TITLE: Hip Check

SERIES: Whip It

AUTHOR: Dreiser

EMAIL: dreiser7@yahoo.com

YAHOO ID: dreiser7

MY WEBSITE: http://www.dreiser.org/

CONTENT: F/F romance. F/F sex. Babe Ruthless/Iron Maven. Third fic in the and Pace Line series.

SUMMARY: Babe Ruthless thought roller derby was a lot like life, just when things are going good you're hit with a hip check.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but my enjoyment for taking naps.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you've read the book version of Whip It please don't get confuzzled. Malice In Wonderland in this fic is an original character and has nothing to do with the book version of Maggie Mayhem's character. I just had to use the name since it's so good.

Hip Check

By: Dreiser

The arrival of Bliss’ twenty first birthday brought a lot of things with it in the following months. There was her graduation from college, her start of a new job as a nurse at a 24/7 free clinic, and the one and a half year anniversary of her relationship with Iron Maven. Technically Bliss was still roommates with Rosa Sparks, she had half her possessions at their apartment, she paid rent, and her name was on the lease. But in reality she spent most of her time at Maven’s loft where the other half of her possessions were and where she slept over almost every night. Bliss had wanted to move in with Maven for several months now but she didn’t know how to go about broaching the subject or even if it was really appropriate for her to bring it up.

Her mother had raised her to have impeccable manners, after all, and inviting yourself to live with another person wasn’t exactly the most polite thing to do. There was also the fact that she didn’t know for certain if Maven would want to live with her. The only thing she did know was that Maven wouldn’t want to leave her loft. The rent on it was seventy percent cheaper than any other place like it in Austin and she only had to walk downstairs to get to work. Besides that, it was only two blocks from the free clinic where Bliss worked. All in all, it was the perfect place for the both of them to live but it was Maven’s place and Bliss somehow couldn’t wrap her mind around telling Maven she’d like to move in with her. Mostly because she was afraid of Maven saying no.

It was two thirty in the morning and her shift had just come to an end. They had three cases of the flu, a mysterious rash, and a broken toe during the last three hours of her relatively quiet shift. Sitting down in the employee break room, Bliss removed her tennis shoes and placed them in her backpack then pulled out her roller skates. After putting on her skates and jacket, Bliss went to the patient check in area to say goodbye to her boss and owner of the clinic, Dr. Joshua Gibson.

“I’m heading out, Josh,” said Bliss, smiling as she stuck her head around the corner. Somehow just saying his name put her in a good mood. She had dealt with so many rude and self-important doctors while attending nursing school that the fact that she worked for one who insisted on being called by his first name with his staff and Dr. Josh with his patients was a delight to her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I have you coming in at five o’clock, right?” asked Josh, furrowing his brow, trying to recall the schedule.

“Right, do you need me to come in earlier?” replied Bliss, skating into the front office where Josh was manning patient check in with Denise, his office manager. “Because I can.”

“No, that’s all right. I was just struggling to remember,” said Josh with a wry smile. Pushing up his wire rim glasses, he said, “The new season starts up soon, doesn’t it?”

“Three weeks,” said Bliss, grinning wide. “We have try outs tomorrow. Maggie wants to recruit a new player.” Seeing the goofy look Josh got on his features at Maggie’s name, she laughed and said, “You should just ask her out. She does like you.”

“She thinks I’m a dork,” said Josh mournfully and when Denise laughed at this, he spun in his chair to face her. “She does! I made the mistake of saying I couldn’t go to a party she was having because I’d be at a comic book convention in Chicago. Why didn’t I just lie and say it was for a conference on internal medicine or something? Instead I said comic books! What girl thinks a guy who reads comics is cool? No girl, that’s who. I really should’ve lied.”

“No you shouldn’t, because you’re a good person who never thinks of lying as a natural thing to do,” said Denise, she had a scolding tone to her voice although she wore kind expression as she said this. She had been working for Josh ever since he first opened the clinic twelve years ago and the two often reminded Bliss of a mother and son.

“Just don’t call me a ‘nice guy’ because all ‘nice guys’ are secret assholes,” Josh said, leaning back in his chair and bouncing in his seat. He frowned and looked at Bliss as he continued, “You’re not skating home again, are you?”

“It’s only two blocks,” said Bliss with good humored exasperation.

“Emily wouldn’t like it,” Josh remarked, the frown still on his face. He was one of the few people who met Maven outside of roller derby first and as such, he was also one of the few to speak about her using her real name instead of her rollergirl moniker. He had been introduced to the sport through his relationship with Bliss and her explanation of why she preferred the odd hours she was required to keep as a clinic employee as it gave her plenty of time to devote to the league. “It’s not safe.”

“Again, I repeat, it’s only two blocks and Emily is my girlfriend, not my mother. She doesn’t tell me what to do. Even my mother doesn’t try to do that anymore… much,” said Bliss, doing her best to fight the urge to roll her eyes, and heading out of the office.

“It’s still not safe!” Josh called after her, leaning over the counter top as she left.

“Bye Josh, Denise!” responded Bliss, going outside and waving at them as Josh kept up his warnings.

The trip from the clinic to Maven’s loft was a short one that was well lit and took even less time when she skated, which Bliss liked to do for extra practice. Though she dismissed Josh’s remark about Maven not liking it, she knew he was right. Maven truly didn’t like her skating home at night but Bliss wasn’t stupid, she knew how to take care of herself. Especially after attending the self-defense classes that Kami Kaze gave at her dojo where she taught taekwondo.

In ten minutes, Bliss was at Maven’s loft and she sat on the wrought iron stairs, removing her skates and slipping on her tennis shoes. Going up the stairs two steps at a time, she got the keys from her backpack, pausing for a moment to study them. She knew it was silly but the key to Maven's loft was the best present she ever received from Maven other than her merit badge pendant which she wore a minimum of once a week. Getting this key was almost like Maven inviting Bliss fully into her life and it solidified their relationship in a way that Bliss could never properly explain. Of course, it was given to her in the most nonchalant manner possible, with very few words to accompany the gesture but with Maven it wasn’t words Bliss was concerned about, it was the thought behind her actions, and most of the time the thoughts were incredibly sweet. Unlocking the door and heading inside, Bliss quietly set her backpack down before locking the door and walking into the bedroom.

Taking off her shoes and jacket before placing her socks and scrubs in the laundry hamper, Bliss set her bra onto the dresser and put on her worn Coca-Cola t-shirt. She crawled into bed and laid down in front of Maven, reaching back and placing the other woman’s arm over her stomach, smiling as Maven mumbled and moved into her.

“What the fuck time is it?” Maven asked in a sleepy drawl, burying her face in Bliss’ neck.

“Three a.m.,” replied Bliss with amusement. It seemed to her the more sleepy Maven was the more she cussed.




“Shit,” muttered Maven, groaning and pulling the smaller woman closer into her embrace. “How was work?”

“Good. Josh lectured me for skating home though,” said Bliss, sighing as Maven kissed her cheek. “Said it’s not safe.”

“It fucking isn’t,” Maven grumbled, poking Bliss lazily in the stomach in a form of protest for the other woman’s actions only to allow Bliss to stop her just moments later as she entwined their fingers.

“He also said you’d say that,” offered Bliss, chuckling but feeling herself lulled into sleep by Maven’s steady breathing.

“I knew there was a reason I liked him,” said Maven with a yawn.

Their conversation came to a natural end as both women drifted into sleep, curled together, and soothed by the whirr of the industrial fan in the corner which was perpetually on except in the rare months when it wasn’t all that hot.

—-

Bliss woke to the scent of food cooking and the sound of dishes being moved about. Sitting up in bed, she rubbed her eyes and wandered out of the bedroom, not fully awake and glancing at the clock to see it was just past ten in the morning. Her brain not completely functioning, Bliss stood in the kitchen, not alerting Maven to her presence until she asked, “Are you making bacon?”

Most people would have jumped in surprise but Maven just looked over her shoulder with dry amusement and replied, “I will if it matters that much to you.”

“I want bacon,” said Bliss dimly, sitting at the kitchen table and resting her head down on it.

“Baby,” said Maven with humorous affection. “If you’re still sleepy you should go back to bed.”

Releasing a muttering noise of disagreement, Bliss shook her head and watched Maven cook breakfast. After a few minutes, Maven presented her with a plate of bacon which she began munching on before the eggs and hash browns arrived. When a cup of coffee appeared in front of her and she took several long drinks, Bliss felt her cognitive skills finally start to kick in and that’s when she realized that ten in the morning was an earlier wake up time than normal for Maven on a Saturday.

“It’s not noon,” said Bliss, blinking. “Why are you up before noon?”

“Try outs,” said Maven plainly, not even attempting to defend her habit of sleeping late on the weekend. “They start at noon and forced me to get my ass up.”

“Oh yeah,” said Bliss, blinking again. Taking a bite of her eggs, she waited until she swallowed, well trained by her mother’s constant lessons on manners, and said, “You’re trying to get Miss X-Treme skating, aren’t you?”

Snorting at this, Maven pointed her fork at Bliss and said, “Just because her sport’s name is dumb doesn’t mean she’s not a kick ass skater and you know it. I bet those other bitches are going to try and steal her from me once they see what she can do.”

Taylor Barnes, though she didn’t say the name, Bliss knew it all too well. Ever since Maven saw her performance at an x-treme skating competition she’d been fixated on getting the woman to play for the Holy Rollers. Bliss couldn’t entirely blame her, having someone who could easily do flips, jumps, and other endless amounts of tricks would be a boon to any team in derby when you coupled it with how fast her skating speed was. All in all, she was the perfect candidate and when the competition was over Maven had gone to her, flyer in hand for the TXRD exhibition bout featuring the Hurl Scouts and Black Widows, asking Taylor to attend and to give the idea of playing roller derby some serious thought.

Once the exhibition bout was over, Bliss having led the Hurl Scouts to a fifteen point victory, she found her congratulatory kiss with Maven interrupted by Taylor tapping the older woman on the shoulder and saying she’d be at try outs. Although Maven was the one who found Taylor she could easily end up on another team because of the league’s rules when it came to rookies. Namely that if more than one team wanted a player and thought they’d be a good fit then said player got to choose which team they wanted to be on and Maven was convinced once the other team captains saw Taylor skate they’d all want her.

“The Black Widows aren’t recruiting though,” offered Bliss helpfully.

“Which just leaves three other teams that’ll want her,” said Maven sardonically, gathering up the dishes. Bliss followed suit, taking over rinsing them as Maven opened up the dish washer. Leaning against the counter, Maven folded her arms over her chest and asked, “Why didn’t you call me when you got off your shift? I said you could.”

“Because I didn’t want to wake you and it’s only two blocks,” said Bliss patiently.

“It isn’t safe,” Maven enforced, taking a plate from Bliss and putting it away. “I don’t like it.”

“It’s two blocks,” said Bliss, starting to lose her patience, though she knew Maven was just worried about her. Turning to face the other woman, she wore a wry expression and touched her cheek. “I’m not made of glass. I can take of myself.”

Maven frowned and eventually shook her head, releasing a disgruntled noise as she threw up her hands. “Fine,” she drawled. “You don’t want a ride then you don’t want a ride. Just remember if you ever do I don’t give a fuck about being woken up.”

“I’ll remember,” Bliss chuckled, moving in for a kiss and smiling when Maven grumbled at her before hitting her ass lightly and closing the dish washer. Chasing after the other woman and hugging her from behind, she remained attached to Maven as she made her way into the bathroom. “I want to come along and watch try outs.”

“You want to see Miss X-Treme skate?” Maven raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Don’t you always say it’s good to keep an eye on the competition?” questioned Bliss, turning on the shower and watching unabashedly as Maven removed the shorts and tank top she used as sleepwear.

“I do say that,” said Maven in droll tones, holding onto the edge of Bliss’ t-shirt before pulling it over her head. Bliss shimmied out of her underwear before she grinned and followed Maven into the shower. “I just didn’t know you actually listened when I said it.”

“I listen!” Bliss protested, scowling and reaching for the shower gel. Squirting some in her hand, she rubbed it onto Maven’s back as they stepped under the stream of hot water. “You make it sound like I’m a bad girlfriend or something.”

“Did I hurt someone’s feelings?” drawled Maven, turning around and Bliss suddenly found herself pressed against the shower tiles with Maven’s hands on either side of her head as she formed a wicked smile.

“If I say no, will you stop?” questioned Bliss, arching into Maven as she paused in her exploration of the smaller woman’s body. She heard Maven chuckle then lift her head up for a kiss that was hard and deep and when they parted, Bliss said, “I guess not.”

