Physical Therapy

It had been a few weeks since Jon came to Chicago, and since I returned from my vacation. We officially began our relationship, he was my boyfriend. And I was elated.

I must have told the woman in charge of catering that I was dating THE Dean Ambrose a million times, she always just shook her head and laughed. We had gotten to the point where we cohabitated, or as Colby lightly put it, took Jon off their hands and tolerated his snoring. We shared a hotel room, and a bed, every night on the road, and he always road in the back seat with me during travel. I had found my own little piece of heaven in the Cincinnati street kid, and I couldn’t have been happier.

The Shield was on fire after WrestleMania, the guys had started a feud with Evolution, which included one of my work friends, Randy.

Of course Randy knew that I was with Jon, our stolen kisses in the hallway and his general overprotectiveness made it hard to ignore that, and Randy used it to irk Jon.

“You have to stop being around Randy, it’s killing me.” He looked at me in eyes, as I wrapped him up for his workout, we were in the hotel, only hours before Extreme Rules.

“You are letting him get in your head, he knows that. He knows I am with you, stop being a jealous turd.” I shot him a wink.

“You’re the only superstar in my heart.” Placing a kiss on the hand I just finished wrapping, “So don’t let him bug you, once your feud is over, he will move on and find someone else to irritate, it’s what he does best.”

“I don’t know, I just don’t trust him.”

“I never said you have to trust him, but trust me, nothing is going on.”

“Okay.” He said solemnly, accepting my reason and answer. He pulled me in for a hug, I wouldn’t see them until right before the match, and then I would only have time to tape them up before the match.

“Give ‘em hell today bub.” I pecked his cheek and rubbed the spot clean of any rogue lip gloss.

“I love you, princess.”

“I love you too.”

Yep. We had gotten there. I loved him, and I wanted him to know that. I just hadn’t gotten to the actual showing him part yet.

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Sitting in the locker room was unbearable, I was able to watch the Network stream on the TV in there and seeing the beating the guys took was awful. I had chosen to support them by wearing a special Shield hoodie that Jon had left behind for me in Chicago, it made me feel closer to him.

It was obvious that something happened to Joe’s shoulder in the beginning, I could see him swinging it, trying to loosen whatever happened up. During matches like this, especially at one where the theme is “extreme rules” I had to keep a list of all the injuries that worried me, any bumps that may have been actual injury causing.

I did take solace in knowing that they were working with complete pros, and that as much as Randy worked to get under Jon’s skin, he would never intentionally hurt any of them. I had to remind myself that wrestling is real, but it’s safe, they know how to take a bump, and how to sell it.

Sometimes too well.

And then I watch Jon run across both announce tables and land on top of Randy and Paul.

“FUCK JON!” I scream at the TV. He looks in pain, and with him I can never tell what is real pain, and what is a sell.

He’s so damn good at his job.

And I smile, I am so proud of him. We spent an entire day a week ago watching old Moxley matches and his first Dean Ambrose matches from FCW, seeing the character grow, it’s insane. His acting skills, his mic skills, and his wrestling talent is off the chart. I told him then, and will tell him a million times, he is a rising star and there is no end in sight.

Keeping my eye on the match I notice that they are deep in the crowd, he is battling with Paul and Randy near one of the entrance, beating himself up, holding his ribs in what looks like very real pain. I feel my heartbeat begin to increase, I don’t want to see him hurt, I don’t want to see anyone hurt.

And then Colby leaps off the second floor balcony, right onto Randy, Paul, and Jon. I drop my notebook and run out, I know where they are in the arena, and I know they have the area blocked off. I throw on my access pass and sprint to the area, I know the time limit they were getting and it’s towards the end. As I am running, I hear the bell, and then The Shield’s theme song.

They won, but my boys need me.

I see Joe carrying Jon fireman style on his back and Colby clutching his back in pain.
By this time we have worked out a code, status=tell me how the fuck you are feeling right fucking now, red=real, yellow=ouch, but okay, and green=I’m good to go, kayfabe, babe; as Joe had written on my notebook, like I could forget that.

“Status?”
I ask with an edge in my voice, expecting all reds and staring at Jon, wincing in pain. I am acutely aware that we are still walking through the main hallway, making our way to the backstage area entrance, surrounded by fans, but I have to know. I need to triage.

“Green.” Joe grunts as he sets Jon down, who leans on him for support.

“Yellow,” Colby grunts, “leaning strongly orange though.” He throws me a wink to let me know he is joking.

“Dean? Status?” He’s the only one who hasn’t answered, I grab my radio, ready to call for a stretcher as we hit the backstage doors, and it’s a red. I know it’s a red.

As soon as the door shuts behind us, I quicken my pace as I see a stretcher in the corner, he may not need the hospital, but he shouldn’t be walking.

“JON, STATUS!” I yell this time, no fans or cameras around, and I turn around. He is standing, perfectly straight behind me, classic Jon smirk plastered on his face.

“Lime green, princess.” He grunts out in his gravelly voice that has inspired hundreds of Tumblrs.

He leans down and gives me easily the best kiss he has given me yet. He smells like sweat, like man, his face is wet and so is his hair. He pulls my head up to his, so that I am clinging to him to balance on my tiptoes, he bites my lip and runs his tongue over the spot, pushing me to my limit. I run my hands through his hair and then down his back, before I slide them up his shirt at his waist, and then I hear the laughing. I pull away and see Joe and Colby doubled over in laughter.

“Don’t stop for us! We enjoyed the show!” Colby gets out in between fits of laughter with Joe, they then mock us, pretending that they are going to make out like us. I turn back to look at Jon, as we both laugh and stare at the other two third grade members of The Shield.

“Jonathon Good! DO NOT do that to me again.” And I punch him in the arm just like I do to Phil. “No pretending, no kayfabe, that’s why we have a code!”

“Ouch princess, I am a yellow.” He rubs his arm and gives me a pouty face.

“Do not joke with the statuses.” And I wag my finger in his face, “You are a very bad boy.”

“Yes, yes I am.” He says in my ear just loud enough for me to hear him as we all walk towards the locker room, “What are you going to do about it?” The teasing in his voice is a challenge, a challenge that I know he doesn’t think I am ready to meet but I am full of surprises lately.

We had some time from the end of the guys’ match to the end of the PPV. Jon’s ribs turned out to be bruised, I was able to wrap him with some ice and a heat pack during the time, it didn’t seem like there would be any long-term problems. And better yet, he was freshly showered and smelled amazing.

Colby had a pulled muscle, I was able to work it out for him, enough so that he had full range of motion, with proper hydration, light workout, and cold/heat compresses, he would be fine. And Joe? Joe was a tank, he was fine.

“You look really hot in that hoodie.” Jon whispered in my ear, he bit his lip and gave me a small wink. He ran a finger lightly down my back, making my spine tingle.

“Imagine how much better I would look if I had nothing on underneath it.” I whispered back into his ear, biting my lip and sending a wink back. I ran a finger down the stubble growing into a beard that drove me absolutely wild. His eyebrows rose in shock, we had kept it PG up until right now, making out and cuddling, and I had just sent the message. I was ready, in fact I had planned it out, even making a lingerie splurge at La Perla the day before.

I threw him my version of his trademark smirk and turned my attention back to the end of the main event match.

My status was green.