The Danger Zone

Billy began talking Miranda through it, VERY carefully.

For his own safety, he hadn’t even held pads for her to hit earlier, so this would be Miranda’s first time swinging at something solid. Billy used that as a cover for his cautious explanations that she should only throw punches that he can see coming - so she didn’t hurt HERSELF, by jolting her wrist as the glove slammed into his head.

Miranda seemed to actually buy into his words - and came back with one fateful question might have saved him.

“S-So, where should I be aiming?”

Billy immediately saw an opportunity. Of course! She didn’t need to be swinging for his head. He was just so used to women doing that by now, that all other options must have slipped his mind… Or maybe Aunt Judy had somewhat dulled his sharp wits with her drunk milf punches. Maybe leaving him sprawled out **** in the living room overnight was not the only effect she’d had on him, just the most obvious one…

In any case, feeling back on his game now with the idea planted, Billy responded quickly.

“Punches to the body can be pretty effective at draining your opponent’s energy,” Billy suggested, gesturing to his abs.

“Draining energy. Right…” Miranda nodded, cute focus on her face. “Umm… Do you mind blocking some, before you start dodging? I don’t want to hurt my wrists…”

Guhhh. Great. Reluctantly, Billy agreed, figuring it would be fine if it was just blocked bodyshots.

With a serious look on her face, Miranda squared up, and took a deep breath. Then, slowly and one at a time, she began throwing those punches she’d trained at his strong, athletic torso.

Billy was glad to see them all coming. Miranda really was obvious with when she was about to throw a punch. She had no subtly at all, giving Billy ample time to react. Each time a punch came in, he tensed his abs and moved his arms in the way.

…WHOP!

…WHOP!

…WHOP!

He was blocking punches to the body like a pro, but Miranda had a surprising amount of **** behind each shot. Her loaded gloves were still hurting his arms, and as they grew more tender, his subconscious grew more **** to put them in the way of her attacks.

…WHOP!

…WHOP!

WHOP!

“Ooofff…” air escaped Billy’s lips as he under-defended one of the punches, letting more **** than usual through to his body. Miranda tilted her head at his reaction, and pulled her gloves back cautiously.

“Are you okay?”

Billy took a moment to gather the air back, Miranda’s watchful eyes never leaving him. A second later, he replied.

“Yeah… Dodging is better than blocking, because you don’t get hit at all,” Billy said. “Normally I would be dodging all of these instead. The **** that gets through a block can still add up.”

Miranda winced. “Oh… Sorry, I must be draining your energy, huh? With these body shots? I’m sorry… We can do dodging now…”

And to Billy’s relief, that’s exactly what they did. His arms were still sore, and he was still a little winded, but it didn’t matter - he stepped out of the way of each and every lumbering punch, avoiding her clumsy attacks with ease.

Miranda was awestruck every time he made one of her punches swung wide. How was he so good!? She had no idea how obviously each of her punches were telegraphed before she threw them.

After about a minute of dodging some body shots, Billy had thoroughly impressed Miranda. She stepped back, lowering her gloves. Now SHE was the one who had to catch her breath.

“Wow!” she said between gasps. “You’re incredible!”

“Thank you,” Billy smiled. “That’s championship-level dodging right there. Now how about we get those gloves off you and-“

“Wait, but you said you dodged with head movement, right? How does that work?”

Miranda barrelled through Billy’s attempt to end it here, too hopped up on awe and adrenaline. Pausing to think, Billy spoke slowly. He wasn’t out of the danger zone as long as she still had those gloves on.

“Oh… Well, if you’re punching for the head, that’s different…”

“So where do I aim then? Your cheek?”

Fuck. Was she just curious, or did she actually want to try it…?

Fuck.

Counterintuitively, Billy decided to tell Miranda the truth. Sure, punching someone in the cheek ISN’T actually the most effective way to knock them out, so you might think that lie would protect him… But with those gloves on, it would probably still do it. It would probably still sleep him. If he could set her sights on a smaller, more difficult to hit target, then it wouldn’t actually matter if it was the more effective one to hit, and she would have more trouble landing anything on it.

Besides, if Miranda was just curious and didn’t want to try it, he would feel like a lameass for giving her misinformation for his own “safety”. This was his nerdy little cousin, he shouldn’t be afraid of her!

After a brief pause, Billy sighed, and then told her the truth, setting Miranda’s sights on a smaller, weaker target…

“The cheek can work if you hit it…” Billy began. “But really, you should be aiming for the chin. It gives the most leverage, spinning the head around the hardest… It’s everybody’s weak spot.”

“Wooowww…” Miranda spoke, amazed, her eyes drifting down to stare at Billy’s chin. After a few seconds, she added a question. “…You have a weak spot?”

Billy grimaced. He didn’t like the way Miranda had asked that. A bit too interested.

“Everybody does.”

