#moving instead of cowering. being helped and gaining momentum.

[peliginspeaks]

Yeah I'm not done Veilsposting actually. Woops. Anyways, the longer I think about it, the more its bounty has a very clear class implication that goes along with Veils' desire to not so much have a rival, as have a victim who draws out the killing. 4 billion Echoes. Think about who would go for that. A bounty like that, a share big enough to fund your life many times over and ridiculous enough to be a warning in itself, is going to pull out the overconfident, the overly curious, and the desperate. The type of people baited into hunting Veils would end up being: 1. Rich hunters armed to the teeth looking for glory, 2. The odd curious Neathy newcomer who's about to get way in over their head, and 3. Anyone too desperate to turn down a chance at the money, even if they know the chance is low if anything.

The first kind it could be flashy about dismantling, and prideful in its ability to overcome a well-funded arsenal. The last two kinds of people will be afraid. Openly, miserably, viscerally afraid. It enjoys that. There's a reason it takes its good sweet time actually showing up to try and kill the PC in the late stages of BaL, even though it can travel through Parabola and definitely has the resources to just have them assassinated at a distance if it really came down to it. It wanted desperate people to come to it, and it wanted them to jump through the ridiculous side-quest hoops the Scarred Naturalist set out, and it wanted them to show up and be afraid, for its own entertainment. For a chance at prize money they never had a shot at getting.

What I'm saying is modern-day Veils would fund those humiliating game shows.

[rochiomaru]

THE BETRAYAL

We make the journey to the islands and land on Minion island in a cove where we can see the rendezvous point at Swallow Island without our position being spotted. I have a terrible premonition that things are about to get extremely treacherous for my family, and as we spend time watching, this feeling is proven accurate. My heart sinks as we watch two warships begin circling the port. The size of these ships are so massive that they almost match the ones used in a buster call. These ships are here to rain destruction, not to simply guard a transaction. It’s as if the Marines are preparing for a war.

It is then that my transponder snail begins to ring. The demons in my soul practically sing in glee as I know whatever news is on the other end is going to destroy the remainder of my happiness. I’m not even sure how I am aware of this, but it is a knowledge that I would place my life on. I simply close my eyes and my fingers crack and bend as I flex them back and forth before taking the snail’s receiver.

Vergo informs me of my brother’s secret letter to the Marines. My world comes to an end for the briefest of moments and my vision blurs as wretched heat fills my eyes. Rosinante has attempted to tell them everything. The auction houses, the devil fruits, and worst of all, he tried to warn them about Dressrosa. It is a country that was stolen from our family by the worthless world government. That crown should have been mine at birth, simply by matter of bloodline! It was denied to me by those pompous fools, so why would help them to keep what is rightfully mine?

I am pulled from my reverie when Vergo attempts to appease me by letting me know he punished Rosinante and Law. Even my voices know to let me be at this moment. Law is my son and still a child. I am the only one to decide his punishment if one is even warranted. My brother is currently the only transgressor, and I still want to talk to him. Maybe the Marines forced him to betray me? I must know why he did this! Brothers...blood is forever! How could he choose them over me? A voice whispers in my mind that The Family is my only true family. I ignore it for now.

“Whoa-whoa, you haven’t killed them, have you?” I ask Vergo. He assures me they are still breathing, but I do not like his flippant tone. I will overlook it, though, as he has been so faithful to me all these years and has been undercover, away from the family. I tell him that we will be that way shortly, as the pirates we have fought said the devil fruit was stolen from them, so it must have been my brother.

Vergo becomes irritated. Apparently, Rosinante and Law have disappeared, but it is of no great importance. We will find them, for how far can a child and an injured man go? I also have my devil fruit to assist me. I pull forth one of my most formidable abilities. Birdcage. I can feel the subtle vibrations as people begin to grab a hold of the strings in a futile attempt to escape. No one can escape this trap once I have set it. I will find my son.

As a final push towards destruction, I release my parasite strings and begin to grab random pirates to slay anyone near them. A morbid pleasure fills my breast as I can sense the pain and fear that fills them whenever someone’s flesh is pierced by my power.

We make our way towards the town and cut down every rat we come across along the way. No amount of begging, or crying is enough to grant mercy. No display of anger, or effort to fight is adequate to repel my family’s judgement. Death is granted to all without hesitation and the stench of iron increases even as the sounds of war decrease. With each death, the demons at the core of my being are gaining more momentum. I can scarcely tell what is them and what is me. It is as though I am losing my true self, and I feel a small flicker of fear. I am drowning, and with Rosinante’s betrayal, I no longer have a lifeline to grasp, nor perhaps even the desire to hang on.

I finally reach a warehouse and use my strings to lay waste to the door. Inside I find the sorry excuse of a pirate captain. He is the one who was to meet with the Marines and sell the Ope Ope no Mi, but here he is cowering before me on the ground like a worm. Somehow this filth dares to accuse me of taking the precious fruit, but I make sure to tell him that if I had taken it, I would not be here now going through all of this. 

He sickens me to even look at him and only have one thing more to say, “How dare you let it be stolen, you drunken idiot?!” before I pass his final condemnation and pull the gun from my coat. He isn’t even worth death from my personal power, and the bullets pass through his head before he can utter one more word in response. Good riddance.

After it is done, I slowly lower myself to the floor and stare at the gun in my hand. I’m losing myself while the demons of both past and present begin to take over everything. I remember how I felt when I met Trebol for the first time. I was so small and broken. He recognized greatness in me and was able to put name to the power dwelling within my soul. Haki. The power that saved me from the villagers. If it hadn’t been for him and Vergo, I never would have met my destiny.

I continue to stare at the gun. The gun Trebol gave me to take my revenge and steal my power back from that man. He’s the one that caused me and my brother to hurt so much! He tried to take my power from me! I can hear Rosi...Rosinante screaming for me to stop. He’s screaming for that man. I ask him why he took that power I had. I tell him we can’t undo what he’s done, but I plan to take his head to the Celestial Dragons to regain entry to heaven. I’m doing it for us! Why doesn’t Rosinante understand? Instead Rosinante persists in clinging to and crying for that man!

He simply turns and says, “Doflamingo, Rosinante. I’m sorry you had to have a father like me.” I pause when he smiles at me. There are tears in his eyes and I can feel my hands begin to shake as I falter. I hate myself for my self-doubt, but this was a man I once trusted more than anyone in the world. At one time, he was everything to me. He would hold my hand as we walked along the streets of Mariejois, and he spent time playing games with me. He held me on his shoulders the first time I saw Rosi. Then I remember the pain and humiliation. He brought us here to be hurt. He let her die. He betrayed us.

The feeling of the iron is hot as I pull the trigger and I’m surprised how it makes my palm sting when the recoil causes the gun to slam back into my hand. I can smell the acidic burn of gunpowder in the air, and it is joined by the unmistakable rich odor of blood. I can feel gore and wet heat splatter on me from his wound. Rosinante continues to scream.

Pica is calling out my name, but I can scarcely bring myself to look away from the gun still sitting in my hand. It seems so small now. How can such a tiny weapon have brought such major changes in my existence? Pica then puts his hand on my shoulder and tells me they have found my brother. That manages to catch my full attention. The time has come to find out for sure if he has truly betrayed me to the point that there is no longer hope for us. I put the gun back into my coat and followed Pica into the cold.

