Remember, Terrance had said.

That was what he had written in his brief text. Just a short “Remember.” Apparently he was operating under the idea that it was actually possible for me to forget. What a ridiculous idea. I could never forget the fact that I had to throw the match today, or else the world was going to learn that I was some kind of fetishist.

Was that a word? I didn't even know if that was a word.

The point was that if I didn't throw the match today, Terrance was going to take his evidence that I was some sort of freak who liked getting dominated in bed and show it to the world. The world didn't even know I was gay. They certainly didn't know that I was a submissive omega who loved getting dominated by a beautiful and strong alpha.

I sat down abruptly on the bench inside the locker room as I remembered just how loving Samuel had been during our sessions. Was I ever going to get him back, after the stunt that I had pulled?

It seemed unlikely.

I closed my eyes as a wave of nausea hit me. Maybe throwing the match wouldn't even be a difficult option. It was looking less likely that I'd even be capable of putting up much of a fight. I wasn't sure which would be more humiliating, getting my ass kicked by Terrance fair and square or through a fight that I could actually win.

"Hey, Hitch, are you alright?"

I opened my eyes at the sound of Alex's voice and shook my head.

"You really are stalking me," I teased him.

"Ha, you'd like that, I'm sure. But it's a big crowd out there, and Kamal sent me back to check on his favorite champion. Apparently, Terrance has been gloating all night about his upcoming win and getting on his nerves," Alex answered.

I gave a weak smile. "I'm fine," I assured him. "Thanks for being worried. I was just ... getting in the zone, you know?"

"The zone?" Alex asked doubtfully. "I thought you didn't believe in that. What was it that you used to say, 'Good fighters fight, and bad fighters worry about getting in the zone'."

"I'm sure I never said anything that judgmental," I scoffed, event though I was well aware that I had.

Alex looked like he was getting ready to argue with me, but at that moment, the door swung open. I was expecting Terrance, but the person who walked through the door was a much more welcome sight.

It was Samuel. He was the very last person I expected to see, but relief flooded through me. He looked so happy, and not like he was planning on hating my guts for the rest of our shared lives.

The warm expression on his face looked like there might actually be a change of having shared lives together, after all.

Alex was on his feet instantly, ready to fight a stranger who had just barged his way into the locker room. I quickly reached up and grabbed Alex's arm.

"It's okay," I told him. "He's a friend. I need to speak to him. Can you give us some privacy?"

Alex glanced down at me and then back at Samuel. "I suppose so," he said reluctantly. "He doesn't look very impressive. I'm sure you can take him, if need be. Those look like cardio muscles."

"They are," Samuel informed him, which earned him a very concerned look as Alex left us alone in the locker room.

Samuel barely waited for him to leave before he closed the gap between us and picked me up, spinning me around. That was probably last on the list of things I expected, so I stared up at Samuel in confusion.

"I'm glad you don't seem angry, but I'm not sure - " I stopped abruptly as Samuel pulled something out of his pocket.

It was really amazing how incredibly foolish I was. I had gone off and left half a dozen positive pregnancy tests there at the house for Samuel to discover, and now he was holding one in his hand.

What was I supposed to say to that? After all, I had lost my temper and walked out on Samuel, taking the baby with me. He had every right to be furious at me for that, and zero reason to want to hear an explanation, even if I had one besides the fact that I’d gotten overly emotional under stress that wasn't Samuel's fault at all.

"I'm sorry," I began.

Samuel interrupted me with a kiss. His lips were soft and warm, and I gave in to the urge to collapse against him. Those "cardio muscles" were able to hold me upright as I did so.

I felt safe, warm, and wanted. I didn't want to move at all.

As if he understood what I wasn't saying, Samuel whispered, "Look, we'll figure out a way to smooth this over. I know that you'll lose the championship and that it is very important to you. It might be embarrassing. But the world can hardly fault you for getting pregnant, can they?"

I closed my eyes and leaned against him. I wished that was all that was wrong with the current situation. I really did. It would make things so much easier. I would just walk out of the door with Samuel, championship be damned.

"There's something else going on," I admitted. "There's some stuff you don't know, Samuel."

"Then explain it to me," he prompted gently. "That's how a team works, right? And from now on, you and me are going to be a team for our kids."

Our kids, I thought with an increasing amount of giddiness. He'd made it plural. He was already thinking ahead to the children that we were going to have in addition to this one.

