MMA System: I Will Be Pound For Pound Goat

Damon gave Joey a reassuring pat on the back, chuckling to himself.

He'd thought it was something serious… well, it is, but not in the way he'd expected.

This was one mess he didn't feel the need to dive into headfirst, though he'd help however he could.

"You should talk it out," Damon advised. "I don't think he's necessarily mad at you guys for… whatever you're doing. Since he's your friend, maybe tell him how you actually feel about his sister."

Damon couldn't help but smile, a bit amused at himself.

'Since when am I the one giving relationship advice?'

Joey gave a skeptical look. "But we're not children."

"Then don't act like one," Damon replied smoothly. "Just talk to him, explain things. He probably doesn't know you're serious. And, let's be real, you're not exactly known for lasting relationships. So just be honest."

As Joey looked at Damon, he laughed and shook his head. "Mmh… thanks, man. Always the single friends giving the best advice."

Damon smirked, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't make me regret it by showing up with more bruises."

Svetlana looked at them with a small, amused smile on her face. Joey saw the look on her face and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

She shrugged, still holding back a grin. "Nothing... just didn't expect you and Ashley, that's all."

Joey laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, well… neither did I, honestly."

Damon chuckled, shaking his head. "Guess we all missed the signs."

Svetlana leaned against the counter, arms crossed as she looked at Joey with a playful glint in her eyes. "So, does this mean we'll be seeing a different side of you? All serious and committed?"

Joey held up his hands defensively, though a sheepish grin crept onto his face. "Hey, don't get ahead of yourselves. One step at a time."

Damon smirked. "Right. Just make sure the first step is talking to Ash."

Joey nodded, sighing. "Alright, alright. I'll talk to him. But if he throws another punch, I'm blaming you guys."

Svetlana laughed, giving Damon a playful nudge. "Guess we'll be your corner men."

The room was filled with laughter when all of a sudden, a phone rang.

Damon instinctively moved to check his pocket before remembering he hadn't brought his phone with him to New York.

When he realized it had to be someone else's, he looked at Svetlana.

She smiled quickly and then went back to her room to get her phone.

Joey waited until she was out of earshot, then leaned in, clearing his throat. "Sooo… you and Svetlana, huh? Anything happen last night?"

Damon raised an eyebrow, caught off guard. "What? No, nothing happened. We just shared a cab here and crashed."

Joey looked at him with doubt and a sly grin spread across his face. "Right. And you expect me to believe that's it? Look, man, I saw the way she was looking at you."

Damon rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a slight heat rising in his cheeks. "It's… not like that," he insisted, though even he didn't sound convinced.

Joey laughed and shook his head. "Sure, sure. Just saying, she's not exactly hiding it, man. Don't be surprised if something does happen."

He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "Okay, I'm not dense, alright? It's just…"

Joey leaned in, whispering with a smirk, "Come on, man, make your move. Worst-case scenario? You get punched by Victor. Trust me, it's not that bad."

Damon couldn't help but laugh. "Joke's on you, I already got Victor's blessing."

Joey froze, staring at Damon like he'd lost his mind. "Wait, wait, wait. So, the girl clearly likes you, her dad already gave you his blessing, and you still haven't done anything?"

Damon opened his mouth to respond but stopped, realizing how it all sounded.

Joey just shook his head and looked at him like he couldn't believe it. "Man, if you don't make a move soon, someone else is going to swoop in and sweep her off her feet."

Damon frowned. The thought made his heart skip a beat.

Joey smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Trust me, you don't want to be that guy sitting around wondering 'what if.'"

Damon let out a breath, nodding. "Yeah… maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right," Joey replied, smirking. "Now go drink that coffee and think about it."

As Joey pushed back his chair, ready to stand, Svetlana walked back into the room, her phone in hand.

She glanced at Damon, a curious but warm look in her eyes.

"My dad wants to talk to you," she said, holding out the phone.

Damon blinked, feeling a sudden jolt of surprise.

He exchanged a quick glance with Joey, who raised an eyebrow, giving him a silent good luck nod.

Taking a steadying breath, Damon reached for the phone. "Alright… let's see what Victor has to say."

Damon took the phone, holding it to his ear. "Hello."

Victor's loud, warm, and energetic speech came through right away. "Hahaha, kid, you did it! I'm proud of you, kid… how are you doing?"

Damon couldn't help but smile. "Thank you. I'm doing fine. What about you?"

"I'm amazing," Victor replied, his tone genuine. "Listen, kid, I need you and Lana to come back. There's something I gotta talk to you about. Plus, your mom's waiting to see you."

As Victor went on, Damon felt a rush of excitement. "I went ahead and booked you a flight for tomorrow. So, get ready to head back."

Damon was a bit puzzled but nodded, responding, "Oh, okay. I'll let the team know."

"Good. Now, hand the phone back to Lana. I'll see you both tomorrow," Victor replied before hanging up.

After saying his goodbyes, Damon handed the phone back to Svetlana, who gave him a reassuring smile.

As he turned, Joey was grinning at him.

"Looks like we're heading back," Joey said with a shrug.

Damon raised an eyebrow, teasing, "Not gonna stay and enjoy New York City?"

Joey shook his head. "Nope. Got college, remember? Took a break to come watch your first big fight, but I still need to catch up on a lot."

Damon's expression softened, looking at his friend with genuine gratitude. "Thanks, man. Really."

Joey waved it off with a smile. "No need to thank me. Felt good, you know? Watching you go from the streets to the ring, and now to the screen. Proud of you, bro."

Damon's chest swelled with joy. "Wouldn't be here without you."