Year of the Dragon

This wasn’t the first time Army had woken up in the AFW’s care unit. It wasn’t even the first time he’d woken up in a hospital after a match.

He couldn’t recall the exact number of times he’d been in a similar situation, but it had to be a handful, because he wasn’t the least bit startled when he came to and found himself staring at a bland, dull-white ceiling. That was the sort of thing that tended to distress people who weren’t all that familiar with getting knocked out on a semi-regular basis. Him? No big deal. Just another match. Another day. Another loss, which he wasn’t thrilled about, but it wasn’t the end of the world. On paper, it was all stuff he was used to.

In practice, however, there was one big, functional difference, something that set his last match apart from all the others, a weird thing that was continually circling the drain of his mind as he laid there.

”Blue Imugi.”

”What about her?”

That made Army jump in the bed, as he sat up quick and saw Felina sitting nearby. She had a magazine in her hand, one she’d been presumably going through a moment ago, but she wasn’t now. No, now she was looking at him, eyebrow cocked. The ‘are you a little crazy now?’ look.

”I...nothing.” He plopped back down on the bed and rubbed his forehead, groaning as headache began to manifest. ”How long was I out?”

Felina’s brow lowered, but she sat the magazine off to the side all the same. ”Not long. Twenty or so minutes.” She crossed her legs, getting comfy. ”Doctor doesn’t think it’s serious, but says you should take it slow for the next few days. So, you know, not be you for a little while.”

Army just shrugged that off, not paying it much thought. Typical AFW ass-covering. What really concerned him was a simple question. ”Did you see what she knocked me out with?”

”Say what?”

”The move?” He waved his hand about, as if that could help visualize what he was trying to say. ”She did this running, spinning...thing. Happened too fast, couldn’t see it.”

Felina pondered that question for a moment, as if giving serious thought, before she seemed to settle on a better way to handle his request than just explaining it. She found a quick clip of the match on Youtube, taken by some guy’s camera phone, and she handed it off to him a second later, letting him watch.

And watch. And watch.

Army went over the clip for a good minute, just focusing on that last part. The crowd had cheered Imugi’s victory, but he wasn’t sure they realized just how impressive it was. He thought she’d been done for after he hit her with the Orange Crush, but it was only at this distance that he could see just how brutal the move had been on her. She should’ve been out like a light. Shouldn’t have been able to move, much less muster a comeback. But she did. Somehow, she did. Imugi managed to stand up, brought the fight to him, and took him down with this amazing move, moving through the air like she could fly. It was impossible, it was amazing, it was-

”Like what you see?” Felina cut through his moment with a giggle, as she reached over to poke his shoulder. ”If you want, I can find her and get an autograph.”

That forced Army’s eyes into a roll, and he tossed the phone back. Not particularly caring whether she caught it or not.  ”Shut it.”

This was a dumb idea. This was such a stupid, dumb idea. He was probably still out. He wouldn’t want to see her even if he wasn’t. He did lose. He’d probably be tired. Be reflecting. Might even be bitter about the whole thing. Losing to the rookie that flat out called him out all over prime time. She should just leave him alone.

But despite all of the doubts raging in her head, Imugi couldn’t bring herself to stop walking towards the infirmary.

She thought everything was over and done with for today. Just minutes ago, she’d been sitting alone at a table, still dressed in her ring gear and chomping large bites out of her turkey sub, trying to take it easy after a long and grueling fight. Her first win in Tension, and against a relatively big name too. She’d earned herself some time to relax.

Only she wasn’t relaxing. Not even a bit. For whatever reason, Imugi found herself leaning forward in her seat and clutching the sandwich a bit too tightly in her hands, letting a bit of the chopped lettuce slip out from one end. Each bite she took unsteadied her breathing slightly. As much as her stomach may have been satisfying her stomach, her mind was a million miles away from any thoughts of food.

But it was that last moment, too. Something about the climax that kept reeling her mind back. Her heart had never beat that fast before. She’d never breathed so hard or felt so drained all at once. She was standing on the edge, just seconds before impact and...

But this is where you go down.

