Tiger Tamer

"Shut up, it's not funny!" Taylor said, fighting back a laugh. She was so not laughing about this.

She let out a long, low, irritated noise, not quite a growl. Was the whole world ganging up on her? Of course she missed it, of course she loved hearing thousands of people chanting her name, and it was really hard to leave it behind. But it was the right decision, and if anyone had any objections now was the time to hold their goddamn peace. They had their chance!

"Jun-Buuuuuug!" She moaned, and flopped face-first on the floor. "Is the whole world just picking on me?" She said quietly. "I don't want to be like I was. I'm just now getting better."

Johnny had to laugh when Taylor almost did. That was too much for him and he covered his mouth as he chuckled softly, staring into her bright eyes. "No one's pickin on ya, babe." He said and nodded. "You know Akashi means well. It's the only way she knows how to do things... I guess." He shrugged. Johnny looked seriously at Taylor. "No one wants that, either." He said. "I bet even Akashi doesn't want that, right?" He said. He didn't know. Maybe Akashi did want her to be back the way she was.

"I dunno, man." He said and looked away. "You're great and awesome and junk." He looked back at Taylor and smiled. "You know..." He said. "You don't have to fight anymore." Johnny scratched the back of his neck. "But you have the choice to do it if you want. I hope that Akashi would respect your wishes if you really are committed to coming back. But maybe she's just tryin to let ya know you still have the choice?"

Johnny walked over to her and leaned forward. He lifted up his hand and gave her butt a playful swat. "Come on, babe. At least mope around in a normal position..."

"But... but..."

He was probably right, of course. He always was when he went all "I'm still cool even though you're upset". Damn him and his level headedness! She made a high pitched squeak when he slapped her on the butt.

She rolled over onto her back and propped up on her elbow, and stared at him. She reluctantly accepted the things he said as truth, but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it.

"Make me dinner."

Akashi had finally finished all her business for the night and after a looooong, cold shower, she dressed herself and was getting ready to head back home. She was finally able to check her phone and grinned as she saw there was a voice message from Taylor. It seemed as if her ploy may have worked! Even if it seemed like HER promo had turned into something else completely different, the initial reason she had made it seemed to pay off quick dividends. She couldn't wait to see which team her and Taylor could get a piece of first. Those uppity Russians? The ludicrous bunny rabbits or Eclipse themselves!

When she pulled the phone up to her head, she was surprised by the savaging that her ear had to endure. She sort of, deep in the back of her mind, thought there was a possibility of Taylor being mad, but she certainly wasn't expecting this.

She hit the dial and tapped her foot against the ground expectantly. She knew she couldn't fly off the handle like Taylor had. But she had to remain stoic against whatever Taylor was sure to have waiting for her when she answered the phone. She needed to be a break wall for her sister. And then? She just had to see if she could endure Taylor first.

Taylor had finished cleaning up after dinner, and was nodding off on the couch next to Johnny while he watched TV. On his lap was a copy of the issue of Vi-V magazine that featured Taylor. He had found it and bought it all by himself, and Taylor kept the fact that she'd bought one herself a secret for now.

She was nearly asleep when the phone rang. She glanced at it, and then gave Johnny a look that said "wish me luck". She got up and strolled away for some privacy and answered it.

"I'm not gonna flip out on you again," she said. "Hi."

Johnny flashed her a look that offered any luck he could and watched Taylor swing up and out of the room before he leaned back and took a gander at his sexy wife's photo shoot once more in the mag. Sometimes he really couldn't believe how lucky he was.

Akashi was expecting another beratement to come when she heard the phone click on. "Taylor-chan." Akashi said when she heard Taylor's words. "I know... I know I should have told you, but I didn't expect you to get so mad! I just..." She sighed intot he phone. "I have to do it. Even if you don't come back. I have to. I have to try, Taylor-chan." Akashi shut her eyes tightly.

"Fighting is in my blood. And... I KNOW it is in yours too and I know that you retired but, there's no way you don't have that itch. I'd go crazy if i couldn't fight. I'd just literally go insane!" She threw up her hands. "And... I would use that contract by myself. I'd fight those girls two on one but Lukretia-san she won't let me!"

Akashi stomped her foot like a child. "And... and these... these.. BITCHES!" She growled. Lukretia-san is just letting them run amok! The whole place has gone to pot since you left, Taylor-chan! They won't LET me straighten things out! We're better than all these girls!"

Akashi lowered her head and sighed. "And.. Sarah-san is back and she was saying 'why don't I have any titles?' and... SHE has one to talk!" Akashi growled. "Taylor-chaaaan..." Akashi didn't whine, so muyuch as growl the last word. She wasn't angry but frustrated. "I just did it without thinking, alright!?" She snorted through her nose and sat down on her bench.

