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Chapter 5

She was waiting for him on the bed, her brown eyes watching him as he approached. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her lips and fell into her embrace as she welcome him. She was a perfect fit in his arms.

"I love you," he breathed, looking down into her eyes. "I love you so much."

"I lov-."

"Seth!"

Seth jerked awake and hit his head against the window of the plane. Rubbing the sore spot, he glared at Randy, who had shaken him awake and had broken him out of his sleep. They were on the flight to Grand Rapids for Monday Night RAW the next day and somewhere along the way, Seth had fallen asleep.

"We're about to land," Randy told him. Seth grunted in response and pulled his seat upright. He was feeling very irritated. Not because Randy had woken him, but because it was the fourth time he'd had this dream. For three nights, Seth had seen Scarlett welcoming him in her dreams and every time she was about to answer his confession, he'd wake up (or be woken up in today's case). She never finished her words and Seth wondered if this was another way of fate telling him that if he couldn't even hear those words in his dreams, he shouldn't even think of hearing them in reality.

Seth rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and repeated the mantra in his head over and over again as the plane began its descent. He'd spent the rest of his week working the live events and trying very hard not to feel envious of Roman and Dean, who had the pleasure of being with Scarlett. He'd interrogated Roman when he'd had the chance about his decision and Roman's response spiked his worry then calmed him. Apparently Dean had called Roman to Vegas since Roman knew one of the guys who worked with home security systems and after the incident with Scarlett's photo, Seth was glad Dean had made the call.

He'd been wanting to hear Scarlett's voice but he never found the courage to ask or call her. Seth hadn't spoken to her since Wednesday evening when she'd called him after Dean had fallen asleep. He ached to hear her voice or to see her but he just didn't know how to ask. Out of guilt, shame, or embarrassment, he didn't know.

~oOo~

Vitani meowed at her and Scarlett kissed her nose before she set her back into the cat carrier. She handed the carrier to Esme and waved a goodbye to her cat once again as Esme headed off to drop her to the pet hotel.

"Cab should be here soon, you ready to head downstairs?" Roman asked, poking his head through the door to her room.

"Yeah, just a sec," Scarlett responded as she placed her wallet into her purse. Once she was done, she turned to grab her suitcase but Roman was way ahead of her.

"Don't even think about it, babygirl," he said.

She'd originally thought that Dean was overprotective of her but now, Scarlett had decided that the next time she got injured, she was only spending time with one of them. The two of them together barely let her lift a finger and it drove her up the wall. Granted that the moment she tried to lift any weight her ribs would protest in agony but that was beside the point. These two wouldn't let her do anything.

"I'm not dying you know," she said to him as she followed him. An arm slung around her shoulder and she turned to look at Dean, who was giving her a half-hearted glare.

"I hear you joke about something like that again and we're going to have a serious problem," he warned her.

"Please stop treating me like I'm dying," she said to him simply. He answered by pulling her close and planting a breath stealing kiss on her lips, in the middle of the stairs.

~oOo~

Scarlett stared at Seth, dumbfounded, as he waved at her then turned around and walked the other way. Judging by the way Dean's eyebrow was raised, he was just as stunned as she was. They'd arrived at the hotel and Seth had shown up in the lobby while they'd gotten their rooms sorted. Instead of rushing towards her and swinging her around in a hug as per usual, he'd simply waved and walked the other way.

"Is it just me or was that weird?" She asked Dean quietly. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and then at Seth's retreating back. He shrugged and slung an arm around her shoulder, drawing her into his side.

"Don't know, don't care. Right now, I need to get this beautiful woman up to our room," he grinned roguishly at her. It was her turn to raise her eyebrow and he pressed their foreheads together.

"Want me to carry you up to our room?"

"Don't even think about it," she breathed back at him. It earned her a deep chuckle and she tried to hide her grin as they made their way up to their room. Dean scooped her up into his arms the moment they entered the room and her arms locked around his neck.

"What are you doing?" She asked looking at him, a hint of a smile on her lips. He winked at her and carried her over to the bed.

"Making sure you're comfortable," he replied simply. He placed a knee on the bed and bent down to lay her down, pressing his lips to her forehead. He'd been doing that a lot since they'd left home and Scarlett preened under the attention, knowing that he was happy she wasn't hiding behind her scarf anymore. It still surprised her how proud she felt every time she made him happy.

"I have to go meet Hunter and Steph about tomorrow night's show. Will you be okay?" He inquired. She nodded and he placed a few pillows behind her back as she leaned back.

"If you see Seth, would you send him here?" She asked him. He replied in affirmative and left the room. Scarlett reached for the remote and flicked the TV on, flipping through the channels to find something to watch.

She was watching a cooking show when a knock came at her door and she looked up as Seth slowly made his way in. Scarlett smiled brightly at him and scooted over, beckoning him towards her.

"Hey you," she said. "Have you been avoiding me?"

