Requested by anonymous on my writing tumblr ambrollinsgirl.
Companion piece to we two make forever seem like one day.

Smackdown
Friday 05th, 2014

This is his chance to get a foot into the whole competing for the U.S. title again. If he wins, by any means necessary, he has a legitimate right to demand a title shot; even before Ro gets his opportunity.

But now that Russian Barbie talks about pussing out because of what, Jack Swagger? Why should Dean – hell, anyone – even care? He doesn't give a rat's ass about whatever goes on between those two, who hurt whose grandpa, who hates which country more. He can smell bullshit from a mile away and Rusev and Lana are full of it.

There's only one reason he refuses to fight him and that's cause he knows he's no match for Dean. If that big doofus is afraid of facing him, he'll wet his pants when he stands face to face in the ring with Roman.

For once, Dean came here to fight and since Bray's nowhere to be found, he and Seth have a truce of some sorts and no one else seems to have some beef with him tonight, he wants to inflict as much pain as possible on that loud-mouthed Russian. He doesn't care if he has to drag the guy down the ramp to get this thing started.

He should have known better, has used the exact same tactic so often himself, but Bray's punch from behind while he tries to walk up the isle still blindsides him completely.

Dean is able to get in some offense, losing his advantage the moment Bray hits him with a chair. God, how he loathes those fucking things.

Strangely enough, he can only think about Seth back in the locker room, watching this with his security and Kane, as well as some other guys, unable to let his mask slip for even the fraction of a second. And how must Roman feel, unable to do anything cause he's stuck at home?

Bray pushes him against the barricade, yelling something about her chair – so it did belong to little Miss Abby – before he sets him up for one of the most panic-inducing moves Dean ever had to endure.

His mind blacks out when he sees the stairs coming closer in slow-motion. The moment the chair connects with the steel steps and therefore also with his throat, his brain kicks in again, voices screaming at him that he mustn't freak out, that he needs to keep on breathing, but he just can't.

Dean tries so hard to squeeze air into his lungs, but no matter what he does, it won't work. For a dreadful second he firmly believes that this time he is going to die. All those anxiety attacks that took his breath away in the worst ways are nothing compared to this.

It's a bit ironic, isn't it? He's survived all these hardcore wrestling matches, has lost so much blood in the past, and the thing that does him in is a cheap shot to the throat.

As his hand reaches out to the referee – simultaneously also trying to push the man away – he can't help but think of his family again. The knowledge that no one can help him right now, that they can't be with him hurts so much more than his chest that feels like it's turning into a vacuum.

Too many people are touching him while he's under the impression his whole voicebox got crushed. He can't swallow, won't calm down, can't breathe and Dean seriously starts freaking out on the inside when the medics put him on the gurney, giving him the worst kind of deja-vu.

Someone tells him to respire in even bouts and if he could move, he'd bash that man's head in. To his ears this friendly order sounds like a joke, a taunt, an insult even.

The whole world around him is a blur of colors and exploding noises until all of that gets sucked into a misty hole that drains him from his life and lets his spirit die away. There's only darkness and the stifling fear of asphyxiating until a silken voice breaks through the blackness.

Dean, breathe. Do it for me. In and out. Calm down. I know you can do it.

For the first time since his throat got smashed in with a chair Dean is able to inhale and exhale unhurriedly, eyes finally re-focusing on his surroundings.

There, behind all those people tending to him, is Seth, the upper half of his body hidden in the shadows, only the shiny SR of his silver belt buckle giving him away. Something gets put on his nose and mouth again and his first instinct is to rip it off because he still fears he'll suffocate, but his limbs are restrained. He's unable to even move a single muscle.

Dean searches for his brother in the back again, trying to concentrate on something else than the commotion, tuning out all unnecessary voices to only listen to Seth reminding him over and over, 'Just breathe. I'm here.'

The worst thing about the departure of the Authority is not that Seth hasn't been the one to bring them down. That does suck and he loses a lot of sleep over it, but the real downside of them being gone is that he has to share the locker room with all the other guys. Men who seriously hate his guts and would like nothing more than to beat the crap out of him.

He detests that he has to wear his shallow, arrogant mask all day long now. That makes it so much harder to let go of it after the shows. Sometimes he fears he is losing parts of himself to the guy he pretends to be on screen.

Seth has bigger problems at the moment though. Later he'll have a tag match with Big Show against Ryback and Rowan and he has the sinking feeling Show isn't really on his side. He doesn't want to lose yet another match. Let alone is he looking forward to get Shellshocked. Ryback isn't called the Human Wrecking ball just for shits and giggles.

Big Show isn't here at the moment; Kane and his so-called bodyguards are, watching with him how Dean strides down the ramp. He already knows that his brother will do a promo and what he'll say, but he still enjoys listening to Dean's voice, no matter what comes out of that mouth.

Seth just has to act like he has better things to do and all this annoys him.

At least Kane knows the truth, gently nudging him in the side when no one's looking. Jamie and Joey are standing before him, giggling and attempting at smack talk. He is barely able to refrain from sighing enervated or bust their heads.

He can't even text Roman at the moment because his nosy security guards would undoubtedly read the message, even if it's upside down.

It's really hard not to smile at his friend's promo or show the pride that fills him when Dean lets on that Lana's flirting won't work on him. He came here to fight – obviously with the hidden agenda of ultimately getting his baby back – and he won't leave until he gets one.

If only Dean's birthday would be today, then Seth could give him the perfect opportunity to blow off some steam.

Seth takes an inconspicuous look around the locker room, but he can't spot a bearded someone. He turns back to the screen with an uneasy feeling, knowing that Bray will somehow interfere in this match. There's no way he'll just accept Dean destroying his most precious possession.

The moment he finished the thought, Wyatt appears from behind and brings Dean down to his knees, throwing him around the place with ease. His brother does get some offense in there as well, but Bray has the upper hand, using a chair to prove his superiority.

He has watched this feud from afar, has disliked every instance the man laid a finger on his friend. There's absolutely nothing he can do though. The world thinks he has dominated the war with his former Shield brethren, has seen him emerge as the sole victor. Going out there to aid his alleged nemesis isn't something he could justify at the moment.

Seth is just about to fully turn away from the screen, disgusted by the events, to pretend he's getting ready for his match later on when Bray sets Dean up for a throat crushing maneuver and Seth's world stops turning. When he comes to his senses again, his brother is lying on the ground, coughing and helplessly gasping for air. It's like he's having a panic attack and the whole world is there to witness it.

His fingers ball into fists when Noble and Mercury applaud Bray, and he has to bite hard on his cheek to not say anything stupid. They turn around, looking for his approval, so he conjures up every last bit of his strength to smile coldly. 'Finally got what he deserved,' one of them dares to say, further blowing on the burning rage seething inside of him.

No one is allowed to talk about Dean like that and he'd love nothing more than to show everyone that they better not mess with any member of the Hounds of Justice. Kane senses he's about to do something irrational and places a comforting hand on his back, the touch opening his eyes.

Dean is still fighting for air, the sight making his heart drop, letting his eyes sting uncomfortably. He wants to look away, yet he can't. The wish to make sure his brother will be okay is too strong. However, no matter how much time passes, Dean's not getting better. He is only able to clutch at his neck as if that could miraculously help the situation.

He needs to leave. Get out of here. Find Dean. Do something.

His own heartbeat keeps stuttering inside his chest; the ribcage narrowing itself until it hurts so much that his breathing adjusts to Dean's. For a moment he fears he'll never be able to fill his lungs with oxygen again. Of course his gasping and wheezing draws unwanted attention, but before anyone can ask what's wrong, Kane ushers him out of the room and into the next unlit corner.

'Go.'

That's all his big friend says, head tilted a bit to the side to show him he can run off and that he'll cover for him until his match starts. 'Thanks,' he whispers close to tears, spinning around to be exactly where he should be right now.

Seth's body moves on autopilot, never stopping to make sure the people he runs into on the way are fine. His legs carry him through the arena, every muscle helping him to get there as fast as he possibly can, but he's still too late. When he arrives at the garage, his brother is about to get rushed to the nearest medical facility, eyes wide open, panic written all over his face.

It's obvious he's still having trouble to quiet down. He can't do much from his position in the shadows, far behind the mob of people surrounding Dean, but his lips move on their own accord. He's not sure if it's a prayer or a message for his friend, but he hears himself whisper, 'Dean, breathe. Do it for me. In and out. Calm down. I know you can do it.'

It's impossible he really hears him and still... his brother's chest does move more evenly. Since it makes him feel better to talk to his family and Dean seems to somehow respond to it, he keeps on murmuring one comforting thought after the other, the sound soothing even to his own ears. 'Just breathe. I'm here.'

He'll always be because this is the only place he belongs.

Seth couldn't care less about the match or getting one over on Cena before TLC, just wants to get to his rental car and speed after Dean because he feels like he disappointed Roman, broke his promise to take care of their friend at all times. He's the worst brother and boyfriend ever.

Thankfully, the rest of Smackdown passes by in the blink of an eye. One moment he's watching Dean disappear into the night, the next he's sneaking around in the hospital to find his brother's room. Seth hasn't heard a single word from him so far and talking to Rome didn't help at all since they both have no clue what's wrong and if Dean's gonna be okay.

His mind won't stop torturing him with all kinds of horrible visions, which is why he thinks he hallucinates when he finally closes the right door behind him. His friend is plugged to a machine, a constant, rhythmical beeping indicating he's sleeping peacefully; an oxygen mask providing him with vital air, defacing Dean.

The first thing he does is let go of well, everything, gliding down the wood to sink to the ground and fish his phone out of his jeans, texting Roman that their brother is alive and kicking. He then steals the medical file from outside and reads over it. Just to be sure Dean hasn't been harmed too badly.

There are lines like patient sustained brunt and crushing trauma to the front part of his neck and crushed trachea with inflammation or a tracheal contusion that make his stomach churn and Seth hurriedly puts the file back before he loses his mind.

Dean will survive but his throat will hurt like hell for days to come. Wyatt unknowingly has woken up two monsters tonight. Seth swears right there and then that one day he'll teach Bray a lesson for hurting his family. It may not be in the near future, but this time he won't forget the grudge, the searing wish for revenge. No one gets to hurt his brother.

No one is allowed to show him how easily he could lose Dean.