Post by Dean Harper on Mar 18, 2022 20:11:54 GMT
The camera comes on once more to Dean standing behind the flickering candles.
“There are a few men in this contest I can’t as easily say I will toss aside. There are a few, I would say very few who I am aware of that I would be worried about seeing across from me in the match. Not because I don’t think I can beat them. But because of the more personal nature of our relationship.”
“Rob, best man at my wedding. You and I both know the complicated nature of our… friendship? Casual flirting? Whatever. We fight and we never let it hurt our feelings. Hopefully we can keep this professional-ish shaped. I know you are going all out and so am I. I think we’ll have a blast and still have drinks later. Assuming your wife doesn’t try to stab me.”
“I’m clear about what I want. I’ve never lied about what I want. I’m nothing if not brutally honest with my desires. I am an all you can eat buffet of desire. I want to be the world champion again because I think it will feel good because the money won’t hurt because it will make the last year and a half fucking worth all the bullshit to hold that title above my head again. But optics have always been more important to you.”
“You’re always good in the ring. Even when you’re not feeling it, you’re fucking beautiful. You hold yourself to a different standard now, I know. Still fighting the shadow of the Kane legacy, but much more comfortable in it then you used to be. Much more about the civilized good sportsmanship of the sport. It’s interesting to see the difference. Not that the violence is all gone, it can never really be all gone. There’s something unmistakably beautiful in your brutality, amour.”
“I love you more than anything, Warren. I know you want to get another shot at the world title. I know you’ve become sort of obsessed with it. I hope when we meet in the ring what happened isn’t personal. I want it. You want it. Neither one of us are selfless enough to let the other one have it. So we are going to fight it out. And know that when I toss you out of the ring, I do it with love.”
“Then there is, of course, my father. I would never do you the disservice of not going all out, ever. It’s been a long time since we’ve been across the ring from each other but I know you would want me to hold nothing back. To show you how much I’ve improved since the last time. I know you wish to get the world title back. That being a fourth time world champion would be the crowning achievement.”
“And I do want that for you. I do think you could also use the chance to go after Sabin again and really teach him a lesson. And I support that, Dad, you know I do. But I also want to kick his ass again.”
“I love you Dad. And I want you to have everything you deserve. Do I look forward to fighting you? Yes and no. Yes because i think we bring the best out of each other. No because I would hate to hurt you beyond what you can recover from. But that’s part of the fun, right?”
“Considering this match a harbinger to greater things to come. From me. From someone else. Either way it will be something worth remembering.”
The candles go out.
Dean sat on the couch with the tv on, he wasn’t really watching it but he knew the white noise helped keep the house from sounding so quiet when Warren was gone. He should go up to bed but he stays on the couch, tracing the engagement ring Warren gave him and the engagement ring on his necklace that had been Max’s. Two good loves of his life, reunited in the simple gesture of a hand. It was something he thought about a lot. Missing her, knowing that Warren still had some demons about how much Dean loved Max still. But he liked holding them together like this when he couldn’t sleep.
“Dean.” The sound of Angel made Dean sit up straighter and look over at the entrance to the living room.
“Hey Dad. Sorry, TV is too loud?”
“Tara had a request for something from the kitchen.” Angel looks at Dean with a look that seems to pull him apart and pinpoint the problem immediately. “You should be sleeping.”
“I know.” Dean got off the couch and turned the TV off. “I’ll go to bed.”
“Do you wish to talk?” Angel asked it with just the right amount of warmth that didn’t make Dean feel trapped.
“I hate sleeping alone. My brain doesn’t shut up. It’s not a big deal. Just a …thing I do when I can’t sleep.”
“You need your rest.”
“I know.” Dean moved to go up the stairs when Angel made a soft sound. “Yeah, Dad?”
“After the wedding.” Angel seemed to pause on the thought. “Will you and Damien be moving into the house Warren bought?”
“I was actually going to uh… bring that up to you.” Dean leaned on the railing. “What if Warren moved in here and he sold the house? Like, I know its very Adam’s Family to have three generations living in the same house and all But…”
“But?” Angel prompted.
“My therapist says I have abandonment issues. That’s why the idea of moving away from you…of taking Damien away with me scares the fuck out of me. I like living here. I like seeing you everyday. Warren agreed to it. So… if you don’t mind us still being here I’d like to stay.”
Angel gave him a soft smile, “Of course, Dean.”
“Cool. Cool. Okay, I’ll try to sleep.”
