Old Flames Reunite

"Really now?"

He wouldn't say that was entirely true. If his performance in bed was to be compared with fighting, then he'd have said his performance as a lover was downright hellish when it came down to his skills. Still, Tsukiko never did know to hold herself back, much less restrict herself from mincing words and insulting someone else. To his honest surprise, even his eyes growing a little wide, he found her leaning into him and relaxing her frame against his like he was a stone slab.

Surprisingly enough, he didn't wrap his arms around her at that moment. He stared at her quietly and kept his arms to his side as she spoke in that soft melodious tone of voice.

"You actually thought a name I came up for you was sweet?" He did forget though. Yet, it felt like it was still lingering within his mind, somewhere. It wasn't even some half-assed attempt just to impress her either. He really did feel like some part of that memory was there, just buried beneath booze, women, and whatever crap he felt about himself to boot.

Her eyes were gorgeous. He stared down at her and quietly hummed a gentle tune from his throat the second she planted her smooth backside right up against his package. He wasn't even going to deny the subtle motions and rising heat that grew from the mere gesture alone, but the fact that her hands had dug into his waistband let him feel skin. That very same skin of hers that was pressed up to him at some point in the past, the two of them sweaty, panting and moaning the other's name like no tomorrow.

Up until she pulled away and left the man hissing softly before he winced. It wasn't from the gesture but her words regarding his little fuck-up. Hard to call it that when it was on purpose. For the most part, he did actually look ashamed, but there were reasons for that. He crossed his arms over one another and watched his old flame slip beneath the ropes and into the ring.

Crossing his arms over one another, he closed his eyes for a single moment before peering at Tsukiko.

"...Hmph, still haven't changed, eh? Alright, fine, let's do this. One quick little spar and we'll see how far the other's come or if we've fallen behind. I hope the same can be said about you, Tsu-chan." Within moments, the man grabbed a pair of stray gloves and lobbed them into the ring. A fitting size for Tsukiko unless her hands grew...

Strolling forward and bending beneath the ropes, the man pulled himself into the ring and promptly tossed aside his shirt. From a body littered with subtle scars to one gruesome one across his body, he was as built as one would expect from a fighter turned manager.

Kicking up a pair of gloves from the side to his hands, he raised his brow over to Tsukiko and gave a simple nod. A spar and that was it. The two weren't going to go at it, but if there was one thing about Tsukiko he knew well?

It was that she was going to be trying to vent a lot at him and it was his job to hold out. If he could...

How does that old phrase go again? Greasin' someone's wheel? Jerkin' their chain?...Shit. Tsukiko was terrible at remembering metaphors. Along with wherever her cell phone or car keys were buried in amidst her mountainous piles of laundry back home. But what she did remember was how to coerce people into following her own conversational flow through sly coercion and perhaps including a salacious touch all her own. It turned out that interrogating perps and talking them into divulging pivotal information was a tad easier for Tsukiko whenever she upped her seductive charm factor a few levels. It's not like the other detectives could comfortably seat themselves on a perp's lap and whisper sweet nothing's into their ear. Tsukisko just considered it a rare benefit to being a smokin babe with years of experience in wielding handcuffs amidst a department comprised of hairy alpha males with more beer gut than brains.

The silver-haired detective employed those specific set of skills in getting her point across to Roman about what he passed up in exchange for bar maids at sleaze-riddled strip joints. Perhaps exaggerating his proficiency underneath the bed covers just to build up his ego a little. Guys like that. However everything else she alluded to with her words and gestures held a kernel of truth. He did think up a sweet name for her whilst in the midst of them rocking eachother's world. Just a shame his booze and drug addled brain didn't remember it, no thanks to being punched in the face for a living she imagined. And the big lug was acting like a rock for her at the moment as she remained propped against his chiseled frame. A friendly port amidst a sea of uncertainty. And she gave him props for actually fighting his temptations and keeping his hands to himself for once. If she didn't know any better, she'd say he was learning...

