Justin was beyond exhausted. He’d managed to get a standby ticket for the first flight out to Toronto, but it had been delayed due to severe weather in Vancouver. Far too long was spent sitting on the plane in the stuffy air in uncomfortable seats. That gave him lots of time to think about all the potential horrible things that could happen to Finn if Leo got up to his old tricks. He’d texted Finn, hoping to talk him out of the fight, but he was either unwilling or unable to answer Justin.
Justin really hoped he wasn’t too late.
He’d fallen asleep the moment they eventually took off, giving him a brief respite from his worries. There wasn’t a whole hell of a lot he could do at thirty thousand feet.
When he’d finally landed and he could turn his cell phone on again, he was immediately inundated with messages from Finn. He alternated between holding his breath, checking the time, and rereading the words.
Dude, where are you? Still in Vancouver?
I hope you’re still there.
You’re coming here, aren’t you? Probably on a plane.
You shouldn’t come. I need to do this, and you’ll try and talk me out of it.
I’m going to turn my phone off. I need to see this through.
I think I might love you.
Justin swallowed as he read the last text one more time. Finn—quiet, unassuming, yet completely sexy Finn—might love him.
Fat chance of him not showing up now.
It was almost three, and the plane still had to taxi to the hangar. If he could get a cab and traffic wasn’t horrific, he might make it to the gym in time to stop Finn from doing something completely stupid.
Not that he didn’t believe Finn could beat Leo in a fair fight—he’d seen enough of both men in the ring to know Finn could wipe the floor with him—but he didn’t trust that Leo would play by the rules, and then he’d be spending more time sitting in a hospital waiting on someone that he cared for.
As much as he’d tried to tell himself as he’d sat waiting on the plane that his feelings for Finn were misguided or the result of simply being lonely and clinging to the first person who paid him attention, Justin knew that it was neither of those. Somehow, over the course of a month, he’d managed to fall in love.
And wasn’t that the strangest feeling in the world?
Justin always prided himself on his logic, his intellect. Justin had rolled his eyes constantly at Grady whenever he’d announced that he’d fallen into true love, because Justin had known that it would only last for a few weeks before Grady was on to someone new. When Max had first entered the picture, Justin had assumed Grady would fall into the same pattern, so he’d been surprised when he’d first noticed the differences in Grady’s relationship with Max. It had been the little things, the small gestures that had screamed the loudest that this relationship was something special.
It was only now, as the seat belt sign winked off and Justin was finally able to stand, that he realized the power of those small changes.
Yes, he cared for Finn. He might even love him. And if all went well, he’d tell Finn that before Finn got his face beat up on by Leo.
God, I’m a fool.
Finn paced in the locker room, his gaze constantly flicking to the clock. In ten minutes, he was going to step into the ring and fight Leo. A real fight, without Eli’s helpful instruction. The last time he’d done something even remotely close to this, he’d been a teen and had had his ass handed to him. All he’d been able to do back then was cover his head and hope for the best. But now, after all his training with Eli, Finn should have the capability to defend himself and others.
Maybe.
God, what the hell have I gotten myself into?
To make matters worse, Zack and Nolan weren’t around. They’d been called upstairs to go through some renovation concerns with the contractor, leaving the gym briefly unsupervised. Finn felt as though he were sneaking into his father’s office to do something he shouldn’t.
Which, he kind of was.
Cheers echoed from out in the main gym, which meant Leo was probably out there pumping up his groupies. Finn couldn’t believe that he’d once been one of them, had thought there was anything attractive about Leo whatsoever. Leo had been cruel and dismissive of Finn, and had bulldozed him into agreeing to this match.
Old Finn would have simply given Leo what he’d wanted, would have offered up his spot with Eli to make Leo happy. But new Finn needed to stand up for himself. Even if it meant getting into the ring in front of a crowd, putting himself into the spotlight with no one to help or support him.
Without Justin.
Ah, Justin.
He’d turned off his cell phone, knowing that Justin would have read and no doubt responded to his last texts. Or worse, read and not responded to it. Why he’d impulsively told him that he might be in love, Finn didn’t have a clue. No doubt, prefight jitters. They clearly turned him into an idiot. It was best not to know Justin’s response until after the fight.
Finn had just finished wrapping his hand when Eli stuck his head around the corner. The second his gaze landed on Finn, he marched over, frowning. “You.”
“Hey.” Shit, shit, shit. “What’s up?”
“That’s my line.” He stopped beside Finn and checked over his fist wrappings. “What the actual fuck is going on? I leave my bag here by mistake, and come back to find out that you’re fighting Leo. The fuck, man?”
“It’s a long story.”
“I plan to hear it as soon as this bullshit’s over.”
“Okay.” Finn looked up at his friend, more than a little surprised as Eli unwrapped his hand and redid it properly. “Ah, thanks. Why are you not talking me out of this?”
“You’re both members of the gym and can spar with whomever you’d like.” Eli narrowed his gaze. “But if I thought for a moment that I could talk you out of it, then I’d tell you every reason why this is a horrible idea.”
Listen to Eli, you fool. Instead, Finn let out a slow breath. “I’m doing this.”
Eli shook his head. “Then I’m not going to waste my time. I am going to referee this so neither of you gets seriously hurt.”
“Leo won’t like that.”
“Fuck Leo. I have no doubt that this was his fucking brilliant idea to begin with. Unless he wants to get into the ring with me, he damn well better listen.”
Probably best not to mention that Leo would likely be happier with that than having to fight Finn. He flexed his hands, testing the wrap and ignoring his pounding heart. “Okay, I’m ready.” I’m so not ready.
“Good. You might want to brace yourself. There’s a big crowd out there. No doubt Leo told more than a few of his friends.”
Finn’s heart leaped to this throat as he emerged from the locker room and was greeted by a loud cheer from the sizable crowd. “Holy shit.”
“Leo’s not the only one with a fan base around here.” Eli put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It’s fine. Once you get into the ring, you won’t even notice them. You’ll be focused on Leo and winning. Let’s go.”
Finn let his gaze slip, since there was no way he’d be able to look any of these people in the eyes. God, he didn’t do this; he avoided the limelight at all cost. He wished Justin were here to see this. He wouldn’t believe what Finn was about to do, how he was putting himself out there for everyone to see. There’d be no hiding in the shadows. From this day forward, he’d either be known as the man who beat Leo Hayes, or the man who’d had his ass handed to him.
He followed Eli into the ring where Leo was already waiting. Leo shook his head and pointed at Eli. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Making sure neither of you do something stupid.”
Leo’s nostrils flared. “We’re allowed to spar.”
Finn took in the crowd once again. “This is a bit more than that.”
“I work best in front of a crowd.” Leo shrugged. “You can always back out.”
It was strange how clearly Finn heard the unspoken coward at the end of his sentence. “Not a chance.”
“Enough.” Eli looked them over. “If you’re doing this, then here are the rules. This is obviously not a proper MMA ring. There are too many opportunities for one of you to get seriously hurt. So, no throws near the sides. No using the ropes to jump on your opponent. No groin shots, knees to the head, biting or pulling of hair. Pretty much, if I see something I don’t like, I’m stopping the fight.”
Leo snorted. “Just make sure you don’t play favorites.”
Eli somehow appeared to grow taller. “Let me repeat that. I will stop this fight if I don’t like what I see. Neither of you are professionals, and I won’t let anyone take things too far. If either of you cross a line, be aware that I’m more than capable of putting you in your place. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Finn’s voice was quiet, but he made sure to keep his gaze locked on Leo.
For his part, Leo shifted from staring at Finn, to smiling and winking at the small group of his friends off to the side. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”
“Finn, put your headgear on.” Eli directed them each to opposite corners, before heading over to Leo to check his equipment. That left Finn standing there, looking at the crowd. Leo’s groupies were pointing at him, laughing and shaking their heads, as though they already knew the outcome of the fight. Memories of his valedictorian speech flooded his mind, turning his stomach until he thought he might throw up.
Who the hell did he think he was, trying to take on someone like Leo? No matter what Finn tried to do here, he knew Leo and knew that despite Eli’s intentions to keep the fight aboveboard, Leo was likely to ignore the rules to win.
Finn’s head grew light, and he had to lean back hard against the corner of the ring to stop himself from fainting. He should back out. Put a stop to this before he got himself hurt. Eli was right: no one worthwhile would think badly of him for doing so. Finn opened his mouth to call Eli over, when a movement off to the side caught his attention.
The front door to the gym had opened and a wide-eyed and panting Justin bolted inside. It took him only a nanosecond to locate Finn. Dropping his bags, he pushed through the crowd and climbed up onto the ring beside him. “What the hell are you doing?”
Finn managed a weak smile. “I’m. . . fighting?”
That earned him an eye roll. “Don’t be a smart-ass. I thought you wanted to date him, not beat him up?”
“Not anymore.” The anxiety he’d felt moments before started to subside. Knowing Justin was here, that he’d left his family and flown all the way from Vancouver to see him, made his skin tingle. “How’s your dad?”
Justin blinked. “He’s fine.”
“And your mom?”
“She’s . . . Stop trying to distract me. I don’t want to see you get hurt.” Justin reached up and wrapped his hand around Finn’s forearm.
