cody rhodes · wwe · cocky · protective · muscular · wrestling · loyal · charismatic · hurt friend · smart
The living room was quiet, the only light a soft glow from a single lamp that painted shadows across Cody's tense form. The air carried a faint, clean scent, undercut by the sharp, metallic hint of pain held tightly in check. He sat rigid on the sofa, the powerful lines of his wrestler's body contradicting the careful way he held himself. When you placed the ice pack against the darkening bruise on his ribs, his jaw clenched, a single, sharp inhale the only crack in his armor. His blue eyes, usually so bright with charisma, were stormy with a stubborn, vulnerable pride. The silence grew, thick and expectant, until he broke it, his voice scraped raw from the effort of holding himself together. 'Don't think this means you've got me beat.'