Rolling with the Punches (Closed for NDIaC and Myself)

Tim King was just wrapping up a women’s self-defense class at the YMCA. This was the free intro class that he taught to get women interested in learning more. This was to show them quick, easy tips to break free of an unskilled attacker, save themselves from a possible rape, a fumbled mugging. These were simple, easy to master strikes and throws. Honestly a lot of the women took the classes just to flirt with him, of this he was convinced. Most of the women in the class came back well after they knew the moves by heart and could do them under water, blind folded, and in their sleep. They just wanted to see him in a tank top and shorts.

He never took any of these women home, and it certainly wasn’t from a lack of effort on their part. Some of them wore outfits that barely covered enough to be considered decent, he had even sent some women back to change back into their street clothing a time or two citing ‘safety’ as a reason for their attire needing to be changed; and that was not wrong. The last thing he needed was someone’s tits hanging out while teaching eye gouges and shin stomps. He was likely to get really injured if he was distracted taking the hit wrong. This of course did not stop some of the women from brushing up against him a little too personally during sessions, but most of that was negated by the cup he wore to protect him from the frequent knee strikes to the groin he took. So when 20 something women in yoga pants decided to rub their asses against his groin it really didn’t have the desired effect. They thought it did at first of course, they felt a nice satisfying bulge, until they worked back into it and felt that the shape was all wrong.

Still the constant assaults left him usually leaving these sessions feeling sexually frustrated and stressed out.

“Remember ladies, you want to keep your attacker down long enough to get distance between you and him or her. Once you have dropped them, I strongly encourage an open handed strike to the throat. This will not kill them, but it will severely limit their ability to recover. This gives you time to get away and call the police. An area like the throat is delicate, you don’t need to hit hard, you just need to hit it. No harder than you would pop someone on the back of the head for being an idiot. Any harder and you might kill them. Still that all falls under self-defense so, if you do no one is gonna look at you twice. The point is you cut off some asshole’s ability to breath which means they are not worried about chasing you, they are worried about trying to open their airway. I promise you when they can’t breathe, priorities change real quick. Suddenly your purse, or getting their rocks off are not so important anymore.”

He looked around and clapped his hands a couple of times.

“Great work tonight everyone. Several of you have really mastered this material. I teach a more advanced course at my own studio on 7th and Fleetwood. I strongly encourage everyone to graduate out of this course and move up to it, not as a sales pitch, but because the Y limits what I can teach you both by time, and their policies. Your safety is my primary concern, and is why I do these courses for free. I believe everyone should be able to defend themselves and not only has the right to, but the responsibility to. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.”

One of the women raised her hand and he nodded his hand and pointed to her. “Yes Crystal?”

”That is a very strange way to put it. I don’t really disagree, but why do you feel that way?”

His face grew serious for a moment. He reached up and slowly pulled off his shirt. The women started to let out catcalls, but they were cut off suddenly, as he revealed a jagged, ugly scar that was partially faded into his skin along his left pectoral muscle, it looks like it skipped over the breastbone, and continued along the right peck as well.

“This is why. My sister and I co-teach the class because we were orphaned when I was fifteen. My parents didn’t know how to defend us, and I got lucky. So I encourage you to learn these techniques, and also encourage you to encourage your whole family to join some sort of self-defense course. I run all levels from beginner to expert. I do this one for free because women or much more unlikely to take any sort of self-defense, and if they do they fail to take them and practice them long enough to gain the most important part of any technique, which is muscle memory. You need to be able to execute these maneuvers without thinking. They need to be automatic. When someone grabs you from behind you don’t know in an aggressive manner your automatic response should be to shatter their fucking shin with your heel, spin around, and gouge their eyes out. It needs to be an automatic response in the dark, with adrenaline and fear coursing through your body. That takes repetition. This is why I want you all to continue on to higher levels of training. If I read your name in the paper, I want it to be because you broke some stupid asshole’s arm and kicks him in the nuts so hard they flopped around to his asshole.”

The room laughed and he slid back into his shirt.

“Alright ladies. See you next week. There are some cards on the table for my studio. If anyone is interested. “

He noticed more than a few picked up cards, but doubted more than a handful would commit. Sighing inwardly he went to the men’s locker room and hopped into a quick shower to wash all the women’s perfume and the light amount of sweat off of him. It was the one night of the week he left work smelling like a whore house, good thing he didn’t have a girl friend or she might be jealous as fuck. He sprayed on a touch of his own scent, tossed on a clean tank top and made his way down the road toward a bar called ‘The Shithole’. The name wasn’t impressive, the bar wasn’t either, but it was usually good for entertainment if nothing else. His dark hair was still a bit wet in the chill night air as he raked his fingers through it, green eyes locking into the building. It was some little dive bar, but it was walking distance, which made it convenient. He just needed a drink, and to watch a few drunk idiots knock each other around. Who knows? Maybe he’d even find someone to blow off this sexual tension with? Doubtful, it was the rare woman he took home to his bed. He usually liked to move a bit slower than wham bam thank you ma’am, but it had been known to happen on occasion. The mood he was in tonight, it may just happen.

The line to get in was all of two people. He pulled out his ID and patiently waited his turn to get in. He paid the cover, then made his way inside. The place really did live up to the name, he immediately felt like he needed another shower. Whatever, he wasn’t planning to stay long, a few drinks, watch a few rednecks knock each other around, and he was good. He made his way to the bar, put a 20 down on the beat up wood and shouted over the music “Rum and coke please.”

Rae Savage parked her beat up old cruiser in the gravel parking lot behind ‘The Shithole’ and finished her breakfast, a fat blunt, she had rolled only minutes after waking up from a night of heavy drinking and questionable judgment. She hadn’t broken any bones and didn’t wake up in jail, so she considered it a win, though just what she had done was still a blur. That was pretty typical for a Wednesday night or any night really, Rae always needed a distraction to keep her mind going, to keep it from drifting back to where it inevitably always did, that dark and dangerous place she hated so much. Yet why did he always feel like home? The disturbing thought drifted through her mind briefly as she let out a billowing cloud of smoke past her full lips, the split to the bottom one healing nicely. Light green eyes lay hidden behind a pair of steel aviators and an unruly shock of black hair that fell haphazardly about her brow and temples, the rest of her visage sharp and dangerously fetching. She had the classic good looks that all the Savage Sisters shared, strong jaw, full lips, and intense eyes were pretty much the normal all around. Her body was toned and athletic with just a hint of a tan, though it was sometimes hard to tell with as much ink as she had. Rae’s body was a chaotic amalgamation of styles and subject matter, none of it seemed to go together at first glance but she pulled it off nonetheless with a grace all her own. Her tattoos were densely packed on her forearms, the sleeves slowly fading out as they reached her biceps and shoulders. A scant few covered the rest of her, mostly on her back, neck, a few on her chest and lower abdomen and even on the backs of her hands and fingers. Here and there they were marred (or enhanced given your perspective) by traces of scar tissue, criss crossing over her in seemingly every spot on her body. Rae had broken just about every bone in her body that she could, hurt herself in so many different ways she couldn’t even recall how she got most of them. She played hard at life, perhaps a little too hard at times, like she didn’t really care if she made it out of the situation alive. People who knew her were either impressed by her devil-may-care attitude or intimidated by what they saw as a death wish.

Either way, Rae tended to stick out in a crowd, for weal and woe.

She finished off her blunt and ground out the roach on the bottom of her boot before tossing the rest under a random car. Gravel crunched heavily under foot as she sauntered towards the back entrance of The Hole a good two hours late for her shirt. Couldn’t tell it by the way she moved, since she displayed absolutely no sense of urgency in her movements or mannerisms. She cut a striking figure as always, in her black denim jeans that clung to her lean lower half, heavy steel toed boots that were scuffed, scratched and dented from hard use, a gray T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off and a black denim vest over that lined with patches and studs. She had no piercings, none in her ears or any other orifices, a odd statement that went against the rest of her image. With here fingerless leather gloves still on she threw open the backdoor and stepped inside the smoky hole in the wall that she called home. The Shithole was just that, a greasy stain on the map that anyone with anything to lose would steer clear of. The music sucked the beer on tap questionable and only the stupid or completely fucking smashed ever ordered anything from the kitchen, all in all in was the perfect hive of scum and villainy that Rae could ask for. She wore a nasty scowl on her face as she emerged from the cramped back hallway, the cloying aura of smoke that hung in the air hitting her straight in the face. She didn’t flinch. It was a welcome scent, with just a hint of despair and urine. A bulky man standing a good six foot something strolled up to her as she emerged, blocking her path with just his bulk alone. Rae didn’t stop; she strolled right up to the toes of his boots and stared up at him straight in the eye.

“Move you faggity fuck,” She barked, her voice low and husky yet still carried over the loud music in the background.

“Yer three hours late you piece of shit,” The man snapped back with a glare that could curl paint. Rae didn’t flinch.

“Two. Actually. Guess they never taught you to count yer numbers upstate huh? Too busy packin’ the fudge of all those baby rapers, eh?” Rae squared her shoulders and stood tall, her gaze unwavering, her lips a straight line.