For a few moments, Imugi just stared at the sandwich in front of her, resting her chin on her hand. Her eyes went to the practically empty bottle of Fanta beside her, then back to the half-eaten turkey and mustard on her tray. She bit her lip and started drumming her fingertips on the table. Slowly, the drumming started turning into knocking, faster and faster as she closed her eyes and relived the match in her head. The energy. The heat. The...

Forget it. With a slap of her hand against the table top, Imugi stood up and found herself where she was now, just a few steps away from the medical center with a couple of small, wrapped-up subs in a bag. A brief stop at the front desk pointed her down the right row of doors. After what felt like the longest walk of her life, she stopped in front of the door that a “Rodriguez” was supposedly behind. Couldn’t imagine there were many of those in AFW.

Taking in one quick, full breath, keeping her cool, Imugi turned the knob and opened the door. She poked her head in, clear blue pupils peeking in from under her half-lidded eyes as she made a quick scan of the room. Sure enough, she saw the man she was looking for on his bed, but someone was next to him. The same person from ringside. Looked like they were having a moment. Knew she shouldn’t have come here.

“Uh, hey.” She stepped into the room, keeping one hand on the door just in case. “Am I interrupting, or…”

Felina caught the phone without much trouble, then sat back and watched the match, content to see Army getting his head rammed into the floor a couple more times. As fun as that was, she did take note of what he was probably looking at, too. Blue Imugi was a fierce little thing, really taking the fight to him from bell to bell. Army didn’t seem to bothered by losing, and he shouldn’t have - he had a good match against a worthy opponent.

You fight the good fight, pick yourself up, heal and get ready for the next match. That was the Rodriguez way. But she suspected that wasn’t the only thing going through his mind.

She cast a lazy eye his way. ”She’s pretty good.”

”She is.” Army crossed his fingers behind his head and laid into the pillow.

”Really fast, too. Tough for that size.”

”I noticed.”

”And cute.”

That brought out a groan and a sigh to go with it. ”Here we go.”

”Hey,” She held up her hands in mock defense, fighting to hold in the snickers. ”I’m just saying there’s a little chemistry there, is all. You clearly have a thing for women who can kick your ass, and she pretty thoroughly kicked your ass, and she seemed like she was kind of digging you in the second half-”

Army held up a finger and was about to correct Felina on a few points, when the door suddenly opened and the topic of the conversation poked her head in the room. For a few seconds after she spoke, there was an awkward, uneasy silence, not helped by the way Imugi seemed almost kind of shy about the whole thing...and half asleep, too, which was odd by itself.

Felina broke the tension with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer through a brick wall. ”Oh, no, not interrupting anything between me and my cousin.” She popped up quick and made her way to the door, giving Imugi a wave as she passed. ”I was just about to leave and do some cousin activities. Be back in a bit.”

Felina smiled his way. Army glared her way. With that, she was gone.

”Fuck’s sake.” He sat up and ran a hand through his hair, not sure what emotion to register for a moment. He wasn’t mad at her. Wasn’t sad about the match. He was surprised she came, definitely, and happy? Yeah, he was kind of happy. He had a lot of questions, bare minimum, so…

”It’s cool, come on in.” He wave her over. All the sudden he wished he had his shirt, and he wasn’t sure why. ”Imugi, right? Eh-moo-gee?”

Army was pretty sure he had the pronunciation right. The crowd was chanting her name enough.

She wasn't sure why, but that the moment of silence that fell over the room was a lot more painful than Imugi thought it would be. She hadn't heard their conversation from behind the door, but from the way they were looking at her, it was a fair bet that it probably involved her. Maybe that was it, that hint of extra surprise on their faces. Maybe it could have also been that the man she came to talk to wasn't alone.

She found her eyes drifting to the woman sitting beside him. She was pretty. Very pretty. Close to Army’s height too. For a split second, just a quick heartbeat, she felt a bit of regret for deciding to come here. It wasn't until she started speaking, though, that Imugi’s mind clued her back in. She remembered this woman from ringside, giving Army about as much lecturing as the crowd had been, but clearly a bit more personal about it. She hadn't gotten a “girlfriend” vibe from her necessarily, but it's not like every couple was the same either. She’d need some clarification going into this.

