synopsis: it started with a look. a smile. nothing special. but for cm punk, it was everything. now, he’s always there, behind you in the hallway, waiting in the parking garage, watching from the shadows of your hotel. you try to pull away, but he wraps around you like smoke.
and somewhere in the fear you start to crave it.
this isn’t love. it’s obsession. but it’s the only thing you’ve ever felt that’s real.
warnings- smut. unhealthy relationship. oral (f recieving). body worship. unprotected p in v. mirror sex. breeding kink. phone sex. mutual masturbation.
the first day was chaos. producers shouting across headsets, techs tripping over cables, talent running lines, security radios crackling. the arena hadn’t even opened its doors to fans yet, and already the air felt charged, adrenaline, ego, and sweat clinging to the concrete walls.
you stood just off gorilla, mic in hand, watching cathy kelley review notes on her phone. she looked impossibly calm in the middle of it all, her posture relaxed, her hair perfect. "you’ll get used to the noise" she said, flashing you a quick smile without looking up. "eventually, it just becomes static."
you nodded, though your chest still felt tight. you’d been through interviews before, worked on live segments for smaller promotions, but this was wwe. this was the real stage.
cathy glanced at you. "you’ll be fine. just remember, keep your questions tight and don’t flinch when someone cuts a promo in your face" before you could reply, a low voice spoke behind you.
"she’s new?"
you turned. he stood a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest, black hoodie clinging to his frame, damp hair still hanging from his post-match shower. his eyes, dark, sharp, unreadable, were locked on you.
cm punk.
you knew who he was, obviously. everyone did. the buzz backstage when he arrived was unmistakable, everyone noticed him. some watched in awe. others, with something closer to caution.
cathy nodded. "new interviewer. just started this week."
he stepped forward, offering a hand. you shook it. firm grip. calloused palm.
"i've seen your work" he said, voice low, almost flat. "you ask better questions than most." it caught you off guard, not just the compliment, but the way he said it. like it was a statement of fact, not praise. his gaze didn’t waver, didn’t flick away after the handshake. it lingered on you a second too long.
"thanks" you managed, surprised he’d taken the time to look you up.
punk gave a slight nod, then walked off without another word, disappearing behind a curtain. you exhaled, unsure why your skin felt warm.
cathy watched him go, then leaned toward you with a half-smile. "don’t take it personally. that’s probably the most he’s said to anyone all week."
you laughed awkwardly, shaking off the weird weight in your chest. it was nothing. just a weird moment. a superstar noticing the new girl. he probably did that with everyone.
still, you caught yourself glancing toward the curtain where he’d disappeared, wondering for just a second
was he already watching you before he spoke?
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a few days later you were running behind. you weren’t supposed to be on that side of the building.
someone from production had handed you the wrong set of run sheets, and now you were holding a thick stack of scripts, walking fast down a hallway that definitely wasn’t marked on the arena map you’d been given.
you turned a corner and slammed directly into someone. the papers in your hand exploded onto the concrete floor like confetti.
"shit, sorry, i wasn’t looking"
you knelt down instantly, already gathering pages. a pair of black boots stopped in front of you.
"it’s alright."
you looked up.
punk. again.
he was dressed in ring gear this time, taped fists, kick pads, shirt slung over his shoulder, tattoos stark against sweat-slicked skin. he knelt down, helping you pick up the scattered pages.
you scrambled to regain composure. "these aren’t even mine. wrong hallway. wrong time. great first impression."
he didn’t laugh. he just looked at you, that same sharp focus as before. "you’re the interviewer" he said. "you were with cathy."
you nodded, offering a half-smile. "that’s me. still figuring out where i’m not supposed to be."
"you’re not in the way." there it was again, the intensity. like he wasn’t just looking at you but reading you, memorizing everything.
you stood. he handed you the last of the pages, and your fingers brushed, fleeting but enough to send a buzz of static up your arm.
"i’m punk" he said, despite you obviously already knowing that.
"i know."
his lips quirked. not quite a smile. more like acknowledgment. "you’ve got a good voice" he said suddenly. "for interviews. not fake. not overly polished. you listen more than you talk. that’s rare."
you blinked, caught off-guard. "thanks. i didn’t think anyone noticed."
"i do." there was no hesitation, no embellishment. just those two words. simple. final.
he stepped back, eyes lingering just a moment longer than comfortable. then he turned and walked into the nearby practice ring, where no one else had been. you hadn’t even noticed the ring was set up. he’d been rehearsing. alone.
and you had just walked into his space. you started walking again, heart kicking slightly faster in your chest, unsure if it was embarrassment or something else.
that night, after the show aired, you got a notification.
an old post, a tweet from years ago about your dream interviews in wrestling, had been liked.
the account?
@.CMPunk
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you saw him again the next morning.
you’d decided to hit the hotel gym early, wanting to avoid running into any of the roster and risk looking like a deer on a treadmill. the place was mostly empty when you walked in, just one guy on an elliptical and someone stretching in the corner.
you stepped onto a treadmill, plugged in your earbuds, and tried to focus.
fifteen minutes in, the elliptical guy left. that’s when you noticed him.
cm punk was seated on a bench press nearby, hoodie pulled up, earbuds in, but not working out. he wasn’t even sweating. he was just sitting. watching you between reps. casually. like it was nothing.
you weren’t even sure when he’d walked in. you tried not to let it get to you. maybe it was coincidence. maybe he just liked quiet gyms, too.
still, your pace quickened.
after your run, you wiped down the machine and turned to leave. as you reached the exit, he pulled out one earbud and spoke your name.
you froze.
"didn’t figure you for mornings" he said.
you gave a light, awkward laugh. "trying to get a jump on the day."
he nodded once, then said, without missing a beat "your segment with becky last night? good framing. you let her drive the narrative but pulled it back just enough. most people would’ve let her steamroll them."
you stared at him, surprised. "you watched that?"
he shrugged. "i watch everything."
there it was again, that way he said things. not as a compliment. not even flirty. just as truth. flat. certain. like it would be impossible for him not to have seen it.
you opened your mouth to respond, but he cut you off before you could. "you’ve got instincts. you listen. you wait. that’s why people open up to you."
it was flattering, sure, but more than that, it was specific. too much. too close.
you shifted slightly, tightening your grip on your water bottle. "thanks. i guess i’m still learning the ropes."
his eyes didn’t leave yours. "you don’t have to learn" he said. "you belong here. they just don’t see it yet."
the room suddenly felt smaller.
you forced a polite smile, murmured something about needing a shower, and walked out, his gaze burning into your back the entire way.
back in your hotel room, you opened your phone to check your messages.
a dm request blinked at the top of your screen.
no message. Just a single post from your old wrestling blog, something you'd written years ago, back when you were still in college. a piece analyzing long-form promos, buried on a site that hadn’t been updated in forever.
the post had two likes.
one was from you.
the other?
@.CMPunk
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the whispers started small.
you caught the first one when you passed a cluster of production staff near the catering table. the moment you stepped into the room, the conversation dipped, not abruptly, just enough to notice. one of them gave you a quick, awkward smile. the others looked away.
you brushed it off. long week. early call times. everyone was exhausted. still, it kept happening.
a few hours later, you were standing beside cathy near gorilla, going over cue cards for the night’s backstage segments. she flipped through your notes, nodding.
"your formatting’s good" she said. "some of these questions are actually smart. you’re gonna make me look bad."
you laughed. "that’s the goal." her expression softened, but then her eyes flicked over your shoulder, briefly and something about her body tensed.
you turned to look but saw no one.
when you faced her again, she was chewing the inside of her cheek, weighing something.
finally, she asked, low and casual, "he’s been talking to you a lot, huh?"
you frowned. "who?"
she gave you a look. you didn’t need her to say it.
"punk?"
you tried to play it off. "he’s been around, i guess. just talks shop. he’s kind of intense, but nothing weird."
cathy’s mouth twitched. "that’s just it. he doesn’t talk to anyone." she said it like a warning, though she couched it in a shrug.
"you’re probably fine. just, if he starts getting in your space, trust your gut. don’t let the legend status cloud your instincts."
you didn’t know what to say, so you just nodded, pretending it didn’t feel like your skin was too tight all of a sudden.
later that night, after the show ended, you found yourself walking through the halls to your car, the production lot half-empty now, lights dimmed, the hum of post-show breakdown echoing off the walls. you passed seth and becky as they walked by, deep in conversation. as you moved to pass them, becky caught your eye.
"hey" she said, pausing. "you got a ride?"
you blinked. "uh, yeah. rental."
she nodded. her tone was light, but her gaze lingered. too focused. "if you ever feel like someone’s following you, don’t be afraid to yell. seriously. some of these guys are wound a little too tight."
seth glanced at her, brow raised, like she’d said too much.
you laughed nervously. "okay thanks?"
they both smiled, said goodnight, and kept walking.
you stood there for a beat too long, listening to the soft crunch of their footsteps fade. you didn’t want to admit it, not yet, but they weren’t the first ones who’d looked at you like that lately.
like they knew something you didn’t.
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you almost missed it at first.
when you got back to the hotel after a long night of post-show edits and cleanup, all you could think about was food and a shower. you barely noticed the envelope on the carpet just outside your door, small, white, with your name written across it in all-caps black Sharpie.
no room number. no return address. just your name.
your fingers hovered before you picked it up.
inside was a flat object wrapped in tissue paper. you peeled it back, confused, then stopped breathing. a wrestling pin.
not just any pin, a vintage enamel one from the 2002 ring of honor event in philly. the exact one you’d blogged about obsessively years ago. the event where cm punk had cut that twenty-minute promo about loyalty, pain, and pride. you’d written a whole analysis piece about it back in college, buried deep in your old wordpress.
and somehow here it was. perfect condition. a collector’s item you hadn’t seen available anywhere in years.
your first instinct was disbelief. there was no note. no joke. no explanation. just the pin. and your name.
you looked up and down the hallway. empty. you stepped inside your room, locked the door, and stood there in silence for a long moment, heart thudding like a warning in your chest.
you set the pin down on the desk. tried to shake it off.
maybe it was a coincidence. maybe one of the crew had found your blog. maybe someone thought it would be a funny callback. maybe...
your phone buzzed.
new dm – @.CMPunk
no message. just a link.
you tapped it with a shaky thumb.
it took you to an archived version of your blog post, your old words in black text, the title: "what cm punk taught me about control."
your throat tightened. he hadn’t just seen it. he’d kept it. dug it out of an old, dead link. one no longer even visible on google unless you knew exactly what to type.
another message came in.
"still holds up."
that was all.
you stared at the screen, the cursor blinking like a heartbeat. some part of you knew you should be unnerved. violated. angry.
but you weren’t. you were shaking, yes but beneath the chill on your skin, a strange warmth coiled low in your stomach.
he’d read your words. he’d remembered. he knew you.
you sat down slowly, phone in your lap, and stared at the pin on the desk. it felt heavier now.
not just a gift. not even a message.
a claim.
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you left the building later than usual that night.
a rewrite had come down last-minute, and by the time you uploaded the corrected segment notes and handed off your headset, the locker room was nearly empty. just a few stray staffers loading up road cases. the buzz of post show adrenaline had faded into quiet hums and steel on concrete sounds.
you pulled your jacket tighter and stepped out into the cool night air. the lot was dimly lit, only half of the overhead lamps working. your rental car sat in the back corner, where the light didn’t quite reach. of course.
you walked faster than you meant to, shoes crunching softly against the pavement. Your key fob clicked uselessly in your hand.
the car didn’t respond.
you frowned and tried again.
nothing.
a soft click behind you made your stomach twist.
you turned quickly.
and froze.
cm punk was leaning against the hood of his car, parked just three spaces away from yours.
arms crossed. hood up. silent.
you hadn’t seen him leave the arena. you hadn’t even seen him after the show. he hadn’t been on the run sheet, hadn’t done a promo, hadn’t even wrestled.
still here he was.
waiting.
watching.
your mouth went dry. "what are you doing out here?”
he didn’t answer right away. he pushed off the hood with one foot and walked toward you, calm and unhurried.
"you shouldn’t be alone this late" he said.
you forced a laugh, shallow and nervous. "i’m fine. just car trouble."
he held out his hand. "keys."
you hesitated.
he tilted his head slightly. not threatening, not exactly but his tone left no room for argument.
you handed them over.
he popped the door, sat down in the driver’s seat, adjusted something under the dash, and tried the ignition.
the engine roared to life on the first turn.
he shut it off, stepped out, and handed you the keys.
"battery connection was loose."
you stared at him, trying to find the words. "how did you know?"
he didn’t answer. just looked at you, head tilted, gaze unreadable.
"you shouldn’t be parked this far out" he said. "too dark. too many corners.”
"i park where they tell me."
he stepped in closer, just enough to make the air shift between you.
"then tell them you’re not walking out here alone again. or call me. i’ll come get you."
you tried to pull back, but he was already stepping aside, opening your door for you like it was nothing.
you slid into the seat, adrenaline thudding behind your ribs. he leaned down, arm braced on the frame.
his voice was softer now. lower.
"you don’t get it yet, do you?"
you looked up at him. "this place?” he said. "it eats people like you. the quiet ones. the ones who don’t know how to bite back. they’ll smile to your face and gut you the second you blink."
his hand touched the edge of the door, just that but you flinched anyway. he didn’t pull away.
"i’m not like them" he whispered. "i see you. i’m the only one who does.” then he shut the door gently, like he hadn’t just cracked something open in your chest.
you sat there in silence, fingers gripping the wheel, heart pounding against your ribs. you didn’t drive away for almost a full minute.
when you finally did, you didn’t check the rearview mirror. you didn’t want to see if he was still watching you.
you already knew he was.
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the hotel room was quiet, lit only by the soft yellow glow of a bedside lamp. your shoes were off, your hair damp from a too-hot shower, and your phone sat charging on the nightstand as you flipped aimlessly through the channels, not really watching.
you should’ve been exhausted. but your body was wired, your thoughts spinning in tight little circles.
everything felt off.
punk hadn’t spoken to you all day. not backstage, not in passing, not even hovering in the distance like usual. and somehow, that made it worse.
you hated that you noticed. hated that you missed it. hated that some dark part of you wanted him to show up again, wanted the attention, the intensity, the way he looked at you like you were the only real thing in the building.
your phone buzzed once.
you reached for it automatically.
unknown number
no text. just a photo. you blinked at the image for a second before your brain caught up. it was you.
taken through the window of your hotel room. you were standing in the exact same room, facing away from the glass, half-wrapped in a towel, holding your phone in the shot unaware. completely unaware.
the angle wasn’t from the hallway. it was outside. the window.
the floor of your hotel was high, at least the third story. which meant the photo wasn’t casual. it wasn’t someone walking past. it was deliberate. planned.
your blood ran cold. a second message followed:
you should close the curtains, baby. not everyone looks at you the way i do.
your breath caught in your throat. your hands were trembling.
you stood slowly, turned toward the window. the blinds were half open, your own reflection dim against the glass. beyond that: nothing but black. you couldn’t see anyone.
but someone had been there. someone had watched you. and you knew exactly who.
your heart thudded wildly, adrenaline spiking. you knew you should call someone. security. hotel management. the police. becky. anyone.
but instead you stood there.
frozen.
flushed.
and beneath the fear, there was a thread of something else, something colder, stranger, tangled up in your chest.
he had watched you. he had chosen you.
you reached up slowly and pulled the curtains shut.
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you waited three agonizing hours after arriving at work before you finally texted him.
i know it was you.
no reply. your heart hammered in your chest; every minute felt like a lifetime. finally, your phone buzzed.
meet me backstage. five minutes.
you almost dropped the phone. backstage wasn’t safe, you’d seen him tower over people there but anger and fear propelled you forward.
you found him leaning against the wall beside the load‑in doors, arms folded, hood down, that unreadable expression on his face. the hallway was empty, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, distant echoes of crew packing up road cases.
he didn’t look surprised when you stormed up.
"you took the picture" you spat.
he tilted his head. calm. precise. "i did."
your pulse spiked. you’d expected denial. anger. something more. but not those two flat words. "why?" you demanded, voice cracking. "why would you invade my privacy like that?"
he unfolded his arms and stepped closer, too close. you could see every freckle on his cheek, every tiny scar along his jawline. his eyes were darker than the hallway.
"because i needed to make sure you were safe" he said.
your breath caught. you narrowed your eyes. "safe? how is watching me through a window ‘keeping me safe’?"
he paused, as though considering whether you were intelligent enough to understand. then he shrugged, casual. "people do worse things than watch. would you rather it was someone else? some random creep?"
you swallowed hard. a flash of doubt: what if he was right? but you shook your head, furious. "it’s not the same" you hissed. "that’s..."
you stopped. you couldn’t finish. his gaze pinned you. his next words were soft, coiled in obsession. "i don’t want anyone else looking at you. not like i do."
there it was: devotion, twisted into ownership. your legs trembled.
"i should report you" you whispered.
he reached out, thumb brushing your cheek, gentle enough to feel like care, terrifying enough to feel like a claim. "you won’t" he said. "because you know i'm right."
you glanced away. you wanted to run. you should have run. but your knees felt weak. "maybe i will" you said, though you didn’t believe the words.
he let his thumb linger. "try" he challenged. "tell them you’re scared. tell them i crossed the line. they’ll laugh you out of the locker room."
your chest tightened. he was right. who would believe you?
he stepped back, folded his arms again, voice flat. "i only do what i do because i care about you.”
you swallowed. his confession, one part endearment, two parts threat hovered between you.
you turned and walked away, head held high, but you didn’t dial security. you didn’t call cathy. you didn’t text a becky. you just walked.
he already knew.
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it was small, at first.
his hand at the small of your back, guiding you through a tight hallway backstage. the press of his fingers didn’t linger, not exactly, but you felt the heat long after it was gone.
you told yourself it was just a gesture. just spatial awareness.
except he kept doing it. not constantly, but often enough to notice.
when you passed each other at gorilla, he’d brush his arm against yours, fingertips dragging like static. after interviews, he’d tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, slow, deliberate. a thumb brushing your jaw after a long day, an almost absentminded squeeze of your shoulder when no one was looking.
he was careful about it. but it was never casual.
once, after you interviewed seth rollins live on raw, punk passed you in the tunnel. "good job" he said low. then, with no hesitation, he reached out, fingers coiling loosely around your wrist. just for a second.
you froze, pulse spiking.
he didn’t pull. didn’t speak. just touched. and then walked away like nothing happened.
you stared after him, breath caught in your throat. it got harder to hide. and harder to explain.
you started feeling like everyone could see it. that maybe they’d always known, and you were the last to catch up.
after a taping, you laughed, once at something finn bálor said in catering. punk was at a different table. he didn’t even look up.
but that night, as you left the arena, you heard your name. you turned.
punk was leaning against a concrete pillar, arms crossed, expression unreadable. "what was that?" he asked.
you blinked. "what was what?"
"with bálor."
you paused. confused. "he told a joke. i laughed. that's all it was." he stepped closer.
"don’t" he said, voice low. "don’t play dumb."
you opened your mouth to argue, to remind him you weren’t his, that he had no right, but then he grabbed your arm.
not rough. not violent. but tight.
tight enough that your breath hitched. his eyes searched yours, full of heat and fury and something deeper, something sharper.
"you don’t understand what it does to me" he muttered. "when someone else looks at you like that." his grip loosened. he stepped back.
you stared at him, throat dry.
he saw the question in your eyes, the fear, the warning, the need for him to say it wasn’t what it looked like.
but he didn’t. instead, he softened. voice quiet. almost sad.
"i’m not angry at you" he said. "i just can’t stand the thought of anyone else touching you. laughing with you. having you."
then, as if that cleared something up, he turned and walked away.
you stood there for minutes after. long after the sound of his boots had faded.
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you didn’t even know what city you were in.
you’d stared at the hotel room ceiling for twenty minutes, trying to remember, the same beige wallpaper, the same sterile lamps, the same hum of the air conditioner too loud to ignore but too quiet to drown out your thoughts.
it was your third week on the road without a break. nonstop shows. airports. rental cars. sleep-deprived mornings. glitter still clinging to your knuckles in the shower. you hadn’t seen your family since the month started, hadn’t spoken to them in a few days. every time you meant to call, you didn’t know what to say.
they wouldn’t understand. they’d ask how the job was going, and you’d lie. you’d say it was exciting. that you were adjusting.
you wouldn’t tell them you felt like you were slowly disappearing into the walls. you wouldn’t tell them about the stares, the silence, the rumors no one would say to your face.
you wouldn’t tell them about him.
the knock at the hotel door was soft.
you ignored it at first, curled on the bed in your sweats, hoodie pulled tight around you. eyes puffy. phone facedown. you hadn’t eaten since catering, if you could call black coffee and a protein bar a meal.
another knock.
you stood slowly, cautious. when you cracked the door open, punk was there. hoodie. backpack slung over one shoulder. eyes unreadable. you didn’t speak. you didn’t need to.
he took one look at your face, red-rimmed, tired and stepped inside without asking. you sat on the edge of the bed. he stood a few feet away.
you didn’t look at him when you spoke.
"i hate this." he didn’t ask what you meant.
you kept going. quiet. honest. "i hate being tired all the time. i hate feeling like i’m in the way. i hate that cathy barely talks to me anymore, that people stare like i've done something wrong. i miss my sister. i miss my dad’s awful sunday calls. i miss being able to breathe."
your voice broke on that last word.
he was silent. still.
you finally looked up.
"i didn’t ask for this" you whispered. "any of this."
something shifted in his face. he moved closer, slowly, like approaching a wounded animal.
when he spoke, his voice was soft. low. intimate.
"i know."
he knelt in front of you. hands on your knees, light but grounding.
"i know you didn’t ask for this. you were just doing your job. you walked in and i saw you. really saw you. and it scared the hell out of me."
you stared at him, throat closing.
"you’re not alone" he said. "even if they make you feel like you are."
his fingers curled gently around yours.
you didn’t pull away.
you should have.
you didn’t.
you didn’t remember who moved first. maybe it was you. maybe it was him. maybe it didn’t matter.
one moment, his hand was on your cheek, warm, steady and the next, his lips were on yours.
it wasn’t frantic. it wasn’t rushed.
it was slow. deep. almost reverent.
and when he pulled back, when your breath stuttered out in the quiet of the hotel room, you didn’t say anything.
you just let your forehead rest against his.
you should’ve asked him to leave.
when his hand slid to your thigh, slow and deliberate, you should’ve said stop. when he kissed you again, deeper this time, hands firm against your waist, you should’ve told him it was too much, too fast, too confusing.
but you didn’t.
because when he touched you, the noise fell away. for the first time in weeks, your body stopped buzzing with anxiety. everything, the travel, the loneliness, the stares, the whispers, melted under the heat of his hands.
you weren’t scared.
you were seen.
"let me take care of you" he whispered, breath warm against your neck. "let me show you how i see you."
you nodded before you meant to.
he smiled, not arrogant, not smug. soft. like this was something he’d been waiting for. hoping for. obsessing over.
punk peeled your hoodie off like it was made of silk. like it was something delicate, like you were delicate. his hands brushed your waist, your ribs, then your face, every motion slow, reverent.
"beautiful" he muttered. "you don’t even know, do you?"
you opened your mouth to answer, but he kissed you again, not to shut you up, but to devour something unspoken between you.
when he got you onto the bed, he didn’t rush.
he kissed down your collarbone with aching precision. his lips lingered at your sternum, your stomach, your thighs, hot and slow, like he needed to memorize every inch of you. his hands gripped your hips like he was grounding himself, like if he let go, you’d vanish.
you weren’t used to this. the quiet. the care. the way he looked at you like you were a gospel, and he’d built his faith around you.
every sigh you made was answered. every twitch of hesitation, met with a whisper:
"i’ve got you."
"you’re safe."
"no one else touches you like this. no one ever will."
when he finally slipped between your legs, his tongue was just as focused, deliberate, reverent. he groaned against your skin like your pleasure was oxygen. every reaction pulled a deeper obsession from him. his hands held your thighs apart like they were his, not roughly, but with ownership.
when you came, he didn’t stop.
not at first.
he watched you, breathing hard, pupils blown wide, lips wet.
then he climbed up, chest brushing yours, arms caging you in.
"i dream about you like this" he whispered, voice shaking with restraint. "you have no idea what you do to me."
you kissed him again. he tasted like you.
he slid inside you like it was inevitable.
no games. no teasing.
just home.
he didn’t pound into you, he pressed, slow and deep, every thrust a confession.
you felt him in your ribs. your lungs. your throat.
he kept whispering things you didn’t fully register, only that they made your chest ache and your eyes sting.
"you’re mine now."
"i’d burn the world down for you."
"you don’t need anyone but me."
his rhythm never faltered. he was too in control. too focused. and when you clenched around him again, trembling under him, he buried his face in your neck and let go with a ragged groan.
he didn’t pull out.
he didn’t apologize.
he just held you afterward. hands in your hair. breath hot at your ear.
"i won’t let them take you from me" he murmured. "not now. not ever."
you didn’t respond.
because part of you wasn’t afraid anymore.
you just didn’t know why.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you didn’t know how he did it.
one minute you were dreading another taping, already bracing for the low buzz of stress that sat behind your teeth every day. the next, punk (who had told you he was going to meet you at the arena) was standing in front of your hotel door, holding two coffee cups and a keycard.
"no arena today" he said, like it was the most natural thing in the world. "you’re with me."
you blinked. "what are you talking about? i’m booked"
"i cleared it."
his voice left no room for argument.
"trust me. you need this."
you should’ve argued harder.
but when you looked at him, all black hoodie and dark eyes soft around the edges, something in your chest unknotted. you followed him.
and he took care of everything.
it wasn’t flashy.
he didn’t whisk you off to some distant spa or try to impress you with money. instead, he drove you out of the city. windows down. one hand on the wheel, the other always reaching for you, your thigh, your fingers, your wrist. always touching.
he took you to a lake.
not crowded. no cameras. just late autumn trees and pale sky and the sound of wind slipping through the leaves.
he spread out a blanket and pulled lunch from a canvas bag like he’d done this before, your favorite sandwich, the chips you were addicted to, even the weird green juice you only ever bought in airports.
you stared at it.
then at him.
he gave you a look.
"you think i don’t know what you like?"
you didn’t ask how he knew. you didn’t want to know.
it was quiet out there.
he didn’t pepper you with questions. didn’t push. you lay back against his chest, the late sun warm against your skin, and for a while you felt okay.
"i hate not being good enough", you said, voice barely above a whisper.
he didn’t flinch.
"you are" he murmured. "they’re just too stupid to see it."
a beat.
"i do."
later, you dozed off, lulled by the rhythm of his breathing behind you. you felt his lips press to the top of your head.
over and over.
like a prayer.
when you opened your eyes, he was watching you. not smiling. not blinking. just watching.
"feels better, doesn’t it?" he said. "being with me. just us. no noise."
you nodded slowly.
you meant it.
but something inside you shifted when he added:
"you don’t need anyone else. not when you’ve got me."
and in that moment
you didn’t disagree.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the next morning, he was waiting again.
rental car already humming. coffee, your exact order, in the cupholder. hoodie pulled over his head like he hadn’t slept. his thumb tapped the steering wheel once, twice, and stilled the moment you opened the passenger door.
"good girl" he said, quiet, like it was just for you.
that day at the arena, punk didn’t leave your side.
not like he was shadowing you, not exactly. but he was always there: at catering, in the hallway, outside your interviews. never interrupting, just watching. just a touch too close. a little too still. too quiet.
when you finished an interview segment with drew mcIntyre, only fifteen seconds of polite small talk afterward, punk’s hand was already at your lower back before drew even stepped away.
"you looked beautiful on camera" he murmured. "he didn’t need to stand that close."
you didn’t respond.
but you didn’t pull away, either.
the gifts started again.
tiny, curated, perfectly you.
a new hairbrush in your makeup bag, the same kind you lost in college.
a travel-size lotion in your purse that hadn’t been there yesterday, your signature scent, discontinued two years ago.
a silver chain in your locker with a tiny, engraved charm. your initials.
you told yourself they were sweet.
you didn’t ask how he got into your locker.
your old phone vanished.
you tore your hotel room apart looking for it, contacts, photos, texts, everything gone. the only thing left was the sleek new phone he’d given you a week ago, screen already glowing with a message:
don’t panic. you’re safe. you don’t need that old one anymore.
you stared at it for a long time before you turned it over.
you didn’t reply.
but you didn’t ask for the old one back, either.
cathy stopped sitting next to you at gorilla.
becky kept her distance.
sami zayn gave you a strange look when punk kissed your temple backstage.
and when triple h asked, again, if everything was okay, his tone careful, measured you smiled like you’d rehearsed it.
"i’m fine."
"are you sure?"
you swallowed.
"he’s not dangerous. he’s just intense."
hunter looked at you for a long time.
then he nodded.
and walked away.
that night, at the hotel, you found punk already in your room.
he didn’t explain how he got in.
you didn’t ask.
he just reached for you, pulled you gently onto the bed, and said:
"you don’t need to carry all this. let me."
you let him.
and when he brushed your hair back from your face and whispered:
"they don’t deserve you. but i do."
you didn’t argue.
because some twisted, tired, hollowed-out part of you had started to believe it.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you hadn’t meant to overhear it.
you were just cutting through the hallway behind gorilla, trying to get to the media room. your badge was flipped under your jacket, and you were half-scrolling your phone when the voices floated around the corner.
two producers.
men.
laughing.
"i’m just saying, you don’t get ahead in this place without playing the game."
"sure, but that game? with punk? you think she actually likes him, or is she just smart enough to ride the obsession?"
that laugh, low, smug, razor-sharp, made your stomach turn.
"doesn’t matter. either way, she’s not exactly suffering. have you seen the way he looks at her? shit, if i stared at a woman like that, i’d be in jail."
more laughter.
you stood frozen, fingers clenched around your phone.
it wasn’t the first time. you weren’t naïve.
but tonight it hit different.
raw.
heavy.
your throat burned.
you didn’t even think before you texted him.
two producers were talking shit about me near gorilla.just wanted to tell someone. i'm fine. just needed to say it.
you locked the screen and shoved the phone away, not expecting a reply. not needing one. you just wanted to feel less alone for a minute.
you didn’t see it happen.
you only heard about it after.
punk found them near the loading dock.
no cameras. no agents. no production crew in sight.
no witnesses, until the shouting started.
you didn’t see the first punch.
or the second.
you didn’t see the way he slammed one of them against a supply crate, hand fisted in his collar, low voice seething something you couldn’t make out.
you didn’t see the blood.
but you saw the aftermath.
they pulled him off just before it escalated further. two security guys. a ref. one of the writers. all of them yelling. one of the producers had a busted lip. the other couldn’t make eye contact with anyone.
and punk?
he didn’t even look winded.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
later that night you found him in the hallway outside your hotel room.
hood up. hands in his pockets. leaning against the wall like he’d been there for hours.
you hadn’t expected him.
you hadn’t needed to.
he lifted his gaze the moment your keycard beeped and the door clicked open. didn’t say anything, just followed you in with the quiet certainty of someone who knew he’d be welcome.
the door shut behind him. the silence stretched.
you turned to him slowly, your heart thudding a little harder than you wanted it to.
"your hand" you said.
it was the first thing you noticed, the raw, bruised skin across his knuckles, the thin split along one finger.
he looked down at it like he’d forgotten.
"oh. right." his voice was quiet. almost casual.
you moved without thinking. to the bathroom. grabbed a towel, wet it, rummaged through your travel kit for the tiny first aid set you never used.
when you came back, he’d sat on the edge of the bed.
he didn’t protest when you took his hand.
didn’t flinch, didn’t joke, didn’t try to explain.
you cleaned the blood away gently, pressing the cloth around each knuckle with care. it wasn’t much, a couple scrapes, a bruise that would ache tomorrow, but it felt more intimate than anything you’d done with him before.
"i didn’t ask you to do that" you said softly, eyes on his hand.
"i know" he murmured.
you wrapped a bandage around one finger, slowly. "you could get in serious trouble."
"they talked about you like you were nothing" he said, tone flat. "like you weren’t real. like you were available. like they had the right."
you looked up.
his eyes were already on you.
and for once, there was no heat in them. no sharp hunger. just this calm, devastating certainty, like he'd already made peace with the consequences.
"i’ll always protect you" he said.
your hands froze on his.
even now, even after all of it you believed him.
you let go of his hand. he didn’t move.
"i know it scares you sometimes" he added, softer. "the way i feel. the way i see you."
you didn’t respond.
he leaned forward slightly, elbows on his knees, hands clasped between them.
"but i need you to understand something. what i did tonight? that wasn’t a mistake. that was love."
you should have pushed back.
should have told him that love didn’t mean fists and blood and bruises on coworkers' faces.
but instead your throat closed.
and you whispered, "i know"
his expression didn’t change. but you saw it in the way his shoulders dropped, in the slow breath he released.
you weren’t running.
you were here.
and that was enough.
the silence had weight.
you sat beside him on the bed, close enough to feel the heat rolling off his skin. his hand rested between you, wrapped in the bandage you’d just placed. the rest of him was still, too still , like he was holding something back.
you should’ve stood up.
you should’ve gone to the bathroom, or checked your phone, or done anything to loosen the tension choking the room.
but then his hand moved. slow. purposeful.
he reached for your face like he wasn’t sure if you’d let him, fingers skimming your jaw, thumb ghosting over your cheekbone. he looked at you the way someone might look at something they didn’t think they deserved to keep.
"you didn’t run" he said, voice low.
you shook your head.
"you’re still here."
"i'm here" you whispered.
something inside him snapped.
you didn’t see him move, just felt it: the press of his mouth against yours, hot and desperate. his unbandaged hand found your waist, dragged you across his lap like he couldn’t stand the inches between you. you gasped, and he swallowed it, kissing you deeper, hungrier, his lips rough, unforgiving.
he didn’t ask.
he didn’t need to.
you clawed at his hoodie, pulled it over his head, revealing the taut line of his shoulders, the cut of his tattoos, the scar down his ribs. he shoved your shirt up, lips trailing the curve of your stomach like a prayer.
"i almost lost it" he muttered against your skin.
his teeth grazed your hip. "they speak about you like they have a chance"
"they don't" you breathed.
his head lifted. His eyes met yours, wild, dark, possessive.
"i know." a beat. then, quieter:
"but i need you to show me."
he pulled you to your feet, walked you backwards toward the full-length mirror beside the hotel desk. you were still catching your breath when your back hit the cold wall.
he dropped to his knees in front of you.
his hands slid up your thighs, thumbs pressing into the soft skin just beneath your hips. he kissed you there, soft at first, then harder, like he wanted to leave a mark. his fingers hooked into the waistband of your shorts and pulled them down slowly, savoring the way your legs trembled.
"look at yourself" he murmured. "look at what i get. what’s mine."
you tried to glance away, but his hand came up, fingers under your chin, tilting your head back toward the glass.
"don’t hide. not from me."
and then he ruined you.
tongue firm and slow between your legs, licking you open with devastating patience. he didn’t close his eyes. didn’t stop looking up at you. every whimper, every gasp, every twitch of your hips, he devoured it like it fed him.
you reached for his hair, dug your nails in. his groan vibrated through you.
"more" you begged, already shaking.
"you’ll come for me like this" he whispered against you. "pressed up against the mirror so you can watch. i want you to see what i do to you."
your legs started to give, but he held you up. both hands locked around your thighs, mouth relentless, tongue fucking into you until the pressure broke and you came with a cry, your forehead thudding against the glass, breath fogging the reflection.
you were still trying to breathe when he stood, hands sliding up your waist.
he kissed you, slow this time, letting you taste yourself on his tongue.
"i’d do anything for you. you deserve it"
and in that moment, you believed it.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the room was quiet. you were curled into him on the bed, sheets tangled at your waist, skin still warm and humming from everything he’d given you. the mirror across the room was fogged with breath, smudged with your back.
you should’ve felt self-conscious.
you didn’t.
you felt wanted.
his fingers moved slowly across your spine, lazy, tracing invisible lines as if memorizing your shape again. he hadn’t spoken in a while, just kissed your shoulder every so often, like reminders. i’m still here. you’re still mine.
then he broke the silence.
"i want to show you something."
you blinked, barely lifting your head off his chest. "now?"
he nodded, eyes unreadable.
"come here." he sat up, shifting to the edge of the bed. you followed, still bare, wrapped in a bedsheet, confused but curious. he stood, back to you, and then
he pulled his boxers down just enough to expose the curve of his hipbone.
at first you didn’t see it.
then your breath caught.
there, tucked just beneath the ink of an older tattoo was your name. small. scripted in delicate black letters. it wasn’t flashy. it wasn’t loud. it was intimate.
permanent.
you stared at it, heart thudding hard in your chest.
"you—when did you"
"a week ago" he said, not turning around yet. "after our first time i knew it was done. that you were it. that i wouldn’t survive loving anyone else."
you reached out, fingers brushing over the skin just above the lettering. he tensed, not from discomfort, but from the way you touched it. like reverence. like it meant something sacred.
he turned slowly, eyes locking onto yours.
