Paradigm Shift [On-going]

The truth will set you free

Dean knew struggle. Growing up in the east side of Cincinnati, he learned to be independent at an early age. He grew up in a single-parent household and, at times, he had to sell drugs to avoid getting beaten up. At a young age, he had to learn to be self-sufficient. Once his wrestling career began, he lived in box rooms riddled with cockroaches and stayed in hotel rooms without enough beds and had to sleep on the floor. Dean knew struggle, but since becoming a vampire, Dean learnt just how difficult struggling could be.

* * *
Dean

I didn't just want to get back to normal; I needed to. I wanted to test myself, prove that I was ready to go back to my job. Plus, I figured that the more I surrounded myself with human scents, the quicker I would become accustomed to them. Or at least, that was the plan. I was no longer a human. I was an animal who acted on instinct and I was flitting between depression and anger, feeling like I could cry one moment and hit something the next because im so tired of struggling, tired of being limited and controlled by what I am and it's getting increasingly harder not to lose it both inside the ring and out of it.

"The body takes time to adapt, but not nearly as much time as the mind. It can take up to a year for the body to fully settle after a transformation"

I was reminded of Frederick's words as I tried to find somewhere in the backstage area where I could get away from the constant stimulation. It seemed impossible, as every corner of the arena seemed to assault either my sense of smell or hearing. Entrance music, boos and cheers of the crowd, children's excited screams, clapping, endless voices backstage, chanting, the noise the body makes when it slams onto the ring mat. The smell of the food. Hot dogs, popcorn, beer. People's individual scents, sweat....blood. It was almost torture. I'd been so well prepared. I'd even figured out how to keep my blood supply chilled and mobile and I was coping with everything until WWE made Seth and i a team again.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

*Flashback*

Tunnel vision. One focus. The smell. Delicate but intense, and it made him want to follow it blindly. The scent gets stronger and his mouth waters as he approaches her. She doesn't notice him as her back is turned...

"Dean!!"

Seth's voice shakes Dean out of his transfixtion as he calls his name. He turns around and watches as Seth approach him.

"Have you heard? They want to team us up again''

Dean feels Seth's excitement hit him like a freight train. The younger man tries to hide how excited he is but theres no mistaking it and Dean feels bad for him.

''It'll be just like old times" Seth continued.

Dean sighs. It wouldn't be like old times at all. He was different. The old Dean was gone. Seth's mood soured as he noticed Dean's lack of response and several thoughts crossed Seth's mind. 'Oh god he hates the idea.'
'Maybe he still resents me for breaking up the Shield. He probably does.'

Dean had the urge to comfort him somehow. "Cool. Should be fun"

Seth smiled in response but his emotions didn't match his expression. "We gonna room together again, or do you prefer not to?"

Dean's body tensed. No, absolutely not. There was no way Dean could cope with sharing a hotel room with Seth on top of everything else. "Uh...no offense, but can we just stick to separate rooms?"

Seth was expecting a reason for Dean's decision, but Dean didn't have one to offer him. He couldn't tell him the real reason he didn't want to be around him for too long.

"Just for a bit" Dean added. "While I get used to being back on the road"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The conversation ended, but Seth couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on with Dean. Something about him was different, and he wanted to know what it was, so Seth watched him, and his suspicions only grew as he noticed things. Dean was leaner, faster, stronger, and that bothered Seth because now he was struggling to keep up with his tag team partner. Dean took bumps in the ring that would make even the most seasoned of wrestlers stumble, yet he recovered instantly. His hair had been balding for years, but now it was thick and the color was different. Dean preferred the locker room to be dark and cold. He hardly ate and only drank from steel drink containers he stored in a cooler (that he kept with him at all times). Seth was so convinced by everything he had seen that he told Roman about it, but the older man had dismissed his claims and had told him he was imagining things. However, Seth knew otherwise, and he wasn't planning on giving up until he found out the truth. Seth stayed quiet for almost two months until the night he and Dean recaptured the tag team championships. That night, Seth decided to confront Dean and demand some answers from him. He even convinced Roman to come to Dean's room with him, much to his disdain.

* * *
Dean

I could hear two heartbeats and two familiar voices outside my hotel room and they slowly got closer

'Seth, please think about what you're doing' Roman pleaded

'I've done nothing but think since we left the diner that day' Seth argued. 'you admitted yourself that there was something going on with him.'

'I did, but what right do we have to knock on his door and demand answers?' Roman asked

I took in their words, but only felt slightly comforted by them. Maybe Roman could stop Seth. Yet again, maybe he couldn't. Seth was a stubborn man who was used to getting his own way. He could be arrogant, selfish and damn right cruel when he wanted to be. However he was also reliable and a loyal friend. I could smell their scents and my mouth filled with venom as they moved closer. Seth banged on the door and I reached for my cooler. I'd done so well, but if Seth didn't leave in the next few minutes, I was going to ruin all my progress by ripping his throat out.

"We are vampires, Dean, and because of that, there will always be a beast in us that fights for control any time we are around a human. You will gain the control back and you will be around humans without feeling as though you will lose yourself, but it won't happen overnight. It will take some time"

Frederick and I had kept in contact over the phone and he always seemed to know what to say to make me feel better, but why did he always have to be right? And why did he have to be reminded of his words of wisdom when he was trying not to lose it?

'I'll break the door down Dean'

"Jesus Seth, just let it go'' I begged

If Seth breaks the door down, then what? I needed to create distance. Was I just delaying the inevitable? Probably, but I could hear Seth's heartbeat as it raced because of a combination of adrenaline and pain. The smell. I could smell Seth's blood. I barely made it off the bed before the door flew open. I froze on the spot. I eventually regained control of my limbs and tried to flee, but Seth stopped me by wrapping his arms around me. I felt every muscle in my body tighten with the effort not to attack him. I could have easily overpowered him, but i chose not to. Instead, in a desperate last minute attempt at gaining space i head-butted him. As Seth fell backwards onto his ass, i could finally breathe, but then the smell of fresh blood reaches my nostrils. Seth's nose is bleeding, possibly broken, and my eyes zoom in on the crimson substance as it flows down Seth's mouth and drips onto his chin. My body begins to shake and i can feel confusion coming from Roman as he watches everything unfold. I couldn't do this anymore. It was too hard.

''You want to know the truth then I'll tell you'' i mumbled as I sat back down on the bed "I'm a Vampire"