And it seemed like his cousin was more than happy to give it. The awkwardness gave way to a heap of embarrassment as the former idol’s cheeks turned a faint hue. Imugi pressed her lips together and reached a hand up to one of her blue bangs, giving it a few twirls as she looked off to the side. Awkward as it was, she supposed it made things easier that all three of them were more or less on the same page.

Or, all two of them now. His cousin was out the door before Imugi could just manage to catch the smile she was throwing across the room. The door shut at her side as she looked back at Army, calling her over. She let out a slight, relieved breath through her nose, releasing the air she was unknowingly clinging to as she made her way to his bedside with her free hand tucked in her small pocket.

“Yup. That's it, you got it. Imagine you got an earful of it, really.” She snickered as she approached his side. “Sorry about those guys. Patty’s show gets way more coverage than I thought.” She was about to sit down in the chair his cousin had when she immediately noticed the problem of eye contact. She wasn’t that short, but it looked like they raised these hospital beds a bit and she didn’t want Army straining his neck to look at her. Instead, she flipped the chair around and sat on it with her knees, draping her arms over the head and resting her chin on her wrists as she looked at him.

The bag in her grip swayed left and right carelessly above the floor as she looked at him, taking a second to think on what to say. He didn’t seem bitter despite the fact she was the reason he was here. Maybe it was good to start from there?

“So...how's your head?” She said, notably softer. “You're kind of the first guy I've done that on. Psyched me out seeing you leave on that stretcher.”

‘Patty’s show’. It took Army a moment to remember what she was even talking about, but he clued in soon enough, recalling that little interview Imugi had done. The trashtalk, the posturing, pumping herself up. He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t at least somewhat earned, after the way she’d lowered the boom down on him in the ring. It was weird, though - before, all that talk had kind of pissed him off.

Now, notsomuch. He felt like it should’ve, like he should’ve hated getting put into that position and having the entire crowd get on his back before he threw a punch.

With someone else, maybe he would’ve. Today, it just didn’t seem to matter too much.

He watched her as she walked over his way, noting the odd quietness in the room. It was surreal, given everything that had gone on between them, the way she’d been so fierce and fearless in the ring. He could’ve been convinced that this wasn’t even really Imugi, but some strange twin. She was calmer. Quieter. Slower. He wished he could’ve taken the credit for it, said he just wore her out that much, but somehow he doubted that was the case.

”It’s no big deal, really.” He snickered along with her, then watched as she worked the chair around well enough to reach his eye level and look at him straight on. Something he definitely appreciated. She had the bluest blue eyes he’d ever seen. Twin pools in the middle of her face.

...he was staring. Shit.

Army snapped out of it and sat up in the bed, looking up at the ceiling for a moment before he brought his gaze back her way. Be cool. Be nonchalant. Be anything but creepy. ”But yeah, it’s nothing new. If you’re a guy in Tension, you’re either an asshole who likes to beat up on girls or you’re a dumbass who likes to let girls beat up on him. As far as the crowd cares, anyway.” An annoying truth, but one he’d come to accept.

”My head’s fine.” He ran a hand through his hair and winced when he hit a soft spot, which didn’t do much to strengthen that claim. ”Mostly fine. Nothing too serious, though. And yeah, I bet you were psyched, that was some wild stuff you hit me with.” He twirled his finger about and sat up a bit, getting more and more curious with each passing second. ”What do you call that, anyway? Don’t think I’ve seen a move like that before, where’d you pick it up?”

...why wasn't he saying anything?

Imugi was pretty sure she hadn't made him bite his tongue in their scuffle. There was a beat of silence nevertheless after she asked, with the two of them just looking at each other. In hindsight, it wasn't so bad. Her eyes batted to the side for half a second as she quirked one side of her mouth, not quite sure what to do.

He started talking before things got that awkward though, and in a weird way, it was kind of reassuring to hear that he was used to this kind of thing. At the same time, she did have to feel for him. She was the one with the crowd behind her from start to finish. She could only imagine her attitude if the roles were reversed. Something was telling her she wouldn’t be as mature about it as Army was.

“Tough break.”

The next bit was kind of a surprise, though. Her eyebrows raised an inch or so at the question. She figured the audience would get a kick out of that last move of her’s, but to impress Army with it too? She had a better knack for this wrestling thing than she thought.

