Michael allowed his new found friend to finish cleaning him up, taking a long drink of luke-warm water to wake the poor boy up.
He was shaken by the harsh beatings, and by no means did he think he could withstand it much longer.. but something bigger than Michaels want to succeed? Was his arrogance, his ego.
His intentions with coming to this ring were clearly about money before, his bank account mocking him and every life choice he's made thus far.
But now? He thrives off of something he never had, something so eerily new to the young fighter.
Power, Michael was high off power.
He wanted to train harder and prove himself. He would deny admitting he wanted to prove himself to the tops of the ring, but.. who else pushes him to his limits the way they do?
He knows he's good, however. The red haired fighter is quick on his feet, an easy learner when it comes to fighting in the moment, picking up on the skills and quirks of his opponents.
And he only feels like it'll get better from here.
Henry was long gone, out to go train since he booked himself for some ring time. Michael wanted to watch, allow his mind to absorb any new techniques and things to avoid when fighting.
The young fighter dug through his bag, still basking in the blissful silence that was ever so disrupted with the ringing in his ear.
Did Luke really feel the need to clock him in the side of the head?
His nimble fingers reached up to press against his ears, gently toying with them to try and wish away the barely-there ringing. However, he finally found his bottle of expired pain killers, his safe haven.
The white bottle peaked from a shirt in his bag, so he allowed himself to leave the ringing be for now and pour two to three beautiful white pills that his body had grown so addicted to, into the palm of his very beaten hand.
He reckons he saw some bandaids in there too.
He swallowed them dry, taking a seat on the bench to allow his body a solid second of recovery, and as well as a couple of minutes for the painkillers to kick in.
"Clifford! Stop wastin' our time and get up off your ass, your training with Irwin now, remember? Or did Hemmings knock you too hard in the head?"
So much for a moment of bliss.
The red haired fighter hissed as the loud voice booming through his aching skull, reaching up to massage his temples delicately before he stood up himself.
"Right.. training with-.. yea."
His responses was slurred and quiet, so much so that Calum barely heard him. Maybe this boy really was high as a kite.
"What have you taken?" the man demanded, not leaving Michael any room for negotiation or backing down. Michaels eyes only widened slightly at the sudden tone change, yet he shrugged it off, that being the same response he gave to tall fighter in front of him.
Calum rolled his eyes, stepping closer whilst observing the area around and behind Michael. Could it be molly? Weed? He's acting too slow for it to be coke.. so he wasn't looking for any white residue.
"Speak, now."
"Fucks sakes," Michael mumbled quietly, stepping back. His heart started beating faster against his chest, his pulse picking up the pace. Sure, he was just as power hungry as the other three, but in no way was he actually as powerful as them. He would cower away if that would avoid conflict.
"Nothing! I took nothing, will you back off mate?"
Calum chuckled bitterly, repeating back what he found so amusing.
"Mate."
He stepped towards him again, arms coming out to push against Michaels chest harshly in the way that had him gasping for air. His back was now pressed against the raggedy lockers behind him, chin tilted upwards by a large hand.
"Call me mate again and you won't be walking out of here anytime soon, you understand me kid?" The older fighter spat, getting real close and quiet right next to Michaels ear. He could feel the slight tremble in the boy.
He smirked triumphantly.
"Okay, fine I-"
"Do you understand?" he repeated, voice smooth and unnervingly calm. Michael was sure he was about to pass out right there and then and he couldn't exactly pinpoint why.
Was it the fear? The adrenaline? The very bad decision of taking expired medicine?
Neither, it was neither one. But it was however the way his stomach knotted at the tone of voice, and how rough yet gently the hand was gripping his chin.
"Understood."
His voice shook with each syllable to the word, hands balling into fists as his sides as he feared looking the man towering over him in the eye.
But Michael was never great at making decisions.
He glanced up to meet the deadly, dark, and dead eyes glaring back down at him. They shared a message with him, spoke more than he's ever heard the three men speak combined.
The fighters eyes spoke to 'Tread lightly.'
Michael was going to take that advice and run with it.
—
It was closing time, and by closing time, that meant that the ring girls began kicking the public junkies out of the stands and onto the streets.
Some fighters began to pack up and go home yet others stayed for some quiet training time.
After getting yet another grand beating, Michael was off to the locker room, leaving three men to converse amounts themselves.
Who else had an injury? Oh, Ashton of course. Michael really gave what he could take and it paid off, slitting the mans plump lips to the point of bleeding and positioning his own body in a way that resulted in a very satisfying crack to be heard from Ashton's hand.
His fingers didn't look quiet right, but they haven't in a long time.
"He really knocked you around, huh Ash?" came a teasing Luke. He draped his lanky body against the ropes of the ring, resting his cheek in the palm of his hand.
Ashton popped his jaw, rubbing it slightly before groaning quietly. "Pipe down, Hemmings. He was gonna snap eventually, the kids not bad." he retaliated, taking a seat on the rings padded floor to begin wrapping his hands tightly.
Luke snorted and shook his head, thinking back to the fierce moments Michael and Ashton shared. He couldn't help but wish Michael fought like that with him instead, wanting nothing more than to have an excuse to put that kid back in his place.
Calum on the other hand was leaning on the other side of the ropes silently, arms spread as he lost himself deep in thought.
He was stuck.
Stuck thinking about how fucking petrified Michael looked trapped between himself and the lockers early. He felt every movement and jitter from the younger boy, felt every god damn breath.
The fact that he could scare Michael like that? The feeling was exhilarating.
What topped off the cake however? When they finally met each other's gazes, because it took Calum a hell of a lot of effort not to drop his pissed stance for one of sympathy.
He loved to emit that kind of fear, but for some reason, it irked him a bit to see it radiating off their younger fighter in waves.
"Hood, you comin'?"Ashton called out, gym bag slung over his broad shoulder.
Within the time he became lost in thought, his two companions have already packed themselves up and were ready to go grab a beer or something.
A childish snicker from Luke was heard at the basic question, muttering a quiet "he will be" before jingling his car keys, heading out of the ring.
The Māori only nodded wordlessly, slipping from the ring to grab his own bag, pulling a hoodie over his head. It was green, the contrasting message of 'empathy' splayed across it. Calum had no empathy, no self-control, no nothing.
"What's up with you?" questioned the black haired man.
Calum hummed and met the gaze of the man he's grown so comfortable with.
"What do ya' mean?"
"What's up with you, mate?"
Mate.
"Nothin', don't worry your pretty little head about it." he whispered, leaning over to press a quick kiss to the man's cheek.
A soft smile was shared between the two before they went out to meet up with the blonde haired man, beginning to wait impatiently within the car.
The funny thing was? Ashton already knew what was bothering his fighter to no end, because after that fight he had with the same spitfire? He was a little shaken up too.
—-
the infiltration of michael has begun!!
also peep the PDA FINALLY.
i keep disappearing and i sincerely apologize 😭 i'm always open to comments (they're my favs) and questions and even tips for improvement or other ideas!!
i also had an idea for a fifa inspired fic where michael is brought in as the new kid, the new player and the team captain + his second MEN in command are his idols. lots of locker room sex post-practise if u get what i mean. i'll take thoughts abt this fic ideas as well 🤭