The air was cold and crisp as the mid day sun shone down on them in the park. Joe was taking a breather as Fred and San-Li sparred in a one on one session. Usually when the two of them trained there was a playful attitude about them, but right now their faces were set in angry scowls.
They were fighting hand to hand with thick padded training gloves. Fred threw heavy punches that jarred San-Li when she wasn't able to dodge them. She was usually too fast for him to land many blows, but his anger seemed to fuel his punches.
"I can't – believe you're – marrying – Fina!" San-Li narrowly dodged his blows and countered with a few of her own. "She's too – young and too – naive to say no!"
"Well, I can't – believe – you broke up – with Sam!" Fred angrily punctuated each of his blows. "You – ungrateful-"
"Ungrateful!?" San-Li aimed a round house kick at his head which be barely dodged. "I'm trying to to do the right thing! You're being selfish!"
"At least I'm trying to make her happy!" Fred threw more powerful punches. "You just being a bitch!"
Fred's next blow hit San-Li straight across the face, knocking her to the ground. Joe leapt up and he and Fred exchanged a look of shock. San-Li lay on the ground stunned and slowly lifted a hand to her busted lip. When she saw the blood on her fingertips she jumped up with a dark scowl on her face.
"You son of a-"
The two leapt towards each other with their fists raised and Joe jumped in between them.
"Stop!" He yelled holding his hands out. A green glow came over Fred and San-Li freezing them in place. "What the heck is the matter with you guys? I've never seen you two go at it like this before."
He unfroze them and they dropped to the ground. They glared at each other for a brief second before they looked away with a huff.
"Blame her." Fred grumbled, grabbing his water bottle. "She's the one who broke poor Sam's heart. And for no reason too."
"I told you I have my reasons." San-Li sighed and ran a hand over her face. "Neither of us had much of a choice when I got pregnant and I'm trying to give him that before its too late."
Fred looked at her like she was crazy. "What kind of bogus reason is that?"
"Actually Fred, she has a point." Joe shrugged. "Everything went from zero to sixty between them in only a few years. Maybe it is better if they take a step back for a while. If you ask me, they shouldn't have gotten together in the first place."
San-Li frowned and looked away. "Well I wouldn't have put it quite like that, but thanks I guess."
The three of them sat on the cold grass trying to catch their breaths and waited for their hearts to slow down. But once the adrenalin from sparring wore off the cold began to set in so they pulled on their jackets and headed out of the park.
San-Li suddenly sighed and shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. "I know you don't want to hear this, but are you sure it a good idea for you and Fina to get married so soon? She really is too young to settle down. Both of you are."
"For the last time San-Li, yes we're sure we want to get married." Fred's fists clenched. "So I'd appreciate it if you drop it. That also means stop trying to talk Fina out of it too."
"Well I'm not going to let you trap her and ruin her life!"
"That's funny coming from someone who single handedly ruined her relationship by being stupid and selfish!"
"Who the hell are you calling stupid and selfish!?"
The two were practically snarling at each other again and it looked like there were about to start fighting for real.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Joe put a hand on both of their shoulders and forced them apart. "Okay, you two need to seriously need to stop fighting like this."
There was a brief awkward silence and San-Li looked away first.
"Sorry, Fred." She mumbled. "But breaking things off was Sam wasn't easy and I guess I'm still a little raw. Every time he's with the kids I keep seeing how great of a father he is and how much I don't deserve him."
"I guess I'm sorry too." Fred sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "You aren't the only one who's against me marrying Fina. Both of my parents think I got her pregnant or something. They keep trying to convince me to break it off."
"It was kind of sudden." Joe muttered under his breath. Fred shot him a dirty look and he quickly relented. "But I'm sure everything will work out great between you two."
They reached Joe's car and stood around, not quite ready to get back to their lives yet. San-Li had the twins and Alex to go back to. Fred homework and wedding plans to go over with Joleena and Fina. Joe had studying college stuff and warp wizard stuff.
The air between the three of them was tense and their stress hung in the air like their cold breath. Joe snapped his fingers causing a lit cigarette to appear. He took a drag and noticed the look of shock Fred and San-Li were giving him.
"Please don't tell anyone about this." He begged. "They help me relax, but if Joleena knew I started smoking she'd blame herself."
San-Li and Fred exchanged another look and shrugged. "Consider it forgotten."
"So campus housing finally called me back." Fred mumbled after a small pause. "Everything is set for Fina and me to move in after we get married. It's almost too good to be true."
Joe gave a half smile. "Congrats. Guess I have to start looking for a new roommate then."
"Why not just ask Joleena to move in with her?"
"Believe me, I've tried." Joe sighed. "She lets me spend the night, but she says she won't live with any man unless its her father or her husband."
