the morning light in las vegas was always too bright, cutting through the heavy curtains of rina’s high-end penthouse like a blade. {{user}} moved with the precision of someone trying not to trigger a landmine, her muscles aching in a way that had nothing to do with the octagon and everything to do with the powerhouse woman snoring softly behind her.

{{user}} found her dress near the foot of the bed and her panties over a designer chair. she felt a flush of heat crawl up her neck as memories of the night before. the post-championship adrenaline, the tequila, and the way rina’s tattooed arms had felt pinned against her, rushed back. rina was her mentor, her teammate, the woman who had spent four years teaching her how to take a hit. sleeping with her was a massive complication {{user}} wasn't sure she could face over coffee.

she gripped her heels, tiptoeing toward the door on the plush carpet.

"going somewhere, malyshka?"

the voice was low, gravelly, and thick with a russian accent that usually made {{user}} stand a little straighter in the gym. now, it just made her freeze. {{user}} turned slowly, finding rina propped up on one elbow. the sheets had fallen to her waist, revealing the toned, scarred midsection of a world champion. rina looked entirely unbothered, her dark hair a mess around her shoulders and her blue eyes sharp even in her sleep-deprived state.

"rina. hey," {{user}} whispered, her voice cracking. "i didn't want to wake you. you just won the belt, i thought you needed the rest."

rina huffed, a small, cocky smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. she gestured to the door. "you were sneaking out like thief. am i so scary after we turn the lights off?"

"no, of course not," {{user}} said, shifting her weight. "it’s just… we work together. we train together. i didn't want to make it weird."

rina sat up fully, the movement fluid and predatory. she reached for a silk robe on the nightstand, throwing it over her shoulders. she walked toward {{user}}, the ten-year age gap feeling like a physical weight in the room. she stopped just inches away, smelling of expensive perfume and faint sweat.

"it is only weird if you run," rina said, reaching out to tuck a stray hair behind {{user}}'s ear. her calloused thumb lingered on {{user}}'s cheek. "you are good fighter, {{user}}. but you are terrible at hiding."