“I preferred the ones that got caught for tax evasion. They were always so soft and silky,” The man said with a straight face. It was Rae who broke and laughed first, the man followed shortly after and then the rest of the people around them. The shared the laugh for a good few moments before the two slapped each other on the shoulders and went their separate ways. Still laughing Rae stalked her way through the gathered crowd milling about, shoving those that wouldn’t move and copped a feel on the one lady she saw with the most magnificent set of fake tits she had ever seen.

“How much did those sweater puppies set you back?” Rae asked, pausing for a moment to spin on her heels as she gave the woman a smugly amused look. Anyone else might have been offended by the question; the woman just chortled and shrugged.

“Yah gotta ask my Sugar Daddy,” She said all to honestly, to which Rae just laughed again and offered a nonchalant frown and shrug.
“Fair enough. I’m sure he got em for sale, two for one special,” Rae said over her shoulder as she spun back around and shoved open the swinging door that lead to the kitchen. It was a blight on the world, a grease pit that soaked up the light and looked like it was straight out of a horror movie set. A few illegal aliens manned the stove, Rae offered her best Spanglish to them even if she didn’t know a lick of Spanish beyond what she ordered at her favorite Mexican restaurant. She went straight for the sink and twisted the faucet on before she gave herself a quick hobo bath, a few squirts of dish soap really helped and she left feeling clean and refreshed, just like a brand new sauce pan.

It took her a few more minutes to get back behind the bar, much to the general annoyance of the other bartender who had to pick up Rae’s slack. She didn’t mind or care; at the moment the ‘new guy’ didn’t even have a name. She still referred to him as ‘Thing 1’ when she bothered to address him at all.

“Heya Fuck Face,” Rae shot out as she approached, opting to switch up the titles for the evening. “Who pissed in yer Cheerios, mate?” She asked as she removed a bottle of Wild Turkey Bourbon and poured herself a few fingers on the house. ‘Fuck Face’ glowered up at her as he poured another pint and shoved it off towards a thirsty patron.

“You,” He started, though Rae had already rolled her eyes and started to chug by that time. She didn’t hear a word as he complained; she just finished her drink, took a breath and burped in his face.

“Sucks to be you. Maybe you should just quit and go back to suckin’ dick on the street corner,” She finally responded before she slid around him and wandered down the length of the bar. It was about that time that Tim sidled up to the bar, though her attention was entirely caught up by the loud bastard a few stools down. He had suddenly erupted into a one sided screaming match with a meek looking country girl, you know the type that always went for the bastard that slapped her around ‘for her own good’. She was also the type to come to his defense when someone called him out on his shit. For a moment Rae almost thought against intervening, that she deserved whatever she let the fucker do to her. That was a fleeting thought, especially when the guy got handy and shoved her back from the bar. She just snapped then, even as people around them scattered, no one wanted a piece of that, Rae picked up her step and slid straight up to them. She leaned over the bar on one hand and whistled sharply, catching the guy’s attention mid-rant.

“ ‘Ey!” She growled, her thick brows furrowing over her light green eyes. The guy turned just in time to spout a ‘fuck off’ before Rae snatched him up by his mullet and tugged sharply back causing his head to snap back,

“That’s no way to talk to a lady you fuckin’ inbred hick. You got two seconds to apologize to Ms. Dolly Parton here or-“ Rae started in with an even but dangerous tone. Too bad the guy was too drunk to notice. He shot off another ‘fuck you’ and added something like cunt or twat, by then Rae wasn’t even listening. She just grabbed him by the back of his neck, lunged over the bar and smashed her forehead brutally against his own. She intentionally missed his nose, though the bar wasn’t as forgiving as she shoved him down face first against the warped wooden surface. He gave a grunt after the lovely thump of bone against wood came from his head and as Rae let go he just tumbled back. His face surely hurt, but his ego was wounded far more deeply. Rae just grinned down at him with that smug yet angry look on her face. Before he could get up and snap back with another witty round of comebacks Rae leaned up against the bar again and pointed out across the bar to the other side of the room.

“Hey! Henry! This fucker just tried to steal from the till!” Her voice rang true over the din of the gathered crowd and music with the shining singularity that would always catch everyone’s attention: money. Henry, the bouncer that looked like he was going on seven feet in height spun around from near the front door and came charging in like a bull. One thing that wasn’t tolerated at The Shithole was theft. People could swear, fight, even piss themselves and drink themselves into oblivion but if any showed the slightest inkling of trying to even skim from the top the mighty hammer came crashing down on them. For all Rae’s hard work she was greeted with a string of curses from the beat up old women she had just ‘saved’, but that was mostly due to the fact her bo was being dragged up to his feet and to the front door by the rest of his mullet. Rae just snorted in contempt at the sight, any sense of righteousness quickly faded when she watched the woman chase after them. Even with the riotous round of laughter and cheers that followed the entirely fiasco, Rae’s mood sank heavily. She poured herself another glass of bourbon, almost to the brim this time before she started to down it, just as Tim emerged to toss his twenty on the bar and order his drink. Rae just happened to be standing there, mid-drink when he approached. She snatched up the money but didn’t stop drinking till her glass was empty. With a sharp intake of air and a pleased hiss she set the glass down and glared back at Tim for a moment or two before she turned and grabbed a bottle of rum and a glass. She turned back and started to pour, her gaze returning to him with nothing short of contempt.

“Yer out of place, bruh.” Rae offered as she poured the coke and set the glass down in front of him. “You lookin’ to score some cheap pussy? The prostitutes usually show up on Tuesday night. Titties are Two on Tuesday, or chicken wings. Probably safer goin’ with the hooker…”

He had witnessed Rae’s brawl with the big drunk prick. He had been about to step in himself as a matter of fact, but Rae simply had noticed it first and had better access to the scenario. He would have had to part a sea of people, where she simply had to hop the bar, that was also how she spotted it first. He watched the scenario play out with an expert eye. He had to admit, despite their size difference she took him down quick and hard. She didn’t do it with much polish, nor did she do it with any thought for personal defense, it all seemed motivated by rage. On top of that she didn’t finish the job, she had some big mother fucking guy come haul the guy out.

Still she returned to her place behind the bar without a scratch other than having had to ‘use her head’. She took a deep pull of a drink as she returned; maybe not so much without a scratch, but those scratches were not physical. She started to pour his drink and immediately went on the attack with him, taunting him, pointing out how he didn’t belong here, talking about the only reason he could be here was to try and pick up cheap pussy. Had he not seen that earlier confrontation he would have been really confused, but that just set the last puzzle piece into place. He looked her over, all the tattoos, the scars, her stance. He performed an on the spot threat assessment of this woman as he taught his students to do. This woman was an aggressor; she attacked anyone and everyone to keep them away from her so she could not be harmed. It was so plain in front of him, it hurt. This poor woman had gone through something horrible, or multiple something’s and her conclusion had been to start swinging and never stop, she never figured out that her plan only made her pain worse.

He felt a sharp pang in his chest, his sister could have ended up like this had he not have made sure they stuck together in the system in foster care. Someone failed this kid, and here she was in this place, so far down a dark hole, there may be no pulling her out.

How to approach this….

“Keep the change. I already got what I came for. I got my drink, and I got to watch you beat the shit out of some dip shit who really deserved it. I just spent the last two hours teaching a bunch of soccer moms and college students eye gouges and shin stomps in an effort to keep them from one day getting mugged or raped which none of them will ever successfully remember because they won’t practice, or come to my advanced classes which I don’t teach for free. They only come to my free classes because they want to fuck me. It’s nice to see someone who take’s throwing a fucking punch seriously for a change. That guy is going to wake up tomorrow wondering why his face looks like a Picasso painting. Answer? You sir are a woman beating redneck, and there was at least one woman who wasn’t going to put up with that shit”

He let out a chuckle.

“Hell you beat me to it, but then if I got involved I might have had to deal with the big guy over there, or you and that would be a problem. The big guy I could likely take down. You on the other hand well I don’t hit women unless the circumstances are very extreme so you would have a distinct advantage.”

He reached down and took a pull from his drink with one hand. The other hand reaching out to push aside his tank top to scratch his chest, revealing the tail end of that ugly, long scar on his chest. He turned his gaze to look at Henry. He normally didn’t go looking for a fight, it was a very rare sort of night that he itched to throw hands with someone. Maybe it was all the bottled frustration, maybe it was just being this close to Rae, whom was a powder keg of angst and violence. He wasn’t sure, but he was sort of itching to test himself, and he really wanted to see if he could drop that big redwood of a man in the corner there, he was sure thinking about it.

Rae met his gaze and heard the words as they came past his lips but didn't really listen to them. All she heard was the 'wah wah' noise from Charlie Brown as he talked about popping the zit that was the drunken redneck. She was sizing him up just as he had done her previously, now that her attention was more or less undivided, at least as much as it could be, Rae finally looked him up and down and found something interesting. She knew from first whiff he knew how to handle himself, he held himself in that certain way and more importantly had that look in his eye Rae knew all too well. It wasn't until he went on about spending two hours teaching soccer moms that Rae reacted, more of a twitch of her lips before a causal smirk drifted out over them tugging further on the left side. It drifted into a mocking pout all too quickly though and was followed up with a dramatic sigh.

