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_ Part 2 _

Sunday morning. Gameday. Biting cold, with blue skies. The heavy rain we'd had since Thursday had finally moved on, but not without leaving a calling card by way of drenched, muddy parkland. Even the gravel paths were more slick than crunching underfoot. Damn, I dreaded to think about the kind of condition our pitch might've been in. I just hoped that my studs would be up to the task of keeping me upright.

A short walk from the car, past the open greens, playgrounds, and an open air pool, carried me through to the recreation fields. Room enough there to fit two 'H' shaped goals at either end of a rushball pitch, surrounded by a narrow treeline splitting it off from the rest of the park.

A small area of portable seating sat on the sideline, set up for any spectators that might want to catch a game. Mostly though, at amateur level, those spectators would mostly be friends and family of the players, with the odd lover of the sport sticking around to watch while passing through.

I rounded the corner of the changing rooms to find someone hanging around outside the home team entrance. Even with their back to me, the bold purple streak running through the tiger's headfur was unmissable and unmistakable. "Hey, Lukas."

"Hey, M," he called, turning to face me. "How goes? Cold enough for ya?"

"I'm not bad, thanks." I first met him while playing together for the Swifts a few years back, and was only too happy to rejoin him here playing for the Warriors after moving back to Koprovice this year. Great guy, and an even better second rowsman. Deceptively strong, quick... Good hands, too. "And, uh, yeah. Could be warmer."

"No lies." He held out one of those big mitts. I slapped mine to it. "Good week?"

"Can't complain." I leaned to rest against the wall, hoisting my kitbag over my shoulder. "Work mostly. Busy, tiring, but actually not too boring."

"Solid." He showed me his sharp front teeth. "Small victories."

"Absolutely." I smiled back. "How about you?"

"Decent, it's all decent, I gotta say. Started on a site near to the hospital. Putting the foundations down for a new Maleni apartment block going up against a townhouse there."

"Sounds good."

"The ten minute walk from home each morning sounds better."

"Ten minutes? Lucky cat."

"You know it!" His eyes widened. A slap at my shoulder preceded a, "Hey, I meant to message you last night. After we do post-match at the pub later, how does a trip downtown sound to ya? A few of the guys wanted to try some new Estordorian grill place down at Liska Square."

"Ahh." I grimaced. "Don't think I can?"

"What? Since when do you turn down food?"

"Hah, since never."

"Then what you shirking on food over?"

"I think I've got plans already. Gonna do something with Sam after the game."

"Oh? Is he here today?" I nodded, he smiled. "Cool! Oh hey, no problem then. Maybe next time, yeah?"

"Yeah, definitely."

He flashed a glance over to our hometurf. Puddles and divots aplenty. "Going back to talk of 'small victories'... How you feeling about today?"

"I'd snatch your hand off for one right now if you offered it. The Scarlets? Second in the league? Tough ask today."

"I feel you. Needing ourselves a win today to get ourselves moving in the right direction. Three losses on the bounce ain't anything I wanna be thinking of."

"No..." I rubbed circles around my stomach. It didn't do much to stop the fizzing from building. "We really need to be at the top of our game for this one."

My ears pricked, picking up on a cough coming from around the corner ahead. Another followed, closer now. I watched, waiting for someone to appear. Once they did, I had to look down to the ankle-high walkway mounted to the wall to find them. "Sam! You made it."

"I have." He threw up an arm, beaming and waving hard on his approach, kitted out in his large yet little rain jacket. Seeing my 'panda after a week apart could never be a disappointment, even with that tail-twitching fizz in my gut growing more and more noticeable. "Just about anyway."

"Just about?" I took a step towards the walkway. Lukas followed.

"I... almost got Volek Park mixed up with Vanek Park."

"That's thirty minutes away. At least."

"Yeah."

"Goofy 'panda." I placed a paw to the wall, arching high over the walkway.

"Hey, I did say 'almost'." Sam craned his head higher the closer he rolled, showing off that wide smile. "Though I did come close to missing the bus here from downtown because of it."

"Goofy. 'Panda."

"Oh, shush."

"Fine," I sang, bending down, waiting for him to reach and take his rightful seat in my paws. "You got here. That's the main thing."

"Exactly." He bopped my nose on our way back up again. "Better that than you having to come get me."

"Tsk. You'd have been walking." I turned back towards the field, presenting my 'panda, front and centre. "Sam. This here is my friend, Lukas. Lukas, this is my boyfriend, Sam."

