With Teeth (Cyrus and Vivienne)

[Vivienne Daniels]

Okayama Korakuen Garden, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, renowned for its beauty and historical significance. Located in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, the garden offered absolute serenity across a meticulously crafted landscape, which reflected traditional Japanese design principles. For the first time in her life, Vivienne Rodgers felt whole, at one with this gorgeous place, Heaven on Earth, for she too knew the unique beauty of offering serenity and sanctuary to her more traditionally minded very soon-to-be husband, Cyrus Daniels.

Just like their evergreen romance, the garden’s beauty and resilience comfortably withstood the demands of each season, bursting with cherry blossoms in spring, and lush greenery in summer. Hand in hand, Cyrus and Vivienne surveyed the land and picked out the perfect spot together from which to share the unique joy of one of their shared passions in life, fighting for everything they had.

Vivienne smiles, “Last week we faced off against Rini Ishikawa and Masao Akiyama coming out on top. They were good, we were better. Part of that is entirely based on how much we love and support each other. We know everything about each other and there are few people I can trust to have my back in the ring like I can trust Cyrus.”

“The same can’t be said for the team we face this week, can it? Nick Knight handicapped himself last week by not being a great partner to Kasey at all.” Vivienne spoke with faux concern. "Oh, Kasey, you poor thing," she cooed, her voice thick with insincerity. "It must be so tough for you, having a teammate who doesn't trust or believe in you. Honestly, that’s just not something I can relate to anymore,” Vivienne looked up at her trustworthy and dependable rock, and smiled as she felt his warm hand squeeze hers. “It’s just so sad." She sighed, her tone laced with mock sympathy. "But hey, at least he's still around, right? He hasn’t just demanded a partner he can rely on. I guess that's something."

The beauty of Vivienne’s smug smile rivaled that of her surroundings.

“But take heart, Kasey. At least, your brother can continue pretending you’re undefeated on a technicality, right? Because it wasn’t a singles match and you didn’t get pinned. It’s an argument I’ve seen a thousand times from your type. Personally, I would have punched Knight in the back of the head and forced his hand. But maybe you’re not used to showing your partner what you need, exactly, or maybe you just like sitting pretty on the sidelines. You’re new to IWF and this tournament so maybe you were hoping to get points without really doing anything. I don’t really know.” Vivienne shrugged, “Truth is no one knows you. Sure, when you can actually be bothered enough to participate, you can go hard in the ring. But you also rely on your brother to do all your talking for you. And that is pathetic. I’ve been in this business a long time. I’m the third generation. Technically, I got my first taste of Championship gold at just five years old, when my father brought home yet another title. He made me stand in front of a crowd, put the belt on my shoulder and for the first time let me speak for myself, let me cut my first promo as his Champion. If even that piece of shit trusted me to find my voice, what does that say about how little your brother trusts you to handle your own business?”

The rhetorical question hung in the air around the couple whilst Vivienne snatched a quick kiss from Cyrus, utterly seduced by the thriving beauty around them. She cleared her throat before she continued.

“Seriously though,” Vivienne spoke softly, “Girl to girl. Any man who tries to control what you say and do without consent is not safe. Trust me, I’ve collected enough red flags to qualify for the T-Shirt on that one. Let’s be real, most people still don’t understand, respect, or accept my choices in life, but they’re still my choices. And girly, take it from me, any man who doesn’t respect your growth and tries instead to shape you into their perfect vision of what he thinks you should be is a man you should run from, without hesitation. Any man who markets you and prioritizes representing himself and your family over who you actually are in your own right is a bastard. I don’t care if he’s family, I don’t care if he’s your brother. I know a control freak when I see one. I may sound like a bitch when I’m working, but I’m not completely heartless when I’m not. I’ve been there. Save yourself, and if you can’t, I’ll fuck him up, myself, just say the word. Real talk. I promise it’ll be for your own good.”

Vivienne squeezed Cyrus’ hand twice to let him know she wanted him to take it from here. Cyrus acknowledged her request with a grin, happy to take control again. She took the time to admire him as he spoke, clear and authoritative.

“Well, I guess Bertie really is an old romantic at heart. Apparently his early weddin’ gift ta me is a match against one of the toughest an’ most legit former Champions this company has ever seen over the last eleven years. A bloke who has up until very recently dominated every division he’s been unleashed upon. Someone whose body of work speaks for itself with impressive reigns across the Television and Invictus field in this Fed,” Cyrus said. “I’ve been lookin’ forward to our inevitable clash, since even before we were announced as competitors in this tourney, Nicky. Honestly, as one of the very few blokes around who has actually earned my respect by not bein’ a bitch an’ not being afraid to throw hands when necessary, I look forward ta beatin’ ya down like a bloody dog, ‘cause I know ya can take it, which is good ‘cause it ain’t like I’m gonna leave ya any other choice at Sacrifice.”

