Automatic

Chapter 4 – Piper's Pit

In the center of the room, a crude approximation of a ring had been put together. Zack and Darren jogged in place and hopped around each other, psyching themselves up. Kaitlyn sat on the arm of AJ's armchair and draped herself over the back of it.

"I kind of love these guys." Kaitlyn admitted.

"I want a good, clean fight!" Seth said to the competitors, standing between them as referee.

"Yeah, don't grab my dick." Zack joked.

"Hey!" Seth scolded him with exaggerated indignation. "I hear you trash talking again, that's an automatic DQ!"

"Oh come on, ref!" Zack complained. "You should have heard the things he was saying!"

"About your mom." Roman added quietly, almost subliminally.

"About your mom!" Zack repeated to Seth.

"No, about YOUR mom." Roman said to Zack. Dean laughed to himself and shook his head.

"Ref!" Zack shouted, realizing what Roman had done. "Kick him out, he's heckling the talent."

"Heckling from the audience is allowed." Seth informed him.

"Encouraged, even." Dean added. They were obviously biased.

Darren backed up toward Justin, and pointed to his cheek. Justin dutifully stepped forward to give him a good luck kiss.

"Oh, we get kisses?" Zack asked. He grinned and walked toward the ladies in the corner, arms open, offering them the chance. Before he could reach the girls, Dean stepped in front of them and pushed Zack back toward the mats.

"No harassing the spectators." Dean told him, giving him a look that the girls couldn't see, a look that said Stay the fuck away from the brunette.

"I need good luck!" Zack insisted, walking backward with Dean's hand on his shoulder. He peered around Dean's head and winked at the girls. "I'll get that kiss later, right?"

Kaitlyn giggled quietly and blew him a sympathy kiss, pretty sure he was about to get schooled.

"Aww, yeah." Zack celebrated the small victory and mimed catching the kiss from the air.

True to Kaitlyn's prediction, Darren ended up getting the pin, but not without a decent fight from Zack.

"I almost had you." Zack insisted, still on his back and winded from the effort.

Darren hopped up and smiled graciously. "Whatever you need to tell yourself."

"Forgot to mention it before," Seth cut in. "But that was a Loser Goes Home match. See ya, Zack."

"Dude." Zack shook his head, as if begging him to reconsider. "Bro."

"Alright, you can stay." Seth relented. "But you have to choose the next challenger."

"Oh, Dean, for sure." Zack answered with no hesitation.

Dean didn't hesitate either. He hopped over, fists up as if to protect his face.

"Wrestling though, right?" Darren held up his hands and worriedly asked for clarification, not keen on boxing the loose cannon of the group.

"Yeah, just wrestling." Dean assured Darren in an innocent voice and anything but innocent smile.

Dean threw a few practice jabs and followed up with a left hook. Darren ducked back, even though Dean was still a few feet away.

Kaitlyn poked AJ's shoulder, drawing a knowing smile from the brunette. Dean moved fast, and he looked dangerous judging by Darren's reaction. Yeah, she was definitely developing a thing for bad boys.

"Hold on, I don't like the looks of this guy." Justin cut in, pushing Darren gently out of the way so he could challenge Dean and defend his boyfriend's honor.

Dean's hand shot out, and Justin ducked out of an open handed slap just in time. The rest of the boys in the room ooh'd, impressed by Justin's reflexes. He was fast too.

Dean smirked and shook his head, still hopping, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Justin, never taking his eyes away from Dean, kicked off his sneakers and bent his knees slightly, preparing for another wild hand. While Dean never stopped moving, Justin stood still with laser focus, waiting for Dean to strike.

After some near strikes and evasions, Justin put Dean in a headlock until Dean flipped him forward over his shoulder and put a knee on his chest. When they separated, Dean offered his hand to help Justin up, but it was just a trick. Dean swept his leg and caught Justin's ankles. The crowd ohhh!'d, but Justin grabbed his arm, using the momentum to take Dean down with him and flip him over onto his back. Justin pressed his shoulder blades against Dean's chest while Seth slapped the mat three times for a very fast count.

"I thought this was your house, boy!?" Darren taunted Dean, arms outstretched in victory by proxy.

"That's what happens when you try to play dirty." Justin taunted as he helped Dean up.

"Just testing your reflexes." Dean said, rolling his shoulders. He tried to slap Justin one more time, but Justin slapped Dean's hand away. Dean shook out the slapped hand afterward, sucking air through his teeth like it hurt.