"So why not just marry her?" Fred nudged his arm with a slight teasing smile. "Joleena's already planned one wedding. I'm sure its going to be big enough for two couples."
Joe closed his eyes and took a deep drag from his cigarette. "Thanks again Fred for letting Joleena plan your wedding." He said clearly ignoring Fred's question."It's really helped to get her mind off of... you know. I can finally leave her alone without worrying that she'll take a handful of sleeping pills as soon as my back is turned."
Fred smiled and put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "No problem dude. Glad we can help."
"Ugh." San-Li groaned suddenly. "We need to go to a bar or something and blow off some steam! I'm getting all depressed over here!"
"A bar sounds great!" Fred grinned eagerly. "I'm going to be a married man in a few months and I may never get a chance to just waste time in a bar!"
"I second that." Joe quickly stubbed out his cigarette. "Let's change out of these work out clothes and I'll pick you guys up in a couple of hours!"
The bar they ended up going to seemed like any other average bar filled with smoke, pool tables, and loud customers, but to them it was paradise. No girlfriends, no children, no wedding plans, and most importantly no responsibilities. Once they were buzzed, on the verge of being completely drunk, conversation flowed free and easy between them.
"So Fred," San-Li giggled. "Are you seriously telling us that you still have your v-card?"
"No." Fred scoffed and downed more beer. "I said Fina and I aren't doing anything. And just because we're not, doesn't mean I haven't."
"Oh really?" Joe smirked at his best friend. "And just how many girls have you allegedly slept with? Because the rumors say you've done whole high school cheer-leading team."
"That's such bull crap! It was only like, five of them. The others wished they had some of this."
San-Li giggled. "Gross. You're such a man whore, Fred."
"Oh, like you're one to talk." Fred punched her affectionately in the arm. "I don't know what you told Sam, but I highly doubt you were a virgin when you met him."
"Ha! That's where you're wrong because I was virgin! He was the one who seduced me."
"Yeah right! What'd he do? Show you his big, fat calculator?"
"Yeah and he taught me algebra and everything."
Joe chuckled and waved down the bartender for more drinks. "You guys are hilarious. We need to hang out more often."
"Oh! You know what would be really fun?" San-Li gave them a crafty look. "We should all warp through time together. Maybe mess up history a little?"
"That would be so freaking cool!" Fred exclaimed loudly. "The Warp Wizard, Time Thief, and the Warrior! All on an epic quest through time and space!"
"Keep it down!" Joe laughed. "And absolutely not! I'm trying to be the Warp Wizard, I don't need to be arrested by the time police or something like that."
"That's only if we get caught." San-Li snickered.
"Which we won't with San-Li on our side." Fred added with a grin.
"I'm think I'm going to pass guys." Joe chuckled. "But if I need you, maybe I'll consider asking Fina to train you. I could always use more assistance."
"We prefer the term 'henchmen'." San-Li and Fred toasted their tequila shots.
After a few more drinks and more laughs, the three became totally wasted and decided to call it quits for the night. An hour later Sam walked into the bar to pick them up. He spotted them and quickly headed over.
"Ooh, you called your ex boyfriend." Fred teased, completely bleary eyed.
"Shut up!" San-Li swung at him and missed. "He's the only reliable person I know. We're just lucky he was in town this weekend. "
"Maybe he'll get lucky and they'll finally make up." Joe snickered almost falling off the bar stool. "I hear drunk sloppy make up sex is the best."
"Oh, go to hell!"
"Hey," Sam smiled when he finally reached them. "I'm glad you guys called me. If you're going to have to drink, at least you're being responsible about it."
"Aww, you're so sweet." San-Li threw her arms over his shoulders. "You're the bestest ex boyfriend ever."
"Thanks, that really means a lot San-Li." Sam rolled his eyes with a sigh. "Come on guys, let's go. I left my kids at home."
"You left our kids alone!?" San-Li pushed him away angrily. "You're a terrible ex boyfriend!"
"They're asleep."
"Oh." San-Li wrapped her arms around him again. "Then you're a good ex boyfriend again."
Sam just shook his head and lead everyone out of the bar and into his car. He kept the windows rolled down, hoping the cold air would help sober them up a little.
"I think this has been the most fun I've had in forever." Fred mumbled half asleep in the back seat. "We definitely need to do this more often."
"I agree." Joe muttered next to him. "Being drunk with you guys makes life so much bearable. Being the future Warp Wizard makes me feel so old sometimes."
"You feel old?" San-Li scoffed sitting in the passenger seat next to Sam. "Try being a single mother with twins."
Sam pressed his lips together but reached out and tenderly stroked her hair. San-Li closed her eyes and sighed happily.
"We should make a pact." Fred slurred. "No matter how crazy our lives get, we always find time to get sloppy drunk and blow off some steam."
Joe and San-Li both looked at him and smiled. "Agreed."