ʀᴏʏᴀʟᴛʏ

Tyler couldn’t help but laugh, nodding her head somewhat. “I definitely will record it if I head home for Christmas. I’m sure there’s clips on youtube of it. People even surfing as Santa. It’s pretty great.” She nodded. “Nah mate, they don’t.. it’s more of like.. a show of sorts, y’know?” She explained, shaking his hand with a smile. “Pleasure to meet you Noah.” She insisted. “Like wise mate, nobody I’d rather go down with.” She insisted.

Tyler couldn’t help but give him a small laugh. “Of course mate, I couldn’t think of anybody else I’d rather have with me doing it.” She insisted. “Sweet, this is going to be amazing.. really, we can make a week of it..” Tyler insisted. “I’m just praying that the match ends in a win to be honest for both of our sakes..” She laughed.

She smiles as watches the animals through the window. “You know, maybe it’s time I expand my family a little bit. Bring in a little friend”

“I say go for it..” Tyler insisted, sinking inked hands into her pockets, glancing to the others. “A friend of my got me four terrapins for my birthday.. best present ever.. they’re the best little buddies I could’ve asked for.” Tyler insisted. “What friend are you thinking of getting, love?”

“I think it says it all in the name, Ty. Anyone who thinks an ice-bath is a good idea is fuckin’ mental.” Maybe it did something for muscles and then again maybe it caused hypothermia. Daz wasn’t all that pushed to actually find out. Though there was something rather appealing about the picture of Tyler potentially freezing herself, naturally it was more about the stripping down that intrigued Daz. Her eyes allowed themselves to be taken for a moment, watching Tyler work on her leg contentedly. This was why she’d considered her friendship with Tyler different, the fighter being one of the few people to treat her as softly as she did. When she went to work she was tested by a male-centric workforce and by whoever wanted to be the jerk trying to fuck with security. When she got home, she didn’t come home to anyone, no one seemed to understand her like Tyler did. So many expected her to as rough as her aesthetics, but her sharp jaw and furrowed brow had only ever housed a gentle heart longing to care. That wouldn’t be brought up to someone like Tyler, but it was there, every now and again, it would flutter and remind her that she was, in fact, human too. It made up for years of homelessness, the looks and comments leaving her feeling less than. 

“Nothing else I could have done, Tyler. Couldn’t just leave it.” For Daz it was that simple, even a dog deserved respect, or at the very least not to be hurt by the one person there to care for them. “I don’t get it, you know? I don’t get it, that there are other people out there who can stand by, they just stand and they watch and I know they have to feel bad but they never feel fuckin’ bad enough to do anything. It’s mad. It’s fucked.” She could feel the frustration building, not the red mist of rage, just the constriction that came with being entangled in a world that didn’t make sense to her. The peck to her lips served as the perfect distraction and she lingered for a moment before letting go of a breath she’d been holding. “How are your little guys? They gettin’ on alright?” The taller of the two asked keenly, brightening at the topic. There was very little grey in Daz’ life, just a picture of black and white instead. Good or bad, happiness or anger (sadness not really suiting her). The Brit snaked an arm around the fighter, a sly and yet entirely unsubtle attempt to keep her close. 

Tyler couldn’t help but laugh at the others reaction, watching her for a minute. “Well.. they help if you do them right and fo the right reasons..” She promised the other. “They weren’t just made up by some sadist so we could all strip down and freeze for two minutes tens times a fucking week..” Tyler mused. “I mean.. some of us just look damn good while doing it.” She teased. “It’s.. beneficial though.. it helps with sore muscles if you train a shit tonne and it’ll help with the tiny tears in muscle fibres.." Tyler explained. “So I think, I’ll just get you a heat pack.. I won’t put you through the torture..” She insisted. “You done really good today mate.. It’s going to pay off big time when you can literally pick people up and drop them outside of the club you’re working..” She insisted. But Daz didn’t need to work on anything about her.. Not her strength.. not her agility.. certainly not her muscles.. because that tease of abs, her biceps.. Tyler worked with some of the world’s strongest women but Daz’s body riled her up in all the right ways. She was something else. Not that Tyler would let her know.