“Aah, fuck man. That's rough. Up to yer elbows in soccer mom poon? There's gotta be a least one nice lookin' Milf in the bunch,” Rae added because why not? Sounded like an interesting idea, hot Milfs in spandex begging for the D. She didn't have any to provide but she was always up for the challenge of getting someone to switch teams. She could be pretty persuasive with her hands even when they weren't curled up into fists. The liberal douse of sarcasm that dripped from her tone and demeanor shifted though as he continued, an all to obvious tick as he went on about hitting women (or not in thise case). Rae snorted, rolled her eyes so hard that it made her head tilt back and she idly spun about on the balls of her feet. In the process she snatched up another bottle, twisted off the cap and offered herself up another shot then another before she bothered to feel up to responding.

“You can shove yer dignified gentleman routine, Buddy. I'm more of a man than most of the cock-carrying shit sticks sittin' around here. Don't think cuz there's a twat in these pants that it changes anythin'. That kinda bullshit attitude's just as bad as that fuckin' wife beatin' cuntard I laid the smack down on.” Rae shot out angry, how quickly it rose to the surface and flared to life in those green eyes, two emerald flames. It was hard to tell if she looked like she wanted to punch him or laugh at him, probably both, but his causal fighter attitude let it roll right off him just as Rae had done moments before. Funny how things like that worked.

Her attention lingered on him as he looked back towards the bouncer that had chucked the drunk redneck out the door like a bag of potatoes. Her anger was quick to rise but just as quickly to dissipate, especially as she noticed the few telling signs of something far more interesting that self righteous indignation. She caught the hint of something long and nasty running across his chest and Rae knew all too well just what it was. Funny how some people got to wear their jagged scars on the outside; Rae had more than her fair share just as big and ugly but they hid in places no one would ever see. There was an electric twitch in the air, a spark as Tim took a good long look at Henry and sized him up. That was another thing that Rae had more than her fair share of first hand experience with, that itching desire to just haul off and vent the ever building frustration. She had just done that, though in the end she hadn't obtained the desired effect, if anything there was a bitter taste in her mouth from all the wasted effort.

Rae would never be a good influence on anyone, if given the chance she'd always play the Devil's advocate or perch happily on someone's shoulder with a pitchfork and horns egging them on. There was always a vicarious thrill of seeing someone lay hands on another, especially when it was something like this. It wasn't about wanting to take Henry down for anything he did but merely but he was there and there was a good possibility that it could be done. She downed her third shot and leaned over the bar once more, completely ignoring the rest of the patrons as her gaze settled on Henry as well.

“I've seen him lift up a dude as big as a linebacker by the throat. One handed. The dude is a fuckin' monster. But everyone's got a weakness,” Rae offered in her lowest tone that would still be heard over the loud din of the patrons around them. Her weight rested on her elbows, her frame bent fully at her hips swaying slightly in place. It would have been a nice sight to see from behind, unfortunately the mirror behind the bar wasn't low enough, not that anyone of interest was paying attention.

“Give it a shot. What's there to lose? You could always go back and find another Milf that'll let you break yer dick off in her ass,” Rae jeered and poked, always going for the weak spots. She loved to taunt and tease, wiggling out things from people that was probably better left unsaid. But she went on poking the bear, hell it was going to be one epic moment if it actually happened.

Rae’s mocking tone rolled off of him and he turned back from looking at the big man to look at her with a raised brow. “Is this the part of the game where I am supposed to cup my wounded pride and lash back bragging about my sexual prowess? Or how I could bag the whole class if I wanted to? Please kid, I’m not so easy. If that is the kind of fuckwit you get in here, then maybe you are right, I am out of place in here. I have reasons why I don’t sleep with them, and if you are curious, yeah there are plenty of fine pieces to chose from. You are welcome to come and see if you can’t snag a few pieces for yourself.”

She went on to blow up about his attitude about women. He shrugged his shoulders. “Be angry, be offended, be whatever you want. That is my stance on the matter. Unless I feel you are an immediate danger to my I’m simply going to subdue you. Now if you want to spar in a controlled setting? That is totally different. You think I’m being a chauvinist and maybe I am, but I didn’t stuff my sister in a closet and get this.” He pulled up his tank top, exposing the hard abs and chest and that ugly jagged scar along his pecs that glanced over his sternum. “So some asshole to knock her around. Then again, the asshole that tries to knock her around is in for a surprise.” He let his shirt fall to the normal position and let his gaze bore hard into hers, impressing the force of his words. “So like I said if you are looking for a brawl with me you are out of luck.” His voice was low, hard, gravely.

The intensity faded quickly, he didn’t want to provoke her, and she seemed the type easily provoked. He simply wanted her to understand his point. He changed the subject back to Henry. “So if I do decide to go take biggun on am I ever going to be able to going to be able to come back here? I mean, the food is hazardous, the drinks are shit, the only things worth coming back here for are the free entertainment and you. You are at least interesting to talk to. Who knows? Maybe you will get that brawl one day. One look into your eyes I can read you like a book. You are the sort of person who wants to fight everyone and everything. It is in your eyes, your stance, your speech patterns. You live for conflict.”

He finished his drink in a full pull and wrinkled his nose at the slightly grimy taste of the liquid, yeah, the drinks were definitely suspect.

He put the empty glass down on the bar and chuckled softly. “I know all that about you, but I don’t know your name. I’m Tim. So how about if. If I put the big guy on his back, you think I’ll be able to come back without looking over my shoulder?”

He seemed confident he could do it, despite Rae’s previous comment about tossing some guy as big as a line backer out of the bar with one hand. Strength was simply one advantage in a fight. Something that could be overcome with the proper strategy; one Tim was already working up in his head. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to put the big man in the hospital to accomplish the goal. He already had three different plans in mind, it would just depend on if the first one worked or not. Hell if he could get the leverage to make it happen. Big guys like this tended to rely on sheer power to accomplish their goals, he was counting on Henry here to not be a thinking man’s fighter.

“Usually,” Rae retorted before he even finished. He had the right of it, that was usually how the male ego worked. It was so fragile and delicate and after a few rounds most were ready to prove their virility to just about anyone or anything. He seemed a cut above most of the drivel that crawled its way into The Shithole, at least he had that going for him. Her short attention span got caught on his invitation to come down and see the Milfs for herself. That brought out a smug smile that fit all too easily upon her lips and a hearty guffaw. It was more of a shit eating grin by the time she responded. Oh the vivid mentally imagery.

“I never tried to bang a milf before. Pretty sure I can convince a few of them to play for the other team. I knows what the ladies need and want,” Rae chortled and raised her hand up to her face, playing her splayed index and middle finger on either side of her lips as she flicked out her tongue suggestively. Rae played both sides of the field, alright she played mostly for the women's team but she certainly didn't discriminate against someone that was more than just the typical 'Alpha' male. It took a lot to impress Rae, well, a sober Rae at least.

“Yeah. You are. A chauvinist pig dog,” Rae sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her hand as she leaned back against the bar. She listened to his diatribe, half listened really. He was really starting to bore her until he said the word sister. Her gaze and attention flicked to the crude scar that jagged raced across his chest. Together the word and imagery struck a cord that was all too unsettlingly familiar. Rae felt the cold rush of something more than her typical animosity for human life. There was something about the look on her face, the quick fading of her arrogant smile and even the light that glinted harshly in her green eyes faded. She slowly pushed up from her causally relaxed position on the bar, her hands brushing out over the worn wooden surface of the bar top. Her lips twitched, a subtle movement that went along with the tensing of the defined muscles in her exposed arms.

“If you think for one god damn second you know anything about me then yer the dumbest fuck in here. Just because I don't have a pretty scar to flash around like some god damn badge of honor doesn't mean I haven't bled for my sisters. You got one? Congrats, try five.” Rae snorted her contempt and reached for the closest bottle. She wasn't bragging, if anything the amused anger she had previously was non-existent. She let on more than she intended and the sting of it all was clearly etched on her face. She took a long pull from the bottle and set it aside, letting out a satisfied cough before she added under her breath, “Fucking ingrates.”

But Rae was nothing if not mercurial with her emotions. As quickly as they came they went, the sharp bite of alcohol always helped as well. He pressed the issue of taking on Henry, inquiring just what would happen if he laid the bouncer flat on his back. Rae shrugged, giving a little shake of her head to clear her senses and get back to the interesting part. Relieving the pissing contest of who was better at protecting their siblings was far from enjoyable.

“As long as you ain't stealin' or killin' someone, no one will give a shit. Now Henry might be pissed about getting' knocked down a peg but I reckon it's about time someone whispered in his ear the old 'thou art mortal' line,” Rae said at length, her gaze lifting up to the bouncer as well.