"Hey, man!" The tiger lit up, extending a paw. "Good to meet ya. Heard a lotta 'bout ya."

"Hi there." Sam's tail swished over my palms. He sat forward, reaching out to clasp Lukas' finger. "Real nice to meet you, too."

"Here to give M and the rest of us some support, huh?"

"Heh, yeah, something like that."

"That's good stuff, man. Like it." Lukas lifted his head back up to me. "Hey, not meaning to rush off right away, but I best go get myself changed. I'm not looking to catch any flak offa Coach for not being ready again."

"You mean you don't want those extra laps in training?"

"Hah, not on your life!" He threw us a wave, pacing past towards the changing room. "Catch you in a sec, M."

"Yeah, see you in there."

"Enjoy the game, Sam!"

"Thanks. You, too, uh... Enjoy playing."

Alone, save for the rustling of bare tree branches in the wind keeping us company, I squeezed Sam to my chest, nosing the sweet smelling fur between his ears. His long grunt came as music to mine. A smooching kiss to my lip soon had me imitating it.

"It was a smooth trip, though?" I stroked the back of his head with a finger. "Other than almost ending up on the wrong side of the city?"

"Yeah, all good, apart from all that."

"You need to move closer!" A lick over his muzzle earned me one beneath my chin. "Get off the farm."

"Farm," he shot back. "How am I living on a farm?"

"You might as well be. All the way out there in the sticks."

"If you say so."

I daren't admit out loud how cute he looked, pouting and frowning. A soft kiss to his cheek and neck felt like a better way of telling him. "It is good to see you."

"You say that like it's a surprise," Sam replied, ears perking, pout creeping into a smirk.

"I did? Oh, no, I--"

"Right back at you." He flopped forward into my chest, squeezing and rubbing at either side of my snout. "Been a long week waiting for this."

My cheeks warmed. Ears, too. "Yeah."

"Are you all good?" He peered up past my nose, head cocked. "You seem... tense."

"Tense?"

"You're heart's beating kinda fast as well."

"Oh." The bubbling in my stomach had worked its way up to my chest. "I... No, I'm okay. It's just... gameday. Focus mode, you know?"

His head straightened. Seemed like that was enough for him. Either that, or he couldn't wait to squeeze me again. Whatever the case, I had no reason for complaint. His touch had the power to help my insides settle.

A harsh squeal cut through the breeze, followed up by a wicked slam of wood against brick. Sam jumped. I did, too.

Instinct alone clamped my paws to my 'panda. I spun fast to the source; a broad, amber-furred wolverine with a red mohawk jogging out from our changing room. Fuck.

"Marek!" he called, wearing a stupid grin. "Cold enough for ya today, or what?"

Real original, that. "Yeah."

Over he ran. Uninvited. "How's tricks?"

My jaws clamped shut, leaving me to force a reply between them. "Tricks are fine."

"Hey, who's your little friend?"

A lash of my tail whipped and stung my calf. "This is Sam. My_boyfriend_." I eased my paws further open, letting him shift away from my chest. "Sam. Meet Damian."

"Hey!" Sam offered up a wave.

"He plays right-side tackle, too."

"Ahh, yeah." Damian put a paw to his side, one ear perked. "Right-side, or left-side if needed. Have played centre a few times over the years, too."

"But mostly right for us."

"Yeah... I guess so." His focus dropped towards my chest. "I never realised you had a boyfriend."

"We've been together for a month or so now," Sam replied. "Not too long."

"Oh, cool." Damian offered a finger for him to squeeze and shake, eyes lifting back to me. "I never realised you were gay."

"It's not really something I broadcast."

"Nah, of course, I get you," he croaked, hacking his throat clear. "Glad to meet ya, Sam."

"And you."

"Y'know, uh, my brother's dating a Maleni, too. She's nice."

"Oh, yeah? That's, ah... nice."

"How's the ankle?" I asked, saving us all from disaster.

"Ah! Yeah, it's good!" Damian lifted a knee, rolling circles with his right foot. "Getting back to a hundred percent. I went for a run the other night. No discomfort, no problems."

"Right."

"Hoping to get a place on the bench today. In case I'm needed."

Here came that fizzing again. My whole body twinged, tail tucking and ears folding flat.

"Ooh," Sam called, pushing my fingers away from his back. "A little firm there, Marek."

"Sorry."

"I'm excited," Damian cried. Fuck, was he still waffling on? "I've felt so good during those last few training sessions. Ready to do my part, y'know?"

