Damon chuckled, stepping closer. "Only way to go is up, right? Good to see you here, man."
Edward nodded, his grin never fading. "Likewise. Looks like we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other."
The competing spirit came back to life for Damon, and he couldn't wait to see how they would push each other to new heights.
Edward's sparring partner stepped back, a wide smile on his face as he moved to give Damon a friendly dap.
Damon returned the gesture, nodding at him. "I'll take it from here if you don't mind," he said, a playful grin on his face.
The sparring partner stepped aside, giving Damon space.
Damon slipped on the protective pads, ready to take on the role of a human punching bag for Edward's striking drills.
Edward got into his stance, his hands up and his eyes focused, ready to deliver blows with precision and power.
Damon shook himself off while still smiling. He asked, "So," with a laugh in his voice, "how's life been treating you?"
Edward smirked, landing a light jab to test Damon's reaction. "Better now that I've got someone to practice on," he joked, but there was warmth behind his teasing.
He threw a number of careful punches and kicks, each one controlled but strong.
"Been working my way back up," Edward added between strikes. "And you? UFA, huh? You've been making waves."
Damon laughed, taking the hits and feeling the energy between them. "Yeah, it's been a wild ride," his expression shifting from curiosity to shock as Edward explained. "So what led you here, after two years?" he had asked, expecting a simple story about chasing opportunities.
Edward grinned, but there was a hint of heaviness in his eyes. "Well, after losing to you and getting an offer from Mr. Steele, I had to find a way to help pay for my dad's cancer treatment."
When Damon heard that, he stopped and naturally lowered his hands. It hit him hard.
But it was right when Edward was in the middle of his swing.
Damon instinctively moved to avoid the blow, and his reactions were as quick as ever.
"Wait… cancer?" Damon said, his voice low with concern. "I didn't know that. I'm so sorry, man." Guilt pricked at his heart.
The idea of being the one who might have crushed Edward's chance at helping his father weighed heavily on him.
Edward shook his head, quickly apologizing. "Sorry about that," he said, referring to the missed hit. But then he put his hands down and offered Damon a genuine smile. "Nah, it's fine. You know, that loss actually pushed me to go harder. And besides, you were fighting for your own reasons too, whatever they were. We all had our battles."
Edward leaned back against the wall, his eyes thoughtful. "I've grown a lot from two years ago," he continued. "Mr. Steele had me under contract. He wanted me to make a name for myself in the local promotions, jumping around different circuits. In return, he covered my dad's treatment fees."
Even though Damon felt sorry for Edward, he admired how strong his voice sounded.
Even though things were hard, Edward kept going and fought his own fights.
Now they were both here, stronger and more determined than before.
Damon nodded, realizing just how much Edward had been through and how busy he must have been in the local circuits.
It made sense why Damon hadn't kept up, his focus had been squarely on the UFA scene, but it seemed Edward had carved out his own path.
He leaned against the wall and slid down to sit beside Edward. "So, what's the plan from here?" Damon asked, curiosity in his voice. "I'm sure you've got goals."
Edward nodded, and his eyes had a determined look in them. "Yeah. Mr. Steele said he's working on something for me… not sure what exactly, but he told me to be patient. So for now, I'm just training and waiting."
Damon raised an eyebrow. "Is he here now?" he asked, half-expecting to hear more about Mr. Steele's plans.
Edward shook his head. "Nah, he left just now," he replied. "Something about his daughter coming back… You were with them, right? Her included?"
Damon nodded, memories shared with the Steele family flooding back. "Yeah," he said, a small smile playing at his lips. "Svetlana's something else, isn't she?"
Edward raised an eyebrow, giving Damon a playful smirk. "Are you and her...?" he trailed off, clearly teasing.
Damon's eyes widened slightly, and he quickly shook his head. "Nah... not yet," he said, the words slipping out before he even realized what he had implied.
Edward's smile widened, and he chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Not yet, huh?" he teased, but there was no judgment, just genuine curiosity and humor.
Edward leaned back, and he looked like he was thinking.
He'd had his share of experiences with girls over the years, but he'd never committed to anything serious.
His priorities had always been his family. His little sister and his father were constantly on his mind, motivating every decision he made and every sacrifice he was willing to endure.
"That's the thing, isn't it?" Edward said, looking off into the distance. "We all have people we're fighting for."
Damon agreed, and he could feel the truth settling between them.
They both knew what it was like to carry the hopes and dreams of their families, to fight not just for their own fame but for something more important.
Damon got up from the ground and brushed his pants off. "Want to keep training?" he asked Edward with a smile as his energy came back.
Edward got to his feet as well, nodding. "Sure," he replied, his own competitive spirit sparking up.
Damon began walking toward the locker room. "Be right back," he called over his shoulder. "Gotta change into some training clothes."
As he waited, Edward laughed, crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall.