``You sure you wanna go to this? Doesn't really seem up your alley.'' Helga asked, staring at the MMA ticket in her hand. Amethyst's little night out with a new friend had made the vole change their original plans for the weekend. The hog didn't understand why, since her pet had been looking forward to a play party where she could find a willing sub to practice domming on.
``Rebecca invited me, it'd be rude to say no.'' Amethyst answered from the bathroom, no doubt making sure her hair didn't have any notes.
``Yeah but the group only holds play parties once a month. You sure you want to wait that long to try and meet someone to practice on?'' Helga asked, though she wasn't really bothered by missing a party. She hit it off with Amy at the last munch she went to, and since then had no reason to go to play parties. Once you have a sub, the only reason to go is to socialize and do a little exhibitionism. Helga wasn't the most social sort out of her group of friends, and while she liked showing her slave off, there was just something about the party atmosphere that made her disinterested.
``I can wait. `Sides, Rebecca seemed really invested in showing me this thing.''
Helga couldn't shake a bad feeling about that terrier. She looked familiar the night she picked the two up, but the darkness made it hard to pick anything out. In hindsight, she could have just turned on the car lights in the back to get a closer look. But she didn't so much care about Amethyst's new friend to really bother. The fight ticket changed her mind. Thankfully, the pitbull had another to spare.
The familiarity was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't quite place it.
Amethyst smiled as she headed out of the bathroom, ``You ready, Mama?'' she asked, ears perked with indigo eyes focusing on the ticket in Helga's hand. She pushed her reservations back with a smile before looping a finger through her vole's collar, pulling her in for a long kiss.
``Course I am. Though you seem awfully invested in hanging out with a girl you met at work.''
``Well, when your friends graduate and get jobs, and your only other friend doesn't talk to you, a girl can get lonely,'' she leaned into Helga, wrapping her arms around the pig's waist, ``even with such a loving owner.''
She brushed through the younger girl's dyed hair. The swine hadn't really considered the lack of friends Amethyst had that were her age. Though in her defense, she never brought it up until now. Maybe Helga was just overthinking everything.
``Well, we better get moving then.''
``Great, I'll see you in the car.'' she pulled away only for Helga to hold her hand.
``We're not taking the car.''
``What?''
Helga pulled her sub close to her, looking down into those confused eyes, ``We're taking the bike.''
``But...Lansing is like an hour away.''
``Yeah, and if you wanna go cross country with me on weekends, you'll need to last longer than that,'' she lightly tapped the vole's pink nose, ``If you really want to go, then I'm sure you can last, my little slut.''
***
Becca wrapped the boxing tape tight against her paw. The terrier didn't like doing it, citing that it took too much time to properly wrap herself. But the major benefits of joint protection outweighed the minor inconvenience of time.
Rebecca hated fighting. From the intensity of impact when her fists landed, the pain that shook her when socked in the face, to the days of healing that followed for some injuries. She wasn't the kind of pacifist that believed the world could exist without violence, the cheers from the crowd were enough to tell her how ingrained combat was into a culture. No, her pacifism focused on herself. Something Becca threw to the side whenever she took her glasses off, neatly folding the link to Rebecca into her gym bag as the fighter came out.
That's what she told herself when she looked into the mirror. Rebecca was a horror movie nerd with unhealthy perversions. A child who couldn't grow up. Becca was a fighter, someone who toned her body through countless trials from her father in order to bring home the money they needed. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to push out any thoughts that weren't about the fight.
Her cell phone beeped. The terrier immediately hounded through her bag and pulled it out, heart pumping harder than any fight she'd been in as she read the words inside the green bubble.
`We're here. Where are you?'
Rebecca seeped through Becca's walls with a giggle as the pitbull typed her reply, `Just head to the seats. You'll see me soon.'
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the phone deep into the bag and looked back into the mirror. Surprise across her eyes met with the smile in her reflection. She took another deep breath, but it didn't calm her nerves. Becca couldn't hold it in, squealing into her hands as she pranced around the locker room with the grace of a kid on sugar. She knew Amethyst would come, but knowing she'd be here and knowing she was here, it was so wonderful to process.
``Ok, ok,'' she muttered to herself, feet dancing in place as she looked back into the mirror, ``Calm down. You've got a fight today. Fight first, cute vole who you want to grab you and kiss you harder than you've ever been kissed before for later.'' she said, finally stopping her prancing as she exhaled.
