Outside the Squared Circle

"You didn't have to remind me." She groaned, but maintained a smile. "Thank you, Martin. For helping me realise my dream."

He patted her shoulder. "Hey, that's what brothers are for, right?"

***

The next day, Martin collapsed in the couch after finally clocking out, running a hand over his face. The sheer incompetence of the people he was forced to work with was mind-numbing. How did they even get any traction in the field if they were unable to take initiative rather than ask him for advice? Letting out a deep sigh, he reached for his water bottle and took a big gulp.

"Rough day for you too, huh?" Julia closed the door behind her as she entered, seeing the expression on his face. She shook off the last of the snow in her hair, making it glitter faintly.

"Very much so. Let me guess, random creep trying to hit on you?"

She let out an exasperated sigh before going to get a glass of water. "Not one, not two, but three. None of them seemed to take no for an answer."

Martin shrugged, watching her as she went about her tasks. "I've told you, you should just start wearing a fake ring on your finger. That usually shuts people up when they try that kind of thing. Especially if you claim your fiancée is a body-builder."

Julia sat down beside him, punching his shoulder. "You know I don't like lying to people, especially not to their faces. There must be another way..."

"Says the one who lied to the wrestling promoter."

"That was different, I panicked!"

He gave another shrug and finished his water bottle before going to stretch. "Be that as it may, we have work to do. I'm just going to get some stretches in, then we'll start working. I made some food for us ahead of time earlier, so we won't have to worry about spending time cooking after the work-out."

Julia smiled warmly at those words, and leaned back to enjoy her cold water. "Thank you, big brother. I doubt either of us will have energy to cook afterwards."

"Precisely." He stretched his shoulders, looking over at her as he did. "Any preparations you need to take care of?"

She shook her head. "Not really, no. Showering before seems kind of pointless. We'll be all sweaty afterwards I imagine."

"Very true." He shifted to his other shoulder. "You sure you're alright with filming it?"

Julia bit her lip. "I... I'm still nervous about that part, but... it's all for the sake of me doing well in this event. I need to take every chance I can get to improve."

Martin stopped his stretches and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. I'm here for you. We'll make sure you can blow everyone out of the water when the time comes. You'll be... the new Paige."

Julia couldn't help but smile at those words. "Fine, you win. Just give me a few minutes to catch my breath, it's awfully cold outside."

He nodded and opened the closet to bring out the tri-pod, then started looking around the limited space trying to find a good angle for it. After a few moments of deliberation, he settled on one of the corners, making sure it was entirely steady before attaching the camera. "Not ideal, but we'll make do. Would you mind rolling out the mat?"

"Already did."

Martin looked behind him to find his little sister already sitting down on the mat, her expression one of deep focus. He smiled and clicked the record button before going to join her.

"Alright, so we're going to start with something very basic. A leg-hold. I'll give a demonstration, then you go ahead and try it on me." He gestured for her to lay down on the mat. "Flat to the ground, like you've been tripped. Don't worry, I'm not going to apply any real pressure."

Julia seemed to hesitate for a brief moment but then took a deep breath, and laid down like instructed. "Alright, I... I think I'm ready."

Martin nodded and moved so he was straddling her upper left leg, and reached forward to grab her foot, pulling it up and backwards slowly. "This is a very effective hold, as it looks incredibly painful, but I am entirely in control. You just say when it starts to actually hurt, okay?"

"Yeah, you... you can go ahead." Her breathing was increasing in pace, but she remained still.

Giving it a few more moments, Martin then began to ever so slowly drag her foot and ankle towards him, creating a very uncomfortable angle for her leg. Not hearing any sound, he gave it a few more tugs, and way after he thought she would protest, she finally let out a weak 'stop'. Concerned, he turned to look at her, though she kept her face to the mat. "Are you sure you're alright? I expected you to tap out sooner."

Julia's breathing was even more shallow now, and she seemed to take a few moments between every other word. "I... I'm fine, just... that was... intense."

Martin let go of her leg and shifted to be next to her on the mat, trying to get a look at her face. "Are you sure? Your face is red."

That caused a minor panic in her manners, and she sprung up from the floor to a standing position. "I-I need to use the bathroom." She stormed off, closing the door behind her and turning the lock.

This confused Martin even more, and as he sat with his back to the wall, he looked down at the mat, and... he blinked. Was there a small wet spot on there? He was sure he had cleaned it recently, so... what was it? Turning his head in the direction of the camera, he hesitated for a few seconds before reaching out and grabbing it, stopping the recording and rewinding the video.

Even if it was barely a few minutes long, it felt far more extensive. When he got to the point of where he applied the hold, Julia had still kept her head down, which confused him. This was for practising the eye-contact with the camera, why would she not take advantage of it. Still watching, he got towards the end when he suddenly stopped it. Had he really seen that? Rewinding frame by frame, he finally got to a point in the video where Julia had lifted her head ever so briefly. What gave him pause was her expression. He had expected pain, discomfort, hesitation, anything, but... not this. Yet despite his doubts, it was evident. That one frame had his little sister's face contorted in absolute ecstasy. An expression he had seen on his ex's face at times. What concerned him was that those times... were in the bedroom. When she had approached, or even attained, orgasm.

Feeling a faint tug in his trousers, he shifted his position, eyes locked on his sister's face. Her eyes rolled back slightly, tongue almost hanging out between her lips, cheeks flushed... what was going on here? Tearing his attention away from the camera he looked to the locked bathroom door. It felt incredibly wrong, but... he had to know. Setting down the camera, he crawled towards the door, making sure to not make any sound to alert her. Reaching his destination, he placed his ear to the wood and what he heard sent shivers all through his body, culminating below his waist.

Mumbled through the door and barely audible through the music, Julia's angelic voice was caught up in-between gasps and faint uttering of words. The two words that etched themselves into Martin's mind would never have the same connotations again. Clearly caught in a trance, Julia moaned it out, sealing their fates. "Ohhh, Big Brother..."

***

Martin had returned to the mat by the time Julia exited the bathroom, wiping the last bit of water from her hands. Her expression betrayed nothing as she sat down, reached for her water bottle and took a sip. Silence remained between them, until Martin finally spoke up after a good twenty seconds.

"Are you doing alright? Did you hurt yourself?"

She blushed faintly and shook her head, causing her hair to be thrown around her face and shoulders. "No, I... I just got a bit overwhelmed. First time having that type of pressure applied, you know? I'll be fine, I promise."

Martin furrowed his brows and leaned back against the wall, arms folded. Observing her, he couldn't get the words he was not meant to hear out of his mind.

"Right... well then, let's get back to it. If that was a bit intense, how about you try it on me instead? Perhaps it'll be better if you feel more in control."

That suggestion made Julia pause, but eventually she gave a nod. "Okay. We can try. Uhm... what sort of hold should I apply?"

He shrugged and moved over to sit on the mat. "You just go ahead and do what you feel makes sense. I'll follow along with you to my best abilities."

She watched him as he got in position, and for the briefest of moments she bit her lip before shuffling over towards him. Without saying anything more, she gently pushed him until he was flat on his back, and positioned herself at his left shoulder.

"Ah, an arm-bar? That's not a bad start."

Julia remained quiet, and grabbed onto his wrist firmly, dragging his arm towards her. Then, she closed her legs like a scissor around his upper arm, giving him very little leeway to move.

Martin winced slightly at the motions, and gave her a gentle smile. "There you go, that's not a bad grip. Now, just... feel it out, see how far you can take it to make it look real, but without actually hurting me."

"Okay, big brother."

Hearing those words sent a shiver down his spine, and despite his best efforts, his body reacted. Instantly he was back outside that bathroom door, hearing the muffled moans of his little sister in his mind once more. Swallowing, he tried to move so his front was not so exposed, but Julia did not budge.

"Uhm, Julia? Could... could you let me move? It's a bit... uncomfortable."

She remained quiet, but even with her own efforts to avert her eyes, there was no doubt about it. She could see that his training shorts was getting tighter around his crotch, the silhouette of the manhood beneath plainly visible.

"Sis! Please, could you... let me go?"

That snapped her out of it, and instantly she let go off his arm and wrist, shuffling back towards the wall. Her cheeks were flushed again, and her breathing had picked up in pace.

Desperate to maintain some dignity, Martin shuffled to be across from his sister. There was a long silence, their eyes meeting for only moments at a time before being averted again. The tension hung thick in the air, and by the time Julia spoke, it felt like several minutes had passed.

"I... I'm sorry. You... you've not had a girlfriend for a long time, right?"

Martin blinked. "I... no. That..." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "If you're asking if... if I'm pent-up? Yeah, I... I guess I am."

"It's... it's okay. We're adults."

"We're siblings."

Julia huffed. "One does not exclude the other. All I'm saying is... it's okay. This is probably the closest you've been to a woman in a long time, right?"

Martin couldn't deny that. "That... yes. It's true, I've been single for a while."

"And... that causes men to... you know... save up?"

That elicited a groan from him, and he palmed his forehead. "Julia, this... this is not a proper topic of discussion."

"No, maybe not, but... it remains true. It... I know that sometimes, people find others attractive, no matter what the boundaries."

"You're my sister!"

"Yes, but you are a man!" She stood up, hands balled into fists. "I... I really want to make this gig work, Martin. I really, really do. But... if you're going to... get excited, when we train? It... it's alright. Just... take care of it before we start working out, or something."

Martin ran the hand down his face. "Julia, you... you don't understand what you're saying. If..." He shook his head. "Fine, I got aroused, alright? It's wrong, dirty, and beyond illegal." He sighed deeply. "I want to help you, I sincerely mean that. Just... we need to figure out how to deal with this."

She gave a nod. "Yes, we do. So... my suggestion is this. Even if you get excited, it's not like we're actually doing anything sexual. It's just... a by-product."

That made him laugh. "That's the most clinical and sad term I've ever heard for an erection."

Julia smirked. "Whatever you want to call it. Just... rub one out before we start working out? That should make it easier, right?"

"We don't exactly have a massive amount of privacy here, sis."

"There's the bathroom."

Martin paused before continuing, not wanting to make her suspicious. "Fine. However, I want you to wear headphones or something, and no getting close to the door. I... I'll finish quickly, and that..." He shook his head, sighing again. "Guess that will fix it. Temporarily."

Julia's expression brightened and she rushed over to give him a big hug. "Thank you! I swear, after this gig is done? We can go back to being normal siblings."

Martin patted her back, and let her go after a few seconds. "Sure, let's say that." When he didn't continue, Julia gave him a look. "What?"

"Uhm, did you forget what we made the deal about? You have a boner right now, we need to continue the training, so..." She pointed to the bathroom.

Martin paused, and shook his head in disbelief one last time. "Fine, fine, you win. I want you to tune it out entirely though, alright? No spying. We don't need this to become weirder than it already is."

Julia smiled happily and moved to sit in the couch, reaching for her headphones and phone. "I'll be right here. Don't be long!"

He grumbled something under his breath as he stepped into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Staring down at his crotch, the bulge had only gotten bigger. "What the hell sort of situation have we gotten ourselves into?" He grabbed the bottle of lube from its hidden position, and pulled down his shorts and underpants. As he squeezed out a bit of lube onto the palm of his hand, he closed his eyes and tried to think of anything but his little sister.

***

Martin breathed heavily as he slumped back towards the wall, wiping sweat from his brow with his arm. The sun was well on its way down the horizon, and he knew it was only a matter of an hour or two until they would have to go to bed. Sighing, he looked over at his sister who was in much the same shape, her sweat-covered body glistening faintly in the light from the ceiling lamp, the training outfit sticking to her skin.

"So... this is the last chance, huh?" Julia said, with a smile on her face. She groaned quietly, rolling her shoulder to get rid of some strain.

Martin gave a small nod and reached for his bottle to take a sip, only to find it empty. Sighing, he tossed it aside. "Yeah. Tomorrow you'll see if... if you can coordinate with your partner."

Julia paused at those words for a brief second as her smile wavered, but she caught herself. "Yeah. It... it will be interesting."

"That's certainly one way to describe it." Martin grunted and tried to stand, but he was still fairly sore from the latest round of mat-wrestling. "You should be plenty ready. I believe in you."

