Nova Lux's POV.

I'm stuffed.

After spending just under two hours with the Itsuki family, it's no wonder Sora is such an affectionate person.

He is surrounded by so much love and warmth that I almost feel jealous.

My mother really tried for me growing up.

But there was a certain amount of love she couldn't give me growing up, and I only understood as a teenager that it was because she had never experienced it for herself.

It caused a slight rift between us until very recently and although we have tried to mend our relationship, it's never really the been the same.

I was a kid when she and my father got divorced because as much as they loved each other, they just couldn't get along. It was always one thing or the other.

Seeing a family like Sora's was so refreshing.

I don't doubt that they have their issues, but the love they have for each other just seems stronger.

It makes me wistful.

Almost jealous even.

But I push the feeling to the side.

I am with Sora in his dressing room, waiting for him to finish changing.

He has warmed up already and done his promo shots for the gym.

I stayed far out of the view of the camera, even though Sora wants to show the whole world we are together...

Another time.

He comes out of the bathroom, and for the first time today, he looks terrified.

I smile at him and that makes him ease up a little bit.

"You've got this" I tell him, not even addressing his fear.

"Yes baby I do. You're gonna be with me every step of the way right?" he asks me.

"Yes baby love. I will be with you at every step of the way"I tell him confidently.

I stroke his face, and he melts against my touch immediately.

I almost grin at him.

Such a simple, yet complex man.

I drag my nails lightly down the back of his head and his eyes roll back a little.

I give him a peck on the lips.

"Hang in there for me okay?" I ask him.

My voice is soft and it almost reveals how worried for him I actually am.

It's been a while since he has been in the cage and I'm worried about him, not just as a trainer, but now as his girlfriend too.

He means a lot to me.

There's a knock on the door and his name is called loudly!

It's time.

He responds back, then turns to me once again, kissing my forehead.

"Thank you for everything, Nova. I mean it" he says.

I nod, choking back tears.

He smiles and faces the door.

The stagehand opens the door for him and leads him out.

I take a second to breathe and recollect myself, before I leave the room.

I leave, making sure the door is locked behind me and I walk slowly to my seat.

Thoughts I never usually have before any kind of performance or match, cross my mind.

Did I do enough for him?

Will he be safe?

Is there anything I could do?

I shake them all off and make my way to my seat.

I find it, and I immediately see his friends Emiko and Juanita as well as a bunch of his team mates from the gym all there to support him.

The girls notice me first, smiling and waving me over.

I smile back, making my way over and some of his teammates greet me as well, the rest looking terrified for their friend.

I sit down and yap with the girls, to hide my fear for Sora.

In this moment, I'm not his trainer.

I'm not his dominant.

I'm his girlfriend, and I feel powerless.

The sound of the stadium erupting with cheers snaps me out of my thoughts and I almost snap my neck, turning to the stage.

There he is.

Despite myself, all I can think about is how good he looks.

His form.

His brown, glistening skin, which is almost stretched by his heavy muscles.

His dark eyes and his confident expression.

He raises his powerful arms, giving the audience a show.

He searches the crowd and his eyes fall on me.

In that moment, he's the only one in the room.

The crowd sounds muffled and it all moves in slow motion.

I can hear my heart beating wildly and my shaky breathes.

He points his wrapped hands towards me and then taps his chest.

A gesture of love.

I clutch my chest as he turns away and I all but faint.

Emiko grabs my hand, squeezing and Juanita silently puts her hand on my arm, both of them reassuring me that he's going to be okay.

The ring girls strut across the floor and for the sake of only my man, I lock in.

It's time for the fight to begin.

I look at Sora's opponent and I nearly shit my heart out.

He's massive.

Slightly taller than Sora and built like he eats nails and bricks for breakfast.

His stats on the board and the flag on his waistband tell me he is a Romanian and his shaved head and large beard make him look even more intimidating, his green eyes wild with bloodlust.

They need to test that guy or something!

I turn back to Sora, who doesn't even seem to feel the pinch at all.

