Noticing what time it was getting to be when he noticed the clock on the brick wall, Amadi quickly removed his gloves and unwrapped his large paws, tossing it all in his opened gym bag. He went to zip it back up quickly, growling somewhat when the it got stuck a little, but he didn't want to break it entirely just because he was in a rush. Still, he had at least an hour to get home if he left now. If he didn't make it, his husband would surely kill him. After all, they've been planning their five-year anniversary date for months now. Thing is, Amadi knew too damn well he always lost track of time when he was throwing punches at the heavy bag, or shadowboxing in front of one of the tall wall mirrors, or running drills with his coach, or sparring with a fellow gym mates. One, two, sometimes even three hours would pass before the lion would call it quits for the day, but the grind and sweat and frustration was worth it, if his small record indicated anything.

And then there's some days like today where he wondered if it was worth it, despite his marriage feeling like it's falling apart piece by piece. As much as he tried to push those thoughts back, some days Farahan was all he could think about.

"Ya sure ya don't want to stay a little longer? I'm noticing your footwork is getting up to par after that spill you had a couple months ago." His smaller, aging coach looked at him worryingly as he stood back up, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

He growled low at the mention of his so-called 'spill,' reminding him why he hated training during the winter months. "Yeah...I'm sure, Coach. This may be my last chance to save my marriage." He turned and began to leave, but stopped for a moment and turned back to Hanan. "That's what I need to prioritize and not...this," he said as he waved a paw around. "I hope you understand."

She sighed, but smiled at her most prized yet most troublesome student. "Do what you gotta do, Amadi. Just...please don't throw away all the progress you've made so far," she warned.

He nodded in response. "Of course. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" The large lion rushed out the door before Hanan could even respond.

She slowly put her paws in her hoodie pocket, shaking her head as she went back to observing the other gym patrons. "What am I gonna do with you, kiddo?"

* * *

As difficult as it was to not speed and weave through traffic and pray he won't get pulled over, he somehow managed to make it home in one piece and not a minute to spare. He dashed out of the car, leaving his gym bag behind, and darted into the condo, opening then slamming doors shut as he passed through them. With heavy yet quick steps, he sprang up the stairs and straight to the bathroom, hoping to wash off as much of the heat and musk stuck in his fur and mane. He started the shower, stripped, and jumped in before the water got a chance to warm up, nearly slipping on the porcelain in the process. All he really needed was to scrub himself down with his specially formulated lion's mane shampoo, rinse, and dry off. But as he scrubbed it into his thick, scruffy mane, he didn't realize he was scrubbing his scalp just a little too roughly.

Yet he scrubbed...and scrubbed...and scrubbed, until he let out a low growl of pain which made him immediately stop. He brushed his mane from his face and opened his eyes, looking down at the soapy, bloody mess on the shower floor.

"Dammit, not again..."

It was then he could feel part of his scalp bleeding. The only remedy he knew was to just keep water running on it to keep things clean and hope it doesn't get infected.

Once finished and satisfied that he no longer smelled of musk and blood, Amadi began to dry himself off with his towel, shaking out his mane vigorously. He finished drying off and was about to brush out his mane when he couldn't help but stop and stare in the mirror. He looked himself up and down, or what all he could see, then pushed and pressed back all he could of his mane with his paws to see what he'd look like without one. He breathed in the warm, humid air of the bathroom, yet shuddered on the exhale as he fought back tears.

A sudden knock on the bathroom door startled him out of his trance.

"You ready yet, sweetie? We're gonna be late again!"

"Oh shit! Sorry, kitty! I'll be ready soon!" With that, Amadi quickly brushed out his mane, tossing the towel and brush aside, and bounded straight for the bedroom to change. He didn't even notice his orange, stripy husband standing just outside as he did so as he almost knocked him over.

Farahan stepped out of the way to not get hit, but it wouldn't be the last time his husband nearly smacked into him. He let out a sigh. "Just meet me out by the car, okay?" He didn't wait for an answer as he headed back down the stairs and out the door, his orange and white-tipped tail twitching behind him irritably.

Thankfully Amadi remembered to lay out his suit for the evening. It was one very reminiscent of their wedding day, complete with black tux, red vest, and red tie. Even though he never thought much about it when getting dressed up for their date, part of him wished his body was more curvier and that he'd be wearing a sexy red dress that hugged said curves instead of a form-fitting tuxedo.

And then he realized how much he was getting turned on as his mind wandered, bounding back down the stairs before he made them even more late for their dinner date.