I took my time walking towards the sounds of fighting, and though I was no longer right behind Pica, I could see his footprints in the snow. My voices are screaming for bloodshed, but I have never felt so conflicted before. My chest is aching from how tight it feels, and I notice the taste of copper in my mouth. When I put my fingers to my lips and pull them back, I see I have managed to bite through my bottom lip until it bled. Fufufu… I can’t help but to laugh at myself. Perhaps I am not as strong as I always believed?

The closer I come to where the family is confronting my brother, the harder it is for me to catch my breath. My chest is becoming even tighter, and my throat is getting dry as I struggle to swallow. I must stop and close my eyes. My fingers are moving fast and cracking as I create and release strings to try and relieve the tension in my body. I growl at the voices to shut the hell up, since they have become so fucking loud that I can’t concentrate on catching my breath. I need to understand why Rosinante is doing this!

WHY?

It isn’t until I hear Lao G tell Gladius to stop before he kills my brother that everything seems to freeze. My eyes snap open and I look up towards the direction where everyone is at just over the hill. He’s going to die? I lean my head to the side and relax my face into a wide grin, full of sharp teeth. People often tell me it is quite unnerving. I begin to chuckle softly, and it increases until I can’t even control the laughter. My demons join me in my head. We laugh until tears begin to roll down my face. Then I begin to sob. When did my brother stop loving me?

Did he ever love me?

After a few moments, I wipe my face with both of my hands and straighten my tie. I run my fingers through my hair and ensure that my coat is snug on my shoulders before continuing onward. My face is carefully blank as I approach Rosinante and my family, but I keep my hands in my pockets since I cannot seem to keep the fidgeting of my fingers under control.

I count off the steps in my head to try and keep calm. There is still a burning ember of hope in my chest, he will say something to make this better! He is still my lovely younger brother. All I have ever wanted is to have family and to be happy. We deserve better than the hell of this shameful dung heap that man cursed us to! It is all I have worked towards these long years. Surely Rosinante must know that! 

I stop and look down at Rosinante covered in blood, coughing as he is trying to smoke a cigarette. I want to reach out to him and take care of his injuries, but I know this is not the time for that. In fact, there may never be a time for that again. Instead, I say to him, “It has been six months, Corazon,” and wait to see what he will say back to me. 

The look of disgust and hatred in his eyes repulsed me. I can practically feel it burning my skin as he attempts to stare me down. Suddenly he smiles and reaches into his coat. The others immediately react, but I hold out my hand and tell them to stand down. He is my brother! I will see to this myself.

They were right not to trust him as he pulls a gun from his coat and aims it towards me. He even dares to pull back the hammer in preparation to fire. Icy fingers wind their way around my heart even as fiery pinpricks stab behind my eyes. He surely is betraying me, and I don’t know why. 

What is it about me that makes it so my biological family doesn’t want to love and protect me? I have the blood of the Celestial Dragons in my veins, but they have cast me away too. My hand goes to my eyes before I catch it and put it back into my pockets.

The next thing my brother says is that last thing I was ever expecting. “Marine Code 01746. Commander Rosinante of the Navy Headquarters. Donquixote Family captain Doflamingo, I have been undercover to prevent a future tragedy of your doing. I am a Navy soldier!” 

My heart feels as though it is shattering in that moment and there is a fever pitch of wails lamenting in my head. For the last few years that I’ve been tormented with the thoughts and suspicions that my brother hated me and was lying to me, to hear it put so plainly now was eating me alive. I could feel a cold sweat breaking out on my back and muscles tightening in my abdomen. That power began rolling and coiling within me, wrapping around the demons fighting for dominance. I felt it overwhelming me, but truly had lost the will to care.

Despite the turmoil churning inside my consciousness, I managed to keep my exterior facade in place, save for the deepening scowl on my forehead. Commander Rosinante continued, but he was no longer looking at me as he spoke. Again, my voices cried out he was playing games, only this time I know to listen to them. I realize he is no longer speaking to me, though I am not sure why he is trying to pretend any longer. What is the point in this charade? “I’m sorry I lied to you. I lied because I didn’t want you to hate me.” 

LIES!

I can feel the look of disgust that curls on my lip as I respond to him, “Stop telling those insipid jokes…” before the rage manifests on my face and I scream for him to answer my questions. I ask him about the Ope Ope no Mi and Law. He looks so proud of himself when he tells me that he had Law eat the fruit! I want to laugh in his face and wipe that smug look from existence. All he did was what I had planned from the beginning!

It’s what he says next that changes everything. My whole world feels like it is jerked out from underneath me and I am left with nothing. Law is not within the boundaries of the birdcage and Rosinante has allowed him to be given to the Marines. My son is with the FUCKING MARINES!! The icy fingers around my heart have just ripped said heart from my chest and crushed it to leave nothing but a gaping, bloody hole.

No, no, no, no… he must be lying, is all I try to tell myself as he begins to grin that cocksure fucking smile that lets me know I was never his brother. I was nothing more than an assignment to him. I begin to grind my teeth, but before I can move to react to him, Buffalo and Baby 5 cry out to me. They confirm that a boy was indeed taken by the Marines, so I begin to give out orders to the Family to retrieve Law. Then something in me snaps.

I was simply a pawn to the Commander. A villainous pirate to keep an eye on and report back about. I was never his brother! He never loved me this whole time! This realization causes the dam holding the demons back to break. I no longer have any control and they consume me. I think I may even be… grateful? After so many years of struggling, I begin to sink into the blackness of their embrace. I am me, yet I am not. It is my body, though it is not I that is fully in possession any longer.

 The bastard has the nerve to look offended that I plan to take my son back from the Marines. When he speaks aloud for me not to and asks me why I want to get Law back, I know I would never give him the honest answer anymore. He is no longer family and doesn’t deserve any kindness from me. I allow the demons to answer in my stead, simply because at this point, I want him to hurt as much as he hurt me.

 I can feel my face change as I lean in towards him. The cruelty is almost alive the way it distorts and disfigures me. I truly am demonic in my hatred and my demons have given me a new smile as I answer the Commander. “Why would I wanna go after Law? If he ate the Ope Ope no Mi, he needs to be educated in order to die for me!” Somewhere deep within I wonder if I have allowed them to go too far to even say such a thing, but when I see his face, revenge is sweet, and I force the regret away while retrieving the gun from my coat.

 I look at him and all I see is our father where I used to see our moth… all I see is him, when I used to see her. She has truly left this world for me and the only family I have is the ones I have found. The ones that came to me when I was ten.  I just don’t understand why my blood wants to reject me. I don’t mean to say it to him, but it slips out, “Why do I have to kill another member of my biological family?!”

 We stare at each other for a few moments, each pointing a gun at the other. I tell him he won’t shoot me because he is like his father. Since they do not want me, I will no longer claim them either. The Commander and that man can have each other in hell! I begin to fire. Once I pull the trigger, I can’t stop. I see flashes of my life. My brother as a baby, Law, Mariejois, my moth...my mother; all the things that have been taken from me! Why does everyone leave?

 The voices whisper, “because you are a demon, like us. A worthless monster. Who could ever love something like that?”

