretty pissed off. She knew Seth better than anyone else and she knew when he was mad. He wasn't just mad, he was furious about the loss last night and she wasn't surprised that he put it on Dean.
"Words just cannot express how elated I am to manage the Diva's Champion." Paul stated as they meandered around backstage. CJ wasn't scheduled for a match since she and Paul were announcing her "Heyman Girl" status. CJ was a bit uncomfortable since she had grown so used to having Dean with her but, since she was still in both his coat and hers, being able to smell him on the jacket was her current security blanket.
"I'm honored that you'd want to manage me, Paul."
"You're such a talented young lady and your future was already bright, I just want to make it brighter."
"Thank you."
"...I am entitled to a rematch and I want it tonight. CJ Jericho I know you're back there with my title and I want it back." The two heard AJ on a monitor and CJ looked to Paul for his opinion.
"I've got this covered, CJ. Good thing we're close to gorilla, right?" Paul said and CJ smiled in agreement, waiting behind the curtain when he went out.
"Ladies and gentlemen my name is Paul Heyman and I am pleased to inform you all that I am the new advocate for your Diva's Champion, CJ Jericho." CJ was a bit surprised at the even mix of cheers and jeers, because she expected to be hated the minute that their alliance was made official. "Now, AJ, my client is aware that a rematch clause is in your contract, but she doesn't feel that you've earned it after tapping out last night. So, we've decided that you have until the third of march to show her that you've earned it and then maybe we'll entertain the thought of giving you your rematch."
CJ couldn't help but smirk at AJ's face. The even mix of shock and fury on her face just made CJ's heart smile. Until a pair of arms wrapped around her waist.
"Relax, babe, it's me. Have you seen Dean?" Seth whispered in her ear as Paul walked back behind the curtain.
"No, I haven't. What happened?"
"He just left."
"What do you mean he left?" She asked, pulling away so she could turn and face Seth.
"He just-"
"What the hell did you say to him? Don't you lie to me, either, Seth Rollins." CJ demanded, poking Seth's pec as she glared up at him.
"We were just asking him where the hell he went last night. Repeatedly."
"You saw the condition he was in last night, and you have the nerve to- ugh! How inconsiderate could you be, Seth?"
"I know, we're idiots. He won't answer his phone to me or Roman, can you call him?"
"Seth, I can't clean up your mess."
"Roman is going one-on-one with Bray Wyatt tonight." Seth I formed, cupping CJ's cheeks in his gloved hands. "He's supposed to leave the other two behind, just like Roman is leaving me and Dean behind, but I don't trust his word. I need Dean just in case Harper and Rowan show up. Please, Chris, I need you to dig me out of this hole."
"You owe me."
"I know I do, Supergirl. Thank you so much." Seth whispered before kissing her forehead and jogging off, presumably to go find Roman.
"What was that about?" Paul asked and CJ turned to face him, not sure of how to answer.
"I'm actually not a hundred percent sure. But I need to take care of something, if you don't mind?"
"By all means. I have to go find Brock and get ready." Paul assured, patting CJ's side before leaving while she headed in the opposite direction, pulling out her phone so she could call Dean. Of course he didn't answer, and CJ didn't bother with leaving a message. She could find him on her own.
She only hoped that he hadn't left the arena.
"Where are you going, your highness?"
"I was going to look for you." CJ said softly, turning to face him.
"Seth found you before I did, huh?"
"Yeah."
"I didn't know you were a Heyman Girl." Dean tried changing the subject from his team, that he wasn't sure was much of a team anymore, and CJ shrugged as she started walking towards the back door.
"Staring tonight. But don't change the subject. Roman is going to need you, Dean."
"If they needed me, they'd trust me. Obviously, they don't trust me like I trusted them." Dean argued, shoving his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket as he walked beside CJ. He wasn't expecting her to loop her arm through his as she put her own hands in her pockets, but he wasn't stopping her.
"Who said they didn't trust you?"
"They did when they thought that I would just walk out on them and had to ask where I went over and over and over again. I don't like repeating myself CJ." He explained, not bothering to take his hand out of his pocket and instead shoving the back door open with his shoulder.
"Roman is going one-on-one with Bray tonight."
"Why should I care?"
"Those other two are monsters, Dean. Bray is supposed to leave them behind, but you can trust Bray Wyatt as far as you can throw him and if they show up, Seth is going to need you to help with backup." CJ spoke softly, looking up at Dean. He looked down at her before letting out a deep sigh.
"Roman know how to dig himself a hole, doesn't he?"
"Dean, I'm not going to tell you what to do. But think about it; if you show up when they need you most, it'll say a lot about how you can be trusted."
"You trust me, don't you?" Dean asked, keeping his eyes locked on hers as he unlinked their arms.
"With my life."
"I couldn't scare you off no matter what I did?"
"If you hit me for no reason, we'd be having problems." CJ corrected with a smile, maintaining eye contact with Dean. It seemed to her that he was coming closer, but it was dark and she was convinced that her eyes were playing tricks on her.
"I could never hurt you, CJ. I wouldn't forgive myself." His voice was barely above a whisper and she could feel his breath hit her face, mint and nicotine assaulting her nostrils. It fit him and wasn't overbearing; plus it confirmed that she and Dean were, in fact, nose to nose and her eyes weren't tricking her.
"That's good to know." She whispered, feeling one of his hands on her side while the other came to rest on her neck. They stood like that for what seemed like hours, when in all actuality is was only thirty seconds, before Dean finally pressed his lips to hers in the gentlest manner that he could muster. He was more than prepared for her to shove him away when she pulled her hands out of her pockets, but was instead pleasantly surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. For once he was getting the girl he truly wanted instead of some easy slut, and he felt good about it.
But one man who didn't feel so good about it was a certain best friend who opened the door at the wrong time.
Today was a rather productive. I don't know how this chapter ended up being so long, and I'm not sure if I should feel bad about it being this long.
A huge thank hank you to angelsdee327 for the advice and thank yous to ArtisticLullaby, ChelleLew, Dixiewinxwrites12, and UntilNeverDawns for reveieing the last chapter. You guys are so awesome!