Brothers-in-arms

Billy groaned weakly as he felt a sharp pain in his ribs. He stirred slowly as the pain became more insistent.

"Hey, loser! Wake up! Mattie's on the phone," Anna's voice cut through the dark fog of his pummeled brain. She poked him in the ribs with her toe again, trying to rouse him.

"Phone...?" Billy moaned, trying feebly to wave her off. "My phone's missing..."

Anna snorted at his pathetic display, giving a slight little kick this time to show how serious she was. "It wasn't missing, dumbass. I heard it ringing this morning. It was in your bed. Jeez, your brain is so cooked huh?~"

The kick and the taunt had the desired affect. Billy finally let his eyes crack open, morning light filtering in through his lashes. His boxing gloves were still on his fists, untouched. Fuck, had he really been out all night on the living room floor after his mom was done with him? Had they just left him there?

His cock stiffened treacherously at the thought of being beaten and discarded. That was something Karen would do. Fuck, he really couldn't help himself, could he?

Billy groggily removed his gloves and took his phone from Anna. She gave his drowsy face a condescending pat before sauntering out of the room with a sway of her hips that Billy hated himself for enjoying. He then brought his phone to his ear. "Matt...?"

"Hey, bro. Have a rough night?" Matthew's voice came over the speaker, an amused lilt to his tone at his best friend's grumbling response.

"Nah..." Billy groaned, shaking off his fatigue. His whole body was sore from sleeping awkwardly on the hard floor. His arms and chin were especially so after Heather had smacked him around the room with the traitorous gloves he'd given her. Obviously he couldn't tell Matt about any of this, so he came up with a lie on the spot. "I, uh, just fell asleep in the living room last night. Slept wrong. It's been a weird couple of days..."

"So I hear," Matt scoffed, trying not to sound too amused. He was supposed to be sympathetic, and to a degree, he actually was, despite another part of him enjoying Billy's karma. "I heard about Carly nearly putting your lights out. What the hell, man? You gonna lose to my ex before you ever lose to me?"

Billy flinched at the teasing tone from his friend. Of course Mattie knew by now. One of the few things that had gone right that day was that Matt wasn't at the club. It had been humiliating enough to lose to Carly in front of Coach Lucy and all his other clubmates, but if his rival had seen that pathetic display, he would have just shriveled up and died. Especially considering the woman who beat him was the same girlfriend that Billy had indirectly caused to break up with his bud.

"Yeah..." the exhausted champ sighed, finally dragging himself off the floor and onto the couch. "I couldn't believe it when I saw her. She looked so..."

Billy silenced himself before he stepped out of line. He had never thought Carly was pretty until she had wiped the floor with him, but had to admit he could now see why Matt had always found her attractive. With her face and hair under control, she was solidly cute. It had been surprising enough to see her after so long, but she had gone from doughy and plain to a hard-bodied babe with cake for days! Now that she looked like the fighter she had always claimed to be, he could not deny that the new look suited her.

Her little chest cups weren't nearly as impressive as some of the girls he knew, definitely nothing compared to his mom and Karen's massive melons, but they were still nice and perky. Besides, Carly's defining features weren't her boobs anyway. She was pear-shaped, and fuck she had some amazing stems! Those legs and that ass were naturally large, but were now packed with obvious, shapely muscle, yet still had that exquisitely soft look that made her approachable and feminine. And her huge, mouthwatering glutes looked like she had a bowling balls packed into her shorts! Billy imagined her dangerous and sexy lower body flexing and pumping as she pummeled him in the ring, and had to suppress a moan as his dick throbbed.

"What can I say? I have an eye for diamonds in the rough," Matt said, saving his rival the trouble. He could hear the conflict in his voice, deciding to add another comment meant to fuel the guilt in Billy's brain. "Just like your sister. I told you guys she was going to rival your mom someday."

"What did you need?" Billy spat with more venom than he intended. The last thing he needed was to think about his undeniable attraction to his sister, especially now that he was aware she was friends with Carly. Picturing the two of them together, sneering at his inferiority, one girlfriend he'd cost Matthew and another that he'd lied to deny him altogether.

Yeah, that was equally arousing and shameful, which only magnified the affects of both.

"Touchy..." Matt chuckled, still sounding good natured. "It's not about what I need. It's about what you need. Let's face it, bro, you've been off your game for a couple of months now. It was manageable when it was just you and me, but someone else who isn't as nice is gonna take that title if you don't get your shit together."

Billy wanted to argue, but he knew that was impossible. Not against Matthew. He had noticed Billy's slip before anyone else, even Coach Lucy. The champ could see his rival holding back every time they had sparred lately, which was equal parts relief and humiliating. One second Matt would be pushing Billy like they had done so many times over the years, the next he would have to back off when the champ couldn't rise to the challenge.