"you don’t have to say anything" he said. "i don’t expect you to"
"i want one" you interrupted.
his brows lifted.
"i want one too" you said again, voice steady now.
"of me?" he asked, cautious.
"no. for us" you stepped closer. "something only we understand."
the silence between you changed. grew warm. heavy.
he reached for you then, one hand cupping your jaw, the other resting just over your heart.
"you don’t know what that does to me" he whispered.
"you could show me" you breathed.
but this time, no rush. no fire.
just closeness. possession without pressure.
devotion, worn like skin.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the morning light filtered through the gauzy hotel curtains, turning the room soft and silver. you hadn’t moved much. his arms were still around you, one leg tangled with yours, your body curved perfectly to his.
you’d never slept so deeply.
or woken up feeling owned. in a way that didn’t scare you anymore.
he stirred behind you, nose brushing your hair. "you still mean it?"
your heart beat once, loud and sure.
"i meant it last night" you said. "i mean it more this morning."
he kissed your shoulder. "get dressed. i know a place."
the shop wasn’t in the glossy, public part of town. it was quiet, tucked into a corner of a narrow side street. private. low-key. punk clearly knew the artist, a man with too many piercings and no nameplate, who nodded at him and said nothing when he introduced you.
it didn’t feel like a spectacle. it felt like a ritual.
you knew what you wanted before he even asked.
a sparrow, small, stylized, black ink only, wings spread wide as if caught mid-flight. but the detail was in the centre: its talons clutched a tiny red thread. and woven into that thread, almost hidden in the lines, were his initials.
you didn’t want it loud.
you wanted it yours.
you chose the spot just beneath your left collarbone, high enough to stay private, low enough that you’d always know it was there.
punk sat beside you the whole time.
he didn’t speak. didn’t need to. his hand stayed curled around yours, thumb brushing your knuckles with every buzz of the machine. his eyes never left your face, not even once.
when it was done, he helped you sit up.
the artist handed you a mirror.
you looked.
it was perfect.
punk stood behind you, both hands on your shoulders now. his voice was quiet, low in your ear.
"you let me mark you."
you nodded.
"i’d never ask you to" he added. "but you did it anyway."
"because i wanted to." you met his gaze in the mirror. "because i belong to you too.”
he kissed the side of your neck. not rushed. not greedy. just reverent.
and for the first time, you realized: he didn’t just want to claim you.
he wanted to be claimed right back.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you didn’t keep your own calendar anymore.
punk knew your call times before you did. he woke you up before your alarm, always with a hand stroking gently down your spine and his voice low in your ear:
"time to get up, sweetheart. i've got breakfast."
he fed you. always something warm and protein-packed. no excuses. he’d sit across from you and watch you eat like it was the only thing anchoring him to the world. sometimes he’d reach out just to brush his thumb over your lip if you got a smudge of syrup or coffee. always gentle. always his.
then he drove you to the arena.
you didn’t remember the last time you’d called an uber or booked a ride through wwe's travel desk. punk handled everything. he waited for you after every segment, no matter how short, leaned against the wall, arms crossed, black hoodie half-zipped, looking at you like you were the main event and no one else existed.
when you tried to sneak off once, just to grab water, not even ten steps out of his sight, your new phone buzzed before you even made it to catering.
where are you going?
why didn’t you tell me?
you okay? i can’t breathe when i don’t know.
you stood in the hallway, staring at the screen. your heart should’ve raced. should’ve felt panic or dread or at least unease.
instead, you smiled.
you typed one word:
thirsty.
two seconds later, he turned the corner, bottle of water in hand, jaw tight, eyes scanning you like he’d almost lost something.
he handed it over without a word, brushed your hair back, and kissed your temple.
and that night, you showed him how much it meant.
you barely made it to the bed.
his hands were everywhere, rougher now, desperate. his mouth crushed to yours as your back hit the mattress, his weight following close behind. teeth caught your bottom lip. you gasped, and he took it as permission.
clothes came off in pieces, pulled, torn, tossed. he didn’t speak until he was inside you, moving hard and hungry, his fingers laced with yours, pinning them to the pillow.
"you’re mine" he gritted. "all mine."
you moaned his name, soft, needy and he snapped his hips harder, dragging another cry from your throat.
"say it" he demanded, voice ragged.
"i'm yours" you breathed.
he dropped his mouth to your throat, biting just enough to leave proof, sucking until you whimpered, until you arched for him, until he lost rhythm trying to keep himself from breaking.
"you’ll never need anyone else" he growled, voice shaking with it. "ever."
his grip tightened. his body trembled against yours as he spilled into you with a shudder, breath harsh in your ear.
he didn’t pull away.
just buried his face in your neck, breathing you in like oxygen.
you held him there.
and you believed him.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you’d never seen his hotel room.
not really. he was always at yours, crashing after long drives, feeding you, waking you up before call times. his things would appear in your space: a hoodie slung over a chair, his toothbrush in your bathroom, his boots by the door. he inhabited your life like it was his.
but tonight, he said something different.
"come to my room."
you blinked at him, still curled up in the hotel bed, wearing his old straight edge society t-shirt. "why?"
he didn’t smile. just offered his hand. "because i want you to see it."
the room was one floor up. same hotel, but when the door swung open, it didn’t feel like any place you’d stayed before.
the lights were low. the curtains drawn tight. there was no luggage on the floor, no clutter, nothing impersonal or temporary.
everything here was about you.
a candle was burning, it smelled like your shampoo.
your favorite snacks sat neatly on the dresser, next to the exact lotion you kept in your nightstand at home.
and then you saw it.
against the far wall, lit softly by the glow of a bedside lamp, was a shrine.
there was no other word for it.
printouts of your tweets, screen captures from your backstage segments, torn pages from magazines where your face appeared in background shots. selfies from your instagram, including ones you’d deleted. a photo of you sleeping, one he must have taken weeks ago, back when you first started sharing rooms.
and more.
a black lace bra you lost in la. a pair of panties you hadn’t even realised were missing. a script packet with your scribbled notes in the margins.
all yours.
all arranged with careful, reverent attention.
you turned to him slowly. he hadn’t moved. just stood in the doorway, watching your reaction with that same unreadable stillness.
"you’re not scared" he said finally.
you stepped closer to the wall, fingers brushing one of the photos. "should i be?"
he exhaled, not relief, but something heavier. older. his shoulders dropped a little, like he’d been waiting a long time for this moment.
"i've been building this since the day i met you" he said. "every arena, every city. i couldn’t stop. even when i tried."
you looked back at him, not afraid, not shaken.
touched.
"you didn’t need to hide it" you said softly.
his eyes searched yours, dark and shining. "you think it’s too much."
"no" you whispered. "i think it’s you."
you stepped into him, slid your hands under his hoodie, pressed your body close.
"and you’re mine."
he crushed you against him in a heartbeat. His hands tangled in your hair, his mouth devouring yours like he’d waited a lifetime.
he kissed you like he was starved.
not just for your body, but for permission. for closeness. for proof that he hadn’t made it all up in his head.
that you wanted this.
wanted him.
the shrine was still glowing in the corner. candlelight flickered over the photos, the lace, the torn scripts and ink-blurred notes. but your eyes weren’t on the wall anymore.
they were on him.
he pulled your shirt over your head, slow, careful. you tugged his hoodie off too, baring the heavy ink of his chest and the thin scar below his eye. that old, serious face cracked wide open with heat and hunger.
he laid you out on the bed, his bed, like you were something breakable.
and then he just looked at you.
for a long, aching moment, he didn’t move. didn’t undress you the rest of the way. just hovered above you on his elbows, thumb brushing over your jaw.
"do you know what it does to me?" he whispered. "knowing you sleep in my shirt. let me take your clothes. let me watch you."
you swallowed hard, breath hitching.
"i want you to know everything i've taken from you" he said, voice raw. "because i'm going to give it all back. tonight. over and over."
when he finally moved, it was deliberate. worshipful. his mouth traced every line of you, collarbones, sternum, ribs, hips, whispering soft mine, mine, mine against your skin.
he kissed between your thighs, eyes locked on yours the whole time, and you swear he almost came from the sound of your moan alone.
and when he was inside you, slow, deep, dragging every second out like it might kill him, he didn’t just move.
he prayed.
"look at me" he panted, forehead pressed to yours. "i want you to see how much i love you."
your fingers tightened in his hair, your legs wrapped around his waist, and he choked out a groan.
"you’re it" he gasped. "you’re the only fucking thing i need."
you came twice before he let himself finish, shaking, biting your shoulder, voice breaking:
"i’d die for you."
you kissed him silent.
and when you rolled together into the pillows, bodies tangled and sweat-slick and trembling, his arms locked around you like chains.
"i don’t want to wake up without you ever again" he murmured.
"you won’t."
you meant it.
and beside the shrine of everything he’d stolen you fell asleep in the arms of the man who would never let you go.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the car was already waiting outside when he helped you zip your suitcase.
he hadn’t said much all morning, just followed you like a shadow through your hotel room, stealing glances when you weren’t looking. or maybe you were looking, but pretending not to notice.
the silence was heavy. and it said everything.
you knelt to grab your phone charger from the wall, and he crouched next to you, hand brushing your shoulder.
"you packed the hoodie i gave you?" he asked softly.
you nodded. "yeah. smells like you, too."
that earned the smallest smile. a flicker of relief.
but it vanished just as quickly.
you stood, slinging your bag over your shoulder, and he took it from you before you could protest, like always. one hand gripped the handle, the other settled on your lower back. grounding. possessive.
"remind me why you’re going again?" he said as you stepped into the hallway.
you glanced up at him. "because my sister had a baby?"
he blinked slowly, like that hadn’t fully registered. "right. yeah. no of course.”
the elevator ride was silent.
but the air between you was loud.
at the car, the driver opened the trunk and you moved to say goodbye but he didn’t let you.
punk pulled you into him hard, arms circling your waist, face buried in your neck.
"you sure you’ll be okay without me?" you teased gently, running your fingers through his hair.
he didn’t laugh.
instead, his mouth brushed your ear.
"i’m not okay with you gone" he said. "that’s the problem."
your breath caught.
you pulled back just enough to kiss him. soft. reassuring.
"i'll only be gone a week"
"that’s two days too long."
you smiled but it faded fast when he looked at you. his eyes were empty of calm.
like he was already counting the minutes.
"i’ll call you when i land."
he nodded, then pulled you back in, tighter this time, his hand pressing at the small of your back like he could will you to stay.
as you slid into the backseat, you rolled the window down.
"i love you."
he stepped forward, fingers curling around the frame of the door.
"i know."
then, voice like gravel:
"just don’t forget who you belong to, okay?"
you didn’t flinch. you just held his gaze.
and whispered, "never."
the door shut.
the car pulled away.
and as you turned the corner, you didn’t see him still standing there, fingers twitching at his sides, jaw clenched, mind already spiraling into every version of what could go wrong without him there to watch you.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you hadn’t even made it to the airport before your phone buzzed for the first time.
punk:
already miss you.
are you sure you want to go?
you smiled, thumbs hovering, but didn’t reply right away. you were rushing, bags in hand, sunglasses hiding the exhaustion you hadn’t admitted out loud.
he knew you needed this. he said he understood.
but understanding didn’t make him less obsessive.
by the time your flight took off, he’d texted six more times.
punk:
i keep checking the clock.
i feel like you’re disappearing.
i hate this.
and then:
you’re not coming back different right?
you stared at that last one a little too long.
because it wasn’t a joke. it wasn’t insecurity.
it was fear.
that first night, he facetimed you three times. the first was sweet, just his face, lit by the glow of the hotel tv, asking about the baby, about your sister.
by the second, he was quieter. lying in your shared bed, jaw tense.
"i don’t sleep without you" he admitted.
you tried to laugh it off. "you slept fine before we met."
he didn’t smile.
"that wasn’t sleep. that was passing time."
the third call came after midnight. you were still awake, alone in your childhood bedroom. he didn’t say hello. just held the phone at chest level, shirtless, hand trailing low, voice rough.
"i was thinking about that night in front of the mirror" he murmured.
you swallowed.
"the way you looked at me. like you wanted me to wreck you." he shifted the camera lower, fingers sliding beneath his waistband. "i miss the sounds you make. i miss the way you taste."
"punk" you whispered, eyes wide, heart pounding.
"touch yourself,” he said. "now. let me see you."
your hand trembled as you set the phone on your pillow and shifted back on the bed, propping it to give him a full view. you weren’t even sure if it was the right angle, but the sound he made when he saw you told you it was perfect.
"that’s it" he murmured, eyes dark, breathing already heavier. "god, baby you’re beautiful like this. all mine."
you slid your fingers under the waistband of your shorts slowly, eyes flicking back to the screen. he was watching you like he was starved, like the distance between you was offensive to him. his hand moved beneath his own waistband, slow but possessive, like he was already imagining your skin under his palm.
"go slow" he said. "i want to see you fall apart. don’t rush. let me feel it through the screen."
the sound of his voice, low and gravelly, controlled but cracking at the edges, made heat roll through your stomach like a wave. you followed his words like they were gospel, like they were the only thing keeping your mind anchored in that moment.
every gasp you let out was met with a groan from him. every moan he pulled from you sounded like it shattered something in him.
"you miss me?" he rasped, hand working harder now, brow furrowed.
you nodded desperately, body aching, teeth tugging at your lip.
"say it" he growled.
"i miss you" you whimpered. "i miss the way you touch me. i miss your mouth. i want you so bad it hurts."
he groaned low, eyes fluttering shut for a second, then snapped open again.
"keep going, baby. let me watch you come."
you whimpered, legs tensing, his voice in your ear and his name falling from your lips like a prayer. his hand was working faster, his breathing ragged. you could hear it, feel it, like he was there, just inches away, whispering filthy promises into your neck.
when it hit you, it hit like lightning. your back arched, mouth falling open as a cry escaped you, his name, raw and wrecked.
and then you heard it, his broken moan, deep and strangled, as he found release with your name on his lips.
the screen went still for a beat.
"i will always remind you who you belong to."
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
your niece had finally fallen asleep again, curled into your chest with the warm heaviness only a newborn could have. the house smelled like coffee, lavender laundry detergent, and something nostalgic, a hint of home you hadn’t realized you missed until just now.
it was quiet. a rarity.
your sister was upstairs napping. your dad was outside somewhere, probably fixing something that didn’t really need fixing, the way dads did. and for once, your phone hadn’t buzzed in over ten minutes.
you weren’t sure if that made you feel relieved or on edge.
then the knock came. hard. precise.
you startled slightly, the baby shifting against you.
you peeked through the small window next to the front door and froze.
he was standing there on the porch. hoodie pulled over his head, one hand stuffed into the front pocket, the other holding a black duffel. the hood shadowed his face, but you knew that posture. that stillness.
it was punk.
you unlocked the door slowly, your voice low and confused.
"phil"
he looked up at you like a drowning man. his eyes were bloodshot, sunken, but burning.
"i had to see you" he said simply.
you stared at him. "you didn’t tell me"
"i didn’t want to give you a chance to say no."
you blinked. his bluntness shouldn't surprise you anymore. but here, in this hallway where your middle school backpack still hung on a hook, it rattled something inside you.
"i said a week" you said, shifting your niece gently as she stirred. "it’s been two days"
"i couldn’t sleep. couldn’t breathe" he stepped forward. "you were here without me. i didn’t like that."
you stepped aside wordlessly. not out of fear, just instinct.
he brushed past you with a familiarity that felt surreal in this space, this childhood version of your life where he didn’t belong.
and yet here he was. breathing your air like he owned it.
he stopped in the entryway and looked around. Family photos lined the walls. your childhood shoes still tucked on the bottom row of the hall rack. his eyes landed on one frame in particular, you, in braces, beaming with a science fair ribbon.
a flicker of something softer passed through him. "you were cute."
"i was a nerd" you replied.
"you still are" he said, smiling faintly. "mine, though."
you shifted awkwardly, still holding the baby.
his eyes moved back to her. for the first time, his expression cracked, just a little.
"she’s beautiful."
you nodded, watching him. "she’s new."
his gaze dropped to your arms, where the baby was nestled against your chest. something in his throat moved like a swallowed groan.
"i pictured this" he murmured. "you holding a baby."
you said nothing.
before you could respond, footsteps thudded down the stairs.
"who’s at the door?" your sister’s voice came around the corner, then froze. "oh my god. wait. is that..."
she was already grinning, eyes wide.
he turned and offered a polite smile, voice low but friendly. "hey. i’m phil."
your sister gaped. "you’re cm punk. like her cm punk"
he chuckled modestly. "just phil is fine."
she practically lit up. "wow. this is wow. we didn’t know you were visiting!"
"she didn’t know either" he said, nodding toward you. "surprise."
your sister looked between the two of you, then nudged your arm with a smirk. "you weren’t kidding when you said he was intense."
you gave a tight-lipped smile. "he doesn’t like being away."
"well, that’s sweet" she said. "you want coffee? or are you two gonna hole up in her room like teenagers?"
"i could take coffee" he replied, eyes not leaving yours.
your sister disappeared into the kitchen, and you were alone again.
the baby stirred, and punk stepped closer. "let me?"
you hesitated. then, you handed her to him.
he held her like he’d done it before. careful. reverent. but it was the way he looked at her, like he already knew what it would feel like to see you holding his child, that made your chest feel too tight.
"she’s perfect" he said softly. "but she’s not ours."
your breath caught.
"i want that" he whispered, eyes still on the baby. "with you. one day."
you should’ve said something. something normal. something grounding.
but instead, you just watched him.
and in your father’s house, under the roof where you once had dreams about becoming someone normal, you realised:
you didn’t want to live without this version of love anymore.
even if it wasn’t safe.
even if it wasn’t sane.
it was yours.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
it was surreal, watching punk step into your childhood bedroom.
the posters were long gone, the twin bed had been upgraded to a queen at some point, but the ghosts were still here, the stack of dog-eared books on the dresser, the lacy curtain your mom picked out, the photo booth strip pinned above the mirror from senior prom.
he stood in the center of it like a shadow that didn’t belong.
like a wolf in a museum of your softness.
"wow" he murmured, running his hand along the desk. "you really grew up in here."
you leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching him.
he turned slowly. his eyes were darker now. calmer. but charged, like he was trying not to detonate.
"it’s fucking crazy" he said quietly, "seeing you in this room. knowing this was yours. the bed you used to sleep in. the closet you cried in. the floor you probably paced the night before your first kiss."
he took a step toward you.
"i think i hate that" he whispered. "that someone else ever got here before me."
you didn’t move. your heart fluttered like a warning. but you weren’t afraid.
you were already his.
he closed the distance and cupped your jaw with both hands, staring into your face like he needed to memorize you again. "you feel it, don’t you?"
you nodded, barely.
he leaned in and kissed you, slow, but consuming. the kind of kiss that doesn’t just want to taste you but own the moment. the kind of kiss that says mine.
your back hit the bedroom door as he pressed you into it. his hands gripped your hips hard, like he still couldn’t believe you were real. your name left his mouth like a curse as he trailed open-mouthed kisses down your neck.
"this room" he murmured, tugging your shirt over your head, "it’s where you dreamed about getting out. about living a big life. about being seen."
he dropped to his knees in front of you, his voice reverent and low.
"and now here you are" he said, sliding your underwear down slowly. "and i see you. every part."
you gasped as his mouth replaced his words, hot, possessive, worshipful in the way he touched you. he didn’t care that your childhood bed creaked behind him. he didn’t care that your family was a hallway away.
he just needed to taste the part of you no one else had touched.
your fingers gripped his hair as he devoured you, his moans lost in your skin. when he finally stood, his mouth slick, pupils blown wide, he looked wrecked.
"you are everything" he whispered, tugging his shirt over his head. "every damn thing i’ve ever wanted and never thought i could have."
you pulled him to the bed, both of you stripping fast now, hands frantic with need. when he sank into you, his forehead dropped to yours, and he let out a shaking breath.
"this is it" he rasped. "this is the only place i've ever felt sane."
you moved together slowly at first, but the desperation built quickly, years of longing crammed into one moment. he whispered things you’d never forget, pressed kisses to your temple between thrusts, held your face while you broke apart beneath him.
and when he finished, deep inside, voice cracking with the force of it, he didn’t move for a long time. just stayed there, wrapped around you, heart pounding against your chest.
"i need you" he whispered into your skin. "more than anything. more than breathing."
you kissed him, sweat-slick and shaking, and for once, didn’t try to stop the truth from blooming inside your chest.
you needed him too.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the sun had barely risen when he woke up alone.
for a man so often coiled with instinct, his reaction was immediate: alert, tense, halfway sitting up in your childhood bed before he even registered the silence.
but then he heard it , your voice. soft. distant. not afraid.
he slipped on his hoodie and padded quietly down the hall, barefoot on the carpet. the house smelled like coffee and baby powder and something faintly floral, the way homes smelled when they were full of women who loved deeply.
he followed the sound of your voice into the den.
you were sitting on the couch, hair messy from sleep, one leg tucked under the other. the baby was cradled to your chest in a white cotton onesie covered in little yellow ducks.
you didn’t hear him enter.
"and when you’re big" you were saying to her, voice gentle and dreamy, "you’ll get to pick whatever you want. you can be a scientist or a wrestler or a poet or i don’t know. maybe you’ll own a bakery."
the baby gurgled.
you smiled down at her. "i just hope someone loves you"
punk stopped in the doorway.
he hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. hadn’t meant to see this moment. but now that he had, he couldn’t breathe around it.
you looked ethereal. a little tired. beautiful in a way that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with belonging.
you were a woman with a whole world tucked into her arms.
and he wanted in.
he wanted all of it.
you noticed him then. your smile didn’t falter.
"hey" you whispered, "she just fell back asleep."
he didn’t speak right away. just stared. at you. at her. at what you looked like wrapped in a kind of peace he’d never tasted before.
his voice was low when it came. rough from sleep and something else.
"you looked like that in my dreams."
you blinked. "like what?"
"that." his hand gestured vaguely. "you. holding her. talking like that."
you tilted your head, amused and curious. "like a mom?"
he nodded. his chest rose like he was holding something in.
"i want that with you" he said suddenly. too loud for the sleepy room. "i want you. pregnant. with my kid."
your breath caught.
he stepped forward, voice softer now. more dangerous in its gentleness.
"i want to come home and find you barefoot in our kitchen with swollen ankles and a baby on your hip. i want to watch you fall asleep in a rocking chair. i want to see your belly stretch. i want to see you glow."
you couldn’t look away.
"i want to give you everything that matters" he said. "and i want to tear apart anyone who even thinks about taking it away."
the baby stirred slightly against your chest, and you glanced down instinctively.
he smiled.
you didn’t respond.
but he saw it, the flicker in your eyes. the part of you that was afraid because you wanted it too.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you hadn’t spoken much after the baby moment.
not because it was tense. but because it was heavy. something had shifted. you saw it in punk’s eyes every time he looked at you now, like he’d tasted something he couldn’t let go of.
and now you were back in your old bedroom. the door locked. the house dark.
you were on the bed in just a t-shirt, sitting against the headboard, when he came in and closed the door softly behind him.
the air changed.
his eyes swept over you, bare thighs, sleepy face, soft lips and something in him broke.
"you shouldn’t look like that here" he rasped, voice low and ragged. "not in this fucking room. not after what i saw."
you swallowed. "what did you see?"
he came closer. crawled onto the bed like a storm building.
"i saw my future. in your arms. in your eyes. on your skin."
you opened your mouth to speak, but his mouth was already on yours, crushing, bruising, needy. there was no teasing this time. no slow unravel. just his body against yours like he wanted to sink into your bones.
"take it off" he muttered against your lips, tugging at your shirt. "wanna see you. all of you."
you pulled it over your head. and that was all he needed.
he shoved his sweatpants down and hovered over you, hands already everywhere, your thighs, your stomach, your breasts. his mouth followed, worshipping, claiming.
"still think about you holding her" he groaned into your skin. "still see it when i close my eyes."
you gasped as he spread your legs and pressed against you. "punk—"
"you want this?" he asked, voice strained. "you want to carry me? let me fuck a baby into you?"
your breath caught, body arching up into him. "yes."
that was all he needed.
he didn’t tease this time. he pushed in slow but deep, possessive, like his body had the right to be inside yours this way. like your walls knew his shape.
he was rougher this time. not violent, but urgent. one hand gripping your hip tight enough to bruise, the other on your stomach like he could already feel what might grow there.
"i’m gonna fill you up" he growled in your ear, fucking you harder now. "gonna keep you like this. swollen and sore and mine."
you couldn’t form words. just held onto his shoulders and let him use your body the way he needed.
and he needed.
every thrust was a promise. every moan a vow.
he kissed you like you were air. bit your neck. marked your chest. murmured filth between worship.
and when he felt you start to come undone, legs shaking, back arching, he lost it.
"let go, baby. come for me. let me feel it."
you shattered around him, body trembling under the force of it.
and he followed.
with a broken groan, he came deep inside you, hips pressed hard to yours, arms locked around your back.
even after, he didn’t pull out. he just stayed there. breathing heavily against your chest, fingers tangled with yours.
"you’re mine now" he whispered.
"as if i wasn’t already" you whispered back.
he smiled.
and that was when he knew.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the private car had been quiet for most of the drive. your head leaned against his shoulder, legs pulled up in the backseat, fingers tangled with his. neither of you said much, not because there was nothing to say, but because everything had already been said without words.
you still felt his touch everywhere. his breath. the ache. the way he’d looked at you when he finished inside you, like he’d given you a piece of his soul and expected you to guard it with your life.
the airport was quiet. you boarded early, a rare break in your schedule had allowed punk to arrange a private charter back to tv tapings.
you were curled up in the leather seat, sipping a water bottle when you realized he was watching you.
hard.
not in a possessive way, not this time.
in a final way.
"what's wrong?" you asked gently.
he didn’t answer right away. Just reached into his carry-on.
you thought maybe he was pulling out headphones or snacks, until he turned back to you with something small in his palm.
a ring.
not flashy. not traditional. a band of black metal with your initials and his engraved inside.
your heart stopped.
"phil"
"i don’t need a priest. or an audience. or a fucking cake" he said, quiet and direct. "i just need you."
you stared at the ring.
"you don’t have to think about it" he added. "you already said yes the moment you let me have you."
you blinked hard.
he was serious. dead serious.
"i want to marry you. i want you in my house. in my bed. carrying my name. my kid. my life."
he paused, eyes burning.
"and if you say no, i’ll wait. i'll ask again. every fucking day if i have to. until you can’t imagine waking up without me."
you looked at the ring.
then at him.
he was tense. not afraid. just coiled. like your answer was going to either complete him or break something he’d never get back.
you smiled.
"put it on me."
he let out a slow breath, almost a growl of relief, and slid the ring onto your finger with hands that shook just a little.
"i love you" you said, voice soft.
his hand cradled your jaw. "then you’ll never have to be alone again. i swear it."
you didn’t even make it back to the hotel that night.
he took you in the car.
hard. desperate.
like your yes had made him feral.
like he was already claiming you all over again.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
2 YEARS LATER
your daughter was up before the sun.
you felt the shift in the bed before the sound, your husband moving, the faint creak of the old hardwood floor as he padded out of the bedroom in nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants and a worn band tee. the monitor didn’t even have time to crackle. he was faster than technology when it came to her.
you rolled over into the warm spot he left behind and smiled to yourself.
a few minutes later, you heard the soft lilt of his voice through the baby monitor.
"shh, i’ve got you. what’s wrong, huh? did you miss me? couldn’t wait until morning?"
he never sounded like that with anyone else. just her. and you.
you padded into the hallway ten minutes later, sleepy eyed and barefoot, dressed in your usual uniform of his shirt and found them both on the living room couch. your daughter was curled up against punk’s chest, tiny fingers tangled in the chain he still wore around his neck, the one with your initials.
she was babbling. he was answering her like every noise was a real question.
"tell mama what you said" he murmured, turning when he saw you in the doorway. "tell her how you’re already smarter than half the locker room i used to work with."
you laughed, moving to sit beside them. punk kept one arm wrapped around your daughter and the other reached for you instantly, fingers hooking into the hem of your shirt to pull you close.
you nestled against him, tucking your head under his chin.
"this is your fault" he said after a minute, pressing a kiss to your temple. "you made me soft."
you snorted. "you threaten to kill the UPS driver every time he knocks too loud."
"that’s because he makes her cry" he muttered, eyes flicking protectively to your daughter.
you looked down at the two of them, matching dark eyes, matching stubborn expressions.
your little girl, amelie, reached for you, so you lifted her and settled her between your bodies. punk didn’t stop touching you, thumb running slow circles along your thigh as you both watched her examine her toy like it was a treasure map.
she had his focus. your smile. his moods. your patience.
she was your entire world. and somehow, his world had become both of you.
"do you miss it?" you asked softly, glancing at him. "the road? work?"
he shook his head immediately. "i had nothing out there worth keeping."
then, quieter: "everything i want is in this room."
your chest swelled.
"i still remember the first time i saw you" he said suddenly, almost like he couldn’t help it. "backstage. nervous. smiling. like you had no idea someone like me could fall so hard, so fast."
you smiled, resting your head on his shoulder. "i think part of me did know."
"yeah" he whispered. "that part of you’s mine now."
the baby yawned, her head drooping onto your chest.
punk adjusted you both gently, then pressed his lips to the crown of her head. then yours.
dark!seth rollins x reader. dark!becky lynch x reader. dark!bron breakker x reader. dark!bronson reed x reader.
synopsis: you came to wwe as an experienced wrestler with history, friends, and fire in your veins and ties to cm punk and aj lee, who are locked in a war with seth rollins and becky lynch. that should’ve made you their enemy.
instead, it made you their obsession.
the vision don’t just want to defeat you. they want to consume you. seth and becky whisper promises and play mind games, wrapping you in a net of devotion disguised as strategy. bron guards you like a beast, furious at the idea of you being out of his sight. and bronson? he doesn’t say much but the silence is the most dangerous of all. little by little, they close in until resistance isn’t just impossible, it’s meaningless. because you’ve never been wanted like this. never been worshipped so completely. never been claimed by four obsessions at once.you don’t join the vision. you become it.
warnings: 18+. smut. group sex. reader is pretty much worshipped.
the sound hit you before the lights did.
that deafening wall of noise, the pop of thousands of voices chanting your name, rising as the tron burst alive with your entrance package. it had been years since you walked down this ramp, years in another company, years building your name in aew, carving out your own reputation. and yet here it was, the wwe crowd still chanting like they had been waiting the entire time for you to come back home.
you stood at the top of the ramp for a heartbeat longer than you intended, letting it all sink in. the strobes painted the arena in white and gold, your music pounding through the speakers, and every scream drilled down into your chest until it made your bones hum. you smiled, wide and genuine, raising your arms to the fans before striding forward, every step heavy with adrenaline.
the ring was familiar, even if everything else wasn’t. sliding under the bottom rope, you stood tall and took in the sea of faces. signs with your name scrawled in marker, old merch from your indie days, even a few handmade posters about your friendship with punk and aj.
that tugged at something inside you, a reminder that you weren’t doing this alone.
later, after the segment was done, after the camera cuts and the chaos, you found them backstage. punk was waiting in his hoodie, leaning against a crate, grinning like a proud older brother. aj stood beside him, arms folded but eyes soft.
"you killed it" punk said, pulling you into a quick hug, the sweat from his own match still clinging to his skin. aj’s hand squeezed your arm warmly when he let go.
"welcome back" she said. and it felt like a welcome, real and solid, like maybe you could breathe again. but that peace didn’t last long.
you caught it as you turned, as you walked further down the corridor with your gear bag slung over your shoulder: the prickle of being watched. it wasn’t unusual backstage, half the roster was curious about you, half were already sizing you up. but this, this was different. across the hall, gathered in the shadows where the lighting didn’t quite reach, stood the vision.
seth in a gaudy fur jacket, leaning lazily against the wall with a smirk curling his lips. becky beside him, arms crossed, eyes glinting like she was already two steps ahead of everyone else in the room. bron breakker, restless energy barely contained, jaw tight as he shifted his weight like a predator itching to move. and bronson, massive, immovable, his gaze fixed squarely on you like you were the only person in the hallway.
they weren’t talking. they weren’t even pretending to. they were just watching.
seth’s eyes tracked your every step, hungry and sharp. becky tilted her head, assessing, lips quirking like she knew something you didn’t. bron’s nostrils flared, chest heaving with shallow breaths, like he was scenting the air. and bronson didn’t blink. you froze mid-step, the noise of the busy corridor dimming to nothing in your ears. that same roar from the crowd still buzzed under your skin, but this was different, colder. heavier.
punk’s voice cut through it. "ignore them." he touched your elbow, pulling you forward. aj’s hand landed briefly on your back, urging you down the hall.
but you couldn’t help yourself. one last glance over your shoulder.
and they were still there. all four of them. unmoving. unflinching. four sets of eyes carving you into memory.
you swallowed hard, dragging your gaze away, pretending your chest wasn’t tight. you told yourself it was nothing. just another group of heels trying to intimidate you. but deep down, in the pit of your stomach, you already knew better.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the adrenaline from your return still hadn’t faded by the time you rounded the corner toward catering. your gear bag weighed heavy on your shoulder, your hair still damp from the post-segment chaos. you wanted a bottle of water, maybe a quiet corner, a second to breathe.
"congratulations."
the voice cut smooth through the low hum of backstage chatter. you stopped, pulse catching, because you knew it before you even turned.
seth rollins. he leaned against the wall like he had all the time in the world, his sequined jacket catching the fluorescent light. he grinned, not with warmth but with something sharper, more deliberate. his eyes skimmed over you like he’d been waiting, like he’d already planned this moment.
"you’re even bigger here than you were over there" he said, drawl slow, amused. "the crowd ate it up. they missed you." you nodded politely, shifting your bag on your shoulder, reminding yourself that you had every reason to keep walking. punk’s warning from earlier still echoed in your head: ignore them.
but seth pushed off the wall, closing the space between you with too-easy steps.
"you’re new here" he said, even though he knew you weren’t. his voice dipped lower, conversational in tone but intent in delivery. "which means you’re vulnerable. fresh meat."
before you could answer, another voice slid in from behind. "she’s not just fresh meat."
becky appeared like she’d always been there, slipping seamlessly into the space beside him. she touched your arm lightly, fingers brushing just above your elbow, her smile sharper than seth’s but no less piercing. "she’s interesting."
the touch lingered longer than it should have. Her eyes didn’t leave yours.
you swallowed, taking a step back.
and that’s when bron moved.
he’d been leaning against a crate nearby, unnoticed until now. suddenly he was in your path, broad frame blocking the corridor completely. his shoulders squared, chin lifting slightly as he looked down at you.
"she’s with us" bron said. his tone was casual, but there was no mistaking the weight behind it. a declaration. a threat.
your throat went dry. "i’m not"
"you will be" he cut in, blunt and sure, like the outcome was already written. then came the silence. heavy. suffocating.
because bronson was there too. standing a few feet back, arms crossed, massive frame impossible to ignore. unlike the others, he didn’t speak. he didn’t move. he just stared. his gaze tracked over you slowly, deliberate, like he was committing every inch of you to memory.
the others filled the space with words, with touch, with bravado. bronson filled it with silence. and it was worse.
your heart pounded so hard you were sure they could hear it. the corridor seemed smaller, the fluorescent lights harsher. you adjusted your grip on your bag, forcing yourself to meet becky’s smirk, seth’s grin, bron’s hungry focus, bronson’s stillness.
"excuse me." you pushed the words out, steadier than you felt.
becky’s hand finally fell away. seth chuckled low in his throat, stepping back as though he was doing you a favor. bron didn’t move immediately, making you brush close against him to pass. bronson didn’t need to move, his eyes followed you every step until you turned the corner. only when you were out of sight did you realize your palms were slick with sweat. you told yourself you weren’t rattled. that they were just playing games, just being heels, just testing you. but the truth whispered ugly in the back of your mind: four sets of eyes hadn’t just watched you.
they had chosen you.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
as soon as the bell ran the following week you could feel it.
that weight in the air, heavier than the crowd’s cheers, heavier than the lights glaring down from the rafters. becky lynch stood across from you, pacing like a predator with a smile curling her lips. her eyes didn’t leave yours. not once.
this was supposed to be your return showcase. a clean, solid match against one of wwe’s biggest stars, the perfect way to prove you belonged. but from the way becky tilted her head, rolling her shoulders loose, you knew this wasn’t going to be business as usual.
she came at you fast, stiff, snug, every lockup grinding bone against bone. her strikes landed a fraction harder than they needed to, her suplexes sharp and deliberate. not reckless, never sloppy. just punishing.
but she smiled the whole time.
"welcome back" she hissed under her breath after an elbow smashed into your jaw. her grin never faltered for the crowd. "show me what you’ve got."
you fired back harder, letting muscle memory take over. a forearm. a kick. a takedown that popped the audience. they roared, chanting your name again, feeding you energy like a drug.
becky laughed. not at the crowd. at you. like you were doing exactly what she wanted.
the match stretched on, brutal and fast. every near-fall had the crowd on its feet. but becky didn’t look frustrated when you kicked out at two, she looked pleased. like this was a game she’d designed, and you were playing your role perfectly.
and then came the finish. you went for your finisher, the crowd ready to erupt but becky countered, rolling you up, tight and sudden. one. two. three. the bell rang. the crowd booed.
you sat up, heart hammering, sweat dripping down your face. the match hadn’t been a burial. it hadn’t been a squash. but it hadn’t been clean, either. something about it felt off.
and then you realized why. because when you looked up, the other three were already there.
seth was on the apron, clapping slow and mocking, his grin wide and dangerous. bron leaned against the ropes, jaw tight, staring down anyone who dared boo. and bronson stood on the floor, massive arms crossed, his eyes fixed solely on you.
you staggered to your feet, still catching your breath. becky reached for your wrist, not to shake it, not to raise it, but to hold it. firm. possessive.
"not bad" she murmured, low enough that only you could hear. "you’ll get used to losing... for us." you yanked your arm back, stumbling a step away. the crowd roared around you, oblivious to the undercurrent, seeing only the theatrics.
seth slid into the ring, brushing a strand of hair from your face like he was helping you stand. bron stepped closer, big and imposing, crowding your space. bronson stayed where he was, silent, staring up at you like he could see right through your skin.
the vision closed in, not touching you outright, but surrounding you. a wall. a cage. and just when your chest tightened too much to breathe, the arena shifted.
music hit. punk and aj stormed the ramp.
the crowd exploded as they sprinted to the ring, sliding under the ropes. seth and becky backed away, laughing, smug. bron raised his hands in mock surrender, stepping aside. bronson was the last to move, gaze lingering on you a second too long before finally following the others.
punk’s hand landed on your shoulder, grounding you. aj stood at your side, eyes locked on becky across the ring.
but you couldn’t focus on either of them.
not when seth was still smiling at you like he’d already won. not when bron flexed his fists like he was itching for the chance to use them. not when bronson’s stare lingered even as he left, heavy as a hand on your throat.
the vision hadn’t just beaten you tonight. they had marked you.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the door clicked shut behind you, the muffled roar of the crowd replaced by the low hum of pipes in the ceiling. you let your gear bag slip from your shoulder, landing with a dull thud on the bench.
it wasn’t supposed to feel like this.
your first night back, your first match in front of this crowd, and you had lost. not crushed, not humiliated, but pinned. becky’s grin replayed in your head every time you blinked, mocking in its ease. the crowd’s chants still echoed in your ears, but underneath it all, the bitter taste of failure coated your tongue.
you pressed your palms to the cool metal of the locker, bowing your head. you’ll bounce back, you told yourself. you always did. but this wasn’t how you imagined your return.
and then you froze. because you weren’t alone.
she was there. sitting cross-legged on your bench like she belonged there, her fiery hair spilling over her leather jacket.
you startled back a step, heart jumping into your throat. "what the fuck are you doing in here?"
becky didn’t flinch. didn’t move. she was perfectly comfortable, flipping lazily through the notebook you’d left on the bench, your notebook. the one you used for promos, for match ideas, for scribbled half-thoughts you never shared with anyone.
"nice" she said casually, turning a page with deliberate slowness. "you’ve got a sharp pen. you write like you fight. direct. no wasted movement."
rage and unease tangled in your chest. "give that back."
becky smirked but didn’t hand it over. she closed it gently, setting it on her lap, one hand resting on the cover like it was hers now. her green eyes flicked up to yours, sharp and unreadable.
"you were good tonight" she said. "better than i expected. but you looked upset after." her voice softened almost imperceptibly. "don’t be. that’s just how it starts."
you swallowed, forcing your voice steady. "how what starts?"
becky leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, the notebook still cradled in her hands. "this. us. you." her gaze traveled over your face, too intense, too intimate. "you think you’re on your own here, trying to climb, trying to prove yourself. but you’re not. we see you. we’ve been waiting."
her fingers drummed lightly on the notebook’s cover. "and trust me, we don’t wait for just anyone." the words sank in like ice, cold and heavy. before you could respond, the door opened. seth slipped in like he owned the place, shutting it behind him with a quiet click. his grin spread when he saw the two of you.
"already getting acquainted" he said, eyes sparkling as he sauntered closer. he didn’t even look at you when he added, "she’s our girl, isn’t she?"
your chest tightened. "i’m not"
becky interrupted with a low laugh, rising to her feet. she closed the distance between you in two easy steps, placing the notebook in your hands like she was giving a gift instead of returning something stolen. "you will be." her hand brushed your wrist deliberately, warm and sure, before she and seth turned toward the door.
seth winked at you over his shoulder. "sweet dreams, darling."
and then they were gone, leaving silence in their wake. you clutched the notebook to your chest, heart pounding.
the match had already felt like a loss. but this, their words, their eyes, their certainty, made it feel like you were already losing something bigger.
and you didn’t even know what it was.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the night had stretched long, every hour after your match dragging under the weight of whispers and stares. by the time you finally shouldered your bag and pushed through the exit into the cool night air, you were exhausted, mentally, physically, all of it.
the parking lot was mostly empty. sodium lights buzzed overhead, casting harsh yellow pools across rows of rental cars. your footsteps echoed on the pavement, the sound sharp in the quiet.
and then you saw him. bron breakker.
he leaned against your car like he’d been waiting for hours, arms crossed, shoulders broad enough to block out the glow of the light above him. his head lifted the moment you appeared, eyes narrowing with a focus that made your chest tighten.
you slowed. "what are you doing here?"
bron didn’t answer right away. he pushed off the car and stepped forward, his boots crunching against the gravel. the night air felt suddenly thinner, harder to breathe. "you shouldn’t be walking out here alone" he said finally, voice low, gruff. "it’s not safe."
you frowned. "i’ve been doing this for years. i can handle myself."
bron’s jaw flexed. he shook his head once, like you hadn’t understood. "not anymore. not with them circling you. people notice. they’ll come at you." his gaze flicked toward the shadows at the edge of the lot. "and i don’t like it."
something in his tone, possessive, final, made your skin prickle. "i didn’t ask you to like it."
he stepped closer, closing the distance in a way that made your pulse jump. his chest almost brushed yours when he stopped, his hand lifting just enough to hover near your shoulder. not touching, but close. "you don’t have to ask" he said. "i’m here. you’re not alone."
the words might have been comforting if not for the intensity behind them, the way his eyes burned like a storm barely contained. "bron"
movement at the edge of the lot broke your focus. a crew member, some kid from production, waved as he walked past, calling out casually, "goodnight y/n!"
it happened so fast you barely processed it.
bron turned on him with a snarl, fists clenching. "what the hell do you think you’re doing?" he stepped forward, shoulders squared, voice a roar in the empty lot. the kid stumbled back, hands raised in confusion.
"i was just saying goodnight—"
"she doesn’t need you" bron snapped. his chest heaved, the veins in his neck standing out. "stay away from her."
the crew member paled, muttered something, and hurried off into the darkness.
you stared, heart racing, your car forgotten at your back. "are you insane? he wasn’t doing anything!"
bron turned back to you, the anger still sharp in his eyes. but when they landed on you, it shifted, softened. almost. "i don’t like people near you" he admitted, voice quieter now, raw around the edges. "not unless it’s me or them"
he stepped closer again, opening your car door like it was his right. his expression left no room for argument. "get in"
for a moment, you thought about resisting. but your legs moved anyway, carrying you into the driver’s seat. the car door shut behind you with a heavy thud, and bron’s shadow loomed outside until you started the engine.
you drove off with your pulse still thundering, every nerve lit up. and when you checked your rearview mirror, you swore you saw him watching until your car disappeared into the night.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the weeks blurred together into an endless loop: arenas, matches, travel. and everywhere you went, they were there.
seth, catching your eye during promos he wasn’t even scripted for, his grin too sharp to be accidental. becky, brushing past you in hallways, her fingers always finding your wrist, your shoulder, the small of your back like she was testing what she could get away with. bron, materializing in every parking lot, shadowing you to your car, glaring at anyone who so much as looked in your direction. and bronson, always in the corner of your vision. silent. watching.
at first, you’d told yourself it was a mind game. that they were trying to throw you off balance, isolate you, weaken your alliance with punk and aj. but it wasn’t stopping. It was mounting, layer by layer, suffocating.
by the time you sank into a chair at the hotel bar after a show, exhaustion had dug its claws into your bones. the place was dim, half-empty, the low murmur of voices blending with the clink of glassware. you wanted one drink, maybe two, then sleep.
but before the bartender could even set your glass down, someone slid onto the stool beside you. punk.
his hoodie was pulled up, but there was no hiding the sharp edge in his eyes. he didn’t bother with pleasantries. "they’re circling you" he said. "like sharks."
you frowned, fingers tightening around your glass. "if this is about the match"
"it’s not about the match." he leaned in, lowering his voice, tone like gravel. "i’ve seen it before. they’re not just a stable. they’re not just trying to get in your head. they fixate."
your stomach twisted. "you think i don’t know that?"
before he could answer, aj slid into the seat on your other side. her hair was tied back, her face calm but her eyes sharp. "you don’t" she said softly. "not yet. you don’t know what it feels like when they close in all the way. when you can’t move without one of them there. when you start doubting your own choices because you can’t tell which thoughts are yours anymore." her words landed heavy. too specific. too real.
you glanced between them, pulse skittering. "why are you telling me this?"
"because you’re not like the others" punk said. his gaze softened just enough to show something like concern. "they don’t look at anyone else the way they look at you. you’ve already got their attention. and once they’ve decided you’re theirs" he shook his head. "it’s over."
you opened your mouth, but the words caught in your throat.
your phone buzzed in your bag. you pulled it out, heart stuttering when you saw the notification. unknown number.
you looked beautiful tonight.
no name. no context. just that. you looked up sharply, scanning the bar. no sign of them. not here. not in the open. but the message felt like fingers tracing down your spine all the same.
punk saw your face and swore under his breath. aj’s hand covered yours on the bar, grounding but firm.
"it’s already started" she whispered.
and deep down, you knew she was right.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
your hotel room was supposed to be safe.
the door clicked shut behind you, muffling the hallway noise. you dropped your bag on the floor and kicked off your boots, already picturing a hot shower and the bliss of collapsing into bed.
but the moment you turned on the light, your breath caught in your throat. something was on the bed. not just something, things. arranged carefully across the white duvet like a shrine. at the center lay a framed photograph you hadn’t seen in years. you froze, your heart thundering in your chest as your mind scrambled to process it. it was you. younger. smiling with your family at a summer barbecue, your arm slung around your sister’s shoulders. the photo had never been online. it had lived in an album at your parents’ house. your eyes darted to the other items. a candle that smelled exactly like the one you used to burn in your old apartment, the lavender-vanilla scent wrapping around you like a trap. a t-shirt you thought you’d lost on the road years ago, folded neatly, as if it had been waiting all this time. a paperback novel you used to read on flights, the spine creased, your own handwriting in the margins.
your knees wobbled, and you sank down onto the edge of the bed, staring at the collection. it wasn’t random. it wasn’t just gifts. it was you. pieces of your life, intimate and specific, gathered and displayed with reverence. your phone buzzed.
you fumbled it out of your pocket, the screen lighting up with another message from the same unknown number that had texted you at the bar.
do you like it? we’ve been listening. we know what matters to you.
your throat went dry.
another buzz.
you’re ours. you’ll understand soon.
the words swam on the screen, equal parts terrifying and something else. because even as your pulse raced, even as your chest tightened, you couldn’t deny the flicker of heat curling low in your stomach. someone had done this. for you. remembered details you hadn’t spoken of in years. dug deep enough to resurrect pieces of you that you thought were forgotten.
and they wanted you to know it. you set the phone down with shaking hands, staring at the shrine again. the smell of lavender clung to the air. the photo’s smiling faces blurred as your eyes stung.
you should have been afraid. instead, you whispered into the silence, "what do you want from me?" the answer didn’t come from your phone.
it was already in the room, in the arrangement on the bed: everything.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
you didn’t plan to find them. you’d meant to be invisible, grab a quick sandwich, duck into your corner of the corridor, and go over tonight’s tape quietly. that was the one thing you still tried to control: the work. the rest of it was noise, you told yourself. a sea of men and women who wanted something from you or wanted to be you. you were used to noise.
but the corridor hummed with a different current tonight. not the usual backstage chatter; something electric and watchful, like the air before a storm. you rounded the corner with your headphones tucked into your jacket, music a thin pulse behind your nerves, and nearly collided with seth.
he was leaning against a stack of road cases, one boot hooked up on a crate, his jacket glittering under the harsh fluorescent light. he looked exactly like you’d seen him on camera: smug, comfortable, the grin that said he had stories you didn’t get to hear. becky was beside him, elbows up on her knees, hair falling across one eye as though the position had been choreographed. bron was a living barrier between them and the rest of the hallway, broad, heavy, and coiled. bronson stood just slightly apart, the dark mass that didn’t move unless it chose to, his expression unreadable.
the gift was in your bag, still warm with the scent of lavender from the hotel room. you could feel the photograph’s hard edge through the fabric, like an accusation.
"you left something" you said before you could temper it into a question. your voice cut the space between you sharp and brittle.
seth’s smirk deepened. "you mean your fan mail?" he asked, voice silky. he pushed off the crate and stepped forward in a casual, practiced way, like he was closing a deal. up close, his gaze was invasive; he counted the angles of your face like an architect taking measurements.
becky tilted her head, that wolfish smile curving at the corner of her mouth. "you look touched" she said, casual and cold. her fingers ghosted up to the strap of your bag as though to check its weight, then dropped away. "someone’s been thinking of you."
your fingers tightened on the strap. "who would leave family photos in my room? who thinks they have the right to go through my stuff?" your question came out sharp, forced, and you kept your jaw level, trying to make the anger sound like a shield.
bron snorted, a short dismissive sound. "right people" he said. "just people who care."
a laugh bubbled up from seth, soft and pleased. "you should be flattered" he said, warming the words with his charm. "it’s not every day we find something worth keeping."
you stepped forward, close enough to see the fleck of stale breath on his collar. "it’s not flattery. It’s violation. if any of you come near my room"
that was when bronson’s voice cut the air. he hadn’t spoken yet; you’d barely noticed him breathe. when he did talk, the effect was louder than any shout. it carried.
"you’ll get used to it" he said, quiet and certain. the sound of his words felt like a verdict. "we take care of what’s ours."
it shouldn’t have been a sentence that unsettled you, but it landed like a weight. the certainty in his voice, the lack of question, the absence of explanation, made the hallway shrink. you realized then that this wasn’t a game they were playing at the edges. it was a claim.
for a second, everyone was still. seth’s grin didn’t fade; it sharpened into something pledged. becky’s fingers found your wrist, the touch possessive, saying more than words could. bron stepped closer, so close you felt the heat from him brush your sleeve. bronson’s gaze didn’t move.
they circled you then, slowly, like tidewater folding around a rock. not threatening in the obvious way, not yet, but enough to erase the exit routes, enough to define the space you were allowed to occupy.
seth’s laugh was soft as they turned away. "think about it" he called over his shoulder, theatrical, almost tender. "you’ll like being noticed."
they left as a unit, leaving the corridor smelling of their cologne and the faint metallic tang of adrenaline. you stood there with your hand clenched on the strap, breathing through a sudden cold that you couldn’t explain away. you had confronted them and gained nothing but a line of faces and a single quiet sentence carved into the back of your skull.
you told yourself to keep going. that you were fine.
but the photograph felt heavier than when you’d picked it up from the bed earlier. It had the power now, you realized, of proof. evidence that the space you thought private had been entered, catalogued, and kept. you slid your fingers beneath the frame’s edge and felt the press of your younger self smiling up at you like a dare.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the training ring had always been a sanctuary. even when you were tired, even when the road chewed you up, the canvas gave you something steady: the rhythm of your boots against the mat, the crack of a well-timed bump, the sweat of discipline that felt like progress.
but tonight, the sanctuary wasn’t yours.
you could feel them before you saw them, the weight of four gazes pressing down on your skin until every movement felt deliberate, exposed.
seth was the first you noticed. he leaned against the ropes just outside the ring, his chin propped on one gloved hand, eyes following the stretch of your body with an unblinking sharpness. he wasn’t watching your footwork. he was watching the arch of your back, the snap of your hips with every whip into the ropes. his grin was slow, private, the kind of grin that made your chest heat.
becky was on the floor mats, pretending to stretch. every pose she held looked deliberate, the way her body elongated, the way her eyes slid to you through the curtain of her hair. she let her gaze linger, unashamed, on the line of sweat running down your collarbone. every time your eyes met, she tilted her head like she was imagining what else you’d look like under her.
bron sat against the wall, legs spread, arms resting on his knees, radiating heat like a bonfire. his stare wasn’t casual. it pinned you, kept you moving harder, faster, because stopping felt like giving in. he smirked once, just once, when you stumbled on a landing. it wasn’t mockery. it was possession. as if your imperfections belonged to him too.
and bronson stood in the far corner, quiet, unmoving. he didn’t leer. he didn’t smirk. he just watched. his eyes roved over your body like he was committing it to memory, slow and precise, as if he could replay you in his head later. there was something unbearably intimate in that silence, like he didn’t need to say anything because he already had you figured out.
you wiped the sweat from your face, trying to ignore the heat crawling up your neck, but the towel felt useless under their gaze. every movement, the flex of your thighs, the roll of your shoulders, even the rise and fall of your chest, felt magnified, as though you were putting on a private show.
and the worst part? some buried part of you liked it.
you ran another sequence just to prove you weren’t rattled, but when you glanced up, seth’s tongue traced his bottom lip. becky’s smile widened, lazy and certain. bron leaned forward like he might rise at any moment. bronson finally blinked, slow, like he’d already decided something.
the trainers had vanished. the chatter of other wrestlers was gone. The space belonged only to you and them, and the tension was thick enough to choke on.
by the time you hit the ropes one last time, your lungs burned. you dropped to your knees on the mat, sweat dripping, pulse hammering.
the silence was suffocating until seth finally spoke.
"you move like you already know we’re watching" he said softly, almost tender. "like you want us to."
no one corrected him.
and deep down, you weren’t sure you could.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the following week you were almost sure you were the last one to leave the arena.
the crew had gone, the cameras packed away, the distant echo of footsteps fading into nothing. all that was left was you, the ring, and the dim buzz of overhead lights that hummed like static.
you lingered longer than you should have, working through your lines, adjusting your stance, running sequences for no one but yourself. the silence felt good, steady, predictable.
then the lights cut.
not a flicker. a blackout.
your breath hitched, your body freezing in the dark. for a second, all you heard was the thunder of your pulse in your ears. then, just as sudden, the lights roared back to life and you weren’t alone.
they were in the ring.
the vision.
seth sat on the turnbuckle like he’d been waiting there all night, his arms draped loose over the ropes, eyes glittering with amusement. becky stood center-ring, head tilted, her smirk unreadable but her gaze locked on you like a predator eyeing a meal. bron leaned against the ropes, arms crossed, body blocking your only easy exit. and bronson lingered near the corner, silent, his bulk casting a shadow that swallowed the mat.
the ring didn’t feel like your space anymore. it felt like theirs.
you swallowed, your throat tight, but your feet refused to move. something about the way they looked at you, not just like you were cornered, but like you were already theirs, pinned you to the spot.
seth slid down from the turnbuckle, slow and deliberate. "you work late" he said, his voice low, playful. "that’s a dangerous habit."
becky stepped closer, her boots making soft thuds against the mat. she circled you like she was measuring distance, fingers trailing over the top rope as if testing how far she could push before you bolted. "but then" she murmured, "you like danger, don’t you?"
bron cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp in the empty arena. his smirk was heavier, hungrier now. "she likes the attention" he said, voice gruff. "don’t you, darlin’?"
and bronson didn’t speak at all. he just leaned forward, slow, eyes dragging over your body in a way that made heat coil low in your stomach. the silence from him was worse than words. it was a promise of something you couldn’t name yet.
you tried to breathe, to steady yourself, but every inhale filled your lungs with the weight of their stares.
seth came closer, stopping just short of touching you. his smile softened, though it was no less sharp. "you don’t have to be afraid" he said gently, as though he were soothing a child.
becky’s hand brushed your wrist, light as air, a ghost of a touch, but it set your pulse racing.
"you just have to stop fighting it" bronson whispered then, his voice breaking the silence at last. it was deep, calm, certain and it rolled through you like a command.
the four of them stood around you, not touching, not yet, but their presence pressed against your skin like heat, like gravity. it wasn’t violence. it wasn’t just intimidation. it was want. desire. possession.
you should have been terrified.
instead, your hands trembled and not only from fear.
the lights dimmed again, leaving only the memory of their bodies surrounding yours, the impression of hands that hadn’t even touched you yet.
the first act was over.
but you knew in your bones: the game had only just begun.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the next morning, the hotel gym was quiet, too quiet for your liking. you’d come down early, hoping to outrun the memory of last night, hoping that sweat and repetition might scrub it from your skin.
but it clung. every time your foot hit the treadmill, you felt the weight of four stares again, pressing down, heavy as chains. every gulp of water was thick with the echo of bronson’s voice: you just have to stop fighting it.
you cranked the treadmill speed higher, your chest burning, as if exhaustion might drown it out. the sound of a treadmill belt starting up beside you made your stomach drop.
you turned your head. becky. her red hair was tied high, sweatpants low on her hips, a smirk already curving her mouth like she’d caught you in a lie. she didn’t say anything at first. she just jogged alongside you, the rhythm of her steps syncing with yours until it felt choreographed.
you focused on the numbers flashing on your screen, on the pounding of your shoes, on anything but her eyes. "you’re thinking about us" becky finally said, her Irish lilt smooth, amused.
your hand tightened on the treadmill rail. "i’m not."
she laughed softly, not cruel, but knowing. "ah, you are. it’s written all over you."
she leaned closer, her pace never faltering, her voice low enough that no one else could hear: "the way you're moving today? like you’ve got eyes on you still. like you want them."
your cheeks burned hot. you looked straight ahead, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response. becky’s smirk widened. she didn’t push further. she just jogged in silence for another minute before slowing her machine, hopping off with the ease of someone in total control.
as she wiped her face with a towel, she leaned in close to you again, so close her hair brushed your arm. "you’ll see soon enough" she murmured. "it’s easier if you don’t fight it."
then she was gone, just like that, leaving her scent and her words in her wake.
you ran harder, faster, like you could leave her behind. but your heart was already racing for reasons that had nothing to do with the treadmill.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
your hotel room felt colder that night.
not because of the air conditioning, though it hummed too loudly, too sharp, but because of the memory of becky’s words still tangled around your throat. you’d showered, scrolled your phone, tried to pretend the day had been normal. It hadn’t. every time you closed your eyes, you saw them in the ring again, surrounding you, pinning you in place without even touching you.
you pushed the keycard into the slot, the light blinking green, and nudged the door open with your shoulder.
something was wrong. the room wasn’t as you’d left it. the lamp was on, though you’d turned it off. the bedspread was folded back, neat, too neat, like someone had been inside. your bag slid from your shoulder, hitting the carpet with a soft thud. your pulse leapt into your throat.
on the bed, waiting for you, was a small arrangement of things.
first: a glass bottle of perfume. the exact brand you’d worn when you debuted years ago. you hadn’t bought it since. you hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. yet here it was. beside it, a black notebook. the cover worn, but new. you opened it with shaking hands. inside were page after page of neatly written quotes. words you recognized. your words. lines you’d posted years ago, blog entries, scattered thoughts, the kind of late-night rambling you were sure no one read. you ran your fingers over the ink, heart pounding harder with each phrase. i just want to matter. i just want to be seen. and under it all, folded carefully, was fabric. you lifted it. a t-shirt, soft with age. the logo of your aew debut. you hadn’t kept yours. you hadn’t thought to.
your breath caught. a note rested on top of the pile. small, plain. no signature. just three words written in sharp, sure strokes:
we see you.
the perfume slipped in your shaking hand, and you set it down too quickly, afraid it might shatter.
you should have been furious. you should have stormed down to the front desk, demanded answers, threatened to call the police. instead, you sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the gifts.
they shouldn’t have known. they couldn’t have known. yet everything here was yours. more yours than anything else you owned. a chill crept down your spine, and beneath it, something else. something warmer. something you didn’t want to name.
because whoever left these things hadn’t just been watching. they understood.
you pressed the notebook to your chest, eyes closing.
and for the first time, you didn’t feel entirely alone.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
catering was one of the few places backstage where you felt like you could breathe.
the hum of conversation, trays of food, wrestlers slouched in chairs with plates balanced on their knees, it almost felt normal. safe.
you’d slipped into a chair with a couple of coworkers, grateful to laugh about travel horror stories and bad hotel coffee. for a moment, you almost forgot the perfume bottle sitting on your nightstand, the notebook hidden deep in your bag, the way becky’s voice haunted the treadmill yesterday morning.
almost. the noise shifted before you even saw them.
it was subtle at first, a lull in the chatter, a scrape of chairs. then, like a ripple, the energy drained from the room. you didn’t need to look up to know why.
the vision had entered. you could feel it in your bones, the way people’s gazes darted, the way the table across from you cleared out in seconds, half-finished plates abandoned. seth strolled in first, black coat swaying, grin wide and sharp. becky followed, eyes glittering as they scanned the room. bron walked like a storm at their heels, broad shoulders taking up too much space, while bronson trailed behind, silent, unreadable, yet somehow more imposing than all of them.
you froze.
don’t look. don’t draw their attention. just eat.
a plate slid out from under your fork before you could even take a bite. you snapped your head up, bron, towering over you, holding your plate in one hand like it weighed nothing. he set it down on the next table with a clack.
then he replaced it with a fresh plate. food piled higher. different choices. protein-heavy, vegetables in neat stacks, a bottle of water placed firmly at the side.
you blinked. "i didn’t—"
"eat" bron said. Just one word, low, gruff, final. his hand landed heavy on your shoulder, fingers curving around the muscle like a clamp.
every set of eyes in the room was on you now. no one said a thing. you swallowed hard. "i can get my own food"
bron leaned down, close enough that his breath touched your ear. "i don’t want you eating crap. eat this."
your lips parted, but no sound came out. His hand squeezed, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to remind you of his strength.
seth chuckled as he passed, dropping into a chair across the room, his grin wide like he was watching a show put on just for him. becky tilted her head, amused, a cat who’d caught a mouse and was waiting to see what it would do. bronson just stood there, arms folded, gaze fixed squarely on you.
the room around you emptied further, coworkers quietly slipping away, unwilling to get caught in the orbit of the vision. you were alone again and yet you weren’t.
your stomach twisted. with shame. with fear. with something else you couldn’t name. your fork trembled in your hand as you picked it up and took the first bite.
bron’s hand lingered a moment longer on your shoulder, his fingers brushing lightly against your collarbone, before he finally moved away.
you didn’t taste a thing.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the rehearsal room was dim, lit only by a few overhead fluorescents buzzing faintly. a folding chair sat in the corner, a tripod camera aimed at the makeshift promo backdrop. normally, these practice sessions were easy, safe. you could focus on your words, on your delivery, on building the character people expected to see under the bright arena lights.
today, though, it wasn’t just you.
"hey, partner." seth's voice broke through the silence, warm and sing-song. he pushed through the door with a lazy swagger, sunglasses hooked into the neck of his shirt. "heard you were in here. thought i’d drop by."
your chest tightened. you tried to mask it with a small smile. "just running lines."
"perfect." seth dropped into the chair opposite you, spinning it backwards so he could straddle it, arms folded over the top. "i’ll play audience. better yet, play opponent. get you in the zone."
you hesitated. something about the way he was grinning told you this wasn’t really about promos. but the words were in your head. you nodded. "alright."
you launched into your script, voice firm, pacing deliberate. you hit the big beats, the threats, the bravado. but the longer you spoke, the more seth’s eyes bored into you. he wasn’t just listening. he was studying.
when it was his turn, he leaned in, voice low and smooth, cutting through your practiced rhythm.
"you love being seen, don’t you?"
your lines faltered. "that’s not-"
"that’s why you’re here." his smile widened, predatory. "not just to wrestle. not just to win. you like the eyes. the attention. the heat."
you swallowed, throat dry. "that’s not in the script."
seth chuckled, dark and amused. "i’m improvising. you should try it."
he rose from the chair in one smooth motion, closing the distance until you could feel the warmth of his body. his words brushed your ear like a secret. "come on. tell me you don’t like it when the whole world’s looking at you. when we’re looking at you."
your breath caught. for a moment, the script in your hand felt like a flimsy shield, useless.
you forced yourself to turn back toward the wall. "focus, seth."
he laughed again, the sound echoing in the small room. he didn’t push further, didn’t need to. his grin said everything.
when the session ended, he clapped his hands together like a teacher dismissing class. "you’re good. real good. but you’d be better if you stopped pretending you don’t love the spotlight."
he was gone before you could form a reply, his laugh trailing down the hallway like a hook stuck under your skin.
you stood frozen, the camera light blinking red. your pulse hammered in your ears.
because he was wrong. be had to be.
but you couldn’t shake the way your body had reacted to his words.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the locker room was almost empty after the show. the air smelled faintly of sweat, hairspray, and disinfectant, a cocktail of exhaustion that usually sent you home without a second thought. you pulled your bag onto the bench, digging for your clean clothes, grateful for a few minutes of silence.
the door clicked shut behind you.
you glanced up, expecting another tired coworker. instead, becky leaned against the lockers, arms folded, her copper hair gleaming even under the harsh fluorescent lights.
your shoulders tensed. "can i help you?"
becky smiled, slow and deliberate. "relax. just came to say you killed it tonight."
"thanks." you forced a polite smile and turned back to your bag. but her footsteps crossed the room, each one measured, until she was standing directly behind you.
"you don’t give yourself enough credit" she murmured. her hand brushed lightly against your damp hair, sweeping it back over your shoulder. "the way you move in the ring, it’s art. it’s intimate."
your breath caught. you hadn’t even heard her close the distance. now, she was right there, heat radiating off her, scent wrapping around you. her reflection stared at you in the locker’s dull metal surface: eyes sharp, lips curved into something between admiration and hunger.
"they’ll never love you like we can" becky said softly. not threatening. not cruel. just certain.
your throat tightened. "you don’t even know me."
she tilted her head, studying you. "don’t need to. we see you. better than anyone else ever has. better than anyone else ever will." her hand lingered on your hair, then slid lower, tracing the line of your jaw, the curve of your cheek. you didn’t move. couldn’t.
becky leaned in close, her lips brushing your skin as she whispered: "stop pretending you don’t feel it too."
and before you could reply, before your heart could slow its frantic pace, she pressed a kiss to your cheek, slow enough to burn, sure enough to claim. when she pulled back, a faint smudge of red lipstick remained. becky smiled at the sight of it, like she’d painted her mark on a canvas. "looks good on you."
then she turned, slipping out the door as casually as she’d come.
you stood frozen in front of the mirror, staring at the smear of color on your skin, your chest rising and falling in uneven bursts.
you could wipe it off. you should wipe it off.
instead, your hand hovered at your cheek, trembling, before curling into a fist at your side.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the hallway was nearly empty, the kind of stillness that came after most of the crew had packed up and the wrestlers had slipped off to their hotels. your footsteps echoed softly, the fluorescent lights buzzing faintly overhead. you pulled your jacket tighter, eager to make it to the lot without another encounter.
then the air shifted. a shadow detached itself from the corner ahead, blocking the way forward.
bronson reed.
he didn’t rush. didn’t stalk. he simply stepped into your path and stood there, arms folded across his chest, his massive frame taking up nearly the entire width of the hallway.
you stopped short. "bronson."
he said nothing. just looked at you. his gaze was steady, unreadable, and it stretched on long enough that your skin prickled with heat. finally, his voice rumbled out, low, quiet, as if he didn’t need to raise it to be heard.
"you’ve been avoiding us."
you shifted your weight, pulse skittering. "i’ve been busy."
his head tilted slightly, almost curious. "busy." the word rolled slow off his tongue. "not too busy to laugh with the others."
bronson took a step forward, and you instinctively stepped back. the wall was cool against your spine before you realized you’d run out of space. he didn’t lunge. he didn’t raise a hand. he simply leaned one palm against the wall near your head, his face close enough now that you could feel the calm heat of his breath.
"i don’t need to shout" he said, voice low and sure. "i don’t need to fight like bron, or tease like seth, or play with you like becky. you’ll learn me in time."
your throat worked as you swallowed. "learn you?"
his dark eyes stayed fixed on yours, unwavering. "that you’re safest when you’re with us. when you’re with me." the certainty in his tone rooted you to the spot. there was no room for doubt, no cracks to slip through.
and then, as if the moment had never happened, he stepped back. the hallway suddenly felt colder, emptier without his presence towering over you.
"goodnight" bronson said simply, and walked away, each footfall deliberate, echoing until he disappeared around the corner.
you stood frozen against the wall, your heart pounding so hard it hurt.
quiet, you realized, wasn’t safer.
quiet was the most dangerous of all.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the night air outside the arena was cool, sharp with the faint smell of asphalt and gasoline. you were grateful for it, for the chance to breathe something other than sweat and nerves.
"need a walk to your car?"
ghe voice was friendly, harmless. sami zayn, grinning as he fell into step beside you. You didn’t think much of it. you’d worked with him before, joked with him in catering. a walk, some small talk, that was all it was.
until the temperature of the night changed.
heavy footsteps echoed behind you, steady, deliberate. the hairs on the back of your neck prickled before you even turned your head. bron. he was a wall of muscle and fury in motion, his chest heaving, his jaw tight. his eyes weren’t on you, they were locked on sami.
"walk’s over" bron growled, voice low, dangerous.
sami laughed nervously, raising his hands. "relax, man. just making sure she’s not walking alone."
bron’s fist clenched at his side. "she’s never alone."
sami took the hint. with one last glance at you, sympathy mixed with fear, he muttered something under his breath and disappeared into the shadows of the lot. silence fell.
you swallowed hard. "bron, that wasn’t"
he cut you off, stepping closer, looming until your back brushed the cool metal of a parked car. his breathing was ragged, like it took effort not to explode. "i can’t stand it." his voice cracked with raw frustration. "seeing them near you. hearing them laugh with you. like they think they can have you."
your pulse hammered in your throat. "it was nothing"
bron’s hand slammed against the car beside your head, making you flinch. he didn’t touch you, but the sound rattled through your chest. His eyes bored into yours, wild and possessive. "you’re mine to protect" he said, each word deliberate, harsh. "mine. they don’t get to look at you. they don’t get to walk with you. they don’t get you."
your heart stuttered. fear tangled with something warmer, heavier, buried deep in your stomach. his hand finally lifted from the car, fingers brushing down the side panel, then curling briefly around your wrist. not painful. just enough to remind you of his strength. enough to make sure you didn’t forget who held it.
then, as quickly as the storm had gathered, he stepped back. his chest still rose and fell like a caged animal, but his voice dropped low, soft enough to shiver along your skin:
"next time, i won’t let him walk away."
he turned, disappearing into the shadows, leaving you pressed against the car, breathless, trembling, marked not by touch but by the weight of his words.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the roar of the crowd was still in your ears when you limped through the curtain. the adrenaline that had carried you to victory was already fading, leaving the sharp ache in your knee screaming for attention. you hissed under your breath, tugging at the brace as you made your way down the corridor.
"easy, lass."
the voice stopped you dead. becky was there, leaning against a stack of production crates, arms folded. her eyes dropped immediately to your knee, then lifted back to your face with that sharp, knowing glint.
before you could answer, seth appeared on your other side, towel draped around his neck, sweat darkening the curls that framed his smirk. "saw you pull that landing" he said. "looked rough."
you tried to wave them off. "i’ve had worse. i’ll ice it."
but they were already closing in, twin orbits drawing you into their gravity. seth crouched slightly, his fingers brushing your calf as he examined the knee like it belonged to him. his touch was light but lingering, his thumb pressing just enough against the inside of your leg to make your pulse jump.
"you shouldn’t walk on it" he murmured, voice dipping low enough that it wasn’t just medical concern.
becky knelt too, on the other side, her hand resting above your brace. warmth seeped through the fabric of your tights as her thumb stroked a slow circle against your thigh. her smile was softer this time, but no less dangerous. "we could take care of it for you."
your breath stuttered. too close. they’re too close. the hallway suddenly felt too narrow, too hot.
seth looked up, his eyes catching yours with that wicked gleam. "you keep fighting us. fighting this." he gave your knee a gentle squeeze, enough to send a shiver through your body. "but when you’re hurt? when you need someone? who’s here?"
becky’s hand slid higher, just a fraction, testing you. her lips brushed your ear as she whispered: "we won’t let you fall. not ever."
your heart hammered so loudly you thought they might hear it. every instinct screamed at you to step back, to put space between their hands and your skin but your body betrayed you, rooted to the spot, trembling under their touch.
then, as quickly as they’d surrounded you, they pulled away. seth rose first, that maddening smirk never fading, and becky followed, brushing invisible dust from her knees.