Ow! he mouthed, to which Justin rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Alright, who's next?" Seth asked, looking around the room as he walked to the mat. "You want a rematch?" he asked Roman, since they'd had a knock-down, drag-out the week before.

Roman looked over and pointed at Kaitlyn and AJ. "I wanna see what they've got."

The boys all got silly, giddy looks on their faces at the idea.

"You guys ever spar?" Seth asked, smiling their way.

"Do pillow fights count?" Kaitlyn joked.

Everyone laughed, except for Roman.

"Come here." Roman gestured for her to come to the mat. "I want you to kick me."

Kaitlyn laughed and got up. "For real?"

"I'd rather she kick you than have her kick me." AJ nodded gratefully.

"We've never really sparred." Kaitlyn warned him, tucking her hair behind her ears. She turned to look at AJ and they both shrugged sheepishly. "Together or apart."

"Just give me one solid kick, right here." Roman tapped his bicep and waited for Kaitlyn to step up.

"You're crazy." Kaitlyn shook her head, giggling at Roman's determined facial expression as she took off her sneakers and got into a good position.

The rest of the guys made a semi-circle, crossed their arms and watched as Kaitlyn inched closer. At the last second she stepped back and put her hands on her hips.

"I don't want to hurt you." she said, sticking out her bottom lip.

"He can take it," Dean assured her. "I promise."

"I have a room full of witnesses," she said, pointing at them all. "He asked for it."

"Right here." Roman tapped his arm again.

"Okay…" Kaitlyn stood sideways, fists up, and eyeballed the distance between them. At half speed and quarter strength, Kaitlyn turned in place, brought her foot up and around and made contact right where Roman had pointed.

"Naw, come on." he said, his smile growing at how tentative her actions were.

"Knock him over." Seth urged, followed by a chorus of agreement from the other guys.

Kaitlyn smiled and shook her head, getting back into starting position. She went harder that time. The sound of her socked foot hitting his arm was quite satisfying. Roman winced appreciatively at the harsh sting she left, and mouthed ooh.

"Nice!" Zack congratulated her. Darren and Justin nodded in agreement. She had great balance and a lot of power.

Kaitlyn looked over her shoulder at AJ.

"I kicked someone at a party." she said. "My mom will be so proud."

AJ laughed and smiled at her friend's sarcasm.

"One more time, as hard as you can." said Roman.

"You asked for it." she reminded him, and he nodded, ready for her worst. She made him grunt that last time, and the guys all admired her strength.

"You need to start competing." Roman told her as she stepped back.

"Really?" Kaitlyn scrunched up her nose, wondering if he was just using flattery to score points.

Roman stepped aside to let Seth set up another mini-match while the other boys talked amongst themselves. AJ was still watching from the corner.

"It's not for everyone," said Roman. "But if you like it, you could be good at it. I bet if you tried it once, you'd never look back. You'll wonder why you didn't start sooner."

"I think I'd like it if I got to beat up boys." she joked. She kicked her foot toward his shin. Roman moved out of the way, even though Kaitlyn purposefully avoided connecting. "I wouldn't feel as bad that way."

"What, you think you're the only tough chick out there?" Roman smirked.

Kaitlyn half turned and gestured with her thumb toward AJ, eyebrows raised at Roman. "Have you seen her in action?"

"Not yet." said Roman, turning to AJ with an expectant look.

"You gonna get in on this?" Kaitlyn asked AJ, like she was missing a huge sale on kick-ass.

Everyone else noticed at the same time and waited to see what she would say.

"Free target practice." said Dean. He was in the middle of their makeshift ring, hands held out from his sides, encouraging her to make use of his defenseless body.

"She's a total bad ass." Kaitlyn warned them. "Do not be fooled by her size."

"Now I gotta see something." said Seth.

"I learned a takedown move today..." AJ told them shyly as she stood up.

"Yeeeesss." Seth growled, happy to have more friends to spar with.

"Show us!" Darren encouraged her.

"Do it, do it!" Kaitlyn chimed in.

"Maybe you should put on some padding." Roman said to Dean. AJ shook her head in amusement as she walked closer to the group.

"I'm a little scared now." Dean admitted, eyes sparking with humor and curiosity as AJ stepped up. "You're small enough to be a ninja."

"I won't hurt you too much," she replied.

