The room was small, covered in pipes with steam leaking from them. It filled the air with tight heat, almost suffocating the inhabitants. Atop the north side laid a set of three windows for the sadistic viewers who loved a brutal fight. To the south end was the only means of escape. A single gray door that only opened when one was victorious. So they stood there, in a foot of murky water, facing each other, sizing one another for head to toe.

One exhilarated for the competition, the other incredulous at his.

“Steven Fox - Boxing Legend. Christie Monteiro - Capoeira Master,” an unknown voice spoke, “today you battle one another to continue on in this tournament. May the best fighter be victorious.”

“Begin.”

Steve looked over his opponent as she began to ‘dance’ around the floor. Neither made any motion to attack, but waited. He punched his yellow gloves together and began to bounce back and forth, readying his reflexes.

And then it happened. She swept herself against the floor, water splashing against her lithe frame, and kicked at his ankles, executing a perfect trip. He fell, thigh, elbow, and head all colliding with the concrete floor. Dazed, he watched as she twirled around him, and jumped into the air. He rolled out of the way as her feet landed where his chest used to be. Panting, he watched as she quickly began to execute another attack.

//That’s her strategy. Continuous attack.//

She was light and quick, and while her moves had power, it wasn’t enough to knock out an opponent. He knew she had to wear them down with fast attacks. He needed one good shot to win.

He stumbled out of the way from another attack, and found himself clumsily trying to avoid everything she threw at him. For Christie, her agitation was apparent, and she finally wound up a kick that connected sending him back to the murky water below, and the hard ground that waited.

She walked up to him and pushed her foot against his rising back forcing him back to the floor.

“Say good night,” she whispered.

She readied her leg for a final kick, but the sound of gun shots from the room above stopped her. She looked up to see quick flashes of fire explode in firecracker likeness. All was silenced. The gun shots came again, this time at the window. Safety glass. They didn’t break right away, but they would with a few more shots.

Steve finally regained his balance and stood up behind her. Wrapping his arms around her he squeezed her till she couldn’t move.

“Forgive me, sweets, but I have to win this tournament.”

He turned her around and with his wound up fist executed a blast to her midsection that sent her collapsing to the floor, unconscious. Behind him he heard the door open. In front, he heard the window shatter, and he knew they were coming for him.

Quickly he turned to the door and began his escape. He stopped short and turned to see the helpless Christie crumpled on the floor. Would they hurt her? He didn’t want to risk it. He cradled her in his arms and escaped quickly, leaving behind him a battle and quite possibly his death.

 

--------------------

 

Christie awoke, head throbbing and stomach aching. She looked over her surroundings: tacky décor, musky odor, itchy sheets, dim yellow lights, and a stained floor. She was in a low rate motel. Why? The answer walked into the room not two seconds later.

Steve looked over her for a moment and offered a weak smile.

“How are you feeling?”

She didn’t answer.

“You hit your noggin’ pretty hard. There’s some aspirin if you wa…”

“Where am I?” she asked, forcefully.

“You’re in my room.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want to leave you there for easy picking’s.”

“I can take care of myself,” she replied, flabbergasted at his arrogance.

“Even unconscious? That is a talent, that is,” he replied with a bit of a smirk.

She bit her tongue. He was right.

“Look, you don’t have to stay, but your more than welcome to if you need to recuperate or anything,” he replied.

A shower did sound nice. She sighed in resignation. Walking straight past him, she closed the door to the bathroom and locked it with authority. He smirked at the wooden door. She was a cat.

 

--------------------

 

The shower felt amazing. The jets of water soothed her aching muscles and eased her pounding head. The heat of the water washed away all the dirt and grime and left on her _mocha skin tints of red. She almost didn’t want to leave the security of the steam, but as the cold water began to seep in she knew it had ended.

She toweled off and wrapped the crisp white towel around her body, realizing her only wardrobe was filthy still. Sighing, she walked out into the cold room, where Steve was lying on the bed, apparently sleeping. She watched momentarily the slow rise and fall of his chest, while his rhythmic breathing and the slow rotations of the ceiling fan hypnotized her.

She hadn’t seemed fully aware that he was watching her. She was looking at him, but more looking through him. He was watching her though. Long, chocolate locks laid tangled around her shoulders. Deep, dark eyes, glazed and shining seemed to stare into emptiness. Her body was tall and lithe, yet firm and powerful. The white towel that encased her body only improved the golden glow of her caramel skin.

She was beautiful.

And he began to feel the effects of her beauty. He grunted and sat up quickly, breaking her from her trance as well. She wrapped her arms around herself and blushed fiercely.

