the other side

requests will be posted as i have time to write them; i cannot promise they’ll be posted immediately 

i write smut, fluff, angst, and have shared some prompt posts on my page that i’m more than happy to use in a request 

i reserve the right to not fulfill a request if it is something i do not feel comfortable writing or feel as though i cannot do the subject matter justice

if you don’t specify if you’re requesting headcanons or an imagine or anything else, i will choose what ends up being written

my limits on smut are as follows:

i will NOT write anything with virginity/taking virginity/anything non-consensual (including CNC), gore/extreme violence, pedophilia, incest, or ageplay/age regression. everything else is fair game unless the request makes me very uncomfortable 

the people listed in my masterlist are who i usually write for, but the following is a more comprehensive list

the judgement day as a whole

rhea ripley

damian priest

dominik mysterio

finn balor

seth rollins

becky lynch

liv morgan

brooks jensen

josh briggs

house of black members - mostly malaki black and buddy matthews

adam page

jon moxley

jungle boy

if you have a specific person to request that is not in this list, please still request them and depending on who it is i may still fulfill the request if i feel as though i can give you what you’re looking for

please check the masterlist to see if a request has been fulfilled already

when sending a request, please make sure you include who to write for, what you’d like me to write (specifics are nice, but too specific is tricky), and a prompt from a list if that’s what you’d like. also specify if you’d like headcanons or a drabble. 

check here for all of my writings! i’ll have them organized by series/superstar and hopefully this makes it a lot easier to access everything! i’ll update as things are posted! ❤️

their secret weapon (the judgement day):

regular series: pt. 1 pt. 2 pt. 3 pt. 4 pt. 5 pt. 6 pt. 7 pt. 8 pt. 9 pt. 10 (written by @witcherfromwallachia ) pt. 10 (my version) pt. 11 pt. 12 pt. 13 pt. 14

headcanons: secret weapon’s aesthetic

headcanons: secret weapon and dominik

headcanons: secret weapon and finn

headcanons: finn’s a meanie

headcanons: in sickness and in health

headcanons: secret weapon and rhea

headcanons: secret weapon and damian

headcanons: movie marathon

their secret weapon: little black dress

their secret weapon: tag team

their secret weapon: spa night

their secret weapon: happy birthday 

their secret weapon: hall of fame

their secret weapon: and new...

their secret weapon: bad dreams

their secret weapon: first kisses

their secret weapon: attack (work in progress)

damian priest:

haters gonna hate

headcanons: meeting the parents

double trouble 

sworn enemies (spy!au)

becky lynch:

backstabber

it takes two to punish a brat (w/ rhea ripley)

brooks jensen:

headcanons: brooks jensen’s buckle bunny

giddy up

dominik mysterio:

loss

sunshine and snuggles

winners 

headcanons: bully

headcanons: father’s day surprise

rhea ripley:

nerves

blood is thicker than water

matilda 

headcanons: thunderstorms

forgiveness

headcanons: friends with benefits

finn balor:

backstage admirer

deal with a demon (series):

pt. 1 pt. 2 pt. 3

cody rhodes:

attention

‘jungle boy’ jack perry

"oh my god..." rhea had never reacted so fast to a text message. she was in bed, pajamas and all, ready to finally get some sleep after a hectic travel schedule and not having y/n home. but reading her phone for the last time before she planned to shut her eyes for the night had the eradicator jumping out of bed.

the rest of the group was scattered throughout the bedroom area; finn still deep in thought in the shower, dom fast asleep in bed already, and damian trying to make his side of the bed as comfortable as possible before hoping to be just as fast asleep as dominik. rhea getting out of bed and hurrying to slide someone's hoodie over her head was enough to wake dominik from his deep slumber, the young lucha rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "is there a fire?" he mumbled.

damian was just as confused. "rhea? babe, what's wrong?" he asked, watching the aussie hurry out of the bedroom and following closely behind. "rhea!"

"no no no no..." she was mumbling, panicking at the thought of what could have been on the other side of their front door. of course rhea wanted y/n home, they all did. but she also feared this was some sick joke. a nightmare she wasn't able to wake up from and she'd be forced to sit through the whole thing. the rain was drowning out the sound of damian's footprints rushing behind her, and a small crack of thunder sounded as she opened the door.

there stood y/n. soaking wet from the rain, shaking and trembling like a leaf, and the sight of rhea alone caused a sob to leave her lips. "m-mamí..."