“Oh. Think it's called a spinning sleeper slam or slumthing-something.” Crap. Why couldn't they just go back to punching each other? “I didn't really ‘pick it up’, though. Just some stuff I cobbled together from aerobics. You know, when I was still doing the singing and dancing stuff. They said I needed a finisher, I made a finisher.” She shrugged. That was probably the one thing she could give to all that time in the idol industry. If there was one thing she walked away with, it was knowing how to do a damn good twirl. “Made it on the fly.” And telling bad jokes.

“I could show you it again sometime if you want. Maybe somewhere with more padding?” She said with an innocent little smirk. For all her flair for being quick and playful, Army could be just as animated in the ring, if their match was anything to go by that is. He really pushed her to that last breath, and seeing him finally on his back, resting his eyes was a sight to behold. She definitely wouldn't mind seeing something like that again. With a bit more time alone. Sometime.

Were they flirting? Army was a little ashamed to admit that he couldn’t quite tell. He’d done that sort of thing all time when he was back in Puerto Rico. Was kind of known for it. Yeah, things had changed in Japan, but it wasn’t like he lived on a different planet. He hung around women all the time. Shouldn’t have had trouble. Shouldn’t have been so awkward.

...it was because he was laying down in a bed, like he was an invalid or something. That had to be it.

As Imugi talked, Army moved about in the bed and took the sheets off. God was merciful, so he was still wearing his pants, and he moved too sit on the edge and look her way as she spoke. He hoped it didn’t look like he wasn’t paying attention, because he was, listening with genuine interest, surprised to learn she came up with the move on your lonesome.  ”’On the fly’, huh?” He tried to imitate her voice a little with that, didn't quite work out, and he made a mental note to never attempt it again. ”That’s actually pretty impressive sh-” Polite company, tone it down a bit, moron. ”-stuff. You’ve got a real talent for this wrestling thing.”

Army reached for his shirt and started to pull it over his head, only to stop about halfway through the motion, when she mentioned the idea of showing him that move again. He didn’t want to be that guy, the idiot that read too much into everything a woman said. Maybe it was in his head, maybe not. The funny thing was, though, he didn’t care too much, either way. The thought of taking her on again, seeing that move, having anything close to that experience, it all made his hairs stand up and set his blood to boil. So much so that he had to wonder if the feeling was mutual.

He finished pulling his shirt down, and the face that popped up had a smile and a curious eye going on. ”You know, I think I’d like that. Extra padding or not.” He propped a hand on his knee and leaned forward, contemplating a question for a couple of seconds, before he decided to just spit it out. There was enough awkwardness and tension in this room already.

”Question for you. And if it’s too weird, feel free to just slap me for being an idiot or whatever, I’m good for it.” He cleared his throat, then went on. ”When I hit you with the Orange Crush - that powerbomb at the end - you were out. Like, stone cold, out. Done. I was sure of it. But then, just out of nowhere, you got this crazy second wind, and you came back, and you had this crazy warrior goddess thing going on, and it was amazing and just-”

Army cut himself off with a deep breath before things got too weird, then leaned forward, like they were sharing secrets. ”I want to know, I’ve got to know - where’d you get that from? From the time we touched foreheads to the time you put me down? What went through your head? I just want to know, because it was, it was…”

One of the hottest, most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.

”...amazing.”

There were rarely times in her life when Imugi found herself speechless. She always had something to say, even at times when she was better off just keeping her thoughts to herself. It wasn’t always intentional, either. She was just never one to shy away from calling things as she saw them. Never saw a need to not second guess people. She couldn’t count how many hours her manager had spent having to get her interview-ready. To kill those impulses when she was behind the camera. But she always had them. Couldn’t remember a day without ‘em.

That wasn’t the case with what followed in the next few moments. She fought back a disappointed huff as he went to put his shirt back on. The little Korean emulated a bit of his excitement at hearing him accept. That excitement was steadily replaced, something else growing more and more in its place. Something warm.

‘Warrior goddess’. She almost felt like chuckling at that one. In any other situation, with any person, she may have too. But right now, she just kept staring at Army like those were the most beautiful words anyone had ever said to her, a bit of warmth growing on her cheeks. And honestly, she wasn’t even sure why.

