One takeaway I have from all this noise around Imane Khelif is that a lot of grifters and TERFs had to make up a trans person to be mad at, which is really sad and funny. I feel awful for her.
My second takeaway is people think sports are about fairness? What? Since when?
pt.2 ex boyfriend boxer!toji x nurse!fem reader (..him calling late at night.)
these kind of nights were the worst.
the noise from the arena never really left him. It stuck in his ears long after the crowd was gone, long after the lights were off, long after he was back in his place with nothing but the hum of the fridge and the ache in his ribs to keep him company.
hed been going harder lately.
taking fights he shouldnt. letting them run longer than they needed to, letting himself get hit more than usual, like he didnt care much about walking out clean anymore.
tonight was one of those nights.
he sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, phone loose in his hand, knuckles wrapped sloppy and half undone like he reallt just couldnt be bothered to fix them properly, dried blood still caught along the seams of his skin while a dull ache sat deep in his ribs and refused to go anywhere.
he stared at your name for a long time.
and then he called.
the line rang, and rang, and right when he was about to hang up, you picked up.
"...hello?" your voice came through, soft, a little heavy with sleep.
he leaned back slowly, dragging a hand down his face, letting out a quiet breath as he listened to you for a second before saying anything.
"angel," he muttered finally, voice low and rough. "its me."
there was a pause, the kind that wasnt empty, just careful.
"toji?" you said, a little more awake now.
he hummed under his breath, settling back against the wall, one arm resting loose over his knee while the other held the phone close to his ear.
"missin' that cute face," he said, easy, like it was the most natural thing in the world to say after calling you this late. "needed to hear your voice."
you went quiet at that, and he could already picture the way your expression would shift, the way youd frown just a little, not fully buying into it but not shutting him down either.
"...thats not really a reason to call me this late." you murmured, voice soft but not giving him much.
he huffed quietly, a faint smirk pulling at his mouth as he shifted on the bed. "worked though, didnt it?" he replied. "got you pickin' up."
you sighed, and he could hear the tiredness in it, the hesitation too, like you were already debating how long you were gonna stay on the line. he let it sit for a second, then spoke again, tone dropping just a little.
"you alone?" he asked, just something he needed to know.
"..yeah." you answered after a beat.
"yeah?" he repeated, voice quieter now, satisfied in a way he didnt bother hiding.
silence stretched again, thicker this time, but he didnt rush to fill it. he just sat there, thumb dragging slow along the edge of his phone while he listened to you breathe.
"you should come by sometime," he added after a moment, tone casual but there was something under it. "come to the ring, yeah? been a while since I seen you sittin' there."
you shifted on the other end, clearly not expecting that.
"I dont know if that’s a good idea," you said.
he let out a low breat, just taking it in stride.
"yeah," he muttered. "thats okay. dont hafta, yeah?"
rhere was another pause, and then, quieter this time, a little rougher around the edges, like he wasnt trying to play it off anymore.
"miss when you used ta watch me," he said. "used to look out, see you there. made everythin' easier."
your chest tightened, but you didnt say anything right away.
"are you okay?" you murmur.
"yeah."
he leaned his head back against the wall, eyes half lidded, voice dropping just a bit more.
"angel," he muttered, the word coming out easy, like it still belonged to you. "whyd ya leave me, huh?"
you swallowed, fingers tightening slightly around your phone. he asked like it was the most normal thing ever.
"…you know why," you said quietly.
he huffed under his breath, one hand coming up to rub at his jaw, the faint sting there barely registering.
"dont mean i gotta like it."
that made something in you soften, just a little, and he didnt push after that, he just shifted slightly on the bed, letting out a slow breath while the line stayed open between you, filled with nothing but quiet and the sound of each other.
"you takin' care of yourself?" he asked after a while, tone easier again, but still carrying that rough warmth underneath. "you workin' too much? hospital causin you trouble?"
"Im fine.." you said, though it came out softer this time, he hummed, not fully believing you but letting it go.
"sound tired." he muttered.
you didnt deny it, and he let the silence settle again, heavier now.
"miss you." he added after a moment, voice low and steady, no joke behind it this time. "aint gonna pretend I dont, you know. missin' you bad."
your breath hitched faintly, and he caught it instantly, a faint smirk pulling at his mouth again.
"there it is," he murmured.
"dont start.." you said softly. he huffed a quiet laugh, shifting back against the pillow.
"aint startin nothin'," he said.
you didnt respond to that, didnt hang up either, and he didnt ask you to stay. just kept you there, listening, like hearing your voice was enough to settle something in him for the night.
"ill come see you. we dont gotta do anythin'." he murmurs, voice slipping deeper.
"just wanna see your face. that good with you, baby?"
you let out a quiet sound of approvement, nodding even though he couldnt see you.
"yeah?" he says. "aight. okay. get some sleep, yeah?"
you let out a breath, "...okay."
"okay." he repeats.
and right before the line falls, you hear his voice again, sincere and low in that way that makes you melt all the time.