Strapping in her shin pads and gloves, Becca made her way out to the hall. Her father was waiting for her, smiling in his old training hoodie. It still had blood stains from her childhood, when he'd come home beaten and she had to stitch up his wounds. Rebecca missed those days, if only because she enjoyed his smile whenever she nursed him.
Becca didn't care, returning his smile with a grimace.
He whistled, ``If eyes could kill then you'd never need to throw a single punch.''
If only, she thought. Passing him by as she made her way to the crowd. Terry kept up with her, ``You forgot your robe ya know.''
``I'm not wearing it.''
``Why not? It?s got our gym logo and everything.''
``Because you said we wouldn't be doing this for much longer. Robes with logos are for fans. I don't want fans.''
He sighed, ``Becca, you just don't get it. The real money in this sport ain't in the fighting, it's the endorsements,'' he pulled her in, letting her ponytail braid brush against him, ``Look, you wear the robe, win the fight with a pinch of style, and we get a sponsor or two to pay for things. We do that for a few more years, I expand our gym brand a bit more, then you can retire as I start up a successful chain.''
``Years?'' Becca pulled away from him, ``You never said years!''
He shrugged, ``That was implied, baby girl. You think this is Hollywood, where people get `discovered' in a month or some shit?''
``People don't get discovered, dad.''
``Exactly,'' he pointed to her, ``We gotta put in work. You fight, rack up the wins and develop a fanbase, and I'll work on your brand. Make deals, meet with the right kinds of people. By the end of all this, you'll retire way better than I did.''
His smile didn't fill her with confidence. Dread seeped through her like bile in her lungs, suffocating the terrier as her hands shook in rage. Then she stopped, took a deep breath, and exhaled. She had been too hopeful, that much was obvious to her now. But what's a few years more of fighting if maybe, just maybe, she could have someone close to her?
In hindsight, it might have been better to keep her fighting job out of Amethyst's knowledge for as long as possible. But she'd tried that before back home, and it only succeeded in scaring her crush off. This time, she'd be upfront about it.
Now dressed in the stupid robe, Becca marched out into the open. She grit her teeth at the cheers of the crowd, slowly biting her tongue to keep her focused on the task in front of her. The caged hexagon ring stood before her with her opponent already waiting. Another pitbull, buckskin styled fur with a pixie haircut, wearing blue gloves in opposition of Becca's red.
Amethyst sat where the tickets she gave put her, near the front row with a clear view of Becca. The vole looked worried, darting her gaze back forth in the hunt for Becca, at least that's what the terrier assumed. She did give her two tickets, implying that the terrier already had her own.
She did, just not what the vole thought.
Becca waved to Amethyst once she entered the ring, casting off her robe to let the vole see the fighter underneath. Both Becca and Rebecca hated crowds, but tonight she needed to stare into the numerous eyes watching if she was to see Amethyst's surprised face. And she did see it, the shock quickly filling her face. She didn't see any fear, a hopeful sign for their future.
Then she saw Helga. The pig had walked back to the seats with popcorn and refreshments, because of course a pig would be concerned with food. Her surprise was different, holding a tinge of anger that made Becca smile. She'd flip a middle finger, but her gloves wouldn't have hidden that well, and she didn't want to insult her lover's mother.
Her tail nub wagged in confidence as she headed to the red side. She rested against the chain links, smiling across the way to her opponent who stared down with her teeth barred. Despite how much people cared for sporting behavior, half of fighting involved psyching your opponent out. It wouldn't work tonight, not with Becca's crush in the audience.
``In the blue corner!'' the announcer roared through the speakers, ``Standing in with twenty-five wins and ten losses, fighting in her home state, Kendra Selvie!''
Her opponent pumped her fist to the sky as the crowd cheered. If Becca cared much about fighting, that many wins would have impressed her. But it, and the announcements that preceded it, were just a waste of time to her.
``And standing in the red corner, a challenger from the Big Apple, with nineteen wins and seven losses, Rebecca Band!''
Becca peaked over to Amethyst when her wins were announced, seeing the vole staring with intensity into the ring. Helga's arm was wrapped casually around her neck, too much for a mother. But how could Rebecca judge? She didn't have one.
Kendra stared down at Becca with furious blue eyes as the ref explained the rules. Becca had heard them all before, knowing by heart where she wasn't supposed to hit or use. She smirked at her opponent, nothing would phase her tonight.
They bumped their pads and headed to their respective sides. Becca's dad waited for her there, ``Ok, so I'm thinking you want to get in close,''
She nodded, proceeding to ignore his plan as she stared back to Amethyst and Helga. The vole had been pulled closer to the pig, to the point that they were almost hugging. Why would they need to hug here? Her eyes widened as Helga kissed Amethyst's cheek. Fists tightened. It had to just be a motherly thing, right? That's just what close parents do.