"Yeah..." My teeth clenched all over again. "You've looked decent."

The pushing and prodding at my fingerpads continued. I was sure they weren't digging into Sam's back again... even if the glare he had for me suggested as much.

"Well, hey..." Damian stepped back, thumbing over his shoulder. "Gotta grab my boots... Left 'em in the car."

"Alright."

The wolverine left as fast as he'd interrupted us, showing real pace as he disappeared around the corner.

"Are you really okay?" Sam poked at my chin. "You were kinda..."

"Kinda what?"

"You were kinda short with that dude just then."

I paused for thought. Just one. "I'm fine."

"We can talk about it--"

"I said I'm fine!"

"Okay, okay!" He threw up his paws. "You're fine, got it. Just be careful with those claws in my back, alright?"

"I said sorry."

Sam's muzzle twitched. We left it at that. "Those dudes seem nice."

"Lukas is, for sure. Damian's... yeah, I suppose." A group of guys caught my ear, striding towards, then past us along the path. A bull and a heavyset badger were deep in conversation, followed close behind by a shorter otter discussing something with the Maleni vixen riding in his jacket's chest pocket. Each of the Visoka had a kitbag in paw, or thrown over their shoulder. It seemed some of our opposition had arrived. "I should probably get myself ready."

"No problem."

"Let me show you where you can watch from." I let Sam settle back down in my paws, starting off towards the puddled grass of the pitchside. "Hopefully it'll be a little drier there than where I'll be."

A stand comprising three short rows of faded green plastic seats, open to the elements, made up most of our home field's spectator area. Enough to seat a hundred Visoka at best. At the back, fixed behind one corner of the top row, stood a raised, sheltered platform housing a small batch of equally dated Maleni seating. Fortunately, the lift leading up to it from the rear had seen far better days.

"It's cool," Sam insisted, rubbing my thumb and smiling up at me. "I can take the walkway along from here."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. Go get your gameface on. Keep that focus going." His ears perked. Eyes brightened. "Go get those sexy shorts of yours on, too."

I snorted hard. "Okay then."

"Hopefully I can get a good seat up there."

"Yeah." I scoffed that time. "I hope so, too. We've been known to get double figures watching our games, after all."

"You've got yourself at least one more today, big 'panda." He bumped his nose to mine on our way down to the walkway leading to the seats. "Have a good game."

"Thanks..." I had to remind myself to bump back before letting him hop out of my paws. "I, uh... Let's hope."

An icy cold draught almost knocked me right back out of our cramped changing room. Of course, the radiators weren't working. Again. Never should the glamour of amateur rushball ever be underestimated. I hoped we had hot water at least.

My footsteps slapped at the concrete floor, echoing off of cracked tiles and white painted walls surrounding tatty wooden benches. The smell of dried mud hung heavily.

Lukas was here of course, tying his boots and getting his mouthguard ready over in the corner. Next to him sat Sandor, the stocky raccoon he usually partnered on the second row. Both were already fully kitted out in our green and gold. Game ready.

Here too was Kaspar, a small but rapid fox that gave us our best outlet on the wing. Next to him along the back wall sat Jozka, the enormous buck that played alongside me as the centre of our forward tackle line. He usually worried our opposition counterparts as much as the wooden beams on that bench beneath him.

Last but not least, we had Konrad in here. Our half-back, captain, and best player by some distance. Ex-semi pro, and our engine room, even now as he pushed close to forty. Every game, the wolf earned those flashy red boots and matching headband. Oh, to feel that secure... "Hey guys."

They all offered a smile and a wave, along with their respective takes on a welcoming 'hey'. I decided against keeping them from their pre-match routines for too long.

My own green and gold hooped shirt sat waiting on the centre table, as did my green shorts and matching socks. On the back, the number three stood out in bold white. My usual shirt, befitting of the third member of the front three... Though admittedly, the choice mostly came about from it being one of the few shirts large enough to _fit_me, albeit it a shade snug. Sam would approve of it, no question.

I grabbed the lot of it, carrying myself and my kitbag over to an empty space along the right-side wall. There, sitting down to change, I'd get to have a few minutes to myself... If only my brain would've permitted the same.

The rest of our team trickled in, taking more of the kit, more of the benches, and breaking more of the silence, until our full complement of twenty had arrived. Fifteen starters, five backups. Damian was here, too. Hopefully to be one of the latter, not former. That left just one more person to stomp on in... Well, two more.