"Psssh, yeah right!!!! You know you'd end up missin' this ass if I changed and got all responsible and shit." Tsukiko brightly smiled before catching the boxing gloves, now starting to fidget them on after placing her holster and sidearm off to the side where anyone could snag them. But they'll be fine, don't worry about it. All that talking was definitely a load off her mind, but now it was time to exorcise some physical stress by partaking in some good ol' fashioned fisticuffs. Tsukiko tightening the strings of her last glove with her teeth before starting to hop about to limber herself up, afterward approaching the middle of the ring. Perhaps caught looking at that sculpted abdomen and pecs of his now that Roman was shirtless. Although it was the scar across his upper body that gave her a concerned look before she shook her head and steadied her composure and boxing stance with a confident smirk after they touched gloves. "Come on, Rommy. Need to make sure you haven't grown soft teachin amateur gymnasts how to put on a headlock..."

"Who's to say I still don't miss it already?"

He left it with a light tease, but the truth of the matter was that much of Tsukiko's personality and brightness came from her chaotic self. If she started handling desk work and driving by the state laws, he wouldn't ever be able to see her in the same light as before. Not to mention the fact that her personality was what made her a good cop. Mess with her and she'd throw the book at you. Literally. She literally threw a book at someone's head. He was pretty sure she cracked their skull...

Regardless, even as he began to lace up the gloves and tighten their grip upon his wrist and hands respectively, he still thought back to the nights before. Sure, he flirted and spoke a lot of trash, but he was still a man by then.

Even as she tossed aside her gun and holster, his eyes drifted over to the weapon and he winced. Honestly, knowing his luck, something stupid would happen and he'd be the one getting in trouble for it. After all, it wasn't every day you challenged your BOSS to a fight just for the fun and experience of what kinda person she was.

Better to keep that one quiet...

Still, he wasn't going to be 'duking' it out with Tsukiko. As much of a man of gender equality as he was, and she knew that very well, he didn't exactly wanna go ahead and start popping her in the face. That and because if he did, he was pretty sure she'd start going feral and take it seriously. Then she'd start wailing at his body with killer blows that put men thrice his size down on the floor.

Cracking his neck and stretching his torso, he held no shame over the scars upon his body. Just as much as she observed him, he took in her frame. Despite the slightest bit of pudge building around her waist, mainly because she certainly didn't lay off the donuts, she was STILL a woman of the force. He glanced at the slightly concerned look she had before offering her a simple wink. It might have been flirtatious, but it was really just a,

'Don't worry about it, okay?'

He kept a simple stance, focusing more on protecting his face and keeping his guard tucked around his chin while smiling at her. Even after touching gloves, he could see the excitement building in her eyes.

"You and I both know I couldn't teach a hold even if you paid me to do it. Besides, let's still if you've been keeping your paces, Tsu. So, go ahead, show me whatcha got!"

Whoever coined the term truth is stranger than fiction must have known someone in law enforcement or once worn a badge themselves. Strange not even beginning to approach the degree of surreal stories an officer can accumulate after a lifetime spent on the force. Tsukiko did just so happen to coldcock someone with what in actuality was a phonebook, except it was to a French violinist/drug-dealer pretending to be blind and only after she had chased the scumbag halfway through an active construction site. Steps that may have seemed a tad extraneous considering that sliding underneath forklifts and swinging off wrecking balls was involved. This was certainly the opinion shared by the police chief after she returned with him in handcuffs. But Tsu didn't have time to adhere to regulations when her only lead to the inner workings of a smuggling ring was parkouring through the streets like an acrobat on speed.