“How do you want it?” Maven’s voice was low and husky in her ear and Bliss trembled as she felt fingers lightly brush over her breasts, teasing the nipples. “Mouth, fingers, or both? I’m taking requests.”

“Lucky me,” Bliss replied, gasping as Maven’s head bent, adding mouth and fingers to her attentions. Tangling her fingers in Maven’s hair, she tried to make her brain work, to tell her what her body needed and eventually she said, “Fingers but don’t stop!” Maven only chuckled and stayed where she was, her right hand trailing down to Bliss’ pussy, trailing over her clit, teasing it as she slid two fingers into the other woman. Bliss exhaled and rose up into Maven as lips covered her nipple, sucking as long strokes accompanied the teasing of her clit and she absently wondered why they didn’t do it more often in the shower. Probably because they were usually never awake at the same time when their showering occurred. “Harder,” Bliss muttered, moving into Maven’s touch and releasing a noise of satisfaction when Maven conceded to her demands. She shuddered and lifted her hips into the other woman, meeting her thrusts, her hands firmly tangled in Maven’s hair, crying her release as she came. Several moments passed before Bliss lifted her head off Maven’s shoulder and took in the supremely proud look the other woman always wore when she knew she’d given Bliss a particularly good orgasm. Blinking and her brain feeling something in a daze, just like when she first woke up, Bliss eventually said, “We’re still not clean, are we?”

Laughing at this, Maven pushed aside several wet locks of hair and remarked, “There are more important things than getting clean and I’m fucking positive that getting you off is one of them.”

“Yay,” said Bliss, happy but thoroughly exhausted, smiling as Maven laughed again and set about washing her hair.

Though the idea of it was definitely invasive and somewhat perverted, Bliss wished her mother and the Hurl Scouts, hell, anyone who judged Maven on first impressions solely and assumed she had to be a horrible person to be involved with had a chance to see her in moments like this. The problem was, Maven liked to present one side of herself to the world in general and a totally different one to those she judged close to her, whom she trusted, and Maven didn’t trust that many people. It was a list that didn’t go beyond her fingers and toes that consisted of Bliss, the Holy Rollers, coach Alonso, her boss Ronnie, and her little sister, Grace, whom Maven was in regular contact with despite the distance as she was away attending Texas A&M’s school of veterinary medicine. Trying to get Maven to open up to anyone other than these select few wasn’t something easily done and Bliss had started to give up on it, though she found it frustrating so few people could see this side to her girlfriend.

She knew Maven could care less what people thought of her but Bliss cared and she hated anyone thinking badly of her, especially for things that just weren’t true. Such as her rumored status as an insensitive romantic partner which couldn’t be further from reality in Bliss’ opinion. Though, Bliss considered, sighing as Maven’s hands slid over her skin, her touch comforting as she applied the shower gel, it was nice in a way too. As if she was keeping Maven all to herself and Bliss was self-aware enough to admit there were times when she very much wanted to do exactly that.

So maybe, all in all, this really wasn’t that bad of a situation to be in.

—-

Deciding that she wanted a bird eyes view, Bliss perched herself in the stands to watch the potential rookies gather as Razor began his traditional explanation of what roller derby and the TXRD was all about before they got into the demonstration of how to play the game. Bliss grinned as she watched Maven skate over to the start line with Mazel Tough. She wasn’t sure exactly what Mazel’s problem with her girlfriend was but it was perpetual and Maven was all too aware of it which meant, according to her unique personality, she did her level best to piss Mazel off at every possible opportunity.

The potentials were sitting in the center of the track, eyes wide as Razor blew the whistle and Maven took off like a shot, laughing uproariously and calling out for Mazel to hurry as she rounded the track. Chuckling at this, Bliss leaned back on her elbows and watched Maven easily win their example jam.

“Ruthless,” Smashley’s voice suddenly appeared in her ear and she whirled around to see her teammate wearing a dopey grin on her face as she munched on a pop tart. “What are you doing here? Ogling the girlfriend?”

“I wanted to watch try outs,” replied Bliss, shifting as Smashley sat next to her on the stands. “What about you?”

“Maggie asked me to come,” said Smashley, tilting her head to and fro, eventually sighing when her neck popped loudly. “Said she wanted me to look at the fresh meat and give her an opinion.” She turned to Bliss and formed a wide grin. “You know I did the same for you. I said anybody can learn to take a hit but you gotta have talent to skate fast.” Pausing to frown, Smashley took another bite of her pop tart and continued, “Or did Razor say that? I forget. I told her to get you though.”

“Thanks,” said Bliss with a smile, unable to help the amusement she felt at most anything Smashley said.

“No problem man,” Smashley said easily, kicking her feet up and squinting as they began lining people up on the track. Bliss turned her attention back to the try outs and saw that Taylor Barnes was among the pack of people showing off their skills at skating. Holding back a sigh, she waited for the inevitable ruckus her performance would cause.

Within seconds of the skate being finished and Taylor lapping everyone else on the track several times, when she didn’t pause to skate backwards or do a back flip, Bliss experienced a severe ringing in her ears as Smashley screamed holy shit at the top of her lungs and demanded that Maggie make that blonde chick a Hurl Scout. Releasing her held back sigh, Bliss wondered why she wanted to watch this in the first place. She already knew what Taylor could do so it was hardly a surprise to her. Maybe she wanted to know what team she’d end up with and despite herself, Bliss wasn’t sure she wanted it to be the Holy Rollers or the Hurl Scouts. It wasn’t that the other woman was annoying or abrasive, in fact, Bliss didn't have any real sense of her personality but… Taylor wasn’t even in the league yet and already people were making a fuss over her.

Maven was making a fuss over her and the jealous part of Bliss didn’t like that one bit.

When the try outs were concluded, Bliss followed Smashley down through the stands and into the back locker room which was the most isolated and private part of the warehouse where the team captains held their meeting with the coaches in attendance. Maven was sitting next to Maggie on a bench with Mazel and Axles of Evil across from them and Maven immediately grinned on seeing Bliss, hooking her fingers into the belt loops of Bliss’ jeans and pulling the smaller woman onto her lap. Smashley rolled her eyes and sat next to Maggie and when Maven rested her chin on Bliss’ shoulder, Razor cleared his throat.

“Who wants to start?” he questioned.

“I want #15, Barnes,” said Mazel. At this, Maven snorted. “You got something to say, Maven?”

“Everybody wants Barnes,” drawled Maven, wrapping her arms around Bliss’ waist and giving Mazel a mocking look. She then shifted her attention to Maggie then Axles of Evil. “Or am I wrong?” When they gave assenting nods, Maven returned her focus to Mazel and said, “See? You’re not special. So it’s not about who wants Barnes it’s about who Barnes wants to play for.”

“And let me guess, you think she’ll choose your team,” said Mazel in condescending tones.

“I’m the one that found her,” said Maven simply.

“So what? She’s got your stamp of ownership?” Mazel asked. “That’s not how it works.”

“Maven,” said Alonso, a slight plea in his voice, looking at his team’s captain.

“Barnes will pick the best team,” said Maven, focusing on Alonso and giving him a look that Bliss recognized as the ‘calm the fuck down I’m handling this’ expression that Maven liked to use when people tried to interfere in her disputes.

“You mean the Hurl Scouts? They’ve been league champions three years in a row now,” Mazel said this in a thoroughly snarky voice and Bliss felt Maven’s body tense up then suddenly relax as she was pulled closer to the older woman.

Soft lips pressed against Bliss’ cheek then Maven drawled, “We all know that’s because of Ruthless.”

“Right,” Razor said a little apprehensively. “I’ll go tell her then.”

“You do that,” said Maven sardonically, sliding her hands underneath Bliss’ shirt to caress her stomach. Her gaze drifted over to Smashley and she lifted an eyebrow. “Why are you here, Smash?”

“I’m scouting,” Smashley drew this out with a huge grin. “And watching a wicked verbal beat down.”

Laughing at this, Maven tapped absently on Bliss’ stomach until the other woman stilled her fingers, capturing them in her hold and as soon as she did, Maven sighed heavily and began bouncing her knees. Turning to her girlfriend, mindful of keeping her voice low so the conversation was private, Bliss asked with a quiet humor, “Are you actually worried?”

“No,” said Maven derisively. When Bliss just looked at her and formed a knowing grin, Maven scowled and muttered, “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything,” remarked Bliss teasingly, her grin growing wider as she kissed the older woman.

“You two are disgustingly cute,” Axles of Evil’s voice broke into their solitary moment. “Quit it.”

“Yeah,” agreed Smashley, squinting at them and leaning back on her hands. “I see enough of that when I hang at your place Maven. Why expose us to more of the cute in public? Not cool.”

“I never invite you over,” said Maven, looking at the other woman pointedly. “That’s Ruthless.”

“Harsh,” said Smashley, putting a hand over her heart. A moment passed then that look of sudden realization passed over her features, causing Maggie and Bliss to immediately become nervous as they knew it was the look of Smashley having an epiphany of some sort. Which was really never a good thing. “Maven,” Smashley said her name with great emphasis, causing her to look at Smashley with a droll expression as Smashley grabbed her arm. “If you get that blonde back flipping chick on your team you won’t be the star anymore, she will. You know that, right?”

Complete and total silence and Bliss halfway wondered if Maven might punch Smashley for saying that. Even if it might be the truth. But when it came to roller derby and Maven’s pride, you really had to tread lightly. Bliss knew that all too well from having to deal with the aftermath of the Holy Rollers losing the league championship two times and not making it to a third.

“I’ll always be a star,” said Maven, wearing that supremely confident look on her face that simultaneously turned Bliss on and frustrated her depending on the situation. “It’s just with her on my team the Holy Rollers will be undefeated again.” Keeping an arm firmly wound around Bliss’ waist, she leaned towards Smashley, crooking a finger for her to come closer. Once Smashley obliged, Maven gave her a friendly slap on the cheek and said, “I’m team captain. Winning’s all that matters.”

“What if she doesn’t pick you?” asked Maggie with honest curiosity. “Do you have a second choice?”

“It’s Barnes or nothing,” said Maven, a stubborn look on her features.

Maggie looked like she was going to reply to this when Razor returned and all the team captains stared at him expectantly. He wore a wry expression then sighed and looked to Maven as he said, “Congratulations. She’s a Holy Roller.”

Instantly Maven released a burst of triumphant laughter, bouncing Bliss in her lap before she promptly flipped off everyone in the locker room and drawled, “It’s a resurrection of the undefeated season, bitches.”

——

Rollergirl names weren’t an easily explained thing. Usually they emerged from the personality of the player and some basis in a pun but they all came from different places. If Bliss hadn’t finished Razor’s sentence during his early critique of her jamming skills, or lack thereof, with the word ruthless it’s quite likely she would have been called something else altogether. For Taylor Barnes, however, all it took was showing up to practice with her chin length platinum blonde hair tied back with a black ribbon and in a pale blue dress for Jackie Daniels to declare she was Malice In Wonderland. The name went over well with Taylor, and the rest of the Holy Rollers found it utterly hilarious, and thus their newest rollergirl was named.

The season was starting in two and a half weeks and the Holy Rollers were anxious to get their newest recruit trained for her first bout, which is why they had arranged a series of practices with all the teams in the league in preparation. First of which was with the Hurl Scouts and that’s why Bliss sat on her team’s bench, watching as Maven and the rest of the Holy Rollers were gathered around the newly christened Malice. They had already done several jams with Malice in the blocker and pivot positions, and the blonde had expressed great excitement and delight at Maven’s victories as a jammer, going up to her after each jam and asking questions, standing far too close for Bliss’ comfort and touching when it just wasn’t necessary. Now it was finally time for Malice to try her hand at jamming and she only had one thought in her head.

“Razor,” said Bliss, keeping her eyes on them. “Let me go against her.”

“This is so thunderdome,” Smashley remarked, clapping her hands excitedly. When everyone looked at her in confusion, she elaborated with wild hand gestures, “Two men enter, one man leaves! It’s totally epic. Ruthless is Tina Turner and that blonde chick is Mel Gibson before he got all bigoted and crazy.”

“Smashley, I told you to stop getting high before practice,” said Razor in long suffering tones.

“I’m nooot!” Smashley wailed, skating around Razor discontentedly.

Ignoring Smashley, as was his habit when he just didn’t believe her, Razor focused on Bliss and said, “You’re up.”

