Chapter Text
The sun was now high above the buildings. Another early morning of practice. The sounds of flesh meeting leather and heaving breathing filling the rooftop. Clearly the last few matches were getting to him. The losses pilling up as of late. He was getting sloppy. Sweat dripped down his bare torso as he took a deep drink from his bottle.
Damnit! Why did everything have to go to shit? That night was like a broken record now.
'You can't keep doing this…' concern was laced in Viktor’s words. Worry painted across his face. He rinsed the washcloth in his hands in the washbasin before dabbing the open cut above Georgi’s eye.
'Vitya, he was talking shit about you,' Georgi growled fists clenched on his knees. 'I'm not going to sit back and let some asshole slander your name.'
'That doesn't mean you punch him in the mouth. You never act this way…'
Viktor never knew the whole story of his past. How he used to fight in the underground rings. He ran with the wrong crowd. Viktor had met him as he was getting out of that and into real boxing rings. Viktor had been his beacon of light in his dark life. Somehow he had gotten drawn back in. Damn JJ and all the rest of those assholes.
Standing, he went back to his workout. How the hell was he going to get out of this? He had just paid off all his debts to JJ, or so he thought. Fuck… he needed to get out of this mess and quickly.
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JJ's underlings showed up at the event he and Viktor were attending for Viktor's new ad campaign launch. They cornered him as Viktor stood alone for pictures on the red carpet unaware of the exchange.
"JJ has requested you come back to his ring. He needs you to help with some new recruits," the man cut to the chase.
"Why the hell does he need me? I'm out of that business, I paid my dues and then some," Georgi spat.
"You have a way with the young ones though. They won't listen to Otabek," the other sneered. "And did you really believe you were out?" The men both laughed.
"You tell JJ to call me himself," Georgi growled before schooling his face and walking past the men to join his date.
The men then went into the crowd of reporters. “Viktor! How does it feel having such a tough guy as your date?” The first one asked.
Georgi’s jaw clenched as Viktor turned toward the question. “It feels great. Georgi has been nothing but wonderful to me.”
“What do you think about his past in the underground? Are you afraid the past will come back to haunt him?”
“I don’t know much about his past and I’m not sure why anything would haunt him,” Viktor answered confused.
“Viktor!” The other hollered then, “How do you feel now that you are now another notch on his bedpost?”
Georgi whispered into Viktor’s ear, “Don’t, Vitya. They will ask worse.”
“Okay, I’ll trust your judgement.”
The rest of the party went without a hitch. Both men enjoying their first official outing together. As everything was winding down, the pair said their goodbyes and headed for the door. They were greeted by paparazzi with rapid questions and cameras. JJ’s men were in the mix again throwing insults this time.
Georgi did his best to shield Viktor from the horde getting him into the limo quickly. Turning around to glare at the assholes sent to torment him, they stepped closer so they could only be heard by the boxer. “Your date looked good tonight. It would be a shame if something would happen to him.”
“Leave Viktor out of this. Just have JJ call me and I will discuss the job,” Georgi ground back.
“All right. All right,” the man put his hands up defensively. “But when you’re done with that…” he motioned to the car, “Maybe you will actually have some taste again and ask Anya for forgiveness.”
Before he could think or even hear the last part of the man’s words, Georgi punched the man in the mouth. “You son of a bitch! You don’t ever talk about Viktor that way! He doesn’t know anything about that part of my life and I hope he never does!”
As soon as the first fist was thrown, the crowd thinned leaving only the shadiest of paparazzi. Of course they had their cameras out snapping wildly as the three men fought. Security broke up the small crowd and pulled the taller of JJ’s men off of Georgi as he swung once more, nailing him in the eye with a ring.
Georgi stood up, chest heaving from the scuffle. When he looked around he noticed the limo was gone. Damnit when did Viktor leave? How was he going to explain everything? He’s never let his temper get out of control before, especially in front of Viktor.
FUCK!
Dialing Viktor’s number, Georgi began to walk. No answer. Trying again 4 more times, he gave up and texted.
[ Vitya, are you alright? I’m sorry. Where are you? Did you make it home? ]
Pocketing his phone, he kept walking to his apartment. It was across town, but Georgi needed to get his thoughts in order. After a few blocks of walking his phone buzzed.
[ From Vitya: I’m fine. ]
Good he made it safely. Georgi was almost to his building when his phone buzzed again…
[ From Vitya: are you okay? ]
[ No but i’ve been worse so don’t worry your pretty head. ]
That was the last time Georgi heard from the model for a few days. He stayed in his apartment doing nothing but sitting on his small balcony, glass of bourbon in hand watching the city below. He ran a hand over his face wincing when he grazed the untreated cut above his eye.
JJ had called him the night before letting him know of what exactly he wanted. All he had to do is train a few new fighters. No matches himself in the ring. He would be paid well for his efforts. Georgi had agreed to those terms telling his former boss he would stop by the gym later in the week.
Deciding he should sober up, he got up and went to shower. Before he could get to the bathroom however, the doorbell rang. Who would come here?