Cover by @LuvDarkAngel! Check out Jaxon's jaw, though!
"Watch my left, watch my left!" Coach barks when I fail to block another one his jabs.
This one hits me square in the eye and I have to surpress a groan. Fuck. That hurts.
"You're focusing too much on my fist, boy. Watch my entire body. The direction it turns will give away which arm I'm about to jab with." He advises and I shake out my arms and head, mentally getting it together.
I've been training for three weeks now and Coach has been busting my balls mercilessly. I come at the gym everyday at 5 am and work out for an hour with weights, exercises, and cardio. Then I train for the better part of three hours working the punching bag or skipping rope. Occasionally I spar with the other guys but not consistently. I'm not at that level yet. Coach is the only one I spar with everyday because he knows exactly what level to work me at. He doesn't give it to me easy though and I'm grateful for it. I've got a lot of work to do. I know he sees now how serious I am since the day I walked into his office with my gym gear in place, telling him that I'd respected his wishes long enough but just because he was my Coach didn't mean I'd let him call all the shots. I had more resilience than that and I'd planned on using it towards boxing. He'd watched me thoughtfully for a few minutes before telling me to get my ass into the ring. And that was that.
I've become more dedicated to the sport itself, putting in more hours than Coach gives me. I'm the first one at the gym and the last one to leave. I use the time between my training and my job to both nap and spend time with Lizzie. And if I'm up for it, I go back to the gym after my shift to put in more hours of exercise. Stamina and reflex are huge factors for boxing and I need both to be at its very peak if I have any chance of becoming good. At first, I put in my dedication to make up for all the lost time that could've been spent avenging Sam's dream. Now, I'm starting to understand the notion behind his passion because he was right; the sport is fucking thrilling. I fend off all of my anger and negativity through boxing, the adrenaline coursing through my veins when I fight. The accomplishment of losing all your energy at the end of training is so damn satisfying, it's easily become addicting.
Another punch lands on the side of my head so swiftly I'm pretty sure my brain rattles.
"Focus, Cage." Coach growls and I stray away from my thoughts. When you're fighting, everything about the game should be your only focus. I've learned the hard way that there's no room for anything except the fight.
"Now pay attention to the direction of my body."
He circles me and I watch him like a hawk. I see his body turn slightly right and I sidestep him as he delivers a right jab. I use advantage of his miss by throwing a counter punch and striking at his chin. His head knocks slightly back and I'm pleased as fuck.
"Good." He grunts. "Now, come on the offense."
I shift my weight on my feet, bouncing a little, before shooting my arm out in a right straight punch. Coach easily dodges it and returns with a left hook to my chest that just about knocks the air out of my lungs.
"You left yourself wide open, Cage. Every time you deliver a punch you need to make sure the other half of your body is cowered in as a shield. Again." He demands.
I decide to go for a cross. Covering my left arm over my chest as defense, I lunge a power punch with my right arm but miss again. Coach delivers a shovel hook at my miss, knocking my head to the side with a left hook and then backward with an uppercut to the chin. I stumble back and fall on my ass. Feeling a liquid texture in my mouth, I spit out over the side of the ring and see that it's blood.
"How the hell did you dodge my power punch?" I ask, silently fuming.
"You have the strength for a power punch but you were relying too much on your body. Your mind underestimated the distance between the jab and where I was standing. Only deliver a power punch if you're close enough to your opponent that you can strike him right where you want to. You do it from a far distance and all your energy will only meet air." He's helped me up now and he knocks his gloves against mine when I'm standing. "Again."
I stand at guard position, readying my rear hand at my chin. I step forward and see Coach match my angle, leaving his left side slightly open. At the last second, I switch sides, tucking my right hand in front of my face and crossing my left arm towards his left side, my glove meeting him square in the chest. He coughs out and I'm asshole enough to say it's like music to my ears.
"Better. Now defense."
I watch his body as it turns in correspondence to his left arm. It circles and I turn my body against it, ready to block. I don't even see his right arm coming as it knocks me in my stomach and another blow is landed on the side of my head, causing me to fall on my knees.