"No," he answered a tad too quickly causing her smile to falter. She tried not to let it bother her too much when he chose to head over to the couch rather than come sit next to her, like she'd thought he would.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine," he answered abruptly. Silence fell over them and Scarlett stared at him shamelessly. Not once did he turn to look at her and she was completely baffled by his sudden change in behavior.

"Alright, that's it. You, get over here," she said, finally having enough of it. When he didn't move, Scarlett slid out of bed to stand up. She moved towards him but her leg got caught by the edge of the bed and she stumbled, the quick action to steady herself sent a searing pain up her ribs and she cried out.

"Scar!"

He was by her side within seconds, an arm around her waist protectively. She struggled to breath as her ribs throbbed but Seth kept her steady, letting her lean against him. It took a few moments and as the pain slowly subsided, she took in a few gulps of air and he helped her back onto the bed. This time, he didn't move away from her.

"What's gotten into you?" Scarlett asked.

"Nothing. It's just some work stuff," he answered, sighing heavily. Scarlett looked at him and felt a strong urge to hug him…so she did. Seth was a complete sweetheart and seeing him look so stressed out made her feel stressed. Between the three of them, Seth was the one that took her thoughts into consideration. The other two were protective dummies but he was the care bear. His friendship was the best thing in her life and Scarlett wanted to cherish every moment of it; hence why seeing him behave so coldly annoyed her.

"Next time you have a problem at work, don't you dare take your anger out on me," she warned him. He chuckled and ran a hand through her hair.

"I won't," he promised.

"Good."

A comfortable silence fell over them while they watched the woman on the television put together a magnificent three tiered cake. He had his arm slung around her shoulder and her arms were wrapped around his waist with her head nestled against his chest. It was a position she often found herself in with Dean but it was the first time she was in this casual yet somehow intimate embrace with Seth. It felt odd.

He was leaner than Dean, his muscles much harder, and he had a different scent to him. Dean always had a hint of leather hanging around him, but Seth, on the other hand, had a woody scent. She gave an experimental sniff and scrunched her nose in thought. Sandalwood. It was strange how both scents were oddly comforting.

"What are you sniffing me for?" He asked, his chest rumbling as he chuckled. Scarlet's face bloomed a nice shade of pink and she bent her head to hide from view.

I can't believe he noticed, she thought in mortification. It earned her a laugh from him and she ignored him altogether, returning her focus on the screen. When her eyes drooped shut she had no idea.

~oOo~

When the ads began to roll, Seth looked down and was momentarily surprised when he noticed she'd fallen asleep. He gently pried her arms away from his waist and cradled her body to slowly shift her into a more comfortable position. Once her head was on the pillow, Seth let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and took a look at her.

He'd acted like a prick because he had gotten scared of his own reaction when he saw her walk in with Dean (and Roman). He'd wanted to run to her, take her into his arms, and kiss her soundly. It was only when he saw Dean grinning at him did Seth remember why he would never be allowed to do that. His best friend was finally happy and there was no way he'd take that away from him.

Seth brushed a loose strand of hair out her face so he could see her face clearly. He'd run into Dean when he'd been walking out of Hunter and Steph's suite. Dean had given him a hug and clapped him on the back, telling him he was glad to see him. He'd told Seth that Scarlett had wanted to see him and then gave him a stern look asking him if he was avoiding her. Seth had denied it and laughed it off, telling Dean he'd go see Scarlett immediately. Dean ended up handing him the spare room key and Seth was planning to just ignore it, but his own heart was meddling and his body had carried him to her room.

Hearing her scream in pain and then realizing that she'd gotten up to come to him had made him feel like a totally jackass. The woman had him wrapped around her finger and she didn't even know it. He'd do anything for her and she'd asked him to never act like a dick to her again. Oh no, he would never ignore her like he had today. His own mind wouldn't allow it anymore, not when she'd been wrapped so comfortably around him.

Her face scrunched up and Seth almost laughed at how adorable she looked while she slept. A few seconds later, she relaxed and let out a soft sigh before she stirred. He thought she was waking up but she simply scratched her nose and remained asleep. He tried hard, very hard, not to look but his gaze slid down to her lips and Seth had a brief thought of what it would feel like to kiss her. He'd done it in his dreams several times, would it feel the same?

He ran a finger over her lips, eyes widening when her lips parted. They felt so soft to the touch, it would be a sin to not let that softness touch his own. He leaned close to her and slowly inched closer to her lips. She let out a soft hum and turned her head slightly, giving him better access.

"Dean," she muttered softly.

Seth whipped away from her as if he'd been burnt and stared at her, breathing heavily. The name had slipped past her lips in her sleep and Seth realized what he'd been about to do. Horrified, he stepped away from her and the bed. Even in her sleep she sought for Dean and he, being the sick bastard he is, had almost taken advantage of her. What kind of a twisted man was he?

Blindly, Seth scrambled out of her room wanting to put as much distance between himself and her as he could at that moment. He slammed the door to his room shut and leaned against it, before sliding down and grabbing his head.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" He groaned, ignoring the way his heart was crumbling into pieces.

