It is late. When Trixie was nineteen or twenty, this would have been prime clubbing time. But not even a decade later and she feels exhausted and her body years for a bed. Since November she'd been FAWN's “loaner” wrestler, sent to different leagues to fight in back-to-back matches. She was still trapped in this. Even now, late at night, she is just getting back from her latest match in the middle of nowhere – preceded by no telling how many more.
Trixie pulls her key to Kanako's apartment from her pocket and stumbles with the lock. She hears a satisfying “click and trudgles in, locking the door behind her. Instead of the quiet of the dead of the night, Trixie is greeted with music.
“THE GUTTER” BY COHEED AND CAMBRIA:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsoD6RVulcQ Trixie had known it was a longshot that Kanako would be asleep. She's a night owl. Dropping her travel bag, the goth stumbles over to Kanako's couch and flops face down.
“Honey,” she mutters into the throw pillow, “I'm home.”
Kanako looks up at the voice and her face lights up at seeing that Trixie is home. "Ah, Trixie!" she chirps happily, "Alexa! Pause..." With that, the music stops. "Tough trip home, hon?" she asks as she comes over to massage her shoulders and back.
Trixie mumbles something unintelligible, followed by a moan of pleasure from the backrub. She lifts her head and that's when Kanako sees the cuts and gashes on Trixie's face. She looks down at Trixie's hands and sees similar gashes. Trixie is wearing a jacket but likely, underneath, is more of the same.
“Backyard extreme wrestling,” Trixie grunts. “I won. Now I know why Bethany asked if I was up on my tetanus shots. How'd the show go?”
"Oh, god...Trixie, I'm so sorry! Let's get you into the hot tub, that should help..." She tries to help Trixie up before answering her, "Well, like I told you, I wasn't booked, so I didn't stick around to see everything. My night...wasn't uneventful, though." she continues as she helps her upstairs. Trixie is basically a sack of potatoes when Kanako lifts and helps her upstairs. They get to the tub and the goth clumsily removes her clothing. For Kanako, it's like watching a horror show of bruises, cuts, rips, gashes, and -- “Are those teeth marks?” Kanako blurts as she inspects the deep purple bruise around Trixie's left areola. She could see where the bite punctured skin.
“The… 'ref'” Trixie forced the sarcasm, “didn't take the idiot's vampire fangs from her. They were those fancy, strong dental porcelain things.” Trixie waves her arms, too tired to think of words. “She liked them in her mouth a lot more than she enjoyed swallowing them in chunks.” Trixie positioned herself by the mirror and looked back in it at the large bandages on her back. “You… you probably don't wanna see this come off.”
"I...probably don't. But, all the same...I'm taking care of you now." She says gently as she goes to take them off as carefully as she can. The stitchwork before Kanako can best be described as “hasty but efficient.” There are parts of Trixie's back where a layer of skin is just missing. It looks like someone's has run over her back with a lawnmower, puncture marks in various places. All of it smells strongly anti-septic, like someone doused Trixie's back with rubbing alcohol for good measure.
“But the guy who ran the fed was super nice and gave me a bottle of pills to take in case of infection,” Trixie said. “Well, not really a bottle. It's a Popeye Pez dispenser and none of the pills match. In related news, I'm not taking any of those pills.” The goth bends back and kisses Kanako's cheek and smiles. “I've missed you. But I should probably sleep on a towel tonight in case something opens up. You buy nice sheets and blood doesn't come out of those.”
Kanako gasps at the horror show in front of her, "This...this is barbaric!" She is almost near tears when Trixie kisses her, "I-I...I missed you too. I'm sorry....I'm just...what you went through...I'm sorry I wasn't there." She reaches over to turn the water on. "I, uh...yeah, okay...If you don't think the towels will hurt you..."
Trixie slides into the tub and looks up at Kanako, realizing how upset she it. “Sweetie, it's okay. I've been through worse, I promise.” She cocks her head. “Did you never do backyard events? I thought we all had to suffer that in our early twenties.”
She shakes her head as she turns the jets on, "Well...no...I mean...I've done hardcore matches before, but the worst of them was that Three Stages of Hell match I had with Lethbridge. I was trained in a dojo in Japan, and worked for a few different Joshi promotions before coming here." She then starts to take off her own clothes to join Trixie in the hot tub.
As Kanako slides into the tub she notices clouds of pink rise from Trixie. Decker notices it, too. “Oh, sorry. Blood.” She settles into the water, enjoying the jets. “My first hardcore match, I was eighteen. I think it was my fourth match. It was someone's backyard nonsense show four blocks from my parents' house.” Trixie closes her eyes and leans her head back. “Anything goes, which I wasn't told about before. Probably because I was fighting the promoter's girlfriend and he wanted her to look good against a newbie.” Trixie's eyes slowly opened. “The bitch had no wrestling training at all. Nothing is more dangerous than an idiot who thinks a croquet mallet wrapped in barbwire makes up for skill. That's how I lost my back right molar. ”Trixie suddenly becomes very aware of how horrified Kanako looks. “Sweetie, I'm okay, I promise. And if it makes you feel better the other wrestler is in the hospital. She had an allergic reaction.” Trixie smiles. “Apparently she's broken-bottle-in-the-face intolerant.”
Kanako sighs, "I'm sorry...I'm sorry you've had such a rough life. Hopefully, I can help make things a little better." She tries to relax along with Trixie, settling into the tub and putting an arm around her, finally having the wherewithal to give her girlfriend a peck on the cheek in reply to the one she gave her before.
Trixie shrugs. “I've had a life. It is what it is,” Trixie replies as she snuggles into Kanako. “So, anything exciting happen at the pay-per-view? I always miss out of the hilarious or horrible stuff so I'm assuming this was no different.”
"Well, like I said, I took off early, so I didn't see it all. I did have an...interesting...encounter before I left, though."
Trixie nuzzles her nose into Kanako's neck and gives her gentle, sleepy kisses. “If you punched a fan I'm sure they deserved it. We're allowed to punch seven fans a year, y'know. Ten if we can prove they touched us.”
Kanako giggles at Trixie's attention, "No, it was with another wrestler. Apparently she has a problem with me. More to the point they have a problem with the fact that I'm with you. Name's Emery...Coleridge, I think it was? Anyway, I'm fighting her at Heartbroken now, so that happened."
Trixie's eyes open and she sits up. “That little psycho? Tell me she didn't mentio--” Trixie trails off as she sees the look on Kanako's face. “Yeah, it's about me, isn't it?" Decker sits back and groans. “My biggest mistake is giving her an orgasm in our first match. She's been weirdly obsessed ever since. She either wants to date me or murder me.” She looks to Kanako. “Which is it this month?”
"Ohh, how did she put it? 'For the longest time, we have had this love and hate relationship. I have feelings for her, and yet when I come back I see she has her eyes locked on you.' And that's why she wants to fight me, it seems."
A crimson begins to flush in Trixie's face as her eyebrows furrow. “So she thinks fighting you will give her a chance with me? She thinks she can beat you and therefore I'm hers to claim, like a goddamn plot of land or a belt or something.” Trixie closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath. “I do not understand rich people. I really don't.” She looks back at Kanako. “She's not a horrible fighter. She can actually throw down. And I know everyone swears she's now a good girl or whatever but frankly I don't buy it. She's goes unhinged at the drop of a hat and I know, first hand, she likes to swoop in and attack other wrestlers who've just suffered a hard match. She's also arrogant as hell.” There's a pause and Trixie finally speaks. “I take it you're going to fight her?”
She throws her hands up, Toru Yano-style, "Well, you know me...I just can't back down when someone steps to me. Besides, from what you're telling me, it sounds like I'd have to deal with her sooner or later anyway. And, yeah...She seems to think that if she beats me, that you'll be all hers." She rolls her eyes, then chuckles. "You would've loved seeing me in action. Believe it or not, I actually got a bit bitchy with her."