"oh honey, shh," rhea tugged y/n into her arms and brought her inside the house. "i've got you, it's okay. you're home."

those words didn't feel real...none of this felt real to y/n. she'd spent the last month being ostracized from the people she loved as a form of payback. she was used as canon fodder against the judgment day, simply because she chose her own path and not what edge wanted for her. enough fear had been instilled in her that she didn't just go back home to her little family, and now that she was finally back in the safe embrace of the eradicator herself? that fear was even more rampant in her veins.

y/n was wriggling in rhea's arms, shivering and her teeth trembling as she tried to get warm. her entire body was drenched from the rain. even the warmth of rhea's body wasn't enough to make the shivering stop, and rhea realized that very quickly. "damian, dom, towels please?" she looked up at the top of the stairs, where dominik's mouth had practically dropped open with shock. "did i stutter? towels, dominik! dry clothes, blankets, anything!"

dominik snapped out of whatever trance he was in and ran into the bathroom for towels. finn was still showering, and upon hearing all of the commotion entering the steam-filled room where he was trying to process all of his emotions, he poked his head out from behind the curtain. "jeez, dom." he groaned. "it's late, what are you doing?"

the panic was written all over dom's face. "y/n..." he said, grabbing a stack of towels from a cabinet. "she's here. she came back in the rain." without another word, he left an astonished finn in the bathroom and rushed back to where rhea was holding a terrified y/n.

"i-i...i couldn't...rhea, it..." y/n could barely formulate words from how hard she was sobbing. it was hard to even distinguish what was tears and what was raindrops on her face.

rhea shook her head gently and wrapped y/n in a towel, then a blanket. "don't talk, y/n." she said softly, immediately pulling her close again to try and calm her down. "just take deep breaths for me, okay? come on, you're safe here. we've all got you."

damian, who's just finished bringing the warmest blankets in the house to where rhea and y/n were sitting together, took one of the towels from dominik and began drying y/n's hair so it would stop dripping down her back. "shh, estas en casa ahora hermosa." he said softly.

meanwhile, finn was left in a daze from dominik's words. y/n was here? she came back? how did she manage to do that? isn't she going to get in trouble? how he didn't slip when getting out of the shower was a mystery, because he got out of there as fast as he could and got dressed before rushing downstairs. the sight in front of him was one that not only broke his heart, but fueled every bit of anger that had already been permeating in his body. seeing y/n, shivering and huddled in rhea's arms as she sobbed and mumbled absolute nonsense was every reason for him to unleash absolute hell on edge.

go to her, my prince. she needs you now more than ever.

"oh, lovey..." the irishman rushed to where his girls were sat, his arms open for y/n who immediately rushed into them with another sob. "baby, what are you doing here? you know what they told you."

"i don't care!" she cried harder, hiding in his neck. "they can't keep me out of my home! t-that i pay for a-and clean and have a key to!" finn wrapped the towels around her a little tighter and she leaned into his loving touch. "no one is in charge of me but me."

all four members of the judgment day, while saddened this feud with edge and beth had gotten to this point, had to admit that there was an aspect to their princess's anger that had them feeling proud of her. the y/n they originally recruited into the judgment day probably would have never stuck her metaphorical middle finger up to her bosses or mentors. but her being in this position had forced her to dig up that buried confidence and finally put it to use.

time had passed, with all five members of this reunited judgment day sitting in the living room trying to warm up and calm down y/n until she was no longer sobbing and shivering. she'd been reduced to silent tears and the slightest trembles in her shoulders, but nothing more. more than anything, y/n was exhausted and she wanted to sleep in her own bed. "can i please go take s shower?" she asked quietly from finn's shoulder.

the prince nodded in response, damian moving the blanket and wet towels from her body as she stood up from her tight ball on the floor. "i'll put your pajamas in the dryer so they're warm for you, love."

the two walked upstairs, one of finn's arms around y/n as they went into the bathroom together. he grabbed a spare towel for the dryer as well, and gave a gentle kiss to y/n's forehead. "what else do you need, angel?" he was expecting something simple as answer from y/n; maybe her water bottle to be filled and by their bedside, or something to eat, maybe even a request for a specific member of their little family to hold her that evening or to sleep in the middle. but her words instead held a much deeper meaning.

"revenge. i want revenge."

****

monday night raw. only three weeks away from wrestlemania, the grandest stage of them all, and the judgment day only had one thing on their minds; ending this feud with edge, once and for all. for everything he did to them. for all of the chaos he put their little family through. every one of them wanted a piece of the fight, but finn ultimately was the one who'd be in that ring with the hall of famer.

edge stood in the ring, facing four members of the group who stood at the top of the ramp. they stood strong, like a solid barrier against the negativity and hurt edge had put them through. "a few weeks ago, you challenged me to a match at wrestlemania, right?" he asked finn. "and since you're not man enough to come in here and face me, you want your match at wrestlemania? fine, you got it!'

finn was hyped; he was nodding, smiling at the other man while the other members were getting just as hyped alongside him. finn had been dying for this match. he issued this challenge weeks ago, and the desire to be in a ring alone with this man was only getting bigger and bigger. the cheers of the crowd around them wasn't helping anything either.

"hey, did you hear that, dom?" the prince asked. "rhea, did you hear that? finn's going to wrestlemania! you think the beating i gave you at extreme rules was bad-" the adrenaline was pumping through his veins, he was trying his best to get through this promo without letting his hype get the better of him.