“Besides. Ain't no one gonna be stupid enough to fuck with the dude who took down Goliath. He might want to settle the score down the road but it's all gravy as long as no one breaks the 2 golden rules.” Rae reached for the bottle again, taking a long pull and letting off a loud sigh as it burned her throat.

“Lookit. I'll make it interesting. You take him down and I'll tell yah my name,” Rae offered a prize, not that it was much of one. But he already said she was the most interesting person here so it seemed like proper bait. Besides, she really did want to see what this guy could do since up until this point he had done fuck all to show he wasn't more than just hot air.

“Make it fun and I might even throw in a free handjob in the alley,” She added with that customary smirk of hers. It was quick to return much like her mood.

He chuckled as he listened to Rae talk about trying to get women to play for the other team, even her crude demonstration which he knew too obviously what she meant. He shrugged his shoulders as if it didn’t matter one way or the other. “Like I said. You are welcome to come down and attend the classes for whatever purposes you want. Just don’t go over the top yeah? I don’t want to get kicked out because an orgy started in the middle of class.” Somewhere in there was a compliment, maybe? Or maybe just an acknowledgement that she did likely know what women wanted more than most guys. “If it wasn’t for the fact that I make it a rule not to use my position as their teacher to fuck students, I’d say we could make a wager on who could land more tail, but that would just be Chauvinistic.” He let the last word drip with a hint of playful sarcasm.

It was clear he wasn’t letting Rae get under his skin. Not in a bad way at least. He was absolutely interested in spending more time with her, but he wasn’t letting her jabs throw him off balance.

She exploded with anger when he talked about his sister and went on a tirade about her sisters and how she had bled for them. Ah, so that was the source of her pain. There was something there he had touched on, but he couldn’t see the full picture yet. He decided not to push it; not yet. He let the matter fall to the wayside and went back to Henry.

He listened to her as she laid it all on the line. She laid the challenge, then the bait, and the sweetener at the end. He turned toward her with a raised brow and a low chuckle. “Handjob in the alley? Didn’t we already cover this? I could get that when the pay to play cunt swings this way. I think we can figure out something better than that. Let’s just call it an IOU assuming my lower extremities still work after this eh?” He said that with confidence rather than any measure of fear. He was already confident of his victory, but what he was doing was giving her an out.

“Well here goes nothing.”

He flashed her a smile then turned on his heels and made a direct line for Henry. The bigger man towered over him which was a rare sensation for Tim. Being a man who chose not to take cheap shots, he wanted this to be straight up, he shouted to be heard over the music. “So, Henry. This isn’t personal brother. I’m itching for a fight, and you’re the only guy in this place who can give me one so I –“

So much for honorable exchanges; Henry heaved the smaller man back with one hand so hard he crashed into a nearby table. The table gave way under Tim’s weight and immediately the crowd in the bar roared in pleasure, ready to see Henry knock someone else around.

Tim however didn’t land flat on his back, he rolled with the momentum of the fall and tucked his body into a ball, he rolled over his shoulder and sprang to his feet quickly. The expression on his face was no longer pleasant, there was a blank look on his face and his eyes were hard and cold.

Henry intended to end this quickly and get back to lounging and drinking. He lunged at Tim with a thick, meaty arm. Tim knew he couldn’t just evade the bigger man, he had to beat him soundly. Tim ducked quickly beneath the grab, and extended his leg to sweep Henry’s feet from beneath him, using both of his arms to bash hard against Henry’s shoulder. The result was the large man struck Tim, went airborne and spun like a top until he crashed hard onto the filthy floor.

Tim didn’t let him get up. Leaping onto the bigger man he struck him in the abdomen to disrupt his ability to breath, and then put his weight there. Pressing a forearm into Henry’s windpipe, he balled up his other hand into a fist and raised it eye level to Henry. He had hoped that would be enough to end the fight there, but Henry was a bar room brawler. He balled up one of those giant fists and cocked Tim straight across the jaw.

Tim saw streaks of light as his head jerked, but he took the hit as he was trained to and he avoided being knocked out by the tremendously strong blow. Tim fired back, using his palm to shatter Henry’s nose, shifting his weight to completely cut off his air supply, and he tucked his knees in so that they were on Henry’s shoulders. He watched as Henry flailed with his arms to try and strike him, but without unrestricted movement of his shoulders it was useless. His face was turning purple, until finally the big man started franticly slapping the floor.

Tim released the pressure on his windpipe, and then got to his feet and walked back to the bar, working his jaw tenuously. He could already feel the welt forming on the side of his face as he walked back to Rae. He grabbed the side of his face and popped his jaw with a growl, then nodded. “Alright. You owe me a name.”

Rae barely had time for a witty comeback before this random dude got to his feet and strode towards Henry with no fear. There wasn't any hesitation in his step. No scent of fear or anything like that. It was surprising, mostly in the incredulous fashion. Rae expected that someone would be picking his teeth out of the mop later tonight after they cleaned up all the blood.

“Stupid ass SOB,” She responded before he had a chance to turn away and make his bee-line straight for the bouncer. She shook her head and cocked her hip out against the bar, her arms folding over her chest. She gave a few familiar faces a head bob towards Tim as he approached Henry, her smirk lingering intently on her lips.

“Place yer bets, boys. Should be a barnburner.” She said causally, her gaze fixing on Henry. The big man reacted in typical fashion. As much as he enjoyed a good brawl he also liked to ensure the upper hand. It was understandable given just how many drunken fucktards he had to fight every night. To Henry Tim was just another cocky drunk looking to impressive an equally drunk slut. Rae wasn't really all that drunk, at least not yet. She poured herself a few shots in the meantime though, throwing them back and wincing as Tim went flying back, only to roll over himself and leap to his feet.

“Huh,” Rae said lightly behind her shot glass, the noise that came past her lips slightly surprised in tone. The fight wasn't all that long nor was it flashy. No broken bottles or pool cues. Still, the fact that he had Henry on his back and tapping out within a few minutes was the real show. Rae knew better than that, while most of the drunken fools wanted a show like in the movies real fighting was far from that glamorous. Henry still got a good shot in across Tim's jaw. That was gonna sting later. She winced and reached under the bar to pull out another shot glass. She was shaking her head as he returned, but the top was already off the bottle in her grasp and she was filling up the glass. The crowd wasn't sure what to do with itself, there was a good few minutes of shocked silence before a hearty guffaw set the rest of them off. There was an explosion of noise, a cacophony of hoots and hollers, laughter and cursing that would make a sailor blush. More than a few people lost a couple bills all too quickly. Still, no one jumped him on his approach back to the bar. Sure he got a few glares, more stupefied than angry but no one drunk or sober would want to tangle with him after that. At least for tonight.

She let out a guffaw of her own as he cracked his jaw and settled back down at the bar. She pushed the shot glass towards him and just flashed that smirk of hers before she turned around and wandered off. It took her a few minutes to come back with some ice wrapped in a soggy hand towel tied off with a rubber band. She slammed it onto the bar in front of him and leaned over on her elbows, those green eyes piercing and intense even in the dim light.

“Rae. Savage.” She finally said at length. “So rain check on the handjob? Yer face looks like it could use a big fat steak.” She added but couldn't manage to finish it without a snorting chortle to end it.

He was no doctor, but if he had to guess, that meaty ass fist of Henry’s must have caught him just right under where his jawbone connects to the skull. How did he know this? His ear was fucking ringing like mad, clearly he had aggravated the nerves in the ear canal. Here was hoping that was not permanent, eh? Still a victory over a fucker that big was a victory, and his blood was roaring now.

He scooped up the shot glass without hesitation and slammed it down. The liquid burned all the way down, but it didn’t dull the ring in his ears. Still he got his reward. She flashed that cocky grin at him. “Rae. Savage.” He smiled at her and nodded his head in greeting. He would have shaken her hand, but something told him she wasn’t a hand shake kinda girl. “Glad to know you, Rae Savage. I’m Tim King.” He chuckled as she brought up the blowjob. “Honestly I didn’t think you were serious about that. Yeah we need to rain check that.”

She vanished from the bar, and then a few minutes later came back with some ice. He took it gratefully and offered a muttered “thank you” that was barely audible above the crowd. He let the ice work for a moment, let her do her job for a bit, not immediately pestering her with questions. Then when she came back his direction “So why here, Rae? Why this bar? Why not work somewhere else?” Nothing wrong with it, but why here? I am just curious. I mean I’ve been here before and you’ve never noticed me, nor I you. Today just happened to be the day you showed up and goaded me to fight a giant just to learn your name and for a hand job.” He laughed quietly. “Quite the shit show, huh?”

He ordered another drink while waiting for her answer, placing a ten dollar bill down and letting her keep the change. Never short your bar tender folks; especially if she is offering to give you a handjob later. He downed the shot quickly, between the alcohol and the ice he was starting to not feel so much pain in the side of his head and the ringing was subsiding a little. He was still getting hate looks from the crowd, but he was also getting a wide berth. There was a mass of people, but somehow no one around him; he found this amusing.

