A Hard Night's Rest [For Daaharu]

Carmen figured that flirting was like boxing in a few key ways. Both relied on a sort of pacing. You had to get into the groove of it, make the other person work with your rhythm. They both relied on spontaneity. While there was definitely an element of planning, one could not anticipate every move and complication. You had to work on your feet. And hesitation was always rewarded with pain and loss.

Except she didn't have any cornerman to give her advice, not that Army would have been too helpful, here. It wasn't a perfect analog.

Carmen had started to drift off as the medicines went to work, reminding her of one of the big reasons she hated hospitals. Something about being medicated and having her own body do things beyond her control set her off. Felt unnatural, even if it was good for her.

"Carmen?" She heard Reiko's voice, pulling her back from the deep. She roused up, eyes widening. "Ms. Rodriguez."

"Ugh, God, don't call me that." Carmen laughed under her breath with a lazy grin, rolling her head around on the pillow. "Makes me feel old. Older."

"Oh, you're not that old." She reached over and ruffled up Carmen's hair. Physical contact. A good start. "What are you? 25?"

Carmen opened her mouth to correct, then shut it tight. "I look twenty-five to you?"

She gave a simple nod, flashing those lovely eyes that surely made all the hospitalized boxers swoon.

"Then I'm twenty-five, sure." She closed her eyes once more content to leave it at that. "What's she got this time?"

"She's replying in kind." She showed Carmen a clip from Lorenza's own phone, one-upping her last shot. This one was a shot from right before, with Carmen getting her head caved in - the memory was still so vivid that Carmen winced at it.

"Nasty." She shook her head. "Ask her what she dreamed about when I knocked her out in the eighth. She looked so peaceful down there, I'm curious."

Lorenzaâ€s feeling that she was losing this tug of war over Reiko was only becoming stronger. She felt as if her comebacks were falling flatter while Carmenâ€s were still sharp. All she had really been able to do in response to Carmenâ€s new ringtone was to imitate her rival. While she had been pleased with her choice of clip, she just didnâ€t feel like she had impressed Reiko very much.

She would have to do better when the nurse came back into her room. This, she felt, would be her last chance, and she was going to swing for the fences. Either she would win Reiko now, or she would have to give up. This is such a stupid idea, Lorenza berated herself, but she didnâ€t stop as she fidgeted uncomfortably in the bed. Slowly, Lorenza began to turn herself over…

…but Reiko came back just then, and, knowing that the nurse would stop her from doing something that might aggravate her injuries, Lorenza would let her body fall back into place. She looked up expectantly at the nurse, who smiled down at her and placed a hand on Lorenzaâ€s shoulder. “You werenâ€t trying to get up, were you, Lorenza?” she asked, with concern in her voice.

Lorenza hesitated for a second. “…no.”

Reiko eyed her curiously. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Iâ€m sure,” Lorenza said, not entirely truthfully. “So, what did she say, Reiko?”

“Oh, well,” the nurse said, “she asked me to ask you what you dreamed about when she knocked you out in the eighth round. She said that you looked very peaceful.”

Lorenza grunted. That was another good one. She could really only answer it in one way. “Oh, I was dreaming about Carmenâ€s beautiful face,” she replied. She waited a second, then continued: “Not. Truth is, I didnâ€t dream about anything because I wasnâ€t out. Not even close.” That was a lie. But she added: “Ask her the same question about the little nap she took in the fifth round. I know she was out. Did she have any good dreams then, huh?”

Reiko smiled and patted Lorenzaâ€s shoulder. “Okay, then,” the nurse said, heading back to Carmenâ€s room. Once she was gone, Lorenza began to slowly move herself again, wanting to be ready when Reiko came back…

It occurred to Carmen that they could probably just do this over a video chat or something and save poor Reiko all the footwork, though maybe that was part of the fun. It was silly, and they both needed a little silliness. It was strange, too. Carmen had always figured Lorenza for such a cold fish. She remembered when she and her father were scouting Lorenza before the first fight, looking over her fights. She seemed so focused and driven, such a determined champion. Carmen couldn't have dreamed that she had a smile in her, back then.

She certainly wouldn't have dreamed they would be playing a game of verbal volleyball with a nurse in Japan two years later. Funny how life turned out.

Carmen started on her salad, eating it dry when Reiko came back into the room with a little laugh from whatever Lorenza had said in return. She was anxious to hear it this time. That last shot had been one of her best, Lorenza would have to come back strong to take it from here.

"I was thinking." She reached over and fluffed up Carmen's pillow, helping her ease into the bed. "You two obviously have some sort of connection beyond just me. Have you ever considered, you know..."

It took Carmen a second to get her gist, and when she did. she shook it right away. "What, dating? Lorenza?" She shook her head. "That'd be weird, too weird. I mean, even sex, could you imagine? We'd both want to be on top,it would never happen."

Not that it didn't make for a pleasant mental image.

"Just saying." She shrugged. "I'm no psychologist, but-"

"Some things just aren't meant to be. Trust me." Carmen stirred up the salad, hunting for more tomatoes. "What's she got for me, now?"

"She said she wasn't out, and-"

Carmen nearly choked on her lettuce, bursting out into a laughing fit. "Oh, my ass." She leaned up, looking past Reiko to the door. "You're full of shit, Saldano!" She fell back, smiling all the way and shaking her head. "I mean, damn. Talking crap is a part of the game, but that woman..." She let the laughs die out with a sigh. "I've seen enough knocked out people to know when someone's taking a snooze, and she damn well knows it. What did she say back?"

"Oh, she's coming with an even exchange, asking what you dreamed when you were out."

A fair question, if a little unimaginative, giving her back the same hit she took. Maybe Lorenza was starting to lose some steam. "See, this is the difference - I'm honest. I dreamed of Sunday school, when I was a little girl." True, but she tactfully left out the part where she spent that Sunday school eye-flirting with her crush of the week. "I'm thinking it was some of psychological thing - she and Sunday school have so much in common. Slow. Predictable. Boring. And it just never seems to end. Send that one back."

She reached over and gave Reiko a daring pat on her lovely thigh - a bit of risk, but they'd come this far, it wasn't like her intentions were hid. Reiko didn't seem to mind, and just gave a soft smile as she stepped on out.

This time, Lorenza did not have to wait for Reiko to report back. Slowly, painfully, she managed to stand up again. It felt good to be back up on her own two feet again, so soon after such a debilitating match. And, now that she was standing up, the pain was starting to go away again. It was the effort that it took to get onto her feet that had caused her real suffering. Cautiously, Lorenza shuffled across the room.

“…to be. Trust me.” Lorenza could hear Carmenâ€s voice. Standing at the doorway of her room, she heard every word that passed between the cute Japanese nurse and her Puerto Rican rival from those words onward. Lorenza stood silent, just barely out of sight of the other women, listening as Reiko reported what she had said to Carmen, and Carmenâ€s incredulous reply. It had been an obvious lie. Carmen hadnâ€t hesitated for a second before calling her out on her bullshit. Lorenza smirked, but didnâ€t say anything. She waited until Reiko came out of the room. The nurseâ€s eyes widened when she saw the Mexican boxer up and about.

“Lorenza! You really shouldnâ€t—”

“Sí, sí, I know.”

“You could hurt something just by walking around. Your ribs. Your liver is—”

“My liver is fine. My ribs, also.” Lorenza stepped forward, leaned in and gave Reiko a kiss on the cheek. She pulled back and smiled at the nurse. For the moment, Reiko didnâ€t seem to know what to say. All that was registered on her face, however, was concern. Concern for her patient. Lorenza noted that. Then, raising her voice, she called out to Carmen across the hall. “Iâ€m full of shit, Rodriguez?” she began. “Fine, fine, you want to know what I dreamed of? Everything. Toda mi vida. Tijuana. Texas. You and I.”

“Why donâ€t you come out here, too, Carmen? Letâ€s give poor Reiko a rest and talk face to face, eh? You can tell me just how slow, boring, and predictable I am. Tell me about your Sunday school and how I am just like it.”

Reikoâ€s expression changed. There was a distinct fear in her eyes. “Please donâ€t fight here. Youâ€ll kill each other,” she asked of Lorenza.

Lorenza smiled and squeezed Reikoâ€s shoulder. “We wonâ€t fight, Reiko. I just want to talk face to face with mi hermana, eh? Weâ€ll be peaceful. Gentle like lovers.” She chuckled.

Carmen had started to ease back into the bed when she heard Reiko talking just outside the door, and it wasn't to any of the other nurses on her shift - no, Carmen would have recognized that sultry yet sardonic voice anywhere. Lorenza had gotten up.

Carmen just groaned for a moment, knowing what that meant. If Lorenza was doing it, then that meant she had to do it, too. No way was she getting one-upped.

"Damn." She let out a low groan as she started to roll around and her body protested the interruption to her healing process, sending fresh waves of pain up her chest. The ribs were the worst, no question. As she sat up, every single breath seemed to make them worse and worse - taking slower, shallower breaths helped, but not by much.

She could endure, though, and she managed to get her body all the way around and stretching her feet out over the bed. She touched the floor with tentative toes, easing into the floor and getting used to the cold.

She grunted back as Lorenza called to her, pushing off the the bed to stand up. "Coming, coming. Keep your gown on, for all our sakes." She walked her way to the door and peeked out, just as Lorenza was finishing up with her lines.

"Gentle like lovers? You say that like you actually have some experience." She slide out all the way and leaned on the door frame with folded arms. "But yeah, don't worry, I wouldn't beat Lorenza here if she was crazy enough to ask for it. Which she's not."

Carmen wasted no time in getting out of bed. If Lorenza had to guess, her rival had probably started getting up the second she heard Lorenzaâ€s voice. She wouldnâ€t allow herself to be one-upped so easily. Good. Lorenza didnâ€t want to earn anything easily. Especially not from Carmen.