Slipping the jammer’s star over her helmet, Bliss went up the start line and watched Maven talking to Malice. A frown forming as she watched Maven rest a hand on the top of the blonde’s head and give it an affectionate shake before she put the star over Malice’s helmet and directed her to where Bliss was waiting for her. The blockers skated onto the track and as she moved into position and glanced at Malice who was skating on the inside, Bliss had a sudden flashback to her first practice and the jam she had lost to Maven due to her fear of taking and giving a hit. Her jaw set into a hard line, Bliss didn’t have time to really analyze where her sudden fit of aggression was coming from when the whistle sounded and the jam was on.

For the first minute or so things were going fine, Bliss was in the lead, she had passed through the pack and was the lead jammer and that’s when she sensed something, or rather, someone coming up fast. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Malice on her tail and her eyes narrowing, Bliss slowed her pace just enough to let the blonde catch up to her and the instant they were next to each other, she gave the other woman a hard hip check which sent her tumbling off the track. Fighting her way through the Holy Rollers wall with the help of Smashley and Bloody Holly, she called off the jam and skated over to the rest of her team where they all looked at her with varying degrees of amusement.

“Dating Maven really has brought out your rage,” said Rosa eventually, sounding positively fascinated as she said this.

“Thunderdome! Spin the wheel, make a deal!” Smashley declared, skating around all of them, pumping her fists into the air. “It’s fucking awesome!”

Her hands on her hips and bent over slightly, Bliss tried to will herself into not to looking over at the Holy Rollers but she couldn’t help herself. She met Maven’s gaze whose lips quirked up in a grin at this attention. “Living up to your name, huh, Ruthless?” she called out and there was an affectionate humor in her voice before she turned to Malice who was stretching and wearing a wry look on her features. It wasn’t in Maven’s nature to be quiet or demure or anything close to resembling that so Bliss easily heard her girlfriend as she rapped her knuckles on Malice's helmet and drawled, “You see what she did? That’s what you have to do. You take them out before they can take you out. It’s what the military calls a preemptive strike.”

Bliss would have kept eavesdropping on their conversation but she suddenly found herself surrounded by half of the Holy Rollers team which effectively blocked her view of Maven and distracted her in the process. Immediately, the rest of the Hurl Scouts moved around her and Bliss had a strange feeling, like she was in a roller derby version of West Side Story, from how they were facing off against each other. Maggie, ever the diplomat, spoke first.

“Is there something you need from our jammer?” she asked.

“Relax,” Jackie scoffed and at times Bliss wondered who was better at forming ridiculing facial expressions, Jackie or Maven. Sometimes she thought they had to practice with one another, they were so good at it. “We’re not here to start shit. We just want to give Ruthless some friendly advice, that’s all.”

“You guys,” Bliss turned to her teammates, a reassuring look on her features. “It’s all right.” The Hurl Scouts gave the Holy Rollers final looks of warning before skating away and Bliss had to repress the urge to roll her eyes. She didn’t know why things had to be so complicated between their two teams but they just were and she doubted it would ever change as long as they maintained a rivalry for holding onto league championship title longer than any of the other teams. “So,” she began, placing her hands on her hips and anticipating threats of payback. “What’s going on?”

The Holy Rollers exchanged glances before Mary Jane Pain began with, “Everybody gets crushes, Ruthless. It’s like an initiation for joining derby or something. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Yeah,” Princess Slaya agreed, nodding her head emphatically.

“What?” said Bliss rather dimly, blinking at them and wondering where the threats were.

“I mean, you get into something and you really love it and then there’s this person that’s so good at it and, you know, you end up crushing on them, it’s totally natural,” Mary Jane explained patiently.

“What are you all talking about?” asked Bliss, completely perplexed at this point.

“Malice,” said Jackie plainly. “You’re pissed because you think she’ll end up making moves on Maven. We’re trying to say not to worry, it’s no big thing. This happens all the time and eventually she’ll get over the hero worship.”

“She definitely will,” Smother Theresa chimed in. “I did.” At this, the other Holy Rollers burst into raucous laughter and Theresa blushed dark red and shouted, “Shut the fuck up! I did get over it!”

“After six months,” chortled Jackie before she looked over her shoulder and saw Maven had noticed their impromptu conference. “We gotta get back to business,” she said, returning her gaze to Bliss. “But we just thought we’d tell you not to get your panties in a twist because really it’s nothing.”

“The captain is nuts for you anyway,” Mary Jane offered. “She won’t shut up about you. Pisses us off.”

“Ruthless, Ruthless, Ruthless!” the Holy Rollers chanted, laughing mockingly as they skated over to Maven who demanded to know why they were conspiring with the enemy.

Chuckling at Jackie’s loud retort, questioning if that was better or worse than sleeping with the enemy and Maven’s response that her way got you more orgasms, Bliss shook her head and went back to the other Hurl Scouts. With that one conversation the ever present feeling of anger and annoyance she had been experiencing since the practice started suddenly dissipated and she felt like herself again. Of course, that didn’t mean she didn’t give Malice another hip check during their next jam.

Because, really, what else could she do? It was part of her job.

——

She was sure her mother would be horrified that Bliss considered an early night home from work to be eleven p.m. but that was the truth of the matter and she honestly enjoyed the odd hours working at the clinic provided her with. Maven hardly had a normal nine to five schedule as a tattoo artist and freelance designer and her job allowed them to spend more time together. When her shift was over, she slipped on her skates and made her way to Maven’s loft in record time and as she rounded the corner, a familiar row of cars met her gaze. Changing into her tennis shoes and running up the stairs, Bliss opened the front door and was met with the sight of the Holy Rollers gathered in the living room watching television.

“Ruthlessssss,” the Holy Rollers sing songed, laughing and holding up a variety of beer bottles in salute. The only exceptions to this were Malice, who gave a hesitant smile and waved at her, and Maven who grinned at her and blew a kiss.

“You all are drunk, aren’t you?” said Bliss wryly, placing her backpack down on the floor and walking over to Maven who grabbed the drawstring of her scrubs, using them to pull her closer. Releasing a huff of air as she was deposited onto the older woman’s lap, Bliss took the beer she was holding and had a drink. When she was done, Bliss laughed at the impatient look on Maven’s face and leaned down to give her a thorough kiss. When they parted and several Holy Rollers made rude remarks in response to their display, Bliss wrapped a lock of Maven’s hair around her finger and asked, “What’s with the party?”

“Baby,” Maven drew the word out slow and sensuous, her hands sliding up to rest flat against Bliss’ stomach, causing the other woman to shiver with desire. “We don’t need a reason to party.”

“Sure,” said Bliss indulgently. The responsible adult part of her knew she shouldn’t be so charmed by Maven when she was intoxicated but the other part, the one that loved how it seemed to release a more gregarious side to her girlfriend, just wanted to enjoy the effect alcohol had on her. Shifting on the other woman’s lap, she peered around Malice at Jackie who raised an eyebrow at her. “You’ll tell me what’s up, won’t you, Jackie?”

“Nancy Drew is on the case,” said Maven in a stage hush, holding up her hand to her mouth, turning to Malice who laughed.

“Isn’t there a blocker in Vegas called Nancy Lewd?” asked Princess Slaya, turning around on the floor.

“Nooo,” Mary Jane Pain interjected. “Her name’s Nancy Screwed.”

“Nancy Crude is better,” Maven declared, taking another swig of her beer.

“Jackie,” Bliss said her name again and the other woman focused on her, an amused look on her features.

“Maven’s telling the truth, we don’t have a reason to party,” said Jackie simply, giving a smirk. “Besides being us.”

“That’s plenty reason,” Smother Theresa enforced, focusing on the television and shouting at what she saw. “Shit, Malice! How did you jump that and not break your neck?” she demanded, whirling around and pointing her beer bottle at the tv set.

For the first time, Bliss looked at what was playing on the television and saw it was an x-treme skating competition, very much like the one she and Maven had attended a few months ago. Moving her gaze to the coffee table, Bliss saw it was littered with dvds from similar competitions and several videos from Maven’s personal roller derby collection that included a few bouts featuring Ann Calvello over the course of her career. Malice blushed at Theresa’s words and for the first time, Bliss got an actual feel for the blonde’s personality. The rest of the Holy Rollers were very much in line with Maven, they were loud and brash and they didn’t seem to hold anything back and while Malice was like that when she skated, or at least that’s what Bliss could tell from seeing her at the competition and from their league practice, she didn’t appear to be that way the rest of the time. In fact, she seemed undeniably shy and suddenly Bliss felt horrible for holding such resentment towards her.

“Years and years of gymnastics,” Malice said, smiling at Bliss when she noticed her attention. “My mother dreamed of me making it to the Olympics. I was this close,” Malice created an almost nonexistent space between her index finger and thumb for visual emphasis, “to being renamed Mary Lou. She was pretty much devastated when I stopped competing at sixteen.”

“My mother used to make me enter beauty pageants,” Bliss revealed, feeling an odd kinship with Malice.

“No,” Malice said, her eyes going wide. “For how long?”

“Until I was seventeen and discovered roller derby,” said Bliss with self-deprecating humor. “My little sister, Shania, still competes but she actually likes it and wins trophies. I just kind of sucked at it and went along to go along, you know?”

“Don’t listen to her,” Maven ordered, rapping Malice on the top of her head. “I got some pageant photos of her in my room and she looks plenty good at it if you ask me.” Focusing on Bliss, she offered a cheeky grin and drawled, “Pretty as a picture.”

Laughing despite herself, Bliss shook her head and held Maven’s face in her hands before kissing her and murmuring, “You must really want to get laid tonight.”

“I always want that,” said Maven, forming a wicked grin, her voice husky. Her face was blank for a moment, then she turned around to stare at Malice. “How tall are you?” she questioned suddenly.

“4’9”, why?” asked Malice in confusion.

Releasing a bark of laughter and bouncing Bliss in her lap, Maven focused on her girlfriend. “4’9”, did you hear that?” Maven said, a playful taunt to her voice and the brunette squirmed as Maven’s fingers played at her sides, tickling her mercilessly. “We finally found somebody shorter than you and she’s a fucking Holy Roller. How’d you like that?”

“Malice is shorter than Ruthless?” Mary Jane interjected. “I didn’t think anybody was shorter than Ruthless.”

“Apparently I am,” said Malice humorously.

“I did good naming you,” said Jackie proudly, raising her beer bottle in compliments to herself. “The Alice in that story was short, wasn't she?”

“She also was a fictional kid that chased after white rabbits,” said Princess in droll tones.

“Ronnie has this regular who is trying to tattoo every Disney character onto his body,” Maven remarked, finishing off her beer and setting it on the coffee table with an audible clink before reaching into the cooler by the couch for another one. “Last one was Winnie the Pooh.” She focused her attention on Bliss and her lips quirked into a grin. “There’s something disturbing about a four hundred pound biker whose entire body is covered with animated characters.”

“He’s a walking poster,” said Theresa wisely. “They should let him into the parks for free.”

The wandering conversation and drinks went on for another two hours before the Holy Rollers exited Maven’s loft en masse, Malice stopping in the crowd of her teammates to blush and thank Bliss and Maven for a nice time before Theresa wrapped an arm around her shoulder and declared her to be too polite for Holy Rollers standards. Bliss managed to say that she, for one, liked Malice’s politeness and the rest of the Holy Rollers, including Maven, gave a slew of derisive noises and remarks at this as they left. Per usual, they had done a decent job of cleaning up the loft, with only a few stray bags of chips lying on the coffee table as proof a party had taken place, and Maven told her to forget about them as she held Bliss from behind.

“You know,” Maven muttered, kissing Bliss’ neck and sliding her hands underneath Bliss’ scrubs, moving up to cup the shorter woman’s breasts. “If you ever want them gone you can tell them to fuck off. They’d give me shit but they’d understand.”

“I was having fun,” said Bliss truthfully. Although initially she was hit with another wave of jealousy on seeing Malice sitting next to Maven when she entered the loft but as the night wore on and she got to know the other woman she knew the feelings she had were all in her own head. Maven would never cheat on her and Malice, well, she just had a very understandable crush in Bliss’ opinion. Turning her head to look at Maven, she asked playfully, “Did you want to tell them to fuck off?”

Maven chuckled quietly, her voice taking a throaty drawl as she said, “Maybe. Mostly I wanted to fuck you.”

“I knew you were using the sweet talk for a purpose,” said Bliss with a gasp as Maven’s hands changed direction, sliding underneath her panties. Suddenly she found herself bent over the arm of the couch with her scrubs and panties at her feet and Maven’s voice was a soft rumble in her ear, asking if this was all right, did she want it like this. Bliss could only give a jerky nod of her head in affirmation and gasp again as Maven’s fingers entered her while the older woman sucked on her clit. “You weren’t kidding when you told me you wanted to get laid, were you?” she managed to say.