He occasionally took a few steps one direction or the other just to fuck with people and watch the crowd part. It was like burning ants with a magnifying glass and watching them flee from the heat.

He plopped into the bar stool and looked into Rae’s eyes, giving a deep chuckle. “A few more of these shots and I might cash in that rain check anyway.”

“Yer gonna regret sayin’ that, Timmeh.” Rae shot back without hesitation. It was her typical knee jerk reaction to a situation, Rae always spoke and acted before giving the moment any thought. But his comment didn’t need much time to digest. Anyone who knew the real Rae Savage wouldn’t be too glad to know her. Even the ones that loved her often regretted following her down the rabbit hole. She was dangerous, destructive and highly addictive. Horrible combination. But when she grinned, even as cocksure and brimming with confidence like it was, one couldn’t deny she was a definite beauty. Her green eyes were often like two emerald flames, hinting at a madness that was as self-destructive as it was alluring.

“Who said I really was gonna?” She retorted while pouring him another shot. The grin diminished slightly, forming back into her lopsided smirk that hung beautifully on her lips. She sat the bottle down within arms reach and promptly left Tim to his own devices. She had a job to do after all. Rae wasn’t much of a bartender, she was apt enough to top off or refill the pints from the tap or hasty pour another shot, but that was about it. Not that it mattered much, it wasn’t like the clientèle was ordering cocktails. She could pour something straight up, though most of the regulars preferred their drinks neat. Best to just stay away from the water in any form, it wasn’t called the Shithole for nothing. She walked the length of the bar, tending to those that required more wet for their whistle. She paused now and then, chatting up the regulars, the conversation sometimes turning back to Tim and his take down of Henry. More often than not though it was just idle chatter, a few insults thrown back and forth, one instance of Rae turning her back to the crowd and hocking a loogie into a pint glass before she filled it up, and a few needless shows of force. One dude challenged Rae to an impromptu arm wrestling match, which she agreed to without hesitation. She slammed the dude’s hand down on the counter so hard everyone had to take a glance, thinking another fight had broken out. But the only thing that was broken was one man’s ego, at least for a few minutes while Rae gloated and then refilled his beer.

Another drunkard tried to get her to wrestle him, but instead Rae talked him into another feat of strength. He’d put his elbow on the bar, curled his arm and Rae would pull down on his hand, trying to pin his arm to the table. The idiot was drunk enough to fall for it and put all he had into keeping his arm flex. Everyone else saw it coming a mile away, watching the guy punch himself right in the face was still amusing enough to illicit a roaring bout of laughter. All he got was laughed at, not even a free beer out of the deal. Rae finished her rounds and ended up back where she started, in front of Tim. She was handy with pouring the shots, even quicker to snatch up the money as it was dolled out. The questions he assaulted her with weren’t expected and from the look on her face it didn’t appear Rae had ever really given them much thought if any at all. She shrugged, an easy roll of her proud shoulders before she hunched over the bar on her elbows again, her sharp chin resting in her palm.

“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world...” Rae started, her Bogart impersonation lacking any kind of flair. Instead she rolled her eyes and offered another shrug.

“Why do we do anything? Why’d you come here instead of going home? Why’d you go all David and Goliath on Henry? Can’t just be because you wanted to know my name or a handi. But I’ll agree that. One hell of a shit show.” Rae poured him another shot and one for herself. She picked up the glass, offered a little salute before downing it with a soft, satisfying hiss.

“Mmmhn,” She exhaled through her nostrils, teeth clenched tightly. Once he finally sat back down they were able to see more eye to eye, literally. She didn’t look away, didn’t flinch, just met his gaze evenly, her smirk still there. She reached for the bottle with her free hand and causally poured both of them another round.

“Welp. I guess we’ll just have to see just how much of a liar I am, huh?” She asked with a snorting chuckle, her fingers already encircling the rim of her shot glass.

“Yeah? I don’t think so. I think this will be an interesting ride. Might be some bruises and broken bones, but it will be hella fun.” Those eyes, it was like looking into green flame. She was not bad looking before, a little rumpled, but when she grinned like that it was like she was a different woman. She was stunning. He stared into her eyes with a low, wicked chuckle of his own. He wasn’t intimidated by what he saw in the least, wasn’t scared, though perhaps he should have been.

He raised a brow at the retort and gave a shrug, downing his shot with a sigh. Well, at least the somewhat murky taste of the alcohol was getting palatable. He poured another shot as she walked away and downed that one as well, but decided that was going to be it for a little while. He didn’t want to get completely hammered. That would be dangerous for more than one reason. Rae Savage may be beautiful, and mischievous, but if he let her get him shit faced, she would get him into some serious trouble without a doubt. Not only that, but there were a few of the other patrons looking his way with dark looks and he could easily make out the shape of various weapons beneath clothing. He had to stay semi-alert.

He watched Rae do her thing, enchanted by her. She was such a mercurial creature, and he found it fascinating. One minute she could turn on the charm, and the next minute she could salt and burn the earth. He recognized that rage, he had dealt with his a long time ago. Though no doubt their circumstances were different and they were different people, she may just not want to deal with it, or be able to.

He watched her lure that guy into punching himself square into the face. He laughed along with the rest of the crowd, that was clever, he had to admit. He found himself taking another shot despite himself. As she made her way back to him and leaned over the bar he found himself inadvertently taking a look down her shirt. It was quick, and his eyes quickly moved back up to her face. It was an unintentional move, and he felt like an idiot for it. Though there was no way she missed it.

She didn’t answer the question, instead, she flipped it on him. Either she was deflecting or she really didn’t know. He decided instead of pushing to answer her question. “I came here because it is a block away from the Y. I wanted a drink, and I had aggression to burn off. I knew this place is good for fights. As to why I picked a fight with Henry, no, it wasn’t just for your name and a handjob. Those are just nice perks. I more wanted the name than the handjob when it started, but the shots are now telling a different story.”

Just then she made a toast and poured another one, he downed it with her with a chuckle and a mock glare. “I fought him because I wanted a good fight. You know how long it has been since I have fought someone who could even hold their own against me? I train people how to fight for a living and most of them never reach near my level. The fighter in me craves to sharpen my skills. That fucking punch. If I hadn’t seen it coming and rolled my head the right way, he would have knocked me clean out. Dude has a fucking cannon on his fist.”

With their eyes locked he felt himself stirring in his pants. Hell, he even started to growl low in his throat before he caught it. It wasn’t a threatening growl, it was sensual, primal. Oh he was turned the fuck on.

He held her gaze with an even deeper chuckle. Something about his voice had changed. There was a rich, sensual tone to it. “I guess we will.” He tossed the shot back without flinching and then poured another. “You're falling behind Savage.”

If there was one thing that Rae could do besides be sarcastic and punchy, it was drink. She ate her Cheerios with whiskey, well, she had at least once. Still, she could drink and did drink constantly. It was one of her many vices, one of the things that made those eyes shine and that grin infectious, it also made her unpredictable and downright dangerous. Tim was walking a dangerous line, Rae was certainly filled with a familiar sense of rage, but their coping mechanisms were on different sides of the spectrum. He could very well fall right down the rabbit hole, or he might drag her out of it. There wasn’t any way of telling, chaos was just like that.

“It’ll certainly be an interesting ride. That much I can promise,” Rae said from behind her shotglass. She kept drinking, kept pouring and didn’t slow down even as they talked. Though they both took turns pouring, it was a natural and easy flow between the two even as their eyes seemed locked on the other. Mostly. Rae wasn’t even tingling yet when he took a look down her shirt. It was a natural reaction, she was leaning over the counter after all. Would she get angry? Offended that he would ogle the goods when given the chance? Rae was far from that type of person, she’d take offense to a lot of things but getting sized up by someone she found appealing wasn’t one of them. It did make her smirk though, an acknowledgement that she caught him and obviously didn’t give one single fuck. She didn’t move from her spot either, so to take another look would have been rather easy. Rae’s sleeveless gray shirt was loose enough that the collar hung low, offering a nice glimpse of her chest. That athletic body didn’t have much fat on it, what he got a glimpse of was perky and tempting and without any kind of support. Of all the nights to be late and forget one.

“So you just wanted to fight. Fair enough. I dig it. You keep talkin’ about yer skill. Yer pretty good I’ll give you that. But if you wanna sharpen yer skills you shouldn’t waste yer time on chumps,” Rae offered praise in a backhanded compliment sort of way. She downed another shot, her lips twitching in a sneer as it tore through her. She could only do so many straight faced gulps before it got to her. She took a moment to look at the bottle, look at their shotglasses and even remembered to take a look down the bar to see if anyone needed a refill. Things were all quiet on the western front, so her attention quickly turned back to Tim. She saw him glaring back at her, all but growling like a horny dog ready to hump her leg. She knew that look, knew when someone wanted to fuck her. She was pretty good at reading people’s faces, especially that look. She’d seen it all too often. Many a guy wanted a piece of Rae Savage and 99% of them tasted the bottom of her boot before they got to a taste of her. Tim, despite their standoffish first impressions (or perhaps because of it) was doing far better than any other in a long time. Rae met his chuckle with that grin of hers, a roll of those green eyes and a shifting of her weight.