 I keep firing until the gun is empty. It is so cold out and I watch as Rosinante slides back against the treasure chest. Snow begins to gather on his body and red stains it. I watch while the others begin to gather the stacks of loot and beri to carry back to the ship, but a part of me doesn’t want to leave him there alone in the cold. He betrayed me in the deepest way anyone ever could, but... I love him. It’s freezing out here, and Rosi is so damn helpless and clumsy. I worry about him. He is my baby broth…

 Diamante taps me on the arm and tells me it’s time to go. I turn away and walk towards the Numancia with my family. We are about to wage war on the Marines in the harbor to get my son back. 

 I release the birdcage and my lips spread wide in a razor-sharp leer. My glasses hide the insanity that is swimming at the surface of my consciousness. I feel like the world cannot begin to touch what I have become.

The Marines will forever regret what they have done to me and my family. I am about to pay them back in spades for the life of my brother, then I will take Law before any further damage can be done.

The Heavenly Demon shows mercy to no man and has now been fully unleashed.

[mint-yooxgi]

{10} - Scales of Fate: Storm Breaker - Dragon!Jongdae X Reader // Part 1

Dragon AU - Part of the EXO Dragon Series

Genre: Mature, Fluff, Angst

Pairing: Jongdae X Reader

Words: 3,016

Disclaimer: I had plans to write this series way before everything with Jongdae was announced. As I've previously stated on my blog, I am simply using him as a face claim for my characters. If you are uncomfortable with this, or do not like it, you do not have to read this.

A/n: Wow! Look at this, the next part is here! I’m still super excited for this seres and for you all to see what I have planned, so I do really hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Previous

The sound of the rain pouring outside serves to bring him comfort during this time. The sound of crashing thunder, followed swiftly by a flash of lightning sends a small shiver down his spine.

Ever since he can remember, Jongdae has loved storm week. He can feel his whole body come alive from the electricity that surges through the air during this time. Only he is able to venture out during this time, thanks to his powers. Being able to manipulate electrical currents has never worked more in his favour.

Standing closest to the opening of the cave, he shifts quickly. Lightning flashes once more, illuminating the main entrance as he looks back into his home one final time before stepping out onto the ledge. The rain begins to pelt against his entire being, the water serving to illuminate his black, iridescent scales. He allows his eyes to fall shut, revelling in the sensations he’s feeling. 

God, how he’s missed this.

Spreading his wings fully, he allows himself to get used to the feeling of the rain beating against his skin before taking off into the stormy sky. He and his brothers need more supplies, otherwise they may not last much longer through the week. He knows for a fact quite a few of them weren’t expecting to have an extra mouth to feed during this time. Though he assumes it’s not really much of a difference in numbers considering Junmyeon isn’t with them this time. 

Jongdae supposes being trapped for a week with one’s mate can’t be too bad, all things considered. As long as the two get along well enough, things should be fine. Though, he can’t help but be slight envious of his one brother. Despite Baekhyun’s mate also being stuck with them, Junmyeon has it good. Instead of being stuck in a house with all of his brothers, plus his mate, he gets to hide away in her cabin with just the two of them. If any progress is to be made between the two fo them, Jongdae supposes it would have to be during this time, and from Luhan’s reports, it sounds to be working out just fine.

Flying just below the cloud line, he can feel the static spiking in the air, alerting him to another lightning strike that is to come. Gliding past, lightning forks beside him, and he spins through the air, a huff of amusement escaping his nose. Luckily, he doesn’t need to be too worried about being spotted during this time, mainly because of the weather, but also since his scales are as dark as the night sky. The blackness allows him to blend into his surroundings anyways, should any brave or daring hunters be out during this time.

Turning in the opposite direction he usually flies in, he lets out a small snort. He knows better than to attempt to gather the needed supplies from the village located just off of the coastline. Considering everything that’s happened there so far, he knows he should avoid it for the time being. Not only did his one brother kidnap the leader’s daughter, but Junmyeon is stuck just on the outskirts of the village. Though Jongdae supposes Junmyeon’s mate makes the situation worth while for him. However, he knows going into that village for supplies would be unwise.

Pushing himself against the wind, he can feel the muscles of his wings straining. It’s been quite a while since he’s faced such strong winds. Even the rain seems to be thicker this time around, almost feeling like tiny pebbles once coming into contact with his scales.

Pushing through the storm, he sees the small town he’s been sent out to raid come into view. This town is hidden deep within the forest behind the dragon’s mountain. Approximately sixty people live there in total, for it’s more of a traveller’s rest stop than anything. Knowing the time of year, and how small the town is, he plans to be in and out within fifteen minutes at the most.

Landing a little ways from town, Jongdae shifts back into his human form, slipping on the spare pair of pants he so meticulously held in his one claw while flying over here. They’re a little bit wet, but they’re better than walking around naked, or in his giant dragon form.

Weaving through the trees, he moves as quickly as he can considering the wind and rain which still pelts against him from all angles. It’s much harder to move in this form through the storm than when he’s in his dragon one. He grits his teeth in slight frustration, raising a hand slightly in front of his face to block some of the rain from obscuring his vision.

He can faintly see the lights from the town ahead, blurred as they are from the rain. Each step closer that he takes, he prepares for what he’s about to do.

Locating the local rest stop and barn, he focuses his gaze on the latter of the two. Concentrating, he begins to feel the spike in electricity in the air as he directs a bolt of lightning to hit the side of the barn. Almost immediately, flames burst onto the side of the wood.

Faintly, he can hear shouting coming from inside the rest stop before a few workers burst out into the rain. Jongdae makes sure not to create too much of an issue for them with the fire, just enough so they’ll be too distracted to notice him slipping inside and grabbing some supplies for himself and his brothers.

So far, his plan is going smoothly. He’s able to get inside without being spotted, grabbing a few large bags that rest near the side of the kitchen and filling them with food and other supplies he and his brothers need to survive for a little while longer.

The sound of voices approaching from outside in the storm begins to become louder, signalling to him that it’s time to go. Swiftly, he tosses the bags over his shoulders, wobbling a bit under the bulk of them as he attempts to find his balance. Luckily, he’s able to make it out in time before the first of the workers can reenter the kitchen and spot him.

Carefully moving through the woods once more, he finds it much more difficult this time around with the bags now over his shoulders. He can’t wait to be able to shift back into his dragon form and fly home.

Making it back to his original position, he’s able to shift without an issue. Giving himself a good shake, he flicks the excess water off of his being before stretching out his wings and preparing for takeoff, the bags now clutched in his claws for safe keeping.

Thunder crashes once more as he takes off from the ground, gaining height and momentum with each passing second. Once he’s high enough, he begins his journey back home, wanting to get back to his brothers and out of this storm as soon as possible. Jongdae loves storms, though he doesn’t necessarily love being drenched in water.

Once he’s about a quarter of the way home, he notices the rain starting to lighten up slightly, and he takes a deep breath in. His chest involuntarily lets out a slight grumble as a faint, but pleasant scent hits his nostrils. Taking another deep breath, it happens again, and he finds himself being drawn to the scent that keeps waning in and out. However, the closer he gets to the origin of the scent, the more off course he becomes, and the more the smell of blood is becoming prominent in the air.