“Glad you could make it, Carmen,” Lorenza said, putting her hands on her hips as the other boxer emerged from her room. “So, we going to talk about dreams, huh?”

Reiko looked a little bit uncomfortable as her eyes moved back and forth between the two pugilists. “Please, be careful, you two! You donâ€t want to make any of your injuries any worse!” the nurse insisted. While she had been happy to flirt while the boxers were still laid up in their beds, her professional instincts were kicking in now that the two were on their feet, against her professional advice.

Lorenza would try to bring out Reikoâ€s flirtatious side once again. “Donâ€t worry, Reiko. Iâ€ll be just fine.” Ostensibly to prove this fact, she would twirl around on her toes, wincing only a little as she completed a three hundred and sixty degree turn. Of course, as she turned, the open back of her hospital gown gave Reiko—and Carmen, too—a perfect view of her bare naked butt and her smooth lower back. This was not unintentional.

Ah. So that's what Lorenza's ass looked like. Very nice, very nice. Lot of good muscle in there, no wonder her hooks had so much force.

Carmen waited until Lorenza had finished her little pirouette, then burst out laughing, nearly sliding off the door frame from all the giggles. She had to hold her side, rubbing off the pain as the guffaws made her insides bounce, but it was worth the pain. Judging from the quick worried look on Reiko's face, agreed.

But that face was also blushing quite a bit, still feeling the effect of Lorenza's fine ass.

Carmen shook her head as the laughs died down, and it was a good thing this area of the hospital was pretty low on occupants, otherwise she would have woken someone. It would be worth for a shot at Reiko, but still..."If you want a dance off, I think we'll have to wait until we can get to a club, Saldano. But if you dance on the floor like you dance in the ring, you might as well give me the win right here and now."

Lorenza was almost offended by Carmenâ€s laughter, but, after scanning Carmenâ€s face, reading her emotional state, Lorenza found herself chuckling as well, softly at first, then a little louder. Pangs of protest from her injured ribs began to pulsate throughout her midsection with each giggle, and between each laugh would come a low, pained groan, but she couldnâ€t help but keep laughing a little while longer. What was she doing, showing off her ass like that? She was Lorenza Saldano, the Tigress of Tijuana, the One and Only. That was not her style.

But, strangely enough, her pirouette had done its intended job quite effectively. Reikoâ€s face was a very noticeable red—and so too was Carmenâ€s. Lorenza regretted nothing.

Hearing the other boxerâ€s crack about her dancing ability, Lorenza scoffed and took a step toward Carmen across the cool tile floor. Reiko would take a step, as well, trying to keep herself in a position to break up any brawl that might break out between the two rivals. “A dance-off? As soon as weâ€re out of this hospital, you are on, Rodriguez,” Lorenza replied. “And youâ€re one to talk about dancing, you know. You were more than happy to let me lead while we were in the ring. I donâ€t even know if you have any moves of your own. That roll you tried is hardly suitable for the club, eh?”

For some reason, Carmen enjoyed the sound of Lorenza's laughter. She got the impression it wasn't a common thing for her, not something most people saw. The mind game was a big part of boxing. You had to appear unflappable, unassailable, unattainable, like you had all the confidence in the world. A little intimidation could make all the difference. Make opponents hesitate on shots they'd normally go for. Overexaggerate a slip, going to far, swing too wide, be too aggressive or not aggressive enough. Subtle things, but subtle things could cost fights.

So this was a rare treat, seeing her like this, and it was one Carmen wouldn't mind more of. Though she wouldn't say it right now.

Carmen took a step forward as well, furthering the worry on Reiko's face, and she couldn't blame her. To the average, this would all look extremely aggressive...and it was. Everything between them was like that, though, and aggression was just their natural state. Carmen felt at home in Lorenza's space.

She leaned forward for the traditional meeting of the forehead, smirking like a wild cat and feeling like one. "Really? 'Tried'? That sort of implies it didn't work, and I'm pretty sure I Dempsey rolled you right into the mat. Old Jack himself would be proud."

"Dempsey roll?" Reiko blinked, confused. Not a big boxing fan.

"It's a technique, movement, sort of...thing." She sighed. "I suck at explaining it, I'll show you sometime."

Lorenza and Carmen both stepped forward, closing the space between them. Personal space was only an abstract concept for the two of them whenever they encountered each other, one that they never put into practice. When Carmen leaned forward, Lorenza did too, until their foreheads met, pressing together tightly in that very familiar, almost comfortable way.

Reiko shifted nervously, watching the two boxers closely, obviously wondering whether she should try to separate them or whether she should allow them to remain in physical contact. Their aggression was unlikely to be diminished by either course of action.

Lorenza smirked, too, her expression mirroring Carmenâ€s. She was having fun. “Yeah, yeah, you did. Iâ€m honest. You got me with that one,” she admitted. “But next time, it wonâ€t work, you know? You used it up. Next time you try it Iâ€ll knock you down so fast your head will spin off your shoulders.”

She pushed her head forward aggressively against Carmenâ€s. In a low voice, she would continue: “So, you want Reiko, eh, Carmen?”