"shut your mouth!" edge's words silenced him, the crowd reacting in the canadian's favor. "for the last year of my comeback, i've wasted it on all of you." by his choice, for the most part. "the year before that, i wrestled in front of a bunch of tv screens in the thunderdome. i don't have time for this. i'm running out of time."

the irony in his words could be felt by the judgment day on an entirely different level. he had so much to accomplish that he abandoned y/n, left her in the dust in favor of his own career that had lasted twenty-plus years. sure, he was running out of time. but running out of time so fast that he had to practically forget y/n ever needed him in the first place?

the anger was pulsing through finn's body. the others could sense it, and dom put a careful hand on finn's shoulder in hopes that he'd calm down. but he couldn't stop pacing and moving as he glared deep into edge's soul from the top of the ramp.

"so the way i see it, there's only one way that this can end." edge said, holding onto the top rope as the audience also picked up on where he was going. finn was watching him carefully, his top lip twitching in anger just at the sight of him. "at wrestlemania, edge versus finn bálor, inside hell in a cell."

the audience reacted exactly how one would expect; finn stood stoic in his spot, edge was shaking with anger and adrenaline. the cheers from the crowd only fueled the two men and their respective anger.

finn was gripping his mic tight, his knuckles starting to whiten. "edge, i've been to hell before." he stated. "it spit me out because hell couldn't handle my demons. i'll see you at wrestlemania, but until then..." he looked at the other three members of the group, but what edge didn't see was what stood behind him with her own weapon of choice.

there y/n stood, coming up from her hiding spot under the ring with her own adrenaline rush. no one wanted this revenge on her mentor more than she did. no one wanted a front row seat more than her. this would be her first taste of that, as she swing her arms back and the kendo stick in her hands struck the back of the hall of famer. she hated to admit it, but there was a sense of pride as he fell to the mat and her partners began to unleash their own hell on him. y/n hit edge not once, not twice, but three times; and the yelps of pain that emanated from him sent chills down her spine.

even as the rest of the ring burst into chaos, other superstars coming out to edge's defense, she stood in front of him with her breath ragged and her palms sweating. "you're going to wish you never asked to meet the prince in the gates of hell." he'd never heard that growl to her voice or seen that ravenous look in her eyes. this was a new y/n, one that was sticking it to the people who'd caused her more pain than she'd been able to manage in her small body.

3 weeks until wrestlemania; 3 weeks until this nightmare would hopefully be over for the judgment day, and they could be reunited with their fifth member. none of them would lie and say the time she'd been away had been easy for anybody in the group though, as y/n being ripped away from the loving grasp of her partners was for no other reason than to get into the heads of those who turned their back on edge.

the house was quieter without her. road trips to the next city and hotel rooms were no longer the same. dressing rooms didn't have the same energy without her. and the entire time it killed the group to know y/n was so close, yet so far away.

and what tormented all of them? kept finn up at night, made damian clench his fists and rhea squirm at the thought? that they had yet to confront edge and tell him exactly how they felt. the man who helped build up y/n as a superstar, was also the man who ripped her away from her lovers; one way or another, the judgment day was going to make sure he got a piece of their mind. it didn’t matter how it happened.

the judgment day was going to make edge’s life hell until wrestlemania.

finn found himself sitting in the group’s bedroom, looking through boxes of y/n’s memorabilia and random things in boxes. most of this stuff was things she just hadn’t gotten around to unboxing when they moved her into their home, but as finn took a closer look, he began to realize why she’d waited.

photo albums. all of which contained pictures of y/n with her chosen family. her first christmas with the copelands, where beth bought all of them matching pajamas and made their family take a picture in front of the christmas tree. the beginning of her career, where beth stood in a practice ring with y/n and coached her through different finishers and submission moves. those long nights backstage at different shows, where a young y/n was absolutely exhausted and adam would keep her comfortable against his side so she could get some rest.

old trophies and titles, random pieces of ring gear, old things from edge and beth’s careers that they’d given y/n…she wasn’t just forgetting to put these things up or take them out of boxes. y/n was scared to do so. she didn’t want to literally open up a box full of hurt and fear after all the pain they’d caused. she was literally and figuratively repressing those emotions.

as finn sorted through the box and tried his hardest not to let his emotions get the best of him, rhea walked into the bedroom and took inventory of the different things in front of her partner. she took a seat next to him, gently rubbing his back and feeling that tension rising inside of him. “she’ll be coming back to us soon, love.” the aussie spoke softly. “only a few more weeks. she’s in good hands.”

“johnny and candance may be good hands but they aren’t her home.” he mumbled. “the fact that they’re treating her like a child and doing this to her is ridiculous anyway.” finn spat, putting the photo album back into the box. “y/n’s an adult. and the one person she sees as her father, one of the most important people in her life, won’t let her come home? our bosses are backing him up? rhea, it’s…” he couldn’t even finish his thought. he shook his head and tried to calm down his boiling anger.

rhea nodded and held finn’s hand. “there’s not much we can do right now.” she said quietly. “we’re all upset. but she’ll be home soon.” she gently turned finn’s head towards her own, holding the irishman’s cheek. “you’re the one who’s going to show him why no one messes with us.”

