QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (CHAPTER 2: TWO TRUTHS & A LIE)
Aug 25, 2022 3:43:51 GMT -5
Post by Admin on Aug 25, 2022 3:43:51 GMT -5
ROCK HILL, NY ||| August 22, 2022
There was a crushed plastic water bottle on the table, label torn and dangling – he couldn't remember finishing it off, let alone mangling it. Every inch of his body hurt, that dull ache in his groin the most bothersome. His soiled gear bag was still beside the door, damp garments festering but it found it easier to just sit here and brood. It felt like the days were numbered, as if the universe had realized its error in letting a championship fall into his unworthy hands and was ready to snatch it back. A part of him knew that it was irrational but he couldn't stop that voice whispering in his ears, the one that sounded so much like Pyro's.
The 5BW Liberty Championship rested on the table, just a few inches from that crushed bottle, its faceplate glossy and gleaming. The thing that bothered him the most was the disrespect, the fact that he would have happily agreed to a match with Diana Tremblay if she had asked – the cheap shots and humiliation had been wholly unnecessary. That was a part of the business he had never truly understood, why some sought to make things personal, to tear down rather than face someone on honorable terms? Pyro had told him time and again that he was naïve, foolish to believe that any of the people in the wrestling business had any goodness in them.
He is not here, he thought, closing his eyes against the memories and all the heartache they brought rushing to the surface. He should be sleeping, should be recharging his body after a long day of travel and wrestling but he couldn't get his mind to shut down.
You're a fraud. A disgrace.
"No. I will never be this."
The words came out louder than he'd intended and he glanced towards the spiral staircase that led down to their bedroom on the ground level, hoping he hadn't woken his wife – it still felt so strange to think of her in those terms, even though they'd been married for more than two months now. On July 4th, their union was made official, the date specifically chosen because of what it said on the calendar: INDEPENDENCE DAY. He knew that people outside wouldn't understand it but the moment he had seen those words on a calendar, he'd felt it resonate deep down.
Everything kept circling back, kept wrapping itself around his neck, choking and cloying until he felt as though he might lose his mind. Sev sank to the floor, heels of his hands pressed against his burning eyes.
He had stepped out of his comfort zone at the last Victory show, making a foolish declaration of war only for Mia Castillo to be released a few days later – all the eggs in a basket for nothing and he wanted to curse his own stupidity. He should have known better, to take what was given and not overstep, despite what LJ told him to the contrary. He was not meant to chase the spotlight, to dream of bigger things. Disappointment was the only thing that awaited him at the end of that road.
His head lifted, his eyes seeing the red handle of the axe leaning against the wall inside the empty kindling box. Pushing up to his feet, he waited to see if his knees buckled. When they didn't, he shuffled towards the door, grabbing the axe as he passed. He stepped out onto the porch deck into the cool air, glancing at the sky. Still a couple hours to dawn.
━━━━━━━━┛ ✠ ┗━━━━━━━━
THUNK!
The sound was almost a reverberation, a rhythmic echo that pulled Lauren-Jane from sleep just as the sun was breaking over the horizon.
THUNK!
He heard the door open in the peace between swings. Heard but it didn't register.
"Sev," LJ stifled a yawn, still feeling rough from the long drive. She knew he hadn't been to bed. "You must be exhausted."
"I am fine," he lied. The last chunk of wood was lined up on the stump and he put his whole body into the swing, splitting it cleanly. The pieces fell away and he stood there for a few seconds in silence. "We are ready for the colder weather now," he turned his head, looking over at his wife, squinting as though he just realized dawn was breaking.
She moved out from under the porch overhang, taking a step towards him. Her mind was telling her something was off, though she wasn't quite sure what it was yet. "I made coffee. In case you want some."
Sev let the axe fall from his hand, watching it clatter against the busted-up wood before actually turning towards her. That simple gesture was so sweet that when he tried to speak, his voice was strained and he stammered the way he had when they had first met, shame making his cheeks hot. "Th-thank you."
She went right to him without hesitation, her arms sliding around his waist and hugging him as tight as she could. A sigh escaped her lips as those massive arms wrapped around her – he smelled good, woodsy and masculine. "I'm here, Sev. Whatever it is, we'll get through it together. If you lose again, nothing changes. You'll still be my hero. You know this, right?" She tilted her head back to look up at him. "You're better than any of these weekend warriors. You give it everything, always. You work so hard. It matters. Despite what you think."
"I do not want to be a hero." He murmured, his voice sounding hollow. Sev took a step back, creating space so he could look at her without strain. "I just want to be… complete."