* * *

"Can't believe we actually made it..." Farahan mumbled sarcastically after he and Amadi ordered their drinks for the evening.

"Hun, I'm sorry, okay? You know me by now, we've been together for--"

"Five years, yes."

"Actually I was gonna say six, but okay..."

The tiger sighed, rubbing his large paw against his chubby face in frustration. "And yet you still can't keep track of time?" He asked, trying not to raise his voice. A four-star, upscale, Italian restaurant isn't exactly the best public place to cause a scene.

"I'm trying hun..."

"Clearly not trying hard enough."

Amadi was about to retort, but he was interrupted when their waiter served them their wine for the evening. He had to admit, the red fox was a cutie and looked handsome in his uniform. He was probably a few years younger than him, as far as he could tell.

"Oh he's a cutie. Wonder if I could score his number."

"Hey babe?" Farahan asked.

"Could ask him if he wanted to have a threesome with two big cats; that could spice things up for us. Hell, I'd let him have a go at me, hehe."

"Honey?"

"Still, I kinda wished I was built different...the thought of getting nailed in my tight, wet pu--"

"Amadi!"

"Huh? What?" He looked around, snapping out of his lustful trance.

"Kit's waiting for your order. What do you want?"

"Oh! Shit! Sorry. Um..." He quickly looked over the menu. Being as active as he is, he had no room to be picky when it came to eating healthy, not that he was a picky eater to begin with. Rarely did he ever give into his set cheat days, which usually fell on Saturdays when he didn't train. But, despite this being a training day, he would make an exception; this relationship is more important than his budding boxing career. Just like Coach said: "...don't throw away all the progress you've made so far."

He picked out something that was probably packed with carbs and salt, as it seemed like that's how most Italian food is, but he didn't care; chicken Alfredo pasta sounded amazing right now.

Their waiter, or 'Kit' as his name turned out to be, snatched their menus away as soon as they were both done ordering, clearly in a rush. The lion couldn't blame him; the place was packed when they arrived, and it didn't seem to thin out anytime soon the longer they stayed.

Once the younger fox left, Farahan poured the wine for both of them, starting with Amadi's glass. Even though this was supposed to be a celebratory occasion, a happy milestone in their marriage, at the very same restaurant where their first few dates took place, the tiger showed no smile the moment they arrived. In fact, Farahan showed no emotion whatsoever the moment Amadi came home. The only vague indication of what's going on inside his husband's head was his tail half raised and flicking about; the lion took it as a good thing, as it showed his husband is at least enjoying himself, though something clearly bothered him.

Amadi spoke first as to not prolong any silence between them. "Hun, I'm sorry...again, okay? You know how I get, right? And you know how important boxing is to me. You know it's something I've dreamed of since I was a cub; hell, you know I've been doing that for years, long before we met. I just haven't had enough practice with...this," he said, waving a paw between them. "It's been hard for me to juggle two lives, hun. I'm trying...I'm trying." Amadi paused to take a moment to breath and compose himself, hoping his husband would say something, anything to make him feel less like a fuck up. He then took a sip of his wine, though it was a little too much for him to handle all at once, nearly spilling it all over his suit.

Farahan sipped his wine as the anxious lion spoke. Once he finished his third apology for the evening, the tiger sighed and began to speak. "Amadi, I...I know you're trying your best with this. Truly. It's just hard for me when I don't know when the hell you're coming home from training. I mean, one minute you're coming home consistently at the same time each night, the next I don't see you until I'm about to get to bed!" He struggled to keep his voice low, despite how much his fatty arms flailed a bit as he spoke and his large butt nearly rising out of his seat. He sat himself back down properly with enough force that he knocked a tiny breath out of himself. He continued. "I don't know, I mean...I kinda admired you for really getting into the sport and wanting to go pro and all. But now...now it's just becoming frustrating for me." Now it was the tiger's turn to start feeling anxious as he guzzled down his wine.

It was then Amadi realized something in that moment. Normally when his husband would get like this, he'd get grouchy, growly, and would sometimes claw at things as his tail flicked about downward, even when they'd be in public like this. Yet, this was the calmest rant he's ever gotten from him; even his stripy, orange noodle tail remained calm once he finished.

There was only one thing he could do at a time like this to calm the tiger down.

"Hun?" He asked, holding out his opened paw, pads up.

