Chapter Fifteen - Collared Snake
Walking into a ring never felt like this. Johnny was sure he was different, and the world was a different place, too. It had to be true what songs and whatnot said about love giving you wings and all that.
For a while, he had thought that he would care less. But the soonest he jumped the ropes, into the cage, he knew that wasn't it. What before had been anger and hate and every little dark corner of his soul stretched and bound against the world, now was a thrill, an excitement of the best kind, as he knew Ruslan was watching his every move.
He had used to fight to survive. Now he fought because he felt alive, so alive that it was like something was growing inside him, threatening to burst through all his pores.
Johnny looked up and saluted with his gloved hand. By now, people had to know he was Ruslan's lover. They weren't hiding or anything. But if anyone knew what was good for them, they would keep their mouth shut before spewing bullshit about the owner's son playing favorites.
"I'd love you even if you lost," Ruslan had joked at one point.
"I wouldn't," had been his reply.
"What? Love yourself?"
Ruslan had just laughed it off. But he needed to understand that now Johnny was doing it for him. Every win was for him and him only. Money and fame were nothing. Cash was a means to an end, as he still dutifully dropped fat envelopes into the same box. Ruslan had tried to convince him to give up side gigs as he could cover for everything. But Johnny didn't want that. He would terminate that stupid debt, and then he would see what lay ahead.
For now, he had to score another win. It was the last match of the tournament, and then Johnny would cash in. But that would be the only money he was going to take from Ruslan's hand.
His opponent was looking at him from across the cage with an ugly smirk. Johnny knew the kind. Such people were losers, but that was hard to get through their thick skulls. Not even after getting beaten time and time again, they didn't learn. They were like cockroaches, coming back over and over.
The man had a short neck, and the muscles on his shoulders had overgrown so much that his head seemed like stuck in there by the impatient hand of a kid having fun with play dough. It wasn't like Johnny to underestimate his opponents. And this one was a mean cockroach; he was sure of it.
That stocky build meant the cockroach could take a beating, not just a punch. If he hoped to win against Johnny, his strategy was, most probably, to try to wear off his opponent by lasting longer.
The man walked over to him and for a few moments, as the announcer recited his part, they stared at each other. Johnny watched the other intently.
"Can you last for twelve rounds, lover boy?" the man smirked, his upper lip curling over crooked teeth.
Lover boy? Johnny frowned.
"I guess not. Never went that kind of distance, huh?"
The other fighter was trying to rile him up. Johnny had a bad feeling about this.
"How will your owner react seeing you going down?" The man made a vague gesture like he knew what he was talking about.
Johnny shrugged and moved his head to the sides to work out some kinks in his neck. The sound of the whistle caught him prepared, as usual. It was a full house, and Ruslan's papa was probably raking in big profits. Johnny knew he needed to make a good impression, not only on his lover but on Douglas, too. After all, the man had taught him everything he knew, and now Johnny felt like a much better fighter than months ago.
***
"Johnny's opponent seems pretty strong," Ruslan said, feeling a bit worried.
Sometimes it happened to him to feel anxious without an apparent reason.
"He definitely is. He would not have made it to the final, otherwise," his papa agreed. "But Johnny is in perfect form, Russy. I trust him that he will give us yet another outstanding performance tonight."
"I don't really care about performance. I just don't want to see him getting hurt."
Douglas chuckled. "Johnny is a fighter, Russy. Getting hurt comes with the territory. And you can't take this away from him. Also, it was this bad boy attitude that made you set your eyes on him, wasn't it?"
"I guess." Ruslan rolled his eyes. "But now I really worry. I've never seen a man looking so buff in my entire life. Where did he come from?"
"He joined the tournament sometime later. We had some injuries, and we needed the show rolling, so I gave him a shot."
"He's not from around here," Ruslan noted.
"No. We only did a cursory background check on him since it was all in short notice, but I believe he is just like the rest. A fighter looking to make a name for himself."
"So, are there no attachments we should know about?" Ruslan asked.
"It doesn't seem so. However, as Johnny's tutor, I must say that I have great faith in my student. Johnny will go places, Russy. He'll hit his prime during his first fights as a pro. And I hope to see a long string of victories from him. He deserves it."
Ruslan looked down in the ring. His papa still didn't know that Johnny had no idea that he would sign a contract for Efige at the end of it all. Of course, from that point forward, he would be a pro, and that changed things. Ruslan wasn't sure he wanted to pull that trigger.
But, on the other hand, Johnny had a stellar career in front of him. And Ruslan knew all the risks. If he didn't take them, he wouldn't be worthy of having Johnny as his lover.