“Do not play on your phone.” Angel warned.
“Yes, Dad.”
“There are a few men in this contest I can’t as easily say I will toss aside. There are a few, I would say very few who I am aware of that I would be worried about seeing across from me in the match. Not because I don’t think I can beat them. But because of the more personal nature of our relationship.”
“Rob, best man at my wedding. You and I both know the complicated nature of our… friendship? Casual flirting? Whatever. We fight and we never let it hurt our feelings. Hopefully we can keep this professional-ish shaped. I know you are going all out and so am I. I think we’ll have a blast and still have drinks later. Assuming your wife doesn’t try to stab me.”
“I’m clear about what I want. I’ve never lied about what I want. I’m nothing if not brutally honest with my desires. I am an all you can eat buffet of desire. I want to be the world champion again because I think it will feel good because the money won’t hurt because it will make the last year and a half fucking worth all the bullshit to hold that title above my head again. But optics have always been more important to you.”
“You’re always good in the ring. Even when you’re not feeling it, you’re fucking beautiful. You hold yourself to a different standard now, I know. Still fighting the shadow of the Kane legacy, but much more comfortable in it then you used to be. Much more about the civilized good sportsmanship of the sport. It’s interesting to see the difference. Not that the violence is all gone, it can never really be all gone. There’s something unmistakably beautiful in your brutality, amour.”
“I love you more than anything, Warren. I know you want to get another shot at the world title. I know you’ve become sort of obsessed with it. I hope when we meet in the ring what happened isn’t personal. I want it. You want it. Neither one of us are selfless enough to let the other one have it. So we are going to fight it out. And know that when I toss you out of the ring, I do it with love.”
“Then there is, of course, my father. I would never do you the disservice of not going all out, ever. It’s been a long time since we’ve been across the ring from each other but I know you would want me to hold nothing back. To show you how much I’ve improved since the last time. I know you wish to get the world title back. That being a fourth time world champion would be the crowning achievement.”
“And I do want that for you. I do think you could also use the chance to go after Sabin again and really teach him a lesson. And I support that, Dad, you know I do. But I also want to kick his ass again.”
“I love you Dad. And I want you to have everything you deserve. Do I look forward to fighting you? Yes and no. Yes because i think we bring the best out of each other. No because I would hate to hurt you beyond what you can recover from. But that’s part of the fun, right?”
“Considering this match a harbinger to greater things to come. From me. From someone else. Either way it will be something worth remembering.”
The candles go out.
Dean sat on the couch with the tv on, he wasn’t really watching it but he knew the white noise helped keep the house from sounding so quiet when Warren was gone. He should go up to bed but he stays on the couch, tracing the engagement ring Warren gave him and the engagement ring on his necklace that had been Max’s. Two good loves of his life, reunited in the simple gesture of a hand. It was something he thought about a lot. Missing her, knowing that Warren still had some demons about how much Dean loved Max still. But he liked holding them together like this when he couldn’t sleep.
“Dean.” The sound of Angel made Dean sit up straighter and look over at the entrance to the living room.
“Hey Dad. Sorry, TV is too loud?”
“Tara had a request for something from the kitchen.” Angel looks at Dean with a look that seems to pull him apart and pinpoint the problem immediately. “You should be sleeping.”
“I know.” Dean got off the couch and turned the TV off. “I’ll go to bed.”
“Do you wish to talk?” Angel asked it with just the right amount of warmth that didn’t make Dean feel trapped.
“I hate sleeping alone. My brain doesn’t shut up. It’s not a big deal. Just a …thing I do when I can’t sleep.”
“You need your rest.”
“I know.” Dean moved to go up the stairs when Angel made a soft sound. “Yeah, Dad?”
“After the wedding.” Angel seemed to pause on the thought. “Will you and Damien be moving into the house Warren bought?”
“I was actually going to uh… bring that up to you.” Dean leaned on the railing. “What if Warren moved in here and he sold the house? Like, I know its very Adam’s Family to have three generations living in the same house and all But…”
“But?” Angel prompted.
“My therapist says I have abandonment issues. That’s why the idea of moving away from you…of taking Damien away with me scares the fuck out of me. I like living here. I like seeing you everyday. Warren agreed to it. So… if you don’t mind us still being here I’d like to stay.”
Angel gave him a soft smile, “Of course, Dean.”
“Cool. Cool. Okay, I’ll try to sleep.”
“Do not play on your phone.” Angel warned.
“Yes, Dad.”
Well howdy there pardner.