The tiger hesitated a moment, but he did notice Amadi's offer. He looked up to his husband's handsome, smiling, chiseled face, his clean, brushed mane only accented the lion's beauty. He then stared into his golden-brown eyes, taking that large, golden lion paw in his chubbier, orange one. They both then leaned across the table from one another and shared a quick but passionate kiss. They looked at each other lovingly for a moment before their waiter came back with their dinner.

Their foxy waiter seemed to waste no time serving their respective dinners, yet darted away without letting either of the cats get a 'thank you' in.

"Well that was rude..." Muttered the tiger.

"He's a busy little fox. Besides, at least they didn't screw up our order, right?"

Farahan took one look at his plate and shrugged before digging in. "Looks alright to me." He was about to take his first bites when he happened to glance upward towards his husband. As usual, Amadi seemed to inhale his food rather than take time to savor all the flavors and textures that came with it. As uncouth as the lion appeared, especially in a restaurant like this, he couldn't help but giggle at his behavior.

"What?" Amadi asked with his mouth full.

"Oh, nothing," he giggled, "You're just looking really cute right now."

Amadi felt his face warm and he stopped chewing for a moment. He growled softly and hid his face.

For the first time in what felt like months, Farahan felt a spark of joy with their relationship and marriage. As childish and as absent-minded the lion could be, he came to enjoy some of that immature behavior, especially coming from such a big, strong, handsome cat like Amadi.

They quietly ate dinner together in comfortable silence, with the chattering from the other customers and staff serving as ambiance while accompanied by the generic classical music playing over the aged speakers in the ceiling. This went on for a moment or two, both of them occasionally looking at each other or the elaborate scenery around them. Statues, decorative archways and walls, paintings, plants, and several water fountains all seemed like they tried to cram all of Italy into one building. While Farahan was one of the biggest critics of the decor, even he admits it's tacky appearance is far from boring to look at compared to other 'upscale' restaurants he's been to. He was busy critiquing said scenery in his head as he looked around, adjusting his thin glasses every so often to inspect more clearly, when Amadi broke the silence.

"Hey, um...hun?"

"Hmmm?" Farahan replied, still looking up at the painted ceiling above them, depicting what appeared to be a poor attempt at a miniature version of the Sistine Chapel mural.

"I uh...I want to ask you something important..." The lion rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away, his claws somewhat coming out with how scared he felt. Even though, deep down, he knew Farahan would understand and accept him, he was scared of ruining not only his marriage, but also his budding boxing career. But most of all, he feared he'd ruin his tight-knit relationship with his mother if she found out.

The tiger shot him a look that appeared both puzzled and worried. "Babe, whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," he replied with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, probably..." Amadi replied, putting his arm down and both his paws tight in his lap. "Well, um...well, I know you're bisexual, so I'm sure this won't bother you anyway."

Farahan nodded as he looked at his husband lovingly and smiled, not once giving him his usual judgmental, grumpy glare. It was clear Amadi was nervous, as he noticed the lion's posture tensing and clamming up -- it was very much the opposite of how he usually is.

He continued, taking a deep breath to try and relax himself, even if he still felt tense. "So, um...how do I explain this..." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts as the ambient noise from the restaurant became more of a dull drone. "When we met, and even before we met, you remember I was very much wanting to be manly and strong and buff and all that, yeah?"

The tiger softly chuffed, fondly remembering those first few months six years ago. "I do, yes. It's one reason why I fell in love with you," he cooed, "That meaty ass of yours can take quite a pounding~"

The lion shuffled his legs closer together as he poorly tried to keep focused. "Y-Yeah," he giggled, "But, um, anyway, while that still...somewhat remains true, I've come to notice something since we've been together..."

"That is?"

"You..." Amadi had to choose how to explain and to do so quickly, more so to release the tension already. He took a breath through his nose. "You make me feel more like...a...woman...or a...wife...ever since we've gotten married."

Farahan flinched and chuckled nervously. "Hun, that's...that's not unusual with same-sex couples."

"I know. I know. It's just that...I've been thinking about it a lot lately and I've realized it's...it's much deeper than that, hun."

"Hooow so?"

Amadi gulped, feeling all kinds of butterflies in his stomach and his heart beating so fast he felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He never felt this nervous since before his first boxing tournament not too long before he and Farahan started dating, or before his first, official boxing match ever when he was a teenager.

"I've...I've come to find I...don't like being male...at all."

The tiger looked him over, or at least what he could see from across the table. "Yep, I kinda figured something like this was going on."

"Wait, you...did? When?"