"Hurt me just enough." said Dean, holding up his hand with the tips of his thumb and forefinger millimeters apart. She smiled, and hesitated, trying to think of a way to demonstrate what she'd learned without making a fool of herself.

"Well," AJ said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "You have to come at me first."

"What, like this?" Dean took two steps forward, immediately towering over her small frame.

AJ laughed. "Wait!" she said, backing up, putting her hands out to stop him.

"Come on, AJ, whatcha gonna do?" Seth teased her.

Dean kept pressing, grinning at AJ as he made her walk backward. AJ laughed again and pushed back with more force, until she got him to move backward and she had Dean back to the middle of the mat.

"Stay." she said sternly. Judging by the look on his face, equal parts surprise and amusement, Dean seemed to like that a lot. Roman and Seth shared an amused look of their own, like they could see into Dean's future and knew what he was in for.

"Take a swing at me." she instructed. "But slowly, I just learned this today…"

Dean put his fists up again and, as instructed, swung one of them slowly at AJ, telegraphing the trajectory so she wouldn't miss it. She grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled. It would have worked, but Dean was moving slow enough that he didn't fall all the way over. He stumbled toward AJ, and she took hold of his arm long enough to help him catch his balance.

"If we were going full speed," AJ explained. "You would have fallen on your face."

"Wait, let's do it again." said Dean. "I won't hit you, I just wanna see what you did…"

AJ gave him a second demonstration. Justin tried it on Dean next, and he pulled much harder than she did, since Dean was confident letting his fist fly a little faster toward a guy's face. Dean went down, pulled Justin with him and they started an impromptu rematch of their earlier tussle.

"Arright arright, break it up, the two of ya." Seth told the friendly rivals. They were always arguing about the superiority of technique versus that of brute force, neither a clear winner no matter how many times they tried to prove it.

"I've got a takedown move." Roman announced, picking Seth up over his shoulder before he could argue.

"Aw, shit." Seth complained, not even bothering to struggle. He'd get him back later. Dean and Justin tried to scramble out of the way, but Roman slammed Seth right onto both of them. They all shouted in pain, laughing afterward as they rolled around, holding whichever body part had been hit hardest.

"This happens every time, I swear." Darren told the girls, who winced and laughed at the pile of bodies. Roman tried to pick Darren up next, but Darren fought his way out of it.

"Let me try it on you." Kaitlyn said to AJ.

"Don't you dare!" AJ pointed at her, eyes wide with warning and fear.

"But you're so light!" Kaitlyn insisted, hoisting her shorter friend over her shoulder just like Roman had done to Seth.

AJ kicked her feet in protest, her shouted 'Nooo!' rising in pitch until she was squealing. She did not want to be tossed on to a heap of strange boys at their first gathering. Kaitlyn knew this, and instead used the couch as a landing pad for AJ's fall. The boys in the heap were all very disappointed that she did not become the cherry on their body slam sundae. Roman was impressed once again by Kaitlyn's strength, even if she wasn't as ruthless with her friend's body as he was with Seth's.

A series of retaliations had them all laughing and shouting. It was a surprise to both girls that watching a bunch of guys try to outdo each other in the sloppiest of contact sports would be so fun. They acted macho, but it was just an act; they were all having fun, and all the roughhousing was good natured, never vindictive.

AJ, emboldened by their seeming lack of caution, tried her takedown move more aggressively. Everyone got a turn, and even Kaitlyn offered to take a fall. At one point Dean tried tickling the sides of her stomach instead of attacking like a normal self-defense test dummy; AJ's instincts kicked in, and instead of just squealing in protest – which she still did, involuntarily - she hooked his ankle with her foot. In an instant Dean found himself flat on his back, a small knee pressed into his ribs. He looked up at her with a dreamy smile on his face.

"I was just wondering what would happen if I tried that." he said.

AJ smiled back, one eyebrow arched. "Remember what Justin said about playing dirty?"

Dean's smile widened. "I don't regret a thing." he said, thinking about how it felt to put his fingertips on the taut muscles of her abdomen.

The mini matches continued. With the girls there, it was more instructional than the usual all out brawling.

Dean's father came home during a ruckus. He could tell the difference between a real fight and some good-natured hootin' and hollerin'. He knew they were just having fun. The ruckus died down eventually, but he needed something from the basement, so he was going to check on them anyway.