"But... I meant what I said. I won't... I can't stop trying to get you back. I ... have to do, at least , that much or I'd be letting you and me... and a lot of people down."

Taylor sighed. Akashi was nothing if not stubborn. But then, Taylor was nothing if not stubborn. It made things difficult between them, but it had also forced Taylor to learn to deal with it.

"Akashi, you can't let that hick get in your head," she said. "Sarah has no right... Yeah. I know you do. I guess. I don't know how it works, Akashi, but I need you to understand..." She laid back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. "I need you to tell me that you understand that I left because it was the right thing for me, and it was my decision to make. And... I need you to understand that it's..." Her voice became small. "It's just really hard for me, and when you do thing like that... I don't know, I start thinking that I ruined everything again. But I know I didn't! My life is great now, I'm great, and... I'm still like, transitioning or whatever to whatever I'll do next, but I'm happy now, mostly..."

"Sarah-san doesn't control me!" Akashi blurted out. She wasn't offended but maybe a little defensive. She eased out of that tone and shook her head as Taylor continued. "T-Taylor-chan." She said. "I DO understand. I know why you made the decision. I respect it, [size=85:2szga7f3]mostly, and I am not trying to ruin your life. You know the only thing I want for you is to be happy and if that means never wrestling another minute, than so be it. You're my Imouto-chan and I really, truly want you to be happy no matter what." Akashi smiled. It WAS true. Taylor had been infinitely more happy since she had left AFW. Akashi was surprised. "And, it was the right thing for you to do." B-but..." Akashi added.

"Taylor.." She said, foregoing the honorifics. "I just don't.. want the thought to ... leave you, I guess..." Akashi closed her eyes. "I don't care if you never say yes, but I feel like, if I don't at least keep asking you. If I don't at least keep you considering it as an option then maybe... I don't know... You live in Kyoto now and that's so far away and we don't really talk as much as we used to. Maybe if... you let go of that forever, then, we'll end up drifting apart too." Akashi turned her head so that Taylor wouldn't hear her small sniffle. She then cleared ther throat and perked up.

"I mean, there has GOT to be SOMEWHERE inside of you that misses it just.. a liiiiiiitle." Akashi said with a big grin. "Not the bullshit. Not even the crowd... or the accolades or money or fame. But... the thrill of it. The feeling you get when it's just you and another girl pushing each other to the limits!"

"Akashi..." Taylor said, in a hushed tone like she didn't want anyone, including herself, to hear her say it. "I think about it every day. I feel like an addict trying to quit, and it's soooo hard. I had no idea how hard it was going to be, I just thought... I dunno, like Friction was keeping me scared and miserable and... I wasn't the person I wanted to be, and when I got rid of it I expected to forget it like high school." She swallowed hard. "That didn't happen though."

She sighed again. "It's like... a marine who comes home from war, and he doesn't know what to do. But there's got to be a purpose for him other than killing people, right? Because he's not a marine, he's a person, and people can do lots of stuff that isn't war, and if you told him that he just needed to go find a new war or else he'd be useless, that would kill him. It'd break his heart. It'd break mine. Does that make sense?"

"Hai, haiiii." Akashi said, furrowing her brow as she listened to Taylor's words. "I understand, Taylor-chan." She said with a mopey tone to her words. "I guess I thought that you were starting to forget about it a little bit. Or maybe I was starting to forget..." Akashi lifted her head up.

"I don't know if I can stand this, but I'll try. I can't help but be a little selfish sometimes. I just feel like... you left a lot unfinished and AFW needs you. Way more than you need it, I guess. They are letting nobodies contend for the tag team titles. Hell, they aren't even having a championship match for the Friction title at Summer Splash because of what happened at Avalanche."

Akashi shut her eyes. "Taylor-chan. I won't ask you to come back but... at least come with me to Summer Splash? As my guest? As it stands I don't even have a match yet, so... maybe we can think of it like a little sisterly vacation. You can see AFW as a spectator, a fan, rather than a competitor. And then... after that, I promise you I won't bring it up again. I mean, I'll never ask you about it. I'll trade in my contract or find some other way to ... I don't know..." Akashi frowned. "My goal is to be the best that AFW has ever known. I was just hoping that you would be right there beside me when..." Akashi sighed. "I don't know if I can even think about another tag partner for real..." Akashi furrowed her brow.

"O-Ok... enough of that. I'm sorry." She said. "H-How are you doing, anyway? You and Johnny? Do you need anything?" She asked with a refreshed smile.