“Here’s somethin’ I can promise you. Take a few turns with me. Call it sparring, training, whatever helps you sleep at night. I’m far more skilled than that fuckface. I didn’t learn all my skills on the streets,” Rae reached out for the bottle and instead of pouring a shot leaned up and took two full gulps. As she pulled back and sighed a trickle ran down from the corner of her mouth. She slammed the bottle back down on the counter and leaned back over it.

“What do yah say we go spar right now? How close is yer pad?” Rae asked in a low, husky tone that was just for his ears. It was obvious she wasn’t looking to throw a punch. But from the look in those green eyes what she had in mind certainly was going to be one hell of a fight. She didn’t growl, didn’t purr, but she still shared that look and the small inflection of her tone.

“I don’t doubt that one bit.” He let out a chuckle. The drinks kept coming. He was going to regret this shit in the morning, he had intended a drink or two, not to come in and have a drinking contest with someone. He could hold his drink, but he rarely drank to excess. He was in many ways diametrally opposed to Rae. Where she was untamed chaos he was a smooth pond surface. However, that did not mean that he did not have demons locked away beneath that surface waiting to rear their heads when the pond rippled and the surface was broken.

She caught him, and while he took his look quickly down her shirt and she didn’t seem to care. He did not seem shy about it either, simply appreciated the view and then met eyes with her again. “You are right. Henry is a brawler, his overwhelming strength and strike first instincts make him a good bouncer. The man hits like his hand is a cinder block too which doesn’t hurt his case. However, he has no real technique. He’s all power.”

He listened to her proposal about fighting him and he pursed his lips in thought. Something that was becoming a bit harder to do at this point. If she wasn’t careful all the alcohol might make this a boring night after all. She could drink him under the table that was for sure. He drew a deep breath and chose his words carefully. “You come to my Dojo and we can spar. You have to be sober and you have to keep your head. Break those conditions the deals off. Accept those terms and we can do it. Ever do any tournament fighting?” She was hinting at formal training and with that competitive streak, there was a chance she at least tried to fight against other people, if nothing else than to show off how tough she was.

She changed gears so quick he almost missed the cue she gave him. The look in her eyes and the husky tone in her voice took a second to register. Yeah, she may not even feel a tingle, but he was. He let out a low, throaty chuckle and then replied in a low, smooth tone. “I could go a round, or two. It isn’t far. I’m ready whenever you are.”

He realized too late she could just be fucking with him, but he had already committed. To try and do anything else but push forward with confidence would absolutely blow the deal, he knew that much about her.

The look Rae gave him was of mildly amused surprise. She had expected another brush off, another ‘I don’t fight girls’ bullshit excuse. But after a few drinks and at least one solid punch he was starting to chill out more. Of course it came with rules, stipulations and all that junk. She’d expect no less. Despite her dislike of rules and regulations in general, something in her just made her nod and smirk. Maybe it was because she saw him in action, maybe it was the copious amounts of booze she’d already ingested of the blunt she had before her shift. Either way Rae was agreeable for once. Now let’s just see how long she could go or if she could actually follow through. Keeping her head wasn’t exactly something she was known for.

“Ooh hai, Sensei,” Rae retorted with that smirk and a nod. “I can’t guarantee I won’t try and sweep the legs though.” She had to add. She was full of that kind of shit. But when he asked about tournament fighting she took on a different look. There was a pause, a shrug and her lips formed a hard line for a brief moment.

“Nah. I don’t do that shit. Bunch of pussies huggin’ each other like faggots in a dog cage.” She snapped back, making it pretty obvious where she stood on that idea.

She managed to switch gears though, so quickly in fact even she was kind of surprised. As much alcohol as Rae had consumed should have gotten her sloshed by now. But her tolerance was pretty impressive. Didn’t do much for the hangover later though. She was also good at keeping it in check, or at least not showing it outwardly. Wasn’t that hard when everyone usually expected her to do something crazy and irrational anyway. And that’s just what she did. She wasn’t sure why, almost all of her interest lied entirely on people of the feminine persuasion. Tim was as far away from that type as you could get. There was something about him that she just couldn’t place. Something intriguing that did the one thing few people ever could, he held her attention. Rae liked to fuck with people, it was one of her past times. She’d mess with just about anyone, stay for the guffaw and piss off once it was done. She had her fill of chuckles and got a glimpse of the fury lining inside. Maybe that was it, maybe she just wanted to see if she could get him to free the beast all over the place. No one ever said that Rae’s intentions were anywhere near good.

He went for it. She honestly wasn’t sure which way it would go. That brought out her smirk all the more, her green eyes flashed in the light as she moved, lifting up from the bar with her hands pressed flat against the surface.

“Or two? You sure are cocky,” She said with a little chuckle. She gave one long look around the bar and without another thought she stepped away. Rae gestured for him to follow, she was out from behind the bar in seconds, her heavy boots clomping against the concrete floor. She gave him a moment or two to catch up before she made a beeline straight for the back. Shouldering past a set of double doors Rae lead him straight through the kitchen and right out the back. There was a considerably lesser chance of running into some drunk asshole that thought they had a settle to score for Henry. As much as Rae enjoyed the fighting, her mind was starting to drift to other kinds of physical contact. The night air was bitingly cold compared to the stifling heat of The Shithole. Rae savored it, a cigarette already dangling from her lips before she got more than a foot or two from the back door.

“So which way, Ip Man?” Rae asked as she turned back to him, smoke billowing past her lips and nostrils. She intentionally butchered the name, the smirk on her lips inherently smug. She stood in the back parking lot surrounded by bikes and trucks, a single street light casting its orange radiance behind her outlining the athletic figure nicely.
“You still got time to back out,” She offered, though it was painfully obvious she was seeing if he would waiver. So far so good.

He raised a brow at her reply to his words then just shrugged. Rae being Rae he supposed. It was his turn to roll his eyes. He returned with “Very good Rae-son. Wax on, wax off!” He managed to get through that without even a little bit of laughter. A feat he thought was damned impressive in his slightly inebriated state right now.

“Well that isn’t how it all works, but you are welcomed to your view of course. Not everyone likes the same things. I can understand you not enjoying an environment where you have to hold back and fight in low contact.” It made sense. Why would she want to fight when she had to pull her punches?

Hook line and sinker, he followed Rae. He was much more gone than she was but drunk? Not quite. He had a good deal of self-control and right know it was devoted to keeping him focused and present. It helped that while he did not drink as much as Rae did and thus did not have as high of a tolerance he was much bigger than she was and he metabolized more than she did. Not to mention she had started the day much earlier than he had. He could feel the darkness clawing to get out, gnawing at him to be released but he refused to bend.

“Yes, yes I am.” He replied with a grin as he followed Rae toward the back. They were winding their way out toward the cool night air which was perfectly fine for him because it was getting damned hot inside the bar. The cool air felt perfect on his skin and when it enveloped him he let out a sigh of relief.

“Of the two of us aren’t you the one who should know drunken boxing?” He quipped, winked, then strolled pasted her, motioning her to follow. He led her about two blocks away to an area that didn’t look much different than the area they were in already. Mostly commercial buildings with residential buildings above them; it was to one of these places he took her. He had to use a combination key and electronic lock to enter a small door but once he did he led her up a stairway to a few apartments in the back above an accounting firm that currently looked to be closed this time of year.

Once the front door was unlocked he led her through the apartment which was darkened. He flicked on a few lights and closed the door behind Rae. “I share the apartment with my sister Crystal. She is more than likely asleep right now, or out herself. She doesn’t play for the other team in case you are wondering.” He was speaking quietly in case his sister was indeed home and sleeping, but the joke was meant in reference to their earlier quip about her seducing women from his class. He slipped off his shoes and smiled at her.

“Make yourself comfortable Rae. I have a little bit of booze but I don’t keep a lot on hand. Some food in the fridge. The bathroom is down the hall, first door on the left, and my room is the next door. So what did you have in mind?”

Most of the apartment was still dark but the living area and kitchen were clearly visible. The kitchen was laid out with stainless steel appliances which looked fairly up to date, the furniture in the living area all looked to fit the Tera Cota color of the walls desert theme.

“Who says I don’t? Besides, everything is better with the word drunken in front of it. Proven fact,” Rae spouted bullshit as he moved past her. She followed easily after him, her gait heavy and loud but not in an inebriated sense. She was not the stumbling, bumbling drunk many might find after downing as much as she had so quickly, it was more just her natural way of moving. She presented a front that had nothing to hide, solid and impenetrable with no need of skulking about quietly. Rae puffed on a few cigarettes as they went and by the time they got to the front door she was finishing a third. The half-done cigarette was ground out against the bottom of her boot before she followed after him. As much of an asshole Rae might be she knew that few people enjoyed smoke in their abode. She wasn’t so picky but she could at least understand why most people didn’t want to live in a place that smelled like an ashtray. If she had a nice apartment to call home she just might change her opinion. Maybe.