When he walked down the stairs, he pictured three scrawny thirteen-year-old boys, the tightest unit he'd ever seen, playing video games and working out until the skin on their hands split open. That would always be the image in his head, of his son and his two best friends. The years had gone by, so the reality was different. The three boys were still close as ever, but they were older now. They were men, as much as Dean's father didn't want to admit it. Maybe it was the fact that Dean still hung out in the basement, still invited his friends over, still played video games and worked out like crazy. His dad had missed a big chunk of Dean's childhood, but his adolescence had happened here, in Roddy's house.

"You idiots behaving yourselves?" Roddy asked as he clomped down the steps in his work boots. He'd been in the garage all day, fixing busted cars while his employees drove the good ones around town. It was nice to come home to a house full of boisterious, happy, young people. They were seated on chairs and couches again, the mats back up against the wall. An old action epic was playing on the TV.

"Rod-dy!" Roman shouted in a deep voice, without thinking.

"Roddy Pipahhh!" Seth echoed. They didn't even take their eyes off the television.

Roddy realized belatedly that there were ladies present. "Oh, wow," he said, truly impressed but adopting a sarcastic tone. "What contest did you win to get such pretty girls to spend time with the likes of you?" he teased. The genuine, warm smile he directed toward them tempered the sarcasm.

"My dad." Dean explained to the newcomers. "Dad, this is AJ and Kaitlyn."

Roddy leaned over and shook each of their hands, charmed by the girls and quite impressed by his son's ability to attract such beautiful company.

"You can call me Roddy." he said, keeping his surprise and his pride to himself.

The girls each said hi, and smiled inwardly at the resemblance between father and son.

"They're part of the tribe." Dean told his dad, his body still hurting from their impromptu display.

"Oh, are they?" Roddy asked. He addressed the girls directly. "They treating you well?"

"They've been perfect hosts." Kaitlyn reassured him.

"They didn't try to box you, did they?"

"Just some kickboxing, jiu jitsu…" AJ said casually, as if that were any better.

"We were the punching bags." Dean explained.

"Good." said Roddy. "You just let me know if that changes, I'll give 'em each a good beating."

"That won't be necessary, really." said AJ. "We kind of did that to them already."

Roddy grinned. "My kind of girls." He began to make his way to the opposite wall where he kept a wide array of tools and kits.

"Hello, sir." Zack addressed him as he passed, friendly yet respectful. He wasn't used to the laid back dynamic of the Piper household.

"What'd I tell you about calling me that?" Roddy scolded him.

"Sorry, sir. Just the way I was brought up."

"I swear to god, you got two personalities." Seth said to Zack. "Just call him Roddy, man!"

Roman started a "Rod-dee!" chant that Seth joined in on immediately.

"Okay, there's overly polite and then there's just being an asshole. And you two are being assholes." Roddy joked. He turned to AJ and Kaitlyn. "Pardon my French."

Seth leaned his head back and looked at the girls too. "You know, back in the day, they called him Hot Rod."

"You know what, Seth?" Roddy interjected, turning from his tool kit. "I changed my mind. You call me 'sir' from now on."

"You gotta bring that name back!" Seth insisted. "I'd make everyone call me that if I had that nickname."

While the boys chatted, AJ looked from Dean to Roddy and back again. She could see the same swagger in both of them. Dean caught her looking, so she smiled at him.

"We're not so bad, right?" he asked her.

Her smile widened. "Not at all."

"Alright," Roddy sighed once he found what he was looking for. "I'll leave you alone now." he said. "With your new friends." he added, flashing one more smile their way.

AJ glanced at Dean. He barely responded to his father. Playing it cool in front of his friends.

On his way up the stairs, Roddy suddenly remembered something. He stopped in the middle and ducked down around the ceiling beams.

"Hey, Dean?" he said.

"Yeah?"

"Can you help me out tonight?"

For a second, the rebel in Dean made him hesitate, until he remembered his responsibilities with the family business.

"Which car?" Dean asked.

"Town car."

"Do I have to wear the hat?"

Roddy gave his son a wry look. "No," he said with exaggerated reassurance. "You don't have to wear the hat."

Dean grinned. "Then yeah, no problem. What time?"

"The reservation is for ten to one, possibly two. You'll have to be on call though, no leaving during the event."

Dean nodded and weighed the options in his head. He had plans to help Roman and Seth out, finding new cars for Santino, but they could do that afterward. Plus, if he was driving someone important to a fancy event, there were worse places to look for fancy, tricked out cars. It looked like Dean would be getting paid twice for one job tonight.