As Galen settles out on his porch, he can’t help but be in a good mood. Things had been looking up lately with work and his personal life. With the day off and a bit of time to himself he couldn’t help but bring out his guitar. He wasn’t playing anything in particular, just strumming a few notes. Lifting his head when he caught sight of someone nearby he smile. “Sorry, just strumming a few notes”

Listening carefully to him, Tyler nodded, trying to catch her breath as she sat on the bench next to the other. “I know exactly what you mean..” She mused with a firm nod. “I’m from New South Wales.. on Christmas day, the lifeguards from Bondi dress up as Santa and go out on the jetski..” She nodded. “Sun in December kinda makes it feel like home.. even if it isn’t half as warm.” She laughed. “Wouldn’t be surprised if It was global warming, mate.” She added, offering him an inked hand to shake. “I’m Tyler.”

Daz was a workhorse, the kind that didn’t stop until the job was done. The kind that had seen times where if she didn’t do then she didn’t get. No one had given to her, nothing was offered to her without her having to work towards her. Her life had been a gift and a burden to herself, getting to America had been the greatest gift she’d worked towards. The challenge of keeping up with Tyler wasn’t really much of a challenge at all when she thought about it, grueling yes but she was still grateful to be able to experience it. Daz had even noticed that the more she did with Tyler the more she could give to her job, the longer hours she could do and the more effective she was in shutting down different situations. Though she was endlessly thankful, saying as much never did cross her mind. 

“Getting better? I think I’m doing a better job than your trainers are.” “I’ll do one of them ice baths that all the pros do.” The taller of the pair joked, moving to get that bit closer to Tyler. “I know that, monk. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. D’you know, not too long ago, back in London, I hung around with a lot of people who had dogs and that…” Panhandlers, people tended to look more kindly on those with dogs and children, feeling as if their change could make a difference. Daz knew it wouldn’t, but she left them to their dastardly attempts to wangle money out of others’ pockets. “I remember this one bloke, tiny mite of a thing, had the most beautiful little, what was it, a beagle? I think, but listen, it was a dog anyway. Thin as anything and one day I caught that fucker teasing it, actually teasing it with some scrap of food. Won’t lie to you, beat the life out of him, didn’t go killing or anything, but bloody hell was pissed. Took the little thing to one of those shelters. Hope she’s doing alright now, hope she’s got someone better. Do you think she has?” Daz could hope all she wanted, but there was something about Tyler’s ability to reassure her that would give her the more clinical and all-knowing answer she needed. 

“Is that so?” Tyler mused with a genuine smile, continuing to run her fingers through Daz’s hair, brushing it from her face. “An ice-bath? Here.. baby steps.. I don’t think I want to be done for absolutely killing you off all together mate..” Tyler insisted with a small laugh. “Ice-baths are the worst..” She insisted. But as the other spoke, Tyler followed suit, moving closer when Daz did, inked hands continuing to massage her tightened muscles. The thought of any animal being hurt simply broke her heart.. hell.. she couldn’t even bare the thought of her little turtles being hungry or.. their water not being the right temperature. And she knew Daz was definitely in a similar situation. “Well..” She paused, leaning in slightly, pressing against the others leg to stretch out her muscle, slowly, make sure not to hurt her. “The little thing was very lucky you were around..” She insisted, not daring to make eye-contact upon giving the other such a comment. “Fuck him.. whatever you done to him he fucking well deserved it.” She promised. 

Noah sat on a park bench, a newspaper splayed out on the table in front of him, circling anything that looked relevant in the jobs listings. He knew it was an outdated way to do things–that he should have been checking online–but that was all he did at home, and he’d grown restless, needed to get out, didn’t have any data on his phone, and anyway, it was an excuse to read the comics in the back of the paper. An excuse to read. An excuse to look busy, like he was doing something. And an excuse to correct some of the math in the business and finance section. “You’d think they didn’t have editors.” He didn’t realize he was mumbling to himself, speaking out loud, until he happened to look up and realize he was no longer alone at the table. He coughed, embarrassed, and cleared his throat. “Umm, nice day, isn’t it?” he said, then internally winced at just how boring he sounded. “Nice, uh, weather. In the sky. The sun, I mean. It’s…sunny.” 

Tyler had been running for what felt liked hours upon end. Her legs were shaking, sore and weak from the distance she’d gone. Further and further every single day. Albeit.. Tyler came roughly to a stop by the benches and tables, lungs heavy for air as she took out her earphones, leaning down to get water from the fountain. Yet hearing the other pipe up beside her, Tyler glanced over, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Mm.. just.. yeah, great..” She nodded, sitting down on one of the benches. “It’s beautiful..” She agreed. 