*****

that moment rhea was speaking of? it came a lot faster than anyone in the judgment day could have emotionally prepared for. it was like the movies, where finn and edge turned the corner at the exact same time and stood face to face for the first time since their newest member was ripped away from the judgment day. finn swore he could feel the anger radiating through his body at the sight of edge; claws were itching at his spine, his stomach felt like it was on fire, and his fists were clenched tight by his side. he took your princess away from you, my prince. it's time to take back what's rightfully yours.

the corner of edge's lip curled into a snarl. in front of him was the man who seemingly corrupted his mentee, the one who took her away from him and beth as another way to get under the skin of the founder of the judgment day. in his mind, he never took y/n away from her newfound family. he was only trying to give her a break from them! he wanted her to take some time to think about her recent choices and possibly remember what exactly the foursome had done to not only her, but himself and beth over the last few months. edge didn't see anything wrong with what he did. the hall of famer was only doing right by the young woman he saw as a daughter.

finn tried taking a deep breath, but his mouth was moving before he could even think about what he was saying. "i'd walk away the other way before i do something i regret."

edge couldn't help but chuckle at finn's statement. the prince was already trying to act so tough? so intimidating? it didn't phase edge one bit. "wow, not even a hello? no how are you?" he playfully looked finn up and down, noting the second bandana in finn's pocket that most likely belonged to y/n. "why so hostile, finn?"

"you know why, don't play dumb with me." finn poked his finger into the rated r superstar's chest. "you know what you did to me, to y/n, to all of us! and you thought the best thing to do was take her away from us when you've ignored her for the last, what, six months? that's not very fatherly of you, adam. more cowardly than anything."

again, edge chuckled. his eyes were growing dark, and he dared himself to step even closer to finn. "i don't need you telling me what's very fatherly. as far as i'm concerned, she's better off without the four of you." he challenged, almost getting joy out of how angry finn was getting at him. "you let her get kicked into a table? she took a spear for you? you doubted her spot in the judgment day? y/n doesn't realize it yet, but the four of you have caused so much more harm than good." edge flashed that cocky smile at finn. "we can continue this conversation in the ring tonight. i'll see you soon."

watching edge walk away, practically reeking of revenge and pure anger, caused all of those feelings within finn to intensify. if he could have unleashed all of that anger backstage, he would have; but finn also knew one wrong move meant having to wait even longer to have y/n in the arms of her four partners again. he wasn't going to risk that, no matter how badly he wanted to wreak havoc.

finn could be patient. he'd wait the three weeks until wrestlemania to give edge a piece of his mind and see their princess again. those three weeks would be hell, but finn was also planning on throwing edge into the deepest pit of pain and agony once he got his hands on him.

only a little while longer, my prince.

*****

each day without her loves, without her family, was causing y/n to fall further into this spiral of sadness. nothing was the same anymore without dominik's laugh, rhea's hugs, damian's bodyguard-esque presence, or finn's kisses. the longer she went without her little family, the more y/n was spiraling into feelings she hadn't felt in a long time, if ever.

sure, she had JD. that was the closest thing y/n had to finn while being away from the judgment day. but it wasn't her finn. being at NXT without any of them by her side wasn't the same. y/n didn't even see the purpose anymore in coming to the PC to work. it was so much easier to hide in johnny and candace's guest room, the lights off and hidden under the covers with rhea's sweatshirt clutched in her hands. no matter how many times she wore damian's t-shirt or looked at goofy pictures with dom, nothing eased the aches in her body.

y/n had practically stopped answering her phone at that point. every text, every phone call, it was ignored and went without response day after day. it didn't matter who it was from, there was radio silence on her end. sometimes the gentle knocks from either candace or johnny on her temporary room even went unanswered. and while people were concerned, it felt like no one was going to do anything to fix it.

no one...except for one particular irishman.

when JD hadn't seen y/n at the PC, she stopped showing up to NXT, his texts and calls went unanswered, he knew he needed to check up on her. finn was trusting him to take care of y/n while she was away, and that meant doing whatever he needed to do for y/n to be even the slightest bit okay. what he didn't realize, even while walking up to the front door of johnny and candace's home, that she already was slipping even further into this deep hole. if JD would have waited any longer, there's no telling how much deeper princess would've fallen.

the hurried, repeated knocks at the front door pulled y/n from her cave of blankets and her partner's hoodies. there wasn't much that could do that as of recent, but she managed this time. she took her time going to the door and opening it, but the sight of JD brought tears to her eyes for a multitude of reasons. guilt, sadness, hurt, anxiety, even a little bit of hope. "you shouldn't be here-"

"y/n..." JD said softly, not even letting her finish her thoughts. his voice alone broke her even more, and before y/n could think twice JD had his arms around his friend in the tightest hug he could manage. he wasn't sure when the last time she got one of those hugs was, so he made note to do it now. to remind y/n she wasn't alone.

y/n wrapped her arms around JD and gripped onto him like her life depended on it. at this point, it basically did; this was the first time in weeks she had someone who wasn't her dad, hunter, or shawn around her. someone who was on her side and actually seemed as though they wanted the best for her. y/n's hands gripped onto JD as tight as she could and she finally let the tears loose down her cheeks. "i-i'm so sorry."

