A Penny With A Hole In It

It was late. Maybe a little too late for Blossom to be hanging around the gym. Or, at least, it would have been before it was her job to be here this late.

It had been about six months since Blossom's last match. Six months since she laced up the boots, six months since she'd been in front of the crowd, six months since a monster nearly tore her apart. After she got out of the hospital, she'd had to make some crucial decisions with her life. She wanted to be near wrestling. She wanted to be a part of the AFW. She wanted to be immersed in the lifestyle, and the people, and the matches...but the hard fact was that she was just not meant for the ring. That became apparent, time and time again. She didn't want to get hurt anymore, but she needed a job, and she didn't want to just tuck tail and head back home.

Fortunately, Blossom knew a few good people in the backstage crew, and there were a few strings to be pulled. The Friction gym needed people to take care of it. Wrestlers needed people to train with, equipment needed to be maintained, and it helped to have someone around to call security when things got out of hand, which they frequently did. It wasn't a glamorous job, but it paid well enough, it was fairly stress-free, and it gave her the chance to be as close to wrestling as she could without actually being a wrestler. It suited her, and for the first time since she'd come to Japan, she was consistently content with her life.

But there was still something missing. Or someone, really.

She softly sighed as she took the weights off a bench press, putting them back in the way they were supposed to go instead of the way everyone seemed to think they were supposed to go. It had been a fairly exhausting day, but in a good way. An accomplished way. Her plain white t-shirt  was damp with sweat she'd worked up practicing moves with a newcomer, and her track pants were equally soaked. A shower was in order, and hopefully she'd be able to finish her shift, get cleaned up, and head home before her favorite shows started up.

Laying along a wooden bench with a moistened towel over the upper half of her face, Bunny's few minutes of napping after her routine muscle burning workout had elapsed way past the 10 minutes she had promised herself, the exhausted bunny girl now feeling sluggishly immovable and as bolted to the floor as the bench itself. The physical repercussions of participating in two high profile tag matches back to back had finally caught up with her, every movement or action on her part igniting one painful reminder on her sore body of some suplex, headbutt, or sumo splash she endured.

The whirlwind tempest that had become her life since practically seating Kelly Conway on the throne herself in one of the most heinous screw jobs in AFW history was only just then starting to ease up. Other Coalition members each played a part in Taylor's spectacular flameout that ended her championship reign, but Bunny was the one who quite literally had the blood on her hands and played what most would consider to be the most significant role. In the span of a few weeks her was name most often uttered as the direct reason for Taylor's demise, a branded stigma that now made her not famous backstage...but infamous. For now though, D.B. was content to lean back...rest her head...and catch some well deserved-

*Clang*

...some well deserved...

*Clang*

"...rrgh." The clanging of shifting weights in the distance made her flinch with each metallic clunk, finally rousing her upward from her slumber with an arc to her spine as she stretched out like a bunny eared cat. With a bellowing yawn and some scratches to the the back of her head, DB would yank up her tote bag and follow the resonant noises out of sheer morbid curiosity before heading home, clad in her skin tight black workout capris and a black tank top with the band name "Blackburner" written across it. Peering out from behind a wall of lockers would reveal the culprit, a slight skip to her heartbeat while a torrent of nostalgia instantly washed over her.

"Of all people...had to be her..." D.B. whispered under her breath, for some reason this one demure figure still to this day more polarizing to her than ever. The lovesick grappler who attached herself to D.B. since match one, someone she could never shake off...or truly stop thinking about. D.B. eyed the nearest exit, the option to slink away unnoticed still available to her, but not for long...but a nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her of how childish this all was, stopping her from escaping an awkward reunion and pulling her back. Whatever Blossom was to her, she was someone close. Who didn't deserve to be shunned like that...and quite frankly,...after all the insanity over the past few weeks...Bunny could probably use this right about now.

In between Blossom removing one of the hefty weights, Bunny would stealthily approach the other side of the bench press to begin removing the weights and place them in proper order in the same manner Blossom was doing it.

"...You know, last time we meet in a locker room I almost choked the life out of you and knocked you senseless. Compared to that encounter, this is pretty mundane...and boring." D.B. would keep her head down while dutifully helping Blossom remove the weights before glancing upward for a more proper greeting.

"...Hey."

Blossom, contrary to popular belief, wasn't completely oblivious - she was aware that someone else was in the room, taking a little nap on one of the benches. It was a little odd, but nothing to worry about - it was a slow night, so she wasn't holding anyone up with it, and the room was for the wrestler's complete use. She didn't think much of it. Let her nap.

When she heard the voice, though, her face widened with realization. It had been a while since she'd heard it up close, far too long since that deep, powerful sound tickled her eardrums. She spun around, and the smile on her face widened from ear to ear. "DB!"

