Status: My first fanfic : ) Hope you all like it!
Fighting for Her
Commando
And I feel, so much depends on the weather... So is it raining in your bedroom? And I see, that these are the eyes of disarray... Would you even care? And I feel it... And she feels it...
Riley clicked the radio off and dropped her arm on her lap. The rest of the car ride was quiet. She always turned to music to make her feel better, or even feel energized. But not today. She was just too tired. She turned her head to look at Tommy who hadn't said anything after they left Ryan's house. He stared ahead intently, eyes focused on the road.
She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt a soft wet kiss on her forehead and let the vibrations of the road put her to sleep.
Tommy's nostrils flared at the sight of her bruises. He gripped the steering wheel tighter and took large breaths to subdue his rage.
Riley felt the truck come to a slow stop and Tommy slightly nudge her.
"Ri, we're here." His voice was a soft whisper against her ear. She groggily lifted her head and looked out of the passenger window. Her apartment made her shudder. She didn't want to go in there yet. All she could think of was Ryan open the door and slamming it behind him.
"Riley?" Tommy's voice brought her out of her daze. She looked at him and shook her head.
"I can't." She choked back tears and buried her face in her hands.
"Okay. It's okay." He brought her into his arms and she let herself cry.
--------
Riley suddenly felt at ease once she saw the front door of Tommy's house. The neighborhood was relatively quiet, a part from some kids playing in the snow a few houses down. She noticed the long Oldsmobile was still missing.
"Where's your dad?" She followed closely behind Tommy like a little duckling.
"Church. And then he's got his AA meetings." He swung the door open, letting her in first. He flicked on a light, and Riley was instantly greeted by the familiar coziness of their home. She pulled off her leather jacket and grey sweatshirt and hung them on the coat rack by the door.
"Where's the bathroom?" Riley stared at the family pictures that hung on the wall and grinned.
"Just down the hall. Second door on the right." Tommy yelled from the kitchen.
She walked down the hall and found the small bathroom. She gasped when she saw herself in the mirror. Her skin was pale, and her eyes tired. She threw her messy hair up in a ponytail and splashed water over her face. Her bruises were getting darker, and they still stung at the touch. She quickly pulled her hair tie out and smoothed her hair down, making sure to cover the bruised part of her face.
A few seconds later she came out of the bathroom to find Tommy sitting on the couch watching TV. He held up a beer towards her and she took it with a smile. Slumping down on the couch beside him, she took three large gulps of the ice cold beer.
"Slow down there champ." Tommy chuckled and took a sip of his own beer. Riley stuck her tongue out at him and he smiled. The butterflies in her stomach began to flutter. His gaze left hers and fell back to the television.
Coverage about an MMA fighter named Koba joining the tournament had got his attention.
"Ten weeks left until the Sparta tournament and the hype continues for the War on the Shore in Atlantic City and you know what that means: the great Koba, bringing his act stateside. Let me ask you about the other guys. What are they thinking entering a winner take all tournament against a guy that seemingly can’t be beat?"
"They’re thinking five million dollars, and five million dollars is a lot of money, but they’ve gotta remember one thing: they’re going against Koba. Mission impossible. Game over. Go home."
A montage of Koba's most famous knock-outs comes on after the commentators. A huge Russian fighter mercilessly beats and destroys each fighter he's paired up with.
A small gasp escaped Riley's mouth. Tommy quickly grabbed the remote and changed the channel.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't even thinking." He turned to see her wide green eyes staring at the screen. She grabbed the remote from his hand and clicked the channel back to the MMA coverage.
"You want to watch this?" Tommy stared at her with lifted eyebrows.
She only nodded, staring, mesmerized by the footage.
"You have to fight him?!" She pointed at the screen, mouth agape.
"Maybe." He smirked. "If he gets knocked out before I get to him, then no."
"How many other fighter's are competing?"
"Fifteen."
She bit her bottom lip. "Are you scared?"
He laughed at how worried she was getting. "No. I've been through worse."