~oOo~

Dean entered his room and he was awarded with the sight of his girlfriend fast asleep. Her face was contorted and Dean knew exactly what was coming, so he made his way over to her moments after the first groan escaped her. The meeting with Steph and Hunter had run longer than expected but he was glad he'd made it back in time. Her nightmares were becoming a custom and Dean knew he needed to approach the topic with her. She let out another groan and he ran a hand through her hair.

"I'm here," he said to her, repeating it a few more times. She calmed down and her eyes cracked open after a few minutes.

"Dean?" She said, her voice laden with sleep.

"I'm right here," he assured her. Scarlett blinked slowly then fisted the material of his shirt.

"Take it off," she said sleepily, tugging at the shirt. Hiding his amusement, he pulled the shirt over his head and kicked off his shoes, sliding into bed when she made space for him. Immediately, she wrapped herself around him. Her head resting on his bare chest, her arm wrapped around his waist, and her legs tangling with his. She inhaled deeply and Dean raised an eyebrow when he noticed a soft smile on her face.

"Leather," she muttered before her eye fell shut and her breathing evened out. He shook his head and wrapped an arm around her shoulder before reaching over and shutting the lights off. A small nap before dinner wouldn't hurt anyone.

~oOo~

Dean woke up the feeling of fingers running across his abs and he chose not to let her know he was awake. It was the best part of his day when she touched him so freely. She ran a finger down his chest and Dean fought a smile when she turned her head to press a chaste kiss against his sternum. She lightly feathered over his abs before her fingers (and Dean's heart) halted at the waistbands of his jeans.

He noticed the way her breathing changed and her finger shook as she touched his jeans. Instead of the button, she looped a finger through the belt loop and let out a tiny squeak, burying her face into his chest tightly. Thankful she hadn't gone further, Dean heaved a sigh and ran a hand through her hair.

"Hi," she said, not lifting her head from his chest. Dean was willing to bet his career that she was refusing to look at him because there was a blush staining her cheeks. To test his theory, Dean rolled her over and gave a silent whoop of triumph when he saw the pink tinge on her cheeks.

"Just what exactly were you doing?" He asked, grinning devilishly at her when her eyes widened and her blush deepened.

"You could've said something if you were awake," she said to him.

"And miss this look on your face? Never."

She turned her face away from him and Dean chuckled.

"Once you're healed, I promise you can do whatever you want to me," he said. Her gaze snapped to him and she gave him an incredulous look.

"But right now, we really need to get some dinner," he added simply, rolling off of her and climbing out of bed, leaving her still laying on her back staring up at the ceiling.

~oOo~

"Uff!"

"Sorry!" AJ exclaimed, immediately pulling away from Scarlett after she'd attacked her with a hug. Dean wrapped his arms around her as she struggled to catch her breath, wincing as her ribs throbbed from the force of AJ's hug.

"I-It's alright," she breathed. No she wasn't. She was in a lot of pain but AJ already looked guilty and she didn't want to further add more guilt.

"You guys go ahead and find a table, we'll be in soon," Dean said, nodding to the others. Once they were gone, he'd turned his attention completely to her and Scarlett was still struggling to breathe.

"Slowly," he told her, rubbing a soothing hand up and down her back. She was thankful when he guided her, breathing in and out slowly. Having her breathing under control, they moved towards the dining room before Scarlett promptly halted.

"What happened? Does it still hurt?" He asked, surveying her head to toe. Scarlett shook her head in denial and instead fisted the material of his shirt, glancing at the doors to the dining hall. She was hesitant to go through. It was the first time her colleagues would be seeing her without her scarf and she was weary of the reaction she would receive.

"I don't know if I can do this," she said to him miserably. She heard a soft chuckle and looked up at him to see him smiling warmly at her.

"We can go back and eat upstairs, or you can face your fears and have dinner with everyone," he told her. Scarlett looked at him and shuffled closer to him.

"That's not a fair choice, you know," she mumbled at him, refusing to meet his eyes. She would never say no to have dinner with him, just the two of them, but she also wanted to enjoy dinner with Roman, Seth, and everyone else.

"Nonetheless it's a choice you'll have to make," Dean responded. He cupped her cheek and drew her in for a sweet kiss, one that gave her confidence and strength. No wonder she was in love with this man. She threaded her fingers through his and then looked towards the dining hall, a determined look on her face.

"Let's go eat," she said, her voice quivered a bit but he seemed not to have noticed (or if he had, he didn't say anything). Her nerves were weak and there was a war raging between her mind and heart, a war that only got louder as she stepped closer to the open doors of the dining hall. A gentle squeeze from him told her he was there with her and Scarlett took a deep breath before squaring her shoulders. A look of determination crossed her face and she began walking.

Once exams ended, I packed up and left for a much needed vacation that lasted just about 3 months. 3 months of pure bliss, relaxation, and rejuvenation. I feel so much better and happier than before and I'm back to pick up where we left off! As always let me know your thoughts as I love hearing from you!

- K.