Luckily today was unfolding considerably tamer in comparison, even if it was about to entail duking it out with a renowned underground pitfighter. Tying on her pair of boxing gloves wasn't performed with any trepidation though since she knew Roman got the gist of what the policewoman was intending for this to be. A warm-up exercise/spar meant to sharpen their senses and fighting instincts that may have dulled in their time apart, donut caused or otherwise. Spying the battle scars on his ravaged torso gave Tsukiko cause to balk slightly in spite of her having seen them hundreds of times by now. She wondered if she'd one day see them and not have warmth swell up inside her alongside an inkling of concern...regardless, she wished Roman hadn't caught her looks of unease. Tsukiko averting her eyes towards the side of the room where the coffee machine was, clearing her throat and hoping to God he doesn't make a big deal out of that.

"...Lord. Still cannot believe this place was desperate enough to hire a slacker boozehound like you. You must be runnin a scheme on this company or something." Tsukiko quipped with a suspicious smirk, inquisitive eyebrow raise, and crimson eyes fixated on his. All before touching gloves and getting the honorable gestures out of the way. "Well come on, Rommy. Least you can do is put up a good fight while giving your students a peek at how it's done~..." A boxing stance afterward adapted with her knuckles facing the ceiling and leveled with her own head, but a guard position that allowed for more freedom of movement rather than being planted to the canvas. Loose knees and a bobbing sway to her fluid movements as she smiled at Roman, her competitive zeal already beginning to show as she approached first with a few attempted jabs at this head merely to test his guard was still up to snuff.

"...Ya know, you've still got a killer rack."

It was almost incredible how he could ruin a single conversation within seconds, but that was just his way of helping people out and switching topics. The way she strayed her eyes and even cleared her throat. His scars weren't that much of a secret, but you don't go telling people you were military for a bit, went a little rogue, and proceeded to become a contracted killer at some point. It wasn't that important and it was a part of his life that he didn't have a handle on as much anymore.

Nowadays he lived his life helping out Sabrina and making fighters stand on their feet and start swinging.

But, it was hard to believe he'd met Tsukiko again. She was as beautiful as the day he'd first met her. Which wasn't exactly too kind either, now that he thought about it. That night while he was drunk and high on 'victory'...

What was the name he gave her?

"Please... I only decided to challenge the boss though to a fight. Probably the worst idea I've had, but it'll pay off. You can never get a good grasp on someone and what they are until ya've slung it out with them," and mentioning the fact that he decided to pick a fight with Momentum's boss wasn't that good of an idea, but it was still nice to share about, wasn't it? "And if I was running a scheme, I'd have been long gone by now, Tsu!"

Roman adopted a simple stance that focused on guarding around his chin rather than his body itself. If Tsu took it to his body, he was sure he could withstand it, begrudgingly anyway. Smiling over at his shorter sparring opponent,, he simply made a 'come hither,' motion with his gloves and chuckled. "Yeah, well I got no faith in the lot of 'em, especially the valley chick... Ugh, she's gonna drive me up a wall."

Shifting his guard, the man kept his arms up and loosened his body. Unlike planting himself unto the ground, the man had shifted about and slowly stepped back. He was keeping it mobile and blocking off his face, keeping a small smile on his face all while doing so.

"Eager? Jeez, you're just gunning for me, aren't ya? Did ya miss my mug that much?"

Tsukiko's detective sense wasn't raising any blaring alarms when Roman started professing his innocence in regards to scheming to perpetrate any crimes against his new employer. So for now she'd believe in the unlikely scenario that he was earnestly trying to make an honest living for himself far away from the blood spattered concrete of establishments with ties to the Yakuza. Although the trail of reasoning that ultimately brought her to this conclusion relied less on believing Roman was being an upstanding citizen, and more on the fact he's not incompetent enough to even attempt grand larceny on a multi-million corporation. But apparently he was still dim-witted enough to duke it out with his new boss, the general manager of Momentum and...wait what?