"Fuck!" I groan, clutching my stomach. I look up to glare at Coach because I'm feeling childish right now and he's smirking down at me.
"Thought I'd try my famous bolo punch. Still got it." He chuckles.
"How can you possibly trick your opponent every damn time?" I complain. He stares at me for a few moments and I realize that he's actually about to tell me.
"When you fake a strike, you have to make sure that your opponent's entire focus is on the faux arm. Not flicking back and forth between your body and the leading hand. It's easier to fake a strike with a cross, like you did earlier, but what's tricky about faking a hook is it's easy to see it coming. I can't even watch my own arm when faking a strike. I have to count on my peripheral vision and what the opponent doesn't realize is so do they. I saw your eyes watch my left arm and I had to keep my eyes on you while striking. It can be hard to land a precise hook if you're not watching it closely but that's where the practice comes in." I soak up every word, recounting in my head what I did wrong and how I'm sure as shit going to block him next time.
Almost as if he reads my mind, Coach points at me. "You're defense is your strongest point. It may be weak right now but I can see you have good reflexes and speed. You can pinpoint my next moves for sure. You just don't know how to block them. And your counterpunches are strong. If you expand on that, you can use it to your advantage to be a defense boxer. You'd be surprised how many KO'S one can deliver through defense."
"Counterpunches are easiest for me to deliver." I admit. Coach nods.
"We're gonna spar through defense one more time. We'll go over offense later but I want to expand on this right now." He gestures upwards with his hand and I stand up. We knock gloves. "Again."
We circle each other for a few seconds, arms up and at the ready. Don't watch him too closely. Depend on your peripheral, I remind myself. I pretend to watch his arms but I'm actually watching his feet. I don't think he realizes this, but Coach steps forward from the opposite side he punches with. I noticed this while defending most of his hooks and realize he's right. My defense is my strongest point. Determined to block this next punch, my peripheral watches his right foot step forward. He's going to strike with his left. On cue, his left arm shoots out to deliver a jab and I catch it with my right hand, effectively stopping it mere centimetres from my face. Grabbing his fist to stop the punch hurts more than I thought but I hold steady. I see Coach's eyes widen slightly in surprise before my right arm shoots out in a power punch. His strike bought him close enough to me that I know I can use that counterpunch now. I pack all my energy into the power punch and my glove hits him square in the nose. His head snaps back and he stumbles backward until the ropes of the ring stop him. Holy shit, I hit harder than I thought I could. Coach bring his forearm up to his nose for a swipe and when he bring it down for inspection, we see it's coated with blood. I note with sudden alarm that I just gave my Coach a nose bleed. Fuck, he's gonna eat my head for dinner. He surprises me then we he throws his head back in laughter and it's the only time I've seen him smile at someone other than Emily or Lizzie. He regards me with a grin and the adrenaline in my veins causes me to smile back. I'm hyped.
"There's the fucking money!" He shouts. I join in on his laughter as the adrenaline pumps harder and we knock gloves, this time in celebration.
"Again." This time it's me who says it. The rush I feel right now is fucking incredible.
"That's enough for today, Cage." Coach declines.
"I don't want to stop right now. I can keep going."
"Now, see, that's your ego talking." He turns on me. "I know the kind of adrenaline you're feeling right now. I know you feel invincible and your energy is sparking. But when the rush dies out you're gonna fight like you haven't stepped foot in the ring to begin with. It's going to take practice to maintain that adrenaline so you don't knock out when it fades. You're not there yet, Cage. You damn well take my word and call it a day." He scolds and I feel like ass because the celebratory mood is gone.