“I never kid about that,” said Maven and Bliss felt a soft kiss at the small of her back. “But baby,” Maven drew the word out slow like honey, washing over Bliss and making her shiver then moan as the fingers inside her retreated to caress her clit then moved back inside again. “You should know that by now.”

If she could get her brain to focus on something other than her body and the way it was flush with desire and trembling, her breath coming in gales as Maven’s tongue replaced her fingers, bringing her close to that edge only to retreat and toy with her, seeing how long she could hold out, Bliss might recognize this as the truth. That there never came a time in their one and a half years together that Maven ever turned Bliss away when it came to any level of physicality. Whether it be hugs, kisses, gropes, or sex in all its various forms, Maven seemed to welcome each and every approach, even craving it to a certain degree and Bliss wondered if that had to do with the older woman being far better at expressing her feelings through actions and not words.

“Stop playing!” Bliss demanded, thrusting her hips into Maven and groaning as the fingers returned, moving deeper inside of her as the older woman chuckled and trailed her tongue over her clit before replacing it with her lips. Several long thrusts and three fingers curled inside of her, causing her stomach to clench and Bliss to swear she saw stars, then she came, falling forward on the couch, ass in the air and face in the cushions, listening to Maven’s self-satisfied laughter and a distinctive smack of her lips. Fingertips trailed over her spine before her scrubs were pulled up along with her panties and rolling onto her side, Bliss peered up at Maven who smirked at her as she licked her fingers in a deliberately sensual gesture. “You’re such an asshole.”

“Mmm,” Maven arched an eyebrow, her smirk growing wider as she pulled the fingers out of her mouth with a pop. “I think that’s been established. Why don’t you tell me another one?”

Releasing a growl, Bliss pounced on Maven, kissing her deep and delicious, taking control and directing them towards the bedroom where she continued the kiss as she pushed the older woman onto the bed, climbing on top of her and holding Maven’s hands at the wrists when she felt them wander. When they parted, she shook her head, a chastising look forming on her features. “Uh uh,” she murmured, laughing when Maven formed something of a scowl. “It’s my turn.”

“Bitch,” accused Maven, her lips curling in a slight snarl, and the way she said this, with a clear affection in her tone, took away any insulting connotation the word might have had.

“I learned from the best,” replied Bliss with a grin, laughing at the fuck you she got in response.

The night went on with each of them taking turns in their game of friendly dominance until they fell asleep in each others arms, exhausted from their efforts and while Maven might not say the words often, Bliss felt the love in her kisses and in her touch and she saw it in her eyes and that’s all that mattered. She knew how Maven felt for her and it was honest and it was real and it was the sort of thing that lasted. Bliss could feel it in her bones, that this is was where she was meant to be, that this was where she belonged, and now all she had to do was work up the courage to say it to Maven and hope that Maven felt the same way about her.

——

“Holy shit, is that a mirage or is my roommate home for once?” Rosa proclaimed, closing the door to their apartment, sporting a huge smile on her features. Plopping down on the couch next to Bliss, who muted the television and grinned in response, Rosa continued, “Why does it seem like it’s been forever and a day since you set foot in this place?”

“Probably because it has been,” suggested Bliss wryly.

“Girl,” said Rosa with a shake of her head and a chuckle in her voice. “Why don’t you just move in with Maven already? If you’re worried about my ass, don’t be. I can find another roomie no problem. Eva’s even been showing interest again.”

Her situation with Malice and Maven immediately coming to mind because even though she knew logically she didn’t have any reason to be jealous of the other woman, it didn’t make those feelings magically disappear, Bliss turned to Rosa. “How do you deal with everybody always hitting on Eva?” she asked honestly. It was a constant thing with Eva Destruction, something that created a steady stream of jokes from others in the league, that all her fans were people who wanted to kiss/date/fuck her and it wasn’t really that far from the truth considering how often she got approached. “I mean, don’t you get jealous?”

“Lord help me,” Rosa chuckled, putting her feet up on their scratched coffee table and leaning her head back on the couch cushions before directing her gaze at Bliss. “If I got jealous every time somebody put it in their mind to hit on Eva then I’d never have time to feel anything else.” Shaking her head, she said, “It doesn’t matter what those people do. I know Eva and Eva knows me, so what’s to get jealous about when I know I’m the one she’s got a thing for in the end?”

“So you never get jealous,” said Bliss skeptically, somehow not believing this, because she’d seen Rosa’s expressions when some of those fans put the moves on Eva and it wasn’t nearly as calm and collected as she was making it out to be.

“I can’t lie, I get pissed. I’m human and that’s my girl,” said Rosa, stretching her arms over her head. “I just do my level best not to let it get to me.” Rosa focused on Bliss and frowned. “Why are you asking me about all this anyhow? You having some kind of problem with Maven? A jealousy causing problem?”

Turning red, Bliss started to deny it but saw the look of utter knowing in Rosa’s eyes and sighed, deciding not to even try. “The new jammer,” she began wearily.

“Malice,” supplied Rosa, her frown staying in place until her eyes gleamed and a laugh burst from her lips. “No!” Rosa proclaimed, her laughter increasing as she hit Bliss on the thighs. “You’re jealous of that? Maven doesn’t give her a glance!”

“Does Eva give glances to all those fans that go after her?” asked Bliss in rather snippy tones.

“You want my advice then need to quit the attitude,” Rosa declared, giving Bliss a look and waiting for the other woman to apologize before she continued. When Bliss mumbled her apology, Rosa rolled her eyes and said, “I get your point. You know Maven’s not going to give that girl any thought just like I know Eva’s not going to take up with every fan that says she’s got a nice ass but it doesn’t stop the jealousy, does it now?”

“What am I supposed to do about it?” Bliss questioned, trying not to sound impatient but feeling utterly so.

“Anytime I start to feel myself getting really worked up about it, I just move on up to Eva and do things with her those fans only wish they could get away with,” said Rosa, giving a wide and gleaming smile, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Why don’t you go and give that a whirl with Maven and see how it goes?”

Laughing at this, Bliss shook her head and said, “That’s why I spent all last night sitting in her lap at a Holy Rollers party.”

“See then!” Rosa pushed Bliss’ leg, grinning at her. “It works, doesn’t it? Nonverbal version of bitch step off, that’s my woman.”

“Something like that,” said Bliss humorously. Releasing a groan and resting an arm over her eyes, she said, “I hate feeling this way, Rosa. It sucks and I was being really mean to Malice for no reason. I mean, she just has a crush on Emily. It’s not like she’s going after her or something. And I understand having a crush on her. I had a crush on her!”

“I think everybody on that team but Jackie had a crush on her at some time or another,” revealed Rosa, smirking when Bliss lifted her arm to glare at her on hearing this. “What?” asked Rosa innocently. “You don’t think I go through the same shit with Eva? Those damn Black Widows worship her like she’s some sorta derby deity. I blame it on those corsets she wears.”

“Our lives suck,” said Bliss somewhat mournfully.

“No, our lives are fine, it’s the having sexy girlfriends that suck,” corrected Rosa. Several moments passed then they looked at each other and wore incredulous expressions as they processed what they just said before erupting into laughter and clinging to one another. When the laughter died down, Rosa shook her head and said, “This is such a bullshit thing for us to be bitching about, isn’t it, Ruthless? Maggie would give such a smack down if she heard us going on like this.”

“It is pretty sad,” Bliss agreed, sighing and looking at Rosa wryly. “It doesn’t change anything though. Does it?”

“Nope,” said Rosa. She paused to release a humorous snort then suggested, “We could always break up with them.”

Giving an exasperated noise, Bliss buried her face in a pillow and laid down in Rosa’s lap, looking up at her as she pulled the pillow away from her face. “I want to move in with her,” she confessed. “But I’m too scared to bring it up.”

“You got issues,” said Rosa wisely. Tapping Bliss on the forehead as she continued, “In here.”

“I know that,” said Bliss in altogether whiny tones, hating how her voice sounded and her inability to make herself just get over herself and ask her girlfriend what she’d been wanting for months now. “I’m just freaked she’ll say no.”

“Can’t help you there, honey,” murmured Rosa. “Fear’s something you got to get over all on your lonesome. But I do have to say that Maven doesn’t seem to have a problem with you being at her place almost 24/7 for how many months on end which is pretty much like you living with her already. And didn’t she buy you furniture?”

“A desk and a dresser, yeah,” said Bliss, peering up at Rosa. “You think that means something?”

“Means she’s okay having your stuff at her place,” Rosa replied with an encouraging smile. “And that’s plenty.”

Another moment of silence then Bliss looked at Rosa and she asked, “If you love Eva why don’t you all stay together? I don’t think I could stand seeing Emily with other people. I’d probably quit the league first.”

“You would not,” said Rosa, pushing Bliss on the side of her head, scoffing at the other woman. “Eva and me, we’re not like you and Maven. Don’t get me wrong, I think Maven’s the same obnoxious bitch as ever on the track, but I know how she is with you and it’s not like that with Eva. We get along fine but it’s not some sort of fairy tale romance, Ruthless.”

“Neither is what I have with Emily,” said Bliss, frowning. “We have problems.”

Shaking her head and laughing, Rosa looked at Bliss indulgently then said, “There’s the difference though.” When Bliss stared at her blankly, an expression of clear confusion, she elaborated, “You call your girl Emily and I call mine Eva.”

“That’s not her real name?” asked Bliss, her frown growing deeper, an impish grin forming on her features at the look of complete disdain that Rosa gave her at this. Twisting around to protect herself from Rosa’s sudden pillow assault, Bliss felt a strange bit of relief from having this conversation with her roommate. Somehow knowing she wasn’t the only one with these problems made things seem not quite so bad but it still didn’t help her figure out how to get past her irrational jealousy.

Short of engaging Maven in a make out session whenever Malice was around, that is.

——

The season was well under way with five bouts already occurring and Maven’s declaration for an undefeated season with the Holy Rollers in full effect, with them winning all of their bouts and tying them with the Hurl Scouts. Over her time with the TXRD Bliss had gained a certain talent for knowing how a season would turn out. Whether it would be fairly predictable in how things happened or it would be a series of utterly crazy events. The second championship the Hurl Scouts won was like that. Nobody could have predicted Maven breaking her arm on the track during a bout with the Black Widows, and mono taking out half the blockers on the Hot Tamales, leaving the Hurl Scouts to battle it out with the Fight Attendants for the title.

When news struck about Laverne N. Surly getting into a car accident which left her with a neck in traction and a broken leg just one week after General Anesthesia discovered she was pregnant after ten months of trying with her husband there was little doubt in Bliss’ mind this season was going to be anything but normal. With two Black Widows out of the game, for the first time in the history of the TXRD they had a team without enough players to compete. While they maintained their competitive streak on the track and at certain league events, that didn’t stop the sense that everyone in the league took care of one another and right now, the Black Widows were in serious need of some help if they wanted to keep playing throughout the season.

Bouts were put on temporary hold with apologies to the fans and they called a league meeting to try and figure out how to get the Black Widows up and skating again. The stands were filled with rollergirls with Razor and a few of the coaches up front with Eva Destruction who, as captain of the Black Widows, was leading the meeting. Bliss sat between Maven and Smashley, watching Eva clear her throat and offer that glittering smile which always served to win her so many fans.

“On behalf of the other Widows, I want to thank everybody for coming out,” Eva began. “As you know, we’ve been having a tough time of it and the way I see it, there’s two things we can do to keep playing this season. The first is having emergency try outs to find a new player, which would put the season on hold for at least two weeks. The second is to have a ringer come in, somebody to play with the Widows temporarily, just till the end of the season. Now, we’ve got somebody in town who fits the second option perfectly but we wanted to put both of these to a vote before we went and put a uniform on her.”

“We’re going to do this the informal way,” announced Victor, the coach for the Black Widows. “If you’re for the try outs to get a new permanent Black Widow, raise your hand now.” A pause and a few hands went up, around fifteen or so, then Victor said, “If you say we get a ringer and do try outs at the end of the season, raise your hand.” This time, a sea of hands rose up, Bliss and Maven’s among their numbers, and Victor turned to Eva as he said, “I guess we have our answer.”

“Somehow I knew you bitches would pick the second option,” said Eva playfully, grinning when a chorus of laughter met her remark. “Which is why I asked the ringer to come and give us a visit. For a lot of you she’ll be a new face but for some of the TXRD veterans she’ll always be the person who trained my ass.” Turning on her heel, Eva made a sweeping gesture and a svelte figure with short black hair in a pixie cut donning an all black outfit that would put even Eva to shame skated into the warehouse, stopping at the blonde’s side and offering a dazzling smile. “My former team captain, Blanche Davidian.”

“Ladies,” Blanche seemed to purr, doing a little curtsy which Bliss found absurdly charming.

She turned to Maven to ask if she knew Blanche but the question died on Bliss’ lips when she saw how Maven’s naturally tan skin had taken on a pale hue. The older woman looked like she was either going to punch someone or throw up and Bliss instantly felt a swell of panic. She’d been there when Maven had broken body parts, when she’d gotten return to sender on the Christmas card to her parents, and when she found out her little sister was moving away just as they were getting to know each other and none of those admittedly terrible events made Maven look anything like this.

“Emily?” Bliss said her name in a hush, touching her arm, her worry increasing when Maven kept her gaze fixed on Blanche, refusing to look Bliss’ way as her jaw clenched into a hard line. “Emily,” Bliss said her name again, a little louder, squeezing on the other woman’s arm until Maven finally met their eyes. Although there was very little acknowledgement for Bliss in her gaze, she looked as if her mind was in another place entirely and that place didn’t appear to be a very pleasant one. “What is it?”

Shaking her head, Maven muttered, “Not here.”

“But—” Bliss started to protest only to find her words falling on deaf ears as Maven got up and made her way out of the warehouse, pushing her way through the crowd going down to greet Blanche. She started to head after Maven but stopped when her arm was gripped by Smashley who was wearing an unnaturally solemn look on her features. “Smashley?”

“Let her go,” said Smashley, her eyes just as somber as her voice, and while Bliss could count on one hand the times that her fellow Hurl Scout was actually serious she knew that this was one of those times. “Trust me when I say it’s better for everybody here if Maven puts herself as far away from Blanche as she can get.”

“She’s right,” Maggie added quietly, a frown on her features, arms folded over her chest.

“Maggie?” said Bliss, feeling irritated by her constant questioning state but unable to stop it as she was totally lost. “Will one of you all please tell me what in the hell is going on? Why did my girlfriend just run out of here like she’s on fire?”

Smashley and Maggie exchanged a look which only served to further irritate Bliss and Jackie’s voice suddenly descended upon them, sardonic and laced with anger as she said, “This is a pile of horseshit. Eva should’ve warned Maven soon as she knew.”

“Knew what?” Bliss demanded, getting really sick of asking questions and not getting any answers.

Another look was exchanged between Smashley, Maggie, and Jackie and just when Bliss was about to erupt in total frustration, Maggie shifted uncomfortably and said, “You ought to ask Maven. We shouldn’t tell you about this.”

“Jackie,” said Bliss, turning to the Holy Roller, sure she’d take her side.

Moving her death glare away from Blanche and softening when she looked to Bliss, the other woman scratched her cheek then said reluctantly, “Maggie’s right. You need to ask Maven about it. This isn’t the sort of thing you hear from other people.”

“Yeah, man,” said Smashley wisely, nodding her head, and thoroughly annoying Bliss in the process.

“Fine!” Bliss declared, throwing her hands up in the air, a scowl etched onto her features. “I’ll ask Emily.”

The problem with this was getting a hold of her first which Bliss found incredibly difficult that day and then when she did see her the day after that Maven wouldn’t tell her anything. She would only give vague allusions as to why she had an issue with Blanche even after Bliss insisted she knew it had to be something more than that. Going back to Smashley, Maggie, and Jackie did little good as they were adamant in their unified stance on not betraying Maven about whatever it was having to do with Blanche. And so the season went on and Bliss remained utterly and completely frustrated while experiencing a distance forming with her girlfriend that hadn’t existed since they admitted their feelings for one another. It was almost like being back in the old days when she first joined the league only Maven wasn’t being overtly hostile to her, she was avoiding her and was perpetually sullen. It was at times like this that Bliss truly despised the portion of Maven’s personality that seemed to block her ability to talk about her feelings. Especially when it seemed to Bliss that trend was nothing more than the older woman just not giving a shit. She could see how worked up Bliss was about this, how worried she was, but she did nothing to explain nor reassure.

It all came to a head when the season started up again with Blanche making her debut with the Black Widows in their bout against the Hot Tamales. Further enforcing Bliss’ belief that no matter what Maven said something had gone on between her and Blanche was the fact that the older woman didn’t attend the bout even though she went to every bout when physically able. By way of an excuse, Maven said she was busy with a back piece at the shop and that much Bliss knew was true as she had stopped in and saw the customer that Maven was speaking of who was doing a portrait of their deceased father.

Determined to get to the bottom of this invisible drama, Bliss went to the party at ‘Bout Time meant to celebrate Blanche’s return to the league which was in full swing with plenty of exuberant Black Widows celebrating their victory over the Hot Tamales. She made her way through the crowd with a purpose, eyes narrowing until she found the figure of Blanche at the bar with Eva. There was a battle of the glittering smiles between the two women and watching them Bliss wondered if roller derby wasn’t the only thing that Eva learned from Blanche. They shared the same glamorous aura that seemed to draw in admirers like flies to honey and their reaction to it was very similar although Blanche appeared much more welcoming to any advances than Eva.

Walking up to them, she touched Eva on the small of her back, smiling when the blonde turned to her. Jerking her thumb to her roommate who was chatting with Johnny Rocket, she said, “Rosa wants you.” She would have felt bad for lying but Bliss knew for certain that just mentioning Rosa’s name would ensure Eva’s departure as she had a habit of jumping to attention whenever the other woman was involved. As predicted, Eva immediately went in the direction of Rosa, leaving Bliss alone with Blanche who focused that trademark glittering smile on her. “Blanche Davidian,” Bliss began, not sure how to start this conversation.

“Babe Ruthless,” replied Blanche, her voice a purr, and a twinkle in her eyes. She leaned towards the shorter woman as she said, “Aren’t you going to congratulate me on the win?”

“Congratulations,” said Bliss dryly. Resting against the bar, she arched an eyebrow and said, “But from what I hear winning is pretty normal for you. That’s how it was when you were in the TXRD before moving to LA and joining the Derby Dolls, isn’t it?”

“Someone’s been doing their research on me,” Blanche chuckled, her fingers tapping lightly on her glass of rum and coke. Pointing a perfectly manicured finger at Bliss, she continued, “I heard you’ve been sniffing around.”

“Oh?” questioned Bliss cautiously. Beyond the charm and the flirting, she still wasn’t sure what to make of Blanche and that made her more than a little wary considering the reaction Blanche caused in Maven. “What else did you hear?”

“Nothing much,” said Blanche casually, moving forward to sidle up to Bliss, close enough that the younger woman blushed at their proximity. “Just that you were curious about the good old days.”

“Something like that,” Bliss admitted, wishing her blush would go away but knowing it just wasn’t.

“I also hear you’ve got a thing going with Emily,” continued Blanche and there was a glint in her eyes that made Bliss feel as if she was an insect caught in the other woman’s spider web. It made her altogether nervous to say the least.

“It’s not a thing,” Bliss frowned, wondering about Blanche's use of Maven's real name. “We’ve been together for almost two years.”

Releasing a clucking sound that was somehow both sexy and derisive at the same time, Blanche reached out to curl a lock of Bliss’ hair around her finger. “Two years,” Blanche repeated, looking thoughtful and sliding closer yet to the other woman. “That’s a decent amount of time.” A smile formed on her lips, slow and easy, and it had a mocking tinge to it. “How’s it going?”

“Good until you came along,” said Bliss harshly, pulling away from Blanche, her frown returning.

“Me?” asked Blanche, wearing a coquettish expression and despite herself Bliss thought it suited Blanche well. “What did I do?”

“Look,” said Bliss with certain irritation. “I just want to know what went on with you and Emily. She won’t tell me anything but I know something had to have happened from how she’s acting so please…”

Blanche paused to study Bliss for a long moment then she said, “You really care about her, don’t you?”

“I’m in love with her,” corrected Bliss, a stern look on her features.

Chuckling at this, Blanche took a drink of her rum and coke then set it on the bar with a thud. “So was I,” she revealed sardonically.

“What?” Bliss said, her eyes going wide, her chest suddenly tight and her stomach gaining a sick feeling.

“Three years, five months, and nineteen days we were together,” Blanche said, finishing off her drink. She wore a taunting look on her sharp features and said, “Do I have you beat?”

“It’s not a game,” said Bliss in hard tones.

“Never said it was,” replied Blanche easily, waving down the bartender for another drink. Fixing her gaze back on Bliss, she said, “It was fantastic while it lasted but when it fell apart it was a huge mess.” Dipping her index finger into her newly arrived glass of rum and coke and stirring it around, she continued, “You know what I mean, right? Or else you wouldn't be here. Once Em clams up she does it good and there’s nothing you can get out of her and it’s like you’re dating a robot.” Blanche chuckled and added, “A really hot robot that’s bitchy and can fuck the hell out of you but still a robot.” Bliss started to protest this but Blanche cut her off and said, “No point in denying it. I can tell she’s doing it to you now or we wouldn’t be talking like this.”

Despite herself, Bliss could feel her attitude towards Blanche shifting much like it did with Malice. She understood where Blanche was coming from and while she didn’t like the comparison of Maven to a robot she did know where it was emerging from because Maven had been treating her with that same cold indifference that Blanche had described for the past few weeks. Moving forward, drawn to Blanche and desperate to understand, she asked, “How do I fix it?”

Blanche started to reply but the words never left her lips as they were suddenly flanked by the Holy Rollers. “Well,” Blanche chuckled again, picking up her rum and coke and giving them a salute with her drink. “That’s my cue to leave.” Her lips quirked into a charming smile and she nodded at Bliss as she said, “Nice talking to you, Ruthless.”

Faced with the Holy Rollers, Bliss was thoroughly annoyed that her conversation with the one person who bothered to give her an honest answer was at an end because of their interruption. “What?” Bliss demanded, hands on her hips. “Now you all want to talk to me after I’ve been after you for weeks now?”

“Maven,” Jackie started only to find herself silenced by a furious Bliss.

“Won’t talk to me! Don’t you think I’ve tried? She spends half her time avoiding me and until now I had no clue why!” Bliss burst out, all of her frustrations erupting at once. “And I still don’t know exactly why but at least Blanche gave me some sort of answer.”

“You shouldn’t trust her,” warned Jackie, frowning.

“Why?” Bliss challenged and when Jackie faltered, she threw her hands up and focused on the approaching figures of Rosa and Eva. No doubt Rosa had witnessed the scene and was coming over out of concern for her roommate. “Eva,” she said, looking at the Black Widow expectantly. “Tell them that Blanche isn’t the devil.”

“What? Of course she isn’t,” Eva laughed, looking to Jackie. “What have you been saying to her?”

“Nothing, it’s what your old captain has,” retorted Jackie with a scowl. Focusing back on Bliss, her features calmed slightly, and she stepped closer and said, “I know Maven hasn’t been talking but you know how she gets. Just keep trying.”

“Jackie,” Bliss sighed heavily, rubbing her forehead, feeling a headache forming. “I just want to know what’s going on and I can’t do that if she won’t speak to me. Don’t you see my problem here?”

The Holy Rollers exchanged a look then they turned back to Bliss, looking as unified as ever and Smother Theresa declared, “We’ll talk to her. Make her spill everything to you.”

“Yeah,” Princess Slaya nodded emphatically.

“You all don’t have to do that,” protested Bliss though she was appreciative for any help at this point.

“The captain’s being stupid,” enforced Mary Jane Pain, scowling as she thought about it. “We gotta stop her.”

“We’re having lunch tomorrow at the Hickory Street Bar and Grill on Congress at noon,” informed Jackie. “We’ll make sure she’s there and give her a talking to. You just show up around one, okay?”

“Okay,” said Bliss, looking at the Holy Rollers, smiling gratefully. With that, they exited and Bliss focused on Rosa and Eva. In particular, the Black Widow who appeared distinctly uncomfortable. “Eva,” Bliss began. “You were around when they dated, weren’t you? Blanche and Emily?”

“I was,” admitted Eva and she bit down on her lower lip, something that Bliss had heard from Rosa was a clear sign of Eva experiencing more than a little anxiety. “What do you want to know?”

“You mean you’ll tell me?” asked Bliss wryly, snorting humorously when Eva looked at her with surprise. Shaking her head, she murmured, “Forget it.” She started to walk away but stopped when she felt a soft hand wrap around her wrist, turning back Bliss saw Eva looking at her with an expression of veiled worry. “Eva?”