His eyes flash a deeper yellow than normal as his teeth become bared. He doesn’t understand why, but the sudden urge to protect something overcomes him, an almost primal instinct which cause him to increase his speed the closer he gets to the origin of the scent in the air. 

Ever so faintly, he can hear rustling coming from the forest beneath him, as if two beings were rushing through the foliage, one giving chase to the other. He follows them just above the tree line, noticing a small clearing up ahead that’s just big enough for him to land in if need be.

His heart nearly stops in his chest as he sees you run out of the woods, breathless and injured, being chased down by a bear that’s four times your size. He understands now his sudden rush of emotions, and why the scent in the air enticed him so.

You’re his mate.

Seeing you trip over a root, then slipping due to some mud seemingly snaps him back to his senses, swooping down just in time to prevent the bear from swiping at your cowering form. He lands just overtop of you, covering your entire being with his own and letting out a threatening roar towards the bear.

Sensing the threat he now poses, the bear freezes, turning around in the next moment to run in the opposite direction. A low growl escapes his lips as he watches the bear disappear back into the woods, his tail swishing threateningly behind him as his body now shelters you from the rain.

A broken sob leaves your lips and he swears his heart breaks for you. He can see you visibly trembling beneath him, and he wonders if this is how Baekhyun felt the first time he met his mate: hopeless and sad. 

Given any other situation, he would have already shifted into his human form and attempted to comfort you, but he needs to get back to his brothers, plus he still has all their supplies with him, and the storm is starting to pick up again. However, he can’t just leave you here all by yourself. What kind of mate would he be if he did that?

Backing up slightly to get a better look at you, he stares you down, a type of fondness shining in his eyes that you mistake for hunger. Your entire body trembles as you attempt to back away from him, wincing as you put too much pressure on your wounded arm. His growl causes you to flinch.

What a way to die. If not by a bear, by a dragon. You can feel your heart racing in your chest, the adrenaline still pumping through your veins, though it’s beginning to wear off. You just hope this dragon makes it quick and painless, for you don’t think you could handle anymore pain tonight. The bear already took a large gash out of your arm with its claws, half of your shirt soaked with your own blood.

You end up staring into the eyes of the dragon for a good while, feeling the rain soaking through your clothes as it chills you to your bones. A shiver runs down your spine, and you can feel yourself beginning to become light headed from the amount of blood you’ve lost. You choke on a sob, fearing what will become of you in the next few minutes.

Your sob seems to pull the dragon out of whatever trance it’s been in, for it blinks in the next moment before stretching it’s large wings out behind itself. The force of the wind nearly knocks you completely to the ground as the dragon takes off, but not before grabbing you in one of its claws.

“Put me down!” You screech, struggling slightly in the dragon’s hold, only serving to aggravate your wound. “Let me go!”

The further away from ground you get, the more lightheaded you become. Additionally, it’s becoming more difficult for you to see, considering the wind has now become more intense, and the rain is still continuing to assault you while in the air. You notice a few bags held in the dragon’s opposite claw, finding it odd that it would be carrying such a thing. 

You begin to find it more difficult to breathe, and you can feel the dragon tighten it’s hold on you, almost as if reassuring you that you’ll be fine. You just hope that you don’t end up dead.

After a few minutes, Jongdae notices you’ve stopped struggling in his grip. He glances down at you, worry shining in his eyes even though it appears as if you’ve just passed out. He needs to get home, and quick.

Luhan, I’ve got a situation here, get Yixing ready, he calls out for his brother in his mind, wanting to make sure you get medical attention as soon as the two of you are back home.

Oh, dear lord, don’t tell me the humans got you, too, comes his brother’s response.

No, something much worse, Jongdae replies, seeing the mountain get closer with each passing second.

Jongdae… Luhan’s worried voice echoes in his mind.

I’ll explain when I’m back, just be ready, is the last thing he says before pushing himself as hard as he can for the final leg of the journey.

Seeing the cave opening come into view, he lets out a final roar. Bursting into his home, he allows the bags of supplies to drop to the floor as he shifts almost immediately, you carried in his arms.

“Jongdae, I swear to god, if you’re missing a limb-“ Yixing’s comment dies in his throat once he sees how distressed his brother looks with you in his arms.

“I found her running through the woods being chased by a bear. She’s bleeding really badly,” Jongdae explains, moving quickly over to the couch to place you upon it as some of his other brothers come into the room to see what all the commotion is about. “Please, you have to help her.”

Once he’s placed you gently on the couch, he kneels beside you, holding your one hand in his as he gently strokes your forehead, brushing your hair back from your face. He can still feel his heart racing in his chest, scared he’s going to lose you after only just finding you.

“Let me see what I can do,” Yixing responds gently, moving over to the couch where the two of you are. He begins to remove your torn sleeve, only receiving a warning growl from Jongdae. “I need to see the wound in order to assess it, now, don’t I?”

Jongdae manages to calm himself slightly by looking at Yixing’s now quirked eyebrow. Despite not liking the fact that his brother is revealing your skin like this, he knows there’s no other way if he wants that wound of yours to heal properly.

“Jongdae, why don’t you give Yixing some space to work,” Luhan suggests gently, a soft, knowing smile planted on his lips.

“Yeah, and put some pants on,” Sehun teases, causing Jongdae to send a glare his way. The pants he had originally brought with him got lost in the woods after he found you, but he couldn’t care less about them right now. 

Letting out a small sigh, he reluctantly lets go of your hand and backs away from you. Moving down the hallway, he nearly races to his room, throws on another pair of pants, then comes back to the living room where you still lay resting on the couch. 

He notices his brother healing you, watching as your wounds begin to close slowly. A small, relieved smile tugs at his lips as he notices your features beginning to relax the more the wound closes. He doesn’t know what he would do if he found you only to lose you immediately afterwards.

Once Yixing is finished, Jongdae immediately moves over to your side, taking his place once more by kneeling beside you. You seem to subconsciously relax even further when he holds your hand, a fact which makes his beast hum contently in his chest.

“You should let her rest,” Yixing tells him. “If you said she was being chased by a bear in this weather, only to be confronted by a dragon, her body is most likely under a significant amount of stress right now.”

“I know,” he sighs, looking up briefly at his brother only to turn his gaze back to you in the next second. He’s noticed most of his other siblings have moved off once more in favour of unpacking the supplies he’s brought back, opting to give him some space during this time, of which he appreciates greatly. “I’m going to take her to my room.”

“Just be careful, she has lost a lot of blood,” Yixing responds, nodding one final time at Jongdae before heading back to his own room.

Ever so gently, he lifts you off the couch and carries you to his room, closing the door softly behind him. Placing you on his bed, he tucks you in, noticing how you bury yourself deeper into his pillow, a small smile gracing your features as you sleep peacefully.

A low hum escapes passed his lips in content, his heart skipping a beat after finally being able to calm down. He manages to pull up a chair beside his bed, and he wonders if this is how Baekhyun felt waiting for his own mate to wake up in his room all those days ago.

Leaning forwards slightly, he gently strokes the side of your cheek, his chest rumbling as he feels your soft skin beneath his fingertips. He can’t wait for you to wake up so he can properly introduce himself to you. You’re so beautiful, practically perfect to him, and he doesn’t even know your name yet.