"Okay." he confirmed.

"I can try to find someone else in the meantime, if you were planning on entertaining for a while."

"No, it's cool. I'll be there." Dean assured him.

"Thanks, Dean."

"No problem, Pops."

"We have to leave soon anyway." Kaitlyn said, apologetic, as Roddy disappeared up the stairs.

"Already?" Justin expressed his dismay with a pout.

"We have to work." AJ lamented. "Night shift."

"I'm leaving too." said Zack. "I get up at the crack of dawn to make bread and doughnuts. Gotta catch those Z's, you know?"

He exchanged special high fives and secret handshakes with Darren and Justin, while the girls got up and grabbed their bags.

"Hey." Seth said to the girls. "Thanks for hanging out and letting us act like circus clowns. Not many girls we know would put up with that."

"It was fun," said Kaitlyn, flashing a bright smile. "We don't know a lot of people who are that into combat sports."

"It was a unique experience." said AJ, her tone more teasing.

"Well, like Zack said, you came to the right house." said Seth. "Come back any time."

"We will." said AJ. She noticed Dean walking with them, so he could see them to the kitchen door.

"Zack," Seth stopped him before he could leave. "If I give you some money, will you bring doughnuts to the party?"

"Oh shit, that's right, the party." Zack's eyes widened. "Hey, if Kaitlyn and AJ come, I'll bring doughnuts for free."

"Well now you have to come." Dean told the girls matter-of-factly.

"You're not working tomorrow night, are you?" Roman asked.

AJ and Kaitlyn looked at each other, asking each other wordlessly what the other wanted to answer. They both shrugged and shook their heads.

"We're gonna be at a party tomorrow night," Dean explained. "At a mutual friend's house."

"It's like…" Zack pondered. "A frat party, but not just college kids."

"Drop-outs welcome." said Darren, patting Dean's shoulder as he passed. He and Justin were on their way out too.

They all trooped upstairs, except for Seth and Roman, who said their goodbyes and stayed in the basement to keep watching the movie. Darren and Justin said goodbye to the girls, and told them it was great to meet them before heading out.

"It'll be totally laid back." Zack assured AJ and Kaitlyn, still on his sales pitch and clearly excited by the prospect of the two of them attending the party. "Just some cool people, chilling out, maybe getting a little crazy, whatever you're into…"

"I don't really drink much." AJ warned him.

"Yeah, same with me." Kaitlyn chimed in.

"Nah, it's not like that." Dean said. "I mean people will drink, but there's no pressure. Just come hang out."

"You are like the coolest chicks everrr." said Zack. "Everyone will love you."

How could they say no to that?

"Okay, we might stop by." said Kaitlyn.

"Alright, karate buddy." said Zack. "But you better be there. There'll be donuts!"

Kaitlyn laughed as Zack scooted out the door.

"Jesus." Dean muttered jokingly, relieved he'd finally gone.

"Aww," Kaitlyn laughed again, this time it was sympathetic. "He's a good guy."

Dean leaned on the edge of the door, resting his cheek against it.

"I think Seth said it best," he said. "But I'll say it again: thanks for putting up with us all afternoon."

AJ turned and lingered in the doorway. "It was really fun."

"Yeah?" Dean asked, smiling knowingly. AJ tilted her head and smiled a wry smile. It was getting to be a habit, but when Dean raised his eyebrows and gave that look of innocence she couldn't help it.

"Yeah." she said.

"We didn't bang you up too bad, did we?"

"Nah, it was good for us. And now you know not to tickle a ninja."

Dean grinned, the tip of his tongue visible through his teeth.

"Text me the address for the party?" AJ asked him.

"I will."

AJ followed Kaitlyn out the door and toward the street. Dean poked his head out.

"Hey." he said quietly.

AJ turned and looked at him expectantly.

"I'm glad you came." he said.

AJ smiled. "Me too." she said.

Kaitlyn waited for them to have their little moment. She was probably more excited for it than either of them. She waved goodbye to Dean when AJ turned back around and caught up with her. When they were a few more steps away from the house, Kaitlyn hooked her arm around AJ's and pulled her closer.

"Girrrrrl…" Kaitlyn whispered in a slowly rising pitch.

"Don't even start." AJ said, though a big smile was already forming.