Kalisto wasn't sure if it'd been a dream or just a replay of memories tweaked worse by exhaustion. He wouldn't soon forget the pain of standing at the ring's exterior, out of the fight physically but invested emotionally. He'd try to stay out and let Sin Cara earn his victory; he had faith his partner could do it himself, but he'd broken, resolve splintered, as soon as he had the opportunity. As Rusev turned around to look at the official and Lana, Kalisto was on the apron, stretching his arm out to Cara, begging him to get up and fight. Rusev realized what was happening and Kalisto chose to defend himself and his fiancée. A kick to the head was enough for Sin Cara to gain the advantage and roll Rusev up for the victory…

But it wasn't the victory that bulked in great detail in his mind. It was minutes before, when Rusev towered over his razed partner for the eighth or ninth time in just a few minutes, yelling something in Bulgarian, not once breaking a sinister stare from Kalisto as he threw Sin Cara to the mat over and over and over…

Kalisto wasn't afraid of Rusev. But he was vulnerable.

His eyes pulled open and his focus assembled in the hotel room. Still dark out like no time had passed at all since Cara and Kali decided to go to sleep. Still quiet, a sense he wasn't used to given his profession. His partner was still asleep next to him, mask folded on the nightstand beside Kalisto's, handsome face glowing under a gentle surge of moonlight through the window.

He was safe. That's what mattered.

Kalisto sat up slowly, drenched in perspiration. He dragged his fingers over his eyes, denouncing the mental recap of Cara's rocky start in the match earlier. His heart rate gradually reduced to a normal rhythm.

Sleep wasn't going to come easy tonight. And not anytime soon.

He would have rolled back onto his side and cuddled Sin Cara, holding him while quietly assuring him Cara wasn't the only one with a calling for heroism. Kalisto had an equal opportunity to protect Cara, too. And he had, tonight. He was damn proud of himself, even if some called it cheating.

Kalisto was still sticky with sweat. It'd been one hell of a living nightmare.

The snuggling could wait.

Kalisto slinked out of bed and crept into the bathroom for a quick shower. Hoping he wouldn't disturb his partner, he kept it under four minutes and refrained from singing. Dressing in a change of Cara's clothes he'd freed from one of their suitcases, he switched the light off before pulling the door open with an irritating squeak.

But his discreetness had been done in vain. Sin Cara was awake, sitting up in bed, the lamp on the nightstand weakly lighting the room.

"Are you okay?" he asked at the same time Kalisto asked, "Did I wake you?"

"It's the weirdest thing," Cara answered first. He held his thumb and finger an inch apart and said, "The bed gets a little colder when you leave it, and it's something I can detect even in sleep."

Kalisto smiled weakly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just…tonight was hard."

"How?"

Kalisto roamed back towards the bed. "It's hard for me to watch you get beat up."

"I know the feeling."

Kalisto sat himself beside Sin Cara, fingers interlaced in his lap. "I mean, I know it's a pain in the ass to be in the match, watching your partner take all this damage and fight like it's for his life. But tonight was different."

"In what way?"

"It was a personal attack. Just like Ryback. Rusev challenged you to get to me." The staredown between Rusev and Kalisto after another ruthless assault on Cara could have set the entire arena on fire, that's how heated he'd felt… "I'm sick of it. You want me? Take me on. Fight me. Don't take cheap shots at my partner."

"It's the easiest way to incite you. That's why they do it."

"I hate it."

"It's nothing you need to stress over, Kali. I made it out alright. With your help."

Kalisto smirked. "Sorry for interfering. I know you can do it on your own, I just…it pissed me off, what he was doing. I could have done much worse to him, but it was your match, not mine."

"You'll have your chance to beat him. Just like Ryback. Just like Del Rio. Besides…" Sin Cara opened his arms and seized Kalisto, gently swinging him over his body onto Kali's side of the bed. "It's not your job to worry about me."

"Sure, it is," Kalisto giggled, beneath Cara. "Just like it's your job to worry about me."

"We can't both be worrywarts. Someone has to be the strong one."

"I can be strong," Kalisto affirmed. "But every hero's got his weak spot."

"I believe in you." Cara swooped down and kissed Kalisto's forehead. "Just focus on what we've got ahead of us. And I don't mean Extreme Rules. I don't even mean wrestling."

Kalisto's heart erupted. The wedding was just six days away. With that in mind, how could he have felt anything but bliss? "I can't wait to marry you, Cara."

"I can't either, Kali. But let's get some sleep. The week will go by a lot faster if we get our rest."

He reached over to turn the lamp off. Kalisto bound his arms around Sin Cara.

"Te amo mucho, Cara. I won't ever let anything happen to you."

Sin Cara moved a hand from Kalisto's head to behind his neck. "I love you very much, my dear Kali. Don't worry about me. I'm not going anywhere."

Kalisto's mind and body were at ease in unison. He relaxed as Sin Cara returned the hold, embracing him, securing him.

"And by the way," Sin Cara said in the dark. Kalisto could almost hear the wink, the little smirk on his gorgeous face. "You look damn good in my clothes."