Post by Dom Strife on Nov 12, 2020 14:50:28 GMT -5
For the first time all week, the unseasonably pleasant November temperatures plummeted with the driving rain.
The inhabitants of Baltimore could no longer sport tee shirts and shorts like they had wanted to. The unpleasant chill of late fall lingered in the air and reminded Axton Gunn and Sebastian Hawke that they were no longer in LA. Axton might’ve objected to this if he wasn’t anticipating the chance to have a real White Christmas that year, and he suspected Sebastian was in the same boat--or the same sleigh, as it were.
While it would have been nice to focus on the upcoming holiday season, the current forethought was focused on the last round of Chaos. Concerned for their friend’s well-being after a hard-fought fight that ended in a loss, the Entourage pair had decided it would be a good idea to drop in with some surprise cheer up beers and help him get out of the pit.
Their rental car was brought to a stop in a parking lot outside of an apartment complex. Sebastian had chosen a spot right next to a brand new souped-up white Dodge Ram. From the passenger seat, Axton gives the truck a long, hard stare, his notched brow knitting up as he looked to Sebastian. The younger stablemate looked just as perplexed.
"I told him not to take that cheque," Axton muttered, unbuckling his seatbelt and sliding out of the car.
"Maybe it’s something else?" Sebastian answered, the hope in his voice waning as he shut the car door. "Like… maybe the delivery business is doing well and he could afford some touch-ups?"
Axton just shook his head, holding the pack of beer in the fingers of one hand, his other arm lifted over his head to keep the rain away from his face. "C’mon, let’s just go check on him and make sure he’s ok. All that stuff can wait until we know he’s not, like, having a nuclear meltdown about all this or something."
"Are we sure it's the same truck, though?" Hawke mused as he followed Ax toward the building. "Lots of folks live here. Could be somebody else’s."
Axton grimaced. "If it's not Dom's truck, then where is Dom's truck? His old one?"
"Maybe he's not here?"
"I admire your optimism, my guy. I guess there's only one way to find out for sure."
The two members of the Entourage reached the front door. Axton clenched his fist and wrapped on the door three times. Sebastian had stood on his tip-toes in an attempt to steal a glance through the scant adjoining window. Almost immediately after the knocking, the door swung open. On the inside was Isla Burke, nursing something that smelled like chocolate and nutmeg in a ceramic mug.
Surprised to see them, Isla gestured them forward. "Guys, come on in. We weren't expecting to see you here."
Axton’s demeanor shifted immediately from unease to warmth; his shoulders relaxed and he grinned, as though forgetting his earlier concerns. At least, for the time being. "Yeah, that’s how surprises work. Nice to see you, Isla! Dom’s here too, yeah?"
Her eyebrows perked at the question. "Yeah, he's here. God, you boys are soaked. Must be comin' down hard out there, huh? Let me take your coats. You need to warm up. Coffee?"
"Please," Sebastian chirped, his eyes lighting up.
"Sure," Axton said, peering forward into the apartment. He could hear some shuffling a bit further in that piqued his curiosity. "We brought some drinks, too--for later, if you want ‘em… just thought our boy might need a morale boost."
Isla sighed.
In the other room, Dominick Strife was busy. So busy in fact that he was unaware of the present company. A stack of empty cardboard boxes stood tall on one side. Rolls of packing tape were strewn about on the bed on the other. Dom was transferring half-folded clothes from his dresser into the boxes when he heard Isla call out his name.
Still unaware of his stablemates, Dom emerged from the bedroom with boxes in hand; but also left the door open which gave Hawke and Gunn a clear view of what he had been up to. Dom had no inkling that Ax and Seb were going to drop in today; his widened glare told the full tale. He still had a nasty shiner over his one eye, and he winced as he set the boxes down.
"Ax... Seb... what are you guys doing here?" Dom asked as he brushed the dust off of his palms and stepped out into the living room.