Cyrus chuckled, “See, I ain’t above givin’ ya your flowers boy, especially since there are plenty ta spare around here. As my Kitten can attest ta, I ain’t above givin’ praise when ya deserve it. And for everythin’ you’ve done over the last six months as the Invictus Champ an’ for everythin’ ya did across not one but two World Television title reigns before that, you’ve absolutely earned every bit of praise I’m showerin’ ya with right now. There is absolutely no doubt that you’re a bloke who puts his money where his mouth is in every fight. You shut up an’ defend yourself valiantly when the occasion calls for it instead of tryna BS your way around your surprisingly lengthy but dreadfully lacklustre reigns, unlike certain other supposedly unstoppable former TV Champions I could mention.”

Cyrus winked and then laughed. “Ya set a bar in this company. A bar few others have been able ta come close ta much less surpass as a fightin’ Champion, truly defendin’ against any and all comers, successfully defending one of your titles consistently an’ rackin’ up consecutive wins instead of tryna convince everyone around ya that it really was true blue fear an’ not absolute apathy that kept your position in IWF safe and unchallenged for so damned long. But as impressive and commendable as that all is Nicky, I can’t help but wonder if havin’ your moment stolen by a Sheila at Immortals hasn’t shaken you more than you’re ever gonna be willin’ ta admit publicly.”

“Serenity Holmes took so much more than your title, Nick, we both know it. She took away your status as a Dominant, and she took away your absolute control of the situation. That’s gotta be quite a kick in the balls. It’s a damn shame mate, really. Still, at least ya have not one but two mediocre consolation prizes waitin’ in your bed ta kiss away the sting of losin’ the only bargainin’ chip ya had against Bertie in your little war ta revolutionise the entire wrestlin’ industry right under his absurdly over privileged wop nose,” Cyrus grinned. “That alone makes you the envy of most blokes around the world, who like you have never been able ta find the perfect one so have to try and settle for two. Something I’d never allow myself to do,” Cyrus broke his flow to kiss Vivienne, passionately, the only one for him.

The kiss brought a fresh warm rosy blush to her cheeks that thrilled Cyrus almost as much as it left Vivienne breathless in the moment after their lips parted. They gazed into each other’s eyes, mutually lost for a precious few seconds, until they both forced themselves back to work. Business before pleasure as they say.

Cyrus cleared his throat, “Right, where was I goin’? Oh that’s right, I was talkin’ about how Nicky’s dominance seems ta be faltering as of late. There’s no shame in admittin’ ya may well have lost a step Knight. It happens ta the best of us, hell I only held a title that isn’t even recognised officially anymore for just a week, so I’ve never made myself as synonymous with bein’ a Champ around here as you have. At least not yet, anyway. I held a precursor ta the Invictus title, a belt you went on to re-establish and redefine as your territory, almost exclusively. But what happens ta ya now you’ve lost so much of your identity and importance to this company, mate? Have ya asked yourself that?”

“If not, ya bloody well should,” Cyrus said. “‘Cause I’d hate ta think I’m catchin’ the self-professed ‘God Slayer’ when his best days are behind him. I want ta face the Hollywood Butcher who is still at his peak, not the impotent Saviour who is slidin’ down past it even faster than he realises. I need ya ta nut up at least one more time when we square up this Tuesday mate, ‘cause if you don’t, I’ll not only push ya further down the points table than you already are, but I may very well eliminate one of Bertie’s biggest problems for him once and for all. I’ve never been one ta involve myself too heavily in the corporate politics of this business, but if Verona is prepared ta cut me a big enough cheque for it, I’ll have absolutely no problem puttin’ ya not only out of your own misery Nick, but his too. We do have a weddin’ ta pay for, after all.”

Cyrus and Vivienne stand together, hand in hand. Partners in this tournament, and soon to be partners in life. They smile, mutually defiant and resilient, finally being at peace with the fact that it had always been them against the whole bloody world.

---

[TW: CA, CSA.]

Typically Father’s Day wasn’t something Vivienne Rodgers or Cyrus Daniels had celebrated before having a couple of kids themselves, but now the almost married couple were in agreement that it should be celebrated, if only to replace the negative associations they had with their abusive paternal figures from deeply traumatic childhoods with more positive ones around their own little family.

On most occasions, both Vivienne and Cyrus could usually hold it together pretty well. Ongoing therapy had been a significant factor in neither of them being held hostage by their respective traumas as often anymore. For the most part, they were functional adults in a happy, healthy and beautifully blossoming romantic relationship. The vast majority of their time together since reuniting in January had passed without any major issues, and Vivienne was determined to keep it that way.