"rest up" seth said, his voice light but his eyes dark. "we’ll be watching."
they walked off together, their silhouettes framed in the hazy glow of the corridor lights, leaving you clutching at your knee, not from pain, but to steady yourself against the weight of what had just happened.
for the first time, their touches lingered like ghosts, refusing to fade.
the dull throb in your knee had turned into a steady fire by the end of the night. each step backstage was heavier than the last, and by the time you reached the locker room, you could barely hide the limp. you wanted nothing more than to grab your bag, disappear into your hotel room, and pretend the pain wasn’t there.
but the door opened before you could reach for it.
bron filled the frame, broad shoulders blocking the light behind him. His eyes dropped immediately to your leg, and his jaw tightened.
"you’re hurt."
it wasn’t a question.
"i’ll manage" you muttered, brushing past him, trying to keep your stride steady. the attempt was pathetic, your knee buckled slightly, and you caught yourself against the wall with a hiss of pain.
bron was on you in an instant. his hands clamped around your arms, steadying you. his grip was firm, almost punishing in its certainty. "you’re done walking."
"bron, i can-"
the protest died as he bent, one arm hooking behind your knees, the other around your back. in one smooth motion, he lifted you off the ground as if you weighed nothing.
"bron!" you smacked his shoulder, heat rising in your cheeks. "put me down!"
his eyes flicked to yours, wild, unyielding. "not a chance."
the hallway tilted around you as he carried you, strides long and purposeful. crew members stared, whispering, but none of them dared step in. bron’s glare was enough to scatter anyone who thought to question him.
"you shouldn’t"
"you think i’m letting you drag yourself around like that?" his voice was rough, but there was a crack in it, a desperation underneath. "you could tear it worse. you could ruin yourself. no one else sees it, but i do. i won’t let you."
your breath caught at the intensity in his tone. his grip wasn’t just protective; it was possessive. his arms tightened like a cage, holding you flush against his chest.
"you don’t get to break" he growled, low and harsh. "not when you belong to us."
the words should have terrified you. and they did, but there was something else too, something heavier, curling low in your stomach as you watched the hard line of his jaw and felt the steady thump of his heart against your side.
when he finally reached your locker room, he kicked the door open with his boot and carried you inside, lowering you onto the bench with exaggerated care.
his massive frame loomed over you as he crouched, his hands braced on either side of your thighs. his face was inches from yours, his eyes burning with something primal, unwavering.
"you don’t walk alone again" he said, voice flat, final. "not while i’m here."
then he stood, towering, waiting for your response, as if daring you to try and defy him.
your lips parted, but no words came. the only thing filling the silence was the frantic rhythm of your own heart.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the silence started small.
at first it was a friend forgetting to tag you in a post-show dinner picture. then it was a text you sent that went unread for hours, then a day. a training partner who once laughed through drills with you now kept his eyes elsewhere, quick to finish reps and vanish before you could catch his attention.
by the third week, the pattern was undeniable.
lunch tables that used to be loud with chatter felt suddenly quiet when you sat down. conversations dropped to a whisper when you entered a room. a handful of coworkers still nodded at you politely in passing, but the warmth was gone, the invitations dried up. even your old trainer brushed you off with vague excuses about scheduling when you asked to work your knee.
it was as though a curtain had been pulled down, cutting you off from the rest of the roster.
and everywhere you turned, you found them.
the bision.
bron in the hallway, leaning against the wall like a guard stationed just for you. seth’s laugh behind you in catering, becky’s pointed glances from across the locker room. bronson, silent, steady, just watching. their presence was constant, magnetic, and the more they closed in, the more the others backed away.
one night, exhausted from the weight of it, you found yourself sitting alone in catering. the hum of the vending machine filled the space where voices should have been. you pushed food around your plate with your fork, too tired to eat, too tired to fight the loneliness clawing its way in.
that was when the chair across from you scraped against the floor.
seth sat down with a plate of food, smirk curling like he belonged there. "evening, champ." his voice was warm, teasing, dangerous in its ease.
before you could reply, becky slid into the chair at your side, her perfume sharp and sweet, her arm brushing yours deliberately. "you look lonely" she said simply, tone both sympathetic and taunting.
and then they were both there, filling your space as though it had always been theirs.
behind them, bron and bronson stood like sentinels. bron with his arms folded, posture daring anyone to come closer. bronson quieter, unreadable, but his gaze locked on you with unsettling certainty.
it wasn’t a negotiation. it wasn’t even an invitation. they ate with you as if it were routine, as if this had always been the order of things. becky reached over to pluck a fry from your plate. seth leaned forward to tell some half-funny story from the night. bron shifted his weight, scanning the room as though daring the others to look too long.
and one by one, the few lingering crew members and wrestlers filtered out of catering. whether they left out of discomfort or fear didn’t matter. what mattered was that when the silence settled again, the only people left in the room were you and the vision.
your fork hung useless in your hand.
the realization struck you then with a kind of cold finality: you weren’t alone. not anymore.
you hadn’t chosen them, but they had chosen you. and the walls were closing in.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the knock came just past midnight. sharp, deliberate. not the kind of knock that belonged to a drunk coworker or a friend in need. You froze, heart thumping, staring at the hotel door like it might speak.
you didn’t open it. not right away.
then came the voice, low, smooth, wrapped in smoke:
"open up, sweetheart. it’s just us."
seth.
you should’ve turned him away. you should’ve pretended you weren’t there. but your hand was already on the latch, already pulling the door open and there he stood, leaning against the frame with that same crooked grin, eyes gleaming like he’d already won. becky was beside him, hair loose, arms folded, lips curved in something softer, more dangerous.
"couldn’t sleep" seth murmured, brushing past you like he owned the place. becky followed, pausing just long enough to catch your wrist in her hand. the warmth of her skin lingered as she slid the door shut behind her.
you stood there, cornered between them, pulse hammering.
"you shouldn’t be here" you whispered, but it came out thin, unconvincing.
seth laughed. not loud, but low and knowing. "shouldn’t?" he turned to you, eyes dark now, less playful. "you’ve been fighting us since day one, darling. and tell me", he stepped closer, close enough that you felt the heat radiating off him, "has it worked?"
becky’s hand slipped up your arm, her nails grazing lightly over your skin until they rested at the nape of your neck. she tilted her head, studying your face like she could read every thought trying to claw its way out.
"you look tired" she said gently. "tired of pretending."
that was the breaking point. something inside you cracked under the weight of their attention.
"i…" he word stalled in your throat.
seth cupped your chin, forcing your eyes up to his. His thumb brushed your bottom lip. "just say it" he coaxed.
your breath hitched. "i don’t want to fight anymore."
the smile that spread across his face was devastating. "good girl."
becky moved first, pressing her mouth to yours before you could flinch. soft but insistent, tasting of mint and heat. her hands cradled your face, her thumb stroking over your cheekbone while seth stood behind you, hands sliding down your arms, anchoring you between them.
you shivered when seth's lips found the curve of your neck, when his teeth scraped lightly against your skin. becky’s tongue teased at your lips until you opened for her, and then you were lost, breathless, caught between them, drowning in the intensity of it.
seth’s hand slipped under your shirt, his palm hot against your stomach. "so soft" he murmured against your throat. "been waiting to touch you like this."
becky broke the kiss, lips glistening. she smirked as she tugged your shirt up and over your head, tossing it aside. "beautiful" she whispered, almost reverent, before leaning down to kiss the top of your breast, teeth grazing the swell.
your knees buckled, and seth caught you easily, his arm firm around your waist. "we’ve got you" he said, voice rougher now, more dangerous.
becky’s fingers hooked in your waistband, tugging until the fabric slid down. seth turned you in his arms and kissed you hard, nothing gentle now, a claiming. his tongue pressed deep, his grip on your jaw demanding you yield. and you did.
by the time they eased you onto the bed, you were trembling, every nerve alive. becky climbed over you, straddling your hips, her hair falling like a curtain around her face as she kissed you again. seth knelt at the edge of the mattress, his hands spreading your thighs apart like he was unwrapping a gift he’d been starving for.
"you belong to us" seth whispered as his mouth descended, his voice vibrating against your skin. "every inch."
becky’s fingers twined with yours, her forehead resting against yours as she breathed, "don’t hold back. let us have you."
and you did.
you let them coax, worship, consume you until you weren’t sure where their touches ended and your own body began. until your cries filled the room, muffled into becky’s shoulder, dragged raw by seth’s relentless mouth and hands. until there was nothing left but the certainty of their voices, low and unyielding, echoing against your skin:
"ours."
the room was quiet now, except for the hum of the hotel heater and the sound of your uneven breathing. sheets tangled around your legs, your body still humming from everything that had just happened. it should have felt like too much, but instead there was a strange calm washing over you, almost heavier than the storm itself.
seth lay stretched out at your side, one arm draped over his forehead, chest rising and falling in slow, steady rhythm. His lips curled into that familiar smirk as he turned his head toward you.
"told you it’d feel better when you stopped fighting us" he murmured, his voice low and hoarse, smug but warm.
you swallowed, trying to muster a reply, but becky shifted before you could. she had curled herself around you, her face pressed against your shoulder, her hand lazily stroking your stomach as though the motion alone could anchor you.
"don’t listen to him" she said softly, her accent curling around the words like velvet. "you were perfect. you’re perfect."
the knot in your chest loosened just a little at her voice. your eyes burned, and you hated yourself for it but becky only pulled you tighter into her, like she’d been expecting the cracks to show.
"you’re not alone anymore" she whispered. "not ever again."
seth shifted closer on your other side, and suddenly you were cocooned between them both. his hand slid over your hip, grounding you, while becky’s lips brushed the side of your head in a gesture so tender it almost undid you.
for the first time in weeks, maybe months, you didn’t feel like you had to keep your guard up. you just breathed, trembling, and let the warmth of them soak into you.
seth’s voice broke the silence again, quiet and conspiratorial:
"they’ll want their turn soon."
the words made your pulse skip, but his smirk softened into something closer to reassurance, as though he’d just promised you something inevitable, not threatened you with it.
becky hushed him with a look before pressing another kiss to your temple. "don’t worry about that now. rest."
and against all logic, all instinct, you did.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
it happened a few nights later, in another city, another anonymous hotel hallway that smelled faintly of bleach and cheap carpet. you’d just slipped your keycard into the lock when a hand landed on the door above your shoulder, flat and solid, pressing it closed again before you could enter.
your breath caught as you turned, finding yourself face to chest with bron.
he loomed there, his jaw set, his eyes burning. no smirk, no games. Just raw tension simmering in his broad frame, coiled tight like a spring.
"i know what they did" he growled, voice low and rough, vibrating through your ribs. "seth. becky. don’t lie to me."
your throat went dry. you could’ve denied it, could’ve laughed it off, but the intensity in his gaze cut through every excuse before you could shape it.
bron leaned closer, his breath hot against your ear. "i won’t be left out."
the words snapped like a chain being pulled taut. and suddenly his mouth was on yours, fierce and unyielding, devouring the protest before it could leave your lips. his hands framed your face, thumbs pressing hard into your cheeks like he needed to brand you with the weight of his possession.
you stumbled back against the door as he kissed you harder, his body crowding yours until you had no choice but to yield. heat seared through you, molten and overwhelming, as his tongue claimed your mouth with desperate hunger.
when he finally broke the kiss, his forehead rested against yours, his breath ragged. "say it" he demanded. "say you’re mine."
the words tumbled out before you could stop them. "i’m yours."
a shudder tore through him, and then he had the door open and you inside, your back hitting the wall as his mouth crashed against yours again. his hands roamed rough and greedy, tugging at your clothes until fabric tore, until skin was bared, until nothing separated you from his touch.
he left marks everywhere, bites along your collarbone, bruises blooming under his grip on your thighs, his teeth scraping over the swell of your breast. each sting made you gasp, each bruise felt like proof.
"you don’t get it" bron snarled against your skin, dragging his teeth down your throat. "i can’t breathe when i’m not near you. i go insane thinking of them touching you. you’re mine. mine."
your knees buckled, and he caught you easily, lifting you with one arm under your thighs, slamming you back against the wall as his body ground against yours. his desperation was feral, almost frightening, except it wasn’t fear that flooded your veins. it was fire.
you clawed at his shoulders, pulled at his hair, moaned into his mouth as he thrust into you with relentless need. every movement was a claim, every sound you made fed his obsession until he was growling your name like a prayer, like a curse.
the world narrowed to the slam of his hips, the scrape of his teeth, the bruising grip that held you captive and cherished in equal measure. and when you finally broke apart, gasping and trembling, his hands didn’t ease. they only clutched tighter, like he was terrified you might vanish.
breath hot against your ear, bron whispered the words you already knew would echo forever:
"you’re mine. no one else. mine."
and you didn’t stop him.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
your phone buzzed after the show, just as you’d dropped onto the hotel bed, hair still damp from the shower. a single text lit the screen.
bronson: come to my room.
no emoji, no explanation, no question mark. just an order.
a few weeks ago, you would have ignored it. blocked it, maybe. but things were different now. after seth and becky. After bron. you weren’t sure when the line had shifted, when resistance had given way to something else, but it had.
you stared at the message a beat too long before sliding off the bed and grabbing your hoodie.
when you knocked, the door opened immediately, like he’d been standing there waiting. bronson filled the frame, solid, still, his expression unreadable. his eyes dragged over you once, slow and heavy, before he stepped aside.
"come in."
you hesitated, then crossed the threshold. the air inside his room was cool, faintly smelling of coffee and paper. at first glance, it looked normal, until your gaze lifted to the wall opposite the bed.
your stomach dropped.
it was covered.
printouts of your tweets. screenshots of interviews. candids from years back in aew. photos clearly taken backstage in the last few weeks. even a few polaroids, you asleep on the bus, you laughing with catering staff, you walking down a hallway.
your heart thudded painfully in your chest. "bronson"
he shut the door quietly behind you, locking it with a soft click. his voice was calm, even. "i like to keep you close."
you turned back to him, words faltering. he wasn’t grinning like seth, or smirking like bron. he wasn’t trying to charm you. His expression was steady, unshakable, like this was the most natural thing in the world.
"this is—"
"dedication" he interrupted smoothly, stepping closer. "nothing here is by accident. you belong with me. with us. i’ve just been proving it."
and though your mind screamed that it was too much, too far, your body betrayed you. heat spread low in your stomach at the intensity of his gaze, at the certainty in his voice.
bronson stopped just in front of you, his sheer size blocking the wall of evidence behind him. he lifted a hand, knuckles brushing your jaw, almost tender.
"stay" he said quietly. not a plea. a command.
your hoodie slid off under his hands before you realized you were shrugging it free. he kissed you like he’d been starving for it, his mouth firm, controlled, not giving you a chance to pull away. his hands moved with frightening steadiness, stripping you down while his body pressed you backward until the backs of your legs hit the mattress.
when he laid you down, he didn’t rush. he studied you the way he’d studied those photos, committing every inch of you to memory as his palms roamed with deliberate weight. each touch felt like a seal, like he was stamping you into permanence.
"you have no idea how long i’ve waited" bronson murmured against your throat, his lips trailing lower, teeth grazing your collarbone. "how much i’ve watched. how much i need to keep you."
your breath stuttered as his mouth closed around your breast, his hand spreading your thighs open with unrelenting pressure. he moved with the same terrifying patience he carried everywhere, deliberate strokes, deliberate kisses, every motion dragging you higher while holding you immovably in place.
when you gasped his name, his eyes flicked up to yours, and the darkness in them made your pulse stutter. "that’s right. say it. keep saying it. you’re mine. you’re ours. and i’ll never let you go."
the words branded you as his mouth and hands pushed you over, your back arching off the sheets. he didn’t stop when you trembled, didn’t stop when your nails dug into his shoulders, he only held you tighter, whispered against your ear as he moved inside you, slow but suffocating in his control:
"forever. even if you run, even if you fight, i’ll always have you."
and the terrifying truth? in that moment, you wanted him to.
the sheets were still tangled around your body, your skin slick with sweat, when bronson reached for his phone. you were sprawled against his chest, heartbeat slowing, your head heavy on his shoulder. for a moment, you thought he was just checking the time.
but then his thumbs moved quick, purposeful. a group text. one line.
bronson: come to my room. it’s done.
you stirred, dread flickering in your stomach. "what do you mean, it’s done?"
bronson’s hand slid up your spine, broad and grounding. "they’ve been waiting" he said simply. "it’s time."
you didn’t have long to process before there was a knock, two sharp raps, followed by the door swinging open without hesitation.
seth entered first, all teeth and smug satisfaction, his eyes dragging over you still bare in bronson’s bed. becky was close behind, her expression softer, almost pleased, like she’d expected this outcome all along. bron was last, his shoulders tight, his gaze dark and hungry the moment it landed on you.
the air thickened instantly.
bronson didn’t move. he just rested a hand on your hip, keeping you anchored against him, his calm presence a stark contrast to the storm rolling in.
seth chuckled low in his throat. "well, well. guess the silent one isn’t so patient after all." he prowled closer, crouching down at the edge of the bed, his fingers brushing your ankle. "you finally stopped fighting, huh? finally let all of us in."
becky perched on the other side of the mattress, her hand smoothing over your arm, nails light against your skin. "you look good like this" she murmured, voice thick with satisfaction. "you look like ours."
bron didn’t speak at first. he just loomed near the foot of the bed, fists clenching at his sides. when he finally did, it was a growl that cut through the air. "say it. say you’re not theirs, you’re ours."
your chest tightened, your lips parting, words trembling on your tongue. you should’ve said no. should’ve fought. but surrounded by them, boxed in by their stares, something in you broke, or maybe it settled.
seth smirked, leaning in until his forehead almost touched yours. "you belong to all of us" he said, his voice low, certain.
becky pressed a kiss to your cheek, her breath warm against your ear. "no more hiding. no more pretending."
bron’s hand shot forward, wrapping around your wrist, squeezing just enough to make you gasp. "you’re mine" he growled, "but i’ll share."
behind you, bronson’s grip tightened on your hip, pulling you closer into his chest. his voice rumbled against your skin, soft but final: "it’s decided."
they didn’t ask. they didn’t plead. they declared.
and deep down, against every screaming thought in your mind, you didn’t resist.
"been dying for this" seth murmured, climbing over you. his tongue traced the seam of your lips, his hand sliding between your thighs, coaxing a gasp out of you before he pulled back with a smirk. "knew you’d give in."
becky’s laughter curled around you like smoke as she pushed him aside. she straddled you, her hair falling into her face as she leaned down to kiss you, softer, more patient, but no less claiming. her hands roamed reverently over your chest, your stomach, like she was memorizing the shape of you.
"you belong to us now" she whispered against your mouth. "all of us."
by the time she pulled back, bron was there, growling low as he hauled you up into his lap. his hands gripped your thighs, bruising already, his mouth rough and desperate against your throat. "i can’t wait again" he snarled. "i won’t wait."
his teeth scraped hard enough to make you cry out, and he swallowed the sound greedily, his body tense with the barely restrained urge to devour you whole.
"easy" seth chided, though his smirk said he wasn’t truly disapproving. "don’t break our toy."
"she’s not a toy" bron snapped back, grinding his hips against you. His eyes locked on yours, blazing. "she’s mine."
a low voice cut through the heat, steady, deliberate. bronson.
"not yours" he said from where he stood, arms crossed, gaze fixed on you with unblinking intensity. "ours."
the tension crackled, and then it broke, seth tugged you back down, becky’s hands smoothed over your shaking body, bron’s grip only tightened, and finally, bronson moved. he came up behind you, sliding onto the bed, his hands landing firm on your hips. the sheer size of him boxed you in, trapped between his weight and bron’s.
it was suffocating. overwhelming. addictive.
they didn’t take turns so much as they wove around each other, a dizzying rhythm of mouths and hands, teeth and tongues. seth kissed you breathless while becky’s hands guided you open, whispering praise into your ear. bron left fresh marks with every thrust, every growl of your name. and bronson was silent, steady, terrifying in his control, holding you down as though the world might end if he let you slip free.
by the time they’d finished, your body was wrecked, trembling, every nerve raw. you collapsed against the sheets, your throat sore from moans you hadn’t known you’d been capable of.
seth was the one who leaned in close, lips brushing your damp skin, his smirk softer now but no less dangerous.
"act like you’re ours on screen, too" he whispered, his breath hot against your ear. "stop hiding it."
you couldn’t answer. you could only breathe, shallow and broken, your body still quaking under the weight of all of them.
but you didn’t say no.
and that was enough.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
catering was loud, the usual post-show hum of wrestlers talking, laughing, grabbing food before the long drive or flight home. You sat at a table alone, poking at a half-empty plate, when you felt the shift in the air.
"hey."
you glanced up, fork halfway to your mouth. aj lee slid into the chair across from you, her eyes sharp, searching. punk hovered behind her for a second before pulling out the chair beside her and dropping into it with a quiet groan. he looked tired, but there was an edge beneath the weariness, something coiled tight.
"you look exhausted" aj said. not unkind, but pointed.
you forced a small smile. "it’s been a busy few weeks."
punk leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. "busy doesn’t explain the bruises."
your stomach dropped. instinctively, you pulled at your sleeves, trying to cover the faint marks across your forearms and collarbone. the sort of marks you hadn’t realized anyone else was paying attention to.
aj’s gaze softened, but it didn’t waver. "we’ve noticed things" she said carefully. "the way they follow you. the way nobody else talks to you anymore."
"they?" you asked, though your voice faltered.
punk’s jaw tightened. "don’t play dumb. the vision." his voice was low, almost a growl. "every time i see you, one of them’s two steps behind. or all four. like you’re on a leash."
heat flushed your face. "it’s not like that."
"then what is it like?" punk’s tone sharpened. he leaned closer, eyes locked on yours. "because from where i’m standing, it looks like you’re in over your head with a bunch of people who don’t understand the word no."
you tried to steady your voice. "they’re intense. i get that. but they care about me."
"they’re isolating you" aj interrupted, her voice tight with urgency. "that’s what this is. cutting you off from everyone else until they’re all you have. that’s not caring. that’s control."
punk gave a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "i know Seth. i’ve been where you are, maybe not the same way, but close enough. you can’t beat him at his own game. you think you’ve got power, but he’s already holding the strings."
the words lodged deep in your chest, heavier than you wanted to admit.
aj reached across the table, her hand brushing yours. "you don’t have to let them do this to you."
you pulled your hand back, the movement sharper than you intended. "i’m fine" you said, forcing the words out. "really. they’re different, yeah. but they’re not what you think."
punk’s stare cut through you, flat and steady. "you don’t believe that. not really."
the silence between you stretched, suffocating. around you, the chatter of catering carried on, oblivious.
finally, aj sighed, her shoulders slumping just slightly. "just think about what we said. please."
they both stood, punk lingering a second longer before walking away. he didn’t look back.
you sat frozen, the fork still in your hand, your pulse loud in your ears. their words echoed long after they were gone and yet, beneath the doubt twisting in your chest, there was a stubbornness you couldn’t shake.
the vision weren’t wrong for you.
they couldn’t be.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the crowd roared as your entrance music hit, the familiar rush of adrenaline flooding your veins. you stepped through the curtain, ready to make your way down the ramp alone. but before you’d even taken three steps, the sound changed, boos mixed with a ripple of surprise as another theme cut in, blending over yours.
the vision.
you froze, blinking under the lights as seth rollins appeared at the top of the ramp, that serpentine grin plastered across his face. becky was beside him, fierce and smug all at once. bron followed close behind, jaw tight, shoulders squared, eyes already locked on you like a hunter on prey. and behind them, bronson moved like a shadow, silent, deliberate, impossible to ignore.
the crowd erupted in a mix of cheers and jeers.
you glanced toward the ring, toward the referee waiting for your match to begin. this wasn’t planned. this wasn’t supposed to happen.
seth extended his arms theatrically, soaking in the noise, then gestured toward you with a flourish. like you were part of his show.
becky was the first to move, looping her arm through yours with a casual intimacy that made your stomach twist. "we couldn’t let you come out here alone, love" she purred loud enough for the cameras to catch.
bron closed in on your other side, the heat of him like a wall at your back. "safer this way" he muttered, low, just for you.
bronson didn’t speak at all, but his heavy hand landed firmly on your shoulder, anchoring you in place. you couldn’t have moved even if you’d wanted to.
together, they herded you down the ramp. the cameras caught every second, the commentary filling in what you already knew the story would be.
"looks like she’s not alone anymore" one announcer said, voice tinged with disbelief.
the audience buzzed with confusion, some thrilled, others unsettled. but no one could miss the image: you, surrounded on all sides by the vision, carried along in their orbit like you had no choice.
by the time you reached the ring, your pulse was hammering in your throat. you stepped up onto the apron, but before you could climb through the ropes, bron hooked an arm around your waist and lifted you clean off the ground, setting you on his shoulders like you weighed nothing. the arena roared as he carried you into the ring, presenting you like a prize.
seth leaned in close once you were down again, his lips brushing your cheek in a fleeting, camera-perfect kiss. becky tilted her head toward the lens, mouthing a single word: ours.
and bronson, he stood behind you, a massive, immovable shadow, staring out at the crowd as if daring anyone to deny what they were seeing.
you didn’t raise your arms. you didn’t smile. you just stood there, heart pounding, caught between the warmth of their hands and the suffocating reality of what they’d just done.
the vision hadn’t asked.
they’d declared.
and the whole world had seen it.
the second you cleared the curtain post match, you ripped your arm free from becky’s hold. "what the hell was that?"
your voice shook, louder than you’d intended. adrenaline was still coursing through you, but now it wasn’t just from the match, it was from being paraded, displayed, claimed in front of the entire world.
seth didn’t even flinch. he just laughed, that smug, rolling chuckle that made your blood boil. "what was that?" he tilted his head, feigning confusion. "that, sweetheart, was a message. to the fans. to the roster. to punk." his smile sharpened. "you’re not on your own anymore."
"that’s not your decision to make!", you shot back. "i didn’t agree to this"
"you didn’t have to" becky cut in smoothly. she was leaning against a crate, arms folded, her eyes glinting with amusement. "look around, hun. no one touches you now. no one dares. that’s not protection you can buy, that’s not a choice you get to fumble. that’s family."
bron stepped forward, towering over you, his arms crossed tight. his voice was low, steady, but the heat behind it was unmistakable. "you looked good out there. with us. you looked safe."
you opened your mouth to argue, but bronson’s presence loomed from behind, shutting down the words before they even formed. his silence pressed heavy against your back, like a hand at the nape of your neck.
seth took a step closer, so close his breath tickled your ear. "you don’t get it yet, do you? you’re not out there alone anymore. you belong to something bigger now. you belong to us."
your heart pounded so hard it made your ribs ache. part of you wanted to shove him away, to scream. another part of you, the part that remembered the way people had stopped texting, stopped inviting you out, the part that remembered punk’s worried eyes, was frozen.
because he wasn’t wrong.
you weren’t alone anymore.
but the way becky smirked at you, the way bron’s gaze burned through you, the way bronson hovered like a shadow at your back, it didn’t feel like freedom.
it felt like a cage.
and what scared you most was how, deep down, you weren’t sure you wanted to escape.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
it had become impossible to separate yourself from them.
if you lingered too long in catering, becky would appear beside you, her arm brushing yours as she leaned in close, speaking in that velvet drawl that made even the most mundane conversation feel charged. In the gym, bron lurked, always within sight, never letting anyone else pair with you during drills. bronson didn’t say much, but you felt him everywhere, the steady weight of his stare, the silent expectation of his presence.
and seth? he was the worst. or the best. you hadn’t decided yet. he was everywhere, laughing too loud in the halls, standing too close when you tried to breathe, whispering things in your ear during live segments that never made it onto camera.
that night in the hotel, you thought you might finally have a moment to yourself.
you had just settled on the bed, scrolling absently through your phone, when a knock rattled the door. not the hesitant kind, the sharp, certain knock of someone who knew you’d answer.
when you opened it, seth and becky were standing there.
seth leaned against the doorframe, his smile wide and sharp, eyes gleaming like he’d been waiting all night for this. "you gonna invite us in, sweetheart?"
becky didn’t wait for your answer. she brushed past you, the scent of her perfume curling in the air, and tossed her jacket onto the chair in the corner. she perched on the edge of your bed like she belonged there, her eyes locked on you, steady and sure.
the hotel room door clicked shut behind seth, the sound final. you barely had time to take a breath before he was on you, his hand at the back of your neck, his mouth slanting over yours with a hunger that left no room for doubt. his kiss was messy, consuming, his teeth grazing your lip before his tongue swept in, claiming.
becky was slower, deliberate. she circled behind you as seth pressed you back against the wall, her hands sliding up your arms, over your shoulders, until her palms cupped your breasts through your shirt. her lips brushed the shell of your ear. "relax, love" she whispered, voice low and intoxicating. "let us show you what it feels like to be taken care of."
seth growled against your mouth, his thigh pushing between yours, grinding upward until you gasped. "you hear that?" he murmured, pulling back just enough to look at you, his eyes dark and gleaming. "you’re not supposed to fight us. you’re supposed to give in."
your protest died in your throat as becky tugged at the hem of your shirt, lifting it slowly, deliberately. seth broke the kiss just long enough to drag it over your head, tossing it aside. the cool air prickled across your skin, until becky’s warm mouth closed around your nipple, sucking hard enough to make you arch.
"fuck" you gasped, fingers tangling in her hair.
seth smirked, watching the way you writhed, then dropped to his knees in front of you. "that’s right. keep saying it." he hooked his thumbs into your waistband and yanked your pants down in one fluid motion, leaving you bare before him. his breath ghosted over your thighs, teasing, as he kissed his way upward, soft at first, then biting, leaving little red crescents in his wake.
becky pulled back just enough to tilt your chin toward her, kissing you slow, coaxing, grounding, even as seth buried his face between your legs. the sudden heat of his tongue against your clit made you moan into becky’s mouth, your knees buckling.
"hold her" seth ordered, his voice muffled but sharp.
becky’s arms tightened around you, holding you upright against her body as seth worked you open with his mouth, licking, sucking, relentless. every flick of his tongue made your hips jerk, every harsh pull of his lips against your clit dragged you higher.
"sweetheart, you taste like you were made for this" seth rasped, pulling back only to shove two fingers inside you, curling them deep until you cried out. he grinned up at you, his chin slick. "fuck, look at you. falling apart for us already."
becky kissed the corner of your mouth, her voice a low hum. "it’s beautiful, isn’t it? watching you give in." she slid her hand between your breasts, pressing lightly, as though she could feel the frantic pounding of your heart. "you don’t have to hold back anymore."
seth crooked his fingers just right, and your vision went white. you cried out, clutching at becky’s shoulders as your orgasm tore through you, your body trembling in her arms.
seth didn’t stop. he lapped at you like he was starving, drinking down every shudder, every desperate sound, until you pushed weakly at his shoulders. he pulled back at last, grinning like the devil, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"you’re ours" he said simply.
becky eased you down onto the bed, stretching out beside you, her hands smoothing over your skin like balm after fire. she kissed your temple, your jaw, your throat, whispering over and over: ours, ours, ours.
and as seth crawled up beside you, biting at your shoulder, claiming every inch he could reach, you realized you weren’t resisting anymore.
you were theirs. entirely.
the room was quiet now, save for the soft rush of the air conditioner and the slowing cadence of your own breath. your body still hummed from the intensity, every nerve thrumming, every muscle loose and trembling.
seth stretched out beside you, his body warm and solid, his grin finally softened into something gentler. he traced a finger along your jawline, down your throat, then lower, over the swell of your breast. he didn’t squeeze, didn’t grope, just drew slow patterns like he was memorizing you.
"you don’t even know how fucking perfect you are, do you?" he murmured, voice lower now, almost reverent. he kissed your shoulder, then your collarbone, lingering there like he couldn’t bear to pull away. "you let us in. you let me in. that means you’re ours. no going back."
becky pressed against your other side, her warmth enveloping you. Her arms slid around your waist, pulling you flush against her body. she tucked her face into your hair, breathing you in with a sigh that sounded like relief. "you don’t have to think so hard anymore" she whispered. "no second-guessing. no wondering if you’re strong enough. you’re with us. that’s all that matters."
her hands moved slowly, lovingly, fingertips trailing over your stomach, circling your hip, smoothing over your thigh. every touch was grounding, steady, as though she was holding the pieces of you together.
you exhaled shakily, caught between the fiery echo of seth's hunger and the soothing rhythm of becky’s touch.
seth kissed the corner of your mouth, softer this time, almost chaste. "we’ll take care of you" he promised. "i’ll burn the world down if it means keeping you like this."
becky hummed her agreement, lips brushing your temple. "you’re not going anywhere, love. not now. not ever."
your chest tightened, not with fear, not this time, but with something dangerously close to surrender.
caught between them, cocooned in their touch, you let yourself melt. for the first time in weeks, you didn’t fight the cage they built around you. you sank into it.
and in their arms, you almost believed it was love.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the clang of weights and the low thrum of music filled the performance centre gym. you wiped sweat from your brow, dropping the resistance band you’d been using onto the mat. for the first time in weeks, you actually felt normal. no shadows trailing your steps, no whispered promises in your ear, no heavy presence closing in.
"thought that was you."
you looked up to see damian priest approaching, towel slung over his shoulder, water bottle in hand. his easy smile was a comfort, familiar, unthreatening. you’d known him casually for years, from locker rooms to live shows, and for a moment it was like stepping back into the world before the vision had closed in around you.
"hey" you said, smiling despite yourself. "haven’t seen you around much."
"travel schedule’s been brutal." he chuckled, stretching his long arms above his head. "looks like it’s been the same for you. you holding up okay?"
the kindness in his voice made something inside you ache. you hesitated, then shrugged. "i’ve had better weeks."
damian nodded knowingly. "yeah, the locker room’s been buzzing. just wanted to say, if you ever need to vent, i got you. doesn’t have to be all business all the time."
it was such a small thing, just friendly, normal conversation, but it felt rare enough to be precious. you found yourself laughing, shaking your head. "thanks, priest. that actually means more than you know."
the moment didn’t last.
you felt it before you saw him, that shift in the air, the weight of a stare digging into your back. bron.
he strode in from the far side of the gym, his shoulders tight, jaw clenched. his eyes locked on you instantly, burning with a heat that made your skin prickle. he didn’t look at damian, not at first. his gaze never left you as he closed the distance, each heavy step deliberate, echoing louder than the music in your ears. "time to go" he said flatly when he reached you. not a question. not a suggestion.
damian frowned, tilting his head. "she’s fine, man. we were just talking"
that’s when bron’s eyes finally cut to him. cold. sharp. like a blade unsheathed. "i wasn’t talking to you." the silence that followed was suffocating. damian’s brows drew together, but he didn’t push. he gave you a small nod, then turned and walked away, muttering something under his breath.
you swallowed hard, the air thick between you and bron. his hand shot out suddenly, wrapping around your wrist. not hard, not yet, but firm enough that you knew there’d be no slipping away. he leaned in close, his breath hot against your ear.
"what the fuck was that?"
your pulse spiked. "he’s just a friend"
bron’s grip tightened, his voice dropping to a growl. "you don’t need friends. you’ve got us."
your heart pounded, your free hand curling into a fist at your side. for the first time, you realized how little space there really was between care and control.
and bron was teetering on the edge.
bron didn’t let go of your wrist as he dragged you down the hall, away from the gym, away from anyone who might have noticed. his strides were long, angry, his grip unyielding. "talking to him like that" he muttered under his breath, almost to himself. "laughing. smiling. like he fucking deserves that from you."
your pulse hammered. "he’s just a friend"
"don’t" bron cut in, voice sharp. he stopped in front of a locker room door and shoved it open, pulling you inside. the door slammed behind you, the lock clicking into place with finality. before you could speak again, his mouth was on yours, not a kiss, not really, but a claiming. his teeth scraped, his tongue forced its way past your lips, devouring you. his hands were everywhere at once, gripping your waist, your ass, sliding up under your shirt like he needed to feel every inch of you just to calm the storm raging inside him.
you gasped against his mouth, and that only spurred him on. he spun you, pressing you against the lockers, the cool metal biting into your back. his hips ground into yours, his erection thick and hard, leaving no doubt what he needed.
"you’re mine" bron snarled into your mouth. "not his. not anyone else’s. mine."
your protest died when his hand slid down the front of your leggings, rough fingers pushing past the barrier of your underwear. he groaned when he found you already wet. "fuck" he hissed. "you’re dripping for me. don’t tell me this isn’t what you want."
his fingers thrust inside you hard, curling, pumping with an urgency that bordered on desperation. you cried out, clawing at his shoulders, the metal of the lockers rattling behind you with every movement.