"Hey, buddy." Axton gave Dominick his best grin, setting the beers down on the coffee table. He chose to adamantly ignore what he was seeing--at least for the first minute. "Sea Bass and I just wanted to swing by and check on you--you had us a bit worried with those messages on the Twitsphere. Figured we could all be sore in the same space for a bit."
"We brought some drinks," Sebastian announced with his typical enthusiasm, "but I think the coffee smells better right now."
"Thanks, fellas but I'm not that thirsty right now," Dom replied as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm kind of in the middle of something. I didn't want to bug you guys with it. As you said, we're all pretty sore."
"Sure dude, no rush…" Axton rubbed the back of his neck, feeling uncharacteristically awkward. He was used to knowing what to say in any situation, but right now, he felt like he’d been thrown for a loop--even Sebastian seemed to have noticed he was uncomfortable. He couldn’t exactly ignore all the new factors around him at this point, either. "You guys are… you’re moving?"
"Oh no. He's the one that's moving." Isla replied, giving Dom a look as she moved toward the kitchen. "I don’t live here, even though it feels like I do sometimes."
"Yep," Dom said, the singular word passing through the space between them with a hint of disdain. "I have to get out of here. It's about time that I go get a place of my own - where I'm not so cooped up and overpaying."
"You already found a place?" Sebastian sounded incredulous, his brow scrunched. "That’s fast."
"Ahh, well, that." Dom scratched his chin as he pondered. "It's up past the suburbs. Remember the guy who had the ring in his backyard? It's near there. But it's in worse shape than here, though. It needs work. I'm figuring that if I could get moved in and get the place fixed up, I'd have better luck running the business out of it. Perhaps even... nevermind."
Axton laughed, but it was… hollow, somehow. He gestured to the empty kitchen with a raised eyebrow, his smile crooked. "Domski, mind if we chat real quick in private? I won’t keep you, promise."
"Yeah, sure man," Dom replied. His arm instinctively cradled his sore ribs as he felt uneasiness drift in like an autumn fog. "I don't mind."
Nodding to Sebastian with a silent ‘just chill here with Isla’ implied, Ax sidestepped into the quieter room; he started making himself a cup of coffee as Dom tailed behind. He was trying to stay upbeat, but it was proving to be difficult with how much was suddenly on his mind.
"So… you took Chris up on the offer, I’m guessing? Whatever it was you chatted about?" He fished in the fridge for some kind of creamer, pouring a generous dose into the black caffeine in his mug.
"Dude, the chat with him was nothing. I didn't ask for anything and nor did he offer. I swear I didn't know about the contract or the bonus. That came completely out of left-field for me."
Axton sighed in discomfort, leaning on the counter. He scratched the back of his neck with his free hand, giving Dom something of a mildly exasperated smile. "Sure, sure, I just… dude, no offense, but I asked you not to accept anything from him. The guy is sketchy AF, and I should know. I’m in showbiz, it’s basically made up of people like that…"
The Rockstar shook his head, his smile faltering.
"You're freaking me out a bit dude, but I'm here talking to you because you're my friend and I don't want you to doubt that for a hot minute." He fixed Dom with a look of concern marked with barely suppressed stress. "But, as your friend... what the F are you doing?"
Dom's eyes met Axton's for a moment; his jaw slacked with exasperation.
"I, uh, I, don't know what you want me to say Ax." Dom counted the tiles beneath his feet. "I'm just trying to get my life together; get myself back on my feet."
"Yeah, I know." Ax rubs his forehead. "I know you said you’re not used to being a team player, but if you need something you can come to me or Sea Bass, you know. I would’ve just matched whatever he offered if you were gonna take it. And the offer for that loan to get your business off the ground? With no interest? That’s still on the table."
"Look," Dom shot back, "Don't you think that this is what it's all about, though? This isn't about the money. This is about the principle of it. If I take money from you, I gotta pay it back somehow, right? What St. James gave me isn't a loan. It's a paycheck. That's all it is. If you think that I'm too proud to take your money... you got me on that one. But I'll tell you what, though, there's plenty of work to be done at the new place. I'll take a loan from you. With the new salary CSJ is giving me, I'll be able to pay you back with interest. That way it doesn't take away from you to help me with my shit."