Cyrus was still tucking Noah and Liam into bed, when suddenly and without warning, Vivienne was rendered helpless, stricken with a sudden urge to cry, convinced that she was too disgusting to marry and sure that once Cyrus knew the true extent of her trauma and the depth of her pain that he would leave her, just as her other two fiancés, Xavier and Ulf had.

For months now, Vivienne had avoided detailing her hellish upbringing to the man she loved, choosing instead to couch the way her father and grandfather had violated and assaulted her in softer and more nebulous terms like trauma and abuse, but with the wedding only a few days away, she knew she couldn’t live with herself if she allowed Cyrus to marry her under false pretenses and without knowing the full story of what had happened to her. Up until now only her therapist knew every sordid and filthy detail of Jacob and Daniel’s most unpardonable and dreadfully perverse sins, and it took more than a few deep breaths for Vivienne to convince herself that Cyrus could and should be trusted with her darkest truth. They were more than just a couple now, they were a tag team. They had to be able to trust each other inside and outside of the ring.

Vivienne blinked back tears as best she could when she heard Cyrus coming, but she knew that he knew there was something wrong as soon as he entered the room. Instinctively, he rushed over to her on the couch, and began to wipe away unstoppable tears with a thumb, he held her gaze a while whilst she shook and her bottom lip trembled.

“What’s wrong, Kitten?” His tone was measured and soft, loving.

“I need to tell you something about me, something terrible. Something I should have told you months ago but didn’t because I was afraid of losing you, of throwing away our love and sabotaging the best and most important relationship I’ve ever had in my life. But with the wedding so close, I know it wouldn’t be fair to trap you. I need to tell you the truth about what my father and grandfather did to me.”

“You already told me they abused you and your brother.”

“Yeah,” Vivienne nodded, “But I didn’t tell you how, and I need to. You should know exactly who you’re marrying, if you even still want to, by the time I’m finished.”

“I’m sure I will, Kitten.”

“God, I hope so,” Vivienne took a deliberately deep breath to steel her nerves. “The abuse started when I was 8.” She went over the details of what they had done, how they had started with what seemed weird but normal things like pictures, touching and making it seem like a game. “To everyone else Dad and Grandpa were wrestling legends, and mom was in and out of psychiatric care, because they convinced her she was crazy,” Vivienne took another breath.

Cyrus was misty-eyed as he took both her hands and firmly squeezed, impressing upon her the strength she needed to continue. “When I was 12, I started to look so much like my Mom that Dad said he didn’t need her anymore, I could be the good girl and do everything she used to do because I was a big girl now, and big girls should be grateful to their fathers, especially fathers who were training them to be a big star. Grandpa said he hoped I knew how blessed I was to be set up for life in the family business, not all little girls were so lucky,” Cyrus caught more of her tears as they rolled down her cheeks, and his own strength started to falter. “I was 14 when Chester caught Dad and Grandpa …doing things to me the first time, they tried to get him to prove how much of a man he was by joining in, but when he refused, they called him horrible homophobic names and beat him. He still refused and so they beat him more. After that, taking beatings was Chester’s way of protecting me, he’d provoke them into beating him because as long as they were beating him, they couldn’t be hurting me. It didn’t end until we were both old enough to get away and look after ourselves a few years later. My relationship with neither Dad or Grandpa recovered, not even when Dad was dying of cancer and my clueless Mom insisted I should see him one last time.”

Cyrus didn’t mean to interrupt but he couldn’t help but embrace her, instinctively he held her to his chest, tighter than he ever had before. She felt his heartbeat, the rhythm gave her new life to press on until the end of her emotional outburst.

“Even now, when I think about it all these years later, I wish I had killed the pair of them myself. Cancer was too good for my dad. Does that make me a bad person?” Vivienne blinked as she looked up at Cyrus, and for the first time saw him share in her sorrow, tears silently rolled down his cheeks, his guard utterly compromised by Vivienne’s pain.

“Absolutely bloody not, Kitten,” Cyrus said, comfortable anger quickly replaced uncomfortable empathy, as his demeanour shifted back to his more familiar state.“If both bloody cunts weren’t already dead, I’d fuckin’ kill them myself. Ya know that nothing they did ta you was ever your fault, right? All this proves is what I’ve always thought. You are one of the strongest Sheilas I know, an’ I love ya more than I’ve ever loved anyone else in my whole life.”

“You do? You don’t think I’m disgusting? You still want to marry me?”

“Ya bet I do, darlin’,” Cyrus smiled. “Now more than ever, so I can be the bloke ya need. I will protect ya like no one else ever could.”

“Promise?”

“Absolutely, with all my heart.”

“God, what did I ever do to deserve you?” Vivienne’s smile finally broke through the tears, like blessed sunshine after intense rain. “I love you so very much, and I promise I’ll show you every day for the rest of our lives together.”