"About, oh, a year or so ago? Maybe."

"Shit..." Amadi couldn't help but look down and off to the side; he did not expect this to be his husband's reaction. "What...What made me give it away?"

Farahan refilled his wine glass and took a sip. "Well, for one, you seem to be less and less comfortable with bottoming. The few times we did manage to fool around, you seemed to like me 'breeding your pussy and making you a Mommy,'" he said with a smirk.

Amadi slammed his elbows on the table and covered his face with his paws out of sheer embarrassment. "What else aside from how slutty I can be?" He asked, sounding somewhat muffled.

Farahan took another sip of wine. "Two, I found your small stash of bras, panties, as well as a skirt, a couple tops that might be a bit too tight for you, and a flowery dress once. But, I mean, some men enjoy dressing more feminine from time to time anyway, so that didn't bother me."

"Was there anything that did bother you, then?" The lion asked, partially uncovering his face.

He tapped his wine glass before replying, giving himself a moment to take all this in. "I um...I have noticed a few times there's small blood stains in the shower or the sink after you'd get done showering..."

Amadi put his arms down on the table and looked to the side for a moment. He never noticed until then all the balloons and presents piled around one table against one wall of the restaurant -- apparently it was someone's birthday today too. He then looked back to his husband, tearing up a bit as he focused on the tiger's white and orange, stripy, chubby, handsome face.

"I hate having a mane..." He finally said. While his voice was soft and sad, it also came off as aggressive. "I just wanna take a razor to it and shave the damn thing clean off! Or...or just...RIP it all out of my skull so it can never grow again! I just...I just..."

Suddenly, Amadi felt two large paws grip his wrists that somehow were above his head now. He also felt his mane was damp near the middle and his cheek fur dampen and darken from his tears. He breathed fast and heavy as he glanced up to see who grabbed him and noticed an orange, stripy forearm.

"I'm gonna let you go and lead you out of here. I can take care of the bill on the way out. We're leaving. Now." Farahan's tone came off as both demanding yet concerning. They both know this was not the time or place to cause such a scene.

They quickly left the restaurant after Farahan paid for their dinner and left Kit a more than generous tip for putting up with them. Amadi never said a word the whole time -- not when they left, or on the way home, or after they got home. Yet the first thing Farahan did when they got back inside was hug the distraught lion as tight as he could, which was a lot despite the tiger's lack of visible muscles.

Amadi began to bawl, hiding his blubbering face in his husband's fatty, orange shoulder. He worried everything will fall apart around him the moment he began to even attempt to express the inner lioness that's his true self.

"Go change out of your suit and meet me up in the bathroom, okay, sweetie?" Farahan said, comforting him and not letting go.

"Okay..." He sobbed, wiggling his shoulders a bit to indicate it's okay to let go. After receiving a quick kiss on the nose from his tiger, he slowly went upstairs to do as instructed.

After having a cigarette and changing out of his own suit, if not to give both of them ample time to calm down, he went upstairs to the bathroom and saw Amadi sitting on the closed toilet in his underwear. He was no longer a sobbing mess, but he did look emotionally drained. Without a word, the tiger opened the cabinet and grabbed his electric razor that he'd sometimes use to trim and shape his cheek tufts and pubic fur. He knew that, even though he mainly used this for light shaves, it could be very well used to shave off a thick lion's mane.

"What are you doing?" Amadi asked as he noticed his husband getting the razor ready.

"Keeping you from hurting yourself all the time. Now I want you to lean your head forward a bit and hold still, okay?"

"You...you mean you're gonna -- "

"Yes, but I want to make sure you're not still bleeding or anything before I start."

"Oh, yeah, sure, right," he said with a nervous chuckle. The lion did as he was told and leaned his head forward, his long, scraggly mane dangling down after being yanked and scuffed up and pulled on by his claws. He winced whenever Farahan touched a wound that didn't scab over quite yet, otherwise, the overall feeling of his husband's gentle paws combing through his mane helped him calm down even more after this ordeal.

"Okay, hun, I'm gonna have you wash your mane a bit before I start. Just a quick rinse should do it."

"Do you want me to keep my head down like this, or...?"

"Yeah, should be fine, but in the shower, please. I don't want water all over the floor and seeping through."

"Okay, hun." Amadi stood up, but decided to not stand up fully. Instead, he got off the toilet, walked into the shower, stood roughly where the water would fall from the shower head, all while keeping his head down.

Farahan just smiled and rolled his eyes as he turned on the water. "You dork."

