MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

The house was full of groans and grunts.

Damon was struggling through yet another stretch, his limbs bent into an awkward position.

"Don't you do yoga for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?" Svetlana teased, glancing over at him with an amused grin.

"I do," he replied, straining to hold his balance. "But what the hell are these moves?"

The way his arms and legs were twisted right now made no sense at all, and he couldn't keep his balance.

Svetlana stepped in, gently guiding him with one hand on his shoulder and the other helping his arm into place, her touch steadying him as he tried to mimic her effortless pose.

Damon let out a huff, shooting her a look somewhere between frustration and admiration. "You make this look way too easy."

Svetlana smiled and moved into a difficult pose.

She lifted one leg high behind her and reached back to grab her ankle while balancing on the other leg.

Her torso arched forward in a perfect line, creating a deep curve through her back as she held her leg with ease, her gaze focused and steady.

Her free arm extended forward, fingers reaching outward, as if grounding herself in the air.

She held the pose with a calm face and barely seemed to break a sweat.

It looked like she was strong and flexible at the same time.

Damon watched, wide-eyed and slightly in awe. "How… how are you even doing that?" he muttered, feeling his own muscles strain just from looking at her.

"Ahh, I'm done," Damon groaned, dropping down to sit on the ground, still captivated by Svetlana's impressive agility.

Her balance and flexibility were on another level, and he couldn't help but shake his head in admiration.

He reached for his water bottle, taking a long drink as he watched her effortlessly flow through another stretch.

They'd started the morning with a jog, and he'd managed to keep the lead there, pushing ahead with ease.

But when it came to stretching, he was out of his depth, she'd shown him levels he hadn't even considered.

"Alright, maybe yoga isn't as easy as I thought," he admitted with a smirk, glancing up at her.

Svetlana strolled over with a mischievous grin. "Or I just made you do complex poses on purpose," she teased, eyes gleaming with playful satisfaction.

Damon's face fell as he processed her words. "You–" he started, but before he could finish, Svetlana had already darted back toward the house, laughter trailing behind her.

Along with a grin of his own, Damon jumped up and ran after her. The sound of their laughs and footsteps filled the quiet morning air.

As they raced through the hallway, they nearly collided with someone emerging from one of the rooms.

They were running so fast down the hall that they almost hit someone coming out of one of the rooms.

Joey, clearly nursing a hangover, squinted at them, looking like he'd just woken up on another planet.

His hair was all over the place, and he was still wearing the clothes he wore yesterday.

But the new bruise on his cheek was what really caught their eye.

Damon raised an eyebrow, smirking as he took in Joey's bruised face. "The hell happened to you? Got so drunk you ran into someone's fist with your face?"

Svetlana stifled a laugh, glancing sideways at Joey, who groaned, pressing a hand to his head. "Don't even ask," he muttered, shuffling past them as he tried to maintain some dignity despite the rough night written all over his face.

Svetlana glanced at Damon with curiosity in her eyes.

Damon just shrugged, sharing a silent agreement to follow Joey and get to the bottom of it.

As they reached the kitchen, Damon took a seat on a stool at the island counter, watching as Joey slowly poured himself a glass of water, clearly still feeling the effects of last night.

"Must have been a wild night, huh?" Damon joked, a grin tugging at his lips.

Joey sighed, rubbing his temples. "Did you see Ash this morning? I need to talk with him."

Damon shook his head. "Nope, haven't seen him. But… does he have anything to do with that bruise?"

Joey groaned, his expression a mix of irritation and embarrassment. "Let's just say things got… out of hand." He didn't elaborate, and Damon's curiosity only deepened.

"Come on, don't leave me hanging. Did you guys fight?" Damon's face grew serious.

Both Joey and Ash were his friends, and they only knew each other because of him.

If something had gone down between them, he felt responsible, like he should step in or at least figure out what had happened.

Joey sighed and took a seat next to Damon, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Well… not a fight exactly."

Damon frowned, leaning in slightly. "Then what?"

Joey hesitated, his gaze dropping to the counter as he tried to piece together an explanation. "It was more like… a disagreement. Things got heated, and maybe I pushed a few buttons I shouldn't have. Next thing I know, he's a little more… expressive with his hands than usual," he said, tapping his bruised cheek with a wry smile.

Damon narrowed his eyes, suspicion flickering across his face. Joey's explanation felt… off, like he was leaving something out.

Next to him, Svetlana stayed quiet, her curiosity mirroring his own as she watched Joey intently.

Joey shifted uncomfortably, taking another sip from his glass.

Finally, after a pause, he spoke, barely meeting their eyes. "He may have found me and Ashley… uh, making out in the club."

Silence fell over the room. Damon blinked, processing the unexpected confession.

He glanced at Svetlana, who looked equally taken aback, her brows slightly raised.

Damon looked at Joey, his confusion evident. "You and Ashley… together? Joey, bro–"

Joey cut him off, his expression unusually earnest. "I know what you're thinking... but this is serious, okay? Maybe it didn't start that way, but now… I guess we're here. And it's serious."

Damon stared at him, the weight of Joey's words sinking in. He'd never seen Joey like this, genuinely committed.

Taking a breath, Damon nodded slowly, trying to make sense of it. "Alright… if it's serious, then I get it. Just… you know how Ash is, it's his sister."

Joey nodded, rubbing his bruised cheek. "Trust me, I got the message loud and clear."