"Wait what? You tellin' me...You tellin' me you challenged Winterbourne to a freakin' fight?!" Tsukiko halted the witty banter and backpedaled a step to separate themselves from the boxing action, cocking an eyebrow in utter disbelief at what she thought he just said. "You...do know she's like got more money than God, right? A chairwoman of a corporation with advancements in the field of... shit, I think everything. What on Earth would possess you to-...oh wait, I know. Fight's back on." Tsukiko adopted a judgmental glower along with a menacing demeanor, dukes raised with seemingly a darkened aura surrounding her as she approached with a few pelting jabs at his guarded stance to keep Roman on the defensive. Stepping towards him with beaming red intensity in her eyes.

"Soooo...why don't ya tell me more about this G.M. friend of yours? Hear tell she's quite a looker..." Tsukiko interspersing the oppressive strikes swatting at him with further inquisitive questions, not even waiting for the response before proceeding with the next interrogating query. "Now, why do I get the distinct impression that you're interest in Winterbourne stems from more than just wanting to make a good impression on your boss...I bet ya offered to take her out to dinner, didn't ya?...Flirtatious wink here or there...Starting to think you might just have a thing for silver haired girls. Or do you just like laying on the charms to any skirt in your immediate vicinity?" In case it might not have been abundantly clear yet, Tsukiko was decidedly miffed from hearing about Roman silver haired lady on the side...

Imagine his surprise when Tsukiko pulled away and decided to call an impromptu timeout for their spar. The manager and former soldier simply glanced at his old flame, his gloves at his sides as he casually peered at her with something akin to humor and sly wit in his expression. Even his eyes danced with something that was fitting for a prankster as he glanced at her near-gobsmacked expression.

"Course I did. The only way you're ever gonna know how someone works and thinks is by fighting 'em. Business types are the worst since you've either got douchebags or total snobs. She's intriguing though, I'll give her that much," and it was a worthwhile investment opportunity. He had probably made the most BRAZEN attempt on someone's workplace whilst also cementing himself as a significant card. His manner of 'politics' wasn't even in politics, but in how he thought and went about things.

With Momentum opening its doors to slews of styles, that just meant slinging leather was going to be a little more challenging to celebrate. So, why not try and secure a decent friendship with someone else whilst also trying to give your fighter the best of the best, right?

"Exactly. Money, funding, and... Wait, what's up?" Oh, great, he knew that look anywhere enough. She had adopted a rather judgemental look on her face, enough to make even Roman shudder like he was some fish flopping out in the middle of a desert. The second she stepped back in was when he forced his guard back up, feeling pelting blows SLAM into his arms with an intensity in her eyes that'd put the fear of God in any lesser man.

"Wow, is this really what we're doing right now? Could you..." She didn't even give him enough time to try and speak before swatting back at his limbs AND moving back on with the questions. It was like she was the wife waiting for her husband to come back home and berate him for going out and enjoying a strip club with your friends.

Alright, a terrible analogy, but the point behind the whole thing stood, right?

"It's mostly for business, Tsu! Hell, I've got a fighter myself and... Ah, shit that's stinging... With the way things are going, I might as well make an impression! I mean, yeah I offered dinner if I won, but win or lose, I'm still securing a win for my fighter. Plus, I don't... I mean, maybe? Huh, now that I think about it..."

Did he have a thing for women with silver to near-white hair? Was that his kink? It'd explain a lot of romances now that he thought about it, but that was something to consider later. Another punch smashed into his arm and the man had to step back. More of that and Tsu would just drill holes through his limbs before snapping his face off.

"And if I liked any woman, I'd even go for that girl with that stupid valley accent. C'mon, I have SOME class, ya know? Besides, it's all business and a bit of pleasure... If you really want, I can take you out sometime instead, huh?" That was appeasing, right? Give a girl some food and treat her nice and things were forgiven.

Right?

