Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 20

February 25th

Katrina woke the next morning to a pounding headache. Last night the two of them must have found their way up the stairs and into Tommy's bed, the sheets were tangled around her legs. She sat up, wincing, her stomach churning. Tommy was fast asleep beside her, sprawled on his back, taking up most of the mattress as usual. With a start she realized that they were both stark naked, this was hardly a rarity for Tommy, who seemed to shed clothes like leaves in the autumn, she on the other hand had never slept naked in her life.

The memories of the previous night started to play through her mind, strangely distorted as though a carnival mirror. Things started out relatively tame, after the show there had been a cocktail party to commemorate the occasion. Katrina slipped on her now ruined red dress and heels straight after the last act, leaving on her stage makeup for dramatic effect. She had vague memories of speeches and donations being made and the polite applause of well-heeled society ladies. Things hadn't really got going until Vlad swept them all out the door to go clubbing at midnight. Already over the top on two glasses of champagne and still buzzing with adrenaline, Katrina had allowed herself to be hustled into a taxi.

She checked her wrists, the bath water had smudged the stamps from the clubs they went into, smearing the words and pictures, and turning her arms and hands into an inky mess.

Things had really started to blur after the third round of shots, she remembered seeing Mark making eyes at the handsome bartender and being sent a cosmopolitan by some men in suits down the bar. The strobe lights and thumping bass of the last place they went into had started to make her feel dizzy, the dance floor tilting at strange angles. Katrina remembered saying a quick goodbye to Sonja and the others before trekking up Fifth Avenue in her heels. A walk in the cold might have been sobering had it not been for the whiskey and sodas that were going two for one. A blush crept up her cheeks as she remembered turning up at Tommy's apartment at three in the morning, undressing in front of him, she'd been bold and strangely shameless, pulling him into the bath with her, running her hands over his chest… it wasn't only her face that was burning now.

She slid out of bed, pulling on one of Tommy's discarded gym t-shirts as she went, it smelled of him, which was strangely comforting. Tommy stirred but didn't wake as her weight left the bed, she let him sleep, pressing a kiss to his stubble-roughened cheek. Katrina stayed with him a moment, watching his chest rise and fall as he breathed. She laced her fingers through his listening to the even rhythm of his heart before rising and tiptoeing down the stairs.

Katrina scooped her handbag, dress, tights, and shoes off the couch before heading for the door. She didn't bother looking for her underwear as it could be anywhere.

It was raining outside as it so often seemed to be in Pittsburgh, a fine mist sifting down from low, grey clouds. The damp reached its fine fingers inside Katrina's jacket as she left for the bus, up the sleeves and down the collar. She shivered, wishing she'd worn a scarf.

The bus stop was empty when she arrived, so she slipped on a pair of headphones and started up some music on her phone to pass the time. It started mid-way through her solo music from last night. Shivering strings giving way to flutes and clarinets with none of the orchestral grandeur of most of the other scenes. She smiled to herself, resisting the urge to begin dancing along incase anyone was watching. She wiggled her toes in time with the music, trying to keep warm as much as anything. She wished now that Tommy had seen her perform, it seemed silly to still ban people from the first night on the strength of a childhood superstition. All the same, it was a relief to have the first night out of the way, the dry run her mother had always called it. Now she could focus on perfecting her solo, fine-tuning before tomorrow night.

The music ended, fading away like dream after waking but Katrina hit the back button and listened to it again, determined to get the music into her head. Easily bored by anything that resembled repetition, her attention soon wandered. She was brought back down to earth by her phone buzzing. It was a text from Tommy.

K,

You left your panties here,

I'll be training late tonight

Key is under the mat.

X

Katrina felt herself warm from the inside out as she saw that he'd signed off with a kiss. This was so completely unlike Tommy, given usually to only the gruffest of endearments. She knew their relationship was progressing quickly, in a few weeks they'd gone from complete strangers to leaving keys under mats. It didn't feel rushed though; waking up next to Tommy felt natural, as though she'd been missing him all her life. Neither of them had talked about where they were going in the long-run, there was no use in looking too far into the future. Anyway, Katrina was having a hard time thinking any further ahead than three weeks when Tommy would get into the cage to fight Forrest Griffin.

The bus came but Katrina got on in a daze. She'd told herself a thousand times not to worry about Tommy's fighting, he was a grown man, able to take care of himself. She could just about manage to hide her feeling when he came to her with bruises on his face and knuckles or welts the size of fists across his ribs. She was proud of him for how hard he trained, the hours he spent in the gym or on the roads running, all the same, she knew it would be a completely different matter when it came to watching him fight.