"What? You did tell me to keep my head down, right?"

He shrugged and chuckled. "I suppose." After a quick rinse and making Amadi's mane poof out from being dried so vigorously, he grabbed the razor and clicked it on. "Okay, hun...you ready?"

The lion nodded, letting out a breath as he took in what's about to happen. "Go for it."

The tiger nodded and began. He couldn't quite get at the mane right at Amadi's scalp, so he had to go at it in layers, slowly and carefully shaving off little by little and making that thick lion mane shrink. It was here he regretted not getting a pair of scissors to help trim this thick fluff on his husband's head, but he was well into it by now. He stopped a moment to check in. "Need a break, or you good?"

"I'm good, sweetie," Amadi replied. Trying to keep still, he couldn't help but giggle when he noticed how much of his mane sat in a heap around the toilet. "I can help clean all this up, by the way," he said, pointing to the growing pile of head fuzz.

"Please. It'd take me all night if I did it myself."

"Let's just hope it doesn't become sentient."

"Oh my god..." Farahan groaned under his breath, though in a joking way.

It was strange seeing his husband with less and less of a mane as he progressed. One minute, he has this thick, flowing mane that made him look like a strong male lion, then the next he started to look more like a teenager just growing out his mane, and now they're at the point where Amadi looks more like a young cub who's nowhere near puberty yet -- only this cub is a full-grown adult built like a strong and agile fighter. What did shock him was the amount of scarring all over his head, and he knew it was all self-inflicted; it was one reason why he wanted to do this in the first place. He couldn't quite see the 'lioness' Amadi seemed to desire to become, at least not right now.

But that image may be revealed soon, as Farahan was almost with the longest, most grueling shave he's ever done in his life. "Just a little more..."

"Oh I can't wait," he said excitedly.

"Me too. This has been exhausting."

"Sorry..."

"It's fine, hun; I want to do this regardless." He made the finishing touches and held a paw on the lion's shoulder, indicating for him to stand up. "Your happiness is my priority."

Amadi looked in the mirror, checking over his husband's handiwork. "Oh wow...hun you did an--"

"Ope. Wait. Missed a bit behind your ear there," he said, quickly shaving that off. "Okay, you should be good."

"Did you just..."

"Oh hush. Take a look and tell me what you think."

Amadi looked himself over again. He did admit, he did look more like a cub who's a full-grown adult rather than a lioness. In fact, he thought he looked ridiculous with how bald his head and neck appeared. But at least he can take comfort in knowing he won't have to worry about his mane for a while. He'd have to experiment a bit more to truly bring out the lioness within, given what he has to work with.

"Definitely feel cooler." He turned and moved his head about. "Less restrictive head movement for sure."

"Do you feel...well, different?"

"Um...not...exactly? The mane is just one aspect. I mean, I'm sure there are other male lions out there who shave off their manes."

"And I'm sure there are some maned lionesses too."

"Yeah...except I'm not one of those...and I don't want to be..."

Farahan petted the back of the lion's neck and head, feeling that fresh cut for the first time himself. It sure felt different than what he's used to; never before has he felt his husband's bare skin. "How does that feel?"

He slowly closed his eyes and let his head roll back, purring softly yet loudly at his husband's touch against his exposed skin. "Mmmm, amazing, hun."

"Good, good," he replied, smiling. "I can get some specialized soap you could use to clean your bald areas tomorrow if you want, at least until your mane starts growing back."

"Yeah...I do look a bit silly, honestly."

The tiger just smiled. "In time you won't look as silly. You're much healthier than me, so it should grow back enough to fill out the baldness in no time."

Amadi took one more look in the mirror, then suddenly hugged his tiger tight, nuzzling him as he purred. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

He had to adjust to hug his lion back just as tight, chuffing as they embraced. "In time, you'll be a strong, beautiful lioness one day."

The lion just gave him a gentle lick on his forehead, then kissed him, not wanting to let go, even though he knew he'd have to eventually.

Farahan giggled and looked up at his now bald lion, sharing a quick but loving kiss before letting go. He then looked at the area around the toilet, which was now surrounded by a thick pile of what was once Amadi's mane. It was so thick that he couldn't see the tile on the floor anymore, just a sea of thick, golden-brown fuzz.

Amadi looked down as well, both of them staring at the mess for a moment, dreading the impending cleanup.

"Well...now to toss this mess..."

"Yep...will be glad to get rid of it permanently one day."

"One day, hun...one day..."