Malice incarnate continuously encroached upon Roman with every needling inquisition being accompanied with a strengthened strike to his wisely secured guard. Whatever whimsical flirtatiousness and lighthearted levity behind the spar being succinctly usurped into what passerby's would estimate was a legitimate boxing match between the two. Tsukiko's silver stream of hair swaying around to coincide with whichever orchestrated direction her swift-footed approach was taking her. The sanguine shade to her iris' showcasing the demonic wrath within the malevolent menace now honed in on the fighter with a severe case of Foot In Mouth disease. Even trained police officers back in her precinct, who patrolled gang infested neighborhoods and cut their teeth squaring off with Yakuza thugs, swiftly throw in the towel whenever Tsukiko started becoming this maliciously unhinged in the middle of a sparring match.

Although in hindsight, she only had herself to blame...alright she blamed Roman too. But what was she thinking? Actually believing this utter numbskulls smooth talking, affectionate buffoonery again. Puppeteered like all the rest of his bubble-brained conquests like she was just another honey across the bar. Tsukiko mistakenly figured that after what was seemingly a genuine attempt at a reputable lifestyle untainted by the criminal element, Roman may have curbed his lothario playboy lifestyle in the process. Guess it served Tsukiko right to think this lunkhead could ever learn to keep it in his pants for once in his miserable life. Although she was at the very least fortunate to be in the perfect position to express her seething frustrations as the boxing match continued unencumbered until Roman mentioned taking her out to dinner. A proposal that brought the spar to an immediate standstill as Tsukiko paused in mid haymaker.

"...Take me out sometime..." Tsukiko quoted back with a spectral aloofness. "...Take me out sometime?!..." Repeating once again with a more venomous inflection. She began using her teeth to bite on and untie her gloves, separately pelting the gloves at him with each malicious utterance of "YOU!!!...SUCK!!!" before Tsukiko started marching back towards her holster beneath one of the corner turnbuckles. However when she made it halfway she spun around in her seething outrage to give Roman a piece of her mind. "You know. Here I am thinking you might have gotten a clue and started acting like a halfway decent guy. Started makin me feel special, huggin me, callin me beautiful. Then you talk about how you did this exact same thing with Princess Winterpants!!! YOU DITCHING ME WAS HOW THIS PLAYED OUT LAST TIME. So let's just cut to the end, and you can fuck Winterskank in a luxury VIP box for all I care. See ya around..." Tsukiko scoffing bitterly on her way back to reclaim her firearm.

He knew he had stepped onto a landmine when he brought up the boss.

Sure, was some part of it motivated by carnal desire? Absolutely. He'd be an asshole if he tried to lie about it. However, a good majority of it was for Sabrina's career. That little shit was a spitfire of her own; if he was going to keep to his deal and give her a fair shot, it meant trying to get good and well with the boss. He was pretty sure she wouldn't ever sleep around, much less with him. She seemed stern, perhaps open, but hardly anything close to what he felt for.

Still, a decent person so far. He could get behind that and the... Well, he did have a thing for women with white hair. It was honestly his one weakness. Tsukiko's next strike nearly splintered his guard his half and left the man reeling with a hiss as he whipped his glove around, shuddering beneath the blow before glancing back to her and sighing.

'Ma was right about one thing. Women are like the ocean. Ya just can't understand 'em, can ya?'

"I literally just meant it as..." She had frozen on the spot before biting into the gloves like an animal. Ripping laces and untying them before she THREW them! He stumbled back after one smacked him right on the nose and left him wincing sharply at that. Even if the glove wasn't containing a human fist at the moment, Tsukiko had a hell of a throwing arm on her for a woman of her size.

"Tsu, would you... Jesus! Hey! Could you calm down for a split second!?"

The man huffed and loosened his gloves as best he could while chasing after her the whole while. He didn't want to make her pissy, but it seemed it ran deeper than what he had thought. Even as he tossed the leather mittens aside and let them flop uselessly to the ground, he actually stepped back just as she spun around and pretty much let loose.

And when she did, he didn't exactly have a sharp comeback for once. He just stared at her and sighed softly, dragging a hand across his scalp and closing his eyes for a few moments.