Death Bunny. It had been a long while since they'd been together, ever since Blossom dropped out of wrestling and Death Bunny was, well...doing other things. They both traveled in different circles these days, and she didn't approve of a lot of things her friend had been doing. But that didn't matter. She was here, they were together, and she couldn't have been happier.

Blossom opened her arms for a hug, but backed away at the last second. Almost forgot who she was dealing with, here. Almost. "Hey!" She did a quick bounce. "It's so great to see you! How've you been?"

D.B. had to pause briefly from her weight removal task at Blossoms' excessively jubilant reception, the tiny grappler perhaps the only person she can recall off the top her head who would react so pleasantly to seeing her. The majority of the locker room would rather see her tarred and feathered in the parking lot for her questionable alliance and actions in dethroning the champ. It made her wonder if Blossom was sincere with her greeting, seeming rather peculiar that she would still react this favorably towards her after her heinous actions. Nevertheless...D.B. couldn't deny she was glad that she overslept this time.

Bunny's initial reaction to Blossom coming in for a friendly hug was to shield herself by raising the bumper plate in her hands upward and between them as a barrier from the congenial greeting, breathing out a sigh of relief when Blossom remembered Bunny's somewhat finicky nature towards hugs...and loving affection in general. "Ah...y-yeah...you too...to see you again, I mean...s'great..."

Bunny inwardly groaned from her awkward rebuttal and went back to the menial task of removing the weights and placing them on the proper spokes. Something to keep her mind and hands busy while she spoke. "I, uh, think we both know how I've been these past few weeks. Unless you've had your head under a rock on Mars recently. Think the bigger mystery is where have you been these past few months. Last I saw you were hobbling around like a pirate with the cast of yours, figured by now you'd be lacing up your boots to get back in the game. Instead I'm seeing you here washing everyone's towels. That leg not heal right or...?"

Blossom sighed as they got to the subject she knew was coming - DB wasn't the only who had a little shame about the way things had gone over the past few months. DB had believed in her, encouraged her, and she really tried to make the most of it. There was no way to get around the elephant in the room, so she figured she might as well address it.

"My leg healed okay. Not so much the rest of me." She rubbed her shoulder and looked off to the side with lidded eyes. "I tried a little comeback, you know? I trained hard, I got some new moves under my belt, I did my best, but...it just wasn't enough." She shrugged."After Angel beat me in under a minute, Taylor Parker whispered to me that I should quit before I got hurt, and that..."

She finally mustered enough strength to look up at Death Bunny, with a serious and somber nod. "It was for the best. I got real tired of getting beat all the time, and it just wasn't my thing. But I'm happy now!" Her smile returned and she did a quick bounce on her heels. "I get to be around the sport, I get to be at the PPVs for free, and I get to wrestle when people need sparring partners. It's a cool job. Plus I get to meet really cool old friends when they stop by the gym."

Blossom dared to hold up her fist for a quick bump.

DB meticulously adjusted the free weights and kept her attention to her task while Blossom recanted and summarized the past few months of her wrestling career, the bunny girl intentionally taking her time with her weight removal to give Blossom more time to speak. Despite what D.B. may have let on by asking Blossom about her recent whereabouts, Bunny was actually well aware of how rough a time she had since their slumber party shenanigans, secretly keeping an eye on her wrestling career, match after match, lose after lose.

...Their were times it was difficult to be the bystander. But Bunny knew better than to intervene. Her own sink or swim philosophy meant allowing Blossom's career to unfurl naturally, to ride out the hard times and determine for herself whether this was the life she wanted. Still, D.B. clenched the last weight in her hands when Blossom inferred that Taylor Parker of all people may have been the one to put the final nail in the coffin of Blossom's wrestling prospects...an odd tidbit that eased her own conscious over what she had down to the former punk champion.

After finishing up on the weights, D.B. turned towards Blossom when she offered the bunny girl the amicable fist bump. Instead of a return bro-fist, the Bunny girl would palm Blossom's extended fist in her hand and looked down towards her with a solemn, almost remorseful look on her face.

"...I'm sorry...that things didn't work out for you, Blossom. Our...plans for the future rarely ever pan out like we intend..." D.B.'s eyes would briefly dart to the tiled floor as she quickly reminisced before returning to meet Blossom's emerald gaze." But if you say you gave your all...if you truly put your heart and soul into every match...and you made this decision based on what you truly want...not based on what some over-hyped egotist said...than I'm glad you came to the right decision. It takes strength of character to know what you truly want out of life...and you're...not...someone...I want to see get hurt again..." D.B.'s voice trailed off into a near whisper towards the end, looking down and away as she stepped back to retrieve her bag from the floor, keeping her face from Blossom's view. Her heart was racing. She wanted to get off this topic.