* * *

Another day. Another training session; this time it's mitt work and bag work. As usual, Amadi barely made it in time before his coach noticed anything, so he'd assume. Most other coaches would bark at or scorn any of their athletes if they showed up late for training. Little did anyone else know, however, she was used to him running late for years, long before he started training under her.

This time, though, Amadi had a legitimate excuse. Going through his warmup routine and stretches went fine, but things began to feel 'off' as he did his jumprope routine. The false, silicone breasts he tucked in the largest bra he could find that would fit him comfortably kept bouncing up and down as he jumped, making him feel their weight pulling against his chest. Thankfully, his oversized t-shirt kept them hidden, somewhat, but he did worry if anyone else noticed.

Part-way through his routine, he could feel one of them slipping out. "Shit, shit, shit..." He stopped and turned towards the nearest wall to adjust so no one could suspect anything, then continued his routine as if nothing happened.

Almost immediately after readjusting, the same, false breast began slipping out again.

"What the fuck? Stay in there, you bitch," he whispered to himself as he turned around and adjusted again.

"Hey, Amadi, you doing okay?" Asked one of his fellow gym mates. He was one of the lightweights, a lithe but quick rat. And he was the one person he hoped wouldn't catch on; his sense of smell isn't just for sniffing out exquisite French cuisine.

"U-Uh, yeah? Just feeling a bit off today, Jay," he answered, trying to play off his odd appearance.

"Riiiight..." He looked at the larger lion up and down. "And you shaved your mane off because..."

"Keeps my head cooler," he replied as he shrugged, "Plus it may help with getting headgear on easier if we get to that today."

Jay shrugged. "Hey, if it works, it works, dude. Just uh..." He looked left and right, then leaned in close. "Just don't let Coach catch onto ya. Who knows how she'll take it," he said, keeping his voice low.

"That's who I'm worried about the most," he replied, also keeping his voice low.

"I mean, I'll support ya, but ya ain't hiding the fact you think you're tra--"

"Alright! Hope you're all warmed up and ready to go!" Hanan suddenly shouted.

Both of them jolted out of their huddle, quickly rising up fully as soon as they heard her.

"Partner up! Grab a pair of mitts! Glove up if you're punching!"

They both looked at each other and shrugged.

"Well, wanna partner up?" Jay asked.

"Might as well," Amadi replied.

"Cool. You wanna throw punches first?"

The lion nodded. "You don't mind the size difference between us?"

"Nope," Jay replied, "I like training partners who differ from me, size-wise."

Anyone else who saw them standing next to each other could easily tell the size difference between the two. Not only does Amadi have more muscle weight than Jay, he was also almost exactly a foot taller -- it was about the same size difference between him and Hanan.

Amadi was glad to finally get his gloves on. Throughout his warmup routine, he hoped no one noticed the bright, pink coloring on his claws, despite him habitually wrapping his paws as soon as he arrived. At least he can hide those, for now.

Even though Jay kept to simple 1's and 2's to start off their mitt work, shuffling side to side as he held up each mitt accordingly, Amadi had a tendency to hit hard and quick. Of course, if they were sparring or if he was in an real fight, this would be ideal. Each of his punches nearly jerked the rodent's smaller arms back as they took the shock of each punch, even if he was trying to hold them up and steady as possible. However, Amadi wasn't always the most accurate with his punches, as he nearly threw a punch straight for the rat's pointed snout.

Jay had to quickly doge that oncoming right flying towards his head. "Woah! Watch your paws there, dude!" He squeaked.

"Ah! Shit, sorry!" Amadi replied. He quickly tried to get back in the rhythm of things after that blunder, but he still felt off. He swore he felt one of his false breasts shift closer to the middle of his chest and made it seem like it would fall out. As he threw more 1's and 2's at the mitts, Jay noticed his punches didn't come as hard or as fast now.

"What's gotten into him all of a sudden?" The rat thought.

"Okay! Time! Switch!" Hanan yelled.

The lion lowered his arms and began to quickly remove his gloves while his partner got his on. As he went to toss his gloves in his bag off to the side, he took a quick sip of water and tried to readjust, hoping no one noticed. Yet, he hadn't realized how much more his coach was paying attention to him in particular today, and he kept forgetting that he's always the last one to get ready when they do these types of drills.

"Hmmm..." Hanan pondered, rubbing her chin with her paw pads as she began putting the pieces together. She could tell he was not quite himself today, and he looked different than usual. "Amadi never wears a shirt while doing drills or sparring...What's going on, bud?"