What he does know, is that you’re with him now, and it was fate that brought the two of you together outside during this storm. No matter what, he vows to himself never to let anything bad happen to you again, not as long as he’s around to protect you. You deserve all the happiness this world has to offer, and he’s willing to give it to you.

[sabrinavictoria82]

Stop with the incessant scrolling already.

Are you even paying attention to your life? I certainly wish I had paid more attention to mine. Maybe if I share a tad bit about my life you would find we have a few things in common and you would start to focus differently on your life. Everyone likes a good dramatic story. Yes? 

If I were going to be completely honest I would say my life has been anything but easy. It’s actually been quite difficult. And to some, they may say, a total shit show. But to that point, there really is no one to blame but myself. Every issue, struggle and problem that came my way had one common denominator, ME. 

Looking back I realize the roll I played in the destruction of my life and where it has led me up to this point. I am grateful for my ability to be able to think outside the box, and realize that I don’t know nearly as much as I once thought I did, and I don’t know nearly as much now as I think I do. I didn’t know it at the time but I had taken on the roll of a codependent victim pretty early in life. Having a complete lack of boundaries and absorbing people’s negative words about myself as absolute truths rather than just opinions. I was constantly seeking approval and sacrificed my own morals and comfort in fear of making other people upset with me. I ran from any kind of confrontation, and went to great lengths to avoid it. I was completely preoccupied with how other people viewed me, and completely lost sight of how I viewed myself. This lack of confidence effected my entire life and although I didn’t see it at the time, I see it clear as day now.

I remember from as young as 8 years old, I was on vacation with my parents. I had left my purple hip purse in a bathroom stall at a pit stop. I noticed about 25 minutes after leaving the pit stop, but it took me about 15-20 minutes to gain enough fortitude to say something. At this point we were almost an hour away. My parents obviously didn’t turn around. I lost all my chore money that day, $22, and I was devastated. That is my earliest memory of feeling a real loss regarding my own actions, and you would have thought that would have jolted me into gaining a voice. But it didn’t, it actually got worse as I got older.

First, in my defense, I didn’t know it then, but all human decisions are made to either avoid pain or gain pleasure. Second, to make things even more interesting, people will do much more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. Third, and this is a show stopper, it isn’t based on actual pain and pleasure, it’s based on your perception of what that pain or pleasure WILL be. Which our imaginations are wild, so our perception is incredibly flawed.

This is why I ended up in those compromising situations 1, 2, 3, 6+ times where a boy was allowed to take advantage of me. My flawed perception of the disappointment, or uncomfortable feelings I would ignite if I stood my ground caused me to allow these situations to escalate. Lacking complete confidence in myself to do (or not do) what I deemed as appropriate behavior, but allowing them to do as they pleased.  That was me. I could have done things differently, but my extreme lack of confidence coupled with my desire to people please landed me in these confusing situations.

Hopefully at this point you are having a couple ah-ha moments for yourself, but either way I’m about to add another layer right here. We are complex creatures, as humans, and we are guided by more than just pain and pleasure. We are also guided by our love languages. For those of you that have never heard of a love language, there are 5 of them. Depending on which love language you are, there are repercussions for linking up with someone who does not have your love language, or does not understand your love language. To break it down, 23% of the population is moved by Words of Affirmation, 20% needs Quality Time, 20% looks for Acts of Service, 19% needs Physical Touch and 18% needs to Receive Gifts in order to feel loved. Everyone has a dominant love language and a 2nd tier love language. My two are physical touch and acts of service. Now physical touch does not mean anything sexual, it is the EXACT opposite of anything sexual.  But you can easily see how physical touch can EASILY be misconstrued by someone who does not have that language and does not understand that language. This meant that not only was I dealing with a strong desire to touch and be touched in order to feel loved (hand holding, caressing and holding) I was also dealing with not wanting to displease anyone who took my ‘physical touch advances’ the wrong way and thus put me in several morally uncomfortable situations throughout my life. 

This is how a girl like me ends up pregnant out of wedlock before her 21st birthday. I was showing my love language of physical touch and was then too hesitant to stop the momentum of the situation in fear of hurting my partners feelings, causing discomfort or upsetting the moment. I was also too naive to know about birth control, and was too nervous to request he wear a condom. That was me. I didn’t say anything. Unfortunately, because I was not educated with ANY of this information, I was led to believe that I was just an immoral, disobedient individual who had no regard for her body, her love for a god, or her family. This created a mess for my subconscious mind with feelings of inadequacy, unworthiness, shamefulness and maliciousness.  In reality I was just being a human, the human that I am, following the instincts and natural tendencies that I was born with or was born into.

Walking around as a pregnant unworthy, weak, incompetent, manipulative young women it’s easy to see how this situation could lead someone down a hole of suicidal thoughts, hate and frustration. I was alone, pregnant, uneducated in the things that mattered and was desperate to survive. I took on the identity of a victim, my life was beating me up, one hit after another. 

The following is a list of a few of those hits, because I know you don’t have all day.

Not wanting to inconvenience anyone (because at this point I viewed myself as a huge inconvenience), I bought a car on my own for the first time, I got ripped on the interest rate. I was paying a car payment for an 8 year old Toyota Camry as if it was a brand new BMW. That was me, I went in by myself, uneducated and unprepared. 

About two months after that, when my son was a few months old, I broke up with his father. Instead of sticking around and helping with bills and spending quality time with his son, he left the state and left me high and dry with an apartment, a car payment, a phone, a baby and all the bills. There are NO words for how this felt, it was overwhelming to a level that I do not have the vocabulary to express. I could have taken action to get him to pay child support. I didn’t. My victim mindset had me living in a space of victimhood. Victims don’t fight, they cower like a scared mouse in the corner.

The snow ball effect from not receiving child support eventually led to my car getting repoed, and a few months later I started to receive eviction notices on my apartment door. I didn’t even try to fight my son’s father for child support. I just let his lame excuses fill my ears over the phone as I cried and begged for any financial help. I didn’t make one phone call to one lawyer. I was a victim, giving up all my power.

This financial distress found me in the arms of a financially stable man who led me on a 13 year whirlwind disaster of a relationship. Moving in with him and over the course of a few years giving up control over my phone, my car and my job. This gave him complete power to punish me randomly throughout the week, threatening to cancel my phone service, threatening to kick my son and I out of his house and hiding the car keys with the excuse of it ‘not’ being my car. Having absolutely no foundation to base what is acceptable behavior in a situation where a man takes a broken, sinful, unworthy girl from penniless to a stable home, I accepted this as ok conduct.

Not long after that, being completely fooled by my sons father, when he asked to take my son on a summer get-a-way. Being torn between the fact that I had not received child support for 11 years and not wanting to be the one to keep my son from his father, I allowed my son to go. The day my son was due back to me, I received an email from my son’s father stating he would ‘take it from here’ and ‘thank you for taking care of him for 11 years.’ This forced me to obtain a lawyer and fight back and forth for 12 months to gain back what was already mine (full custody and child support), this drained my savings account of $15,000 and racked up a credit card bill to $3000. Looking back, I should have contacted a lawyer years ago and gained legal rights over my son to protect myself from this mess. But my false perception of what sort of pain that would cause me led me to hesitate for 11 years too long, putting me in this situation. 