“Um…do you have a shirt or maybe some shorts I could slip into? My clothes are dirty and I don’t…”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied quickly, digging through his bag of clothes.

His clothes didn’t quite flatter her the way her own did. The colorful Hawaiian shirt was baggy and fell to her thighs, while a pair of blue boxers covered her as well. She felt silly, but at least she was clean.

 

--------------------

 

With Steven lost in his own world, she turned to her thoughts. Eddy. He had just disappeared, and she felt so alone. Why would he leave her just like that? Was she not important to him? She had felt so alone when her grandfather had been sent to prison, and when Eddy came it had been like he was there again. And then he left and she felt it again. That bitter ache, that sense of abandonment. She never wanted to feel like that again. That’s why she chased after him. That’s why she followed him to this tournament. That’s why she had to win the tournament.

Her eyes closed to slits as anger welled up inside her. He was trying to take her out of the tournament.

“I can’t let you take my spot in the tournament.,” she replied with such ferocity that the venom could almost be seen.

He looked up at her, quirking an eyebrow in curiosity.

“It’s been done. I defeated you.”

“The circumstances were wrong. Those men interrupted,” she replied, seething.

He shrugged.

“Shit happens. What do you expect me to do?”

“Face me again.”

He laughed. She had to be kidding. It was done. There are no excuses, no do over, nothing.

“No,” he replied, standing up.

“Yes,” she responded, standing up as well.

“It’s done. This isn’t a game. There aren’t second chances.”

“Don’t talk to me like a child. Fight me now,” she demanded.

She pushed him against the wall, goading him into fighting her. He just shook his head. She smacked him hard against the face. A red handprint appeared against his smooth alabaster cheek, but he only glared at her.

“Fight me!” she screamed. “I have to win this tournament! I have to find him!”

She kicked her foot at him. He grabbed her at the ankle, pulling her leg past his body and pulling her body toward him. With his other hand he grabbed her throat, and spun them around so she was against the wall. His body pinned her to the wall, and she was defenseless. She clawed at him like a wildcat, with cries of anger and anguish escaping her lips.

“Stop it,” he demanded.

She did just that. She fell limp against him, defeated.

He let her go and backed up until his knees hit the edge of the bed. She slid down against the wall, her head buried against her knees. She shoulders convulsed as she cried quietly to herself. Nothing was said for a long time.

“I need to find him,” she whispered. “He’s all I have left.”

He looked up at her as she continued.

“I’m so alone. I’m always alone.”

He sighed, weary.

“You and I aren’t that different from each other, love. I’m searching for someone too.”

He continued when she said nothing.

“I’m adopted, right, and I wanted to know who my real mother and father were. I always felt alone, like a part of me was missing. I thought that if I found out something about them that I could somehow fill that missing spot. Maybe somehow I could heal all these thoughts in my head.”

“Like why you were abandoned?” she asked, barely above a whisper.

“Yeah, like why they abandoned me? Why didn’t they love me enough to keep me? Or why did they never check up on me, you know? Even where this scar came from.”

His forehead wrinkled as the pain came back. His hand pressed against the middle of his chest, rubbing at the invisible spot he spoke of.

“Yeah, I know,” she whispered. “I lost my grandfather to prison. Eddy was the only family I felt I had left. And then he left me suddenly. No answer, no real reason that I could understand. All I was left with was his cryptic message. I thought coming here would give me the answers.”

Steve nodded. “Me too.”

Christie wiped her face and walked over to him. She sat close to him, maybe to feel his connection, or maybe to just not feel so alone. A single finger traced the scar against his arm.

“Do you think you’ll find the answers at the end of this tournament?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Your friend, Eddy, he’s a fighter like you?”

She nodded.

“Then I’m pretty sure he’ll come back to you,” he smiled.

She nodded again.

“But I’m alone right now.”

“I’ll stay with you tonight,” he replied softly.

He lowered his head to press against her’s. A strong arm encircled her body as he embraced her in a hug. She accepted it, falling deeper into his arms, and wrapping her own against his waist.

 

--------------------

 

The next few moments flew by in a blur. She laid on her back against the bed. Her dark hair spread wild across the white pillows. Steve laid before her, his massive body covering her own. Rough lips pressed against soft ones as their insistence only increased the passion between the kiss. She opened her mouth to let his warm tongue play against her own. He explored every crevice of her mouth, groaning at the taste of her.

Slender hands slid up his back, wrapping securely around him. He found his own hands exploring the soft curves of her body. Sweet kisses trailed down her neck, gently sucking and tasting her flesh with a lustful need. She moaned as she felt his hot breath against her skin. Her body began to feel warm all over and she almost couldn’t stand to wait for his next touch.