Once she noticed the younger lion was ready, she had them start again. As much as she tried to give all her students as equal attention as possible, she knew she'd have to give more attention to anyone she thinks might be struggling. Coincidentally enough, today was Amadi's turn.

Holding the mitts up wasn't as bad as throwing punches; he didn't have to move his torso as much, just his arms and to step side to side and back and forth every so often. Yet, even that seemed to shift the falsies he hid under his shirt. He could feel them move towards the center of his chest, or towards the sides of his chest, or even rotating slightly, all because of how much he moved and how much heat his body gave off.

As much as Jay tried to focus on his punches, he too noticed something shifting and slightly bulging out of his partner's shirt, especially now that his chest was more open and right in front of him. He tried not to pay attention to those and rather the mitts, but one of his jabs slipped past the mitt and right to one of Amadi's pecs. Yet, rather than that satisfying *thump* they all so much enjoy hearing when leather smacks against hard muscle, the lion's pec felt...softer and more squishy.

"The hell...?" He thought, trying to ignore the odd sensation.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Amadi began to panic right after that. "Fuck, I hope that didn't just burst or something...doesn't feel like it, though, I don't think." He tried to ignore it for now and keep on with the drill until the coach indicated that the round was over with and told them to switch again.

However, she decided to pull Amadi aside, ordering Jay to lead the drill for a while.

"Hey, what's going on?" She said, quietly, even though the sounds of the punches, grunts, panting, and shuffling feat filled the majority of the space. "You seem...not yourself today."

"Um...yeah, I don't know, Coach. I've had a lot on my mind lately and, um..." He began, putting a paw behind his neck.

"I can understand the shaved mane for practicality, but why are your claws pink? And what the hell you got under your shirt?" She reached for his chest. "Here, Let me just--"

He quickly batted her paw away, trying to keep their discussion low and avoid any unwanted attention. "Mom, it's nothing, okay!"

"Hey, what did I tell you when you first started? I'm your coach here, not your mother," she scolded, holding up a finger to his face.

"Yeah? Well you're sure acting like my mother right now," he replied in a snarky tone.

She growled, holding herself back to smack her son for being an idiot. "I'm being serious, Amadi! Now, come on, what do you have under there," she demanded, reaching out again to lift his shirt up.

Again, he batted her paw away. "Mom! Stop!" He tried to keep his voice low despite how much he was panicking right now. He just hoped no one was watching what was unfolding right now.

She growled again, this time letting her claws come out just in case she needed them. "Oh my god, Amadi! Stop being stupid. It's not like I've seen you shirtless before." Again, she reached out to grab his shirt, but she was done being nice about this. Knowing he would bat at her again, she quickly grabbed one part of it near his chest with one claw and tore it open with her other one.

They both looked in shock and horror at the sight. Little did they know, the other gym patrons stopped their drills and noticed what had unfolded between the two lions.

His cheap sports bra was in clear view, and the false breasts poked out from the center, giving him the appearance of a decent cleavage. He quickly covered them up and tried to keep everything together. "M-Mom, I'm--"

"Huh...didn't take you for a C cup," she said, holding her paws at her hips.

He couldn't help but smirk a bit; his mother always had a way to dissipate an uncomfortable situation with her humor. Still, with all that's transpired so far, he would rather be anywhere but here right now. He struggled to keep his emotions together, as he now noticed everyone else staring at them.

"Look, why don't you go home, compose yourself, calm down, and we can talk about this later, okay?" She said, her tone much sweeter and kinder this time.

He nodded, sniffling a bit. "Okay..."

She petted his arm and his back as he put his gloves and wraps back in his bag, zipping it up. Once he stood back up and slung his bag over his shoulder, his mother opened her arms to embrace him, to which he gladly accepted.

"I love you, sweetie," she said in that sweet, kind, motherly tone.

"I love you too, Mom," he replied, choking through his tears.

They let go of each other and Amadi left without saying goodbye to anyone else but Hanan. She watched as he left the gym, waiting until the door shut behind him before turning her attention back to her students.

All of them were stunned in disbelief, staring at their coach and awaiting if training would continue.

She eyed them back and forth. "Well?" She shouted. "Get back to it!" She then waved over to the rat. "Jay! You'll be with me for the rest of this drill, alright!"

* * *

He unlocked and opened the front door quietly, more out of feeling somber rather than trying to stay quiet. This still got his husband's attention, however, as his round ears twitched at the sound. Farahan turned around half-way from where he was sitting on the recliner, turning his attention away from his book. "You're home early."