"Hey, ok. Dom..." Sensing he might’ve been too aggressive, Axton held up a placating hand, looking nothing short of exhausted. "Not that I ever consider helping a friend ‘taking something away’ from me, but It’s just… that new truck, Dom… that’s not a paycheck. That’s… well, I don’t know what it is, but it makes me uneasy. I don’t like Chris, I don’t like people who make their money their identity. And there’s a lot of that in LA. I’m just worried about you."
Worried about what? That Dom was being taken advantage of somehow? Hell if he had any proof, but experience had set off alarms in the back of the musician’s head.
"There's nothing to worry about." Dom held out his hands. There was clear tension that he had hoped to avoid. "I'm simply getting paid to wrestle, dude. The truck was probably because CSJ didn't like seeing me showing up to the arena in that old rust bucket. Maybe he was worried it would break down on the way to a show. I don't think that it's as big of a deal as you're making it out to be."
"I'm just telling you how I feel dude. I've been there and done that. The people that seem like they have your best interests at heart usually don't."
"Sure, but…"
"...you’re still taking the cheque though."
"Dude, your paychecks are signed by the same man who signs mine. Don't tell me that you don't cash yours just cause you don't like him."
Axton grimaced at that, feeling a queasy bit of nausea in his stomach that he opted to drown in a mouthful of coffee.
"Yeah. I… maybe I’m overreacting. I dunno. I keep thinking about the card coming up and facing down you and Sebby… between all this stuff making me nervous and that match hanging over my head, it’s like…"
Axton looked up, his expression pressed into one of worry.
"Listen I just don't want you to think less of me after this. I don’t wanna let Jon down--he’s a good guy, he’s sweet, he’s fun. He deserves to have people willing to stick by him, especially right now. I know you didn't take this last loss well, and like, if Jon and I do take the win... please don't hate me."
There was a tremor of genuine fear in those last words. That fear was coming from somewhere deeper, and the seams covering the source were splitting under the duress.
"The Entourage means a lot to me… you guys have been putting so much into it and you prob’ly got no idea how much it matters. I just want to make a good show out of this match… put over the tag division… play our best game."
Dom pursed his lips. He started nodding his head, though he couldn't bear to look at Ax at the moment.
"Wow, um, okay." Dom clutched his ribs a bit tighter and winced. "All this because of a couple of tweets? Yeah, I wasn't happy about losing. But I think the main reason why I was upset is that a former two-time world champion and the guy who you originally wanted to beat up wiped the mat with my face. So no, I'm not feeling confident moving forward. But hey, you and Jon earned the right to be in the finals, too. Hell, you guys beat three other teams. So it might not be the worst thing for the group if you and Jon beat us and take the shot too."
Axton couldn’t help flinching at the mention of Silvio’s showing during that match--right, his boyfriend had been the one to plaster Dom to the canvas. Just when he thought his social life couldn’t get any more complex.
"I mean first lemme say sorry about dragging you into my personal shit--that was my bad," he admitted, gulping down more coffee. "And second… you and Seb have been fast-tracking through tag teams for longer than Sil and Amber Cryin’. Your record is just as good in the division, if not better, and I just wanted to make sure you know that you’re not your last loss… and… yeah."
He sighed and laughed, trying to dissolve his anxiety.
"Sorry. I feel dumb, we came over to try and cheer you up and I feel like I’m just dumping more worries on you instead. Can Sebby and I help you with packing up?"
Dom hung his head.
"Well, I'm almost done anyway. For once, luckily, I don't own that much stuff yet." Dom sighed. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but he reached out and gripped Ax on his shoulder. "And look dude, to be fair, The Entourage itself pretty much is your personal shit. I knew that when I signed up."
Axton looked sheepish; some of the tension in him visibly left him under Dom’s grip.
"Well… you and Seb are helping to turn it into something a hell of a lot better. So… thanks."
"Yeah well, I guess we're all going to find out if Seb and I are as good as you think we are."