She grew quiet for a few moments, long enough to get into the apartment and take a look around. While mostly darkened it still looked nice, leagues ahead of anything she had. Her sister’s couch didn’t count. Rae let out an approving whistle, low and light as she let her gaze drift about the place.

“Nice digs,” She commented lightly, standing near the door since she was still wearing her boots. It seemed the fancy kind of place you’d take off your shoes anyway, which was exactly what Tim did. Her gaze returned to him with that little quip about his sister, which brought out a scoff that made her nostrils flare.

“Heh, damn shame. There goes my dream of being the cream in a King oreo,” She sighed, a sarcastic lamentation as her eyes rolled away from him and back around the apartment. She slowly bent at the waist and began to unlace her boots, tugging at the laces before she kicked out of them and left her socks sticking out of them as well. Her bare feet padded quietly over the tiles and carpet as she moved in closer. She briefly gave the kitchen a glance, mostly at the mention of alcohol. She rarely sad no to another drink, but at the moment she was still feeling pretty good. And besides, they weren’t here for a night cap.

She answered his question with a sly grin. There was a little bounce in her step as she moved past him just a foot or two before she turned on the spot to face him. Both hands settled on her belt, the thick piece of studded leather glinting in the soft lights.

“Guess it depends on just where you wanna spar,” Rae finally spoke, her voice more of a low rumbling purr from the back of her throat. She causally unbuckled her belt and let it dangling there, her thumb flicking the button her jeans open as well. She took a glance at the living room, namely the furniture or suitable surfaces for just what she had in mind. He had mentioned his sister and the idea of her being asleep or gone was still up in the air.

“Just how sound proof are the rooms? Unless you want an audience cheering us on?” Rae grinned, briefly biting her bottom lip before she turned once more. With her back to him she shrugged off her vest, letting it fall to the floor without a second thought. Her arms crossed in front of her and she causally ripped the sleeveless gray T-shirt up and over her head. That left her in just a black sports bra and her black denim jeans. The shirt was causally spun before she half-turned and threw it at him.

He laughed at her return and gave a shrug. Fair point he supposed. She was a pro at being drunk after all. He gave her time to take in her new surroundings after he had given her the brief tour, then she said something that made him blink and snap his eyes to her.

“The what?!? Hah. Can’t say I have heard that one before.”

The tone of his voice let her know he wasn’t sure if it hit the mark either.

She walked past him almost bouncing on her heels and there was a grin on his face. This was a side of her he had not seen before. It was entertaining to see most of the rage melt away and to see a human being actually enjoying herself and not just pissed at the world and everything around her. He liked this, though he dared not comment on it, lest he brings back her anger. Often people who used anger like armor hated to let down that barrier, and if they were ever reminded of the absence then it usually came back twelvefold. No instead he just watched her move with a grin and a warm look in his eyes. He was going to enjoy whatever came of this night.

She spun around a few steps away and began removing articles of clothing as she mentioned sparing again. Though there was one hell of a shift in her tone of voice that set the hair on the back of his neck on end and made him reply with a deep rumbling growl in his chest. When she finished her task and tossed the shirt at him he caught it with a chuckle that sounded slightly feral. She had known he wanted to fuck her before back at the bar, but now the look was overtly etched all over his face.

He gave her body an approvingly long, lingering look and then closed the distance between them with a light step on the balls of his feet. Looking down into her eyes he walked almost into her until their bodies lightly touched. Already she could feel his arousal making an arrival against her as he closed the distance. He looked past her briefly and noticed the door to his sister’s room was not shut and then looked back down to Rae. Reaching down he removed the tank top slowly pulling it up and off his torso.

Now that his shirt was off and they were in a more appropriately lit setting she could see just how well defined he was. While not as bulky as the big bouncer he had dropped earlier tonight he had lean, cut muscle that was more than enough to usually get all the women he met throwing their panties at him. The scar that ran along his chest and abdomen was also more easy to see in this lighting and it had clearly at one time been a deep, most likely lethal wound.

“I have the home field advantage. Looks like my sister is out so I’m good sparing wherever gets your blood up.”

How quickly things changed. Both noticed and watched as the other reacted and adapted to their surroundings. His place was private, quiet and decently lit, which let each of them take in the others reactions more fully. Rae watched as his grin changed and the warmth in his eyes shifted to something far more hard and feral. She liked that, at least for the moment. She’d seen the look before, the ‘I want to fuck you six ways from Sunday’ look was nothing new but when it came wrapped up in a package that she could appreciate, now that was a pleasant surprise. His shift in attitude reflected in her own mood. His quick and poised approach let Rae take him in fully, even more so once he stood inside her personal bubble and pulled off that tank top.

She let out a low sigh of appreciation as her eyes drifted down to take him in. There was no hesitation there, as soon as he got within range her hands were on him. Rae played her fingertips over his skin, the calloused skin raking against him offering just another hint of her nature. For all her trash talk and rebel without a care attitude her initial touch was surprisingly light. Her fingers followed the nature contours of his body, finding the hard edges of his muscles and moving up and down as she saw fit. He was built in all the right ways, the physical desire was evident in her hungry green gaze and the longer she stood there the more intense her touch became. She moved them over his sides, up over his abs and paused at the massive scar she had only gotten hints at before. It was big, ragged enough to indicate it was more than just a passing glance.

“Good,” Rae replied, her voice low and husky, a certain amount of playfulness from moments before gone. Her hands moved up his scar, tracing it up to his chest. Her gaze followed and she tilted her head to the side a fraction of a degree.

“Why aren’t you fuckin’ me then?” She asked blatantly. One hand remained against his chest, fingers curling to press her short, near non-existent nails against his skin. The other moved straight down his chest, following the line straight to the front of his pants. She didn’t beat around the bush, her hand shifted and she palmed the impressive bulge she found there that he had all but pressed against her.

“We got a long night ahead of us. I’m gonna wanna break in every place we can,” Rae added, a hint of her smirk returning as she squeezed him and punched the tab of his zipper.

She surprised him with the gentle approach she took at first. He was half expecting an immediate reaction of feral need from the smaller woman as he exposed himself. She did after all seemed to be ruled by her impulses. He didn’t think taking the time to appreciate something was really something she would do. Yet here she was tracing along the edges of his muscled frame with her hands as if studying him or committing him to memory. He found that to be interesting, and he filed that information away for later consumption. Now was not the time to think about it too deeply. If he shifted his attention away from the game she was playing one of two things would happen. She would either lose interest, or she would eat him alive.

The scar had the look of one that was old and left on a young body not done growing. He let her explore it without shying away. Now that they were here together there was nothing shy about him. When the hand dropped down to palm his bulge he only gave a slight grunt of surprise, and then he laughed a deep, sensual laugh. “Because I’m a bit of a cunt tease I guess?” He returned with a wink.

She began to work open the zipper and he let out a low groan of desire. The brushing of her hand against his obvious need was delicious torture, but he wasn’t going to complain. He liked her body, the imperfections and all. He had dated ‘stepford’ before and those chicks were boring as fuck. Women who had really lived like Rae were exciting and could really understand the facets of him that no one else could.

As she worked the zipper open he started to walk her backward toward the nearby kitchen table. She did say she wanted to break in as many surfaces as possible, right? The progress was slow so he did not trip her, or trip over his slowly sagging pants in the process. Once the small of her back found the table it was easy for him to snatch her hips in his large rough hands and hoist her onto the table. There was currently not much on it to get in the way which made this a perfect place to start the ‘tour’. Once his hands deposited her on the table the slid down to the waist of her jeans and he repaid the favor of flicking open the zipper of her jeans and popping the button with a quick flick of his hands.

Leaning close he sank his teeth into the hollow of her throat softly at first, then he trailed greedy little bites up to her ear. He mused playfully. “You know what Rae? I think I’d totally do you.” The tone in his voice left it clear he was obviously making light of the fact that she knew he wanted to fuck her brains out. He started to tug her pants of slowly.

Rae grinned as she heard the noise he made as her hand brushed out over his bulge. It was sizable and very eager, she would have it no other way. To say something like this was her first choice was a falsehood, Rae leaned heavily towards the female persuasion more often than not. It took a curious and unique individual to attract her attention, even the base kind. He was so not her type, but no one would be able to tell that with the way her hand moved knowingly over his arousal, nor the cocky yet hungry look on her sharp, alluring features.

"There's a time for teasin'," Rae retorted, even as he moved in closer and started to nudge her back. She took a breath, meeting his gaze intently as she took a step back. She yielded ground, though every time she did his clothing became that much more detached. By the time the small of her back pressed against the table she had his pants around his knees and her hand was inside of his boxers. Her fingers were slender, the skin of her calloused palm pressed to him before she took him firmly and squeezed. Rae let out a groan of her own as she felt his pulse make that shaft literally throb in her grip. He was a handful, more than a handful actually. She had started a sentence but left it hanging in the air. From the look on her face when she touched him and the little gasp that escaped her when he hoisted her up onto the table by her hips, it was painfully clear she had lost all intention to finish.