"say it" he growled, his forehead pressed against yours, his breath ragged. "say you’re mine."
the words caught in your throat, but your body betrayed you, clenching around his fingers, rocking against his hand like you couldn’t get enough.
bron ripped your leggings down in one brutal tug, dropping to his knees before you. he spread your thighs wide, his grip bruising, and buried his mouth against you. his tongue was relentless, messy, loud, growls vibrating against your clit as though devouring you could erase the memory of anyone else’s touch. you bucked against him, your hands tangling in his hair, the sharp edges of the lockers digging into your back as he ate you like he was starving.
"fuck, bron"
the sound of his name on your lips sent him over the edge. he pulled back just long enough to look up at you, his chin slick, his eyes burning. "don’t ever let anyone else hear you sound like that. that’s mine."
he stood quickly, undoing his belt with shaking hands. his cock was heavy, flushed, and he didn’t waste a second, grabbing your thigh, hiking it over his hip, and slamming into you with one brutal thrust.
you cried out, the force of it rattling through your bones. he set a punishing pace immediately, fucking you against the lockers like he needed to fuck the memory of damian priest out of your body, out of your mind.
every thrust was hard, possessive, his hand tangled in your hair, yanking your head back so he could bite your throat, your collarbone, leaving marks like warnings.
"you belong to me" he growled, slamming deeper. "say it." tears pricked at your eyes, from the intensity, from the overwhelming need, from the truth you couldn’t admit but couldn’t deny. your nails dug into his back, your voice breaking.
"i’m yours." the words shattered something in him. his rhythm grew rougher, almost frantic, each thrust pushing you closer until you were spiraling over the edge, your orgasm crashing through you so hard you sobbed against his shoulder.
bron groaned, burying himself deep inside you, spilling with a growl that reverberated in your chest. he held you there, locked against him, as though letting go even for a second would risk losing you.
for a long moment, the only sounds were your harsh breaths, the faint hum of the building’s air system, and the quiet, satisfied rumble in bron’s chest.
when he finally eased back, he didn’t release you. his hands smoothed down your sides, possessive, reverent in their own rough way. he kissed the corner of your mouth, softer now but still unyielding. "you’ll never look at him again" he whispered. "you don’t need anyone else. you’ve got us."
and pressed against the lockers, your body still trembling, you knew he meant it.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
later the vision's hotel room was dim, golden light spilling from the bedside lamp as you rummaged through your bag. the day’s sweat clung to your skin, your clothes heavy, uncomfortable. you tugged your shirt over your head, eager to change into something soft. that was when the air shifted.
you felt their eyes before you looked up, all three of them. seth lounging in the armchair, bronson seated on the edge of the bed, becky leaned casually against the dresser. their chatter stopped.
their gazes locked on your skin. on the bruises. bron’s bruises.
fingerprints blooming dark around your hips. bite marks scattered over your throat and collarbone. faint scratches trailing down your side. your breath caught, the t-shirt you’d grabbed frozen in your hands. seth was the first to break the silence. He leaned forward, his grin sharp, wolfish. "well, well. somebody couldn’t keep his hands to himself."
becky tilted her head, her green eyes narrowing as they slid over the evidence. not judgmental, not exactly. assessing. calculating. "looks like our boy’s been busy."
bronson didn’t smile. his gaze lingered longer, heavier. the weight of it made your skin prickle. "rough" he murmured, almost to himself. then, louder, steady: "you let him."
you swallowed hard, the t-shirt clutched tighter in your hands. "i-"
bron walked in then, a towel slung over his shoulder, damp hair falling into his face. his eyes swept the room, then found yours and found what they were staring at.
the shift in him was instant. he straightened, his jaw set, shoulders squaring.
"she’s mine" he said flatly, daring anyone to argue.
seth laughed, low and dangerous. "ours, bron. don’t forget that part."
becky pushed off the dresser, moving closer to you, brushing a thumb gently over a bruise at your collarbone. her touch was tender, but her smirk wasn’t. "pretty marks, though. you do wear him well."
bronson stood, silent, deliberate, and came to stand behind you. his hand settled on your shoulder, heavy, grounding. "doesn’t matter who leaves them" he said quietly. "she belongs to all of us."
the tension in the room was electric, humming through your veins. four sets of eyes locked on you, each with their own brand of possession, their own way of staking claim.
and beneath the weight of it, you trembled, not with fear, not entirely, but with the dizzying knowledge that there would be no undoing this.
not now. not ever.
you hadn’t even pulled the fresh shirt over your head when seth shifted in his chair, grin cutting sharp through the silence.
"y’know" he drawled, flicking his eyes toward bronson, "someone’s been a little too patient."
becky’s smirk mirrored his, though hers was softer, coaxing. she looked at bronson the way a queen might look at her knight, calculating and indulgent all at once. "he hasn’t had his time, has he? not really."
your stomach tightened. bronson’s gaze had been on you the whole time, steady, unreadable, but now it darkened, something primal sparking in the quiet man’s eyes.
bron bristled instantly, shoulders knotting, his jaw ticking. "the fuck does that mean?"
seth chuckled, leaning back like he owned the air itself. "it means you’re not the only one who gets to touch her."
becky stepped closer, her hand brushing lightly over your bare stomach, then trailing up to rest between your breasts where one of bron’s marks bloomed. her smile was dangerous, sweet and venomous at once. "bronson has been waiting long enough. don’t you think?"
you barely had a chance to answer before bronson moved. he crossed the room in two strides, one hand curling around your jaw, tilting your face up to his. His lips pressed against yours, rough and claiming, and for once, there was no hesitation in him. just need.
behind him, bron let out a low growl, pacing, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles whitened.
"easy" seth murmured from his chair, watching bron like a man with a leash on a beast. "let him have her. you’ll get your turn."
bronson broke the kiss only long enough to strip you of the rest of your clothes, methodical, reverent in his own way and yet his hands shook with restraint, the quiet intensity in him cracking at the edges. he guided you onto the bed, pressing you down beneath him, his broad frame covering yours completely.
when he slid into you, it was with a groan that ripped from deep in his chest, his forehead pressed hard to your shoulder. "fuck" his voice was low, rough. "been dreaming about this. needing this."
every thrust was deliberate, slower than bron’s frenzy, but heavier, deeper. bronson wasn’t rushing. he was savoring. each stroke felt like he was carving himself into you, branding you from the inside.
your back arched, nails digging into his shoulders, and he groaned again, catching your wrists in one massive hand and pinning them above your head. his other hand gripped your thigh, spreading you wider, giving him all the access he wanted.
"you’re mine too" he whispered against your ear, almost reverent, almost broken. "not just theirs. mine."
from the corner of your eye, you caught seth watching with a predator’s grin, one hand idly stroking his chin. becky sat at the edge of the bed, brushing her fingers through your hair, whispering encouragements in your ear as bronson drove into you.
and bron paced like a beast in a cage, chest heaving, every muscle trembling with the effort it took not to tear bronson away from you. his eyes burned holes into your skin, into bronson’s back, his control dangling by a thread.
"look at him" seth taunted softly, smirk widening. "barely holding it together. all because he’s not the only one who gets to ruin you."
you gasped as bronson shifted, angling deeper, stealing your breath. his lips found your throat, his teeth scraping where bron had already marked you, layering his own claim over it.
bronson’s rhythm shifted then, the slow, patient thrusts picked up a keening edge, as if the last thread of restraint inside him had been severed. his hands tightened on your thighs, anchors that kept you spread and helpless beneath him. the air in the room narrowed to the hot friction of skin on skin and the wet, ragged music of your breath.
"say it" he murmured, teeth bared against the shell of your ear. his voice was flat with need, but there was a tremor under it that felt like worship.
"you’re mine" you gasped, the words slipping out on a raw moan. your hands scrabbled at the sheets, then found purchase on his back, pulling him to you harder as every movement burned bright.
bronson answered with a growl that vibrated through his body into yours. he drove into you deeper, harder, each stroke measured and full, not frantic but absolutely without mercy. you felt him gather himself, slow, coiling, and when he came it was with a moan ragged and long, his hips stuttering as he flooded you, warm and final. he held himself there for a long, shuddering moment, buried inside you, chest heaving, like he needed the contact to prove you were really there.
everything in the room seemed to crack under that release. bron’s pacing stopped; for the first time all night something in him snapped. he lunged forward on a soundless viciousness, hands closing on bronson’s shoulders with the animal ferocity of someone who had been starved for his turn and denied. the movement was so quick it might have been a strike, except bronson didn’t flinch. If anything, he steadied, planted his feet, and let bron’s hands land where they would.
"don’t" seth said, quiet but sharp, an edge in it that cut through the tension. he didn’t move to pry bron off. he watched the exchange like a man cataloguing the last beat of a symphony. becky’s fingers threaded into your hair, soothing, her eyes bright with a heat that read equal parts hunger and ownership.
bron’s face was a storm. his jaw worked as he breathed, close enough that you could have counted the strike of his pulse at his temple. he stared at bronson for a long, hot second, the box of emotions in his chest threatening to spill: jealousy, lust, the brittle anger of a man who’d been told ‘wait’ and had no patience for waiting. then, and it felt like both a surrender and a ripping, he stepped back.
seth’s voice softened, dangerous with amused satisfaction. "see? he’s human after all. controls himself when we ask." his gaze flicked to you, then to bron. "he gets his turn when he deserves it. we’ll make sure he does."
bron didn’t snarl anymore. he watched you, watched bronson, the need in him settling into something colder, possessed. he let out a breath that might have been a laugh and half a sob at once, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and then he moved. Not toward violence, but toward you. He dropped to his knees by the mattress and cupped your face with hands that had been rough a moment before and now were almost careful, reverent in their way.
"you okay?" he rasped, eyes searching yours as if he needed permission from the very look on your face.
you were raw and leaking and dizzy, your body trembling with the aftershocks of bronson’s release. bronson’s arms barely tightened around you as he eased himself out, slow, careful; for all the animal hunger in him, tenderness sat in his fingers now as he helped you shift so you didn’t topple.
"yeah" you whispered. your voice was thin, but honest. "yeah, i’m okay."
bron pressed his forehead to yours then, breath hot and shaking. His hands roamed over the places he had marked earlier, touching bruises like they were holy signs. "you’re mine" he said again, softer this time, a vow more than a demand. "all of us." he didn’t say it like a threat. he said it like it was the only truth he could see.
seth crawled up beside you both and draped an arm around your shoulders like he’d been doing since the beginning of the claim. becky leaned in from the other side, her lips hovering at your temple, pressing there as if sealing the moment. bronson sat back on his heels, eyes hooded, the slow rise and fall of his chest showing that the storm within him had, for now, settled.
they gathered around you, a tangle of limbs and heavy breaths. Hands smoothed over your skin, possessive, gentle, reverent, trading marks of ownership like blessings. soft murmurs circled the room: promises tossed like coins at a shrine. seth murmured something half-sarcastic, half-sweet about making sure you’d remember this night forever; becky kept kissing at the side of your neck and whispering a litany of what they’d do for you; bron repeated that he’d guard you until he couldn’t; bronson simply traced the curve of your hip as if the shape itself steadied him.
you lay between them, exhausted, wrecked, and anchored and the tug of terror that had hummed under everything all evening dulled to a steady ache that smoothed into something like belonging. their possessiveness didn’t feel like a single hand closing over you anymore; it felt like all their hands, different textures and intensities, forming a net that would not let you fall.
seth’s lips brushed your temple. "sleep" he murmured, voice suddenly gentle. "we’ll be here" becky’s fingers smoothed through your hair. bron’s palm flattened to your stomach in a grounding press. bronson’s thumb rubbed slow circles against the inside of your wrist.
you let your eyes fall closed, the exhaustion of battle and surrender folding you inward. they arranged themselves around you like a fortress, each with their own way of guarding the walls. the world outside the suite, the roars, the hallways, punk’s concern, aj’s look of warning, grew distant, muffled beneath the steady drum of their breathing.
and as sleep crept in on you, you tasted the bitter-sweetness of the truth they’d been shaping all along: you were broken into pieces and reassembled to fit their obsession, and in this quilt of bruises and worship you were, impossibly, both terrified and comforted.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
backstage after raw was a blur of motion: crew breaking down equipment, wrestlers weaving in and out of hallways, the low thrum of voices carrying through the concrete tunnels. you were heading toward catering when you heard it, your name, sharp, urgent.
"hey. we need to talk."
cm punk.
he was coming straight toward you, aj lee at his side, her eyes narrowed, arms crossed like a shield. both of them carried the same look, that mix of worry and warning you’d been seeing more and more lately.
you stopped, your stomach sinking.
"phil, aj..."
"no", punk cut you off, his voice firm, no room for excuses. "this isn’t casual anymore. we’ve been watching, and this thing with the vision? it’s not good. it’s dangerous."
aj’s gaze flicked over your shoulder, sharp as a blade, as though she half-expected them to be lurking nearby. "they’re suffocating you. controlling you. and you’re letting it happen."
your throat closed. you wanted to argue, to tell her she was wrong, but the memories were there: bron’s bruising grip, bronson’s quiet devotion, becky whispering against your skin, seth’s grin carved into your bones.
before you could answer, the sound of slow clapping echoed down the corridor.
seth rollins.
he strolled into view with becky at his side, their hands brushing casually. bron loomed behind them, his shoulders squared like a wall, and bronson brought up the rear, silent, unreadable.
the vision in full.
the hallway went tense. conversations died. crew members ducked their heads and scattered.
seth’s smirk cut through the silence. his eyes locked on punk, his voice smooth, cruel. "funny. you couldn’t control your own locker room, what makes you think you can control her?"
the jab hit its mark. punk’s jaw flexed, his fists tightening at his sides. aj bristled instantly, stepping forward, eyes blazing.
"say that again" she spat, her whole body poised to fight.
becky chuckled, brushing aj’s shoulder as she passed. "careful, sweetheart. this isn’t your fight."
the air was thick, electric, dangerous.
you surged forward, heart hammering, catching aj’s arm before she could lunge. "stop" you said, your voice cracking. "please. just stop."
her head snapped toward you. for a moment, hurt flickered in her eyes, not at you, but at the way you stood frozen, caught in their orbit.
punk exhaled slowly, nostrils flaring, shaking his head like he wanted to drag you away right then and there. instead, he muttered, voice heavy, low:
"you don’t see it yet. but you will."
seth’s grin widened like a wolf circling its prey. becky tilted her head, bron folded his arms, bronson’s shadow stretched long across the wall.
and you stood there in the middle of it, punk’s warning ringing in your chest, aj’s fury burning beside you, and the vision wrapping around you without a single touch.
you didn’t even remember how you got away. one second aj’s glare was burning into your chest, punk’s disappointment heavy as stone, and the vision standing around you like a wall. the next, your feet carried you down a side hallway, past crates, cables, and doors marked authorized personnel only.
you found an alcove behind a stack of road cases, out of sight. and that’s where it broke.
the tears came hot and ugly, your breath stuttering as you pressed your hands to your face. the words replayed on loop: dangerous. controlling. you don’t see it yet. punk’s voice. aj’s fire. the way the crew had gone silent when seth appeared.
for the first time in weeks, the walls around you didn’t feel protective. they felt like bars.
you curled in tighter, knees pulled up, trying to swallow the sobs before anyone could hear.
but someone did.
a shadow fell across the narrow space. heavy boots. a pause. then a voice, low, rough, softer than it usually was.
"hey."
bron.
he crouched down slowly, like he was trying not to spook you, his big frame folding into the small space. he didn’t reach for you right away. just sat there, watching you cry with an expression you weren’t used to seeing from him: worry.
"what are you doing back here?" he asked quietly.
you shook your head, pressing your sleeve to your wet face. "i just needed a minute."
bron’s jaw tightened. he glanced over his shoulder, checking the hall, then back at you. for a moment, he looked like he didn’t know what to do with his hands. then, finally, he reached out, gentle in a way that contrasted every rough touch you’d felt from him before, and brushed his thumb under your eye, wiping away a tear.
"they don’t get to make you feel like this" he muttered. "punk. aj. anyone." his voice hardened, protective, possessive. "you’re with us. that’s all that matters."
you wanted to argue, wanted to say that maybe they were right. that maybe you were in too deep. but bron’s hand was warm against your cheek, grounding, and the intensity in his eyes, desperate, claiming, made the words die in your throat.
he leaned in closer, voice low, a promise and a threat all at once.
"you’re mine. ours. don’t ever forget it."
then he pulled you against his chest, your face buried against the hard plane of him, and for the first time since the confrontation you stopped shaking.
even as the thought lingered, sharp and painful: maybe punk was right.
bron held you tight for a long heartbeat, his chest rising and falling with a slow, steady rhythm that finally began to anchor your ragged breath. you could feel the sharp edges of the night, punk’s warning, aj’s hurt, seth’s smugness, soften, just a fraction, under the weight of him.
footsteps came down the hall, soft and then firmer, and you knew before they rounded the corner that they weren’t alone. the shadow fell over the mouth of the alcove first: seth, jacket slung over one shoulder, that calm, practiced smile on his face like he’d been expecting this exact tableau. becky followed, heels clicking, eyes bright with amusement that didn’t make you feel safer. bronson brought up the rear, bigger in the doorway than the others, his expression unreadable but absolute in its focus.
seth paused a few paces away and let the moment sit between you, the light low, the smell of dust and old tape in the cases around you. he watched you like a man cataloguing a prize, not unkind, not cruel, but certain. "looks like you needed a minute" he said, voice soft, like the thing itself was small and manageable.
becky came forward on bare feet, moving with the casual confidence of someone used to taking what she wanted. she crouched a little to get eye level with you and gave you a quick once-over as if assessing damage. "there she is" she murmured. "poor thing looks tired." her fingers brushed a damp strand of hair from your cheek and then lingered, warm and oddly maternal. "you hold onto that, yeah? we’ll take care of the rest."
bronson didn’t speak. he simply stepped into the alcove and let the door of the world close behind him with the soft sound of something falling into place. he loomed there, heavy and still, and the gravity of his presence seemed to make the hallway itself retreat. his eyes scanned you the way someone reads a map, slowly, precisely, memorizing.
bron’s arms tightened. "they were being idiots" he said, voice flat. "you okay?" he kept his forehead pressed to the side of your head as if that contact alone could answer it.
you tried for a laugh that came out as a broken sound. "i’m fine" you lied, because saying otherwise felt like giving them power they would use in a way that hurt.
seth’s smile softened, but there was an edge to it you couldn’t place. "you’re not alone" he said, sweeping his gaze from you to bron and back again. "not while we’re around." it wasn’t phrased as reassurance; it was a statement of fact.
becky’s fingers left your cheek and she rose, offering a hand to help you stand. when you took it, heat flared up your arm at the contact. "don’t let punk and aj guilt you" she said, voice low, like a conspirator. "they don’t get to tell you who you are. we do."
bronson finally moved closer, and when he put a palm to the small of your back it was the most practical thing in the world, no flourish, no drama. "you stay with us" he said simply. "we’ll handle anyone who tries to take that away." the certainty in his tone closed the argument before it started.
for a strange, dizzying second you let yourself be guided out of the alcove, flanked by four people whose attention had become the axis of your life. the hallway took on a different shape with them around you, not quite safety, not quite prison, but some dangerous, warm compromise of both.
you heard voices in the distance, punk and aj’s name somewhere between the roar of carts and the clack of cases but their words were muffled now. the vision’s circle tightened as you moved, a ring that didn’t ask permission to form. becky’s hand found your wrist and squeezed lightly, silky and possessive; seth’s presence at your shoulder made the concrete walls seem thinner; bron’s bulk shielded the path behind you; bronson’s shadow steadied the group like a keel.
as they shepherded you down the corridor, you felt the ache of the earlier confrontation dull to a background hum. the frightening part of it all, the part that would sit with you in quiet moments, was the truth in their faces. they weren’t acting the way allies act. they weren’t just protecting you. they were surrounding you. claiming you.
you let them. when you slipped an arm through becky’s and allowed bron to close in behind you, when seth’s hand brushed the small of your back as if to make sure you didn’t step away, a strange relief unfurled inside you. part of you hated what that relief meant. part of you wanted it to last forever.
behind you, in the slant of the fluorescent light, punk and aj watched you leave. punk’s jaw set; aj's fingers curled in a fist at her side. for a breath you saw the mixture there fear, resentment, helplessness, and then they were gone, swallowed by the backstage tide.
you walked with the vision like that, claimed, protected, encircled, and the corridor closed behind you.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the hotel room was dim. you sat on the edge of the bed, knees pulled up, still rattled from earlier. the tears were gone now, replaced by a hollow ache you couldn’t quite place.
seth sat opposite you, stretched out in a chair with one ankle propped on his knee, that easy, practiced smirk on his lips. becky lounged against the headboard, red hair fanned across the pillows like fire. bron leaned against the dresser, arms folded tight, still buzzing with leftover anger from the confrontation. bronson stood by the window, curtain drawn back just enough for him to look out, silent as ever.
seth let the silence hang until it was taut, then leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. his eyes locked on you, bright, sharp, inescapable.
"you know what i think?" he said, voice low and deliberate. "i think aj stuck her nose where it doesn’t belong. punk too, but especially her. she doesn’t respect you."
you frowned, shifting uncomfortably. "she’s just worried"
"no" seth cut you off, sharper now. "she’s trying to make you doubt yourself. doubt us." his grin returned, curling cruel at the edges. "i don’t like it. and i don’t like her thinking she can talk about my girl like that."
the phrase made your stomach flip, not because you corrected him, but because you didn’t.
becky hummed, stretching like a cat, her gaze sliding lazily toward you. "she thinks she’s untouchable. might be time someone taught her otherwise."
seth’s smile widened. he tapped a finger against his knee, casual, plotting. "exactly. and who better than you?"
your head jerked up. "me?"
bron pushed off the dresser, eyes narrowing. "you’d make a statement." his voice was gravel, but underneath it there was pride, or possession. maybe both.
bronson finally turned from the window. His voice was quiet, steady, final: "it ties you to us. to all of this."
the room tilted around you. your heart pounded, a dull roar in your ears. fight aj? it wasn’t just another match, it was war, personal and brutal.
your throat caught. "she’s my friend."
seth leaned in, hands clasped, voice dropping into something smooth, dangerous. "she was your friend. but she doesn’t see you anymore. not really. we do." his eyes gleamed, pinning you where you sat. "this is about loyalty, sweetheart. you want to prove where yours lies? step in the ring with aj. show her you’re not hers to protect."
becky slid closer, her hand brushing your knee, warm and coaxing. "we’ll be with you every step of the way."
bron’s hand landed on your shoulder, heavy, anchoring. "you won’t be alone."
bronson’s gaze held yours from across the room. "never alone" he echoed.
four voices, four presences pressing in. the thought of aj’s disappointed eyes tore at something deep inside you, but when seth leaned back in his chair, grin smug and certain, the weight of the others surrounding you, the decision felt already made.
your mouth was dry, your pulse uneven, but when you nodded, just once, their smiles told you it was enough.
seth leaned back, satisfied, and murmured like it was already set in stone:
"good girl."
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the hum of raw backstage was its usual controlled chaos: the rumble of rolling crates, the crackle of walkie-talkies, the chatter of agents and producers huddled over clipboards. you lingered near catering, balancing a paper cup of coffee between your palms, letting the warmth soothe the nerves crawling in your stomach.
that was when you heard it.
"next week. aj lee vs. y/n."
you froze. the voice belonged to one of the production staff, headset cocked on his ear, relaying orders from someone higher up. another crew member whistled low, eyebrows raised.
"damn, that’ll draw. tying it straight into seth and punk’s feud. smart booking."
your chest tightened. smart booking. that was all it was to them. numbers. ratings. hype. they didn’t know that in the quiet of a hotel room last night, seth had leaned close, his smile lazy and sharp, and told you this was more than business. that this was about proving loyalty. proving you were theirs.
the paper cup trembled in your hands. coffee sloshed dangerously near the rim.
down the hall, a familiar voice rang out, cutting through the noise.
"y/n!"
you turned, heart lurching. aj stood there, her dark hair pulled back, her sharp eyes locked on you like she was trying to read every thought you’d ever had. for a heartbeat, you were back in another time, the two of you trading jokes, standing shoulder-to-shoulder against the chaos of this industry.
her gaze flicked toward the production office, then back to you. she knew. she knew what the announcement meant. what it really meant.
"tell me this isn’t real" she said, her voice low but urgent.
you opened your mouth, but nothing came out.
and then the atmosphere shifted.
seth appeared first, as though conjured, sliding into view with that practiced, cocky strut. his grin was all teeth, eyes glinting like he’d been waiting for this moment. becky wasn’t far behind, arms crossed, expression sharp and unreadable. bron lingered just a step closer to you than necessary, his presence heavy, protective. bronson loomed at the edge of the group, silent, immovable, his gaze steady on aj.
the chatter of the hallway dulled. crew members scattered quickly, muttering excuses. nobody wanted to be in the blast radius.
aj’s chin lifted, shoulders squared, but her eyes darted to you again. searching. pleading. "you don’t have to do this."
seth chuckled, low and smug. "oh, but she does." he tipped his head toward you, like the answer was already written. "it’s time she proved where she belongs."
becky smirked faintly, her voice cool. "this isn’t about you, aj. it’s about her. and us."
bron shifted his stance, folding his arms, his jaw tight like he was daring aj to push further. bronson said nothing, but the weight of his silence pressed harder than any words could.
you stood in the middle, the pull of aj’s familiar warmth clashing with the gravitational pull of the vision at your back.
your fingers clenched around the cup until the paper gave way, hot coffee bleeding down your knuckles. you didn’t flinch.
aj’s voice broke the silence, quiet, sharp, desperate. "she’s not yours."
seth’s grin widened, cruel and certain. "she will be."
the vision moved as one, forming a loose half-circle around you, the implication clear: the decision had already been made.
aj’s eyes met yours once more, wide, hurt, begging, but you looked away first.
and the hum of backstage carried on, as though nothing had changed. but everything had.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the locker room was quieter than usual. most of the roster had filtered out to catering or the gym, leaving behind the low hum of fluorescent lights and the faint smell of hairspray and leather gear bags. you sat on the bench, hands resting on your knees, staring at the scuffed floor tiles. your coffee-stained fingers still smelled faintly burnt from earlier.
the door creaked open.
"y/n"
her voice was softer now. not sharp, not demanding. just aj.
you looked up to see her step inside, shutting the door behind her. without the crowd, the noise, the cameras, she seemed smaller, but sharper, like every bit of her energy was focused on you.
she crossed the room in quick strides, crouching down so you were eye level. her hands hovered like she wanted to grab yours, but she stopped just short.
"you can’t let them do this to you" she whispered.
the words hit hard, slicing clean through the fog you’d been living in.
"they’ve got you all twisted around them. i can see it in your face, the way you flinch when they’re not around. the way you" she exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "the way you look at them like they’re the only people keeping you upright."
you swallowed, throat tight. "aj"
"no." her voice cracked sharp enough to silence you. "listen to me. this isn’t loyalty. it isn’t love. it’s control. they’re isolating you, from me, from punk, from everyone. and if you don’t fight it" her eyes burned, fierce and wet. "you’re going to lose yourself."
you blinked fast, vision blurring. every word lodged in your chest like a thorn. because you knew she wasn’t wrong. but the thought of walking away from the vision, of facing the cold void they’d leave behind, made your stomach twist.
the door opened again.
aj’s head whipped around, her body tensing, ready.
seth walked in first, casual as ever, smirk already on his face. becky was right behind him, arms folded, eyes cutting sharp. bron filled the doorway with his bulk, and bronson closed it quietly behind them, sealing the room.
the air dropped several degrees.
"interrupting something?" seth asked smoothly, though his eyes never left aj.
aj stood, shoulders squared, fire flashing again. "you think you own her? you don’t. you never will."
becky tilted her head, smirking faintly, as if amused. "that’s funny. because from where i’m standing, she’s already ours."
bron shifted closer to you, the bench creaking under his weight. his hand settled on your shoulder, heavy, possessive. "she doesn’t need you."
bronson stayed silent, but the way he positioned himself between the door and aj was enough.
aj’s fists curled tight. she looked at you, one last desperate flicker of hope sparking in her eyes. say something. say you’re not theirs. say you’re still mine to save.
but your lips stayed closed. your pulse thundered, your breath stuck somewhere between guilt and relief.
and when seth moved past aj and crouched down in front of you, his hand tipping your chin up, his grin smug and cruel, you didn’t pull away.
"next week" he murmured, eyes blazing into yours. "you’ll show her."
aj’s breath hitched.
you looked down.
you didn’t say no.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the night before raw carried a strange kind of silence. not peace, not calm but the weight of something coiled, waiting to strike.
you sat on the edge of the hotel bed, your gear bag open at your feet, trying to distract yourself by double-checking your tape, your boots, your jacket. anything to keep your hands busy. tomorrow, you’d face aj. tomorrow, it would all play out under the blinding lights, where the cameras couldn’t see what this really was.
the door clicked open.
seth came in first, all effortless swagger, a lazy smile pulling at his lips. becky was close behind, her hair damp from a shower, tied back into a loose braid. bron followed, carrying a grocery bag that crinkled as he set it down on the desk, ice packs, sports drinks, protein bars. and finally, bronson, who closed the door with his usual quiet finality, like once it shut, the outside world no longer existed.
you looked up at them, heart thudding. they didn’t need to say a word. you already knew what this was.
seth sat down on the bed beside you, close enough that his thigh brushed yours. he leaned in, dropping his voice low, conspiratorial. "tomorrow isn’t just a match. it’s a statement. she’s going to come at you with everything, emotion, history, guilt. don’t let her get in your head."
becky perched on the other side of you, looping her arm casually around your shoulders. she smelled faintly of shampoo, sharp and clean. "she’ll try to talk" she murmured, tilting her head so her cheek rested briefly against your hair. "she always does. but you don’t have to answer her. you answer us."
bron crouched in front of you, his big hands reaching for your knee. you stiffened, but he was careful, rolling the joint, testing the stretch, his touch heavy but precise. "you’ve gotta protect this" he muttered, his jaw tight. "don’t let her see weakness. she’ll go for it."
you swallowed hard. "i know."
he met your eyes, holding them, his gaze sharp with something like fear, something like possession. "i mean it. you get hurt, i..." he stopped himself, shaking his head, and pressed an ice pack gently against your knee before standing.
bronson hadn’t moved far from the door. he watched, silent, his hands tucked into his pockets. but when your gaze finally met his, the depth there made your chest tighten. his voice came slow, even, each word deliberate. "this isn’t about aj. it’s about you. about who you belong to. don’t forget that when you’re out there."
the room closed around you, heavy with their presence. four pairs of eyes, four different shades of intensity, all fixed on you.
seth’s hand squeezed your thigh. becky’s fingers traced the curve of your shoulder. bron loomed just behind, still bristling with restless energy. bronson stayed still, but his shadow was as encompassing as the others combined.
the air buzzed like static.
for a moment, you felt dizzy, suffocated. and then, strangely, safe.
one moment it had been talk and tightening, the four of them clustered around you like a throne; the next, the room shifted, and every breath you drew was already counted in someone else’s rhythm. seth moved with that confident, predatory ease, sliding beside you on the bed and taking your hand between his. becky was at your back, fingers ghosting down your spine, warm and sure. bron hovered like a storm, restless and dangerous; bronson stood a quiet step away, eyes dark and patient, waiting until they let him in.
seth kissed the inside of your wrist first, slow, deliberate, as if blessing you. "this is for you" he murmured, voice rough and possessive. "for us." his hand trailed up your arm, fingers leaving a trail of heat. becky's lips brushed the shell of your ear. "we show you how to be ours" she whispered. "how to be wanted and safe at the same time."
bron’s fingers found the band of your shorts and tugged at it, impatient. "not ceremony forever" he grunted, voice raw with need. "we want claim." the way he said it made something in your center go taut and slick.
bronson moved without flourish. with that slow, steady gentleness that always felt two breaths away from violence, he laid his palms to your knees and checked them again, careful, reverent. when he lifted his gaze to you, there was hunger balanced with worship. "we’ll be careful" he promised. "but we will have you."
seth was the first to undress you. his hands were authoritative, competent, an unhurried master tucked behind a mask of sweetness. he peeled your shirt up and over, lips nipping where the fabric missed your breasts, leaving small, possessive bites in their wake. becky’s hands were everywhere at once: she unfastened your bra, guided a nipple into her mouth, made sighs and soft praises that threaded through the room. bron’s hands didn’t bother with delicacy; he ripped off your remaining clothing with the rough urgency of a man discovering a treasure and wanting to claim it for himself.
they arranged you on the bed like a sacrament. becky straddled your hips first, pressing kisses along your collarbone, her breath hot against your throat as she murmured, "we’ll show you how to belong." seth leaned over from the side, taking one breast into his mouth and the other into his hand, alternating between worship and possessive bite. bronson knelt behind you, heavy and secure, his palms gliding down your sides to cup your hips; when his fingers toyed with the sensitive hollow behind your knees, a shiver slid through you that had nothing to do with the chill of the room.
bron couldn’t wait. he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to yours with a ferocity that stole your breath, tongue and teeth claiming, challenging. he thrusted forward and you felt him hard and hot against your stomach. bronson slid forward then, slow, and pushed a hand between your thighs to ease you, measuring and deep, like he was mapping you from the inside out. seth’s mouth moved with practiced worship along the plane of your stomach, up to your throat, his lips warm and demanding. becky’s hands found your clit first, a palm light and certain, and suddenly you were a taut wire humming with need.
they synchronized without having to talk. becky’s fingers stroked, circled, teased; seth’s mouth engulfed; bronson pushed in a single slow finger, then two, testing depth and response; bron ground his hips into you, heavy and hot. you felt stretched and adored, pressed and protected. every inch of your skin was attended to: kisses, licks, teeth, soothed bruises traced like a map of how you had been taken by them already.