Then Amethyst kissed Helga, on the lips. Becca's confidence shattered as the clapper hit the bell. Muscle memory carried her, letting her dodge sweeps and strikes from the other pitbull. Both arms up, she circled her opponent to strike from behind. Raising her knee to strike, her eyes glanced to see Helga pulling Amethyst closer, too close.
Her father shouted, ``Becca, right-''
Kendra's knee hit her gut before he finished. Becca gasped as the blow hit, bringing up her arms on reflex to block the blow to her face. She pushed back, nearly tripping over her leg as she adapted to the pain in her side.
The other dog closed in on her. Training kept Becca's footwork top notch, letting her duck and weave between blows. Twisting with her latest dodge, she threw an uppercut to Kendra's chin.
She missed, whiffing it by an inch as her opponent pulled back. Becca took the offensive, charging in with a barrage of punches against the terrier. None carried much weight, and judging by her father's screams, anyone could see it. The fighter ran on autopilot, while the pilot could only think about the pig near her crush. The way they kissed, the way they held each other, it didn't seem motherly.
They seemed like...no, it couldn't be. Becca had seen Helga's information after she signed up. The pig was too old to be dating her crush. She had to be an adoptive mother, one that just liked being affectionate.
A gloved fist knocked her out from her thoughts. Her mouth guard took most of the blow, but the dull pain still stunned her face for a second. Another blow hit her, swelling her eye. As she brought her arms to guard, Kendra drove a knee to her gut. Becca nearly lost her mouthguard as she tumbled to the floor.
She rolled herself back up with the momentum. Guard up and fury in her eyes. This fight was stupid. Fighting was stupid. Two more rounds of this was too many. She pushed forward, deciding to end this with enough hard blows to make Kendra regret fighting.
Then she saw it. A mouthy kiss from Helga to Amethyst. A kiss so deep, that it could only be embraced by lovers. A kiss that made Becca drop her guard.
Tears started to form. Why her? Why did her goddess-
``Becca! Get in the-''
Kendra's foot from a roundhouse strike muffled Becca's world. She felt the dull pain smash against her face, and again when she hit the floor. Darkness came slowly. But in the final bits of light, her eyes focused on her crush. The vole looked on, hands over her mouth in shock. Becca wanted to smile, to be happy that someone seemed to care.
She couldn't feel her jaw.
***
Helga should have seen it coming. No matter how dark it was when she picked Amethyst and her friend up, she should have trusted her gut on the resemblance. She grit her teeth, mentally fuming at the idea that she couldn't tell that all it took was a pair of glasses, baggy clothes, and a different hairstyle to make her think it was someone else.
``Was the line long?'' Amethyst asked, still waving to the terrier in the ring. Helga shook her head, ``No,'' she said, passing off the popcorn to her lover as she took her seat, ``I thought you said she would be waiting for us?''
``I did,'' she said, surprise apparent on her face as she looked back out to the ring, ``I didn't know she was fighting.''
``So, you didn't know she fought?''
The vole shook her head. Helga furrowed her brow as she turned to the fight, listening in on the announcer describe nineteen wins. The pig knew that the brat wasn't inexperienced. With how she fought, Helga knew she had to have more than a few fights under her belt. But why hide it? The girl she picked up from the theater barely spoke a word. Hell, she practically sank into the backseat of the car, a real wallflower. A far cry from the loudmouth brat she spared against.
``You're making that face again,''
``What face?''
Amethyst met Helga's question with a furrowed brow and squinting eyes, ``This face. You make it whenever you're angry.''
Helga smiled and gave a weak laugh, ``I'm not angry,'' she lied, wrapping her arm around the vole.
``Liar,'' the vole called her out, leaning in closer to kiss her, ``What's wrong, Mama?''
Sighing, Helga pulled her observant little bitch closer and pointed to the ring, ``You see your friend over there?''
She nodded. The pig continued, ``Well, I fought her at that boxing gym I signed up for.''
``You what?!'' she turned to Rebecca, ``But she...'' then to Helga, ``But you...those bruises, she did-''
``Mmhmm,'' Helga said with a nod, ``She's the brat I told you about. Though I didn't really describe her more than a brat. You sure she never mentioned this?''
``Well, it's not like we talk that much. She's a customer who invited me to a movie.''