"Don’t hold back," Axton said with a wink. "Kick my ass."
The inhabitants of Baltimore could no longer sport tee shirts and shorts like they had wanted to. The unpleasant chill of late fall lingered in the air and reminded Axton Gunn and Sebastian Hawke that they were no longer in LA. Axton might’ve objected to this if he wasn’t anticipating the chance to have a real White Christmas that year, and he suspected Sebastian was in the same boat--or the same sleigh, as it were.
While it would have been nice to focus on the upcoming holiday season, the current forethought was focused on the last round of Chaos. Concerned for their friend’s well-being after a hard-fought fight that ended in a loss, the Entourage pair had decided it would be a good idea to drop in with some surprise cheer up beers and help him get out of the pit.
Their rental car was brought to a stop in a parking lot outside of an apartment complex. Sebastian had chosen a spot right next to a brand new souped-up white Dodge Ram. From the passenger seat, Axton gives the truck a long, hard stare, his notched brow knitting up as he looked to Sebastian. The younger stablemate looked just as perplexed.
"I told him not to take that cheque," Axton muttered, unbuckling his seatbelt and sliding out of the car.
"Maybe it’s something else?" Sebastian answered, the hope in his voice waning as he shut the car door. "Like… maybe the delivery business is doing well and he could afford some touch-ups?"
Axton just shook his head, holding the pack of beer in the fingers of one hand, his other arm lifted over his head to keep the rain away from his face. "C’mon, let’s just go check on him and make sure he’s ok. All that stuff can wait until we know he’s not, like, having a nuclear meltdown about all this or something."
"Are we sure it's the same truck, though?" Hawke mused as he followed Ax toward the building. "Lots of folks live here. Could be somebody else’s."
Axton grimaced. "If it's not Dom's truck, then where is Dom's truck? His old one?"
"Maybe he's not here?"
"I admire your optimism, my guy. I guess there's only one way to find out for sure."
The two members of the Entourage reached the front door. Axton clenched his fist and wrapped on the door three times. Sebastian had stood on his tip-toes in an attempt to steal a glance through the scant adjoining window. Almost immediately after the knocking, the door swung open. On the inside was Isla Burke, nursing something that smelled like chocolate and nutmeg in a ceramic mug.
Surprised to see them, Isla gestured them forward. "Guys, come on in. We weren't expecting to see you here."
Axton’s demeanor shifted immediately from unease to warmth; his shoulders relaxed and he grinned, as though forgetting his earlier concerns. At least, for the time being. "Yeah, that’s how surprises work. Nice to see you, Isla! Dom’s here too, yeah?"
Her eyebrows perked at the question. "Yeah, he's here. God, you boys are soaked. Must be comin' down hard out there, huh? Let me take your coats. You need to warm up. Coffee?"
"Please," Sebastian chirped, his eyes lighting up.
"Sure," Axton said, peering forward into the apartment. He could hear some shuffling a bit further in that piqued his curiosity. "We brought some drinks, too--for later, if you want ‘em… just thought our boy might need a morale boost."
Isla sighed.
In the other room, Dominick Strife was busy. So busy in fact that he was unaware of the present company. A stack of empty cardboard boxes stood tall on one side. Rolls of packing tape were strewn about on the bed on the other. Dom was transferring half-folded clothes from his dresser into the boxes when he heard Isla call out his name.
Still unaware of his stablemates, Dom emerged from the bedroom with boxes in hand; but also left the door open which gave Hawke and Gunn a clear view of what he had been up to. Dom had no inkling that Ax and Seb were going to drop in today; his widened glare told the full tale. He still had a nasty shiner over his one eye, and he winced as he set the boxes down.
"Ax... Seb... what are you guys doing here?" Dom asked as he brushed the dust off of his palms and stepped out into the living room.
"Hey, buddy." Axton gave Dominick his best grin, setting the beers down on the coffee table. He chose to adamantly ignore what he was seeing--at least for the first minute. "Sea Bass and I just wanted to swing by and check on you--you had us a bit worried with those messages on the Twitsphere. Figured we could all be sore in the same space for a bit."