A few nights ago she'd let curiosity outweigh her better judgment and looked up some of Tommy's fights on YouTube. It was a terrible decision. MMA didn't look anything like boxing or wrestling, the violence of these fights was really something else. She almost spilt her mug of tea down herself when she saw Tommy's dispatching his first opponent with one punch nearly breaking the man's neck.

Other videos showed men whose noses were broken, lips split and bleeding. She knew that when Tommy started fighting again this would happen to him too, he'd be coming home to her with a lot more than a few bruises. Katrina didn't let her mind wander down that road, picturing broken bones and brain injuries, Tommy in the hospital. She knew how strong he was, how determined, that worried her more than anything, he was too hardheaded to back down. She sighed, imagining the worst never did anyone any favors so she settled deeper into her seat and tried to block out any more images of emergency rooms and the sound of broken bones by listening to Avicii remixes for the rest of the bus ride, her head bobbing along with the beat.

The main studio was packed by the time Katrina slipped into the back, trying her hardest to be quiet. She joined the barre just behind Danni who shot her a quick smile before getting back to the warm-up. The day passed slowly, technical classes in the morning turning out to be just what she needed to get over the last of her hangover. Everyone was feeling rather flat after the excitement and heart-pumping adrenaline of the first night. Katrina noticed some of the dancers and stagehands in dark glasses and even caught Sonja napping during her break.

When lunch rolled around no one could be bothered schlepping through the rain to the local café or even out to get sandwiches. They huddled around the vending machine and Katrina split a chocolate bar with Sonja. No one talked much, everyone was still pretty washed out after last night's excitement, and even Mark was looking a bit pale.

"Are you going off to practice after?" asked Sonja through a mouth full of chocolate.

"Yeah, don't want to let last night be just a fluke."

There were nods all around and one by one the dancers peeled themselves off the floor to go and practice their various parts. All except for Danni who didn't have a solo, Katrina shot her friend a sympathetic smile but wasn't sure if she saw it.

Katrina wandered back to the locker rooms, still licking chocolate off her fingers. She shouldered her way into the room before digging around in her locker for the CD with her solo music. She found her phone in the search through her handbag and stared at it for a moment, working out a text to send back to Tommy.

See you tonight

X

Short and sweet she thought with a smile. Maybe she would drag him into the shower this time. She shook her head, thoughts like that would only get her distracted. Fully distracted already, Katrina drifted back into the corridor with her CD and was almost flattened by two dancers coming in the opposite direction. By the blonde hair Katrina recognized one of them as Lauren, as they passed she caught a glimpse of the girl's tear-streaked face.

What's going on now? She wondered. Most people had long since stopped trying to keep up with Lauren's temper tantrums, they were common enough in the studio what with the pressure of the new show weighing down on everyone.

There was a strange silence in the halls as Katrina made her way to a small practice studio on the bottom corridor. Any dancers she passed were speaking in hushed tones, like children listening out for the strains of parents arguing.

She shut the studio's door behind her, flopping onto the floor and tying on her pointe shoes, she had new ones today and so spent a few extra minutes flexing the soles and softening them with a little water. Satisfied at last she stood, stretched and pressed play on the stereo. The quivering string music started up at once and Katrina took a moment to listen.

Fifteen minutes later and Katrina was stretched out on the floor, resting her feet for a moment, she rolled her ankle, feeling the bones move and click. The sound almost but not quite masked the sound of the door being opened, quiet as it was, Katrina heard it and sat up.

Her boss, Daniel Kline sauntered in, his hands in his pockets. Katrina noticed a large gold wristwatch peeking out beneath the cuff of his shirtsleeve. He didn't speak for a long moment but stood looking at her with an oddly intense expression, evaluating and cold. She shivered, standing, wishing suddenly that she had a t-shirt on over her strappy leotard. As she stood, Daniel's trance seemed to break and a wide smile broke out over his tanned face. He shut the door.

Katrina let herself into Tommy's flat; she only realized that her hands were shaking when it took her three tries to fit the key into the lock. Inside all was dark and quiet. She thought briefly of taking the bottle of whiskey from Tommy's cupboard and pouring four fingers into a glass, thinking better of it, she flopped down on the couch for a moment, hands over her face. She curled up into the arm of the couch, pulling a blanket over herself. The shivering worsened, more out of shock rather than fear or pain. Her upper arms were still throbbing where Daniels's hands had grasped her, dragging her towards him. She swallowed back disgust at the memory of his lips on hers, brief and brutal, tasting of cigarettes. She touched her mouth, feeling a cut lip where he'd bitten down on her. As she curled up further, burying her head in her arms. Shame gnawed at her, what had she been thinking? How had this gotten so far out of control? Her stomach churned, and she let out a low moan, which turned gradually into sobs.