Laser focused, as per usual, Coach Jarka's entrance brought all the joking and chatter to the most abrupt of halts. A thick heap of notes waved from the hefty, grey-muzzled bear's paw. Their contents would soon be on the whiteboard opposite, clear for all to see... once Tomas, our quiet but attentive assistant coach, had carried him across to it.

By all accounts, Coach was an amazing centre-tackle in his heyday. One of the best in the Koprovice Maleni leagues of thirty years previous. Yeah, he might've stood as tall as my water bottle, and he might've relied on his assistant husky to help him get around, but Coach's voice would fill any room. Whenever he said something, Maleni _or_Visoka, you damn well listened.

"Okay, settle down," he growled, gruff and stern. "I need you all to perk your ears and hear what I've got to say." Full silence came in one second flat. "We've got a tough game ahead of us today, and not much time left to get ourselves ready for it..."

The pre-match, motivational talk. I'd heard it all before, but best to keep up appearances. I sat forward, paws locked together in respect of what Coach had to say. Personally, my attention settled on how my shirt was feeling extra tight today. Shorts, too. I noticed my tail sweeping around to settle in my lap, its fur extra frizzed. A quick backhand at its tip stopped it halfway, diverting it to a place on the bench beside me.

"Okay, this here is the team we're starting with today." My ears perked. I glanced up to see Coach finish up his wide-motioned scrawling, helped along by Tomas' cupped paws acting as his moving platform. "A couple of changes... but this is as much about what the opposition are bringing as what I've seen from you in training."

My focus went straight to the top of the board. The first row. Jozka would start in the middle, of course, while Radko, the boar that'd made the left side his own, took his rightful place there... Then, out on the right, there was me. Hah! My tail scooted away from my thigh. I sighed so hard that the bench creaked beneath me.

"Damian?" Coach glanced around for the mohawked wolverine, finding him on one of the centre benches. "How's the ankle? How're you feeling?"

"I'm good!" he called back, nodding hard. "Ready if you need me out there."

"That's what I like to hear."

My corner of the changing room got awfully lonely all of a sudden. While my tail might've settled, the same couldn't be said for my stomach, my chest, nor most other parts of my anatomy. Nerves, they weren't anything out of the ordinary pre-match, but what I had hitting me on this occasion was something else entirely. If I'd have tried to stand, I wouldn't have been certain that my legs would have supported me. That wicked chill in the air cut sharper through my fur. The bench began to shake... A consequence of me doing the same.

I'd had this run in the team, and it was set to continue. For now. All I could think about, all I could focus on, was Damian over there, grinning, breathing hard, psyched paws hitting and hammering whatever they could find. I liked seeing my name up there on the board, I liked being out there on that pitch, and I had no fucking desire to give any of that away.

My fist slammed the bench. Rocked it harder. I needed a good performance today. A great performance, in fact. No let up. No mistakes... Especially with Sam here, keen to see what his big, supposed, rushball 'panda could do.

Back came the fizzing. Then came my tail, jumping right into my lap to slap my stomach. I didn't like this feeling. Not one bit.

"Where are the front row guys?" Coach called above what chatter his lineup had stirred. He looked around, meeting eyes with all three of us, one by one. "You're going to be up against it when it comes to your opposite numbers today." He clubbed his palm with a fist. "I'm gonna need everything you've got to keep them out of the game as much as possible. The key to winning today is to outcompete them in the middle, not to give them time. When you get the ball, bam, it's a quick layoff to the second row so that we can build from there..."

This wasn't helping. I grabbed my water bottle and sucked down as much as I could. It did nothing to settle my stomach. A splash of it hit my muzzle, then the fur poking over my collar. My paws were trembling. How much of that came from the cold?

I set my Sam-sized bottle down to the Sam-sized space on the bench beside me. Gods, I wish I had him here to fill it. He'd know how to settle me down in a hurry. If only I did, too.

The weather remained fresh for our warm up, thankfully. Those same blue skies and cool winds greeted us, a procession of green and gold, our studs clapping across concrete as we made our way past the spectator stand towards pitchside.

Finally getting out onto the field did help to settle me, albeit only enough for me to start finding the positives out here. The churned, muddy turf for example became a known quantity: sticky, difficult, but manageable. It'd be the same for everyone, Warriors and Scarlets alike. I had nothing to fear from down below.

Coach soon sent us off to do our usual stretches, leaving Tomas to get in our ears about the importance of getting warm, getting loose. After that came the order to run our traditional two laps of the pitch. A far easier task for me these days, thanks in no small part to my 'panda's preseason efforts in the gym.