"We brought some drinks," Sebastian announced with his typical enthusiasm, "but I think the coffee smells better right now."
"Thanks, fellas but I'm not that thirsty right now," Dom replied as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm kind of in the middle of something. I didn't want to bug you guys with it. As you said, we're all pretty sore."
"Sure dude, no rush…" Axton rubbed the back of his neck, feeling uncharacteristically awkward. He was used to knowing what to say in any situation, but right now, he felt like he’d been thrown for a loop--even Sebastian seemed to have noticed he was uncomfortable. He couldn’t exactly ignore all the new factors around him at this point, either. "You guys are… you’re moving?"
"Oh no. He's the one that's moving." Isla replied, giving Dom a look as she moved toward the kitchen. "I don’t live here, even though it feels like I do sometimes."
"Yep," Dom said, the singular word passing through the space between them with a hint of disdain. "I have to get out of here. It's about time that I go get a place of my own - where I'm not so cooped up and overpaying."
"You already found a place?" Sebastian sounded incredulous, his brow scrunched. "That’s fast."
"Ahh, well, that." Dom scratched his chin as he pondered. "It's up past the suburbs. Remember the guy who had the ring in his backyard? It's near there. But it's in worse shape than here, though. It needs work. I'm figuring that if I could get moved in and get the place fixed up, I'd have better luck running the business out of it. Perhaps even... nevermind."
Axton laughed, but it was… hollow, somehow. He gestured to the empty kitchen with a raised eyebrow, his smile crooked. "Domski, mind if we chat real quick in private? I won’t keep you, promise."
"Yeah, sure man," Dom replied. His arm instinctively cradled his sore ribs as he felt uneasiness drift in like an autumn fog. "I don't mind."
Nodding to Sebastian with a silent ‘just chill here with Isla’ implied, Ax sidestepped into the quieter room; he started making himself a cup of coffee as Dom tailed behind. He was trying to stay upbeat, but it was proving to be difficult with how much was suddenly on his mind.
"So… you took Chris up on the offer, I’m guessing? Whatever it was you chatted about?" He fished in the fridge for some kind of creamer, pouring a generous dose into the black caffeine in his mug.
"Dude, the chat with him was nothing. I didn't ask for anything and nor did he offer. I swear I didn't know about the contract or the bonus. That came completely out of left-field for me."
Axton sighed in discomfort, leaning on the counter. He scratched the back of his neck with his free hand, giving Dom something of a mildly exasperated smile. "Sure, sure, I just… dude, no offense, but I asked you not to accept anything from him. The guy is sketchy AF, and I should know. I’m in showbiz, it’s basically made up of people like that…"
The Rockstar shook his head, his smile faltering.
"You're freaking me out a bit dude, but I'm here talking to you because you're my friend and I don't want you to doubt that for a hot minute." He fixed Dom with a look of concern marked with barely suppressed stress. "But, as your friend... what the F are you doing?"
Dom's eyes met Axton's for a moment; his jaw slacked with exasperation.
"I, uh, I, don't know what you want me to say Ax." Dom counted the tiles beneath his feet. "I'm just trying to get my life together; get myself back on my feet."
"Yeah, I know." Ax rubs his forehead. "I know you said you’re not used to being a team player, but if you need something you can come to me or Sea Bass, you know. I would’ve just matched whatever he offered if you were gonna take it. And the offer for that loan to get your business off the ground? With no interest? That’s still on the table."
"Look," Dom shot back, "Don't you think that this is what it's all about, though? This isn't about the money. This is about the principle of it. If I take money from you, I gotta pay it back somehow, right? What St. James gave me isn't a loan. It's a paycheck. That's all it is. If you think that I'm too proud to take your money... you got me on that one. But I'll tell you what, though, there's plenty of work to be done at the new place. I'll take a loan from you. With the new salary CSJ is giving me, I'll be able to pay you back with interest. That way it doesn't take away from you to help me with my shit."