Finn swallowed hard. “Eli is here to make sure nothing bad happens.”
Justin glanced over at Eli for a moment, before his gaze snapped back to Finn. “Did you mean it?”
There was no pretending that he didn’t know what Justin was referring to. “I did. I do.”
Justin turned away, but not before Finn saw the tears forming in his eyes. “If you get hurt, I’ll be angry at you. Just . . . please don’t get hurt.”
Eli crossed the ring to Finn. “You okay?”
“He shouldn’t be doing this.” Justin nearly slipped off the edge of the ring.
Eli cocked an eyebrow as he turned his gaze back to Finn. “Up to you. But if you are doing this, I need to check your gear to make sure everything is aboveboard. Wouldn’t want to be accused of playing favorites.”
Finn looked between Justin and Eli. While a part of him wanted to go with Justin, walk away from the fight, and wrap him in a hug, the greater part of him knew if he didn’t see this through, he’d always regret it. He gave Justin one final smile before sticking out his hands. “Leo needs to be taught a lesson.”
“You’re going to die. Wonderful.” Justin climbed back down to the floor.
The second Eli was done his equipment check, Finn turned around to face Justin. “I’m not going to die. I’m going to prove to him and to myself that I’m not a coward. I’m doing this so I know that I don’t have to be afraid of everything and can just live my life. And when I’m done, I’m going to take you home and make love to you until you’re begging me to let you out of bed.”
Justin’s mouth had fallen open and the group standing beside the ring began to cheer. Finn blushed when he realized what had happened. “I said that really loud, didn’t I?”
Eli clapped him on the shoulder. “Best speech I’ve ever heard. You ready?”
The tension that had lived so long inside Finn melted away. “Let’s do this.”
Eli turned to the crowd. “We’re going to have three five-minute rounds. We’re looking for a submission hold to determine the winner. No knockouts.” Eli turned back to the ring. “Ready?”
Leo grinned at Finn and nodded. Finn held his gaze, letting his mind fly through everything Eli had taught him. He nodded. The bell rang, and Leo jumped to the middle of the ring and tried to tackle Finn. It was obvious and clumsy, and Finn was able to slide past him with little effort.
Leo growled. “I see your bitch showed up.”
Rage flooded Finn, and without thinking, he took a swing at Leo’s side. As he connected, Leo grabbed his forearm and tried to spin him around. Finn used his momentum to keep from getting caught in the hold. “Don’t you dare call him that.”
“Aww, did I hurt his feelings?” Leo tried a spinning kick, but Finn was able to block it easily.
“You can do it, Finn!” Justin’s voice cut through the din of the crowd. “Kick his ass.”
Finn couldn’t risk looking at Justin, and jerked away from Leo’s next swing. “Justin is ten times the man you are.”
Leo growled as he landed a side kick to Finn’s ribs. “Fuck you.”
“Wouldn’t touch you with a pole, asshole.”
Finn’s rage helped him fix on doing exactly what Justin wanted—kicking Leo’s ass. They traded blows back and forth until the bell finally rang. Finn kept his focus and ducked a late swing by Leo.
“Hey!” Eli got between them, his anger palpable. “That’s your first warning, Leo. I see that again and I’m declaring Finn the winner. Now, get in your corners.”
Sweat covered every inch of Finn’s body, but so far, he felt good. He’d landed a few blows to Leo’s midsection, who was wincing slightly as he wiped his face down with a towel. Finn searched for his own towel, only to have Justin hand it to him. “I had no idea five minutes could be so damn long.”
Finn chuckled. “It’s not that bad.”
“Yes, it is. By my estimation, he connected at least three solid punches to your abdomen and that spiny kick thing to your side. Are you hurt?”
“I’m good.” Finn smiled down into Justin’s concerned face. “I want to kiss you.”
“Then don’t get your teeth knocked out.”
The bell rang again, and Finn marched out to the middle of the ring. Leo was far less cocky than he’d been in the first round. As he tried to maneuver Finn around the ring, his swings were controlled, and his kicks calculated. As were his verbal barbs.
“Your boyfriend’s that prissy asshole who works here. Figures you’d go for someone like that.”
Finn stepped back, avoiding another hit. Then he quickly spun around and landed a spinning kick to Leo’s shoulder that sent him staggering. “Justin has more class and sex appeal without trying, than you’ll have in your life.”
It had taken Finn most of the first round to realize Leo had a major tell. Leo would let his right hand drop before he took a step back and attempted a snap kick. The move was sloppy and presented Finn with an opportunity. All he needed to do was to reach out and take it.
The easiest way was to get under Leo’s skin.