"don't be. you have no reason to be sorry." JD said softly, gently ushering y/n inside with his arms still around her. "come on, y/n. talk to me."

even though y/n wanted everything she was feeling to just pour out, she couldn't. the words were caught in her throat and everything she'd held in for the last month couldn't find its voice. the only thing she could manage were pathetic whines and whimpers, until finally some of those words were choked out. "i just want to go home."

JD's heart broke. he'd never understand why anyone thought taking her away from her family was the right answer. no one was paying attention and noticed that this wasn't helping the frustrations between the judgment day and edge, because they were too focused on themselves. everyone ignored the consequences of their actions.

maybe JD shouldn't have spoken up, but he could only find one answer to the sad statement that left y/n's lips. "who's stopping you?"

y/n's cries slowed down into sniffles and she slowly pulled back to look at JD. "they said i couldn't." the answer felt so simply, yet the solution was even easier. and it never once crossed her mind out of fear of the consequences.

"did they take your key? are they bothering to watch your every move?" JD asked softly, wiping the tears from y/n's cheeks. "you live there too, y/n. no one can stop you from going home. not to the place where you pay the bills with everyone else. the place you call home." JD gently rubbed her arms, managing to give her a smile. "go home, y/n."

again, the answer seemed so easy. the solution was self explanatory. but y/n didn't about it once, until JD mentioned it out of fear for how edge or her superiors would react. needless to say though, JD's words were enough for her to pack her bag and rush out to her parked car in the driveway - the jeep that hadn't moved in days since she stopped going to training sessions. even in the rare cold, florida rain, y/n was rushing home to her people with those same tears rushing down her cheeks.

while the drive wasn't long, it felt like an eternity until y/n was in the driveway of the home she shared with the four people she recognized as her family. she knew their travel schedules and saw everyone was home from their own vehicles being in the driveway and the dimly lit lights through the window, but even after parking and standing in the rain ready to start taking her life back, her legs didn't move.

y/n was terrified, worried someone would catch her and she'd have to face the consequences of going home before she was given permission. even though she didn't need permission, she stood in the rain for a solid five minutes debating if she should've even made the move. but eventually she did it; her tears mixed with the raindrops, and y/n made her way to the front porch before pulling out her phone. her shaky hands sent a quick text to rhea, the aussie being the first of her four partners to pop up in her messages, and waited for someone to hopefully give her the piece of mind she wanted so badly.

even though it had only been a week, this break up with jack was the hardest thing either of you had ever done. his busy schedule with being on the road and your own personal situation was enough to drive a wedge between you, and you’d ended your relationship with a man you surely thought was your forever. 

the house was so empty without him and his things; no more wrestling memorabilia, no more hearing his favorite music in the bathroom, no more stray suitcases...it was just you, and that was the hardest pill to swallow so far. the man who was once a phone call or text away, who was littered all over your walls in photos and in your camera roll, was now someone you were trying to move on from. and it hurt. 

you’d been repeating your nightly routine since jack took his things and officially left the house; laying on the couch, trying not to let more tears fall from your eyes, and maybe finding it within yourself to get a snack from the kitchen before falling asleep. going into the bed you once shared with him made that heartache even worse. 

in the midst of this, you heard a knock at your door - which was unusual this late at night. you hadn’t invited anyone and you didn’t order food, so in most cases you probably would’ve just ignored it. but something told you to get up and just check it out to see who was trying to get your attention. 

with a small sniffle, you stood up and wrapped your blanket around your body just a little tighter. you trudged to the door and opened it, only to see that same mop of curly hair you fell in love with and the scent of his cologne hit your nose like the most comforting hug you could’ve been given. 

“jack, no...” you’d mumble, worried that he was coming back to try and appeal to your heartache. just as soon as you looked up at him, you looked right back down so the tears wouldn’t well up in your eyes. 

he’d gently shake his head at you, “no, y/n, please just look at me.” you didn’t want to listen to him, you didn’t want to admit that you missed him, but seeing him standing right in front of you was only making that even harder. “i know we promised this would be it but...but i can’t stay away.”

while that was everything you wanted to hear from him, it was also the worst thing jack could’ve said to you. you both made each other a promise that you’d move on, that you wouldn’t come back to see each other and you’d work on healing yourselves. you had to stop yourself from calling him every night because you’d convinced yourself jack was already moving on, but this was proved you wrong. 