She was quiet now. Of course he's not scared you idiot. She rubbed her forehead, accidentally touching her bruise. She let out a sharp yelp.
Tommy put his hand under her chin and turned her head slightly. "Let me see." She could feel his breath on her cheek.
"I'll be right back." He ran up the stairs and came back down holding a round plastic tub. He kneeled in front of the couch so he was eye level with her.
"What is that?" Riley watched as Tommy unscrewed the top and put some of the white cream on his fingertips.
"It'll help with the bruising and numb the pain a little." He lightly dabbed the cream on the side of her face.
"How long am I going to be stuck looking like this?" She watched as he studied his own movement. His fingers were gentle against her skin as he spread the cream.
"Well, your skin didn't break so that's good." Once he was satisfied with himself, he screwed the lid back on. "But it should go away after a couple of days."
She groaned a little and cracked her fingers nervously.
"What? You have a hot date or something coming up?" He sat back down on the couch and watched as she bit in the inside of her lip.
"I'm going to see my parents on Tuesday for Christmas." She leaned her head back, just picturing what her mother was going to say.
It didn't even feel like Christmas, Tommy thought. The last real Christmas he celebrated was overseas with his unit. Trying to shake the somber mood in the room, he stood up and walked towards the cabinet the TV was on.
"Wanna watch a movie?" He rifled through the DVD's his dad owned, amazed that he had upgraded from the VHS movies him and his brother would watch when they were younger.
"Sure. I should probably call Anna and let her know where I am." Riley pulled her phone out of her jean pocket. The screen was black. It was dead.
"Do you have a phone charger?" Suddenly she realized that she had never actually seen Tommy with a phone. She cocked her head to the side. "Or a phone?"
He looked back and laughed. "No. I know. Its really bad." Riley smiled and shook her head slowly. "I just never had time when I got back and don't ever have time now. And I never really needed it." He stood up with two choices in his hand.
"Okay. We have Rocky or Commando." He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.
"That's easy. Schwarzenegger." She took her shoes off and curled her feet to the side.
"Are you hating on Stallone?" He furrowed his brows at her as she laughed. "I don't think we can be friends anymore Riley Mae Brighton." He put the movie in and jumped on the couch.
"Ooooo! You used my full name, I must be in trouble." She said playfully.
"You are!" Tommy laughed loudly. He grabbed her ankles and dragged her closer to him, setting her feet on his lap. She giggled and laid her head on the throw pillow. He rubbed her feet casually like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Thirty minutes into the movie Tommy looked over and Riley was fast asleep. He nudged her lightly and she shifted onto her stomach.
She can't possibly be comfortable, he thought. He got up and leaned over her.
"Ri." He brushed her hair back and leaned closer to her ear. "Riley."
With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and stared at him.
"Ri, do you want me to take you home?" His full lips pursed in question.
She shook her head slowly and closed her eyes.
------
The front door opened and Paddy walked through, flipping the light switch. Tommy sat up with a start, scaring his father in the process.
"Tommy. What are you doing sleeping down here?" He eyed the pillow and blanket Tommy had brought down from the upstairs bedroom.
Tommy rubbed his face with his hands. "Riley's sleeping upstairs."
"Oh. There's two beds up there." He poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Yeah, she's had a rough day so I thought she'd like the privacy." Tommy stretched his back on the couch.
"Alright well I'll be listening to my stories. See you at 0-500." Paddy walked down the hall and into his bedroom.
Tommy laid back down on the couch with his arms folded behind his head. His eyes flew open when he heard a scream from the upstairs bedroom. In three leaps he was up the stairs and walking through the bedroom door. Riley sat up in Tommy's bed breathing heavily, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"It's okay Ri, it was just a nightmare." Tommy sat at the edge of the bed and brought her in an tight embrace. Her shaking subsided once he wrapped his arms around her.
"Tommy..." Riley leaned her head back so she could meet Tommy's eyes. He waited patiently for her to continue. "I don't want to be alone."