“I care about Blanche,” said Eva simply. “She’s the one who got me into derby and she’s the one who taught me everything I know about skating but Jackie’s not exactly wrong when she says you should be careful around her.”

Instead of pursuing it further, sensing that somehow that was all she would get out of Eva at the time, Bliss nodded and feeling thoroughly exhausted, she decided to head back to her apartment. Making her way through the club, she spotted Blanche who met her gaze and waved her over and despite herself, Bliss found herself heading the other woman’s way. “Let me guess,” said Blanche with a smirk, lifting a perfectly shaped eyebrow, her bow lips forming an ironic smile. “They all warned you about me.”

“Yes, they did,” said Bliss, unable to help the laughter that escaped her. Tilting her head, she questioned, “Why is that?”

“I’m dangerous?” Blanche suggested, forming a silly expression on her sharp features, causing Bliss to shake her head and laugh again. Giving an elegant shrug of her shoulders, Blanche said, “Em’s the one who stuck around and I’m the chick that ditched Austin for LA. To the victor goes the spoils. But don’t worry,” Blanche drawled, leaning towards Bliss, putting their faces just a breath apart, her face lighting up with that glittering smile she produced so effortlessly. “It doesn’t hurt my feelings.”

“Somehow I think nothing much does,” said Bliss drolly.

The tip of a pink tongue darted over Blanche’s lips in an altogether natural but entirely erotic gesture and Bliss found herself somewhat mortified by the fact she was getting turned on. Jerking away from the other woman, she gave a nervous smile and started to pull away but found herself stilled by Blanche’s hand resting lightly on her shoulder. “Relax, Ruthless,” she said genially, her hand sliding down Bliss’ arm before putting it on her leather clad hip. “I don’t bite. Not unless you want me to.”

“I have to go,” Bliss enforced, backing away from the other woman quickly, but not quickly enough to witness the appearance of Maven in the club only to be followed by her immediate departure upon seeing Bliss with Blanche.

Pushing her way through the crowd, Bliss did her best to forget that predatory gleam in Blanche’s eyes but she couldn’t just because it unsettled her in a way that was impossible to shake off. Suddenly all those warnings she had gotten about the other woman weren’t so needless.

——

Anxious to have the situation resolved after over a month of unrest, Bliss arrived exactly at one o’clock, walking into the Hickory Street Bar and Grill and immediately locked her gaze onto the table where the Holy Rollers sat. Maven saw her approach and she wore that sullen look that Bliss had gotten more and more familiar with over the past few weeks and she got up, leaving the table just as Bliss arrived. Sighing at this, Bliss looked at Jackie who had a scathing look on her features that Bliss hadn’t seen since she first started dating Maven and Jackie was convinced she would do something to hurt her.

“Jackie?” asked Bliss with genuine confusion. “What’s going on?”

“I warned you about Blanche, didn’t I?” demanded Jackie, rising to her feet, and Bliss would have felt the desire to back away from how angry the other woman was but she felt her own anger rising in response. “Why didn’t you listen?”

“I listened! I didn’t do anything with Blanche,” Bliss protested and she formed a disturbed expression as she recalled their final encounter at the club. “She was really creeping me out. I think she was trying to hit on me.”

“That’s what Maven thinks too,” said Smother Theresa and for the first time Bliss looked at the rest of the Holy Rollers and she was reminded by her initial impression of them when it came to Maven. That they would go after her like a pack of wolves if she ever did anything to hurt her and suddenly it seemed like that scenario was all too likely.

“Wait,” said Bliss, her eyes going wide. “Emily was there? For how long?”

“Long enough,” stated Princess Slaya icily.

Wearing a scowl, Bliss started to offer a retort but she felt a soft touch at her arm and looked down to see Malice peering up at her. Out of all of them, it was the newest Holy Roller who had the calmest expression on her face. “None of that matters,” she said quietly and she jerked a thumb at Maven who was slouched at the bar, drinking a beer and picking at its label. “Go on.”

Nodding her head and swallowing hard, Bliss made her way through the restaurant and in the back of her mind she wondered how things had become so difficult between her and Maven. She meant it when she told Rosa that she and Maven didn’t have a fairy tale romance but she thought they had a good one all the same. That they truly loved and cared for one another and while Maven was abrasive and she could be downright rude, she was always so sweet to Bliss when it really counted but lately it was as if all that just went away. It wasn’t as if Maven returned to being how she was in the beginning, being cruel just for the sake of it and letting her jealousy rule her behavior, but she was distant and she was cold and Bliss sometimes wondered if Maven even loved her anymore from how she was acting. Stopping next to the older woman at the bar, she climbed onto a bar stool and studied the clenched line of Maven’s jaw and reached out to touch her only to have Maven block her hand.

“Emily,” Bliss sighed, torn between concern and anger over the situation. “We need to talk about this.”

“I saw you with her, Bliss,” Maven said in a bitter accusation, though her eyes remained fixed on the beer bottle as she continued to remove the label.

“I know, they told me,” said Bliss and she wanted to say more, she wanted to work this out, but she wasn’t sure anymore that they could. At the very least she knew it wouldn’t happen in public, not with how Maven was behaving. “If I come over to the loft tonight will you promise to be there?” Maven didn’t reply, she simply nodded, and this time Bliss moved with determination, her hand gentle but firm on Maven’s cheek, turning her head and looking into her eyes as she said, “I love you.” The kiss was brief but powerful and Bliss could only hope that it would leave some impression on her wayward girlfriend.

——

Upon exiting the restaurant, the first thing Bliss did was call Smashley and Eva. She knew both women’s schedules well enough to realize they wouldn’t be working and asked, as politely as she could manage, for them to come over to her apartment. This had gone on for long enough, she was sick of the silence and the secrecy and if she was going to get anywhere with Maven then she needed to know the whole story. The pieces that Maven was hiding from her and would continue to stay hidden unless she could manage to drag them out of the few people in the league who were around to know what really happened.

Part of Bliss felt ashamed for wanting to invade Maven’s privacy but at this point she didn’t believe the older woman would ever tell her the truth of what went on between her and Blanche. While she had gotten some knowledge from Blanche herself, Bliss didn’t trust her, and the more she thought back to their encounter at ‘Bout Time the more she felt something was just off about it. Blanche was charming and genial, yes, but it was as if there was an ulterior motive behind it and that feeling unsettled Bliss enough that she felt it was necessary to call Smashley and Eva to get some definitive answers about Maven’s past.

Once everyone was gathered at her apartment, with Rosa as an actively interested spectator, Bliss glared at Smashley and Eva who sat on her couch looking very similar to children waiting to be punished by their school principal. “Spill it,” Bliss commanded. “No excuses, no avoiding, just tell me what the hell went on between my girlfriend and Blanche Davidian. If either of you give the smallest shit about me and my relationship you’ll tell me because you know that Emily won’t.”

“Way to guilt trip,” remarked Smashley, sounding thoroughly bummed out as she said this.

“You know what? I don’t care, this has gone on long enough,” said Bliss irritably, sitting on the chipped coffee table and staring the women down. “I get why you kept quiet, you were trying to protect Emily, respect her privacy, and I love you both for that but I can’t let it go on like this. I need to know why she’s acting the way she is if I’m going to even start to fix things.”

“Blanche and Maven were together before Maven joined the league, before Blanche even joined,” Eva said in soft but solemn tones and Bliss focused her attention on the blonde. “From what I hear, Blanche played for maybe a season then Maven joined.” She drifted her gaze over to Smashley who had joined the TXRD well before Eva. “Is that right?”

“Yeah,” said Smashley reluctantly, nodding her head. Bliss looked to her teammate who groaned and released a tiny howl of frustration as she ran her fingers through her hair. “This is wrong, man!” she cried. “Maven would get so pissed at us gossiping.”

“Smashley, please,” Bliss entreated, somehow knowing her anger wasn’t going to help the other Hurl Scout to get over her desire to protect Maven by keeping her mouth shut about whatever happened in the past. “I’m not doing this to piss her off. I’m doing it so we can be happy again. I don’t know how much you pay attention to me and her, seeing as you find us disgustingly cute, but we haven’t been right… not since Blanche got into town and I need to know why.”

Smashley studied Bliss before hitting her forehead with the palm of her hand as she proclaimed, “Fine! If I’m gonna spill I’ll spill it all. That way at least Maven’s getting pissed over something good for once.” Bliss started to thank her but the other woman waved it off and said, “Eva’s right. Blanche joined the league first, made a huge fucking splash with the Widows, was hell on wheels and then the next season Maven tries out. Back in the day, the Holy Rollers, they were like we used to be before you joined the team. Didn't give a shit about winning but Maven worked her ass off and the next thing you know, the Holy Rollers are winning every bout, including the ones against Blanche and the Widows.” Scratching the back of her head, Smashley squinted and continued, “I don’t know how long they were together before they joined the league. Maybe two years?”

“That’s what Blanche told me once,” Eva revealed.

“I dunno what they were like before they joined the league but once Maven showed up and started kicking everyone’s ass? Including Blanche’s?” Smashley shook her head and had such a grave look on her face it would have been comical if it wasn’t for the fact that what she was saying was utmost importance to Bliss’ relationship with Maven. “It wasn’t good.” Smashley squinted at Bliss again, seeming to be in deep contemplation as she said, “Sorta why I wondered why she dated you at first. I mean, I know you got mad at me for saying you guys would break up but I figured with how things ended with Blanche that Maven wouldn’t do anything but friendly fucks with somebody in the league. That’s how it was until you came along.”

“They broke up because Blanche was jealous of Maven for winning?” asked Bliss, thinking back to that night early in their relationship, where she asked Maven why she had been so mean to her and discovered jealousy involving roller derby was the cause.

Eva and Smashley exchanged a look and for a moment Bliss became angry as she expected them to make excuses once again but instead Eva shook her head and said, “They broke up because Blanche cheated on her.”

“Lots,” agreed Smashley, nodding her head solemnly.

“Lots?” Bliss echoed. “What do you mean by that?”

“Lots means lots, Ruthless,” said Smashley as if Bliss was an especially slow child. “Means once they split anytime Maven so much looked at another chick boom! Blanche would move in and suddenly that chick wasn’t Maven’s anymore. I guess you could say since Maven wasn’t with Blanche anymore she wasn’t cheating, those chicks were, but whatever.” Shrugging, she plopped back on the couch and said, “Maybe Blanche figured if she couldn’t beat Maven on the track then she’d do it off.”

“That’s fucked up,” Rosa finally spoke up, looking utterly disgusted and fixing her attention on Eva who looked abashed when Rosa focused on her. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about this when you were going on and on about your old captain?”

“Rosa,” Eva sighed and looked at the other woman plaintively. “I know what she did was wrong but she’s not a totally bad person, all right? Blanche is just really warped when it comes to Maven for some reason.”

“That’s one way to call it,” said Rosa, sounding disgruntled.

If there was one thing Bliss knew for certain about Maven it was that she was a proud person. She wasn’t someone who liked to admit weakness and what she had gone through with Blanche, what Blanche had done to her, Bliss realized instinctually that Maven would think she was weak for letting all that happen to her. Much less allowing herself to continue to be effected by it and suddenly Bliss understand all too well why Maven had been acting the way she had.

“Why,” Bliss muttered, staring helplessly at Eva and Smashley who looked at her in joint confusion. Blinking back the tears and swallowing, trying to calm herself by holding onto the anger she felt towards Blanche, she said, “Why would she date me after all that? It must’ve been like seeing a repeat of what happened with Blanche in the beginning except being on the other side of the fence. I don’t think I would’ve dated me after going through that.”

“Maven thinks you’re hot,” offered Smashley, wearing a huge grin and looking strangely pleased with herself when Bliss stared at her with wide and disbelieving eyes at her apparent insensitivity. “Plus she loves you and stuff.”

“And stuff is right,” Rosa remarked humorously. “Girl,” she put her hands on Bliss’ knees and gave them a good shake. “Don’t put yourself in a fix about this, thinking about the why and the how. You know what you need to now go and fix things, you hear?”

“Okay,” said Bliss, taking a deep breath and nodding her head, mentally preparing for what was ahead.

——

Because Maven made a pastime out of keeping her emotions locked away, hardly ever speaking about them and only showing them when she felt it was safe to let the inclination arise, Bliss had learned to read how Maven felt through her actions. After one and a half years together Bliss discovered a trend that linked Maven’s level of depression to how often she played Johnny Cash. When her parents returned her Christmas card Delia’s Gone was a favorite and then when sister left to attend Texas A&M it was Ain’t No Grave and this time Bliss was greeted by the man in black singing his cover of Heart of Gold by Neil Young.