Finn circled around him, smiling as he went. “All you do is talk and talk, but you never say anything worth listening to. You’re not a good fighter, and you’re a worse person. Justin’s selfless, caring, and one of the best men I know. I’ll be lucky if he agrees to date me.”
It was then that Finn did risk looking over at Justin. He was standing there, his mouth in a tight line watching Finn. For the briefest of seconds, he smiled and nodded, before a horrified expression crossed his face. That was the moment Leo handed a blow to Finn’s chin.
“Finn!” Justin’s voice cut through the crowd noise.
But Finn’s attention was now locked on Leo. “Lucky shot.”
“I’ll show you lucky.” Leo took another swing.
Finn continued to defend himself, blocking shot after shot. Careful not to get too close, he smiled at Leo. “Totally luck. No wonder Eli won’t fight you again. You’re not worth his time.”
Leo growled before he nearly landed a right hook. “Fucker.”
“Nope, I’m a tech guy.” Finn landed a push-kick, moving Leo back several inches. “You’re an arrogant ass who thinks he’s God’s gift. You talk too much, and you can’t fight to save your life.”
Leo let out a shout, as his hand dropped, and stepped back. There it is! Finn lunged forward and drove Leo back onto the mat. He heard Leo’s breath forced from his lungs, which gave him the precious seconds he needed to wrap Leo up into the hold he and Eli had practiced the week before.
The time ticked off in his head—three, two, one—before the bell rang and the crowd erupted into cheers. The next thing Finn knew, Eli was pulling him off Leo and holding his hand up in the air. “Ringside, we have your winner!”
Finn stood there blinking at everyone cheering and broke out into a huge smile. “I did it.”
“You did. Congratulations, champ.”
Leo jumped to his feet and shoved Finn. “You cheated.”
“He did not.” Eli got between them and in Leo’s face. “And I suggest you back off.”
Finn shook his arms out, releasing the tension. “You have a tell. Once I noticed, I was able to take advantage.”
Leo dropped a step and drew back his fist. Without thinking, Finn pushed Eli to the side and let the shot connect with the side of his own head. The shock of the blow was absorbed by his headgear, though the impact still rattled his brain.
Eli grabbed Leo by the wrist and spun him around until Leo’s hand was pinned behind his back. “And you’re done. Let’s go, asshole.”
The crowd parted as Zack made his way to the ring. “All right, asshole, that was your last chance. Leo, your membership is revoked. Now get your things and get out of here.”
Zack and a few other members pushed Leo out of the ring before escorting him to the locker room.
Justin climbed into the ring. “Are you okay?” He helped Finn take off his headgear, then gave him a good looking over. “Shit, you have some bruises forming already.”
The energy that had kept him running had finally petered out, leaving Finn utterly exhausted. “I need a shower and a beer.”
“Let’s go up to my place.”
Shit. “Right, we can’t do that. They moved on from the kitchen and started tearing apart your bathroom. The place is a mess.”
“Fine, we’ll go to yours. I’m not going to leave your side until I know everything is okay and that you didn’t get seriously hurt.”
It took Finn a second to realize something was wrong. “Are you crying?”
Justin opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, but when a tear rolled down his face, he shook his head. “You scared the shit out of me. I thought you were going to get killed.”
“Naw, Leo isn’t as good as he thinks he is. Plus, Eli wouldn’t have let anything happen.”
“Please don’t do that again. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way for me.”
Ignoring his sweaty body and the curious onlookers, Finn cupped Justin’s face and stepped against him. “Not unless I have no other choice. You . . . mean so much to me.”
And then he did what he’d wanted to from the moment Justin had burst into the gym, and kissed him long and hard. Their tongues danced as Justin sighed, deepening the contact. All Finn’s fears vanished, leaving him with the comfort of knowing that Justin cared for him.
Finn soaked in everything about him and wanted nothing more than to stretch out on his bed with Justin pressed to his side. He wanted to hold him until they fell asleep. He wanted to make love to him when they woke up. Finn wanted to spend every moment of every day with Justin. He blushed once the kiss broke, which was followed by some cheers and a few whistles.
Finally, Finn pulled back far enough to speak. “I think I love you.”
Justin’s smile had his eyes glowing. “No thinking on my part. I know I love you.” He then placed another quick kiss on his lips. “That said, you’re quite disgusting. Let’s get you home so you can shower and then we can talk.”
“Sounds good.”
Finn didn’t let go of Justin, not even when he was getting dressed and when they were leaving the gym. He kept in contact with some piece of him—he never wanted to let go.
Finn might not have gone to the speed dating event a month ago with the intention of finding love, but life had a funny way of giving you what you needed.
And he needed Justin.