“we can’t do this jack.” you mumbled sadly, watching as he slowly stepped over the threshold of the entryway. jack was a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, and when you looked up at him to see the tears in his eyes that matched yours, it was only getting more difficult to keep your original promise. “y-you should go home.”

jack’s calloused hands held your cheeks, both you finally letting the tears escape your eyes, and he gently shook his head. “give me one more night, baby.” he’d whisper, using his thumbs to wipe your years. “if you want me gone in the morning, i’ll be out of here before you even wake up. if you want me to stay then i’ll stay. but please...please, just one more night.” 

no matter how angry you’d been at him almost a week ago, that had all dissipated in this moment that he stood in front of you. you wanted that one more night just as badly as he did but had been refusing to admit it. jack was holding back just as much over the last few days, but tonight was his breaking point and he knew he needed to see you. 

there was a few moments of silence, jack holding your cheeks and resting your foreheads together as he let you sniffle. his tears were silent, and he seemed stoic as if he was trying to remain a source of strength for you. and eventually you gave in with a gentle nod, “just for tonight.” you whisper. 

jack nods and closes the door behind him. his own stressed hand runs through his unruly hair, and he wipes your tears one more time. “we don’t even have to talk.” he said softly, already lifting you off of your feet and taking the slow, familiar walk to your once shared bedroom. “i just need to hold you one more time.”

with your arms wrapped around his neck, tangling one of your fingers in a couple of strands of jack’s curls, he carries you into the bedroom and lays down on the bed with you. jack hadn’t even changed out of his own pajamas before coming back to the home he’d shared with you only a week ago, so both of you laid in your bed for the first time since ending your relationship, tears rolling down both of your faces. 

“what if i don’t know whether i want you to leave or not?” you admit softly, resting your head on his chest and breathing in his scent. 

jack was playing with your own hair, tugging the blankets around your body even tighter. “it’s okay if you don’t.” he’d assure you. “we can wait and see how you feel in the morning.” 

you hated how soft, how gentle this man was being. it was like you needed a reason for him to leave...but you couldn’t find one. as he held you just like he used to, ran his hand through your hair and let your tears fall, you were reminded of the jack you fell in love with and wanted nothing more than to pretend the last week never even happened. 

after some more silence, you looked up at jack and gave him the first kiss you’d shared in well over a week. you’d never forgotten the taste, the feeling of his lips, and that alone solidified what you told him next. 

four people. professional wrestlers, who normally could keep their cool in any situation. but when they found out what had happened while y/n was in her meeting with hunter, those tough facades slowly faded away to expose what was hidden beneath the exterior. 

“she’s what?”

as soon as the group found that abandoned purple bandana and strolled into hunter’s makeshift office, all hell had broken loose. they listened as their boss gave them the rundown of the decision he’d made, sending their newest member on a bit of a break back to NXT so she had time away from them to figure out “who she was on her own.” the judgement day knew that was a load of shit, though; and they knew exactly who was behind this. 

dominik was pacing back and forth, damian sat with his head in his hands, and rhea and finn throwing question after question to hunter. “you’re joking, right?” rhea asked, echoing her previous statement. “y-you can’t just do that with no warning! that’s not fair!”

hunter watched the group with a straight look on his face. “i’m doing what i think is best for y/n, because what i’ve been seeing from her shows me that she needs to find herself and who she is in that ring. not under your influence.”

“no no no, you’re doing this because he doesn’t want her with us!” finn said. it was no secret edge, the man y/n had grown to recognize as a father figure after he and beth took her under their wing during her time in NXT, was the one behind this. he was going to break the group apart little by little, so why not start with the newest piece of the puzzle? “you’re letting his issues with us dictate y/n’s career and that’s not fair!”

“enough.” hunter’s voice boomed, the group deflating little by little as they realized this wasn’t a battle they were going to win right now. “I’ve made my decision and i’m sticking with it. y/n is going to be at NXT until wrestlemania is over, so the four of you can drop it. she’s going to be just fine without you, and if anything, she’ll come back better than before.” he gave one last look to the four individuals in front of him; four people, who under normal circumstances stood tall and with pride. but in this moment, they looked defeated and torn. something he wasn’t used to. “now please, go get ready for the show.”

as the four of them exited hunter’s office and made the slow walk back to their own dressing room, reality set in that the rated r superstar was sticking to his word and he was going to end what he started. he was going to pick this group apart, little by little and to their very core, until there was nothing left. 

that walk to their dressing room felt endless. like that missing presence that was their secret weapon left a wide open wound in their group that nothing would be able to replace. and as soon as the door closed behind them and the group was alone, that wound only continued to bleed. 

dom was the first to let his tears fall. as the youngest of the group besides y/n, he himself was still dealing with the highs and lows of this industry. he was also just a little more in check with his emotions, something he’d try to hide so he wasn’t seen as weak. but this time, he couldn’t help it. the poor thing couldn’t help but break the floodgates as damian pulled the young luchador into his lap. 

finn watched rhea carefully, her holding that purple bandana in her hand and her own tears started to run down her cheeks. “it’s not fair.” she whispered, the irishman pulling her into his side and kissing the top of his head. the eldest two members of the group were focusing on making sure the younger ones were okay, which was only breaking their hearts more. 

“i know it’s not.” finn said softly, rubbing his fingers through her short black hair. in that moment, he made a promise to himself and to his partners. one that he had every intention of keeping over the next couple of weeks until wrestlemania. 

“he’s going to pay for this.”