"Uhm... bro? Can I ask a favour?"

He arched an eyebrow, watching her closely. "What would that be? Are you going to ask for a massage again?"

Julia shook her head, reaching up to let her hair out of its bun. "No, I... I want to see if I can win. We've trained for a solid week, but... it's all been choreography. I want to see if I can actually beat you."

Martin would have done a spit-take had his bottle not been empty when he heard those words. "Pardon? You... you want to wrestle me? For real?"

She gave a few nods. "Yes. To prove myself, and show what I've learned under your tutelage."

He paused, rubbing the back of his neck as he listened. "What's in it for me?"

"I... I'll give you a massage every day for a month. If you win."

"And..." He gestured with his hand for her to continue.

Julia bit her lip, fidgeting with her hair. "I... if I win, I... I get to make a request of you, one you can't refuse."

Martin's eyebrow rose further towards his brow. "One request? That's it?"

"Yes." She swallowed. "You... you've already put in so much time for these sessions, and I don't want to be unreasonable."

He turned to rubbing his chin, mulling it over. "A massage every day for a month?"

"Precisely."

After ten seconds or so he sighed and shrugged. "Fine, you win. Though, I warn you, I'm not going to go easy on you."

An expression of pure joy lit up his little sister's face, and she smiled happily. "Of course! I want this to be a real contest."

"Alright." He shuffled back onto the mat, grabbing his towel to wipe his face and arms, waiting for her to join him. "So, this is how we're going to do it. Submission. Once either taps, that's the end of the fight. Fair?"

Julia tried to steady her breathing as she sat down across from him, her muscles tensing in preparation. She watched him with an intense focus.

"No retort? Alright, then here we go. One, two, three!"

As the last syllable escaped his lips, Julia was on him. She pounced, pushing him onto his back with significant force, causing him to lose a breath. Eyes wide, he barely had time to react before she was straddled on his chest, his left arm in her grip and dragged upwards while her knee planted itself on his throat. He could move his legs, but he was already feeling the pain in his tired body. How could she have had so much energy left?

"Do you yield?" Julia's voice was stern, all playfulness gone. She was a tiger in that moment, a predator with her eyes set on her prey. She tugged his arm in a bad angle, and they could both hear the faint popping of joints.

Martin was not ready to give up yet, and tried to turn his head to look up at his sister despite the knee being close to obstructing his breathing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Julia's flushed face, hair framing her features as her chest heaved in steady breaths. He had never seen her like this before, and despite himself, he felt a rush towards his lower extremities. Was he really getting excited in a moment like this?

After not receiving a response, Julia went further. She shifted to keep the arm close to her chest, while her free hand went to his fingers. There, she began to manipulate them, twisting and pulling at the digits.

"Fuck, that hurts!"

"Do you yield?" She asked again, her attitude not shifting.

"Hell no!" Martin answered defiantly, but he had to admit, he was in a bad position. With his arms useless, he only had his legs, but even if he tried, she'd be able to block his kicks with her elbows. Seconds passed, but after being in the hold for close to a minute and his breathing becoming laboured from the knee pushing against his throat, he clenched his jaw.

"I yield! I yield!"

Julia immediately let go of his arm and hand, shifting her knee to be placed above his shoulder instead. However, she did not get off his chest.

Martin groaned, stretching his fingers and wincing at the pain. "Jesus, you didn't hold back. But... I never taught you that kind of move."

Julia watched him, expression still one of deep focus. Hands on his chest, just below the collarbones, she finally spoke. "I did some research of my own, big brother."

He stiffened at that, and the problem below his waist was becoming more urgent by the second. "Right... well, you won. So... what do you want?"

"I... I want you to kiss me."

Martin blinked. "I... wha?"

Julia repeated. "I want you... to kiss me."

Martin shook his head. "Absolutely not. We're siblings, and---"

"You agreed to the terms. You accepted that you could not refuse my request."

He stopped, looking up at her with concern. "You... anything else, please. We... we can't do that."

Julia shook her head, planting her body firmly on top of him. "You agreed."

Martin gritted his teeth, trying to think of a way out of it. "You're being unreasonable."

"I am. I don't care. You said you would accept my request."