Dante

That visit from Shaun lit a fire under Sammy's ass.

Literally.

He kept us both down in the gym for another hour, putting more effort into the combos I'd shown him, than I possibly ever had with my father. But it was that intoxicating energy, the type of energy that made me want to do more. The type that damn near knocked me out as soon as I hit the sheets.

And we trained like this every evening until Saturday rolled around.

Regardless of how busy the week was, Sammy still managed to find some time for us. It was the moments in passing when he'd pull me aside for a kiss, that made everything easier to stomach. I wanted more, of course, but I knew it would come after this tournament.

"How are the nerves?" Sammy asked, as he and I held the entrance doors open for the team. I sent him a small smile.

"Could be better. Could always be better."

And I wasn't wrong. My nerves had a way of acting up before a fight... but this was going to be my first time fighting in years. Nervous couldn't begin to describe how I felt.

As we entered the building, I did my best to take in every surrounding. There were fighters all over the place. Some getting photos taken, while others looked to be gearing up for their first fight.

"The novices are up first." Sammy explained to me, as he led us towards a table that had the words Fight Club printed on a card. Some of the young fighters were already stripping down to their shorts in anticipation for what was quickly approaching. "It looks like we might get to watch a round before the veterans are up. Any particular idiot you're interested in?" He asked, leaning over to show me the roster.

I couldn't help but smile as I pointed to Kyle's name.

-

"Look at me." Sammy demanded Kyle's attention, forcing him to rip his eyes away from the ring. "That's Russo in there." He pointed to the man standing in the ring. "I haven't heard much about him but Grayson said Jump In's Gym switched all their training just days prior to today. Regardless of what you think you know, expect the unexpected."

I could see the energy bubbling up in Kyle. Even though he acted uninterested, he had definitely heard Sammy. When his eyes found mine to ask for my own two cents before the fight started, all I could do was shrug.

"I don't have anything to prep you with, but trust yourself... and go kick some serious ass." That made Kyle's smile spread across his face.

"You got it, coach."

Sammy and I remained at our side of the ring, watching as Kyle pulled himself onto the mat. "What are you thinking?" Sammy asked me.

My eyes remained on both fighters, but I was analyzing this Russo kid. He was around the same height and weight as Kyle, yet the way his legs moved as they geared up for the first round, had me nervous.

"He seems quick." I told Sammy honestly. "Kyle's good for speed, but his reaction time needs improvement. This could be a close match."

Sammy nodded in agreement, as we stepped back to watch the fight unfold.

It was safe to say my predictions were correct. The fight between Kyle and Russo was intense. Kyle had started with a lead, taking a more aggressive offense approach. Russo was even quicker than I predicted, however. He was able to block and maneuver with ease. When he sent a straight jab Kyle's way, Kyle wasn't able to block in time.

Sammy and I both grimaced as Kyle went down.

He didn't stay down though. I saw him spring to his feet as soon as the ref approached. "Fuck yeah, Kyle! Come on now!" I found myself unexpectedly cheering. That brought a smile to Sammy's lips as he joined in.

"Fuck him up!"

Kyle glanced back for a second, sending us a wink before he got back into his groove.

The fight only lasted a few more rounds. The hit Kyle took had thrown his game off slightly, but he managed to land a stellar combo, throwing Russo back on the mat. I saw the man struggle to get up, but anyone with eyes could tell how powerful that right hook was. Once the ref called it, Kyle almost fell out of the ring running towards us. Sammy caught him effortlessly before he could face plant on concrete.

"Did you see that?!" He exclaimed as soon as Sammy set him down.

"Hell yeah we did!" Sammy replied with energy I had honestly never seen directed at Kyle before.

"I did that right hook combo Dante showed me! Fucking nailed that bitch!" Kyle continued. I couldn't help but smile as I pulled him in for a handshake. Instead, Kyle full on hugged me. My body went rigid almost immediately, but I allowed it. "Thank you." He whispered to me, before pulling away seconds later. "I gotta go brag to Grayson! Maybe I'll take him on next!"

That was the last thing he said, before disappearing into the crowd that had started to disband.

"That was a stellar combo." Sammy spoke, turning towards me. "I don't think I'd ever, in a million years, expected that to come from Kyle. What kind of voodoo shit did you pull with my novices?"

I chuckled at that. "Nothing you haven't done, I promise. That's your combo he used out there. I switched the cross with a hook because Kyle would have more momentum then."

Sammy's smile slowly grew. "You- wow. I'm not sure what forces brought you into my life, but it's enough to make me a believer." His voice was playful, but those eyes said something different. Those eyes were currently telling me I was wearing too many clothes.

It was the announcement which came through the intercom, that interrupted us.

"It looks like the veterans will be starting now. You ready?" He asked me.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

-

And surprisingly, I was. I'd argue Fight Club as a unit, was. All our veteran and novice fighters advanced through the first two fights with ease. Sammy delivered a knockout blow to every opponent he had. I had wanted to watch him fight, but my fights and his had overlapped.

I was able to catch Grayson's third fight, however. It was against Malcom Dick. Sammy mentioned that name once before when he spoke about Serenity, but he didn't go into specifics. Seeing his title as Serenity's trainer, made much more sense now. The way Grayson eyed him down led me to believe there was some bad blood here.

"This ones going to be intense." Sammy whispered to me. We were both standing on our respective side, looking up at the two fighters as they begun. Grayson was powerful, but he wasn't managing to land anything on Malcom.

Sammy's arms tensed up when Malcom delivered a powerful blow to Grayson.

Grayson stumbled back, but he didn't fall. I was surprised by how quickly he was able to recuperate. When he finally landed a hit on Malcom, I saw Malcom stumble back. What I wasn't expecting, was what followed next.

Malcom bounced back almost immediately to deliver a robust jab that threw Grayson on his back.

"Fuck." Sammy whispered under his breath. We watched as the ref called the match.

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