Maven was sitting on the couch, head tilted back and staring up at the ceiling, her long legs stretched out in front of her, resting on the coffee table. Her eyes were closed and Bliss’ gaze was drawn to the older woman’s hands that were clutching her black zebra t-shirt which was a favorite item of clothing for Maven to steal. Closing the door and walking over to the stereo to lower the volume, Bliss headed over to Maven and waited for something. An acknowledgement, a movement, something. None of that came and frowning deeply, Bliss refused to let this go on any longer. She was sick of Maven ignoring her and just accepting it as simply a part and parcel of their life, at least lately, and placing her hands on Maven’s shoulders, Bliss straddled her lap.

Studying her t-shirt that was held in an iron grip, almost as if Maven was afraid she’d take it away from her, Bliss found herself asking, “Why do you have my zebra shirt?”

A burst of laughter came from Maven and she dropped her head down, meeting Bliss’ gaze, a twisted smile curving on her lips and she said, “I always liked how you looked in it.” Maven moved to look at the shirt and muttered, “I guess I wanted a souvenir.” Fixing her eyes on Bliss, she had a unforgiving look on her features. “You got hundreds of these things anyway. I just want one.”

“You can have it,” said Bliss softly, pressing the shirt closer to Maven, leaning down to put their faces just a breath apart. She raised her hand, tentatively touching Maven’s cheek, halfway expecting the older woman to jerk away and feeling relieved when Maven stayed in place. “You can have anything you want from me.”

“Really,” Maven’s tones were caustic and her expression cynical and while Bliss finally knew what was the reason for this she couldn’t help being hurt that Maven expected her to be like all the others. Turning away from Bliss and looking out the window that gave her a wonderful view of the alley and another brick building, Maven said, “I knew this would happen. Not Blanche showing her bitch ass back in town but this…” Maven waved her hand absently between them and she drew her gaze back to Bliss as that twisted smile reappeared on her lips. “I knew it couldn’t last.”

“Why would you say that?” asked Bliss, her anger barely restrained, furious that Maven was willing to give up on them and everything they had without knowing the facts of the matter. When Maven didn’t reply and moved her gaze back to the window, Bliss scowled and grabbed her face, turning it until they were eye to eye as she demanded, “Why, Emily?”

“It’s the fucking circle of life,” Maven drawled, shoving Bliss’ hand from her face, and frowning as she watched Bliss stubbornly hold onto it, entwining their fingers. Looking at the younger woman, she continued, “I know you don’t like me bringing it up but reality is, you’re nineteen years younger than me, Bliss. People your age don’t stick with one person. Hell,” Maven snorted and shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t stick with one person. So how in the fuck should I expect you to? You should date, you’re young, and it’s not like I’m some sort of prize. If I was you, this probably would’ve been over a long time ago.”

“Do you want to break up with me?” Bliss questioned and she halfway expected her voice to be strangled but instead it was betrayed and angry and she supposed her emotions were coming to the surface because she was enraged that Maven was doing this. Again, no reply came from Maven and her scowl deepened and Bliss felt her fingers contract as she held onto the older woman’s chin and finally Maven looked at her with belligerence. “Well?”

“It’s going to happen,” said Maven sullenly, her gaze veiled.

“It doesn’t have to!” Bliss exploded and she wanted to shake some sense into Maven and her hands fell to her shoulders, gripping them, and she halfway gave into this urge. “I’m still in love with you. Aren’t you in love with me? Don’t you want us to be together? Or are you so fucking scared I’ll do to you what those other people did that you’re willing to let me go?” Silence and Maven had that infuriatingly obstinate look on her features and unable to take it any longer, Bliss did shake the older woman, fingers digging into her shoulders as she managed to get Maven to finally acknowledge her. “Are you still in love with me?”

“Yes,” Maven finally replied in resentful tones that matched the look on her face and for the first time Bliss didn’t hate how she sounded or looked when she was like this. In fact, because of the word that Maven just said, because she admitted she was still in love with her, Bliss found it downright adorable and she was ready to hold, to kiss, to fuck the other woman like there was no tomorrow when Maven finished, “But love doesn’t last, Bliss.”

“It can,” said Bliss just as obstinately. “We can make it last if we want it to.” Ducking her head down and holding Maven’s face gently but firmly in her hands, making sure Maven couldn’t look at anything but her, she asked, “Do you want that?”

Maven released an exasperated noise and rolled her eyes, her jaw forming a hard line and she attempted to look away but Bliss held firm and finally Maven focused on her and for a second time she said, “Yes.”

As far as Bliss was concerned there was nothing more for her to say at the moment and she surged downward, capturing Maven’s lips in a fierce kiss, trying to convey everything she felt for the older woman in that wet press. When Maven opened her mouth, accepting the kiss and encouraging it to become deeper, Bliss wanted to cry because it had been so long since anything like that happened. For weeks now it had been the opposite, Maven rejecting her, Maven pushing her away, Maven trying to do anything to avoid having this sort of intimacy with her but now all of that was over and Bliss couldn’t be more ecstatic. When they parted that sullen look she had unfortunately grown used to had left Maven’s features and was replaced with a look of pleased self-satisfaction that Bliss had always considered enormously charming.

“I love you,” Bliss murmured, sweeping her hands over Maven’s long hair, moving it away from her face before her hands returned to that face, caressing the lines and memorizing the easy smile forming on the older woman’s features. “And I don’t want anyone but you and I just want you to feel the same way about me.” When Maven’s brow furrowed in confusion, Bliss reddened and she suddenly realized with everything that had gone on with Blanche the other woman hadn’t ever noticed Bliss’ immediate feelings of jealousy towards Malice. “It’s nothing,” she said, not really wanting to admit her foolishness.

“No,” said Maven, her hands sliding over Bliss’ hips, tugging the brunette forward and her hands moved over the small of her back, caressing her skin and causing Bliss to shiver at her touch. “You were right all those times when you said I was making this worse by not saying anything. I’m not gonna claim that I’ll change overnight but I’ll try from now on to tell you how I feel but none of that’s going to do any good if you don’t do the same.”

“Malice,” Bliss admitted uncomfortably, shifting on Maven’s lap, and laughing at the utter confusion on Maven’s features. Exasperated and embarrassed, she exclaimed, “I was jealous of her! You paid her all that attention at first and I know it was stupid but I was jealous and the other Holy Rollers, they told me not to worry, but I did, okay?”

“Malice,” Maven blinked and looked utterly dumbfounded. Then that easy smile curved on her lips again and there was a fond twinkle in her eyes as she said, “Baby… she reminds me of Grace, that’s all.”

“Grace?” repeated Bliss, her eyes going wide. “Your little sister?”

Nodding her head and chuckling, Maven continued, “Don’t you think they look alike? With that light blonde hair that’s always in a bow or some girly shit and she’s even shy like Grace is.”

“You’re telling me I was jealous of Malice and you just thought of her like your kid sister,” said Bliss slowly, wondering at the ridiculousness of the situation. Maven smirked and nodded her head, a hand sliding up to curl in Bliss’ hair, caressing her scalp while urging her to move forward and Bliss did, ducking down to leave their lips just a breath apart. “I’m an idiot.”

“Probably,” Maven chuckled, rising up to capture Bliss’ lips in a sweet kiss. “But you’re my idiot.”

Laughing at this, Bliss nuzzled Maven’s neck and murmured, “That’s got to be the cheesiest thing you’ve ever said to me.” She peered up at Maven and said, “You know it’s the same with Blanche. There’s nothing to be jealous about. You’re the one I want.” Bliss’ face scrunched up as she considered the encounter at ‘Bout Time as she added, “And she really creeps me out.”

“You know, don’t you?” questioned Maven and her gaze was lidded. Bliss instinctually knew that Maven was referring to her past with Blanche. “Who spilled anyway? Was it Jackie?”

“No,” Bliss shook her head, nibbling on her lip nervously. “I made Smashley and Eva tell me. They didn’t want to though. Smashley especially,” she said, recalling her fellow Hurl Scout’s adamant refusal. “Are you mad?”

Snorting at this, Maven said sardonically, “Doesn’t do much good to get pissed now. You know what you know and I probably should’ve told you from the start. Would’ve saved us a shitload of problems.”

“I know why you didn’t,” said Bliss softly, cupping Maven’s cheek. “What she did to you was awful.”

“She made a fucking joke out of me,” Maven snarled and her jaw clenched as she looked out the window, her fingers contracting and digging into the couch. “When she came back I couldn’t stand thinking it was going to happen again. Not with you.” Maven’s lips pursed and she formed a wry smile as she looked at Bliss and reached up to push a lock of hair from her eyes. “I don’t know how I got so goddamn attached to you but just the thought she was going to take you away was worse than anything she’d done before.” Raising an eyebrow, a derisive chuckle escaping her, Maven drawled, “And how’s that for cheesy?”

Instead of replying, Bliss kissed Maven, hard and fast and she could hear Maven groan before she opened her mouth, welcoming Bliss in and deepening their embrace as Bliss hands slid underneath her shirt. They separated just long enough for Bliss to remove Maven’s shirt and she was pleased to find the older woman had gone without a bra today. Ducking her head down, she captured a firm nipple in her mouth, alternating from one breast to the other, leaving a trail of kisses down her abdomen as she set about unzipping Maven’s leather pants. Leading her kisses upward and sucking on the older woman’s pulse point, she was equally pleased to discover that Maven had decided against wearing panties yet again. When she reached Maven’s pussy, she found it wet and ready for her, and Bliss lifted her head, meeting their eyes.

“I love you,” Bliss murmured, thrusting two fingers inside Maven, delighting in the groan that Maven released and loving the way she hissed out the word fuck at the welcome invasion. Her thumb lightly brushing over Maven’s clit as she moved inside the other woman in a slow and torturous movement, delighting in the feel and the texture of the other woman, wanting to memorize it because of how she thought not so long ago she might never be doing this again. Maven rose up, tangling her fingers in Bliss’ hair and dragging her down for a savage kiss, sucking on her tongue, and tasting everything she had to offer, leaving Bliss breathing raggedly when they parted. But she didn’t stop her movements, instead she increased the speed of her thrusts before curling her fingers upwards, gratified at the feeling of Maven contracting in an orgasm. She remained inside Maven, wanting to keep the connection as she kissed the older woman’s cheek, breathing in her scent. For some reason it occurred to Bliss that she had been sitting on Maven’s lap and legs for almost an hour and she found herself asking, “Are your legs asleep?”

Uproarious laughter was the only reply and Bliss couldn’t help but join in, especially when Maven’s arms wrapped around her body, pulling her into a close embrace and burying her face in the crook of Maven’s neck, Bliss couldn’t remember being happier.

——


Bliss was talented at predicting how unusual a season would be but she didn’t have the same skill when it came to her own performance in said season. She never would have thought taking a hit from Kami Kaze would send her flying over the barrier and onto the hard concrete, giving her a concussion and a grade three sprained ankle, and in the process keeping her from playing the rest of the season. The only good thing, if you could call it that, was the recollection of Maven shoving her way through the crowd and snarling at people to back the fuck off as they waited for the volunteer medical staff who attended the bouts to look her over. Some might think it foolish but Bliss couldn’t help but feel a strange pleasure from witnessing Maven’s obvious concern for her although she wondered if her thoughts on the matter were influenced by being concussed at the time. Either way, Bliss found it entirely romantic and having the memory made her feel a little bit better about not being able to play.

Of course, without Bliss as their jammer, the Hurl Scouts didn’t fair nearly as well and when it came down to the decisive bout to see who would play the undefeated Holy Rollers in the league championship they lost to Blanche Davidian and the Black Widows. The Holy Rollers were always seen as outsiders within the league, the most isolated of all the teams, but over time, because of Maven’s relationship with Bliss, they had slowly begun to integrate themselves to a certain degree. While it wasn’t common knowledge what had gone on between Maven and Blanche in the past it was definitely known that something had happened and it wasn’t good and for once, people in the league took the side of a Holy Roller in a fight.

Maven was mean and she was abrasive and she was definitely a bitch but she was family and Blanche was now viewed as something of an outsider who was fucking with one of their own. Which was why when the championship bout arrived it was the Holy Rollers who were viewed as the favorite by everyone in the league for victory. Wanting to be involved despite her injury, Bliss volunteered to work as a member of the medical staff for the rest of the bouts in the season, including the championship bout which put her squarely in the center of the track, watching the action first hand.

