The door banged open, and she stumbled back into the locker room.
Bloody.
Bruised.
Victorious.
Spotting her bestest mate Iasmin, Elzabeta's lopsided smile bloomed into a radiant one. A triumphant one. "Did you watch me fight? I won! The title is mine!"
Iasmin rolled her eyes and unfolded her long legs, then the rest of herself off the bench she'd been glued to for what felt like an eternity. Her own personal little purgatory, which she went back to time and time again.
Her home away from home, where all she could do was wait. As close as she could possibly bring herself to be, but so far away. Too far, in case the worst should ever happen.
"Congratulations, 'beta."
She never watched Elzabeta fight live.
Couldn't.
Her heart wouldn't be able to take it.
Not that she'd ever told her.
"Now come here, and let's look at the damage."
Elzabeta's stocky form swayed slightly as she agreeably ambled over and let Iasmin grab her head. Check her pupils. Mouth. Tongue. Teeth. Run her hands over reeking, perspiring, bloody skin with what would seem like surprising intimacy to outsiders.
They were just friends, after all.
The fighter's finger bothered her, and she lifted it to her face. Flexed it. Grimaced.
Ow.
Her opponent got her good with that one.
Distracted by the movement, Iasmin glanced off to the side. At the big strong hand she was so familiar with.
Always willing to help.
To carry her things.
Hold doors open.
Protect her.
There was a ring of teethmarks on one of its fingers.
She grabbed it, which made Elzabeta wince. Iasmin did some quick calculations. Went white as a sheet. "Oh shit. She bit you."
Elzabeta shrugged easily. "Not the first time I've been bitten by an opponent, Yaz."
Iasmin wouldn't allow herself to be mollified. "It's a full moon, 'beta. It's your ring finger. And she's some guy's wife. Remember her promo?"
"So?" Elzabeta didn't see what the big deal was. Opponents were like dogs. Sometimes they bit you, but that was just part of playing together. They didn't really mean it, and usually apologised for it once play time was over.
Iasmin's gaze didn't leave her face. "So you could become a werewife."
The fighter burst out laughing. A deep, warm belly laugh that filled the cold tile-and-metal room. That was a good one. Her best mate since forever always knew how to crack her up.
She looked into unwavering, dead serious eyes. Her laughter faltered. Faded away. "Oh. You're not joking."
Iasmin slowly but emphatically shook her head. "No, I'm not."
Panic bubbled up. Anxiety rushed in, flushing out Elzabeta's combat high.
"shitshitshitshitshit what am I going to do?" the fighter babbled. "I don't want to... become someone's wife one day a month!" That's how were stuff worked, right? Once a month, you turned into the other part of the word? "Is it just anyone that's in the vicinity? Randomly?" A terrifying thought struck her. "What if it's your brother?!"
Big brown eyes threatened tears at her anchor. "You've got to help me, Yaz! You're the smart one! There's got to be something we can do!" she begged.
Iasmin briefly closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. This was it.
"Well... The bad news is that there's no known cure, but to stop yourself from turning into a wife..."
Stopping herself from turning into a wife sounded good. Elzabeta perked up. She'd just known Yaz would know what to do. She always did. "Yes?" the fighter asked hopefully.
"You couldn't turn into anybody's wife... if you already were one, right?" The words tumbled out of Iasmin's mouth in a rush, as if she needed to speak them into being before it was too late. Before she had second thoughts about them. She held her breath.
Elzabeta cocked her head. Frowned. "... huh. Yeah." That made sense. "You're right..." Smiled. See? That was smart. Her best mate Yaz knew everything. Had saved her hide so many times.
Anxiety spiked again, and Elzabeta's smile faltered. "But it's no use. Nobody's going to want to marry me! Just look at me! I'm not wife material! At all!"
Iasmin slowly released her breath. Squared her shoulders. "... I'll marry you."
"Yaz, you can't!" Elzabeta was horrified. "Don't throw your life away! Not for me! I can't let you sacrifice yourself like that for me!" Yaz should marry for love! Not to pull her ass out of the fire! Again!
A long, slender finger gently tapped against Elzabeta's temple. Turned into a soothing caress. "How long have we been friends, 'beta?"
Elzabeta's face scrunched up in thought. Lost count. "I don't know, more than twenty years? Forever."
"Would you say we're good friends?" Iasmin asked carefully as she coaxed the fighter to the bench and climbed into her lap.
Arms went around her instantly. What a silly question. "You know you're my best mate, Yaz. That's why I can't let you do this!" Elzabeta was obstinate. Gallant. She couldn't let her do this. Yaz should marry someone beautiful and smart, like she herself was. That fit her. Who could give her what she needed.
Iasmin rested her forehead against Elzabeta's. "How long have we been roommates, 'beta?" she asked with all the patience in the world.
The fighter thought back. Yaz had just started college when Elzabeta's mom had kicked her out, so... And then her best mate'd bought a place for the two of them to live in after she'd graduated... She counted on her fingers. "Twelve years?"
Luckily their bed at home was less cramped than Yaz's dorm room one had been. Elzabeta'd always been deathly afraid of crushing Yaz if she rolled over in her sleep and ended up on top of her.
A smile. A soft peck. "You see? Nothing has to change. We'll just continue on as before. You'll just be... safe." Iasmin breathed. "Let me do this, 'beta. Please."
Elzabeta frowned as she cuddled Yaz. Slowly considered this solution from all angles. She didn't deserve Yaz. Yaz deserved the world, not to be chained to a dumb meathead like her just to help her out of a jam.
That was one thing she was sure of.
She also knew Yaz could be stubborn as hell if she thought something was the right thing to do, and wouldn't let this go. It was one of the things she really liked about her best mate. Besides the fact that she was gorgeous, smart, funny and big-hearted. And it was a solution, where she herself had none.
Iasmin shifted and looked into Elzabeta's eyes again when she felt her mountain of muscles stir beneath her. It had taken over a minute, but a Decision had been reached.
"Okay. Thank you for saving me. I accept. Let's get married." Elzabeta agreed. She held up a finger. Not the one with the bite marks. "But!" This was important. She had to do it right. "When you find someone you love, I'll divorce you so you can marry them instead, okay? Or if we ever find a cure. I don't want to ruin your life by shackling you to me."
A longer kiss. "Deal." Iasmin breathed.
Maybe 'beta would forgive her, if she ever figured it out.
And maybe one day, she'd even forgive herself.