“We really do.. I’ve missed you.” She insisted with a smile before laughing at his comment, shaking her head. “You wouldn’t mess them up at all. The next big.. like.. Big fight is.. the thirtieth of December..” She nodded. “Las Vegas, Nevada - UFC 219.. Main Card.. maybe I’ll have to fly you out to be my sparring partner, mate.” She teased.

Daz was slowly convincing herself that Tyler was training her for a marathon. Either that or with every walk they went on the sidewalks and trails of Los Angeles stretched underneath them. Every jaunt becoming longer and longer and leaving Daz essentially speechless, all huffed breaths, probably a reward for Tyler, the only true way to get peace in the Brit’s company. But there was always light at the end of the tunnel, there was always a bed with a view waiting at the end, even if the finish line seemed a world away at times. 

“Listen, yeah? I’m not the trained fuckin’ athlete…” Daz started, preparing herself to defend her lacklustre performance but found herself instantly soothed by the touch of Tyler’s hand. That brand of serenity was lost on Daz in her day to day moments of unnecessary frustration, prone to anger and to confusion and so tragically unused to tenderness. Tyler Prince was not one that most would consider synonymous with the word tender, whereas for Daz these softer moments were so quintessentially Tyler.  “Don’t think I’m fully recovered just yet, monk.” The Brit mused as she stretched one of her legs before recoiling at the tightness in the overused muscles. “But I know she loves it so I guess it’s worth it.” Daz’ looked over to Princess who dug further into her side, reaffirming Daz’s idea that her adored pet understood every word that passed her lips. 

Tyler never intended on truly pushing the other. She really never had.. but she noticed.. when she did, Daz always matched it.. no matter how far Tyler ran, how fast.. she was always running behind, she’d catch up with some smart remark, play it off like it was nothing. Was it all an attempt to put Ty and her training to shame? Even if that was the case.. Tyler felt oldly proud.. and fucking right she adored the physic changes that came from Daz training with her. The other looked drop deap gorgeous.. not that Tyler could ever dare say such a thing. For the sake of both of their egos.

Just a bit further.. only a few more a minutes.. or.. only to the next beach house. That’s how walks with Tyler usually went if the Brit and her darling Doberman tagged along. It’s end in Tyler taking Princess’ lead for a final sprint while a certain somewhat sprawled in the sand, heaving, trying to recover. But the pair were well looked after. With Princess getting a bath, Tyler pulling Daz into the shower with her before making them breakfast, no doubt the rest of the day would be wasted away.    Hell.. if anybody was to step in on such a picture of the trio right now, they would surely get the wrong idea. Sprawled on Ty’s bed, the fighter rested her head on the others chest, tucked all too perfectly into her side, ear against her chest, listening to the steady strum of her heart while Princess lay on the side opposite, tongue occasionally reaching out to lick Daz’s arm or the underside of Ty’s chin.. as if to let them know that she was still there. “I see you, gorgeous.. I do..” She mumbled, reaching over, searching behind the doberman’s ears before glancing up at Daz. “Recovered yet?” She asked, moving an inked hand from Princess to run through the Brit’s damp hair. 

“Listen, I’m up for anywhere love.. I’m pretty sure my regular bars are gay bars..” Tyler confessed with a guilty laugh. “I’m down for anywhere new.” She promised, glancing to the other. “Hm, I mean there’s a tonne of beach front places around the Bay..” She pointed out, only knowing such a thing from living there. 

Tyler rolled her eyes at the others reply, not bothering to look back, knowing that the drunker side of her would end up getting into a god awful mood if she gave into the others comments.“Don’t flatter yourself, love..” Tyler insisted, moving onto through the crowd, leading with a sharp shoulder to slice through the many people. But hearing her comment, Tyler looked back at her. “See if it bothers me..” Tyler insisted, drunkenly running a hand through her hair. “Y’know I think you’re genuinely bothered..” They insisted. “Because if you didn’t give a shit.. why are you tailing me..?” She asked, giving her a drunk snicker, looking her up and down. “Baby we both know I’m not the only one who likes how it ends..” She boldly bit back.

Tyler took a deep breath. Sure she kept an eye on Diego, but there was days she went without eating.. or ate very little when she was cutting weight for a fight. Today was one of those days. Surely a salad would be fine. This was Diego.. she couldn’t leave him alone if she wanted to. “Of course I will be..” She promised. “It’s on me.” She added with a nod.