Two Fighters

San Diego Sun

Dominick POV

"I don't need it." I grumbled motioning to the wheel chair. Granted, getting my clothes on was a task that took way more time than it should have considering.

"You're so stubborn." She hissed quietly before looking to the nurse. "If he falls he's army crawling out of this joint." The nurse looked in bewilderment before silently leaving my hospital room, which within a few minutes would be someone else's. " Alright I've got all your things packed. Ready?"

"Ready was yesterday. Today is overkill." She opened the door and led the way out. I was slow, but able to walk with a minor limp. The exit wasn't too far, yet the flash of cameras from the exit door made my stomach churn. I watched her freeze as she glanced to me. Pulling the hood up over her head to shield most of her appearance. We had never been public. That wasn't us by any means. Especially since most of her life was top secret. Yet now there really was no hiding. I think we both had to come to terms with that now.

"Ready?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. I nodded and her hand gripped my duffle bag while the other coiled into mine. Truth be told I think those cameras were her biggest fear. Maybe it just seemed like it in the moment. We started walking outside, their voices filled my ears.

"Whose this one Dom?"

"What's your name sexy?"

"What do you do for a living?"

"How'd you two meet?"

"Over here you two!"

Their voices kept hollering and hollering. Only once we were in the back of a black SUV completely tinted did I watch her close her eyes and take a breath. They'd surely made her catastrophic in all the commotion. The driver began the journey and only once she felt the car moving did she open her eyes.

"You alright?"

"I should be asking you that not you asking me." She laughed weakly and looked from me to the window. "I'm not a people person or camera person for that matter. However it comes with the territory now I suppose." Her head bowed as she moved her eyes to look at her hands. "You realize I'm not the type of girl the world expects you to be with right? That the news and media is gonna figure out that I'm government personnel. That I was tortured. That I'm this anything but camera ready woman."

"That's why I love you." I took her hand and kissed the back. "Fuck what they say. I'm not trying to impress TMZ or whatever."

"Dom-" She sighed softly and rubbed her face with her free hand. "I need to tell you something now that is really important. It's gonna be on the news a lot and I'm praying it doesn't affect you." I narrowed my hues at her in confusion as she started to speak. "You know about Edward Snowden right?"

" The hacker. Yeah what about him?"

" He was a good friend of mine. In Japan for awhile. He fled the country on orders by my department. The government is actually protecting him yet to the world acts as if they hate him. They where glad someone revealed what was happening. It's hard to explain, but it's probably going to be on the news that I worked with him. That we created programs together and such. I just want to let you know before anything comes out."

"It's alright." I nodded and carefully put my arm around her. "I'm not worried about my image. I'm worried about my life with you and my health."

"Be still my beating heart. Dominick Cruz not caring about his belt?" She kissed my cheek. "Well I happen to believe in you winning back your belt. We'll get you healthy and back into fighting weight."

"I think we should go away for awhile. Like you said remember?" She smirked slightly at the though, yet the SUV stopped and the driver came around and opened the door. She grabbed my bag and we slowly walked up towards my house.

"Easy there." Quickly she unlocked the door and ushered me to the sofa. My body tingled as I looked around. She's been here recently. It had her touch once more throughout the house. Her perfume lingered slightly and a blanket sprawled on the sofa where she'd probably slept recently. "I had to straighten up and wash the sheets. Not to mention I stocked the fridge and hung that goofy photo in the gym." She wandered to the spare bedroom as my eyes followed her form.

"Where are you going?" A tiny yelping came from the room before a tiny furry dog came rushing out towards the sofa. "What's this?!" I took the tiny creature between my hands and looked at him.

"I talked to Colin he said it would be good for you and I to get a dog. Train him to be a service animal for us." She sat down and curled up beside me as the puppy laid against my chest. "I thought you'd like to name him."

"I've always wanted a dog." I mumbled gently running my fingers through his hair. "Dojo?" I glanced to her as she chuckled softly then nodded.

"Dojo it is Dom." Her eyes began to close as the tv filled the room with background noise. She was at her weakest it seemed. Giving into the sleep that her body so dearly needed after watching over me. I looked at Dojo his eyes staring into my own as I sighed with a slight smile on my face.

It wasn't about the belt it was about this feeling right here. About family and happiness. I tested myself by standing up and scooping her into my arms with minor discomfort before whistling quietly for the puppy to follow after me. Rarely did she ever slip this deep in sleep to the point where me walking didn't wake her. I laid her down in bed before lifting Dojo onto the blanket. Quickly I found myself pulling her against my chest and sleep pulling me under.

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About mid way through the book. Comment what you think or what you want to see happen. 😊