I loved this man so much. Sure, I'd had the realization before, but Samuel Fallow was absolutely the kind of man that made a person have that realization multiple times in a day.

"Terrance has been blackmailing me," I explained. "He wants to win this championship so badly. He's desperate, really, and he made me promise to throw the match, or he was going to show the world pictures of us outside of Kinkee Sensation Studios."

Samuel frowned at the comment, then shrugged.

"Who cares?" Samuel asked. "I'm not trying to downplay the fact that it's a jerk move, but who cares about what is going on behind closed doors? That's not our problem, and it's none of your adoring public's business."

I didn't want to insult him, so I tried to choose my words more carefully. It was easier to do so with Samuel's huge arms wrapped around me. I was able to breathe in his scent as I searched for the right words. It calmed the urge to runaway, which was how I apparently defaulted each and every time that something terrible happened in our relationship.

I wasn't going to anymore, I swore. I was going to fix things. I was going to make sure that we worked things out together. I couldn't run away anymore, because I couldn't run the risk of losing him anymore.

"Most people don't think it's very macho to be a sub," I finally explained.

"It's nobody's business what gets you off, Eric," Samuel said.

He didn't sound angry. He sounded like he understood exactly what I was trying to say.

"I know it's not," I said softly. "But you heard Kamal. The ladies love me. They ... they love me in a way that includes a lot of fantasizing about what they might be able to do with me, and that just doesn't include me getting dominated by the man who also impregnated me. The information could ruin my entire career."

I buried my head into Samuel's chest and for a moment, I enjoyed the feeling of him stroking my hair.

"It will be okay," he said. "We'll work something out, maybe talk to Kamal and -"

"Talking to Kamal would be a good idea," said a voice behind Samuel.

We both turned abruptly, but Samuel's hand never left my back. There, standing in the doorway was Kamal. He shook his head at me as he walked into the locker room.

"You should have told me what was going on," he chided. "Your boyfriend is right. We can work something out."

"But you said - " I started, but Kamal waved his hand to interrupt me.

"I did say a lot of things, and they were all true. But I also didn't have all the facts at the time. And the fact of the matter is that there are a lot of people who could sympathize with your situation," Kamal explained. "I'll take care of the other situation, but I have to cancel the fight."

"I take it that Terrance isn't going to be working here anymore?" Samuel asked, his voice low and angry.

You should never mention someone if you didn't want them to show up and ruin the day with their presence, and that knowledge held true as I heard Terrance yelling loudly down the hallway. Kamal frowned, but took a step backwards, so that he was hidden by a row of lockers. Samuel and I could clearly see him, but Terrance wouldn't be able to see him as he walked into the locker room.

"Oh, good," Terrance said as he entered the locker room. "The other freak is here too. I can remind you both of what is on the line, then."

"What's that, exactly?" Samuel asked, and I knew it was prodding.

I also knew that I was really thankful for the supportive hand on the small of my back.

"Oh, your little subby here didn't tell you?" Terrance asked. "But you two looked so close. I would have thought for sure that he would have explained to you that I have all the evidence I need to release to the internet that he is a deviant freak, a submissive who doesn't belong in the ring, and a failure of everything an MMA fighter should be... unless he throws the fight and allows me to win, of course."

Terrance smiled brightly, and looked so proud of himself.

That smile fell as Kamal stepped out of the shadows and made himself known.

"You two should go home and get some rest. You're on a one year leave, Hitch. Come back to us when you can. You were definitely our best fighter," Kamal said.

He took Terrance firmly by the arm. "Come on, big guy, you and I have to go have a lovely conversation with the cops upstairs."

I watched them go, and I leaned my head on Samuel's shoulders.

"A year leave," Samuel said thoughtfully. "That's a long time to be off your feet. Are you ready for that kind of commitment?"

I threw my arms around his neck. "There's nothing I'm more ready for," I promised.

The next day, I was in the middle of watching Samuel move my stuff back into our house when the cops showed up. Apparently, Terrance had been arrested and they wanted to know if I was interested in pressing charges.

"I would," Samuel muttered, with a hand protectively around my waist.

"But I don't want to," I explained. "He's already ruined his career. He's never going to be able to pursue anything in the MMA circuit with his reputation, and he's not even going to be allowed back through the doors at HIT. He's suffered enough."

The cops tipped their hats and went on their way.

"That was unnecessarily mature of you," Samuel murmured into my scalp.

"I have the future to worry about," I answered. "Let Terrance hang on to the past."