"So here's what is going to happen," Matt continued, using the tone his best friend knew all too well meant he could not object. "I have the gym reserved for after hours tonight. That way we don't have to worry about anyone else being around. I told a bunch of the guys that we'll be there. We're gonna practice, party, whatever it takes to straighten you out. And maybe when you leave tonight, you'll have your head on right, if someone doesn't knock it off..."

Billy let out a wry chuckle at Matt's teasing. "How did you pull that off?"

"Please... You know Coach Henry will sign off on anything to stay relevant," Matt scoffed, earning a laugh from Billy. "I'll be there to pick you up at 7:30. Don't chicken out on me. Later."

"Later..." Billy said with a sigh. While Billy was nervous about facing his clubmates after his humiliating display earlier in the week, he knew he needed to get back in shape if he was going to pull himself out of this funk. He was grateful Matt was trying to help.

It made Billy think of how he and Matthew had always built each other up over the years.

The two had met at nine years old, in junior football. The American kind. They were fast friends, both the stars of the team. Billy was running back, while Matthew played receiver.

The two were absolutely unstoppable, even at that age. Whenever one of them got their hands on the ball, the team was almost guaranteed a touchdown, and the two would often compete for who would score the most. Usually this would be Billy. After all, why risk a pass when they could just hand off the ball to someone who would power through the line?

This never affected their friendship though. Both Billy and Matthew were competitive spirits, but still so humble and friendly that it was impossible for people not to like them. What's more, they always put the team first, and as long as the team won, so did they.

This would be the trend for the next several years. Billy and Matthew became best friends and rivals, always bringing the best out in each other. Football, basketball, soccer, baseball. Every team they were on was destined for victory, making their popularity skyrocket. But something else was slowly becoming more recognizable as time went on.

Billy always ended up being the star.

It wasn't intentional, it just always seemed to be how things played out. Billy always managed to find himself in the position that got the most attention. He was the pitcher in baseball, sometimes throwing shutouts without Matt's position as shortstop being necessary. In basketball, Billy was the point guard, being the driving force that always brought the ball down court, while Mattie was just considered the guy that gave him the ball.

Even track. Both boys were on a team that set a state record in the 400 meter relay. Matthew was the starter, always putting them way ahead at the beginning. But Billy, he was the finisher. That meant he was the one that always crossed the finish line, the name that everyone was chanting, the hero that was lifted on people's shoulders.

Matt got used to being in the shadows. In truth, he barely noticed since neither of them considered him to be in second place. He was never a glory hound, just playing for the challenge and love of the game, and big crowds weren't his thing anyway. Besides, he and Billy knew the truth. Neither one would have come so far without being there to push the other, so that was all that mattered. While everyone watching from the stands would see Billy as the leader of the pack and source of victory, the coaches and the team always knew that it was the two of them together that made the difference, and that was enough.

Until they started boxing.

Matt had hoped that having Billy in the club with him would be just like all the other sports they had been in together. Instead, the brawler caught a cold Billy's second week in, which happened to be when his best friend laid his girlfriend out in front of everyone.

Carly had been too humiliated to return, and insisted that Matthew avenge her defeat if he really cared about her. Matt tried to tell her that Billy had done it by accident and hadn't meant to embarrass her, but that only made the girl feel worse, that the newbie had plastered her across the canvas without even trying. They had argument after argument, always ending with her urging him to sleep Billy. It was a few months before Matt would get the chance, and by then he and Carly were hanging on by a thread, but he challenged his friend anyway.

It was the worst performance of his life. Matthew could have beat Billy back then. Billy was unbelievably good, but at the time, Matt was still better. Despite that, all he could picture was Carly crying and insisting that he bust his friend's chin and put him to bed. Matthew's punches were slow and weak. His guard was shaky. He wanted to avenge Carly like she pleaded, but he couldn't bring himself to think about his friend like she wanted him to, and that made his focus waver.

No one else noticed it. Billy had already made a name for himself as a rising star, so it wasn't too surprising that he was keeping up with "the cow's boyfriend." Billy himself hadn't ever done anything other than light sparring with Mattie, so he simply thought he had surpassed his friend thanks to Coach Lucy's private tutelage. No one understood the conflict behind his slow reaction time and lazy punches...

So much so, that Matthew received his first KO, courtesy of his best friend.

Matt managed to wake up before the count was over, but not get to his feet. It was embarrassing, knowing he could have done so much better if he went into the match with a clear head, but he congratulated his rival all the same. The friendly way Billy helped him after the match, saying it was a good try (even though it hadn't been) only reassured Mathew that Carly had blown things out of proportion.

The argument that followed ended their relationship.

Mattie threw himself back into the club. As much as he hated to admit it, without Carly bringing the mood down all the time, it became a lot more fun. Especially with Billy there with him, just like old times. Even the guys that had kept their distance because of his "crazy ex" started welcoming Matt into the fold. Just like in everything they had done, Billy and Matt quickly rose to the top, their friendly rivalry pushing the other to the top of the leaderboards. Despite losing Carly, Matthew finally thought things would be alright now that his team was united.