That loss of $18,000 caused my entire life to be set back because that was the money I was planning to use to escape my narcissist partner at the time. My entire plan was postponed, and I had to start ALL over again from -$3,000. 

This was all me, everything I mentioned above happened because of my own misunderstandings of how I work as a human. And this is what I want to stress to you. It’s hard sometimes to take ownership of EVERYTHING that happens in your life, especially when it seems obvious that it’s someone else’s fault. It can also be difficult when you realize that the majority of your issues stem from not having the correct education or mindset to be able to make informed decisions regarding what you know about yourself and your weaknesses.  But the awesome thing about accepting complete blame for all the circumstances, no matter what they are, is that you also get to take complete ownership of all the awesome things you have done. For instance. 

There are many options for pregnant mothers now in days. I choose to give birth to my son, and I choose to keep my son. He is now 16. That was me. I did that!

Going above and beyond what was emotionally and mentally bearable to provide for my son, because his father was useless for the first 11 years of his life.  That was me. I did that!

Forgiving my son’s father and moving on with my life. Not talking bad about him to my son all these years. So that my son can grow up confident and strong with little to no guilt or shame as a child. That was me. I did that!

Although I never abused alcohol, I did see the effect it was having on my mental health over the weekends. So 14 years ago I choose to never drink again. It drastically improved my mental, emotional and physical health and has saved me tons of money that I am now able to save and invest with. That was me, I made that decision. I did that. 

All the emotional and mental turmoil I endured throughout these years had me thinking of drugs, alcohol and suicide on a weekly bases. How easy it would have been to just give up, throw in the towel and become another statistic. Run away and never look back. But I didn’t do those things. That was me. I stood strong. 

I recently purchased another car. I went into the dealership with two educated individuals. Fully prepared after reading books, forums and watching how to videos. I walked out paying exactly what I wanted, and saved over $10,000 in interest rates because I had cash. BOOM. Who learned from their last experience and educated herself so she wouldn’t over pay again? That was me. I did that. 

Getting a lawyer, and spending $18,000 of my hard earned money to stand up against a man who was financially abusing me for 11 years by withholding child support, and then WINNING. That was me. I now have full custody and receive monthly child support! I did that! Like a boss.

Taking a considerable amount of years and secretly educating myself to create several different avenues of online income and saving money so I can leave that narcissistic relationship. That was me. I did that! 

Walking away from a financially stable relationship of luxury and money because I educated myself on the emotional, mental and financial abuse that was happening within the home. That was me. I did that. I humbled myself by moving into my own place. I was living on a mattress on the floor for months until I was able to slowly collect used furniture from Goodwill, the side of the road and from friends. I made myself a new home for my son and I. That was me. I did that! 

Becoming the CEO and founder of my own coaching company that now has over 40,000 followers (and growing!) across all platforms.  Inspiring others worldwide and helping endlessly amounts of people break through and discover their own untapped talents and immense potential by sharing my own stories of failures and triumphs. That was me. I did that! 

Being moved by the destruction of the fast fashion industry on the environment, I created and launched my own up cycling fashion design company. Using recycled clothes to save them from the landfills. That was me. I did that!

Allowing myself to love again, even though so many men in my life have abused, taken advantage of, and lied to me. That was me. I did that! 

Never giving up, staying positive through it all, and always looking forward… rather than dwelling on the past. Knowing there has to be more, educating myself beyond what deems necessary. That was me. I did that!

It wasn’t always ‘that easy’. There were a million tears shed. There were suicidal thoughts. There were nights of wanting to give up. There was yelling and screaming and crying. There was pointing blame and feeling absolutely helpless on multiple levels. But I never gave up. I kept going, and that is why I am here sharing my story, with you. I know there have been times in your life you have wanted to give up, throw in the towel and just be complacent in your life. You may have decided to be mediocre and have put your dreams and desires aside because you are tired of fighting and tired of trying. You are sick of being let down and sick of failing. But I am here to tell you that the fight IS worth the reward. Trust your gut, keep pushing forward and continue to move towards your dreams, whatever that might be. 

We all make mistakes, we all do things that are out of character either out of emotional distress or just being naive to the truth. That is ok. You are allowed to change your mind and do things differently. You are allowed to go in a different direction even if the entire world is expecting you to go in another direction. I am here to tell you that I support you, just know that no matter which direction you go in there will be a story, a repercussion and you have to be ready and willing to handle that with strong shoulders and a positive attitude. 

This is your life, and you have the ability to speak up, turn down, or change the trajectory of your life at any moment. Now, this is where it gets tricky, because knowing this is great for you, until you realize that everyone has this right, and your ability to be able to control the people in your life flies out the window… but that my friends will be saved for another post. Until next time, follow me here. 

Do something awesome today.

Much love,

Sabrina Victoria

[swantonbaby]

I’ve Been Waiting For You (To Say That)

(A/N): Hey there! This is my first writing I’ve ever posted anywhere so please enjoy! Appox. 3.4 words. Read More inserted for everyone (:

Dean stood tall in the far left corner of the ring, facing the guerilla while I brushed up against the ropes, his body angled in front of me. The clicking of an old film camera began to play, a woman’s voice ordering “Quiet on the set, please.” His body bristled, the championship slung over his shoulder heaving with his pull of air, fingers twitching around it. I let out a loose growl, watching as our rivals strode onto the ramp, playing through their sickening display of affection before turning to the ring. The Miz and Maryse entered the boxed space, confidence and arrogance rolling off their bodies like their overwhelming cologne and perfume, thickening the air. The referee was handed the championship belt from Dean while Miz removed his embellished jacket, handing it down to his wife who hopped down to the outskirts of the ring.