"say it" bron breathed against your ear, voice rough. "say you’re ours"
you couldn’t form words at first, only gasps and moans that bundled to something like agreement. the sensations rolled through you: maddening pleasure, the sting of teeth, the press of hands, the keen ache of want. they matched one another’s rhythm, each filling a space the other left open. when bronson finally pushed in, slow and deliberate, it was like sinking into a weight that fit perfectly; bron rocked harder, frantic, needing to feel you clench around him; seth kissed the back of your neck and hummed, his hand steady on your hip; becky leaned down and bit gently at your shoulder, a tiny puncture of pain that flared into heat.
they asked nothing of you. they demanded everything and gave you everything back as worship.
seth worked on the music of your body, tongue, mouth, lips, sketching crescendos that left you ready and raw. becky kept rhythm with her hands and whispers, murmuring low prayers into your ear about belonging and giving and being safe. bronson’s motion was the steady, cleaving kind, slow, deep, the sort of thrusts that made you feel as if you were being filled and named at the same time. bron’s pace was jagged and urgent, each thrust leaving you reeling, his hands marking your hips, your throat, the place behind your ear where he bit and then kissed.
when you came, it was all of them at once pulling the leash taut, an impossible, staggering ride that unraveled you and rewove you in their hands. you were loud and raw and scattered; their hold reinforced you like a net. bronson rode out your tremors with patient pressure, pressing warming kisses along the line of your jaw. bron groaned and followed, collapsing heavy and hot against your side as his release shook him with animal force. seth’s laugh was a whisper against your temple as he eased himself in slow, hollowing strokes, more worship than demand. becky’s hands smoothed and soothed, mouth moving along your collarbone, voice a mantra: ours. ours. you’re ours.
they didn’t stop to catch their breath. they gathered you like a prize, mouths, hands, fingers, lips and each touch felt like a vow. when it calmed, when the heat receded to a steady ember, they arranged themselves around you again: bron at your feet, bronson at your hips, becky curled over your side, seth with his arm across your chest.
seth’s voice was close and soft. "you showed them" he said, meaning every syllable. "you showed aj. you showed punk. you showed everyone."
becky’s lips brushed your brow. "you didn’t break" she purred. "you bent toward us."
bron’s fingers traced patterns on the outside of your thigh, possessive, as if mapping your skin so it might never be forgotten. bronson’s thumb rubbed tiny circles against the inside of your wrist, patient and repetitive, anchoring.
they dressed you slowly, each piece of clothing replaced like a blessing placed back on a consecrated body. when they were finally finished, seth pressed a last kiss to the center of your chest, where your heart thudded hard enough to feel it under his lips. "we go into that ring tomorrow together" he murmured. "you fight for us."
you were spent, trembling, and when you let your eyes close in the hush that followed, it was with the odd, quiet knowledge that you would step into the lights tomorrow with them at your back, not just as allies, but as claimants. their touch lingered: soothing, fierce, possessive. It was terrifying and perfect and exactly, devastatingly what you had begun to crave.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the announcement had been made earlier in the night: to keep things fair,both you and aj would be allowed only one second at ringside. aj had punk. you had becky.
the cameras loved it, a collision of legacies, allegiances, and stories that reached far beyond the ring. but to you, it was more than a match. it was proof.
the curtain parted and becky walked you out, her hand gripping your wrist like a tether. she leaned in as the crowd booed, her Irish lilt threading under the roar. "you’ve got this, love. don’t think about her. think about us."
your music hit, and the crowd response was mixed, cheers from those who had followed you through aew, but louder boos from wwe faithful who saw you as tainted, vision-marked. you kept your chin up, shoulders square, every step deliberate. becky paced at your side, smirking at the crowd, daring anyone to boo louder.
then aj’s music hit, and the building exploded.
she bounded out with punk at her side, the two of them looking united, determined. aj pointed directly at you from the stage, no smile, no playfulness, just fire in her eyes. punk leaned in, speaking to her quickly, and though you couldn’t hear the words, you saw the way aj nodded, jaw set.
becky shifted beside you, muttering under her breath, "let him talk. she won’t last."
the bell rang, and the air snapped taut.
you circled. aj crouched low, fast, ready to dart. she was smaller, quicker, but you had the size and strength advantage. the first lock-up told the story: she slipped behind, twisting your arm into a hammerlock, forcing you down. you gritted your teeth, rolled through, and powered back to your feet, shoving her into the corner.
the crowd cheered her escape, booed your shove. you ignored it. becky slammed her hand on the mat, yelling for you to stay on her.
the pace picked up. aj hit the ropes, slid under your clothesline, and cracked you with a dropkick to the chest. you stumbled back, gasping. she went for another, but you caught her midair and slammed her down. the impact rattled her body, and the crowd groaned as you dropped into a cover. one, two, kickout.
on the outside, punk pounded the apron, shouting encouragement. becky stalked the length of your corner like a wolf, barking at you to stay focused, stay sharp.
every exchange carried double weight: her speed vs. your strength, her history with you vs. your present. she kept going low, leg sweeps, dropkicks to your thigh, making your taped knee scream in protest. you countered with power moves: suplexes, slams, anything to slow her down.
halfway through, the crowd was on its feet. aj countered your spinebuster into a guillotine choke, her legs wrapped tight around your waist, her arms squeezing at your throat. the sound of the arena shifted, thousands roaring her name, believing she had you.
becky pounded the mat, screaming, "breathe! don’t you dare tap!"
your vision spotted at the edges, your chest burning. but you shifted your weight, powered to your feet, and slammed aj into the turnbuckle. the choke broke. she crumpled, gasping, and the crowd rained boos as you staggered away, clutching your throat.
the match turned brutal. aj fired up, hitting hard strikes, her forearms snapping against your jaw with whip-crack force. you cut her off with a knee lift that made her stumble. becky shouted for you to finish it, to end it now.
but then aj caught you, pele kick out of nowhere, and both of you collapsed on the mat, the ref counting.
on the floor, punk slapped the apron, yelling for aj to crawl. becky screamed for you to move. the crowd was deafening, split right down the middle.
seven… eight… you dragged yourself to your knees. nine… aj reached for the ropes, pulling herself up, eyes blazing.
the two of you lunged at each other in the center of the ring, she went for her finisher, the black widow. you fought her off, muscles straining, nearly dropping to your knees under the torque. the crowd roared, half begging you to give in, half screaming for you to fight.
becky pounded the mat so hard you felt the vibrations. "don’t let her! don’t you dare let her!"
you gritted your teeth, powered out, and spun aj into a brutal backbreaker that left her sprawled across the mat. the audience groaned. you fell into a cover, breathless, one, two, aj kicked out at the last second, and the arena exploded.
both of you were heaving, sweat slicking your faces, your hair sticking to your necks. the match had gone long, longer than either of you had planned, but neither would quit.
then aj caught your knee. she twisted, hard, wrenching it sideways. pain shot white-hot up your leg and you nearly screamed. becky shouted for you to get to the ropes. punk yelled for aj to keep it locked. the crowd roared, every voice in the arena surging around you.
you clawed your way forward, dragging yourself inch by inch, fingertips brushing the bottom rope. aj pulled back harder, her face twisted with determination, not cruelty, but desperation.
and then
the crack. the buckling. the scream you couldn’t swallow.
the injury landed like a thunderclap, silencing even the rowdiest parts of the crowd. you collapsed, clutching your knee, the ref immediately sliding in, throwing his arms up for the bell.
aj rolled away, shock and regret on her face, as punk scrambled inside to check her and then turned his fury on the ref, on becky, on the whole damn situation. becky slid under the ropes, wrapping an arm around you, her hand firm on your chest. "stay with me. stay with me, love."
the match was over. but the war had just shifted.
the moment you cleared the curtain, the chaos hit harder than the crowd noise.
medics rushed around you, hands reaching for your knee, voices barking instructions. becky stayed glued to your side, her arm banded around your waist as if she’d carry you herself if she had to. the pain radiated sharp and hot down your leg, but it wasn’t just the injury that made your chest tighten, it was the storm waiting for you backstage.
seth, bron, and bronson were already there.
seth’s face was flushed, his hair sticking to his forehead, fury rolling off him in waves. he paced like a caged animal, snapping at anyone who so much as looked your way. bronson stood silent and still, but his hands were clenched, knuckles white. His stare never left you.
and bron.
bron was pure fire. he ripped the curtain aside, stormed into gorilla like a wild animal let loose. "she hurt her!" he bellowed, his voice echoing down the corridor. "she went for her fucking knee, she"
"bron" seth snapped, stepping into his path, but bron shoved him back so hard the monitors rattled. "DON’T YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! SHE CAN’T EVEN WALK—"
"HEY!" punk’s voice cut through, sharp as glass. he and aj had just come through the other side of the curtain. aj's face was pale, stricken, but punk’s was a storm. he pointed directly at you, then at the vision like he could skewer them with the gesture. "this is what happens when you let them crawl inside her head! she’s breaking herself for you!"
"careful" seth snarled, stepping forward until he was chest-to-chest with Punk. "funny thing to say coming from the guy who hasn’t been relevant since he quit the first time."
medics froze, eyes darting between them. bron’s growl deepened, like an animal about to pounce.
you tried to speak, but your voice broke on the pain. "stop—"
bron heard it. he turned on punk so fast the crew scattered. "she’s not yours" he snarled. "don’t even look at her." his chest heaved, his fists clenched, his entire body trembling with rage.
"bron!" becky barked, grabbing his arm. "not here!"
but bron shook her off, his gaze still locked on punk. "i’ll end him. i’ll end both of them if they touch her again."
aj stepped forward, her voice shaking but strong. "she’s not yours either, bron! you’re using her"
that broke him. bron lunged, but bronson was there in an instant, wrapping both arms around him from behind. it was like holding back a hurricane. bron kicked, thrashed, shouting over and over, "she’s MINE!" until his voice cracked.
seth shoved punk back, his smirk sharp as a blade even as security rushed in between them. "you don’t get it" he hissed. "she doesn’t need your saving. she chose us."
punk’s reply was drowned by the chaos, aj shouting at the medics to keep working, becky screaming at bron to stop fighting bronson’s hold, seth taunting punk while security formed a wall.
your voice was raw, nearly lost under the shouts. but when you pushed it out again, broken, desperate, the whole world stopped.
"STOP!"
it wasn’t loud. it wasn’t even strong. but it was you.
bron froze mid-thrash in bronson’s arms. seth’s hand, cocked like he was about to shove punk again, hovered in the air. becky’s voice cut off mid-scream. even aj, even punk, turned toward you, eyes wide.
you were pale, clutching your knee, sweat running cold down your back. but your gaze was sharp. "no more fighting. not for me. not here."
bron’s chest heaved, his eyes still wild, but he let bronson’s grip guide him back. seth dragged a hand down his face, muttering curses under his breath, but he dropped his shoulders. becky squeezed your hand like she wanted to anchor you to the floor.
the medics ushered everyone out but the vision. punk shouted protest, aj begged to stay, but seth cut them both off with one cold glare and the door slammed shut.
silence fell.
the medics worked, prodding your knee, running tape, murmuring about mris and scans. you hissed with every twist and pull, but you kept your eyes on them, on the four who had nearly torn gorilla apart for you.
bron crouched first, his massive frame folding down until he was eye level with you. his face was still storm-dark, but his hands shook as he reached out. "i can’t stand seein’ you hurt" he rasped. "not you. not ever."
you touched his hand. his breath broke.
becky sat beside you, tucking your hair back from your sweaty forehead, her lips brushing your temple. "you scared the shit out of me" she whispered, voice trembling despite her best effort to sound sharp.
seth dropped into the chair across from you, elbows on his knees, staring at you like he was burning the image into memory. "you told us to stop and we did" he said finally, his voice low but certain. "nobody else has ever been able to pull us back like that."
and bronson, he didn’t move right away. he leaned against the wall, arms folded, eyes heavy on you. when you finally looked at him, his expression shifted, the faintest crack in the ice. he nodded once. just once.
you swallowed hard. the pain in your leg was still there, sharp and throbbing. but the ache in your chest was something else entirely.
they hadn’t just fought for you. they hadn’t just screamed and clawed like animals because someone hurt you. they’d listened. to you.
for the first time, it clicked.
they weren’t keeping you because you were useful, or because you made their little cult look whole. they stayed, they hovered, they tore the world apart because they loved you, messy, furious, terrifying love, but love all the same.
and sitting in that medic’s room, bruised and broken, you let yourself believe it.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
the ride back to the hotel was silent except for the hum of the car. you sat in the back between becky and bron, your leg elevated across bron’s lap. seth drove like a man possessed, his hands clenched on the wheel, eyes never leaving the road. nobody spoke, not even becky, just the occasional squeeze of your hand, or bron’s steady palm against your shoulder, grounding you.
the moment the car stopped, they moved like a unit. bron scooped you up before you could protest, ignoring your hiss of pain as he carried you into the hotel. becky marched ahead, swiping the keycard, barking at anyone who dared look twice. seth held the door open, bronson followed with your bag, and in less than five minutes you were lowered gently onto the crisp sheets of the bed.
"stay" bron rumbled, as if you were ever in a condition to do anything else.
seth pulled his phone out immediately, pacing as he spoke to someone in hushed but urgent tones. you caught snippets: specialist... tomorrow morning... private clinic... no press.
becky crouched by the bed, tugging your shoes off, then your gear. she was all soft hands and murmured reassurances, folding everything neatly instead of tossing it. her green eyes flicked up at you once, catching your flinch as you shifted, and she leaned in to kiss your knee just above the brace. "we’ll sort it, love. you’ll be right as rain."
bron disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a towel-wrapped ice pack. he placed it on your knee with such care it almost undid you, his huge hand lingering, thumb brushing your thigh as if to will the swelling away.
bronson was the last to move. he sat at the edge of the bed near your head, saying nothing. instead, he opened a bottle of water, uncapped it, and held it out until you took a sip. his eyes never left your face.
seth ended his call, dropping into a chair with a sigh. "specialist at nine a.m." he said. "top of the line. nobody outside this room knows. it’s handled." his eyes finally met yours, softer now, vulnerable. "you don’t lift a finger until then. that’s non-negotiable."
you let out a shaky laugh. "you’re all doing too much."
"too much?" bron barked, almost offended. "you can’t walk. that’s not too much, that’s" his voice cracked. he broke off, bowing his head, one big hand clutching the mattress beside your knee.
becky leaned over, brushing your hair back from your damp forehead. "you scared us" she admitted, her voice thick. "scared the hell out of us. let us take care of you, yeah?"
bronson finally spoke, quiet but cutting through the room like a blade. "you’re ours. that means we keep you."
something in your chest cracked open at that.
they didn’t just wait on you hand and foot, they hovered. becky fluffed the pillows and tucked the blanket around you, scolding bron when he tried to pile too many on. seth kept pacing, checking his phone every few minutes, restless until everything was confirmed twice over. bron never strayed far from your side, adjusting the ice pack, brushing your leg with reverence like he could erase the damage. and bronson? he sat in silence, close enough that you could feel his presence like a wall at your back, his stillness a strange comfort.
you had expected smothering, obsession, control. and yes, it was all of those things. but it was also love. twisted, possessive, terrifying love but love all the same.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•
you woke to the room already warm with their presence, not loud, not theatrical, just four people who hadn’t left your side. light bled through the curtains and the city hummed far away; your knee still throbbed but the specialist’s words from that morning sat in your chest like a balm: strain, not rupture. manageable. fixable. you’d cried once in the clinic, the relief so sharp it tasted like air.
seth lay on his side with one arm thrown over the duvet, thumb tracing idle circles against your hip. becky had curled up with her head on your stomach, fingers threaded into your hair, her breath even. bron sat on the floor, knees drawn up, watching you with an intensity that felt like both promise and threat. bronson was at the window, quiet as always, his silhouette steady and impossible to ignore. they all looked exhausted and fiercely right where they belonged.
you eased your legs slowly to the side, careful not to pull too hard at the bandage. bron’s head shot up before you were fully seated; he moved to you in a heartbeat, hands hovering like he wanted to catch anything that might tip you over. seth reached out and tucked a curl behind your ear. becky blinked sleep out of her lashes and smiled, small and indulgent. bronson stood and crossed the room with the economy of his movements until he was beside the bed, hand resting lightly against the sheet.
you drew a breath that felt bigger than the room. the words you’d rehearsed and hidden bounced around your ribs, then slid out of your mouth quiet and true.
"i’m scared" you said first. "i don’t want to pretend that part away. but i feel safe with you. i think i love you. all of you."
they listened like it was the only sound that mattered. seth’s grin softened into something tender and raw; he squeezed your hand and didn’t let go. becky’s expression broke in a way that made your chest unclench, fierce relief, not amusement this time. bron’s jaw loosened, and he set his forehead against yours in a quick, reverent motion. bronson’s face, usually a stone, had rims of something like careful joy.
seth’s voice came low. "we wanted you" he said. "we want you. not because you’re easy or broken, because you’re you." his thumb stroked your knuckle as if he could steady you with that small rhythm.
becky laughed softly, the sound like a promise. "we’re selfish" she admitted, playful and earnest at once. "we’ll love you loud, messy, and dangerous if that’s what it takes." she kissed the top of your head, then pressed her forehead to your temple.
bron crouched until his face was level with yours. his voice was rougher, honest in a way that made your breath hitch. "i’ll guard you" he said. "i’ll be a bastard about it sometimes, but i swear i’ll keep you." his hands were big and warm on your shoulders; his grip said everything his mouth didn’t.
bronson’s hand found yours then, heavy and sure. "we’ll make this work" he said quietly. "we’ll learn. we’ll be better for you." the certainty in his tone wasn’t theatrical, it was the vow of someone who had already decided.
you looked at each of them in turn, at the tired curve beneath seth’s eyes, at becky’s fierce warmth, at bron’s raw loyalty, at bronson’s quiet steadiness. the fear you’d carried for weeks didn’t evaporate, but it shifted and thinned until you could see shape in it instead of only shadows.
"i love you" you said again, steadier this time. "all of you. i’m not ashamed."
seth’s hand cradled the back of your head; his lips brushed your brow. becky tightened her hold, muffling a soft, disbelieving exhale. bron’s laugh came out like a sob and he pressed a rough kiss to the top of your hand. bronson’s eyes glittered just a fraction, an almost-smile touching his mouth.
they gathered around you, not pressing, not demanding, simply present. fingers smoothed your hair, hands checked the bandage, voices low and steady with plans and reassurances: rehab schedules, who would drive you to sessions, who would carry your bag, the practical scaffolding they’d put around you. their attention was comprehensive, a kind of care that left no part of you unattended.
outside, the world still spun with criticism, warnings, and the distant roar of an audience that didn’t know the private calculus of what had become yours. inside that hotel room, wrapped in the low murmurs and steady breathing of the four people who had claimed you, the knot in your chest eased for the first time in a long time.
you let yourself rest in that ease. you let the truth sit on your tongue and settle in your bones: you were loved. messy, dangerous, relentless love but love nonetheless.
synopsis: you were once in a relationship with jey before he joined the bloodline. he was sweet, loyal, and vulnerable. years later, he’s changed- hardened, cruel, ruthless. when you get rehired by wwe, he sees you again… and decides you’re his, no matter who you’re with now.
the rain tapped gently against the hotel window, the rhythm soft and steady, like a lullaby meant only for the two of you. the room was warm with leftover heat from tangled limbs and whispered promises. the sheets were a mess, half-twisted around your leg, the scent of sweat and sex still clinging to the air. you laid on his chest, your cheek resting against smooth, warm skin. his arm was draped loosely around your back, fingers drawing aimless circles along your spine. jey always touched you like that after, slow, tender, like he needed to remind himself you were still there. like he needed to hold onto something real. he hadn’t spoken in a while. that wasn’t unusual. jey was quiet after matches, especially the hard ones. you knew to let the silence breathe, to let him come to you in his own time.
so when he finally did speak, voice low and rough, it caught you off guard.
"what if i don’t make it?"
you blinked, lifting your head just enough to look at him. his eyes were on the ceiling, expression unreadable.
"what do you mean?" you asked.
he didn’t answer right away. His jaw shifted, tension pulling at the corners of his mouth.
"everything’s changing. roman’s doing his thing. jimmy’s good. and i’m..."
he exhaled.
"i'm just trying not to get left behind."
you sat up a little, bracing yourself on your elbow. he wouldn’t meet your eyes, but you could see the truth in the way his fingers had gone still on your back. that familiar flicker of fear he always tried to hide, the part of him that felt like a shadow in a family of stars.
"you’re not being left behind" you said softly. "you’re the one holding it all together. they’d fall apart without you."
he gave a half-smile, crooked, forced, fleeting. then it was gone.
"you ever think about leaving?" he asked, voice even softer now. almost like he didn’t want to hear your answer.
you hesitated. only for a second. then nodded.
"sometimes" you admitted. "when the business gets too loud. when it feels like it’s taking more than it gives."
his eyes finally met yours. dark. searching. tired.
"if you ever do don’t disappear" he said.
"call me. come find me. i couldn’t take not knowing where you are."
your chest tightened. you reached out, gently cupping his cheek, brushing your thumb along the rough edge of his beard. he leaned into your touch, just barely. but it was enough to feel the weight he carried.
"you’ll always know where i am" you whispered. "i’m not leaving you."
his hand shot up, fingers closing around your wrist. not rough, but firm. holding. anchoring. there was panic in his grip, buried deep beneath everything else. the part of him that didn’t know how to ask for reassurance without demanding it.
"swear to me" he said.
you swallowed.
"i swear."
his fingers tightened a little more, and you didn’t pull away. you leaned down instead and kissed him, slow and deep and full of things you weren’t brave enough to say yet. his other hand slid up your side, not with hunger, but with something almost desperate.
when you pulled back, his lips lingered near yours. breath warm, eyes open.
then he said it soft but certain.
"you’re mine. no matter what happens. you’ll always be mine."
you should’ve known then. that it wasn’t a promise.
it was a prophecy.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
PRESENT DAY
you hadn’t stepped into a wwe locker room in over three years, but the smell hadn’t changed.
sweat. leather. cheap disinfectant. the faint metallic sting of adrenaline still clung to the walls. you paused just inside the doorway, duffel slung over your shoulder, trying not to let the weight of it all choke you.
you were back.
the reactions came fast. hugs. surprised gasps. a few playful whistles from old friends. liv sprinted across the room to wrap you in a tight hug. becky looked like she was about to cry. you returned every smile, every welcome, every "damn, we missed you" with warmth. You were good at that, the mask. the smile. the soft strength people expected from you.
but even as you joked and caught up, your eyes kept drifting toward the other side of the room.
he wasn’t there.
you told yourself that was a good thing.
later, you passed paul heyman in the hallway. His eyes narrowed just a fraction, and he gave you a knowing little smirk. that alone made your stomach twist. like he knew something you didn’t. like he always had.
you kept walking.
the day flew by, meetings, fittings, catching up with creative. you didn’t even notice how your nerves had tightened until someone asked you how it felt to be back in the ring.
you hesitated.
"like coming home" you lied.
it wasn’t until after your warm-up, sweaty and breathless in your sports bra, that it happened.
you turned the corner toward catering and froze.
there he was.
jey.
leaning against a wall, black hoodie pulled up, arms crossed over his chest like a shield. the shadows clung to him, but his eyes didn’t waver.
he was watching you.
like he’d been watching you.
your breath caught. not from fear. not entirely. there was something worse buried underneath, the echo of something you’d spent years trying to bury.
you held his gaze. refused to look away.
so did he.
no smile. no nod. just that stare. cold. heavy. possessive.
he looked different. bigger, harder, like the sweetness had been burned out of him and replaced with something sharp and dangerous. His face was unreadable. his jaw clenched once. the tattoo on his neck rose and fell with every slow breath.
you knew this version of him. the world did too. main event jey uso. ruthless. unforgiving. broken. rebuilt in rage and gold.
but still, somehow, the sight of him made your lungs forget how to work.
you took a step.
so did he.
neither of you said a word. but you knew, he was going to come to you.
a hand touched your back gently, pulling you back into the moment.
"hey. you good?"
you turned. finn stood there, towel draped over his neck, sweat still clinging to his temples. concern flickered in his eyes. his hand stayed on your lower back, warm, grounding.
you and finn had started dating in the quiet six months ago. he reached out to you when you were let go from the company and eventually the friendship you had with the irishman turned into more.
you forced yourself to smile.
"yeah. just tired."
you glanced back over your shoulder.
jey was gone.
but the heat of his stare still burned between your shoulder blades like a brand.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the hallway was dim, most of the crew had cleared out after the show wrapped. You liked this part of the night. the stillness. the echo of boots against concrete. the silence after the chaos.
you didn’t hear him until it was too late.
"so that’s it?"
his voice came from behind you, low, steady, quiet enough to be dangerous.
you stopped walking.
your heartbeat tripped over itself.
you turned slowly.
jey stood a few feet away, arms loose at his sides, hood still up like a shadow he wore. his eyes locked onto yours, unreadable. like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to kiss you or rip someone apart.
maybe both.
you kept your voice even.
"didn’t think you wanted to talk."
he tilted his head.
"didn’t think you’d come back."
you folded your arms, trying to shield yourself from the heat that surged under your skin.
"things change."
jey stepped closer. not a full step, just enough for you to feel it. the shift. the pressure.
"yeah" he said. "they do."
he looked you up and down. not like a stranger. not like someone admiring a woman.
like someone remembering you. all of you.
your body. your sounds. your secrets.
"you look good" he said. flat. like it pissed him off to admit it.
you fought the urge to react. you weren’t here for this. you weren’t here for him.
"you don’t get to say that anymore."
his jaw flexed. his eyes narrowed just slightly, not angry. focused.
"you with him?"
you didn’t need to ask who he meant. he’d seen finn. everyone had.
"that’s none of your business."
"so that’s a yes."
he took another step.
you didn’t back down. you wanted to. but something in you, the part that still remembered his hands, his mouth, the way he used to say your name like a prayer, held you in place.
his voice dropped lower.
"he don’t touch you the way i did."
you flinched. just barely. but he saw it. of course he did.
"you think i forgot what you sound like?"
his words were slow, deliberate.
"when you come? when you cry? when you beg?"
your throat went dry.
"jey, don’t..."
"you can’t scrub that out" he said, stepping in close now. his body was right in front of yours, blocking the hallway. His heat soaked into your skin.
"you can fuck around with some guy and pretend, but it don’t change shit. you’re mine."
your hands curled into fists.
"i’m not yours."
he leaned in, breath grazing your ear.
"you were"
his voice dropped to a murmur, warm and brutal.
"and part of you still is. that’s why you didn’t walk away."
he stepped back, finally, just enough to let the air hit you again. you hadn’t realized how close you’d let him get. how deep his voice had sunk into you.
he started to walk away.
then stopped.
"i meant what i said. years ago."
you didn’t answer. you couldn’t.
he glanced back once, a flicker of something unspoken in his eyes. not regret.
warning.
"you’ll remember it too."
then he was gone.
and your knees finally started to shake.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the hotel room was too quiet.
you sat on the edge of the bed, towel-dried hair damp against your shoulders, fingers clenched in your lap. the tv played some muted documentary you weren’t watching. you hadn’t moved in over ten minutes.
jey’s voice still echoed in your ears.
you were. and part of you still is.
you hated that it made your chest ache.
there was a knock at the door, three short raps. familiar.
you got up and opened it.
finn. dressed down, damp hair slicked back, a hoodie clinging to his frame.
his eyes scanned your face instantly.
"you okay?"
you nodded too quickly.
"yeah. just tired."
he stepped inside, shut the door behind him. you expected him to press, he didn’t. he just walked to the window, pulled the curtain back, stared out into the city night.
you watched his back.
you weren’t sure if you were more grateful for his calm or guilty because of it.
he turned after a moment, brow creased.
"he talked to you, didn’t he?"
your throat tightened.
"finn..."
"i saw him staring at you all night."
you said nothing. you didn’t have to.
he crossed the room slowly, then crouched in front of you. his hand found yours, strong and steady. it grounded you. it also made your heart twist.
"if he bothers you again, you tell me. or let me handle it."
you looked down at his hand. His fingers laced with yours.
so warm.
so kind.
so safe.
but all you could think about was the way jey had looked at you, like you were something he'd already broken and was coming back to finish.
you nodded again. finn smiled, leaned up, kissed your forehead.
be meant it to reassure you.
but it only made the pit in your stomach grow deeper.
later, when the lights were off and finn slept beside you, arm around your waist, you stared at the ceiling and tried to remember what peace felt like.
tried to forget how your skin still burned from where jey had stood too close.
tried to pretend that you didn’t want him to do it again.
your phone buzzed once on the nightstand.
you froze.
you reached for it slowly, heart pounding, already knowing.
unknown number.
you still wear that perfume i like. told you i'd always find you.
your hand trembled.
you deleted it.
but your pulse didn’t slow.
you were never going to sleep tonight.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
a few weeks later you were late.
not by much, five minutes, maybe six, but the match rundown meeting had already started, and the last thing you wanted was to draw attention. you slipped into the back of the conference room as quietly as you could, adjusting the zip on your hoodie, eyes on the floor.
except there was only one open seat.
and it was next to him.
jey didn’t look at you when you sat down. his body was relaxed, arm slung over the back of his chair like he hadn’t noticed you at all. But you could feel the awareness rolling off him, like static, like pressure, like heat.
you sat stiffly. focused on the notes being read aloud. you tried not to inhale too deeply.
he still wore that scent, that deep, warm, spiced musk. it wrapped around your throat like memory.
you thought he’d ignore you. he didn’t.
"clock’s ticking, sweetheart" he muttered under his breath. "thought you were more punctual."
you didn’t answer. you just clenched your jaw and shifted away from his voice. it followed anyway.
later, you opened your locker to find your wrist tape gone. not misplaced, gone. your boots, too. not stolen. moved. to the men’s locker room, someone said.
accidents happen.
you tried to believe that.
but then your entrance graphic, the one you’d just filmed last week, vanished from the preview screen before your match. someone had pulled the wrong file. no one could explain how.
accidents don’t happen like that twice.
by the time you got back to your locker, your pulse was tight. finn texted you asking if you wanted to grab food. you told him you were exhausted. you weren’t lying.
you dropped onto the bench and dragged your hands through your hair, trying to stop the shaking in your fingers. you hadn’t even seen jey again. but you could feel him.
everywhere.
watching.
waiting.
he didn’t speak to you again until the end of the night.
you were walking down the back hallway toward the parking lot, tired and sore, hoodie pulled low over your head. The halls were mostly empty, just the low hum of vending machines and the buzz of a dying fluorescent overhead.
you turned the corner and nearly walked right into him.
jey.
black hoodie. backpack slung over one shoulder. leaning against the wall like he lived there. like he’d been waiting.
you froze.
he looked up. smirked.
"you always walk like you’re runnin’ from something."
you straightened your spine. kept your voice even.
"get the hell out of my way."
he stepped aside with a mock bow, but as you passed, his voice dropped low, near your ear.
"missed you"
you didn’t respond.
you couldn’t.
because part of you, the part that remembered his mouth on your throat, the sound of his voice saying your name in the dark missed him back.
and that was the first crack.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
finn wasn’t supposed to wrestle the following week.
it was a simple run-in segment, a stare down with gunther to set up next week’s match. he wasn’t even in gear, just a black sleeveless hoodie and joggers, mic in hand.
but the moment the cameras cut, everything changed.
you were watching from the monitor backstage, arms folded tightly, still catching your breath after your own match. you didn’t even register the shift until the ref on-screen suddenly turned, frantic and finn was on the ground.
gunther wasn’t supposed to touch him.
that wasn’t in the script.
but there he was, walking off with a smirk and a careless shrug while finn writhed on the ramp, one arm bent awkwardly beneath him.
the trainers rushed past you, and your body went cold.
later, in medical, you sat on the edge of the treatment table while finn hissed through his teeth, his wrist already swelling.
"hyperextended" the medic said, wrapping it carefully. "could’ve been worse. give it a few days, maybe a brace. you’ll be fine."
but finn’s eyes were on you the whole time.
and you knew that look. suspicion. worry. hurt.
"that wasn’t planned" he said after the medic left.
"i know."
"you think gunther went rogue?"
you didn’t answer.
because something wasn’t right.
the ref looked confused. gunther looked smug. and finn was booked to win next week, they wouldn’t have risked an injury.
which meant someone had changed the segment.
someone with influence. or leverage.
someone who wanted finn hurt.
you didn’t find the proof until hours later.
you were helping finn pack up, grabbing his hoodie from the locker room bench when a printed call sheet slipped out from underneath it, one of the official run sheets used for segment timings.
except it had been altered.
in red ink, slashed across the bottom of the segment:
"gunther drops balor — leave him down. make it look stiff. trust me. – J"
your blood ran cold.
you turned it over. nothing else.
but the handwriting was familiar. you’d seen it before, love notes, years ago. on post-its left on your mirror.
your stomach twisted.
finn’s voice broke through behind you.
"what’s that?"
you crumpled the paper in your hand before he could see it.
"nothing. trash."
you shoved it deep into your bag.
that night, finn iced his wrist while you sat beside him in silence. he leaned into you, lips against your hair.
"if something’s going on, i need you to tell me."
you wanted to.
god, you wanted to.
but you couldn’t.
because if jey was willing to do this just to rattle you what would he do if you made it worse?
your phone buzzed on the nightstand.
unknown number.
you look real pretty when you’re scared. but i told you: he’s in the way. and i always get what’s mine.
you didn’t respond.
but your hand wouldn’t stop shaking.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you didn’t mean to snap that night.
you’d just come back from a match, rushed, underbooked, thrown together last-minute. your entrance glitched again. commentary barely said your name. when you got backstage, no one looked up. no one said good job.
you stood there, sweat still clinging to your skin, heart thudding. Invisible.
and when you found finn in the locker room, joking with the others, smiling like nothing had happened, something inside you cracked.
"you didn’t even watch."
his smile faded.
"what?"
"my match. you weren’t there."
he blinked, confused.
"i was reviewing my segment, baby, i didn’t even know you were on yet."
"that’s not the point."
you hated the sharpness in your voice. Hated how small you felt for needing it.
"i just wanted you to care."
finn exhaled.
"i do care. you’re making this into something it’s not."
that stung worse.
so you said something cruel, you weren’t proud of it. something about how maybe he cared more about the spotlight than you. you didn’t mean it. not really.
but it was too late.
he stared at you like he didn’t recognize you.
then he walked out.
you sat alone in the hallway, head in your hands. your pulse buzzed in your throat. anxiety flooded your limbs like cement, thick, paralyzing.
you weren’t supposed to feel this way again.
not after what it took to claw your way back.
not after surviving him.
later, when the hallway cleared and the arena began to quiet, you returned to the locker room.
that’s when you saw it.
your duffle was unzipped, you always zipped it shut. and tucked inside, barely peeking out from beneath your gear, was a small folded note.
your chest seized.
you unfolded it slowly.
the handwriting was familiar. sharp. tilted slightly to the left. you hadn’t seen it in years.
he doesn’t see you the way i do.he never could.
no signature.
he didn’t need one.
you stared at the paper until your hands started to shake. the room suddenly felt too small. too silent. too watched.
he'd gotten in. somehow. he knew your code. or maybe he didn’t need one.
maybe the door was always open, because part of you never really closed it.
you stuffed the note deep into your jacket pocket and zipped it tight.
you didn’t tell finn.
you didn’t tell anyone.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you didn’t mean to wander.
the match had left you raw, stiff kicks, botched timing, the crowd lukewarm. and the fight with finn still prickled under your skin.
so you walked.
past catering. past the loading bay. through the back exit and into the cool night behind the arena, where the air hit your lungs sharp and clean.
you sat on the metal steps and pulled your knees to your chest, still in your gear, sweat cooling against your spine.
you didn’t hear him until his shadow cut across the ground.
"that match didn’t do you justice."
you didn’t look up.
"go away."
he didn’t. he never did.
jey stepped closer, quiet, casual. like you weren’t cornered. like you hadn’t begged him weeks ago, stay out of my head.
he leaned against the railing beside you.
"they don’t see it. not the way i do."
you exhaled slowly.
"why are you here?"
he was quiet for a beat.
"because you always come out here when you’re about to break."
that made your head snap toward him.
he was already watching you.
"i remember, baby."
his voice was low. "you’d lose a match, get in your head, spiral. you’d sit just like this. shut the world out. hope someone followed."
he crouched in front of you.
"i always followed, didn’t i?"
you wanted to scream.
instead, you whispered:
"you’re not him anymore."
his eyes didn’t waver.
"no. i’m better."
then, after a beat, "you don’t need soft anymore. you need truth."
his fingers brushed your knee. you flinched.
he didn’t move them.
"you ever notice how no one stays?"
his voice dropped softer. "not the crowd. not your friends. not even finn. you keep breaking for people who don’t know what to do with the pieces."
you didn’t answer.
you couldn’t.
he leaned in, nose brushing your cheek.
"but i do. i always did."
you shoved him, hard. palms to his chest.
"stop. just fucking stop."
but your voice shook.
your lip trembled.
and he saw it.
his hands cupped your face gently, too gently and you hated how warm they were.
"don’t cry for people who don’t see you."
"i’m not crying."
but you were.
he kissed your cheek.
you turned your head and your lips caught his.
you didn’t mean to. you didn’t mean to stay.
but your mouth didn’t pull away.
his hands gripped your jaw, and the kiss deepened, bruising, consuming, dangerous.
you whimpered into it.
"tell me no" he whispered.
"tell me again, sweetheart."
you did.
but your thighs parted when he pressed against you.
the door behind you swung open.
concrete wall. closed space. low light.
you didn’t remember moving inside, only that his hands were under your gear, your back against the wall, your voice catching in your throat.
he didn’t ask for permission.
he didn’t need it, not when your hands clawed at his hoodie, when your mouth moaned his name.
it was rough.
it was filthy.
his words burned in your ear: "you like being used, huh? like being ruined by the man you begged to leave?"
you sobbed.
not from pain, from everything.
he pulled your hair back, forced you to look him in the eye as you came on his fingers.
"that’s mine. all of it. always was."
you hated him.
you needed him.
and when he fucked you, hard, unforgiving you shattered.
right there.
against the wall.
wrapped in arms that had once held you gently… now gripping you like a warning.
after, you slid to the floor, knees curled to your chest, mascara streaked down your cheeks.
he crouched beside you, pulled you into his lap like nothing had changed.
you wept quietly into his hoodie.
his lips brushed your temple.
"i told you."
a whisper.
"you never stopped being mine."
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you didn’t sleep.
you told Finn you stayed late at the gym, extra cardio, clear your head. he believed you. he always did.
but now it was 3:24 a.m., and you were curled up on the far side of the hotel bed, wide-eyed in the dark, staring at the red glow of the alarm clock like it had something to say.
finn lay behind you, breathing soft and steady. one arm thrown across your waist, too warm, too familiar. his hand had found the hem of your sleep shirt at some point, fingers resting against your bare skin like nothing was wrong.
you hadn’t showered.
you couldn’t.
jey’s fingerprints weren’t visible anymore, but they burned.
your thighs still ached. your voice felt scraped raw from the things you’d said. the things you let him say to you.
you begged.you cried.you came.
your chest twisted. you pulled the blanket tighter around yourself and tried not to shake.
but every time you blinked, you saw him again.
the way he looked at you in the dark.
the way he smiled when you broke.
the way he whispered, "i told you. you never stopped being mine."
you bit your lip hard, forcing yourself not to cry. you didn’t deserve to cry.
this was your fault.
you let him in.
you kissed him first.
and worst of all, you hadn’t pushed him away when it was over. you’d let him hold you, rock you gently like he hadn’t just torn you apart.
finn shifted in his sleep, pulling you closer. his nose brushed the back of your neck.
you flinched.
only for a second.
but enough.
you swallowed hard and closed your eyes, willing the tears back. you told yourself to breathe. in. out. you were safe. you were here. you were in bed with the man you loved.
but why did it feel like a lie?
you barely noticed your hand moving until it touched your thigh, right where jey had held you down. the ghost of pressure. the heat. the way your body had betrayed you, pulsing and wet and desperate.
your lip trembled.
you turned your face into the pillow and finally let yourself cry.
just a little.
just enough to ease the shaking.
you told yourself this was the last time.
that it wouldn’t happen again.
that it was a mistake. a weak moment. a bad decision in a storm of emotion.
but deep down, somewhere you didn’t want to look
you already knew.
it wasn’t over.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the locker room buzzed with pre-show tension, techs barking into radios, producers reviewing scripts, boots thudding against floors as wrestlers stretched and shadowboxed. you sat in front of the mirror, lacing up your boots with hands that wouldn’t stop trembling.