Except boxing isn't a team sport.

While Matt had almost a year of experience compared to Billy, his efforts focused on Carly coupled with Coach Lucy taking a personal interest in his friend had allowed Billy to close the gap in no time. It didn't hurt that Billy was about three inches taller and built like a brick house, while Mattie was more lean, making him unable to build as much muscle mass as the larger boy. This left Matt as the one trying to catch up after his first loss, though it didn't feel like it at the time.

In the coming months, Billy and Matthew became a league of their own. While they would train, spar, and fight with anyone, it was clear that the only real competition they got was from each other. Despite this, Matt could never quite close the gap he had left after being slept by his friend in their first real bout. Still, he never held any grudges. It just gave him a goal, and he was used to Billy being in the spotlight. It was frustrating when people didn't acknowledge him in favor of Billy, but it had become second nature over the years competing together, so he didn't let it stop him from doing what he loved. As long as Billy knew the truth, that was all that mattered.

"Gotcha again, Mattie! You should really give up on trying to beat me..."

This one comment changed everything. Billy had meant it in a playful way after his latest victory, just like he always had, but it confirmed something that had gone unspoken between them. Billy no longer saw Matthew as an equal. For the first time, Matt was jealous. He was angry. Hurt. He had thought they were always partners on equal footing, but Billy now officially believed his own hype. It built a resentment that Matt had never experienced before, and didn't quite know how to express.

For the first time ever, Matthew actually began training to defeat Billy, not just compete with him. He could finally feel the anger that Carly had wanted him to so long ago. He became determined to finally avenge her, avenge that first, pathetic loss, and prove to everyone that he wasn't some second place clown.

Unfortunately, Billy really was that good. Every time Matt improved, Billy would improve to match it, building off the dynamic that they had developed over the years. The two of them being as good as they were meant there was no one else Mattie could train against effectively, so when he and Billy would eventually compete, he had no surprises to throw, except a much more determined and ruthless attitude. This just excited Billy, and led to the fiercest fight either of them ever had, running a full eleven rounds of skill and brutality. By the end they were both exhausted, but Billy's reach and bulk would prove the deciding factor, and Mattie received the only other KO to his record that day.

"Sorry, dude. Still second place. Great fight though!"

Matt shook off the loss. He always did. He tried to pretend he wasn't frustrated by their new dynamic. They were still best friends, and Billy was still a great guy, but now Matt couldn't deny how much it hurt that he was now officially the lesser of the two, and that Billy didn't mind flaunting that.

"Let's face it, Matt just isn't as strong as me."

"Sure Mattie's good, but I know his every move!"

"Keep trying to close that gap, bro! Even if you're never going to catch up..."

Nothing was meant to be spiteful, but it stung all the same. Especially when it seemed like Billy was right. He just couldn't catch up. Not on his own anyway. Matt couldn't ask Lucy for help, not when Billy was her star pupil, and David and Henry just couldn't compare to her. Matthew could take down everyone else in the club with one hand behind his back, but Billy remained an unreachable goal.

Until one day, he wasn't.

In recent months, Matthew noticed Billy... slipping. It was slow at first, but his reaction time was off, his punches lacked power, and his guard was drooping. To everyone else, Billy was the unstoppable juggernaut he had always been. To Matthew, he was an open book. Unfortunately, that was the problem. He was too open.

His rival was distracted. Matt could tell that he hadn't suddenly surpassed his friend, it was that Billy had something on his mind. Something that was haunting him. Something like their first match, when Mattie couldn't focus on anything but Carly's words in his ear. He tried asking about it, but Billy would just wave it off. Whatever it was that was causing him to be off his game, he didn't feel like sharing.

Matt knew he had his chance. To avenge Carly, to avenge his worst performance ever, and to finally show everyone that Billy wasn't unstoppable. That Matthew wouldn't always be second place. But every time he would psych himself up for it, see that internal struggle give him an opening that was screaming to be taken, Matt hesitated. He knew the frustration of being at war with your own mind instead of your opponent. He knew the humiliation of losing a fight that way, when you know you are better.

When you know you are better...

Mattie sighed. He didn't want to win that way. He was a fucking COMPETITOR, dammit! He didn't take shortcuts. He wasn't second place in his own mind, he just hadn't caught up yet. Besides, for all the arrogant moments that Matt wanted to rub in Billy's face, the champ was still his best friend. He couldn't bring himself to pull an Old Yeller like that.

Matthew couldn't bring himself to tell his clubmates. It would be open season on the champ. They might all be friends in practice, but Matt knew there were too many of them eager to be the one claim Billy's chin.

"Always the fucking gentleman..." he'd muttered to himself. Still, he happened to know someone who needed to hear about the champ being human...