"...I never held her the way I did you. Didn't even greet her or act like I did around you either. I was blunt and perverted, sure, but it ain't like that either, Tsu. I... Look," he walked over and reached out for her wrist rather than her shoulder.

Mostly because if he grabbed her by the shoulder, she'd instinctively or more than likely PURPOSELY throw him out the ring and onto the hard ground. He'd seen her flip bigger men before and she made it look like a cakewalk.

"I... Look, I could probably make up a bunch of stupid reasons for what happened back then. Honestly, I could, but I know that ain't right either, Tsu. I fucked up. I know I did... I'm not asking you to give me another chance either. I sure as fuck don't expect it," he sighed before biting down on his tongue briefly. A spike of pain erupted across his mouth before he glanced over to the head of white hair with a huff. "But I do wanna see you again like before. Hell, I'd like to spend my time with someone familiar and someone I like."

He paused once more and tilted his head to the side before giving a simple nod. The air was already tense enough as it was, but lying or acting sheepish didn't do anyone good. It just made things worse.

"I do think you're special though. Yeah, Winter's got a whole fortune to her name, but she ain't got as much bite as you. She's nowhere near as determined as your ass is and believe me when I say, nobody's ever beaten you when it comes to you being you. Tsu, just look me in the eyes for this bit? Please?"

It was a simple thing. A simple request. He couldn't force her to stay and he wouldn't force her to go forgive him either. However, he sure as hell planned on trying to do his best.

And he could only do that if she at least faced him for his honesty.

No, Tsukiko did not think she was overreacting, for your information. In fact, she believed she was handling this situation with delicacy, self-restraint and temperance. Fucking OODLES of temperance. Hey, you try having your cheating ex-boyfriend come back into your life, start attempting to rekindle that old flame the two of you shared from what felt like a lifetime ago...only for him to start bragging about his recent sidechick. Some very justifiable outrage withstanding, Tsukiko inwardly was a swirling whirlpool of virulent emotions. None of them being particularly pleasant with combustible elements all combined into the chemical explosion that is a spurned maiden's betrayed heart. Tsukiko understood she was probably playing into the chauvinistic stereotype of women being overtly emotional and illogical banshees, but we wouldn't have to act this way if men weren't all block headed asshole cavemen who let what in their pants guide all their actions.

Questions started being raised within Tsukiko at a rapid-fire pace throughout this entire interaction. What the hell did she ever see in that smirking pitfighter in the first place? How could anyone be so insufferably thick? And why did she care so much about where she stood in Roman's eyes anyway? Wh-Whatever. Not like it matters anyway. The goon probably has dozens of "prospects" on speed dial who he can reach out for his booty calls, including the filthy rich Winterbottom. Tsu knew she needed to let off some steam pronto, most likely involving working out and clobbering the ever-loving shit out of a punching bag she envisioned possessing the face of the guy who was the cause of her rotten mood in the first place. Whatever was holding her back from doing so after her bitter tirade were the hand firmly clasped onto her wrist, and Roman's words making it crystal clear as to where his romantic allegiances apparently laid.

In all honesty the grip on her wrist was wholly unnecessary considering this profession of his would have stopped her in her tracks regardless. Tsukiko remaining steadfast in her silence until swiveling around to meet him eye to eye, a weathered gaze from her as if already knowing where he was going with this. A shimmy of her wrist wriggling his hand free in a cold gesture...but stepping forward until he could hear the sincerity of her words and feel the warmth within her tone of voice. "...you're a real blockhead, you know that?...*sigh*...it's alright. I know you well enough to recognize when you're being honest. And when you're legitimately sorry for somethin'. But I'm not about to spend any more time thinking about a guy who can't decide what he wants. If you want a word of advice though, I'd start listening to the voice in here..." Tsukiko mentioned while pointing at his heart. "...and less so listening to whatever the hell is going on up here." Tsu concluded with a poked tap on his forehead.