He's talking to Kane and listening attentively to everything he has to say.

The Romanian, Ciobanu, works the crowd, while his coaches eye Sora, talking between themselves.

The crowd finally settles down and we ready ourselves to watch the match.

I hear people making bets around us and it's a mixed bag.

Some of the odds are stacked very high against Sora and some of them are boldly in his favour.

Then the starting bell rings, shaking all of us in the front row up.

I watch Sora get into his stance, waiting.

I watch with bated breath at his opponent, who wastes no time rushing in to attack.

Sora dodges what looks like a very heavy punch deftly, but immediately falls prey to a powerful reverse kick to the side, that would usually have any grown man flat on his face.

But not Sora.

He recovers quickly and jumps back to avoid getting hit.

Good. He's assessing the situation like I taught him.

Ciobanu rushes in again for another punch and this time, Sora is ready, blocking it and punching him straight in the chest!

Ciobanu stumbles back a little but recovers quickly, going in for another punch, but the bell rings signalling the end of the first round!

The crowd roars around me, a wave of noise and energy that feels like it's crashing over my body. But none of it reaches me. Not really. Not while I'm staring at Sora across the cage.

He goes back to his corner and I slump in my seat, my whole body ringing with nerves.

I watch as some of his teammates, wipe is sweat-drenched brow and give him some water to drink, which he gulps down and, taking breaths in between.

It's tasking, but he's taking it well.

All too soon, the ref signals for both sides to get back into position amd my heart is doing bungee jumping again.

Sora's back is to me right now, his broad shoulders rippling as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other.

The spotlight catches the sheen of sweat on his skin, the tightness in his muscles, and my heart skips a beat again.

The way Ciobanu towers over him makes my chest tight with something I can't quite put my finger on.

I try to ignore the knot in my stomach, the flicker of doubt.

This Ciobanu guy...

He genuinely looks insane.

His grin is sickening, stretched wide across his face, like he knows something I don't.

He's taller than Sora, his arms heavier, bulkier.

I have never seen Sora fight, but I know the way he moves, the way he thinks before he strikes.

But there's always a part of me that can't help but fear.

Fear that I'll see the moment when it all slips away, when his body gives in to the pain, when his strength isn't enough.

I grip the railing in front of me, knuckles turning white, having abandoned the hold of my friends next to me and I desperately try to keep my breathing steady.

The seconds feel like years as the men circle each other, sizing each other up.

Then, the bell rings and Sora immediately strikes!

It's quick, a flash of movement that catches Ciobanu off guard, but Ciobanu's bigger, and he retaliates just as fast, catching Sora with a hard punch to the ribs.

I wince, a sharp, visceral ache running through me as if I felt it myself. I can see Sora's jaw tighten, his breath hissing out through clenched teeth, but he doesn't back down.

The crowd is louder now, a chant building, urging them on, but all I can focus on is the shift in Sora's expression, no longer just the fighter, but he is my boyfriend.

The man I love.

His brow furrows, his lips pressed into a thin line, eyes narrowing on Ciobanu like he's already calculating his next move.

He looks steady.

I can't help the flutter of hope in my chest.

He's hurt, I can see it in the way he moves, but he's not done.

Not just fucking yet.

Another punch from Ciobanu, this time aimed at Sora's face. It lands, but Sora ducks just enough, the blow grazing his cheek instead of knocking him flat out on the floor.

He lunges forward, his fists lightning-quick, a blur of controlled aggression, and for a moment, it's like nothing else exists except the space between them.

I can feel the heat of the fight, the rush of adrenaline flooding my own veins.

I've never felt so helpless in my life.

Not as a child, when I nursed my mother's broken hearts or had to dance for my life at any recitals so that scouts would notice me.

Not when life was strangling me to death.

Not when I had to move and start anew just to feel human again.

Never.

Come on, baby.

Please.

In one fluid motion, Sora pivots and lands a clean uppercut right to Ciobanu's jaw!

The almost sickening sound of it echoes in the arena, and for a heartbeat, everything stops.