"As you can see, he's doing fine," Douglas pointed out. "This bulldog he's facing may be out for blood, but Johnny's not your average amateur fighter. I wish Martin could see him."
"Why didn't you bring Martin along, papa?"
"He has something important to take care of."
"What? Polish the silverware? I swear that house is sparkling clean."
"Don't be a smartass, Russy. Martin is in charge of many other things, besides overall property maintenance."
"Like what things?" Ruslan hurried to ask.
"Are you sure you want to listen to me talking about Martin's administrative duties instead of watching your boyfriend winning the tournament? Or should I say, fiancé?"
Ruslan snickered. "I don't plan on scaring Johnny off, papa. He is upset with me if I buy him socks, let alone a ring."
"He should accept your generosity more often. As someone by your side, he needs to look the part. I noticed that you did manage to dress him up a little."
"Oh, you should never talk to him about such things," Ruslan replied. "He's already too sensitive about it all. Each time I manage to buy him something, it is after a long and tough fight. I mean it. Tougher than whatever happens down in the ring right now."
Douglas laughed. "At least you're making progress. Just say the word, and I'll convince him."
"No way. I'm taking care of him."
"I'm sure of it," Douglas added with a small smile. "Now let's just pay attention to the fight, shall we?"
"Sure. Johnny's kicking ass," Ruslan said and smiled, too.
Johnny's opponent seemed to be in the ropes most often than not. This match would be easy. And then, Ruslan would present Johnny with the shiny collar he so much wanted.
***
Things didn't look good for the cockroach. But Johnny didn't like it when things were too simple. Something fishy was happening, and he needed to find out what. After all that nasty talk in the beginning, his opponent seemed to lack basic skills. And that couldn't be true. If the man was there, in the ring, facing him in the final battle, it meant that he had beaten plenty of other fighters.
So, for Johnny, the man's game was transparent. He was trying to get Johnny frustrated, make him commit too soon or too late, put himself in the way of a kick or a punch at one point. As expected, he was trying to wear him down.
But Johnny had learned the importance of patience a long time ago. And he wouldn't fall for such shitty acting the cockroach was putting on. As a snake, he could lay in waiting for the right strike.
The trick was to split his effort. As he had understood from the first look at his opponent, this one could take a beating. Until Johnny could land a critical hit, the man would stand his ground.
"Why don't you hurry and finish me off, lover boy?" The other sneered at him at the end of the fifth round.
The crowd was booing, by now upset with the lack of real action in the ring. Johnny could tune out the noise without a problem. Yet, it was a matter of pride and honor to show his trainer and his lover that he could provide the entertainment they were expecting from him.
During the small break, he looked over at his opponent some more. The cockroach had a tough exterior, but any man had a weak point. By how high the guy was holding his guard, he wasn't afraid of kicks to the ribs too much. But he was protecting his ugly mug very carefully. Johnny needed to find an opening.
He pushed the mouth guard into his mouth and put his fists up. This time, he waited. The opponent came to him, but instead of attempting a hit, he began dancing around Johnny. In an instant, the crowd started booing.
"They're cheering for you," his opponent said. "Too bad to end your pro career even before starting it, right?"
Johnny continued to look at the other fighter, over the close guard he held to his face.
"Aren't you afraid your boyfriend's gonna kick you out if you lose?"
The cockroach knew about Ruslan and was trying to use that to his advantage. He needed to do better to make Johnny lose his cool.
Unlike him, his opponent seemed to let the noise of the restless crowd get to him. He was shaking his head once in a while like a horse bothered by flies. Johnny focused on the man's moves, hard, until he could predict an opening. When his fist exploded like a sling, it was in a blink of an eye that everything followed.
The man's head snapped to one side, and he wobbled.
"Time to get real, bitch?" The cockroach threw at him.
The whistle announced the end of the round and Johnny returned to his place. There would be no twelve rounds. He would kayo the cockroach by the end of the tenth.
***
"Is it just me or is this dragging a bit too long?" Ruslan asked.
His papa appeared a tad concerned. "Indeed," was the short answer.
"Um, care to enlighten me? Unlike you and Johnny, I am not well aware of the intricacies of this sport you two love so much."
"Johnny's opponent is trying the drag the match on purpose."
"But Johnny got him good just last round," Ruslan pointed out. "Why is Johnny hesitating? He should have no trouble with someone who appears to be so unskilled."
"Johnny is not hesitating, son. He sees his opponent eye to eye in the ring, unlike us. And he observes him, waiting for that opening that will hand him the victory."