He swallowed hard and whispered to her, "Don't worry, Ri. I'm not going anywhere."
Riley clicked the radio off and dropped her arm on her lap. The rest of the car ride was quiet. She always turned to music to make her feel better, or even feel energized. But not today. She was just too tired. She turned her head to look at Tommy who hadn't said anything after they left Ryan's house. He stared ahead intently, eyes focused on the road.
She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt a soft wet kiss on her forehead and let the vibrations of the road put her to sleep.
Tommy's nostrils flared at the sight of her bruises. He gripped the steering wheel tighter and took large breaths to subdue his rage.
Riley felt the truck come to a slow stop and Tommy slightly nudge her.
"Ri, we're here." His voice was a soft whisper against her ear. She groggily lifted her head and looked out of the passenger window. Her apartment made her shudder. She didn't want to go in there yet. All she could think of was Ryan open the door and slamming it behind him.
"Riley?" Tommy's voice brought her out of her daze. She looked at him and shook her head.
"I can't." She choked back tears and buried her face in her hands.
"Okay. It's okay." He brought her into his arms and she let herself cry.
--------
Riley suddenly felt at ease once she saw the front door of Tommy's house. The neighborhood was relatively quiet, a part from some kids playing in the snow a few houses down. She noticed the long Oldsmobile was still missing.
"Where's your dad?" She followed closely behind Tommy like a little duckling.
"Church. And then he's got his AA meetings." He swung the door open, letting her in first. He flicked on a light, and Riley was instantly greeted by the familiar coziness of their home. She pulled off her leather jacket and grey sweatshirt and hung them on the coat rack by the door.
"Where's the bathroom?" Riley stared at the family pictures that hung on the wall and grinned.
"Just down the hall. Second door on the right." Tommy yelled from the kitchen.
She walked down the hall and found the small bathroom. She gasped when she saw herself in the mirror. Her skin was pale, and her eyes tired. She threw her messy hair up in a ponytail and splashed water over her face. Her bruises were getting darker, and they still stung at the touch. She quickly pulled her hair tie out and smoothed her hair down, making sure to cover the bruised part of her face.
A few seconds later she came out of the bathroom to find Tommy sitting on the couch watching TV. He held up a beer towards her and she took it with a smile. Slumping down on the couch beside him, she took three large gulps of the ice cold beer.
"Slow down there champ." Tommy chuckled and took a sip of his own beer. Riley stuck her tongue out at him and he smiled. The butterflies in her stomach began to flutter. His gaze left hers and fell back to the television.
Coverage about an MMA fighter named Koba joining the tournament had got his attention.
"Ten weeks left until the Sparta tournament and the hype continues for the War on the Shore in Atlantic City and you know what that means: the great Koba, bringing his act stateside. Let me ask you about the other guys. What are they thinking entering a winner take all tournament against a guy that seemingly can’t be beat?"
"They’re thinking five million dollars, and five million dollars is a lot of money, but they’ve gotta remember one thing: they’re going against Koba. Mission impossible. Game over. Go home."
A montage of Koba's most famous knock-outs comes on after the commentators. A huge Russian fighter mercilessly beats and destroys each fighter he's paired up with.
A small gasp escaped Riley's mouth. Tommy quickly grabbed the remote and changed the channel.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't even thinking." He turned to see her wide green eyes staring at the screen. She grabbed the remote from his hand and clicked the channel back to the MMA coverage.
"You want to watch this?" Tommy stared at her with lifted eyebrows.
She only nodded, staring, mesmerized by the footage.
"You have to fight him?!" She pointed at the screen, mouth agape.
"Maybe." He smirked. "If he gets knocked out before I get to him, then no."
"How many other fighter's are competing?"
"Fifteen."
She bit her bottom lip. "Are you scared?"
He laughed at how worried she was getting. "No. I've been through worse."
She was quiet now. Of course he's not scared you idiot. She rubbed her forehead, accidentally touching her bruise. She let out a sharp yelp.
Tommy put his hand under her chin and turned her head slightly. "Let me see." She could feel his breath on her cheek.
"I'll be right back." He ran up the stairs and came back down holding a round plastic tub. He kneeled in front of the couch so he was eye level with her.
"What is that?" Riley watched as Tommy unscrewed the top and put some of the white cream on his fingertips.
"It'll help with the bruising and numb the pain a little." He lightly dabbed the cream on the side of her face.
"How long am I going to be stuck looking like this?" She watched as he studied his own movement. His fingers were gentle against her skin as he spread the cream.
"Well, your skin didn't break so that's good." Once he was satisfied with himself, he screwed the lid back on. "But it should go away after a couple of days."
She groaned a little and cracked her fingers nervously.
"What? You have a hot date or something coming up?" He sat back down on the couch and watched as she bit in the inside of her lip.
"I'm going to see my parents on Tuesday for Christmas." She leaned her head back, just picturing what her mother was going to say.
It didn't even feel like Christmas, Tommy thought. The last real Christmas he celebrated was overseas with his unit. Trying to shake the somber mood in the room, he stood up and walked towards the cabinet the TV was on.
"Wanna watch a movie?" He rifled through the DVD's his dad owned, amazed that he had upgraded from the VHS movies him and his brother would watch when they were younger.
"Sure. I should probably call Anna and let her know where I am." Riley pulled her phone out of her jean pocket. The screen was black. It was dead.
"Do you have a phone charger?" Suddenly she realized that she had never actually seen Tommy with a phone. She cocked her head to the side. "Or a phone?"
He looked back and laughed. "No. I know. Its really bad." Riley smiled and shook her head slowly. "I just never had time when I got back and don't ever have time now. And I never really needed it." He stood up with two choices in his hand.
"Okay. We have Rocky or Commando." He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.
"That's easy. Schwarzenegger." She took her shoes off and curled her feet to the side.
"Are you hating on Stallone?" He furrowed his brows at her as she laughed. "I don't think we can be friends anymore Riley Mae Brighton." He put the movie in and jumped on the couch.
"Ooooo! You used my full name, I must be in trouble." She said playfully.
"You are!" Tommy laughed loudly. He grabbed her ankles and dragged her closer to him, setting her feet on his lap. She giggled and laid her head on the throw pillow. He rubbed her feet casually like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Thirty minutes into the movie Tommy looked over and Riley was fast asleep. He nudged her lightly and she shifted onto her stomach.
She can't possibly be comfortable, he thought. He got up and leaned over her.
"Ri." He brushed her hair back and leaned closer to her ear. "Riley."
With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and stared at him.
"Ri, do you want me to take you home?" His full lips pursed in question.
She shook her head slowly and closed her eyes.
------
The front door opened and Paddy walked through, flipping the light switch. Tommy sat up with a start, scaring his father in the process.
"Tommy. What are you doing sleeping down here?" He eyed the pillow and blanket Tommy had brought down from the upstairs bedroom.
Tommy rubbed his face with his hands. "Riley's sleeping upstairs."
"Oh. There's two beds up there." He poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Yeah, she's had a rough day so I thought she'd like the privacy." Tommy stretched his back on the couch.
"Alright well I'll be listening to my stories. See you at 0-500." Paddy walked down the hall and into his bedroom.
Tommy laid back down on the couch with his arms folded behind his head. His eyes flew open when he heard a scream from the upstairs bedroom. In three leaps he was up the stairs and walking through the bedroom door. Riley sat up in Tommy's bed breathing heavily, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"It's okay Ri, it was just a nightmare." Tommy sat at the edge of the bed and brought her in an tight embrace. Her shaking subsided once he wrapped his arms around her.
"Tommy..." Riley leaned her head back so she could meet Tommy's eyes. He waited patiently for her to continue. "I don't want to be alone."
He swallowed hard and whispered to her, "Don't worry, Ri. I'm not going anywhere."
♠ ♠ ♠
<3