“I guess I just didn’t think YOU did…” Miranda seemed lost in thought. Suddenly, her face scrunched up. “Wait, but THAT’s your weak spot? But… It’s so ****! Exposed! You must get hit in the chin all the time…”

As she spoke, Miranda slowly stretched out one gloved hand, as if to caress Billy’s chin. To soothe his poor, weary weak spot. He pushed the glove away before it came too close, boiling with embarrassment and defensiveness now.

“Oh! Sorry…” Miranda said sheepishly, seeing the look on his face as he pushed her arm away. She hadn’t even really realized she had been absentmindedly reaching for it…

“For the record, I NEVER get hit in the chin,” Billy said. “Like I told you, championship-level dodging.”

“But… Sorry, but… It’s right there! It sticks out!” Miranda said with disbelief. “Can you really dodge punches with it…?”

Billy knew what answering that question would mean for him. He knew what would come next. But realistically, there was only one answer he could give. So, taking a deep breath, he gave it.

“Yes.”

And just like that, the game was on. With much begging and praise, Miranda convinced him to give her a demonstration, just like he did with the bodyshots. And soon he was dodging overloaded punches aimed right for his most **** spot.

“It’s all leaning and ducking,” Billy explained, trying to keep himself calm and cool as he leaned away from one of Miranda’s obvious punches. She missed by a mile.

He knew what he was doing. This was natural. All he had to do was not overthink it, and listen to his body.

Miranda didn’t reply, just stepping forward and swinging for his masculine chin, his unexpected weak spot. She was amazed at how hard he was to hit, and it became all the more impressive when she was trying her hardest to hit him. So that’s what she did. Throwing leather at that strong jaw with everything she had.

Billy kept moving, gracefully dodging everything. She was a day-one boxer with no athletic experience. He knew he had nothing to worry about. But she sure was throwing those punches together quickly, and normally he’d be able to interrupt them with a well-placed punch of his own…

Miranda swung wide with too much ****, sending her stumbling for two steps. For a moment it looked like she was about to fall face-first into the floor, and Billy quickly stepped in to help her…

…Only to have her catch her balance and whip around with another wild punch. Billy’s eyes bugged out, seeing that dangerous female fist coming straight for him.

Billy leaned back quickly, moving his head out of the way as much as he was able. But he hadn’t been in a good stance for it, he had been hurrying over to catch her. And so, finally, Miranda landed one punch.

Her heavy glove grazed the very tip of his chin, but it was enough. The blow spun his head around, shocked expression turning a little bit stupid as the unexpected punch stunned him.

“Dhnn!”

“Your chin! I got your chin!” Miranda was jubilant.

The girl jumped in the air with glee, dancing around. She felt like she had really overcome something by landing that punch on his coveted chin. Not even HE could dodge everything!

Billy staggered a step before catching his footing. His head was buzzing, and he brought a hand up to soothe it.

“N-Not bad…” he groaned, holding his forehead.

“Is defending your chin much different from blocking your body?”

“Y-Y-Yuh-Yesssss…” Billy responded feebly.

“Well, let’s keep going!”

“No, wait-!”

But Miranda was already coming. On auto-pilot, Billy dodged the first few of her flurry, but he was too dazed from that first hit. And soon enough, Miranda hit him again.

This one landed on Billy’s cheek, breaking through his automatic evasion. He couldn’t dodge it, but he at least rolled with the nerdy academic’s loaded punch as best he could.

“Damn! I only hit your cheek.” Miranda pouted, disappointed in herself as Billy was knocked a step back.

Her expression changed when, all of a sudden, Billy sank down to his knees before her. More than that, he was actually teetering, even while kneeling. Miranda tilted her head curiously.

“Uhh…?”

Fuck. She was working him over and she didn’t even realize it.

“I’m fine… Just… Give me a second…” Billy panted, woozy.

“Okay…?”

Miranda paused, absentmindedly keeping her gloves up in her battle stance, watching Billy intently. Kneeling for her. Unbalanced. She was kind of good at this, wasn’t she?

“I thought punches to the cheek weren’t any good though…” she mumbled quietly to herself.

Billy got up to his feet eventually, shaking off the cobwebs. Ready for more, Miranda batted her gloves together and took a step forward, but Billy held out his arm.

“I… I think that’s enough for now,” he said, relieved that he didn’t go out.

“Oh… Okay…” Miranda said, lowering her gloves. “You didn’t get to show me ducking, though…”

There was a pause. Billy looked at Miranda’s pleading, hopeful face. She did look cute like that.

Maybe it was the cobwebs she’d knocked into his weary brain, but against his better judgment, Billy agreed. He’d show her three or four ducking dodges. Miranda was elated. Her favorite cousin was so cool.

Billy watched her closely, cautiously. Just a few ducks, and he would be safe…

Miranda saw her opportunity.