They were waiting for the official start time and Bliss’ gaze kept drifting towards the Holy Rollers who were flocked around Maven and Alonso who were giving a joint pep talk. During this, Smother Theresa must have given another one of her unconscious verbal foibles because they burst into laughter at something she said while she turned bright red and cussed them out. The only person not laughing along was Malice who murmured something to Theresa who grinned and threw an arm around Malice’s shoulder in a one armed hug that caused Malice to blush prettily. Bliss wondered if Malice’s crush on Maven had transferred over to Theresa but she didn’t think too long on it as her gaze moved to the crowd and the sight of her boss.

After weeks of encouragement and prodding, Josh had managed to work up the courage to ask Maggie out and Bliss found it all too appropriate that their first date was attending the championship bout. Putting two fingers in her mouth, she let loose a high pitched whistle and grinned when Josh jumped and looked her way. Wearing a huge smile, she waved at him and when Maggie was distracted by Smashley she added a thumbs up for good measure. Josh looked sheepish but altogether happy and returned the gesture before focusing his attention on Maggie.

Johnny Rocket’s voice boomed throughout the warehouse, announcing the start of the bout as he gave the team line ups. The Black Widows were met by a healthy amount of cheers but it was nothing in comparison to what the Holy Rollers received and in particular, Malice, who much like Bliss before her was seen as an easy shoe in for Rookie Of The Year at the upcoming Whammy’s. She watched Maven talking to Malice and now that she knew what to look for she could see the tendency for affectionate teasing her girlfriend had when it came to Malice was exactly how she treated Grace. In particular, there was the habit Maven had of rapping her knuckles on Malice’s helmet which was entirely similar to her practice of ruffling Grace’s hair.

Malice skated up to the start line, facing off against Blanche and Bliss couldn’t have been happier when the second whistle sounded to see the tiny blonde rocketing into the lead. It had taken some time, longer than it had for Bliss in fact, for Malice to get the hang of giving hits rather than taking them. Something the Holy Rollers credited to Malice simply being too damn nice for her own good, which was considerably ironic considering her name, but once Malice got over this, she gave them as good as she got. Which is why when Blanche attempted to overtake her Bliss couldn’t restrain herself from shouting Malice’s name gleefully when the blonde hip checked her off the track.

In many ways, the bout reminded Bliss of the times the Hurl Scouts faced the Holy Rollers in the league championships. It was a close game, with the points wavering from one team to another in terms of who was in the lead and when they reached the half time break the Black Widows were ahead by ten. Bliss was supposed to be impartial, all the medical staff was, but all the same, she couldn’t help herself from heading into the crowd and the back locker room where the Holy Rollers were meeting.

Poking her head around the corner, she was surprised to find the locker room in relative silence. While it was somewhat debatable, the Holy Rollers definitely boasted one of the most boisterous, if not the most boisterous line up with the exception of Malice who remained her bashful self off the track, and for them to be quiet, especially during their championship bout was a tad unusual. Knocking on the wall, Bliss knew she must have formed a goofy smile when they turned in unison to face her.

“Ruthlessssss,” the Holy Rollers sing songed, forming identical shit eating grins on their faces, and this time even Malice joined in while Maven rolled her eyes and made her way through the crowd of her suddenly jovial teammates to the other woman.

“Hey,” said Bliss and she felt inexplicably shy and it must have shown because Maven was gracing her with that indulgent smile she wore whenever she thought Bliss was being particularly cute. Blushing despite herself, she asked, “How’s it going?”

“Aww, baby,” Maven drawled, reaching out to play with Bliss’ brown curls, wrapping them around her finger and ducking her head down so they were just a breath apart from kissing. “Were you worried about us?”

Scowling and folding her arms across her chest, Bliss muttered, “I just wanted to check on you.”

“You’ll see,” murmured Maven and her breath was warm on Bliss’ skin, causing the brunette to shiver, especially when long fingers trailed down the length of her neck. “We’re going to kick their prissy asses all over the track. Now,” Maven cupped her chin, lifting her head and forming a wide and reckless smile as she said, “give me a kiss for a luck. Not that I need it.”

Laughing and shaking her head, Bliss rose up on her tip toes and kissed Maven to the hoots and catcalls of the Holy Rollers and strange as it would have been to think this just two years ago, she felt as if the Holy Rollers were as much her family as the Hurl Scouts. Which is why she really wanted to see them wipe the track with the Black Widows and Blanche Davidian. She said as much when she parted from Maven and the Holy Rollers just sing songed her rollergirl name again, this time with overdone gratitude and false tears, causing Bliss to flip them off before exiting the locker room to overwhelming laughter that suited them far more than oppressive silence.

The bout soon resumed with Malice jamming against Eva Destruction and within eight minutes, the Holy Rollers were in the lead by five points. From that moment on, there wasn’t a second where you could easily predict who would be the victor. It seemed as if every other jam the leader in points changed and finally they were at the last two minutes of the bout and Bliss watched as the Holy Rollers gathered around Maven and Malice. The older woman wore an annoyed and incredulous look on her features and gestured emphatically at Malice and even the normally shy blonde appeared to be arguing with her mentor. Finally, Alonso clasped Maven’s shoulder and said something in her ear and when he pulled away, Maven’s expression softened and she was visibly surprised as she looked at her atypically earnest teammates. There was an easy curve to Maven’s spine that Bliss knew revealed an obvious happiness and Maven shrugged her shoulders then offered a wicked grin before grabbing the jammer’s star and sliding it over her helmet much to the pleasure of the other Holy Rollers and Alonso.

Blanche was waiting for Maven at the start line, skating on the inside, and as Maven moved into her traditional start position, her face a picture of determination and focus, Blanche turned to her and said something. Whatever it was caused Maven’s expression to darken and it was in this moment that Smashley’s voice pierced the air as she shouted, “Maven! Eye of the tiger!”

Releasing a burst of laughter and grinning at her teammate’s antics, Bliss observed how Maven visibly calmed thanks to Smashley’s odd form of encouragement which she responded to by forming a cocky smirk that appeared to disconcert Blanche. Then the second whistle sounded signaling the start of the jam. With the Black Widows doing an effective job of blocking, Blanche took the lead until she found herself trapped by Princess Slaya and Mary Jane Pain and it was then that Maven broke free of the pack and emerged as the lead jammer. It seemed like the longest two minutes of Bliss’ life but when it was over, it was Maven calling off the jam and the bout ended with the Holy Rollers firmly ahead by four points. Johnny Rocket’s voice boomed in the warehouse, sounding almost hysterical as he announced it was another undefeated season for the Holly Rollers.

She was helping the rest of the medical staff pack up their supplies since the bout was over and any immediate threat of injury was over when the Holy Rollers and the Black Widows were going through the traditional good bout hand slap routine. Bliss just happened to look up as Blanche came to Maven and the taller woman paused in front of her girlfriend and Bliss scowled as she watched Blanche form that glittering smile while her hand trailed up Maven’s arm. Her scowl quickly transformed into a look of amusement then perverse pleasure as Maven removed Blanche’s hand by smacking it aside before giving her a hard punch to the jaw. The fans in the arena seemed to freeze and even Johnny stopped his rambling about the biggest party ever at his place as they waited for Blanche’s reaction. She pulled herself up over the barrier then regarded Maven with something akin to admiration then nodded her head and skated off, leaving Maven to smirk triumphantly and turn her attention to Bliss.

A slight bow and a kiss blown her way along with a thoroughly naughty expression gracing Maven’s features was what Bliss received. Unable to help herself, Bliss abandoned the other medical staff and made her way up the track as Maven skated over to her. She started offer her congratulations but Maven cut her off with a kiss that was long and luxurious and left her seeing stars and just as she started to recover, Maven offered her that brash smile, looking utterly pleased with herself and kissed her again.

——

Three hours later, they were at Maven’s loft, arriving in a taxi due to their inebriated state. Bliss unlocked the door and they tumbled inside, mouths already connected in a deep kiss and hands removing clothing. Although Bliss had already lost her bra in the taxi ride over thanks to Maven’s innovation and insistent need to touch her breasts. It was a strangely erotic but unsettling moment, delighting in the feel of Maven’s hands on her naked breasts only to look up and see the eyes of their taxi cab driver in the rear view mirror. It was then that Bliss put a stop to anything but kissing in the cab until they reached the loft.

Making their way to the bedroom, Maven pulled Bliss’ shirt over her head, tossing it carelessly aside as Bliss kicked off her shoes and Maven said, “You see Eva and Sparks tonight? They were putting on a good show in the hot tub. I thought Johnny was going to pass out.”

“Rosa did go a little overboard with her consolation,” Bliss remarked wryly, her eyes darkening with desire as she watched Maven remove her own shirt. Moving forward to do away with Maven’s bra, she rose up on her toes, kissing the elegant line of the older woman’s neck as she murmured, “Not that I didn’t do the same thing with my congratulations.”

Chuckling at this and watching with lidded eyes as Bliss unbuckled her belt, Maven asked, “You think they’re on again?”

“Maybe,” said Bliss with a frown, scowling until she managed to undo the belt, and grinning wide, she yanked Maven’s jeans down, delighted to find her girlfriend had decided to go commando.

Trying her level best to focus on her powers of balance and concentration, which was difficult with several shots and more than a few beers in her, Bliss lifted one of Maven’s legs and repeated this action as she pulled off one boot then the other. Maven’s hands tangled in her hair, using Bliss' head to maintain her own stability standing, squinting down at her as Bliss tugged the jeans away from Maven’s body. “They’re a cute couple sometimes,” Maven offered absently. Bliss looked up as Maven continued, “I didn’t think anything could last until I got with you. They might have a shot though.”

“Why do you keep talking about Rosa and Eva while I’m getting you naked?” asked Bliss, her alcohol addled mind moving slowly and she regarded Maven almost suspiciously. “You don’t want to have a foursome or something do you?”

Breaking out into raucous laughter, Maven’s eyes had a humorous glint and she drawled, “I’m already naked. It’s you whose got too many clothes on, baby.” When Bliss blushed at this and allowed Maven to pull her to her feet only to push her down onto the bed in a sitting position. Maven knelt in front of her and set about taking Bliss’ jeans off, smirking as she said, “They are pretty fucking hot but I don’t have that sort of interest in them. Just watching them, I was thinking about something Eva was saying to me a few weeks back, how she was wanting to take her relationship with Sparks to another level and all this Oprah crap.” Bliss watched with outright fascination as Maven rambled on, “Just thought that tiny ass apartment of yours would get crowded with Eva there all the time trying to level up or something. Also be a hassle since I know how you hate people getting into your shit…”

“Emily,” Bliss said her name in a hush, happiness clinging to her tones as she cupped Maven’s cheek and lifted her head so their eyes would meet. “Is this your way of asking me to move in with you?”

“You already got a key,” responded Maven defiantly. When Bliss didn’t reply, she scowled and demanded, “Yes or no?”

“Yes,” said Bliss, laughing and leaning down to kiss Maven, delighting in the way the older woman’s features softened into something beautiful and smugly satisfied on hearing her answer. “I’ve wanted to live with you for months. I just thought it would be rude of me to ask. I mean, it’s your loft and I know,” Bliss laughed again on seeing Maven’s sardonic look on hearing this, “it’s silly but I didn’t feel like it was polite and I didn’t want you to say no so I just didn’t ask.”

Snorting at this and rising up to push Bliss back on the bed as she removed her jeans and panties, Maven hovered over Bliss, her long hair falling over them and a smirk forming on her features. “You can be as rude as you want with me,” she murmured, her breath hot on Bliss skin and the younger woman gasped as Maven sucked on her nipple as her hands slid over her body. “It’s not like shit like that will stop me from loving you so ask whatever you want. All right, Bliss?”

“All right,” Bliss agreed breathlessly, unable to help the huge smile forming on her features.

A smile which only got wider as Maven continued her explorations and Bliss’ hips rose off the bed as Maven went down on her, tongue siding inside her pussy and Bliss wondered if this might be the most perfect night of her life. It certainly felt that way and it was all because she had finally received confirmation of Maven’s feelings for her and she had that reassurance she always wanted. That Maven wanted them to last as much as she did, that this was for the long run, and it didn’t matter what problems they had, what things knocked them off course because they would get through them.

Life could be like roller derby at times, just when it's going good that's when you take a hit but the important thing was to get back up and keep going and they had done that. They had gotten past the problems with Blanche and Malice and they were still going and for Bliss that was all the evidence she needed to know that this was the real thing. Their love would keep right on going as long as they wanted it to and now that she knew Maven felt the same, she didn’t see how it could end.

Which was all that Bliss ever wanted.

End