Ciobanu stumbles back, is green eyes blinking in disbelief, before his body hits the cage.

The crowd explodes with cheers, but all I can do is remind myself to breathe, watching Sora take a step back, eyes locked onto his opponent.

And in that very fucking moment...

Those few seconds where everything hangs in the balance.. it's the calm before the storm.

He's got this, I tell myself.

He fucking has to.

But the fight isn't over, and I know it won't be until that final bell rings.

Until Sora steps out of that cage.

My heart pounds in my chest, and I can't help but whisper, even though he can't hear me, "You can do this." I tell us both.

And he can.

He wastes no time at all, hitting Ciobanu with a flurry of punches, aiming straight for his face, chest and stomach.

I've never seen this level of aggression before from him.

He wants to win and he wants it so badly that he will take it no matter the cost.

And then he does it.

He raises his leg and kicks Ciobanu hard straight in the ribs in the same way I taught him when I was showing him how to stretch in our first session together!

A loud whistle sounds and Sora immediately steps back.

I look at Ciobanu to see that his back is leaning against the cage.

The ref steps forward to look at him and Ciobanu straightens himself up to fight again.

The crowd bubbles with tension as he stands strong for a few seconds...

Before slumping back into the cage and dropping down with a mighty thud!

The ref waves his arms in the air signalling the end of the fight and the finishing bell rings loudly and clearly and the crowd goes insane!

He's done it! Sora has won his match!

I'm brought back to reality when Emiko screams with excitement next to me and Sora raises his arms in the air, victorious!

He yells with pure triumph and the medical assistants rush onto the stage to gather Ciobanu up.

The ref rushes to Sora's side, lifting his arm up in the air, signaling his win and Kane runs onto the mat, grabbing Sora into a hug, lifting him in the air.

I don't even have time to think, as Emiko wipes tears off of my face that I didn't even realise had fallen and his team mates snatch me over the railings to take me to my man.

They all but carry me into that ring and to Sora who immediately upon seeing me, grabs my hand, raising it and Kane's hands into the air.

The crowd goes insane at this and it feels like I'm being hit with sound waves.

Then Sora turns to me, pulling me close.

He holds my face and kisses me!

He kisses me deeply and I can't help but melt into him.

I pull away first, but he holds me firmly to him.

The ref congratulates him and hands him an award belt, which he slings over my shoulder and it makes me cry even more!

I'm so relieved.

I couldn't tell you how happy I am.

Sora leans his forehead against mine.

"I did it baby" he breathes.

"Yes you did!" I choke on my sobs, hiccuping even.

"It's all thanks to you. I couldn't have done it without you" he says, his tone soft with tears of his own.

I shake my head, ready to tell him that it's all him, when Kane starts to usher us both out of the cage.

The medics need space to get Ciobanu off the stage.

He's awake now, but I'm a stretcher.

As he is wheeled past, he reaches out his arm and Sora takes it and shakes it.

The crowd, loving this, takes several photos, the flash of the cameras almost blinding.

Ciobanu smiles and gently puts his arm back on his chest as he's wheeled away.

The moment we get out of the cage, his teammates, friends and coaches surround him in hugs and congratulations.

All the while, he holds me tucked under his arm like I'll disappear.

We all make it back to his dressing room, where he hands Kane is belt for safekeeping and he's dowsed in celebratory champagne.

They all ask what he will do to celebrate and he grins, but says nothing.

His eyes fall on me, making my whole body radiate with heat and a soft lull falls over the changing room, followed by snickers from his teammates and an 'oop!' From Emiko.

Kane graciously steps in, shoving everyone out of the door.

"Don't overdo it y'all! You've got 3 weeks off and come then, I don't wanna hear about no pulled muscles or none of that shit!" He calls back and they all erupt with laughter, making my face heat up even more!

The door closes with a click and suddenly, we're alone.

Just me...

And my adrenaline pumped boyfriend, who I've been torturing for weeks!

Oh shit.

——————————————
What did you all think?

Tell me what you think in the comments and don't forget to vote!

~ NJNJ14.