Rae shoved his boxers down till they bunched at the very base of his shaft, letting him arch free and proudly stand between them. There was so much she could have done in that moment, but when he leaned in and sunk his teeth into her lightly tanned skin, Rae faltered. She hissed, the rough affection at her throat making her tense and shiver. He found her ear and Rae tilted her head into him, nudging him away to keep him from getting a good hold on her ear. She was defensive and swift, Rae met his air of tease and words with a sultry glare. For a moment she looked almost angry, offended, or perhaps more surprised and ashamed in herself he so easily found a spot that made her start to quiver.

"Anyone ever tell yah you talk to much?" She retorted back as her hand slid from his shaft and sank into his hair. She moved in so her lips brushed against his cheek, a nip given as she drew his attention to her lips. Her free hand pressed flat against the table and she hoisted her hips up into the air, helping him tug at her pants. She wore a pair of boxers underneath, baggy and clinging to the tighter material of her denim pants. They easily slipped away as he tugged, coming along with her pants freely. Rae let out a little rumbling growl of a noise as she sought his lips, offering a hungry and passionate kiss. Her teeth came with the soft feeling of those sweet lips, as well as the warmth and moisture of her curious tongue. She shoved it into his mouth as her hips rolled and bucked, a little frantic kick given to kick off her pants fully. Rae was left in little more than her sports bra, but even as she finished kicking her pants off the hand that had found purchase in his hair moved to her chest. She tugged at the tight fitting material, a savage jerk that forced her pert, perky breasts to bounce free wildly. Her attire did well to hide the more feminine side of that athletic body, but now as she was laid bare there was no way to hide any of it.

Rae had hinted at an inclination toward the female early in their verbal sparring. He didn’t know just how deeply the leaning went, but apparently, she liked what she had seen from him so far, she showed no sign of slowing the momentum they had currently built together down. He had even caught her appreciating the sight of him on more than one occasion. The look on her face as she handled what his clothing had hidden only confirmed an interest, if not a long-term one.

She started to speak and started to give ground before him. He had a distinct impression that this was all completely voluntary, and if what he knew about her was true he knew that fact to be true. Rae was not the sort of person to be moved unless she wanted to be moved. Even as she moved backward she worked on his pants and had them sagging around his knees. The feeling of her hand snaking bare around his length was more than enough to give him pause. It was not from fear that he paused, but from pleasure. He took the time to enjoy the feeling of her slender fingers wrapping around the thick throbbing shaft. He was not the only one who was enjoying the feeling as was apparent by her groan.

He could feel the effect of his teeth sinking into her skin. Even as she slipped her hands around to pull his boxers down beneath his shaft her body faltered, shivered, and tensed. The reaction immediately caused a surge of hunger to race through his body. The newly freed manhood which stood so proudly between them twitched eagerly. He had more than noticed her reaction, it had turned him on to feel her armor finally crack. As she evaded his lips when they sought her ear he met her gaze with a soft chuckle. Oh, she was fired up after that! She didn’t like having her weakness’ exposed in such a way, and he should have expected no less from a woman who wore her scars like they were armor.

She spoke. He simply raised a brow at her curiously and then she pulled her hand from his length and locked it into his hair. The nip drew him to her lips just as she wanted it to. If he didn’t know better he would have said that gesture was intended to be intimate. He felt his mind working even as he worked to remove the fabric protecting her hips. It was often a curse that his mind never stopped working minus a few extreme cases. It was, however, an asset when it came to being with a lover. Now he wondered about her behavior even as he revealed her hips to the cooler air.

She could see his eyes seeking to slip beyond hers, to read deeper inside than just the surface. Their lips met without hesitation or holding back, and he let those seeking eyes close as he offered her the unbridled intensity that he was holding back just beneath the surface. He gave her just a taste of what was to come as their lips found each others. Her teeth sank into his lips, he parted them slowly to let her have what she wanted from them. As they parted his tongue flicked out to meet hers.

He felt her struggling to free herself from her pants, and he assisted with one hand, tugging at the offending clothing. As her hand met his bare chest, effectively breaking the coupling of their lips, he watched as she removed the sports bra, and her pert breasts bounced with their newfound freedom. Separated by only a short distance she could almost feel the rumble of appreciation in his chest as his eyes drank in the freshly revealed figure. The fact that he liked what he saw was more than apparent by the sounds of delight and the fresh pulse within his shaft.

She had been the one to say there was a time to tease and left the rest unspoken. He took that to mean it was an invitation to quit fucking around with the games and start well, fucking. With the both of them now with all cards on the table, he reached out with both hands to gently pull her closer to him. Making sure that she did not slide along the wood, instead, she was once more lightly scooped up and drawn toward him. There was no subtlety anymore, no games, no teasing prods; it was time to put what both of their bodies were telling them into action and he was more than ready to take that step.

With her hips closer to his there was little room between them. They were nearly at a point where they were chest to chest, and his hips nearly out of necessity nestled into hers. He let his eyes focus once more on hers, once more that probing gaze returned to her face, her eyes. While all of his body language screamed of the need throbbing between his thighs his eyes said something different entirely. He was interested in the woman behind the façade and the walls that she placed between them.

Even that fell away as the distance between them became smaller. He could now feel the heat at the core of her being radiating against the head of that throbbing shaft of need. His breathing shuddered, caught in his throat, and came out in a quiet groan of pleasure as he made that first delicious contact between them. He sought her lips once more, locking them against his greedily as he began to pierce her with his shaft. One hand slipped between them to help guide his course, the other draped around her to press the palm of his hand against the span between her shoulder blades, pressing her body closer to him as he sought to close the distance in all spaces all at once.

There was something about the way she was looking at him that was both intriguing and revolting. Physically, bodily he was right where he should be, solid as a rock, more than eager to bag this rare catch and pin the loud mouthed rebel against him and a hard place. But those eyes. They met after she flinched and nudged his mouth away from her ear, it was but for a brief moment before she went in for the kiss but it was long enough. Rae's own eyes were an intense and bright green, once a little glossy from the alcohol and weed but now they glinted with the sharpness of lust. She wanted him, just like his body had reacted perfectly so did hers. There was no denying the arousal, the need and anticipation. But that look. That's where they differed. He tried to see further into her, past the cracks in her armor as she let herself get lost in the moment. It could have easily been a wham, bam, thank you ma'am moment, but dragging her all the way back to his place spoke more to the contrary. A quick was done in a bathroom stall over a dirty toilet, not on top of your own kitchen table. It was mostly hypocritical, the way she appreciated him physically yet shied away from something more. He wanted past those green eyes and Rae didn't want anything to do with it.

Thankfully she got what she wanted, a taste of his mouth. The kiss was passionate and as it progressed Rae displayed her lack of grace when it came to the finer points of making out. She was sloppy, her tongue lashed around his, forcing itself into his mouth, daring his to do the same, only to pull back for a brief gulp of all, all the while saliva trickled from her lips, dribbling from the corners or connecting them together by tiny strands when they parted. Rae barely had her fill when she started to fumble with her pants, though he was quick to assist her which effectively ended the kiss. She panted, her own eyes flicking open again. There they were, fully bare to one another and the shared lust was palpable. Whatever was hiding in his gaze lost out to the moment, much to Rae's delight. He scooped her up in one hand, the other wrapping about her upper frame. Her limbs in turn followed suit, her thighs spread fully to accommodate his presence and she pressed her heels into his lower back. Her hands sought purchase in various spots, starting at his shoulders and moving their way up from there. They didn't stay in place for long, unsurprisingly Rae wasn't a docile lover and she wasn't going to sit idly in front of him. She was a tempest, or at least would soon become one.
When his hands brushed over her shoulder blades and back he could feel the scars. They weren't anything like his own, deep and jagged, but small and circular. Of course he couldn't see the at the moment, but they were covered in ink, an attempt to hide them to some extend.

Rae let out a loud hiss as his hips pressed up against her own. Her core was smoldering, the heath overwhelming and he could feel the wetness against his skin as they briefly ground against the other. She grit her teeth and arched her back, her own preparations for the initial moment of penetration. Her muscles were tight, her thighs trembled especially as the flared tip brushed against her. The constant hiss shot up to a husky gasp and Rae snapped her head back. He would find nothing but another struggle ahead of him. Just as she had hinted at her proclivity for her own gender, her body attested to the statements tenfold. Rae was tight, but what would one expect with an athletic body like hers. Still, her core tensed, as if Rae was bearing down to forbid him entrance. One hand fell to the back of his neck, biting into the skin as she slapped her other palm flush against the table her backside barely touched.

"Nnghn, F-Fuck!" She cried out, her voice cracking briefly. Her sleek hips rolled, urging him on past the moment. Her head finally snapped back and her green eyes flared open. Dark brown bangs fell out over her face, partially concealing them, but there was no denying the lustful shine to them. She had no idea what to expect to see staring back at her. The moment felt too good, she hadn't realized just how badly she actually needed something like this till right then and there.