A smile spreads across Trixie's face. “Really? You dropped the politeness and talked smack?” She winks. “Not gonna lie, that's kind of hot.” Trixie slides an arm around Kanako's waist. “Tell me, how does the great Kanako Akiyama talk smack? Because all I've ever seen is adorable, flirty, and super serious Kanako. Trixie's eye widen. “Did you tell her that her butler doesn't match her outfit?”
Kanako giggles, and perhaps even blushes a little bit, "Oh, I just threw the fact that you were going to be in my bed tonight in her face. Twice. Wait, she has a butler?"
“Oh, honey, we've gotta get her matches for you to watch,” Trixie laughs. “Yeah, he comes to the ring with her. She tried to have him wipe me off with wet naps to make sure my sickening poor people germs wouldn't get on her.” Trixie thinks for a minute. “Hey, I will say this. She can get under your skin and make things really personal. You know, obviously, there's nothing she can do that would make me even consider leaving you for her, right?”
She nods, "Of course. Gonna be hard for her to talk smack when she's spitting out teeth." She then processes the first thing Trixie said, "Oh, that's horrible! I'm gonna enjoy taking her down a couple pegs."
Trixie nods, but continues. “Can I ask one other favor? Talk all the smack you want but – and I know this isn't something you'd do but I just want to cover bases – leave family out of it even if she goes there? Her dad died not long ago and while I personally think the world needs even less billionaires, it's…” Trixie shrugs. “Loss hurts. And, like I said, she can inspire a lot of rage and make cruelty easy.”
Kanako nods, "Of course. I would never do such a thing, even in anger. At least I hope not..." she shakes her head, as if trying to chase the thoughts away, "Hey, how are you doing, Trixie?"
Trixie leans her head on Kanako's shoulder. “Sleeeeeepy,” she mutters. “And I know you wouldn't. You're a good person. It's kind of nice being loved by a good person. I should have tried it sooner.” Her hand seeks Kanako's in the water and clutches it. “Gotta build a time machine so I can go make younger me meet you sooner so I can have more time with you.” Kanako feels the head leaning on her get even heavier. “Can never be enough time with you,” Trixie says in a low, dazed voice.
Kanako feels her heart skip a beat as she hears Trixie's sweet words, feels her hand grip hers. "No...Never enough...I...honestly could've used somebody like you after the accident. I never realized just how lonely I'd been until I came here, and actually made friends again." She kisses her forehead before starting to get up to help Trixie out of the hot tub, "Alright, let's get to bed, darling. I can tell you're starting to nod off, and it wouldn't do for you to accidentily drown."
“Pffft,” Trixie slurs. “Drown once four reincarnation cycles ago and no one lets you hear the end of it.” She looks up at her girlfriend, bleary eyed. “In my defense, the town had tied a millstone to me before throwing me into the lake.” Trixie wobbles to her feet and takes a towel. Sheepishly, she continues, “Is it okay if we skip sexy times tonight? I'm not feeling great.” She looks back to Kanako. “Unless you just want me to leave my mouth open and you can grind against my tongue.” She opens her mouth wide and sticks her tongue out making a goofy noise, a scene only undercut by the site of a gleaming staple embedded in Trixie's tongue.
Kanako tries to hide a wince when she sees the staple, "It's okay, hon. Just being beside you is all I ever need. Sexy times is a bonus." She smiles and gently helps dry Trixie off before bringing her to the bedroom, laying the softest towel she can find on the bed and laying Trixie down on it. "Is that okay? Can I get you anything?"
There is no reply. Trixie, the second her body touches Kanako's soft bed, slumps and goes to sleep. Half dry, half dripping wet and covered in a towel, the exhaustion drags Trixie to slumber.
Kanako lets out a happy sigh, glad that the love of her life is home, if in less than ideal condition. She climbs into bed with her and cuddles up to Trixie as best she can, trying to make sure she doesn't cause her any discomfort. That done, she shuts off the lights. "Good night, Trixie. Welcome home. I love you."