                           I followed her movements, squeezing Dean’s forearm once in a good luck gesture, catching his eye as he rolled his shoulders, preparing himself. Dean and I weren’t together like our opponents, not married, engaged, not together period. Not to say that there weren’t feelings there, at least I knew I had a few, hidden behind white lies here and there so he wouldn’t catch on. We had been friends for years, teaming every now and again, he had come to me now after the last match had been spoiled by Maryse causing a disqualification to give Miz the win. The referee had seen through the ploy and instead sent her away, allowing Dean to push through and pull out on top. He had grown annoyed, more pissed off than ever, from the unfair way Miz seemed to want to play this game. I evened the odds, he trusted me and I would do pretty much anything for the man, so here I was. The crowd wasn't quite surprised when I came out alongside their Intercontinental Champion, Dean hadn’t hidden our friendship, neither had I. He often interrupted my matches when he thought I had been seriously hurt, when another guy had approached the ring on my opponent’s side or when I was ambushed. Not to say I wasn’t grateful for his help at times, but I could handle myself. I did the same for him though, rushing out when Maryse or Wyatt tried to screw his chances of a pin. The fans had their suspicions of our relationship being something else, much to my disappointment as they weren’t all true. As I skirted the ring, keeping to my corner but a watchful eye pointed to Maryse as she eyed her husband about to grapple with Dean. The bell rang and my heart sped up in anticipation, hands finding the edge of the mat and watching the actions inside of the ring. Dean bounced in place for a second before pressing forward, feet speeding towards Miz as he rushed back, hiding behind the top rope. The referee pushed Dean away from the cowering wrestler, causing him to let out a few shouts, “Come on, come on!” He spun around, his momentum and motivation pumping up, his veins in his neck prominent while his adrenaline ran through. Suddenly, Miz pushed off the rope, throwing his arm sideways in an attempt to clothesline Dean, only to miss as the latter ducked under, bending his back and springing back straight to turn and grasp Miz’s shoulder. He threw him to the side, turning his body 180 degrees and landing a few solid punches to the Miz’s jaw and a couple to the side of his ribs. I cheered out, banging my hand on the mat with the nerves washing away slightly, I knew he could win this. Maryse gave me an evil eye, her lips turned in a sneer as she shouted for her husband to hit back. Dean let go of him, pushing him against the ropes and walked backward, propelling himself forward to clothesline but only for Miz to duck underneath the ropes, crouching on the outer side of them. The referee stopped Dean, laying a hand on his chest to warn him. Dean shrugged it off, reaching around the ropes and gripping onto his opponent’s mussed hair, tugging upwards and forcing him to stand. He pulled, using the ropes as leverage to flip the Miz over, rolling into the center of the ring. He wobbled to stand from his position resting on his knee, only to be hit with an uppercut and stumble backward. Dean threw the back of his hand against Miz’s chest, forcing him to step back, again and again until he was against the ropes across the ring. Dean gripped his hand, going to pull Miz across the ring, Miz hurrying to reverse it and trying to throw his arm for another clothesline. Dean ducked underneath, Miz instead hitting the ropes in front of me, grasping onto them and giving me a glare before turning around. Dean had run to the ropes across and pushed forward again, throwing his own body across Miz, both of them hitting the mat. I shouted my approval, fighting the urge to pull myself up to the ropes and be closer to them. Dean had rolled to his right knee, grasping the Miz’s head and beginning to fling punches. He let go after five counts from the crowd, standing and shoving Miz’s head away from him. He wandered over to me, giving me a sly wink before turning back, striding forward to Miz in the opposite corner but being caught off balance by Miz’s boot slamming into his chest. Dean stumbled back, Miz taking the opportunity to grapple Dean’s arms behind him and try to pull him into a hold. He didn’t get enough grip, however, as Dean pulled an arm loose, releasing a string of his elbows behind him, connecting three out of five times. Miz fumbled, trying to grapple again but was shoved back, barely managing to miss the forearm Dean swung around to hit. The momentum threw him off balance, allowing Miz to land a knee to the stomach and swing around, flinging Dean into the ropes against his corner. Maryse smirked, leaning forward and reaching around, tripping him as he tried to push towards Miz again. I growled, wanting to charge but knew to hold back until the right moment when I could take her out if she became too much of a problem in the match. Miz took the chance to roll Dean into a pin but lost out when he lifted his shoulder as the ref barely laid his hand on the mat once. Dean sprung over, rolling over Miz in his annoyance, throwing a punch and then staggering himself back up. Miz gripped at his head where Dean’s fist had connected, glaring up at him and standing, only to have Dean fly back, throwing a forearm against his chest and slamming Miz back to the mat. He continued to push Miz around, gaining the upper hand for a few minutes until Miz tossed caution to the wind and used the force of Dean’s attack against him, both hitting the ring’s flooring. They both lay there for a few seconds, catching their breath before Miz began to stand, pulling Dean up as well by his wrist. Before he could do anything, Dean ran forward, plowing into him and wrapping his arms around his waist, spearing the Miz out of the ring, his own body following along. I rushed to the right side of the ring, where they both lay on the ground, Dean’s chest heaving air and Miz resting his weight on his forearm as he tried to stand with the help of his wife. Two options were in front of me, either help Dean up and risk being taken out by Maryse or beat her to it and rush her, allowing Dean to get up and continue his match. Option Two won over in my head, Dean knew how to handle himself, my job was to eliminate the unneeded factor that had interrupted too many times. I bolted past where Dean lay, wrapping my fingers into Maryse’s hair and tearing her away from her husband, their hands unlocking and he lost his balance, falling back down. My force caused her to land a few good feet away from the two men, I could hear the announcers yelling in the back of my head, commenting on our involvement finally coming in. I took two large strides forward, twisting my hand into her hair again and lifting her, hooking my arm around her waist and swinging her forward, her body bumping into the steel steps. She glanced up with a look of frustration and annoyance in her eyes, mirroring my own. As she tried to stand from her leaning position, I rushed toward her, throwing my arm across her chest, causing her back to hit the steel with a painful impact, the noise resounding in the area. I tuned in one ear into what I could still hear from the announcer’s table and the speakers, listening to what was happening in the actual match behind us. From what I could make of it, they were half commenting on the horrible impact of Maryse’s lower back and how Dean had tossed Miz back into the ring and they both were exchanging blows. I peeked out of the corner of my eye, seeing the two bodies colliding in the ring, recognizing Dean as the one with the upper hand, I focused back to the woman in front of me. Maryse had barely moved, her upper body coming up from the steps but she took me by surprise, throwing her arms in front of her and pushing me back with more strength than I expected. I stagger back, tripping over my own feet for a millisecond before she came back to me, doing the same action, causing me to fall, landing on my back against the hard flooring. In the back of my head, I heard the commentator’s voices and then Dean’s, his shout reaching me in time for Maryse to throw a punch, landing her knuckles against my ribcage. A gasp flew from the back of my throat as she hit another and another, finally I caught a chance and slammed my elbow into her side, causing her to roll off of me. I took the second to catch my breath, a wince crossing my features for a second as the pain blossomed in my ribs. Before I had the chance the stand and try to retaliate, I was being tugged to my feet by my hair, Maryse’s nails digging into my scalp. I clawed in front of me, catching her skin a few times but not enough to cause her to let go. I felt my body being thrown under the bottom rope, rolling to a stop in the ring before being pulled to my feet again, this time by a heavier hand. Glancing around, my eyes caught sight of Dean in the corner, slumped against the turnbuckle, his chest heaving for air. The ref was trying to get his attention, talking to him, distracted. I felt the hand tug my hair, my face forcefully turned to see Miz sneering at me. “You think it’s okay to touch my wife? Huh?” He shouted, “No, it’s not okay!” He used his grip on my hair to throw me back to the ground, allowing Maryse to flip me over, kicking her pointed boot into my hip. My fingers went