“Duck,” Grey instructs, and I do as I’m told, but a little too late. His gloved hand nearly swipes across my face as I go down.
“This is hard,” I groan, stumbling back.
He’s teaching me how to fight. In reality, he’s knocking me around with gloves, but in the gentlest way ever. Like a tiny little baby tap to the cheek or stomach. I’d say it’s insulting, but I appreciate it. My body can barely take his soft blows. And I suck, like, really bad at this whole…thing. I don’t understand how he does this and at a much faster pace with actual hard-hitting punches that leave bruises and cuts.
“Why couldn’t you be a baker?” I wheeze as I sit on the ground against one of the rings.
A group of shirtless men with gloves passing by laughs at me, and I stick my tongue out at them. They laugh even harder, and I glare at them, but they just “aww” at me and nod to Grey. I look at Grey, who waves at them. His eyes feel mine, and he looks at me.
“Oh, come on. It isn’t that hard,” he says, pulling me up. I whine and push against the rope. “All you have to do is pay attention to my hands.”
“It’s harrrrd,” I groan, digging my feet in the mat.
“No, it isn’t.” He’s smiling as he raises his hands. “Now, watch my fists. Even look at my shoulder. If they’re rising, duck. Simple as baking a pie.”
“You’d burn the pie.” I make a face at him, silently imagining digging a knife into these stupid gloves and throwing an apron on him either way. Anything is much better than getting punched around all day, every day.
“Come on, babe. Hands up,” he instructs with a little smirk.
I groan but put them up. The hot-pink gloves mock me. He nods his head, and I nod back. I watch his shoulders and duck as his right hand comes forward. I block the left, duck again, and jab him in his stomach, much harder than he’s been hitting me. He grunts and hunches over, winded.
“Oh, come on, babe. It isn’t so hard,” I mock him in a baby voice. He looks up through his sweaty black hair, and I say, “Whoops.”
I take a step back as he stands to his natural looming height, narrowing his eyes at me. “I surrender, I surrender!” I turn around and begin running.
“C’mere.” He swoops me up by my waist and spins me around.
“Put me down!” I giggle and kick my legs as I go around and round. “I’m going to barf!”
“Ew, gross.” He stops moving, and I smirk, moving my right hand to jab him in his jaw. He easily shakes his huge gloves off, grabs my outstretched hand, and whirls me around so I am pressed into his chest. “Gotta be quicker than that.”
I move to the side and punch him in his gut.
He doubles over.
“Gotta be quicker than that,” I mock him in a duh tone.
He rushes over to me, but I dodge him. “Come here!”
“No!” I stick my tongue out at him and make a childish sound as I roll it at him.
He makes a battle cry and runs after me. I giggle and get calls from guys to run faster and escape the beast. Their cheering me on makes Grey even angrier. I jump onto the rope and escape, when he grabs me by my waist and pulls me back.
“Got you!” he announces with victory in his voice.
Some men boo.
“Fuck off!” Grey curses.
I laugh and wave at them, then spin on my toes and wrap my arms around his neck. “Don’t be mean to the men. They were rooting for me, the victim.”
“And what the fuck am I?” He twists up his face.
I hum, biting my lip, tilting my head side to side before grinning up at him. “The beast,” I drawl, and he smirks.
“Then I’ll take pleasure in eating you up.” He picks me up, and I scream. He laughs, and I shut him up with my mouth. I grip his hair and clasp my tongue over his, gliding and exploring his warm mouth. I tug on his lips and bite and suck. He moans, and I smile as I drag my nails down his neck. He shivers and whispers, “You are so fucking bad.”
“I get it from you.” My voice is raspy.
“Fuuuck,” he drawls, and I laugh.
I go back to kissing him, hard and thoroughly. I love this man with all of my heart. I truly do not see a world where he is not next to me. Lightly tapping me with a glove. Almost burning down the house. Chasing me around and claiming he wants to devour me.
“Ew, can you guys get a room already?” an annoyed voice says behind Grey. I look over his shoulder and flush. It’s a boy with light blue eyes and short brown hair. I notice a scar slashed across his cheek and am intrigued and scared as to how he got it.
Grey pulls me away but slides his arm around my waist, facing the boy. He smiles, weirdly enough. He isn’t the best with people, not unless he’s already friends with them…
“Don’t be jealous I have a girl and you don’t,” Grey says, and the boy shows off his middle finger.
I laugh, and the boy winks at me. Grey’s hand on my hip twitches and grips me tightly. I lean over and softly kiss his shoulder to calm him, and his hand relaxes, but only a bit.
“Liv, this is a friend of mine, Jake. Jake, this is my girl, Liv,” Grey introduces us.
“’Sup.” The boy, Jake, nods at me with a charming smile that makes me blush and shyly rub my cheek against Grey’s arm.
“Hi.” I nervously wave at him, and he laughs.
“What’s up?” Grey nods.
“There’s gonna be a party at Mark’s tonight. You guys up for it?” Jake says. “It’ll be before the tournament.”
Oh, the big night! I cannot wait. Tonight would be great to have fun before being thrown in a ring with stress.
“I don’t know,” Grey begins to say.
“I want to go,” I tell him, and he snaps his wide eyes to me, then relaxes them and shakes his head.
“I don’t think we should,” he says, and I frown.
“Why not?” I shrug.
He shrugs and rubs his lower lip. “It’s just…things don’t end well when we, I mean, like, you go to a party. And I’d rather just chill with you alone, without all the bullshit.”
“I doubt anything wrong will happen,” I say, but he doesn’t look so convinced. I turn to him fully and pull out the big guns—the puppy look, bulging eyes, pouty lips and all.
He groans, knowing how weak he is to the look.
“Please…” I huff out.
A beat of silence.
“Ah, what the hell,” he sighs with a smirk. “What princesa wants, princesa gets.”
I lean up on my toes and press my lips to his, ignoring the boy with pale eyes behind us, telling us to get a room and never come out. I laugh into Grey’s arms and scream as he picks me up and spins me around. Man, do I love this man.