Barely puffing, jogging in not all that far behind our smaller, faster flankers and wingers, I allowed myself a minute to rest, and to psych myself up, before we finished up with some ballwork. Our allotted time to get a feel for the ball, to figure out how it was handling that day, and better gauge its flight through the air. The muddy conditions did, and would make things tricky, no avoiding that, but even so, I had a dozen passes and a few high practice punts come my way, and not a single one escaped my paws. That eased my stomach more than any gulp of water could. As did the words of praise I got from Coach, and the slaps on the back from Lukas and a few of the others.

I was good. I was ready. The Scarlets over there, warming up on their half of the pitch, they didn't look so big or tough to me. That bull and badger Sam and I saw outside the changing rooms earlier, they stood out the most. Judging by their height and size compared to the rest of the team, and their position in the squad's warm up 'rush', they made up two parts of their three-man forward row. I wondered if I'd be up against either of them directly.

I took a moment to watch their next rush, to get a glimpse of exactly what we'd be up against today. The lion coaching them punted a high ball into the middle of their warm up area, setting off a two-way stampede of scarlet vying to take it into their possession.

The ball bounced twice, taking an awkward bounce off of a muddy divot to elude almost everyone. A hare swooped in. Grabbed it up in one motion. Attempted a sidestep in another. No use. Charging full pelt, that badger was on top of him in a flash.

I heard the clatter from here, damn near felt the ground shift with how hard he slammed his teammate to the turf. The ball bounced free. A big fox on the makeshift second row behind the badger claimed possession for their side.

Oohs and aahs went up from their whole squad. Claps and congratulations and smiling faces from all quarters, the smashed, muddy hare included as he got a helping paw from the guy that'd less rushed, more crushed him... All that, just for practice. Coach's words of wisdom back in the changing room were starting to make more sense.

"Alright," the short but big bear roared, standing at his space on our bench, beckoning us all back to the sideline. "In you come."

I dragged myself away, jogging with the others to form a half circle, prepping to hear what'd no doubt be Coach's final pep talk before kickoff time. We stood in full view of the fifty or so spectators we had here, wrapped up in thick coats and jumpers up in the stand. Most were Visoka, with Sam and a small number of other Maleni watching out from their vantage just above. I couldn't really see him, what with that guardrail and cover their seats had, but I gave him a wave regardless. My heart warmed at the silhouette of an arm raising to wave back. Bless my little 'panda.

"Okay, okay," Coach punched a fist at his open palm. "This is it. Remember everything we've spoken about." Out came a finger, jabbing up at no-one in particular. "Keep it simple. Play the percentages. I want quick hands, don't dwell on the ball. If we keep the basics solid, do the simple things better than they do, we'll win this..."

A cry went up from the Scarlets' half of the pitch. Their lion coach had them all kinds of fired up, grunting and growling something unintelligible between themselves. The few followers that'd travelled with them from across town sounded almost as pumped as the players, clapping along from their seats just behind the Scarlets' bench.

"Marek!" Coach's roar shook my attention back to our half of the pitch. "That badger they've got on their forward row needs taking down a peg. If we let him run loose, he'll cause us all kinds of havoc."

"Hit him hard," Konrad added, paw slapping down on my shoulder. "Let him know what we're about."

I nodded. The wolf allowed himself the creep of a smile.

"Second row." Coach turned to Lukas and Sandor. "You _absolutely have_to stay close to the forward row. This is gonna be a physical game, with a lot of turnovers and loose balls. You need to be there to pounce on anything that gets away from them."

"Got it," they replied in near unison. Lukas shot me a nod and grin. He'd have my back, but I had to do my part, too.

Coach went around the others, talking to our centres about the need to keep the ball moving fast between them and to get it out wide early. In turn, he got in the ears of the flankers and wingers, telling the former to hold a good distance from play in the centre, and the latter that they'd be counted on to do the real damage on the wings. "Their backs don't have your pace. Hurt them with it."

For better or worse, a lot of my focus went within myself... and onto that broad badger standing tall at the opposition bench. I had a key role to play today. A chance to shine... A chance to fail, too.

The wind gusted hard, stabbing my eyes with cold. My nose twitched with the damp, earthy scent of the turf. I took shelter by peering up to where Sam sat undercover. From the sideline, I had a far better view than before. I could see his broad smile amid the other dozen Maleni perched up there. He was my goofy little 'panda, I was his big rushball 'panda. This'd be the day to show it.