"...*cough*...Maybe Parker should have listened to her own goddamn advice. Would have saved her a few headaches in the long run." D.B. stated with an exaggerated cough while slipping the tote bag over her shoulder.

Going for displays of affection were always a risky proposition with Death Bunny - in the past, it hadn't gone so well for Blossom. Hugs were especially dangerous, but she felt that handshakes, high-fives, and fist bumps were safe territory, so long as she didn't overdo them.

It had a been a while since they'd met, and she didn't want to ruin the moment. She opted to keep things simple. Instead, they got incredibly complicated.

She stayed quiet and listened as the usually taciturn Death Bunny talk, maybe more candidly than she had in a long time. It seemed like there was a lot to get off her impressive chest, and Blossom was more than willing to be the sponge that soaked it all up. Who else could she talk to? Brittany? Kelly?

Blossom's smile softened as Death Bunny kept her hand gripped, feeling a softer version of her touch than most ever had the chance to. It was nice to see this side of her. Rare, but mabye that was what made it truly precious. It was like a shooting star - fleeting, but when you saw it, in that brief moment?Beautiful.

"Hey, hey." She rushed over beside Death Bunny, trying to keep her face in view. "You don't have to hide from me, okay? I know what's been going on, but it doesn't matter. You're still Death Bunny. You're still my friend. That doesn't change." She kept her smile up, but there was a serious tone just beneath the surface.

She nodded towards the door and rubbed her shoulder. "You want to get out of here? Maybe get something to eat? My treat?" She'd probably say no. But it was worth a shot.

D.B. herself was just as surprised as Blossom at the sudden out-pouring of insightful wisdom on her part. Still to this day, despite all the time that's elapsed and all they've been through, the bunny girl still found herself acting out of character around the green-eyed grappler. That much hasn't changed. D.B. knew she had to switch topics fast out of some worrisome fear about what else she would say if she explored her feelings any further.

"The day I need to hide from you is the day I hang up my ears...but...alright. Let's do...something...I guess." Despite what she may have just said D.B. would briefly peer down to the tiled floor before delivering what may have earth shattering news to Blossom. From their brief reunion just now, Bunny could tell that Blossom wasn't quite the spastic fangirl she knew from their first encounters. Somewhat more restrained and less...clingy, the concept of them hanging out now wasn't entirely implausible...

"Tell you what...you go wash up...and I'll wait for you outside in the parking lot. We'll figure something out...and don't call this a date." D.B. uttered that last piece of advice with her renewed grim tone before making her way to the exit down the locker room hallway. From there she would wait patiently by her custom made slick black Harley Davidson motorcycle, already developing lingering doubts...

Blossom put her hands to her mouth and gasped at the mention of Death Bunny hanging up her trademark ears. This lasted for all of three seconds, and then she broke out in a giggle fit.

She lightened up even more - if such a thing was physically possible - when Death Bunny offered, completely of her own free will, to go out with her. It might not have seemed like much, but it was a golden opportunity. They could talk. Catch up. Straighten things out. The mere fact that she even entertained the ideas was amazing. "I won't call it a date. Out loud." She flicked her tongue out quick. "Joking, joking. Just let me tell my supervisor I'm taking off, won't be long."

Blossom slid on out of the room and made a quick call, making sure the gym would be taken care off while she was heading out early. Once that was set, she quickly scurried into the lockerroom and got changed, showering off fast but effeciently. Couldn't be smelly. Not today.

Blossom was minty fresh by the time she made it out to the parking lot, her flip-flops slapping along the pavement as she neared Death Bunny's bike. Her long, lime-green skirt was perfectly matched by the green Lucky Charms shirt she was wearing. One of her longtime, favorite outfits. Just because this wasn't a real date didn't mean she couldn't be a little fancy.

Watching Blossom happily traipse towards her from a distance gave her funny feeling in the pit of her stomach, not so much from any apprehension from agreeing to what could so easily be misconstrued as a date. Or how she might have felt somewhat offended by the Lucky Charm mascot plastered on Blossom's shirt considering her own thoroughly well-hidden Irish heritage. More-so, it was from how Bloss looked so annoyingly...adorable...like she was dressed to go for a leisurely stroll along the countryside...

D.B. spent what may have been a noticeably awkward amount of staring before catching herself and fake coughing into her fist once again as her "date" for the evening approached, turning back to face her once she again after clearing her throat of any more nonexistent phlegm.

"I'm gonna take the shirt as a charming coincidence and believe you're not trying to have any fun at my expense..." D.B. stated with a rare smirk before hopping onto her bike. She seamlessly turned the ignition switch on, pulled on the clutch and started the engine up in a series of fluid motions as if it was second nature. "So...where are we going, anyway?" D.B. queried while motioning behind her as a subtle gesture towards Blossom to hop on behind her.