flying to the area where the pain hit, only to be caught by her boot as it hit the same space. I felt a distinct crack in my middle and pointer fingers, luckily on my non-dominant hand but they would probably be broken nonetheless. I heard her laugh above me, my eyes fluttering open to see them smiling at each other in their sickening lovesick way. “Kick her again, baby, she deserves it.” Miz encouraged. I felt another two, three kicks, two landing in the middle of my side, the other slamming into my upper rib cage, the sore spreading throughout my entire left side. I rolled over, trying to protect the vulnerable area. Instead, she dragged me by my hair, sitting me up against the turnbuckle and stepping out of the way as Miz strode forward, throwing his knee into my chest, using the ropes to give himself more momentum. I gasped in a breath, my lungs squeezing painfully. An obnoxious laugh left her mouth, watching as her husband repeatedly struck me. I heard a short, shrill scream leave her mouth a second later, their bodies leaving my vicinity, the mat vibrating as something or someone, more likely, landed with a heavy force. I drew in short breaths, trying to ignore the sharp pain radiating through my torso, my body slumping forward and over, resting on my good side. Peeking through my lashes, I twisted my head to see, only to find Dean throwing punch after punch straight to Miz. Maryse was scrambling to get him off her husband, only to be shoved, tripping over her heels and land on her ass. “Asshole, you fucking prick! Don’t you ever touch her, you hear me? I’ll kill you, I’ll fucking kill you!” Dean’s voice was thunderous, booming through the stadium. The bell rang urgently as the ref tried desperately to drag Dean off of the Miz, who was now bordering on the unconscious and would probably have a few good bruises to show for this. Two more referees rushed into the ring, finally able to pull Dean off of the Miz, as he was still shouting expletives and threats. “Dean.” I tried to get his attention, tried to stop his bloodthirsty hunt but he couldn’t hear me, my voice shot as I struggled to drag in air. Medical personnel was suddenly in the ring, attending to the Miz as the announcer spoke overhead, “Due to disqualification, your winner of this match is The Miz!” The crowd booed loudly, angry with the outcome but the silver lining shone through, “And still your Intercontinental Champion, Dean Ambrose!” Dean finally calmed down as medical helped Miz out of the ring and up the ramp, his gaze flickering to me instead as medical helped me sit up, asking me question after question. My breathing was coming easier, the pain still resting and burning in my ribs and hand but manageable, I had had worse. He shook off the referees still holding him back, shooting a glare in their direction before rushing to me, falling to his knees and grasping my face, pushing the man beside me away, “Are you alright? Where does it hurt, how bad did he hurt you?” His questions didn’t stop coming, not allowing me to answer a single one. “Sir, sir, back off, we need to treat her. Help us get her backstage and we can do an exam and you can stay with her, just let us do our job.” The medical personnel spoke calmly to him. “Fine, fine, let’s go. Come here, doll, let’s get you up.” He addressed me with a much softer voice than he had the man, wrapping a strong arm around my waist, careful not to apply too much pressure. I stumbled to my feet with his help, leaning heavily on him, my good hand gripping his belt and the other cradled against my chest. He swooped an arm down, wrapping it around the back of my knees and ignoring my protests that I could walk, lifted me into his arms after stepping under the ropes with me. Medical followed behind him as he carried me up the ramp and backstage, guiding us to an empty room. Fellow superstars, friends of ours, were waiting, the anger and worry written on their faces. Roman followed behind Dean as soon as we were through the guerilla, they had most likely been waiting. My friend, Alexa, was waiting by the hallway, joining us on our short walk to the room. Dean set me down on one of the tables with more care than I thought he was capable of, his hands still shaking with pulsing anger leftover from the ring. “Is she alright?” He asked, not giving the doctor two seconds to look at me. “I can’t be sure, I haven’t had a good look yet and we’ll need X-Rays but it seems you might have some broken fingers and bruised and/or cracked ribs.” He spoke, his fingers probing my side gently, although a wince still appeared on my face. “Hey, be careful.” Dean scolded. “It’s alright, Dean, I’ll be fine. It doesn’t hurt that-” I gasped in a sharp breath as the man probed an area around my upper rib cage, causing a sharp pain to strike. “I said carefully, man,” Dean growled. I lifted my good hand, resting it on his forearm and squeezing, trying to instill some comfort in him. As I went to pull away, he flipped my hand over, resting his fingers in between mine and squeezing back once, not letting go after. “So, do we just go to the hospital after this or ambulance or what?” Roman questioned, standing with Alexa by the door. “We’ll take her by ambulance to the nearest hospital, get the X-Rays and figure it out from there.” The man grinned at me, “I’ll let them know and be back in a few minutes.” He left the room, Roman and Alexa taking the chance to come stand beside us. “I can’t believe that asshole actually hurt you, Maryse hitting you is one thing but he’s so much larger and the two of them against just you? It’s bullshit, he should get in trouble for that, big trouble.” Alexa seethed. “I’ll be fine, it’s nothing a couple band-aids can’t fix.” I shot her a grin. “Shut up.” She smiled at me. I caught Roman and Dean whispering beside me, their mouths set in hard lines. “Can we plot revenge later on? I’m pretty tired.” I joked. “You got it, little one.” Roman shook his head, grinning at me and reaching up, ruffling my hair a bit. I glanced at Dean but he didn’t meet my gaze, the only sign I got that he was even acknowledging me was his thumb running over the back of my hand. “Do you want us to come with you at all?” Alexa asked me. “No, I’ll be fine, we have tomorrow off and then a travel day and I don’t want to take up your beauty rest. Go back to the hotel, I’ll be okay. You, too, Roman.” I smiled at them, waving a small goodbye as they left, Dean not paying attention except a small nod. “You don’t have to stay either, you know,” I muttered, not expecting an answer. His head snapped up, eyebrows furrowing, “Excuse me? I’m not leaving you alone, it’s my fault you’re even in this position.” His voice harsh, but not directed at me. “Dean, no, it’s not your fault, don’t do that. I accepted going out there, I put myself in harm’s way. Don’t blame yourself.” I spoke softly. “I know it’s not entirely my fault, Miz is gonna get it for tonight, but I’m the one who took you out there. I was the one who brought you up to help. If I hadn’t asked, you would’ve been back here, laughing with Alexa and Nia or something. Instead, you got hurt and it’s my fault.” He refused to back down. “We can, uh, talk about this later, alright? I don’t feel like arguing right now.” I whispered, feeling his hand tighten on mine. “I don’t either.” He muttered, moving to stand in front of me. “So I assume you’re coming with me to the hospital? It’ll probably be really boring, just saying.” I attempted small talk. “Of course I’m coming.” He commented, “I don’t think I could leave you right now even if I tried.” I gave him a questioning look, only to be met with his body stepping closer to me, my legs widening to fit around his hips as he stood against the table. “Can I try something?” He asked under his breath, his face already so much closer to mine than I ever dreamed. I gave a slight nod, my breath caught in my throat as he leaned in, the hand not holding mine coming up to brush against my jaw, forefinger and thumb lightly gripping my chin. His nose brushed against mine, his breath fanning across my cheek as he barely pressed his lips to mine. A small whimper left my mouth as he pulled away a few centimeters, only for my good hand to unclasp from his, coming around to press against the base of his neck, pushing his lips back to me. I relished in the groan that left his throat, vibrating against my lips as I eagerly kissed the man I had had feelings for, for the better part of three years. His hands gripped my thighs, trying to press closer to me as I sat on the edge of the table, his body held tightly against mine. I don’t know how long I held him to me, our lips not leaving one another’s until I felt lightheaded from lack of oxygen, pulling away to suck in a deep breath, my eyes finally fluttering open. They met his own, his pupils blown wide and lips flushed pink. He lifted his hand, resting it against my cheek and running his thumb across my bottom lip. “I’ve been waiting for for-fucking-ever to do that.” He mumbled. “Same.” I simply put. “As much as I want to keep kissing you, probably forever, my ambulance is gonna be here soon and I don’t think them walking in on you eating my face is something they would like to see.” “They can deal with it.” He grinned smugly, catching my lips again with a chuckle, my giggle cut off as soon as they did. “And as soon as you’re better, we’re beating the hell out of those assholes.” He muttered against me. “Thank God, I was waiting for you to say that.” I laughed.