Maybe it was the way he was acting? He wasn’t anything like this not even an hour ago, when they were going at each other and taking turns slamming each other into the floor. He was so big and full of charisma, just...everywhere. Now? He just seemed so relaxed. So sincere.

So hot.

Imugi caught herself staring a second after he asked the question. A question she was kind of expecting when she came in here because, really, she wasn’t exactly sure how she pulled it off herself. What caught her off guard, though, was the way he put it. There was that word again. ‘Amazing’. Nobody ever called her that before, save for all the raving fans outside. But they didn’t know her. They just saw her as the flying, fighting, singing, dancing, prancing, cutie that was friends with everyone and a great talker and a huge hit at parties and probably a great cook and can never do anything wrong. But Army was closer than any of them had ever been. They’d gone the distance, said all those things to each other...and he still said that to her.

She wasn’t reading this wrong. Even if it never happened before in her life, she was sure of it. That final word was enough for her. It had to be.

Okay then.

“That's…” She glanced away for a second. Just trying to gather her thoughts. He really meant all of that, you know. He was speaking from the heart. What about you, Imugi? When was the last time you did that? “Honestly? I don't really know.” She brought her chin away from arms, straightening herself and looking at the ground for a moment before looking back at Army. “I've fought guys before. I've fought girls before. I've been fighting since before the pit. Before the idol stuff. A lot of it I barely even remember, but it's there. All the thrills and pain and shouting. It's like...these little impressions left on my mind and they're almost always the same. And I guess because of them I know what to expect when I step into the ring. I know what I'm getting into. And I like it. I like doing this.”

She brought one hand away from the chair, setting the bag down at her side before placing it back on the chair. Her arms were unfolded now though, instead choosing to hold onto the top of the chair as if she were about to teeter off of it from the weight of it all.

“But back there? I can’t really tell you what that was. I thought I was down for it too. It’s not like I would have been upset or anything. You gave me a really good match. My best. I really couldn’t have asked for anything better for my debut.” She paused for a moment, bringing her brows close together, softening her features at the memory. “But then you touched our heads together. And I looked at you as you said those things to me, and…” She took a deep breath, running a finger against the chair. “Maybe it’s because I just wanted to give something back. To repay you somehow for such an awesome match. That just laying down didn’t feel right.” Her eyes trailed up from the floor, slowly climbing up and her head raising along with it. Her words became softer, a certain sincerity shining through them. “Maybe my body knew something the rest of me didn’t. That it didn’t want that match to end.” Her eyes found their way to Army’s, finding it difficult to pull away. “But I think more than anything…” A grip seized her heart. She slowly raised from the chair, leaning over the top, slowly leaning in as Army did. Only she didn’t stop. She kept going closing the distance between them and letting her forehead gently rest against, her clear blue eyes looking straight into his. “...it’s because I wanted to do this again.”

Her eyes stayed forward, near losing themselves in his gaze. In the way his breath tickled her skin. In the warmth of his body meeting hers again.

“You can slap me too, you know.” She spoke softly, nearing a whisper. “I’m good for it.”

Army hoped to God he wasn’t coming off as creepy as he was thinking he was coming off. He’d just met Imugi. He wasn’t even sure if that was her real name - he was kind of thinking it wasn’t, with the ‘Blue’ part, but he’d come across far weirder ones in his time as a wrestler and he couldn’t be the least bit sure. They were sitting here, talking in hushed tones about a match they had, a match that same him ragdolling her from one end of the ring to the other. This was weird, right? This was not a typical behavior of socially adjusted, mentally stable human beings

He knew that. Recognized it. But then he saw her cheeks reddening, and somehow he just didn't care anymore. Fuck normal. Normal sucked. If he wanted normal, he wouldn’t have just a mixed wrestling league called Anime Female Wrestling.

Instead of normal, he was sitting on a chair, just letting his inner fanboy have his way, as he went over his feelings on that match, laid them out. Plenty of women would’ve been leaving or eying the door at this point, but Imugi? She was into it. Hanging on every word and confirming that there was something between beside a foot of dead air.