--- ---

getting the group to relax, specifically dom and rhea, was nothing short of exhausting for finn and damian. with the eldest two still trying to navigate their own thoughts and feelings over the situation, making sure their partners were okay was only adding to the weight they were both currently feeling. 

but finn found a few moments to himself, and even if he couldn’t be with y/n to ensure she was okay, he had someone at NXT who he knew would be more than willing to keep an eye on her. 

he found a dark corner for himself with some leftover sound equipment and dialed the number of an old protégé, who answered the phone with his own excitement. 

“heya finn, long time no talk!” the irish ace himself, jd mcdonagh, answered finn’s call as he packed his bag for the upcoming NXT taping. “what have you been up to?”

finn ran a hand over his face, balancing himself against the wall. “i’m good, lad.” the tone of his voice was enough of a sign to jd that something was up, so finn took a deep breath. “look, i need a favor to ask of you. i know you’re busy, you have your own stuff going on, but this is really important.”

jd sat up a little straighter, his old friend and mentor’s demeanor making him realize just how serious this was. “anything. what’s wrong?”

“so, you know we added y/n to the group awhile ago, yeah?” jd had known y/n during their time together in NXT, but they weren’t very close. a couple greetings and holding the door open for one another was about the extent of their interactions during their shared time at the developmental brand. “she’s going back to NXT for a little bit. not because she wanted to, but hunter and shawn are sending her back for a...a little break.”

jd raised his eyebrows and sat down on his bed. “oh, wow.” he sighed softly. “i’m sorry, finn. she seemed like she was doing really well with you guys. what happened?”

finn bit his lip as he tried to formulate a response to that question. “i mean, she has been. we’re still trying to figure everything out, but it came as a huge surprise.” he didn’t think it was the time to tell jd everything; at least not right now. “like i said, i know you’re busy, but for the next few weeks, just until mania is over, can you keep an eye on y/n at the PC?” he asked softly. “just...just make sure she’s okay. and please call or text me if anything comes up.”

“of course, anything you need.” jd answered immediately. finn had done a lot for him over the last few years, so this was the least he could do for the man he considered a close friend and mentor. “and if you need anything, please let me know? you sound exhausted, man.”

he was feeling exhausted. for a man who wore his feelings like a badge of honor, who dedicated himself to making sure his partners had what they needed, he was really starting to feel his own emotions and how heavy they’d become over the last few hours. “yeah. yeah, i will. thank you so much.”

--- ---

6 weeks. a little over a month. 

that’s all y/n kept telling herself as she sat in the NXT locker room, taping her wrists and reminding herself that she only had to ensure this torture for the next 6 weeks. 

the young wrestler wasn’t sure what to feel as she came back to the same place that had been her home only a few short weeks ago. sure, the performance center was full of a lot of great memories. but her coming back here was also a sign that she couldn’t hold up on the main roster yet, or at least that’s what this felt like. that she wasn’t ready to be on the same level as rhea or damian. 

y/n was nothing but a rookie. always has been, always will be. 

even though she was back in NXT for a couple of weeks, she knew she had people to rely on which would make this a little easier. johnny and candice were happily letting her stay with them since they were also floating back to the developmental brand for a month, and she had old pals that were happy to see her back in action with them. 

and her ex. one that she hit with a chair to cement her spot in the judgement day. but she wasn’t going there. that’s a wound she was going to keep stitched close during her new stint at the developmental brand. 

with this new stint at NXT, though, y/n found herself starting to learn the new locker room environment. even though she’d only been gone for a few months, things were already changing. new people were coming in to achieve their own dreams of being a WWE superstar, others were looking to move onto the main roster, some people were stuck in the middle. not only that, but y/n was trying to figure out where she was going to fit into this environment. 

“well well well, look what the cat brought back in.”

that irritating, nails on a chalkboard of a voice made y/n look up above her to see a barbie-pink ensemble and blonde hair staring down at her as if she was the dirt on the bottom of her pink boot. tiffany stratton, one of those new stars y/n had yet to meet, was standing right in front of the stranded member of the judgment day and clearly had no intention of leaving her alone. 

y/n sighed and ripped another piece of tape for her wrist. “get lost, tiffany. i’m not in the mood.” she had a match and wanted to take her time getting ready, getting into the appropriate headspace so she could show why she belonged on the main roster. tiffany had other plans, though. 

focus, little one. she isn’t worth your energy.

with her new placement at NXT, y/n had been...hearing things. it sounded odd, but she thought maybe she was just overwhelmed and taking everything to heart. sometimes she would feel so overcome with emotion that she seemingly lost control of her actions and would lash out, but just as fast as it came it was gone. y/n couldn’t explain it, but she was trying her hardest to push it away. tiffany wasn’t making it any easier though. 