"you're quiet today" one of the other girls said, tying her hair up. you offered a smile, stiff, forgettable and she moved on.
your eyes flicked back to your reflection.
mascara, matte lips, expression locked into something confident.
but underneath?
chaos.
you were here to work. to wrestle. to do your job.
not to relive the feel of jey’s hand gripping your throat, or the sound of his voice when he growled your name like it still belonged to him.
not to think about how you hadn't even washed your hair since that night.
you swallowed the thought like poison and stood.
finn found you near gorilla position, his smile softening when he saw you. "hey" he said, brushing your cheek with his knuckles. "you good?"
you nodded. too fast. "fine. just focused."
he leaned in and kissed your forehead. you hated how much you wanted to flinch.
"proud of you" he said.
you smiled again, that same brittle thing. he didn’t notice. or maybe he did and just didn’t want to ask.
you wished he would. you wished he wouldn’t.
and then
you felt it.
like a cold breath down the back of your neck.
you turned your head.
jey was standing across the hallway, leaning against a stack of crates like he hadn’t a care in the world. hoodie half-zipped, hands in his pockets, jaw twitching with the smallest smirk.
he was watching you.
not staring. not threatening. just watching. like he was amused.
like he knew.
your breath caught. for a second, the noise around you dropped out.
and then finn touched your back. "you ready, babe?"
you blinked, nodding too fast. “i just need to go grab my bag i'll be five minutes"
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
after you got your bag you should’ve walked the other way.
you should’ve kept moving, kept pretending you hadn’t seen him, hadn’t felt his presence before you even turned the corner. but something inside you, frayed and snapping at the seams, dragged you toward him anyway.
you found him in the far corridor near loading. quiet. empty. no cameras. just the soft hum of lights and the echo of your own heartbeat.
jey stood with his back to you, hood down, shirt clinging to his chest from his earlier match. he was unwrapping his wrist tape slowly, methodically, like he’d been waiting for you.
because he had.
your voice was thin when it finally came.
"what do you want?"
he didn’t turn.
just kept peeling the tape.
"that all you want to ask?"
you stepped closer before you could stop yourself.
"you left your mark on me like it meant something" you said quietly.
that made him pause.
he turned his head just enough to catch you in his peripheral, those eyes dark, unreadable.
"you came."
his voice was low. dangerous.
"don’t rewrite it."
you flinched, just a little.
but you didn’t leave.
"it was a mistake."
he finally turned, slow, deliberate, like a man who knew the kill was already bleeding. he stepped forward, not fast, not aggressive. just there. big. solid. close enough that you had to tilt your chin to hold his gaze.
"then why’d you kiss me first?"
the words hit like a slap. you went cold.
"don’t—"
"why’d you moan my name like that?"
his voice dipped lower.
"why’d you say ‘don’t stop’ if you wanted me to?"
your stomach twisted. Shame coiled up in your throat, thick and sharp.
you took a shaky breath, tried to step back
his hand caught your wrist gently. not forceful. but firm. you froze.
"say it" he whispered.
"say you didn’t feel it too. say you don’t still want it."
your pulse pounded in your ears.
you hated him.
you hated how calm he looked. how sure of you he was.
because he was sure.
and that terrified you more than anything else.
"i love finn" you said, voice trembling.
"this isn’t love."
he leaned in, his mouth barely brushing your ear.
"no. it’s need."
you squeezed your eyes shut, but his breath was warm against your skin, and you could still feel the ghost of his hands, how rough they’d been. how right they’d felt.
you pulled your wrist free.
"stay away from me."
he stepped back, letting you go without resistance. like he’d already won.
"you came to me, baby."
his eyes were fire.
"you always do."
you didn’t answer.
you just walked away.
but your legs were shaking, and your throat burned, and his words kept ringing in your head long after you turned the corner.
you always do.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you hated the silence.
it clung to you like sweat, thick and suffocating. the low hum of the air conditioner was the only thing filling the space as you sat on the edge of the hotel bed, staring at nothing, your fingers twisted together in your lap.
finn had just stepped out of the shower. you could hear him toweling off in the bathroom, humming faintly under his breath, calm, oblivious, safe.
you wished you could crawl into that.
you wished it was still enough.
the door creaked open, and he stepped into the room, hair damp, towel slung low on his hips. He looked at you and smiled, tired, but warm.
"hey. you okay?"
you didn’t answer. not with words.
you stood. crossed the room.
and kissed him.
hard.
he stiffened with surprise, then relaxed into it. his hands found your hips, pulled you close. "missed you" he murmured into your mouth.
you didn’t say it back.
you pushed him gently toward the bed, fingers already tugging at the towel. he let you. you climbed onto him, straddling his lap, trying to lose yourself in the rhythm of skin and breath and not thinking.
but your body hesitated.
when he touched you, really touched you, your breath hitched wrong. his hands were too careful. his voice too soft.
not like jey.
and that thought made you sick.
you clenched your jaw, forcing yourself to focus. to feel. you kissed him harder, grinding down on him, trying to chase something that felt like control.
but it wasn’t there.
you weren’t there.
"wait", finn said softly, pulling back. "slow down, what’s going on?"
"i just want you" you said too quickly.
too thin.
too fake.
his brow furrowed. "babe..."
"i said i want you." you leaned in again, hands shaking.
he kissed you, gently, but when he pushed your shirt up and saw the faint bruise at your collarbone, jey’s mark, still blooming, he froze.
his hands dropped.
"what’s that?"
you went still.
shit.
"i-idon’t know. from training, maybe..."
"bullshit." his voice was quiet. deadly calm.
his eyes locked onto yours.
"you haven’t trained with anyone who would’ve left that kind of mark. not since" he stopped himself.
the silence hit harder this time.
finn sat back slowly, like he was afraid of what he already knew. His face paled.
"did something happen?" he asked.
a whisper. a wound.
you opened your mouth. closed it.
and then you did the worst thing you could do.
you lied.
"no."
he stared at you for a long time. His jaw clenched once. then again. finally, he nodded, barely and got up, walking to the other side of the room.
you stayed where you were, straddling the bed, shirt pushed up, hands curled into fists.
you’d wanted to feel clean.
all you felt was hollow.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the second you stepped into the women’s locker room, something felt off.
it wasn’t obvious. nothing was broken. nothing missing. but you felt it, like the air had shifted.
you moved toward your locker slowly.
your name plate looked the same.
but the door was cracked open.
inside, sitting neatly on the shelf where you usually kept your boots, was a small black box. velvet. expensive. on top of it: a single folded note.
your chest tightened.
you looked around, but you were alone.
you picked it up with hesitant fingers.
his handwriting was sharp and familiar. you didn’t have to open it to know it was him. but you did anyway.
you looked so empty last night.i don’t like seeing you like that.let me take care of you. you know i know how.you’re not yourself without me.
— J
your mouth went dry.
you opened the box.
inside was a gold necklace, simple, beautiful, heavy. a small charm hung from the chain: the letter J.
you couldn’t breathe.
this wasn’t seduction.
this was claiming.
the door opened suddenly, and you snapped the locker shut, shoving the note into your bag before the other girl could see. she offered you a quick smile and moved to her own locker, oblivious.
you sat down slowly, hands trembling in your lap.
the necklace was still in your hand. You didn’t remember grabbing it.
you stared at it, heart pounding.
he knew what he was doing. he wasn’t just stalking you.
he was rewiring you.
tear you down with guilt. flood you with attention. Isolate you with fear. and then, just when you were cracking—
praise. gifts. gentle hands. affection.
the kind of softness only he was allowed to show you.
you shoved the necklace deep into your gear bag and zipped it shut, as if that might stop it from burning.
but you knew.
you knew you’d take it out later.
you knew you’d hold it in your palm when you were alone.
maybe even wear it, once. just to see how it felt.
just to remember what it was like to feel wanted like that.
even if it was all wrong.
even if it was already too late.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
it had only been for a second.
you’d taken the necklace out just to look at it. your fingers had lingered on the charm, tracing the edge of the letter.
you told yourself it didn’t mean anything, that you weren’t wearing it, just trying it on.
just to see.
you wore it under your hoodie, hidden, snug against your chest like a secret you hated to keep but didn’t want to let go of.
but he saw.
of course he saw.
he always saw.
you found him leaning against the wall outside the promo room, alone, waiting, like he knew exactly where you'd be and when.
he didn’t speak right away. just looked at you.
then his eyes dropped.
to your chest.
he smiled.
you froze.
your hoodie was zipped halfway. the gold glinted against your skin, exposed for only a second, but it was enough.
his smile widened. "looks good on you."
you shoved past him.
"stop it."
"didn’t ask you to put it on" he said calmly. "that was all you."
you turned, furious. "you planted it in my locker."
"i left it" he corrected. "you made the choice."
your hands curled into fists. "you think you can mess with me? break me down, and then what, what, throw me a bone? treat me sweet when i obey?"
he stepped forward, slow, deliberate. "i treat you like what you are."
you blinked, heart pounding.
he didn’t raise his voice. didn’t posture or threaten.
his tone was warm. soft. like a lover. like a lie.
"i know what you need" he said.
you laughed, bitter, broken. "you don’t know shit."
His head tilted. "i know you come alive when i touch you. i know you’ve never cried like that for him."
your chest ached.
"i know" he said, voice dropping, "you wore that necklace because it made you feel something."
"trapped" you hissed. "it made me feel trapped."
he stepped even closer, until his chest brushed yours.
"you chose it", he whispered. "just like you chose to kiss me back. just like you’ll choose me again."
you slapped him.
hard.
the sound cracked off the hallway walls.
he didn’t move. didn’t flinch.
he just smiled.
a slow, dangerous smile that sent a chill down your spine.
"you’re learning" he murmured. "good girl."
your breath caught.
you hated that your thighs clenched at the words.
you hated that your body betrayed you.
but the worst part?
you hated that a piece of you, the lonely, spiraling, hungry part, believed him.
and he knew.
because as he walked away, he said just loud enough for you to hear:
"every time you come at me like that, baby…
all i hear is ‘don’t stop."
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the lights were off when you came in.
finn sat on the edge of the bed, hands folded, head down. the room was quiet, no tv, no music, no attempt to fill the space that had cracked wide open between you.
he didn’t look at you when you shut the door.
you stood for a moment, uncertain. then dropped your bag beside the wall.
he finally spoke.
"you wore it again."
you closed your eyes.
the necklace. the one from jey.
you hadn’t even realized it was still around your neck.
you reached up with trembling fingers and tugged it off, stuffing it into your pocket like that would undo everything.
"i didn’t mean to"
"don’t" he said. gently. tired. "don’t lie."
that hurt more than if he’d yelled.
you crossed the room slowly. sat in the armchair across from him, hugging your knees to your chest. for a while, neither of you said anything.
then:
"i love you" finn said.
it hit like a body blow. you looked away.
"i've tried," he continued. "to be patient. to let you sort whatever’s going on. but i see it now. i’ve been seeing it for weeks."
you blinked hard. "finn…"
"you’re not here anymore" he whispered.
you bit your lip. the tears burned before you even realized they were coming.
"i didn’t plan for this" you choked. "i didn’t want—"
he finally looked up at you. and it broke you.
because he wasn’t angry.
he was hurt.
"tell me the truth" he said. "did he hurt you?"
yes.
no.
not in the way you think.
only in the ways I asked him not to.
"i can’t" you said instead.
he nodded once. that was the answer he expected.
he stood up, grabbed his jacket. his bag was already packed. had been for days, maybe.
"i hope he doesn’t break you" finn said softly. "but i think he already has."
you didn’t chase him.
the door clicked shut behind him.
and you were alone.
with nothing but the weight of the necklace in your pocket…
…and the sound of your own breath, breaking.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
jey leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching the early hustle of production crew and midcard talent roll past him. his hoodie was up. eyes low. still. waiting.
he wasn’t in his gear.
wasn’t even on the card tonight.
didn’t matter.
he wasn’t here to fight.
his phone buzzed in his pocket. once. then again. a text first, then the name he expected lighting up his screen: paul heyman.
he answered on the second ring.
"talk."
paul’s voice was low, like always, calm, composed, just a thread of smug underneath. "she didn’t show up this morning."
jey straightened.
"she sick?" he asked, even though they both knew the answer didn’t matter.
"nope." a pause. "not on any injury report. didn’t call out either. just not here."
jey’s jaw flexed.
paul continued, "oh. and balor checked out of the hotel last night. alone."
there it was.
the corner of jey’s mouth curled.
he turned his head, watching two rookies jog past, laughing, oblivious. "you knew before i did?"
"i always know" paul said, amused.
jey let the silence hang. He could hear the faint sound of papers shuffling on paul’s end. then:
"she’s untethered now," paul added. "vulnerable."
"mine", jey murmured.
paul didn’t argue.
he didn’t need to.
"you sure you want to go this route?" paul asked mildly. "you’ve got momentum. world title in reach. people backstage think you’re finally standing on your own."
jey’s eyes narrowed.
"i am" he said. "this ain’t about no storylines."
another pause.
then paul chuckled, low and satisfied.
"well then. i suppose the timing worked out perfectly."
jey hung up without another word.
he slid the phone back into his pocket, rolling his shoulders as he exhaled, calm now, like a storm finally choosing its moment to strike.
you were missing.
he didn’t need to ask why.
he already knew.
you were crumbling.
and when you finally reached for someone, when you picked up the phone, or opened the door, or just broke down in that quiet, trembling way he remembered all too well
A = Aftercare (how they treat their partner after)
punk’s aftercare is suffocating in the best way. he doesn’t just clean you up , he cages you in his arms, whispering "mine, mine, mine" over and over like a mantra. he’ll stroke your hair and kiss your face until you’re half-asleep, but there’s no space. no breathing room. If you try to shift away, he tightens his grip, muttering that he won’t let you leave him, ever. to him, aftercare isn’t about comfort, it’s about reinforcing that you belong to him, body and soul.
B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)
on himself: his arms. punk loves the way they hold you in place, the way he can lock them around your waist or throat and keep you exactly where he wants you.
on you: your eyes. he’s obsessed. he’ll grip your jaw during sex and force you to look at him, snarling if you even try to glance away. he wants your gaze fixed on him so he can see the moment you shatter under his control.
C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)
punk is territorial about his cum. he refuses to waste it, he wants it inside you, filling you, marking you as his from the inside out. he’ll finger it deeper into you if it dares to slip out, whispering how you’re "never getting rid of me." on the darker nights, he’ll make you taste it, smirking when you choke on it, insisting you swallow every drop because "if it’s mine, it stays in you."
D = Dirty secret (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)
he fantasizes about locking you away, keeping you to himself so no one else can even look at you. his dirtiest secret? sometimes when you’re asleep, he’ll jerk himself off just watching you breathe, whispering that you’re too good for this world and that he’ll ruin anyone who tries to take you. he keeps things of yours, panties, hair ties, even your toothbrush and uses them when you’re not around, treating them like sacred relics.
E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)
punk is experienced, but not in the polished, romantic way. his style is raw, messy, driven by obsession more than finesse. he doesn’t care about being smooth; he cares about making sure you’re ruined for anyone else. he’s relentless, every thrust, every touch is about branding himself into you so deeply you’ll never forget. he knows just enough to push your body past breaking, and his desperation makes him terrifyingly effective.
F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)
anything where he can see you. missionary with your wrists pinned to the bed, his forehead pressed to yours while he pounds into you. sitting you on his lap, your back to his chest, one arm locked around your throat so you can’t move while he fucks up into you. or bent over, his hand on the back of your neck, forcing you to look in the mirror so you can watch yourself get ruined by him. every position is about control and ownership, you’re not just fucked, you’re claimed.
G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)
goofy? not a chance. punk’s not playful in bed, he’s intense, obsessive, almost scary with how focused he is. he doesn’t joke, doesn’t break character; every second is about driving home that you’re his. the only time he smiles is when he sees tears in your eyes, and it’s that twisted grin that says he’s getting exactly what he wants.
H = Hair (how well-groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)
punk keeps himself trimmed, but not overly neat, it’s more about practicality than aesthetics. his facial hair is scruffy, and he doesn’t care if it leaves burn when he goes down on you. in fact, he likes it when your thighs are raw afterward; it’s another mark of his ownership. as for you, he doesn’t care what you look like, whatever you’ve got is his to worship, and he’ll tell you that to your face.
I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)
his intimacy is warped, tangled up in obsession. he kisses you feverishly, almost violently, like he’s trying to consume you whole. He whispers endless strings of "i love you, i need you, you’re mine" in your ear while he fucks you into the mattress. there’s no gentle romance, his version of intimacy is intensity, desperation, the need to remind you with every touch that he won’t ever let you go. he means it, too, in his mind, no one else could ever love you the way he does.
J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)
when you’re not around, punk can’t stop himself. he’ll sit in the dark with something of yours, panties, a shirt, even your picture, stroking himself raw while muttering your name like a prayer. it’s not casual for him; it’s ritualistic. he edges himself just thinking about how you smell, how you sound, how you look at him. sometimes he doesn’t even cum, he’ll stop short, groaning in frustration, saving it because he believes release only belongs inside you.
K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)
possession/ownership: he needs to mark you inside and out. biting, scratching, bruises where everyone can see.
breeding/creampie obsession: nothing turns him on more than cumming in you, over and over, until you’re dripping with him.
bondage (light-to-heavy): rope, cuffs, his belt, anything that keeps you in place so you can’t leave.
breath play: his hand at your throat, cutting off your air while whispering, "don’t you dare look away from me."
stalking/ownership roleplay: he gets off on the idea of being your one-and-only, the only man you’re allowed to even think about.
L = Location (favorite places to do the do)
anywhere he can corner you. he doesn’t care if it’s the bed, the shower, the couch, or even pressed up against a wall the moment you walk in the door. his true favorite is the bed though, because it’s the easiest place to hold you down, to keep you under him where he can watch you squirm and remind you you’re not going anywhere. he’s not into public play; he wants you hidden away, where no one else can see.
M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)
punk’s biggest turn-on is control. the second he feels you resisting, squirming, or trying to argue back, it lights him up, because he lives for breaking you down. tears? begging? whimpers? all fuel for his obsession. he gets hard just seeing you wear something that reminds him other people might look at you, because the thought of having to re-stake his claim makes him feral. above all, your dependence on him is what truly sets him off. the second you admit you need him, he’s gone.
N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)
he wouldn’t share you. ever. the idea of someone else touching you, even watching, is unthinkable, it drives him into a rage. he also wouldn’t degrade you in a way that makes you feel unloved; his obsession means everything he does, no matter how rough, is layered with "you’re mine and no one else deserves you." his darkness doesn’t extend to things that would make you feel worthless, because to him, you’re worth everything.
O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)
punk eats pussy like a starving man. it’s messy, desperate, almost too much, he pins your hips down so you can’t move while he devours you. he growls when you try to pull away, because he’ll decide when you’re done. he gets off on overstimulation, on you crying out because it’s too much. receiving? he loves it, but it’s about control. he’ll grip your hair, fuck your throat, hold you down until you gag around him. he doesn’t want service, he wants submission.
P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)
he’s unpredictable. sometimes he’s slow, dragging every thrust out until you’re trembling, whispering "feel me, remember me, you can’t escape me." other times, he’s brutal, fast, rough, pounding into you like he’s trying to fuck himself into your soul. what never changes is his focus, whether slow or rough, every movement is about claiming you, leaving you wrecked so no one else could possibly compare.
Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)
punk doesn’t like quickies because they don’t give him enough time to own you properly. but if the need hits him hard, he’ll take you wherever he can, bent over the sink, dragged into the shower, even pressed against the wall as soon as you walk through the door. quickies with him are never light, they’re frantic, possessive, and usually end with him snarling about how he’s going to finish what he started later.
R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)
punk thrives on risk when it comes to you. he doesn’t want to endanger you, but he pushes boundaries hard, breath play, restraints, edging until you’re crying. he experiments in ways that blur the line between pleasure and obsession: making you wear his clothes out in public, marking you where people can see, keeping pieces of you (panties, jewelry) like trophies. he’s not reckless, but he is relentless, always testing how far he can push before you break.
S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)
punk’s stamina is fueled by obsession. he doesn’t stop after one round, he’ll keep going until you’re raw, shaking, and barely able to form words. he doesn’t measure sex in orgasms but in proof that you’re his. he’ll edge himself to keep hard longer, only finishing once he’s absolutely sure you’re ruined. even then, he’ll still grind against you, whispering that he’s not done, not ever.
T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)
he doesn’t trust toys. ounk believes he’s all you need. but if he does use them, it’s to overwhelm you: vibrators pressed against you while he fucks you, ropes tying you spread so you can’t squirm away, cuffs so he can keep you at his mercy. he doesn’t use toys on himself, he doesn’t see the point. you’re his toy.
U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)
punk is the definition of unfair. he’ll drag things out until you’re sobbing, begging for him to stop teasing and just take you. he loves edging you, pulling away when you’re seconds from release, laughing darkly at your frustration. He’ll make you say humiliating things, "tell me you’re mine, beg for me, say you’ll never leave." if you resist? he’ll withhold your orgasm until you break, until you give him exactly what he wants.
V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)
punk’s sounds are guttural, primal. low groans, sharp curses, ragged growls when you clench around him. he’s not theatrical, but the desperation in his voice is raw, like he’s fighting to hold himself together. he talks a lot during sex, but it’s not dirty talk in the playful sense, it’s obsession. "you’re mine. say it. look at me. no one else gets this. no one else gets you."
W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)
punk secretly keeps a collection of videos, grainy, shaky recordings of you when you don’t realize he’s filming. sometimes it’s you getting dressed, sometimes it’s you asleep, sometimes it’s sex where he props his phone up without telling you. he replays them when he’s alone, jerking off with a sick smile, whispering about how no one will ever know you like he does. to him, it’s proof of ownership, a shrine he’ll never let anyone see.
X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)
punk’s body is lean, wiry muscle, covered in tattoos that tell his story. His cock matches his energy, thick, veiny, not porn-star perfect but intimidating in its rawness. he loves the way you struggle to take it, nails digging into his arms as he forces every inch inside. to him, your body straining around him is the ultimate proof: no one else could ever fill you the way he does.
Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)
it’s not just a high sex drive, it’s obsession. punk thinks about you constantly. he’ll jerk off to the thought of you when you’re not around, and when you are around, he wants you every night, sometimes multiple times a day. if you try to say no, he sulks, gets agitated, mutters about how you owe him because he’s the only one who loves you this much. his sex drive isn’t lust, it’s need, and it borders on terrifying.
Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)
punk doesn’t fall asleep right away. after sex, he clings. he keeps you locked against him, arms tight, chin on your hair, whispering possessive mantras until you’re out cold. even then, he’ll stay awake, watching you, making sure you don’t slip away in the night. when he finally does drift off, it’s with a death grip on you, like if he lets go, you’ll disappear forever.
synopsis: on the surface, cody is everything clean-cut. honour, legacy, gold. but you saw the mask slip once, and now you can’t unsee it. he wants you because you see him, the ambition, the darkness, the violence under the white light. and when he decides you’re going to be his, he wraps you in red, white, and ruin.
warnings: reader mentions an abusive ex. cursing. toxic.
part one // part two // part three
you hadn’t meant to walk in on anything.
your kit was slung over your shoulder, the night mostly behind you. one more round of check-ins, one more brush left behind somewhere it shouldn’t be, and then freedom. you knew the layout of the arena by muscle memory at this point backstage corridors, half-lit hallways, shortcut routes. you could navigate it blind.
which is probably why you didn’t notice the warning signs until the door slammed behind you.
the storage room was dim, lit by the flicker of one bad overhead bulb. the air was thick with heat and sweat and something else. anger, sharp and alive. and in the middle of it all, back turned to you, was cody rhodes.
he didn’t hear you at first.
he was breathing like he’d just run a war. suit jacket discarded, shirt half-untucked, blood blooming faintly across his knuckles. he punched the metal locker again, the impact loud and raw, echoing off the concrete walls.
you froze.
another slam. this one with a snarl beneath it, low and ragged.
"fucking liars", he spat, voice cracking. "all of them."
you should’ve stepped back. closed the door. pretended you hadn’t seen anything.
but you didn’t.
you stood there, silent, watching as the perfect image of cody rhodes, the polished, polite legacy, shattered right in front of you. this wasn’t the man who tipped his head at you before shows, or thanked you for setting powder. this wasn’t a man built for the spotlight.
this was something darker. wild. real.
he finally turned.
you weren’t sure what startled him more, that someone had seen him like this, or that you weren’t looking away.
his chest rose and fell, nostrils flared. blood trickled slowly down one hand. his eyes locked on yours, wide, unguarded. and then narrowed.
"you lost?", he asked, voice quieter now. not calm. just low. dangerous.
you swallowed. "no. i left something behind."
you held up your brush roll like a shield. his gaze flicked to it, then back to your face. he didn’t laugh. didn’t move.
and you still didn’t run.
"you saw", he said simply.
you nodded, because lying would’ve felt insulting.
he stared at you a moment longer, head tilted slightly, eyes cold and assessing.
"everyone else sees the light", he said. "you caught the fire."
he stepped closer, slow, measured.
"next time", he said, "knock first."
he walked past you without another word, the scent of blood and sweat and something almost sweet clinging to the air he left behind.
you didn’t move for a long time.
because now you knew, cody rhodes wasn’t a myth. he was a man.
and he was unravelling.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the following week was when you noticed the change.
at first, it was small. easy to chalk up to coincidence. a glance in the hallway. a moment too long at catering. you’d pass each other backstage and feel his eyes track you, not in the way some wrestlers did casual, harmless, forgettable but with intention. still. focused. like he was memorizing something.
like he’d already started.
cody wasn’t assigned to you, not officially. you were mostly working with new talent lately young, green, eager. not him. he had his own people.
but he came to you anyway.
it was right before a promo shoot. the other artist assigned to him was late, or sick, or replaced. you didn’t ask. you just heard your name over the radio, and then there he was seated in the chair, hands folded neatly in his lap, waiting like he’d never considered any other option.
"morning", you said, keeping it professional, light.
he nodded. "glad they sent you."
his voice was calm, low, the same voice he used for press and soundbites. but his eyes they weren’t smiling. they were watching.
you picked up a sponge, kept your hands steady.
"big segment today?" you asked, defaulting to small talk. familiar ground.
cody hummed. "yeah. big story beat. got blood feuds, legacy monologues, the usual drama." he paused. "you ever watch the shows?"
you blinked. "sometimes."
"not a fan?"
"i work in the machine. it’s different."
he smiled at that. this one real, brief. "smart girl."
the compliment landed strangely. too soft. too intentional.
you brushed powder over his jaw, and he stayed perfectly still. too still.
"you always come in this early?" he asked.
you hesitated, just a beat. "sometimes. depends on what i'm doing"
his gaze flicked up. "you were here at six-forty yesterday."
you stopped moving.
he didn’t look away.
"i was walking past", he added, like that explained anything.
you said nothing. went back to your work.
"medium roast", he said after a moment. "one cream. no sugar. you take it from the lobby cart. only on mondays."
your fingers stilled again. you met his eyes in the mirror.
"i notice things", cody said simply.
you set the sponge down.
"that’s not noticing", you said quietly. "that’s watching."
a pause.
"i watch what matters", he said.
there was no heat in it. no smirk. he didn’t sound like a man flirting. he sounded like a man telling the truth.
and somehow, that was worse.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
it started with the coffee.
the next monday, it was already waiting for you medium roast, one cream, no sugar. set carefully on your makeup table before you arrived. no note. no name. just there. warm. waiting.
you stared at it too long before touching it. told yourself it could’ve been anyone. but you already knew.
you drank it anyway.
then came the shirts.
you liked band tees. always had. It was a quiet little rebellion in the sea of black polos and branded gear. that day, it was a faded joy division one. old, soft, full of holes that only made you love it more.
he didn’t say anything at first. just sat in your chair, let you prep his skin like usual. quiet. still.
then he broke the silence.
"unknown pleasures."
you blinked. "what?"
cody nodded toward your shirt. "that’s the album. the design. first track’s disorder.", he paused. "good choice."
you gave him a look. "you a fan?"
"i listen", he said. "but no i looked it up."
you raised a brow. "you looked it up?"
"wanted to know what kind of girl wears ghosts on her chest."
you didn’t respond. just reached for the powder brush. but your hand shook a little.
he noticed that too.
later, you checked your socials.
you didn’t post about joy division. not on the main. mot on your stories.
but two years back, on your private Instagram, the one with maybe twenty followers you’d posted a late-night photo of your record player. the caption just said:
"disorder on repeat. ghosts don’t lie."
you’d forgotten it even existed.
he hadn’t.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you were blending a bruise into his jaw when it happened.
when you told him too much.
he’d taken a hard elbow during his match, and the swelling was already purpling beneath the skin. you stood close, angled into the light, your thumb anchored against his cheek as you worked the sponge in careful circles.
"always the left side", you muttered without thinking. "guess trauma really is a pattern."
he smiled at that. lazy. almost distracted.
"you sound like you’d know."
you hesitated.
"yeah", you said, still focused on the bruise. "my ex used to hit the same side, too."
the words just came out. not dramatic. not heavy. just fact.
you didn’t even look up.
but he did.
the air in the room shifted. slowed.
you realised your mistake the second you felt it that stillness in him. That quiet storm.
he wasn’t smiling anymore.
"your ex hit you", he said flatly.
it wasn’t a question.
you shrugged. "it was a long time ago."
"that doesn’t make it nothing."
you looked at him then. his jaw was tight. His hands clenched around the armrests. his whole body had gone hard not with rage, exactly. not performative anger. something deeper. personal.
you tried to wave it off. "i’ve been through worse."
"who put that idea in your head?" he asked. "that you should have to rank your pain?"
the intensity in his voice made you falter.
you moved to your brush kit, suddenly needing something to do. "it’s not a big deal."
"it is to me."
that stopped you cold.
you turned slowly. "why?"
his eyes didn’t leave yours. not even for a second.
"because you told me", he said. "you don’t tell anyone anything."
you didn’t respond.
he stood.
you tensed automatically, a flicker of old reflex. he saw it and stilled.
"i’d never touch you like that", he said, voice low. firm. "but if you ever tell me who he was what he looked like what he did"
he stepped forward, just close enough to drop his voice into a whisper.
"i’ll make sure he never breathes easy again."
your throat tightened. the words were terrifying. gentle. true.
and even though you knew you should feel cornered, exposed you didn’t.
you felt seen.
you felt safe.
and maybe that was the scariest part of all.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the night had burned out.
another show wrapped. the last echoes of pyro faded into the rafters. you moved through clean up on autopilot packing up your brushes, wiping down palettes, slipping into that soft post-adrenaline haze.
you were almost done when lena, the other make up girl walked in.
she looked tired, smudged with powder and hairspray like always, clutching her big thermos like it was a lifeline. she dropped into the chair beside yours with a groan.
"god, my feet are gonna sue me", she muttered.
you smiled faintly. "should’ve worn the ugly orthopaedic sneakers."
she gave you a look. "never. death before foam soles."
the silence that followed was comfortable until it wasn’t.
lena looked at you. really looked.
"hey", she said slowly. "can i ask you something?"
you glanced over. "sure?"
she hesitated. then
"are you and cody something?"
You blinked. "what?"
"i’ve just seen the way he’s been around you lately. and he’s not like that with anyone. i mean, ever."
you said nothing.
lena leaned in a little, her voice quieter now. not dramatic. not judgmental. just careful.
"just be careful, okay? he’s intense."
you frowned. "you think he’s dangerous?"
she didn’t answer right away.
"i think he picks people who don’t get picked."
that hit harder than you expected.
lena stood, brushing off her jeans, like she hadn’t just left a crack behind her.
"i’m not saying he’s bad. i’m saying he notices things no one else does. and once he does? he doesn’t stop."
you watched her go. her words sank deep. but you didn’t know how to hold them.
and when you left the arena that night, you found a small white rose taped to your locker.
synopsis: you were once in a relationship with jey before he joined the bloodline. he was sweet, loyal, and vulnerable. years later, he’s changed- hardened, cruel, ruthless. when you get rehired by wwe, he sees you again… and decides you’re his, no matter who you’re with now.
then, carefully, he stepped forward, not pushing, just there and pulled you into his chest.
you let him.
because you didn’t know where else to fall.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you didn’t remember when you started crying again. somewhere between the silence and his arms, it happened without warning.
jey didn’t say anything.
he just guided you back into the room. closed the door behind him. took off his hoodie and tossed it over the back of the chair. you stood in place, trembling.
he looked at you, not like a predator now, but like a man watching something fragile teeter on the edge.
then he moved.
quiet, deliberate.
he turned the bathroom light on low and started the water. you heard the faint sound of him twisting the cap off your lavender bath soap, the one you kept tucked deep in your bag, the one only he used to know you liked.
your throat tightened.
he ran the water until it steamed. lit a single candle from the drawer beside the sink. you hadn’t even known the hotel gave those out.
when he came back out, he walked past you without touching. just opened the mini fridge, took out the yogurt cup you bought yesterday and didn’t eat.
"you ate yet?" he asked.
you shook your head, barely audible.
he nodded once. set the yogurt on the nightstand beside you. grabbed a protein bar from his jacket.
you still hadn’t moved.
"sit down" he said gently. "you’re shaking."
you sat.
he knelt in front of you and unlaced your boots. took them off, one at a time. then peeled off your socks. you didn’t stop him.
he looked up at you. "you wanna get in the tub now?"
you hesitated.
he offered his hand, palm up. not pulling. just waiting.
and you took it.
because you didn’t want to think anymore.
because his hands, no matter what they’d done, still knew how to hold you without letting you break.
he helped you undress. never rushed. never leered.
just there.
present.
silent.
you sank into the hot water and closed your eyes. it was the first time your body felt human in days.
when you opened them again, he was still there, perched on the edge of the sink, forearms on his knees, watching you.
"you don’t gotta be strong right now" he said. "not with me."
a sob crawled up your throat.
you swallowed it.
he reached forward and brushed a damp strand of hair from your face.
"you remember when you used to call me after matches?" he murmured. "voice all tired, eyes red, but you still tried to sound okay?"
you nodded weakly.
he smiled, soft, bittersweet.
"you don’t gotta pretend for me anymore. i see you. i always see you."
the way he said it…
it sounded like a vow. like a promise. like a noose tightening just slow enough that you mistook it for comfort.
you nodded again.
"i know" you whispered.
he kissed your forehead.
"you mine again yet?"
your breath caught.
you didn’t answer.
he didn’t need you to.
because you were already here. letting him feed you. wash you. touch you.
letting him own you again, one gentle lie at a time.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you hadn’t planned to walk in with him.
not exactly.
you got out of the car first. keycard in hand. hoodie pulled low. you told yourself you’d get to gorilla position before anyone saw you.
but then the passenger door opened.
and jey was right there behind you, just far enough to give the illusion of distance. just close enough that your body could still feel his heat.
you glanced at him once. he didn’t say a word. just nodded forward.
so you walked.
together.
it didn’t take long before people noticed.
not outright. not yet. wwe ran on whispers before anything else.
but you saw it, the way a ref glanced between you two as he passed, how a backstage interviewer gave you a tight, questioning smile. one of the women in catering tilted her head when jey stood a little too close behind you in line.
you didn’t say anything.
you didn’t have to.
because the only one who touched you that day was him.
a hand at the small of your back when you moved through a crowded hallway.
his fingers brushing your wrist when you reached for a bottle of water.
a thumb dragging softly along your hip when no one was watching.
when rhea saw you, really saw you, her brow furrowed. "hey" she said, gentle. "you good?"
you smiled.
tight. fragile. lying.
"yeah. just tired."
her eyes flicked over your shoulder.
jey was leaning against the wall across the corridor. hood up. watching. unblinking.
"right" she said slowly. "well, if you ever wanna grab coffee or talk or… y’know. not be stared at like you’re a chew toy"
"rhea", jey called from behind you, his tone low but heavy.
she turned her head toward him, eyebrow raised. "you good?"
his stare didn’t shift. "you done?"
you opened your mouth.
rhea beat you to it. "you always speak for her now?"