When she next opened her eyes the sky outside was dark, rain lashed against the windows of Tommy's apartment, wind rattling the glass in the frame. She needed to go, before Tommy came back and saw her like this. Quickly she slipped off the couch, wiping her eyes with her sleeve as she did so. She was just collecting her underwear from the counter and turning for the door when she heard a key in the lock. She froze for a moment before mentally shaking herself; she'd just have to brazen it out.

Tommy stepped through the doorway, awkwardly carrying his kit bag in one hand.

"Katy?" he asked, stopping short.

"Hi, I got your text…" she held up the neatly folded bra and pants.

"Oh, right. It was pretty lonely waking up without you this mornin'." Tommy gave her a crooked smile. He started forward, dumping his kit bag on the floor with a thud. Next second he had his arms around her, so strong and sure that Katrina felt tears welling up again, she clung on to his shoulders, resting her head on his chest for a moment, breathing him in.

Tommy's callused hand found her cheek, tipping her head back so he could kiss her and Katrina tensed for a moment before kissing him back. She drew back, flattening her palms on his chest so he wouldn't follow her.

"I should go- I have some things I need to do tonight." She didn't meet his eyes but she could still feel him looking down at her.

"Ah come on Katy," Tommy groaned, drawing her back to him. She relented, moving where he lead, and allowed Tommy to lay her down on the couch. His skin was cold, he'd obviously walked home from the gym, Katrina was vividly aware of every place that their bodies touched. Tommy's hands roamed over her back and felt her own fingers clutch involuntarily at his t-shirt in response. Katrina was struck by the casual intimacy of this moment; there was no rush, no nerves, nothing to prove.

Tommy sat up, pulling her with him so that she was straddling his lap as he lifted her shirt over her head.

"Thought about you today," He said, his deep voice sending vibrations through the both of them. "nearly got knocked out in in the ring 'cus of it."

"Am I that distracting?" Katrina asked.

"Oh yeah," she felt him smile against her skin.

Tommy's hands gently grasped her upper arms and Katrina suddenly gasped in pain as he squeezed down on the bruise that she hadn't realized was starting to form.

"You okay? Did I hurt you?" Tommy looked up at her, blue grey eyes searching her face as though he could find the answer there.

She shook her head, leaning down to kiss him again but Tommy gently pushed her back.

"Katy, what happened to your arm?"

"It's nothing."

"Let me look?" Tommy asked, quietly.

She ducked down so he couldn't see her as well, "It's fine."

"Look at me." He asked, she felt as much as heard him.

"I told you it's nothing." Katrina repeated, she didn't quite know why she was hiding this from him, instinct maybe, a sense of self-preservation.

"Don't look like nothing."

"I fell…" the lie was out of her mouth before she could stop it and she saw immediately the look of disappointment on Tommy's face. He knew of course, knew immediately, and assumed the worst. He let her go, hands dropping to his sides.

"No you didn't." Something flickered behind his eyes.

"Tommy." A moment ago Katrina couldn't wait to get away but now she reached out towards him. Tommy wouldn't look at her, brushing her hand off his arm. She sighed, trying again, "It's nothing Tommy I promise."

He looked at her; eyes more grey than blue "I never took you for a liar Katy."

Katrina couldn't deny it and didn't try to. She moved away, sitting up and jumping off the couch, she heard Tommy stand behind her. For a moment he just stood there, and there was a silence except for the sound of their breathing. She jumped when he touched her shoulder.

"Come on Katy." Something in his voice pulled her up short, she turned but Tommy wasn't looking at her, his stared at the ground between them, his eyes somehow distant.

He looked back, much more directly now and Katrina felt herself blush. She crossed her arms over her chest as though that would hide the mark on her skin.

It didn't.

Soundlessly, Tommy reached over and turned on the lamp beside the sofa, bathing them both in its orange glow as the filament warmed up. She felt Tommy tense and she looked down to see what he was seeing.

There, imprinted just above her elbow, like blue ink on a white page, was the perfect shape of a man's hand.

"Jesus," Tommy breathed, taking her arm and pulling her farther into the circle of light so that he could see. He looked sharply up at her, the rage that often pulsed under his skin now flickering over his face. "Is this what you call nothin'?"

Katrina shook her head, fighting down the urge to cry, standing in the light with Tommy looking at her hurt, for a reason she didn't understand. Shame, unexplained and unwarranted washed over her. She couldn't meet his eyes, not without crying, not without the whole sordid story coming out so she brushed past him, taking her things with her as she went for the door. He didn't try and stop her, move a muscle as she slid out into the corridor.

As Katrina paused to collect herself in the hall she heard the crash of something being thrown across the room in the apartment behind the door.

A/N: What do you think? Dramatique? Romantique? Craptastique? University is starting to make me go slowly crazy and it's only the first week!