"Yeah..." Amadi replied, shutting and locking the door behind him. Without a word, he dropped his duffel bag near the front door and shuffled over to the couch. He fell into it as he went to sit down, resting his elbows on his knees as he rubbed his face with his paws in frustration. He still wore the torn t-shirt that revealed his bra and fake breasts, as well as the golden-brown fur of his torso.

Without a word, Farahan placed a bookmark in his reading material, set it down on the side table, then got off the recliner to snuggle up next to Amadi to try and comfort him. He rubbed one of his golden-furred cheeks, gently moving one of his paws away to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Your claws look pretty, hun."

"Thanks," Amadi replied, not once looking at his husband. He sighed as he ruminated over the day's events and everything else that has transpired thus far. He thought about the little research into transitioning he did and what little exposure he had with transgender people. He thought about his upbringing, wondering if things would've been different. He ruminated over past thoughts he initially ignored, yet added up to how he's been feeling lately. He worried what his gym mates will think of him, especially after what happened earlier. He worried what his mother truly thinks and what his father would've thought, if he were still alive. He thought about this, worried about that, thought about this again -- his brain would not shut up. So he did the only thing he knew that would turn his brain off. Sitting up straight, he quickly and forcefully pulled his big tiger husband close, letting his weight sink into him as he laid back.

"Mom will be over soon to talk..." Amadi said, petting his husband's stripy head.

Farahan let out a chuff at the petting. "I can stick around if you want me to," he replied.

"Please...at least as support, just in case."

He nodded, snuggling up a bit closer and noticing how much softer and bigger Amadi's chest felt now. "Hmmm...these feel nice," he cooed, "I could get used to them, hehe."

Amadi chuckled. "They aren't real but...I wish they were..."

"One day, maybe."

* * *

Amadi sat in the locker room, the sounds outside a low drone as they sat in silence. Their breathing slow and deliberate. The only things they could physically feel were their hands wrapped in cloth wraps, covered by 10 ounces of foam and red leather, and their rump on the hard wooden bench. Their eyes closed as they kept themselves to their own thoughts. Yet these thoughts were no longer ones of regret, worry, anxiety, or frustration, but ones of reflection and content. Their journey these past 22 months are about to come to a proverbial close.

A loud, resounding knock came from the door to the women's locker room.

It was time.

Opening their eyes and standing, Amadi looked into the mirror right in front of them. Staring back was the lioness that she knew she always was. She wasn't perfect, but she was strong and beautiful. Her overall mass shrank somewhat, more thanks to the hormone therapy, yet her muscles appeared toned and strong. Her white sports bra contained her very real B cup sized breasts, yet the protective padding inside made them appear bigger. Her bright red trunks with a black waistband complimented her gloves well, but they also hugged her thinner, somewhat curvier waist snugly, despite the groin protector underneath. She still had to wear her male one for this fight, but she wanted to get at least one fight in as a fully-realized woman before her bottom surgery.

Another, hurried knock came from the door. While she was happy with her appearance and life outside of the ring, this was the first time she was being faced with it as a professional fighter. Between all the therapy, the treatments, the emotional and mental battles she had with herself, and the seemingly hours and hours fighting with commissioners and managers to come to this point was finally worth it. The older lioness that greeted Amadi as she stepped through the door gave her a look of worry, concern, yet had a hopeful confidence to it.

"Are you ready?" Hanan asked, looking at her daughter.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Amadi replied. Her voice clearly showed she lacked ample voice training, despite the long time frame of transitioning, yet she could still sound feminine enough to show she's no longer a man. She stood up off the bench and walked out of the locker room, flanked by her trainer and a second as they were directed down a hallway towards the staging area where they will enter the arena. The increasingly loud drone of a crowd became more clear the closer they got, yet still sounded muffled behind the closed curtain.

When she was given her queue, Amadi stepped through the curtain with her team, looking out into the masses in full as her eyes adjusted to the arena lights. A smattering of multi colored and rainbow flags were hung over the railings of the upper decks, a few being waved by some fans; most were of the iconic progress pride flag, but she noticed some that were the transgender pride flag, as well as others. She stopped just outside the curtains, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, centering herself as best as possible. She let out a heavy exhale and opened her eyes to continue down the ramp, raising a gloved fist up to acknowledge the supporters in the crowd.

It was her time to shine now, as she was truly meant to be.