"i speak to her. you just interrupt."
her jaw twitched. "yeah. not creepy at all."
you stepped forward, heart thudding. "rhea, it’s fine."
she looked at you. really looked.
but you were already pulling away.
already walking back to jey, who didn’t so much as touch you when you reached him but his presence felt like a collar anyway.
he murmured, "people don’t get it yet. but they will."
you looked up at him.
and for a moment, it didn’t feel like fear.
it felt like home.
that was the scariest part of all.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you hadn’t expected to see him so soon.
finn was halfway down the hallway, in ring gear, towel slung around his neck, laughing with dom and jd and then his eyes landed on you. the laughter stopped. the others kept walking.
he didn’t.
you stood still.
you told yourself not to look back at jey. that it would only make it worse but the weight of him was already there. you felt it behind you. in your spine. in your skin.
finn stepped closer. "you alright?" he asked quietly. the irish lilt sharper than usual. "heard you didn’t come in yesterday.”
"i’m fine" you said. flat. not quite believable.
his gaze dropped to your arms, the faint bruises on your wrists.
you shifted. he took another step forward. "look, i don’t know what’s going on, but"
you didn’t see jey move. you felt him. a warm palm on your lower back. a breath at your ear.
"she’s good" he said, smooth as silk, eyes never leaving finn. "aren’t you, baby?"
your stomach twisted. finn’s jaw flexed.
"you got something to say?" jey asked, voice still calm. "go ahead. say it to me."
finn’s mouth tightened. "i don’t think she wants you speaking for her."
"i don’t. i don’t need to." his hand slid slowly up your spine. "i speak to her. she listens."
the silence cracked like ice underfoot.
finn looked at you. "is this what you want?" he asked softly. "really?"
you didn’t answer. because jey’s fingers were already curling into your side. because your mouth was dry and your throat wouldn’t move.
because you’d already chosen.
LATER: PRIVATE HALLWAY, DOOR LOCKED
he didn’t speak when he shoved you gently against the wall. didn’t scream. didn’t curse.
he just breathed hard, lips barely touching your ear. "you froze up on me out there."
"i didn’t know what to say."
"you don’t need to say nothin’. you just show me."
his mouth crashed into yours.
you whimpered, not from fear. from the sick rush of it, the way your body responded before your brain could protest. he kissed you like a punishment. like a warning.
then his hands found your waist, your thighs, pulled. he lifted you against the wall, legs wrapping around his hips, and you felt how hard he already was , pressed firm against your center.
"think he could ever make you feel like this?" he whispered. "think he could fuck you so deep you forget your own name?"
your head dropped against his shoulder. "tell me."
"no" you breathed.
"no what?"
"no one else, no one feels like you."
he groaned, low, guttural and dragged your gear bottoms down just enough to bare you. he didn’t waste time. didn’t ask. didn’t need to.
he knew you were wet. you always were, for him.
he thrust in one smooth motion, hips grinding, teeth grazing your throat as you gasped into his hoodie. the rhythm was fast, tight, deep, consuming.
"you feel that?" he grunted, hand gripping your jaw to keep your eyes on his. "that’s mine. that’s all me."
you nodded helplessly.
"say it."
"i’m yours" you cried.
"louder."
"i’m yours, jey. fuck, i'm yours." the words broke out of you like truth wrapped in sin.
his grip softened for half a second, just enough to cradle the back of your head as he pushed even deeper. "don’t forget it" he whispered against your lips. "you see him again? let him look. let him see what he lost."
you clenched around him and he knew. you were close.
he smiled against your mouth. "you gonna come for me?"
"yes"
"beg."
you choked on a whimper.
"beg for me, baby."
"please, please let me come, jey, i need"
"good girl."
you shattered in his arms, legs trembling, body twitching against the wall as he followed you over the edge, burying himself deep with a groan against your throat. after, he didn’t move for a while. he just held you there, breath steadying, hand stroking down your spine. then he whispered:
"mine. now and always."
you didn’t answer. you didn’t have to.
your silence was surrender.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you woke to the soft knock just past 9 a.m.
for a second, you thought it might be housekeeping. or catering. something harmless.
you pulled the door open, bleary-eyed.
no one stood there.
just a black gift bag on the floor. matte. heavy.
no tag. but you didn’t need one.
you knew who it was from before you touched it.
inside: a custom-stitched black hoodie with "main event princess" embroidered in metallic red across the chest.
below it, a smaller box, red velvet. your fingers trembled as you opened it.
a necklace. thin chain. simple, but expensive. with a charm that made your breath catch:
a miniature replica of his uso glove.
you didn’t hear him walk up behind you.
but suddenly, he was there.
leaning in the doorframe, arms crossed, head tilted like he was admiring his work.
"fits you", jey said. "that name."
you looked up, startled, still half in your pajamas, bare-faced, vulnerable.
he stepped inside without asking.
took the bag from your hand and set it on the table.
"put it on" he said gently.
you stared. "jey"
"c’mon. just try it."
your fingers hesitated but moved.
you slipped the hoodie over your head. it fit perfectly. warm. familiar. dangerous.
he stepped closer. lifted the necklace. "let me?"
you didn’t stop him.
you couldn’t.
his fingers brushed your neck as he fastened the clasp. then he stepped back, admiring it against your skin.
"beautiful" he murmured. "you know why i got it?"
you shook your head.
"cause last night you listened. you trusted. that’s all i ever wanted from you, baby girl."
he lifted your chin with one knuckle.
"i reward my girl. don’t forget that."
your breath hitched.
you wanted to hate it. the control. the way he made obedience feel like affection.
but part of you, part of you felt safe. like the world finally made sense again.
and that scared you more than anything.
he leaned in and kissed your temple.
"get dressed. we’ll grab breakfast."
"together?"
he smiled. "always."
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the locker room was quieter than usual, most of the girls had already gone out for promos or pre-show prep.
you stayed behind, tying your boots slower than necessary.
the hoodie still hugged your frame. his hoodie.
the necklace sat against your collarbone, cool and heavy like a secret.
you heard the door open, then close again. soft footsteps. familiar ones.
rhea.
you didn’t look up. you didn’t want to see the look on her face.
but she didn’t leave. she didn’t speak right away either.
she sat down on the bench across from you, elbows on her knees, brows drawn low.
"you good?" she finally asked.
your fingers paused on the laces.
you nodded. "yeah. fine."
"right." she let that word sit a little too long. "that why you haven’t hit me back all week?"
you swallowed. "been busy."
"with jey?"
you looked up, sharp, involuntary.
she saw the flicker. she didn’t flinch.
"i’m not trying to start shit" she said, voice softening. "i just i’ve been where you are. and it’s not always easy to see it when you’re in the middle of it."
"see what?"
"you don’t look like you anymore."
the silence thickened.
you looked away. "i’m just tired."
"no. you’re small. you used to walk in here and own the room. now you’re shrinking into his shadow."
your throat tightened. "you don’t know anything about it."
"i know what it’s like to mistake obsession for protection" she said. "i know what it’s like to have someone twist love into a leash."
you stood. "you’re wrong."
she stood too. "then look me in the eye and tell me you’re happy."
you turned your back.
that was answer enough.
rhea exhaled through her nose. stepped closer.
"i don’t care what’s going on between you two. i don’t need details. but you should know people are noticing."
"noticing what?"
"the way you flinch when someone calls your name. the way you walk like you’re not allowed to look around without permission."
you clenched your jaw.
"just be careful" rhea said, softer now. "because once you stop recognizing yourself in the mirror, it’s real hard to come back."
you didn’t respond.
you couldn’t.
but your hands were shaking when she left.
and when you turned toward the mirror, for just a second…
you didn’t recognize the eyes staring back.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you told yourself it wasn’t a big deal.
just a small decision. you wanted space. just a little.
so when bayley offered you a ride to the hotel, you said yes.
you didn’t text jey.
you didn’t lie.
you just didn’t include him.
he was already there when you got to your room, sitting outside the door, hoodie up, forearms resting on his knees.
he didn’t look up when you approached.
didn’t say anything until you stopped two feet from him.
"you get stuck at the arena or you just decide i’m not worth the ride anymore?"
your breath caught.
"i just needed some air."
his head tilted, slow and deliberate. "and you didn’t think you could say that to me?"
you looked at the keycard in your hand. suddenly it felt heavy.
"i didn’t mean it like that."
"you sure?"
he stood. quiet. not angry. worse, unreadable.
your back hit the wall before you even realized he was stepping forward.
his hand pressed next to your head, not touching you, but boxing you in.
"is there a reason you’re being distant?" he asked, low and level. "you got somethin’ on your mind you wanna say?"
"i..."
he leaned in, voice soft. "you talk to someone?"
you blinked. "what?"
his eyes darkened. "rhea. she say somethin’?"
you shook your head too quickly.
he stared at you. silent.
then, like flipping a switch, he smiled. just a little.
"see" he murmured, fingers brushing your jaw. "i know you better than anyone. i know what you do when you’re starting to spiral. you get real quiet. real cold. like you wanna test if i’ll chase."
his thumb stroked your lower lip.
"you don’t have to test me, baby. you already know. i’d chase you through fire."
you swallowed hard.
his mouth barely ghosted over your cheek. "but i don’t like games."
"i’m not-"
"you think i don’t notice you pulling away?" his voice dropped. "skipping my texts? taking rides with other people?"
he stepped back just enough to make you ache from the absence.
"i give you everything. i see you. more than he ever did. more than any of them do. i lift you up when you’re crumbling, and you treat me like some obligation?"
tears pricked the corners of your eyes.
"i’m sorry" you whispered.
his whole body relaxed. his smile returned.
"there she is."
he opened the door for you.
"go on inside. i’ll make us something."
you walked in.
he shut the door behind you.
and you realized, that small step you tried to take?
he'd erased it.
replaced it with a deeper kind of loyalty.
the kind born not from choice but fear
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you weren’t even booked for the segment. you were supposed to be in catering. killing time. staying invisible like you’d learned to do.
but the second you heard the shouting echo from the loading dock, the words "finn’s hurt" followed by someone calling for medical, your whole body froze.
you dropped the bottle in your hand.
and then you ran.
he was on the ground, sitting up but clutching his ribs, trainers crouched around him. scrapes across his shoulder. a bloodied lip. you didn’t even have to ask what happened.
you knew.
the story was already spreading: he’d been ambushed in the parking lot. cameras had caught the shadows but not the faces.
finn locked eyes with you as you approached. he didn’t say anything.
but he looked like he knew you knew too.
your stomach churned.
you turned away before the tears could start, headed straight for the person you hoped wasn’t involved.
but you already knew better.
you found jey alone in one of the quiet corridors near the production offices, leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone like nothing had happened.
he looked up when you stepped in.
and smiled.
that smile. the one he wore when he wanted you to feel safe. the one that meant the opposite.
"you good?" he asked, pushing off the wall. "heard you had a rough night."
you stopped a few feet away. your jaw clenched so tight it hurt.
"you did it."
his head tilted slightly. "did what?"
"don’t-" your voice cracked. "don’t lie to me."
he tucked his phone in his pocket, slowly walking closer. "you need to calm down"
"jey."
that stopped him.
you blinked back tears, throat closing. "finn got jumped. out there. someone was waiting for him."
jey’s expression didn’t change.
you stepped forward. "he’s bruised. bleeding. they said it was two guys, masked. silent. precise."
still nothing.
"i told you i ended it" you whispered. "i haven’t even spoken to him. he didn’t deserve that."
"you’re right" jey said softly. "he didn’t deserve that. he deserved worse."
your heart dropped into your stomach.
"i didn’t touch him" he continued, voice calm. "didn’t have to. but if you think i wouldn’t do anything to protect what’s mine"
he took another step.
"then you don’t know me like you used to."
you stepped back.
"i’m not yours" you said, shaky.
he smiled again. "baby… you said that last time, too. right before you crawled into my lap and begged me to make you forget him."
your mouth opened, but no words came out.
"i take care of you. i build you up. i gave you something no one else could, a reason to feel safe. and the second that boy tried to crawl back into your head, i erased the problem."
tears streamed down your cheeks now, hot and fast.
"you’re a monster."
he tilted his head again. "nah. i’m a man who sees through the lies you tell yourself. you want someone to ruin you, sweetheart. you just needed me to make it real."
you slapped him.
hard.
his jaw flexed, but he didn’t react otherwise.
you turned and walked away.
didn’t run.
didn’t cry out.
you just walked.
because if you didn’t, you knew you’d break.
behind you, his voice called out, low, steady, cold.
"you’ll come back."
you didn’t look back.
not this time.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you didn’t answer the messages.
you didn’t even touch the phone.
it stayed face-down on the nightstand while you sat curled on the edge of the bed, knuckles white as your fingers clenched the hem of your sweatshirt, his sweatshirt. you didn’t mean to wear it. it was just there. like he always was. in the corners of your space. in the back of your mind. everywhere.
you’d left him.
you’d tried.
but he never really let you go.
even silence from jey was its own kind of presence, as if he was waiting, just beneath your skin, to remind you you were never free.
you took a breath, one hand moving to the ache just beneath your ribs. the kind of ache that didn’t come from bruises or strain, but something deeper. something called shame.
you remembered the last time you said no and still stayed.
you remembered how he whispered praise after breaking you down.
you remembered crying in his arms after letting him win again.
and now finn was hurt. rhea was worried. people looked at you differently backstage.
even you didn’t recognize yourself in the mirror.
something had to give.
you reached for your phone and didn’t open the message. you opened your contacts.
your thumb hovered.
then tapped: rhea ripley.
it rang once. twice.
"hey" she answered, alert, sharp, not even tired. "you okay?"
"i need out" you whispered. "i can’t be on raw anymore."
silence.
then: "say that again."
"i need out."
you swallowed hard.
"if i stay here i’m gonna disappear. and he’s gonna make it feel like my fault."
rhea didn’t speak right away.
then: "i’ll call damian."
you closed your eyes.
the pressure behind your ribs cracked open. not quite relief. not yet. but the first breath of it.
"you’re not weak" she added.
you didn’t believe her, not fully but you let the words settle anyway.
"i'll text you a time. don’t come in tomorrow."
you nodded to no one.
"thank you" you breathed.
rhea’s voice was low. "we’re not done until he doesn’t own you anymore."
the call ended.
and in the silence that followed, your phone buzzed again.
jey just checking on you, baby. you okay?
you stared at it.
then turned the phone off.
you were done pretending you could outrun him here. if you were ever going to survive him, you needed distance.
real distance.
and maybe, if you were lucky
a way to find yourself again.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
"it’ll go through after tonight’s broadcast" the producer explained, flipping through a folder of legal transfer documents. "no in-ring contact for the first week on smackdown, and creative’s been told not to reference anything unless you give the greenlight."
you nodded once, barely looking up.
damian hovered at your side, arms crossed like a guard dog in leather.
"she’s not doing promo work either" he added, his tone flat. "let her land first."
the producer gave a tight nod and left to finalize things. rhea leaned against the wall, watching you closely.
you still hadn’t spoken.
not really.
the silence was broken by the sound of boots on tile and the soft click of a door opening.
you didn’t need to look up to know it was him.
finn.
his presence filled the room in a way that wasn’t loud, but unavoidable.
rhea shifted, ready to block the space between you. but you raised a hand. "it’s okay."
she hesitated.
then stepped back.
finn walked in, slower than usual, hands in the pockets of his track jacket, face unreadable. the bruise on his jaw was faded now. a phantom echo of what had happened. of what had been done.
he stopped a few feet from you, and for a long moment, he didn’t speak.
then: "rhea told me."
you lifted your head slightly.
"told you what?"
"that you’re leaving raw."
his voice was soft, and it didn’t hold accusation. just quiet understanding.
you nodded. "i need to."
he nodded, too. "i figured."
you both stood there in the heavy pause that followed, not quite looking at each other, but not looking away.
"i wanted to hate you" finn said finally. "when i saw you with him the way you looked."
you winced, gut twisting.
"i thought you chose him over me. like i was never enough."
your throat went dry. "you were always enough."
that seemed to hit him like a weight. his breath caught.
"i didn’t know how to fight him" you whispered. "he doesn’t fight fair. he doesn’t let go."
finn stepped closer, cautious. like he was afraid you’d bolt.
"did he hurt you?"
you looked at him, really looked.
and then said, "yes. but not how people think."
he nodded again, jaw clenching, eyes glassy. "i should’ve seen it. i should’ve..."
"no" you cut in. "you tried. you were the only one who ever tried. that’s why he hated you."
finn looked like he wanted to touch you, your shoulder, your hand, anything, but didn’t.
"i just needed to say I’m sorry" you said. "for not being able to explain. for not knowing how to stop it. for letting it break us."
his voice was rough. "i’m just glad you’re trying to get away."
behind you, rhea and damian waited quietly, letting the moment breathe.
you took one small step toward finn, just enough to close the gap, and hugged him. quick. gentle. like something final.
when you pulled back, he smiled. sad and proud at the same time.
"go be okay" he said. "i’ll be cheering from the other side."
and just like that, he left.
you turned to rhea and damian.
"i’m ready."
rhea smirked. "damn right you are."
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the door to the smackdown arena creaked shut behind you, and just like that, the air changed.
it smelled the same, sweat, metal, pyro residue, but it felt different. cooler. quieter. not home yet, but not hostile either.
you walked slowly through the corridors, pulling your duffle behind you, hoodie up, head low. no fanfare. no promo. you didn’t even tell most of the locker room you were coming.
let them be surprised.
let him find out the way you once found out he’d followed you home, in the silence.
you passed a few road crew and got polite nods, curious glances. one woman you didn’t recognize whispered something to a security guard as you passed. you didn’t flinch.
you kept walking.
Rhea had requested a month on smackdown, she wanted to make sure she was by your side.
just in case
she was already waiting outside the women’s locker room. she leaned against the wall, arms crossed, that signature half smirk barely visible under her dark lipstick.
"they’ll announce it in the opening commentary" she said. "cole’s gonna say you made the jump for creative reasons. we both know that’s bullshit, but it’ll buy you time."
you gave a small nod.
"thanks."
rhea pushed off the wall and walked beside you.
"you’re sharing with me tonight" she added. "no single locker space yet. damian's got your paperwork handled, but it'll take a week to settle in."
you didn’t ask how she pulled the strings. you didn’t care. she’d done more than anyone else had.
you stepped inside the locker room, cold, clean, unfamiliar. you took a slow breath, closed the door behind you, and slid down to sit on the bench.
for the first time in weeks, your hands weren’t shaking.
you took your gear out. neatly. intentionally. just like you used to.
this wasn’t about proving anything anymore.
it was about remembering who you were before jey.
before the obsession. before the shame.
before you started mistaking control for love.
the monitor in the corner blinked on. the pre-show countdown ticked away. a graphic flashed across the screen:
BREAKING: Y/N Officially Joins SmackDown
your photo faded in, eyes sharp, titleless, fierce.
the pop from the crowd was audible even backstage. a murmur of confusion, then approval.
your stomach flipped. not in fear, in something almost like relief.
synopsis: you and punk are placed into a long-term onscreen pairing. a storyline romance meant to boost ratings. the chemistry is undeniable, but offscreen, punk is distant. until he’s not. he begins texting late at night. watching. testing boundaries. you realise he’s not method acting. the possessiveness, the tension, the jealousy, it’s all real. and if the storyline ends, he won’t take it well.
part one // part two // part three // part four // part five // part six // part seven // part eight // part nine // part ten // part eleven // part twelve
synopsis: on the surface, cody is everything clean-cut. honour, legacy, gold. but you saw the mask slip once, and now you can’t unsee it. he wants you because you see him, the ambition, the darkness, the violence under the white light. and when he decides you’re going to be his, he wraps you in red, white, and ruin.
warnings: 18+. cursing. smut. p in v. one mention of breeding kink. fingering.
part one // part two // part three // part four // part five
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you felt him before you saw him.
the dressing room was quiet, stripped of the usual buzz, the only sound the low whir of the overhead fan stirring the heavy air. you were hunched over your kit, sorting lip liners by shade, mind already wandering, when the door clicked shut behind you.
you didn’t need to turn around.
you knew it was him.
the weight of his gaze settled against your spine like a hand, familiar and scorching. you held your ground, fingers tightening around a tube of lipstick you didn’t realize you were still holding.
"you ran out on me this morning.”
his voice was low. even. almost gentle.
you forced a breath through your nose, setting the lipstick down with deliberate care. "i had work."
a pause. a beat of silence heavy enough to shift the atmosphere.
"don’t lie to me."
not a demand. not anger.
a simple, devastating fact.
you turned then, slowly, lifting your chin.
cody stood a few feet away, hands loose at his sides, like he wasn’t already coiled tight enough to snap. his hair was still slightly damp, curls clinging to his forehead. his boots were scuffed from the ring. he looked, unmade. undone.
because of you.
you swallowed hard. "i’m not lying."
he just looked at you.
really looked at you.
the kind of look that peeled you open, layer by layer, until there was nothing left to hide behind.
you tried to find something clever to say, something to stitch up the widening crack between you, but he was already crossing the room. slow. certain.
you backed up without thinking, bumping against the counter behind you.
he didn’t cage you in. he didn’t touch you. he just stood close enough that the heat of him blurred the line between your body and his.
"i don’t want to scare you", he said, so softly it almost didn’t sound like him. "but i’m not gonna pretend."
your breath hitched.
"what are you pretending?" you asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"that i don’t think about you all the time."
"that i'm not planning my life around your schedule."
"that i don’t wake up already reaching for you."
each confession dropped like stones into the space between you, heavy enough to bruise.
you tried to hold yourself together, to draw the line you both kept stepping over, but then his hand came up. slow. reverent.
he brushed his fingers along your jaw, featherlight, like he was afraid you might shatter if he pushed too hard.
you let him.
you leaned into it.
because somewhere deep inside you, you knew the truth
no one had ever wanted you like this before.
no one ever would again.
his thumb dragged over the corner of your mouth, lingering.
"you don’t have to be scared of me", he murmured.
but you were.
not because you thought he’d hurt you.
because you knew, without a doubt, that he wouldn’t.
and somehow, that terrified you more.
he dropped his forehead to yours, breath washing over your lips, heartbeat hammering through the small, fragile distance left between you.
"stay", he whispered.
not an order.
a plea.
you closed your eyes.
you could feel the gravity of him pulling you under, the inevitability of it.
you could still say no.
you could still save yourself.
instead, you nodded.
and when his arms slid around you, pulling you into his chest, you didn’t resist.
you melted.
you let him gather you up like something precious, something breakable, something he would fight the whole world to protect.
you let him hold you there, breathing you in like you were oxygen, like you were necessary.
and when he pressed his mouth to your temple, lingering, silent, worshipful.
you realised there was no turning back.
you didn’t want soft because you were weak.
you wanted it because no one had ever meant it before.
and cody?
cody meant it.
every dangerous, terrifying, beautiful word.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
once cody reluctantly let go of you, you moved to sit on the the edge of the couch in the centre of his dressing room, your hands slack in your lap, feeling the aftershocks of what you’d just agreed to.
the air between you and cody was heavy, weighted, but not fully uncomfortable. just tense.
then he moved.
slowly, like you were something fragile, something half-wild that might bolt if he came too fast.
he knelt down in front of you, his knees brushing the tops of your boots, and placed his hands palm-up on either side of your legs. not sexual. not demanding.
waiting.
your breath hitched. the invitation was obvious. come closer. let me.
you hesitated, not because you didn’t want to, but because some small, stubborn piece of you still believed you could keep a distance. that agreeing to stay didn’t mean giving in.
but he didn’t push. he just knelt there, head tilted up, his mouth soft, his gaze unbearably gentle.
it was you who leaned forward first. you who let your hands fall into his.
his fingers curled around yours like closing a door.
cody exhaled, a sound of pure relief and brought your hands up to his mouth, pressing a kiss into each palm.
not rushed. not desperate.
reverent.
"you’re tired" he said, his voice low, almost coaxing. "let me take care of you."
you should have said no. you should have said something sharp, something to remind him this wasn’t normal, that he was treading too close to a line you barely understood.
instead, you nodded.
he smiled, a small, private thing and shifted closer, settling between your knees.
one by one, he unlaced your boots, easing them off your feet. his touch was so careful it made your chest ache.
then he massaged your feet, slow, methodical, finding every knot of tension and smoothing it away with his thumbs.
you couldn't remember the last time someone touched you like that, not to get something from you, not to lead you somewhere, but just to be there.
it disarmed you more effectively than any threat could have.
when he finished, he didn’t speak.
he just rested his forehead lightly against your knee, breathing you in, anchoring himself to you like you were a lifeline.
your fingers twitched in your lap, unsure of what to do.
cody looked up at you then, his eyes so open it hurt to meet them. "you don’t have to do anything," he murmured. "just stay."
stay.
the word curled around your ribs like smoke, sinking deeper than it should have.
you nodded again.
and just like that, he smiled. not triumphant, not possessive.
grateful.
as if you had just saved his life.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
the next friday, smackdown blurred past you in a haze of travel and nerves.
you did your job. you smiled when you had to. Yyu kept your head down.
cody didn’t bother you backstage.
he didn’t even look your way when you passed him in the corridors, belt slung casually over his shoulder, talking business with a road agent like you didn’t exist.
you should have been relieved.
instead, you carried a tight, anxious weight in your chest all night, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
it didn’t fall until hours later, when you were alone in your hotel room, hair damp from the shower, flipping absently through tv channels you weren't really watching.
a knock came at the door.
your stomach dropped.
you didn't have to ask who it was. you knew.
still, you moved toward the door like you had a choice, like you could still pretend to yourself you were making decisions.
when you opened it, cody stood there, dressed down in dark jeans and a soft grey hoodie, casual enough to pass for normal.
except his arms were full.
gifts, you realized, your throat tightening. boxes, bags, a single white envelope tucked between his fingers.
he smiled, small and hesitant, like he was nervous.
"hey", he said. "can i come in?"
you didn't answer right away.
your silence stretched between you like a pulled thread, thin and dangerous.
cody waited, patient.
in the end, you stepped back.
he came inside without hesitation, brushing past you, leaving the scent of clean laundry and faint cologne in the air.
he placed the gifts carefully on the bed, as if arranging some kind of shrine, before turning back to face you.
"i know it’s a little much", he said lightly, "but i saw some things this week, and well. you were on my mind."
you wrapped your arms around yourself, feeling exposed in your loose pyjama shorts and old band t-shirt.
"you didn’t have to", you said, voice small.
"i wanted to", he corrected, smiling like you’d said something funny.
like there had never been a world where he wouldn't have.
he picked up the first box, small, heavy and held it out to you.
inside was a bracelet, thin and gold, your initials and his engraved so finely you almost missed it.
you stared at it.
you didn't reach for it.
cody’s smile didn’t falter.
"i thought it would be nice", he said softly. "something to remind you you’re not alone out here."
he set it on the dresser when you didn’t move.
next came a designer coat, thick, soft, absurdly expensive.
he unfolded it carefully, showing it to you like a magician revealing a secret.
"i saw you eyeing it last week when we were at the mall", he said. "i remembered."
you couldn’t even remember him being near you at the mall.
but apparently, he had been watching.
the last gift was the most unsettling.
a new camera, the exact model you’d mentioned once, months ago, in passing, during some offhand conversation about hobbies you barely had time for.
you hadn't even thought he'd been listening.
but he had.
he'd listened.
and he had remembered.
cody set the camera down with the same care he might have used handling something fragile, something alive.
then he straightened up, hands sliding into the pockets of his jeans, studying you.
"i’m not trying to scare you", he said. "i just i want you to have nice things. you deserve that."
you swallowed hard.
you wanted to tell him it was too much.
you wanted to tell him to take it all back.
but some part of you, the part that remembered his hands cradling yours, the part that remembered the careful way he knelt, didn't want to hurt him.
didn’t want to provoke him.
so you nodded, mute, and managed a shaky, "thank you."
cody's face lit up like you'd handed him the world.
he closed the space between you in three steps, pulling you into a gentle, loose hug.
you didn’t resist.
"i’ll always take care of you," he murmured into your hair. "always."
you stood frozen in his arms, heart hammering so loud you were sure he could hear it.
and somewhere deep inside, you realised
you were already his.
he hadn’t needed to ask.
his arms stayed around you longer than necessary, tightening just slightly.
not enough to hurt.
enough to remind you he was bigger, stronger, that you were tucked neatly against him with nowhere else to go.
"you’re so sweet", he murmured, lips brushing the shell of your ear.
"so good for me."
you shivered, not sure if it was fear or something else.
your hands hovered uselessly at his sides, unsure whether to push him away or hold on.
cody pulled back just enough to look at you.
his eyes flicked over your face, searching, serious and then, so softly you barely felt it, he kissed you.
it was almost chaste at first.
just a press of his mouth to yours, reverent, careful.
You froze, startled by the tenderness of it.
he deepened the kiss slow, sure, coaxing you open with soft insistent brushes of his lips, the warm tip of his tongue teasing at the seam of your mouth until you let him in.
you gasped against him, and he swallowed the sound greedily.
the kiss turned hotter, messier.
cody's hands slid down your back, finding the curve of your hips and pulling you against him, grinding slow enough that you couldn’t pretend not to feel how hard he was already.
"god, you’re perfect", he rasped against your mouth.
"i think about you all the fucking time."
one of his hands slipped under your shirt, rough palm dragging up your stomach.
you made a small, helpless noise in your throat, and that seemed to undo him.
he kissed you harder, devouring now, teeth scraping your bottom lip just shy of a bite.
"you don't know what you do to me", he muttered, voice shaking with restraint. "you have no idea."
his fingers found your breast, kneading softly at first, then rougher when you arched into his touch despite yourself.
you found yourself clinging to him, needy, hungry for the attention he poured into you like it was infinite.
he broke the kiss only long enough to yank your shirt over your head, tossing it somewhere behind him.
his eyes drank you in, the thin cotton of your pyjama shorts, the way your nipples peaked in the cool air.
"so fucking beautiful", he said hoarsely, like it physically hurt him.
before you could say anything, he kissed you again, hands roaming freely now, over your sides, your back, your ass, pulling soft little gasps and whimpers from you that only seemed to feed whatever dark thing was uncoiling in him.
he nudged you backward until the back of your knees hit the bed.
you toppled onto it, and cody followed, covering your body with his, caging you in.
for a long moment, he just looked down at you, his breath heavy, his pupils blown wide with lust and something more dangerous, more desperate.
"you’re mine now", he whispered.
"so fucking mine."
you barely had time to catch your breath before cody was pulling your shorts down, rough and impatient, letting them pool at your ankles.
"you’re not leaving this room", he said under his breath, voice wrecked and low.
"not until you understand you’re mine."
you opened your mouth to argue, maybe, but the words turned into a sharp gasp when he slipped two fingers inside your panties, finding how wet you already were.
"fuck", he groaned.
"look at you. so ready for me. knew you would be."
he shoved the thin fabric aside and slid a thick finger inside you, just one at first, working you open slow, deep, relentless.
your hips bucked against his hand, helpless.
"that’s it", he coaxed. "take it. take what i give you."
you whimpered, grabbing at his hoodie, desperate for something to hold onto.
"need you", you gasped.
he grinned, dark, triumphant.
"i know, sweetheart. i know. gonna give it to you."
he yanked his hoodie off with one hand, muscles flexing in the low, warm light, and then he stripped the rest of his clothes off, no ceremony, no teasing. just pure need.
your mouth went dry at the sight of him.
big, broad, flushed and already so hard it looked painful.
cody crawled back over you, grabbed your wrists and pinned them above your head with one hand.
"you stay right there", he murmured, voice like velvet dragged over gravel.
"let me take care of you."
with his free hand, he peeled your panties down your thighs slowly, exposing you inch by inch like he was unwrapping something precious.
when he finally looked down at you, fully naked and spread out under him, something almost snarled behind his eyes.
he lined himself up against you, dragging the thick head of his cock through your slick folds, smearing himself in you but not pushing in yet.
"you’re gonna take all of me", he whispered, forehead pressing to yours.
"you’re gonna let me ruin you."
you moaned, high and desperate, trying to rock your hips up.
he didn’t let you.
he held you down, the weight of his body and his strength overwhelming.
"say it", he rasped.
"tell me you’re mine."
you trembled, the need coiling tighter and tighter inside you.
"i’m yours", you whispered.
he still didn’t move.
"louder."
"i’m yours", you said again, voice cracking this time.
only then did he push inside, slow, brutal inches that stretched and filled you until you could barely breathe.
your fingers twisted uselessly in the sheets as he bottomed out with a ragged groan.
"fuck, baby", he panted, shaking with the effort not to lose control.
"you feel like heaven."
he gave you a moment to adjust, just long enough for your body to stop fighting the overwhelming fullness and then he pulled out almost all the way and thrust back in, hard enough to make the bed creak.
you cried out, and he swallowed the sound with a brutal kiss.
"you take it so good", he praised against your mouth.
"my good girl."
the rhythm he set was merciless, deep, punishing strokes that left you gasping, clawing at his back.
every thrust was a claim.
every filthy word was a brand.
"who’s fucking you like this?"
"you’re gonna come on my cock, aren’t you?"
"no one else gets to see you like this. no one."
You could barely answer, too far gone, pleasure building to a sharp, unbearable peak.
"that’s it, baby", he growled when he felt you start to tighten around him.
"come for me. come all over my cock."
you shattered with a cry, clenching around him so hard it dragged a broken moan from his throat.
he fucked you through it, chasing his own release now, messy and desperate.
"fuck", he groaned, hips stuttering. "gonna fill you up. gonna fucking breed you."
the words should have terrified you.
instead, they sent another shuddering wave of pleasure crashing through you.
cody buried himself as deep as he could and came with a low, guttural sound, spilling inside of you.
for a long moment, neither of you moved.
you just clung to each other, bodies slick with sweat and something darker, something binding.
he finally lifted his head to look at you, hair messy, face flushed, eyes wild and still hungry.
he kissed your forehead, your cheeks, your mouth, softer now but no less possessive.
"you’re mine", he whispered again.
"and i’m never letting you go."
you laid there, boneless and wrecked, your body trembling in the aftershocks.
cody didn't move.
he stayed buried inside you, caging you against the mattress, breathing hard against the side of your neck like he was afraid if he pulled out, you'd disappear.
slowly, you felt his hands move, not to leave, but to gather you closer.
his palm slid up your spine, possessive and heavy, pressing you tighter to his chest.
"mine", he whispered again, hoarse and almost reverent.
you shivered.
he shifted his hips just enough to make you gasp, still too sensitive, but he soothed you instantly with a kiss to your temple.
"i mean it", he said, voice low and dangerous now.
"you don’t fucking go anywhere."
you nodded, too wrung out to argue.
he pulled out finally, and you whimpered at the loss.
cody caught it, he caught everything and gave a dark little smile like he liked it.
like he liked knowing you felt empty without him.
he disappeared into the bathroom for a moment, then returned with a warm, damp cloth and cleaned you up, gentle, careful, but the whole time his eyes never left yours.
as if daring you to try and run.
you didn't.
you let him touch you, care for you, mark you without a word.
and when he was done, he crawled back into bed and dragged you into his arms again, tucking your head under his chin like you belonged there.
you stayed like that, hearts pounding against each other, until your eyelids started to slip shut.
cody brushed your hair back and whispered against your hairline.
"you’re gonna be good for me, baby. you’re gonna stay close. let me take care of you."
You nodded sleepily.
somewhere deep inside, a small voice whispered that this was too fast, too much.
that you should be scared.
maybe you were.
but you didn’t move.
you belonged to him now.
∘•···············•∘ʚ ♡ ɞ∘•················•∘
you woke up to the sound of your phone buzzing violently against the nightstand.
you groaned and tried to roll over, but cody’s arm was an iron bar across your waist, holding you down.
"where you think you're going?" he mumbled, voice thick with sleep and something darker.
"my phone," you croaked.
he didn’t let go.
instead, he reached out with his free hand, grabbed the phone, and looked at it himself.
you saw his eyes narrow at the screen.
a missed call from lena.
two texts from friends.
nothing crazy, but his grip on you tightened anyway.
"you don't need to talk to them", he said casually, tossing the phone back onto the table without giving it back.
your heart thudded uncomfortably.
"they’re just worried about me", you said carefully.
"worried?" he repeated, a slow smirk pulling at his mouth.
"you're safer with me than anywhere else."
the way he said it made something coil tight in your belly part fear, part something darker you didn’t want to name.
before you could answer, cody rolled you underneath him again, pinning you to the bed effortlessly.
"you’re not going anywhere, sweetheart", he said softly, but there was steel under it.
"you belong to me now. they don’t get to pull you away. no one does."
you stared up at him, your breath coming fast.
he leaned down, kissed you slowly, deeply a claiming more than a kiss until you were gasping against his mouth.
"i’ll give you everything". he whispered.
"i'll give you the world. you just have to be good for me."
you swallowed hard, nodding without thinking.
he smiled.
"good girl."
he kissed you again, longer this time, while his hands started to roam lower.
You knew you should be scared.
you knew you should say something.
but when cody touched you, when he spoke to you like that, the rest of the world melted away.
there was only him.
only his hands, his mouth, his promises.
soft-dangerous.
like sinking into quicksand and not even wanting to fight it.