"FLATLINE"

Always Been That Way

*One week later*
March 20, 2025
Onika Maraj POV

I had been watching Beyoncé get back in the gym for a week now, she had much less time to prepare thanks to our little fiasco with Rubi and James hitting the internet stopping her focus. She was so committed and competitive though, so I knew she would come out on top. I hung over the ropes of the ring in her gym as I watched her sparr with a replica fighter who possessed the same style of boxing as her opponent. Beyoncé boxed circles around her, even playing and singing to me in between punches.

I giggled as her favorite song, Been That Way by Bryson Tiller, played loudly in the gym. She would always play this song and tell me how it explained her feelings for me and the way we got together so perfectly. I thought it was cute and so Beyoncé of her.

"It's always been that way!" She sung as she came over to me, almost getting caught with a right hook.

"Baby!" I yelled while laughing as she turned her focus back to her sparring partner.

I watched her in admiration, probably looking like a desperate housewife. She sparred for a little longer before taking a short break.

"You ight over here?" She walked up to me as I sat at a table reorganizing my medical bag.

"Yes, how was your sparring session?" I asked, concerned about her right knee. She had been complaining about it more often lately.

"It was good, honest. Knee is a little sore but i'm good." She said absentmindedly.

"Uh uh. Come here." I demanded before getting my wrapping supplies out of my medical bag.

She sighed as she sat on top of the table. I began to wrap her knee. It was a little inflamed and I worried it would hinder her if it remained that way.

"I'm going to wrap this for the remainder of your workout today BUT I want you in a ice bath as soon as you're done. 15 minutes. No pouting either." I pressed her.

"Yes ma'am." She smiled.

*Later That Night*

I was massaging Bey's knee as we talked and talked about life, aliens, conspiracies, random paranormal experiences, and basically anything else that came to our mind.

"So, what is it about boxing?" I asked her curiously. Bey was so talented. She could dance, sing, draw, she was funny, and so much more. I just hated that her profession was dangerous.

"What do you mean?" She looked at me while I continued massaging her.

"You're literally good at everything. Why do you break jaws for a living?" I asked.

She laughed lightly before looking down as though she was thinking of how to answer.

"I used to get picked on." She said under her breath.

"What?" My face scrunched up. Beyoncé? Picked on? The thought seemed so unrealistic.

"I didn't have nice things growing up. Me and Tommy and your ex used to get picked on. So we fought back." She shrugged.

"Baby..." I was speechless.

She smiled at me reassuringly. "It's not a sob story babe. School was still cool. I liked school better than home. I fought a few times in school but that was nothing. I fought way more at home. My mom and dad split for awhile and she dated a lot of bitch niggas. So, I fought them off of her."

She spoke as if her childhood was normal. As if this was just a coming of age story. I knew nothing of it and you would never get that vibe from being around Ms. Tina. I listened intently as she kept going.

"Then I stopped going home at all for awhile. Spent a lot of time getting in trouble with tommy and ...yeah. Old guy in the neighborhood owned a gym and I went there everyday after school to stay out of trouble. Turns out it was the same gym Floyd Mayweather boxed in as a kid. He visited one day, saw me, and put me on to a whole new world. Boxing was just our hail mary. It saved us."

I continued to pay attention to her, showing her I could be attentive if she ever wanted to talk to me before I carefully responded.

"Well.. I think I understand you just a little bit more now. I hate the idea of you getting hurt it makes me crazy and anxious..but now I know it's more than just a sport to you.. Anddd.. I will admit you're damn good at it "Flatline." I rolled my eyes as I used air quotes. She smiled at me before it turned to a look of pure passion.

"Thank you baby..for staying. I know i'm difficult but I promise I do my best with the cards I've been dealt. People always misunderstand me but I'm so much more than this flatline persona. I'm a person. I've been through things..I never imagined this life for myself or any life to be honest. But i've made an impact in millions of lives. I have a beautiful family now.. I just feel.. I don't know...like no matter what happens now..I was here."

I was so wrapped up in her words that I hadn't noticed my eyes watering. I stopped massaging her and jumped up to kiss her.

"I love you. You're safe with me." I simply told her. I knew how she was so I didn't drag it on and make it seem like I pitied her but I wanted her to know I could be her safehaven.

She smiled widely as she kissed me back.

"Can I ask you something personal?" She questioned me.

I nodded and sat back in the spot I was in before and started to massage her knee again.

"Did you really not know of me before? Back in college when you were dating him?"

There was always this notion with Beyoncé that I never noticed her any of the times she would briefly come to pick Jamie up or see him on campus, but that wasn't the truth. She just seemed far out of my reach then..two different worlds.

"You think I never noticed you but I did. I remember walking around campus one night with him and a couple of other friends. We stopped and sat at a table on the lawn, just talking, being young. Then a car pulled up right in front of us and someone called his name. I didn't know back then that it was you, but I remember that country ass accent." She gave me a look as we both laughed while I continued. "When he walked up you got out of the car and walked behind it to talk to him. I remember thinking how fine you were but you never paid me any attention and you never seemed like you were there for social reasons. You always came to give him something or pick him up and then you got back in the car and drove off. Years later you're this major sports figure and all my friends from that night talk about how you were on campus that day." I giggled.

"Did any of your friends say I was fine too?" She asked playfully before I tapped her knee lightly causing her to wince.

"Too fucking soon." I said.

She smiled mischievously. "I always wonder what life would have been if I had approached you."

I looked up at her in adoration.

"You don't have to wonder anymore. I love you. It was always going to be you."

She leaned up smiling as she caressed my face, planting a soft kiss on my lips.

"It's always been that way." She cooed to me, playfully singing.