He laid against her body, slowly kissing her lips. With each kiss he undid a button on her shirt until there were none left. He slowly pulled the shirt away, revealing smooth _mocha skin upon perfect mounds of flesh. He felt himself grown achingly hard at the sight of them. He kissed her deeper then, while a hand slid down to her breast. Gently, he massaged her breast within his hand receiving an arched back for his efforts. He continued down kissing the curvature of her neck, and slowly making his way down to the valley between her breasts.

He drew his mouth toward her left breast where he let the tip of his tongue graze her nipple in the cruelest teasing possible. Her body tightened in anticipation while he continued to tease her. Finally, after listening to her beg, his mouth covered her. He sucked on her breast eagerly; his tongue flicked against her nipple sending rivets of pleasure throughout her body. His right hand gently massaged her right breast, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Her body arched in pleasure as her hands raked down his back. His mouth trailed to her other breast offering it the same experience he had granted the other.

While he did that he trailed his hand down between her legs. Slowly he started rubbing in attempt to get her ready for more to come. She cried out as a new wave of pleasure erupted throughout her body. He gritted his teeth as he felt himself grow increasingly harder from listening to her.

Her hips began to rise against his moving hand, while her body began to shudder from the intense pleasure he was giving her. She reached a slender hand down to touch him. He groaned as he felt her elegant fingers rub him through his pants. Like her own, she felt his hips move against her hand. Together they writhed against one another, until Steve finally stopped her. Rising next to her he slid off the shorts she was wearing revealing every grace of beauty the Heaven’s bestowed upon her.

Slowly, he placed his hand against her and slid a finger inside her. She gasped and tightened her body. She relaxed as his fingers began to slide inside her. She felt herself grow hotter, yet she never wanted this to end. When she was ready, he inserted another finger. Her body tightened more as her body seemed to convulse against him. She gripped him tight at the shoulders and pleaded for him. Overwhelmed by her cries he did as he was told.

Rolling beside her, he removed his pants. He slowly spread her legs and sat himself between her. Laying on top of her he slowly began to penetrate her, inching his pulsating member deeper and deeper inside her. Her body tensed until he was completely inside her. He kissed her on her forehead and began to move within her. Slowly, he thrust himself against her body. She gasped as she felt him and wrapped her legs around him tighter.

She felt so warm against him. She felt so complete. As she looked at him, she could tell he felt the same sense of peace.

 

As different as they were, they were too much the same to deny themselves the connection they felt. Here. Now. They had each other. That void they both felt, that loss disappeared. Together they felt complete. Two torn pieces now created a whole.

He thrust into her again, harder and more passionate. Together their bodies grinded against one another. She cried against him as she slide inside her faster and faster. His need was as great as her’s, and she held him tighter as he continued his onslaught.

The room echoed with her cries as she felt herself orgasm. Feelings of warmth and security spread throughout her body. Her eyes became blinded with white as she climaxed. She gripped him tighter. He felt her tighten around him which brought him to his own climax. Thrusting one last powerful time, he spilled his seed into her body.

They laid together, silent save for their own ragged breathing. Finally, Steve rolled to the side of her, still cradling her in his arms. Neither said a word, unsure if anything could be said. Steve ran his fingers through her hair, while she caressed his back. She had tucked her head snuggly under his chin, breathing in his spicy scent. Everything felt so different. They had started out as enemies and turned into lovers.

Lovers loved each other though.

“Steve? Will you love me, just for tonight? Even if it is just pretend,” she asked.

He nodded. “Only if you love me back.”

He threw the covers over them and both quickly found themselves drifting off to sleep.

--------------------

Christie awoke the next morning alone. Steve’s things were gone as was he. The only thing that remained was a scrap of paper no doubt left by him.

Christie,

I’m sorry I left without personally saying goodbye, but I felt that words said now

would only end this dream. For once in my life I didn’t feel so empty, and I have

you to thank for that. I know Eddy will return to you to heal the ache you feel. I

don’t know if our paths will ever cross again, but just know that for one night I

did love you. I can only hope you loved me too.

Steve

P.S. Last night was a mirage, an illusion I was glad to have. Never forget it.

Christie crumpled the paper in her hand and quickly got dressed. She exited the room and quickly shielded her eyes from the blazing sun. She searched the area, hoping in vain that Steve would still be there. Her efforts were fruitless as she only received strange looks from a family packing their van. Head lowered she wrapped his shirt around her tighter. She could feel the crumpled paper inside the pocket and pulled it out again.

“I loved you too,” she replied quietly.

She began her journey back home, relieved that after last night she wouldn’t be alone forever.

From the shadows he watched her walk away from him.

“Who knows? Maybe our paths will cross again,” he whispered.

~Fin~