“get lost?” tiffany scoffed and crossed her arms. “come on now, that’s not a very nice greeting. the least you could do is have a conversation with me.” she smirked down at y/n. “maybe you wanna talk about why you’re back? your gaggle of freaks don’t think you’re good enough to be apart of their group? hunter realized you don’t serve a purpose on the main roster?”

her blood was boiling. tiffany had no room to talk and had no clue what she was even talking about, and y/n wasn’t going to allow her to run her mouth. y/n stood up and tossed the roll of tape to the side, staring daggers into tiffany’s eyes. “you heard me loud and clear, tiffany.” she challenged, her voice lowering. “get. lost.”

tiffany chuckled to herself and got closer to y/n, their chests almost touching. “or what? you’re gonna send mamí after me? dom’s going to stop bullying his dad for five seconds to come save you?” y/n’s fists clenched at her sides, knowing that none of her little family was going to be able to come help her. tiffany was rubbing more and more salt into the wound without even realizing what had happened during her meeting with hunter. “you’re all on your own now, y/n. you’re the same nobody who left NXT to join a group of freaks who’s clearly washed their hands of you already.”

don’t listen to her. she only wants to get under your skin, love. 

y/n let out a soft growl before tiffany even finished talking, shoving the blonde away from her so she hit the row of lockers behind her. “mind your fucking business, and stay out of my face!” that same voice was back again, wanting y/n to defend herself and once again taking over her actions before she’d even realized what she’d done, her hands were back on tiffany and shoving her against the nearest wall again.  

jd was only walking through the hallways of the performance center, saying hello to coaches and producers so he could go get ready himself. but he was stopped in his tracks by the arguing coming from one of the locker rooms. when he took a peep inside to see y/n arguing with tiffany, he knew he needed to step in and do something; finn told him to look after y/n, so that’s what he had every intention of doing. even if it meant breaking up a fight. 

just as tiffany had shoved y/n right back and the two reached for each other once again, jd stepped into the locker room to break the two of them up. he wasn’t sure why they were fighting, but he saw the look in y/n’s eyes and knew tiffany struck some kind of nerve. the irishman stood in front of of y/n to keep her from launching herself at tiffany again, and he could feel the anger radiating off of her body. “okay, okay. tiffany, clearly y/n isn’t looking to talk so just go away.”

tiffany straightened herself out and smirked. “wow, she has a bodyguard already? someone moved on fast.”

“i swear-” y/n tried to move past jd as tiffany walked away, but he turned and held her arms. “hey hey! come on, don’t stoop to her level.”

y/n took a shaky breathe and ran a hand over her face, trying to calm her frustrations. even though tiffany was walking away, her words left y/n with a bubbling rage inside of her; one that wouldn’t even be there, if edge wouldn’t have gotten involved and sent her to NXT. one that she wouldn’t have, if she were standing side by side with her partners to help run the main roster. y/n was swimming in anger and frustration. and she was taking deep breaths to calm herself down. 

jd turned around and backed up a bit to give y/n some space. “hey, you okay?” he asked softly. 

“i’m fine.” y/n mumbled, barely able to even look up at him. “listen, jd, i don’t know you very well and i don’t want you to get involved in whatever this shit is. okay? i’m just trying to lay low and get out of here.”

he wants to help. he’s a friend of the prince and wants to make sure you’re okay. 

even though she was right, the two didn’t know each other very well, jd already knew this wasn’t the same y/n that had worked her way up the roster for the last couple of years; this wasn’t the same y/n that was personally recruited by the judgment day themselves to join their faction. parts of that person was still there, but jd was looking at a partial shell of her. and he was worried to see what would come from this situation. 

the irish ace sat down on one of the benches. “you might not want me involved, but i know you getting into fights with people who aren’t worth your time is going to make this whole experience even worse.” he said, watching as y/n nervously bit her fingernails. “finn told me what happened. and i’m sorry you’re dealing with all of this. but finn cares about you so i care about you as well, and i’m going to make sure you get through the next few weeks until mania.”

y/n should’ve known finn was going to tell someone to keep an eye out for her. and while she would normally groan and complain about a partner having a babysitter for her, she had to admit that knowing finn cared this much eased some of that ache in her heart. 

she finally managed to look up at jd and gave him a small nod. “i appreciate that.” she said softly. “is..is finn okay? did you talk to any of the others?”

now jd’s heart was aching. the poor thing wasn’t worried about herself, she was worried about the four missing pieces to her heart. and he wasn’t going to stress her out and tell her everything finn told her over the phone. “they’re all upset. finn sounded pretty overwhelmed. but if you can get through the next few weeks then so can they. it’ll be over before you know it.”

“yeah, we’ll see about that.” she mumbled softly, sitting on the bench opposite jd’s. “thank you.” y/n nodded at him, jd reciprocating that before he stood up. 

“you know where i am if you need me.” he left the locker room. so y/n could focus on calming herself down a little bit more. six more weeks, she kept telling herself, trying to remind herself this wouldn’t be forever. 

your prince and his little family are worried about you, little one. but they want you to be strong. show everyone why they chose you, why you deserve to be with them. 

y/n rubbed at her temples, this voice only causing her head to throb with frustration and confusion. but for once she was choosing to listen, and whatever this was, she knew it was right. she could do this. she just needed to do what she’d always done, and continue to prove why she deserved her spot in this company.