With a reluctant nod, I start stripping off my gear. I rid my gloves first, followed by my mouth guard and then my head gear. I unwind the wraps around my hands. Usually one would box with either the gloves or wraps, depending on the type of fight, but right now I need both for cushioning until my hands get used to the sport. Even with both layering, purple and red bruises cover the expanse of my knuckles. I don't feel the pain though. It just adds to the rush. Coach ducks under the ropes and exits the ring. I follow suit, heading into the locker room while he goes to his office. It's well after midnight and I'm the last one here, as usual. Stripping off my clothes, I step under one of the shower stalls and start the water. I let out a groan of relief as the water hits my back, cascading down my tense muscles and instantly relaxing them. My earlier adrenaline fades out and my body feels like mush. Coach was right. If I had fought any longer I would've received a spectacular ass kicking.
As usual, my thoughts stray to Emily when I'm alone and not preoccupied by my job or boxing or Lizzie. She's become a frequent figure in this newfound lifestyle of Lizzie and I. Sometimes she stops by the gym before work and those days I bring Lizzie because the two of them are becoming acquainted. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm not used to Lizzie being around other women and while a part of me feels that familiar fear everytime I see her and Emily together, I can't deny the happiness this brings Lizzie. Sometimes I'll make excuses against the two of them seeing one another and I know this hurts Emily. I always want to retract when I see the crestfallen expression on her face but it's for the best. The last thing I want is for Lizzie to get attached and then for Emily to not be around anymore. Because that will be how things end. It's inevitable that I'll push her away and I don't want Lizzie to feel hurt. I prioritize her above everyone else.
As for Emily and I, we're still dancing around our attraction. I very well know that I should personally stay away from her as well and although I try, it's proving to grow more difficult. Instead, I find myself gradually giving in to my physical urges. I've become more bold, stealing touches here and there and trying to play them off as innocent. I can tell this flusters her but the desire in her eyes usually fuels me on. Every day it gets harder to stay away from her. I'd assumed our attraction would've died out by now but I should've known that our connection was different. Hell, the first time I saw her, she just about knocked me on my ass from her looks alone. Then that uniquely awkward but sweet personality pulled me in and now I can't seem to step away. She's the complete opposite of me but all this does is intrigue me and I'm constantly trying to figure her out. I also want to fuck her. Really badly.
I groan at the familiar sensation of an erection starting. Who would think that I'd actually be annoyed of my constantly hard dick? Oh, yeah. Because usually it means I'm about to get some action but lately I've been on a bit of a dry spell. Admittedly I've hooked up with girls here and there, but the sex never left me satisfied. And I'm smart enough to realize it's because of a certain blue-eyed beauty that's been starring in every single one of my fantasies. Including this one.
I brace one hand against the tiled wall as the other travels down my stomach to grip my shaft. I imagine Emily on her knees before me, all soaped up and slick with water. I envision her pert breasts bouncing as her head bobs against me, taking me all the way in around that lush mouth. I can practically feel the strands of her hair brushing against my thighs, cheeks flushed and innocent eyes gazing up at me heatedly. I pump harder as my blood courses all the way down to my centre, my fantasy of Emily unleashing the rawest of desires. I jolt when a low moan escapes me and I come harder than I ever have. I swear my vision blurs as I ride out what has to be the most blissful orgasm I've ever experienced and it only derived from my hand and the image of an untouchable woman I'm lusting after. Pathetic.
A knock on the locker room door startles me and I curse when I regain hold of my surroundings. The fact that I just jerked-off to the thought of Emily while her father was right outside the door instantly deflates my dick. Fuck, this was getting out of hand. Literally.
I hop out of the shower and start dressing, all the while reminding myself that I needed to get over my desire for Emily or I'd probably be jerking off and taking cold showers for the rest of my life. I'd already been doing as such practically since the day I met her. Yeah, it was time to call it a day.
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A/N
So what are your thoughts on Jaxon's training?
The concept of boxing is starting to make its way into the story so I hope it's getting you all amped!
Thoughts on Jaxon's little episode in the shower? ;)
I know you guys are waiting for a kiss but trust me, it'll be worth it when it finally comes along!
Feedback or commentary would be gladly appreciated! Please don't hesitate!
Feel free to share and vote if you enjoyed this chapter!
Thank you :)