"Hey, ok. Dom..." Sensing he might’ve been too aggressive, Axton held up a placating hand, looking nothing short of exhausted. "Not that I ever consider helping a friend ‘taking something away’ from me, but It’s just… that new truck, Dom… that’s not a paycheck. That’s… well, I don’t know what it is, but it makes me uneasy. I don’t like Chris, I don’t like people who make their money their identity. And there’s a lot of that in LA. I’m just worried about you."
Worried about what? That Dom was being taken advantage of somehow? Hell if he had any proof, but experience had set off alarms in the back of the musician’s head.
"There's nothing to worry about." Dom held out his hands. There was clear tension that he had hoped to avoid. "I'm simply getting paid to wrestle, dude. The truck was probably because CSJ didn't like seeing me showing up to the arena in that old rust bucket. Maybe he was worried it would break down on the way to a show. I don't think that it's as big of a deal as you're making it out to be."
"I'm just telling you how I feel dude. I've been there and done that. The people that seem like they have your best interests at heart usually don't."
"Sure, but…"
"...you’re still taking the cheque though."
"Dude, your paychecks are signed by the same man who signs mine. Don't tell me that you don't cash yours just cause you don't like him."
Axton grimaced at that, feeling a queasy bit of nausea in his stomach that he opted to drown in a mouthful of coffee.
"Yeah. I… maybe I’m overreacting. I dunno. I keep thinking about the card coming up and facing down you and Sebby… between all this stuff making me nervous and that match hanging over my head, it’s like…"
Axton looked up, his expression pressed into one of worry.
"Listen I just don't want you to think less of me after this. I don’t wanna let Jon down--he’s a good guy, he’s sweet, he’s fun. He deserves to have people willing to stick by him, especially right now. I know you didn't take this last loss well, and like, if Jon and I do take the win... please don't hate me."
There was a tremor of genuine fear in those last words. That fear was coming from somewhere deeper, and the seams covering the source were splitting under the duress.
"The Entourage means a lot to me… you guys have been putting so much into it and you prob’ly got no idea how much it matters. I just want to make a good show out of this match… put over the tag division… play our best game."
Dom pursed his lips. He started nodding his head, though he couldn't bear to look at Ax at the moment.
"Wow, um, okay." Dom clutched his ribs a bit tighter and winced. "All this because of a couple of tweets? Yeah, I wasn't happy about losing. But I think the main reason why I was upset is that a former two-time world champion and the guy who you originally wanted to beat up wiped the mat with my face. So no, I'm not feeling confident moving forward. But hey, you and Jon earned the right to be in the finals, too. Hell, you guys beat three other teams. So it might not be the worst thing for the group if you and Jon beat us and take the shot too."
Axton couldn’t help flinching at the mention of Silvio’s showing during that match--right, his boyfriend had been the one to plaster Dom to the canvas. Just when he thought his social life couldn’t get any more complex.
"I mean first lemme say sorry about dragging you into my personal shit--that was my bad," he admitted, gulping down more coffee. "And second… you and Seb have been fast-tracking through tag teams for longer than Sil and Amber Cryin’. Your record is just as good in the division, if not better, and I just wanted to make sure you know that you’re not your last loss… and… yeah."
He sighed and laughed, trying to dissolve his anxiety.
"Sorry. I feel dumb, we came over to try and cheer you up and I feel like I’m just dumping more worries on you instead. Can Sebby and I help you with packing up?"
Dom hung his head.
"Well, I'm almost done anyway. For once, luckily, I don't own that much stuff yet." Dom sighed. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but he reached out and gripped Ax on his shoulder. "And look dude, to be fair, The Entourage itself pretty much is your personal shit. I knew that when I signed up."
Axton looked sheepish; some of the tension in him visibly left him under Dom’s grip.
"Well… you and Seb are helping to turn it into something a hell of a lot better. So… thanks."
"Yeah well, I guess we're all going to find out if Seb and I are as good as you think we are."
"Don’t hold back," Axton said with a wink. "Kick my ass."