After he got it all out, there was a moment of silence between them. Just a moment, he was sure, but it felt like so much longer, and he spent it with his gaze forward. Not that there was anything else to look at, aside from a chart for pain indicators and a boring painting of a boring boat in the middle of a boring lake. The real art was on Imugi’s face, watching every little twitch, the raise of her brows, the droplets of sweat racing around her chin, subtle folds of her forehead.

He was pulled away from his contemplation as she spoke, though, and gave her a rundown of her time as a fighter, brief and abridged and so familiar. Army couldn’t list all the fights he’d had in his life, both in and out of the ring. They tended to blur together, like a violent smoothie - oh, there were a few chunks here and there that stood out, but it was mostly this blend of punching things and being punched back, of slams and smacks and kicks.

But this match would stand out. He’d be thinking about it for years. Decades. Thinking of the way it ended, the crazy pace, how he’d come so close, how much of a challenge it had been. Thinking of her.

When did she get so close? Army hadn’t even realized it at first, letting the moment distract him so much, but Imugi was close to his face and closing in, moving in until they were at that familiar place. He kept his eyes forward, near losing himself in her gaze. In the way her soft skin rubbed against his. In the way her hair glistened and her scent dominated his nostrils.

”I’ll take you up on that.” He spoke soft, too, matching her own hushed tones. With them pressed so close, he started to move his head, bringing his lips forward and keeping the touch on their forehead. His breath was getting ragged, growing fast, his heart was beating like a Sousa march, and despite all the pain and the aches and the headache, there was one thing he was aching for. With Imugi so close, he felt confident enough to say it.

”Honest truth? Just being this close to you, talking about that match, makes my blood boil. I want to fight you again. Need to. I want to do that, and I want to do more.” That last part didn’t need much elaboration, he was sure. They seemed to be on the same page. He pressed forward harder, letting some edge get into his voice. ”Anytime. Anyplace. Even right here, in this room. We could just lock the door and go and I wouldn't care.” He took a sly glance at the door, then brought his eyes back to hers, where they belonged.

”That’s how I feel. You?”

Somewhere the back of her head, Imugi was hoping she wasn't coming across as too strong. There were a lot of things she hoped she wasn’t messing up right now. Moving things too fast. Getting too personal too quickly. Talking about things that didn’t even matter. Making herself look like an idiot in front of the only person that made her feel...whatever she was feeling, and hoping, above all, whatever it was wasn’t steering her wrong.

But at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to care or doubt herself. She walked all the way over here for a reason and, even if her mind didn’t know it exactly, she could speak without even the slightest bit of doubt. She didn’t care about things like that at this point. All she cared about was how captivating Army’s eyes could be in this light. How warm his lips felt so close to her own.

Things were quickly moving beyond a simple exchange of feelings now. There weren’t any barriers between them anymore, no more impressions to give. They were laying everything out, and he couldn’t have made things any more clear.

Just like that, all the worries she had built up inside of her vanished into thin air. Her heart quickened with each word he spoke, beating hard with the emphasis he put on his words. While she may have been able to control her breathing a bit better than Army, her cheeks had gone from a faint, pinkish hue to a full rosy shade. The sweltering heat between them continued to build as they exchanged warm breaths, a few beads of sweat forming and shining like jewels on her face.

Everything he was laying out made the blood flush from her face, made her chest rise and fall a little faster closer to his. A rematch was definitely something she’d been craving. She found her mind lingering on the idea several times during their fight, wanting to get away from the all the screaming fans and the heavy stage lights. She wondered what would come to bear in a real fight. Just the two of them. No fans. No ref. No AFW.

The idea alone was enough to make her mouth water, but what was the best way to make it happen? But what it all came down to was what she was feeling right now. Stopping things just didn’t feel right, especially with that other word he brought up. “More”. She liked “more”. She wanted this. And she wanted it now.

“I don't know what I'm feeling. I don't even really know why I came here. But you know what? I'm so glad I did.” She brought her face forward just as he did, brushing their noses together. “Forget the lock. Move that desk. I’ll make some space quick. And then?” She pressed her face a little closer, just brushing the edge of their lips together. “You're mine Armando.” She blinked, for what felt like the first time in forever, and suddenly gave his forehead a slight bump with her own, growing a soft smirk, not unlike the one she was wearing when they first squared off. “Unless you're still a little lightheaded.”