``You don't...what?'' Helga tried to process what Amethyst said. Her little pet had been asked to a movie, not by a friend, but by a customer? ``You're telling me you don't know her?''
``Well, I know her order by heart at this point. And we do talk sometimes in line when it's not too busy. She's a fan of horror movies.''
Helga dragged her hand across her face, hoping to wipe away this revelation at just how blind her sub was. Being a regular customer, the movie, why she was so quiet in the car, and now this surprise fighter reveal. She knew Amethyst had a sheltered upbringing when it came to being intimately social, but these were bare basic signs.
``Amy. I'm pretty sure she has a crush on you.''
She looked into the dilated pupils of the vole's indigo eyes. ``W-what?'' she muttered, looking back onto the stage, ``No,'' she forced a soft chuckle, ``N-no, she just wanted to hang-''
``Amy.''
The vole bit her lip, ``Ok, I think you're right.''
The swine raised a brow, ``You think?''
``I don't know! I'm bad at these things.''
``You weren't with me,'' Helga brushed a hand through the vole's hair, ``In fact, I remember you were pretty forward with me the night we met. Remember?''
``I remember nearly puking from nerves,'' Amethyst muttered, ``Besides, people know what they're looking for at a munch. It's obvious. How am I supposed to know someone is flirting with me at work?''
``Or at a movie.''
Amethyst hit Helga's side with her backhand, more playful than painful, ``Shut up.''
She took it with a laugh, bringing her lips to Amethyst, ``You first, slut.'' she ordered, before pushing her tongue past the vole's lips in a breathy kiss. She knew, at least somewhere in the back of her mind, that a kiss wasn't all that appropriate in this little fight. But seeing her pet all worked up made it all the harder to resist. Not that Amethyst fought against her. No, the only resistance the vole's tongue put up was playful at best. Letting the older pig wrestle the pierced organ into submission.
A collective gasp ran through the crowd, followed by the whistle blow from the referee. Amethyst broke away from the kiss first, cupping her mouth in terror. Helga peered over to the ring, seeing Rebecca down on the ground. The pig had seen enough fights in her day that laying on the floor didn't raise any alarms for her. Then two seconds passed and the terrier didn't move.
``Is she ok?'' Amethyst asked, hand tightening around Helga's as she stared into the ring, ``She's ok, right?''
Helga nodded but she wasn't sure herself. She missed what hit her, but if a fighter wasn't moving on the ground then they weren't ok. Amethyst got up, ``We need to make sure,'' she less said and more demanded as she pulled Helga from her chair. The pig went along, more to keep Amy company than to check up on the pitbull. Considering her own experiences with the girl, Helga couldn't help but feel a little catharsis seeing her knocked out.
Not enough to see her really injured. But as far as Helga was concerned, the brat needed a good swing.
Her catharsis turned to worry as she saw a pair of paramedics with a stretcher enter the ring. By now the brat started to move, but she didn't seem overly aware of her surroundings. A concussion maybe? Helga couldn't be sure, though Amethyst's pushy nature would get them there eventually as she led the two through the crowd. Terry seemed to recognize Helga instantly, with obvious confusion on his face.
``Youse a fighting fan or something? I'm pretty sure you didn't sign up for the newsletter.'' he asked.
``Your daughter alright?''
He shrugged, ``She's a Band. She'll be back up in no time.''
``I need to see her,'' Amethyst tried to rush past the pitbull but Terry wouldn't budge.
``And you are?''
``A friend. Now can I see her?''
``A friend?'' he blinked, ``Oh, you must be that girl she's been meeting with. She's missed quite a few training sessions `cause of you,'' he looked at Helga, then scanned Amethyst for a few seconds, ``You two know each other?''
``Yeah, small world. Can she see your daughter already? It's clear she's worried.''
``And I appreciate that,'' he held his hands up, ``But Becca right now needs some rest. Can't have too many visitors when dealing with a blow to the head like that. Tell ya what,'' he grinned, pulling out a card and handing it to Amethyst, ``Why don't you come on down to the gym sometime? She's there training most days, I'd bet she'd love to see ya.''
If Helga were a decade younger and had less of a rap sheet she'd have already pushed him aside to let Amethyst through. Instead she sighed, ``Come on, honey. We can see her another time.''
``But...but Mama...''
``Mama?'' Terry asked, though Helga's glare shut him up. He left to, at least what Helga assumed, take care of his daughter while she comforted Amethyst. They'd definitely have to meet with Rebecca later. Though Helga had a different kind of talk in mind for when that happened.
She was the jealous type after all.
