Chapter Text
Chapter One.
Orion stood next to his best friend Merrill with his arms crossed over his broad chest. He watched the kickboxing tournament with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. He was bored.
“Why do you like watching this stuff?” he asked. “I’m trying to understand, but I can’t get into it. Every punch is making me flinch. Everything looks like it hurts .”
Merrill snorted, reaching up behind her head to tie her blond fluffy hair into a topknot on her head. “It’s kickboxing, ‘Rion. Of course it hurts.” She never took her eyes off the match. This was the women’s tournament, and awe and fascination were evident on every plane of her heavily freckled face. “I mean, I don’t get into men’s martial arts. But women , man. Women! They’re so graceful with every movement, ever strike. A strong woman who can handle herself; it’s inspiring, isn’t it? I wanna be a woman like that.”
Orion looked over at her, furrowing his brows. “Why don’t you join a gym and learn? You love this stuff. You know you’d love it more if you did it. And you’d probably finally be able to kick my ass.” He shrugged. “And that would make you love it more.”
She pressed her lips together and frowned, wringing her hands in front of her, watching the end of the current match. The crowd around them cheered as the victor’s hand was raised by the referee in triumph. Merrill heaved a sigh. “I just-- I don’t know. I feel like it would overwhelm me, stress me out.”
Orion cocked his head to one side, lifting an eyebrow. He grinned, leaning over to whisper to her. “Are you nervous about having women all over you because you’re gay?”
She snapped her eyes up to him, glare flashing. “I’m still working on that. I don’t know if--” she looked around, lowering her voice. “--I don’t know if I’m gay, okay? But that’s part of it. Don’t make fun of me.”
He chuckled. “I’m not making fun of you, Mill. I’m dragging the answer out of you.”
“And anyway I still like boys. It’s confusing.”
“You can be gay and still like boys,” he whispered.
“That just feels greedy,” she whispered back.
“Attraction isn’t greedy, Mill. Cheating on someone is greedy. Keeping a secret harem in your basement is greedy.” He paused. “Do you have a secret harem?”
Merrill grinned at him and snorted. “Doesn’t everybody?”
He nodded somberly. “You should work on that then.”
“Final match! Our previous victor from Rockmore University, Junior Becky Freeman, and Halsard University’s champion from last year, Sophomore Willow Castillo!”
Orion was letting his laughter sober from his own joke when he caught sight of the long-legged young woman joining her opponent in the ring. Her hair was long and dark, secured in a ponytail at the base of her neck, out of the way of her gear. Her body was long and dark and glorious .
He choked on the last of his laughter, suddenly riveted.
Merrill caught the way his attention suddenly shifted. She cast him a broad grin and crossed her arms, looking smug. “Suddenly interested, are you? Willow’s amazing. She’s in my composition class. She’s nearly undefeated. And she’s super sweet! She’s so damn nice! If you ever talk to her, you’d never be able to tell she could lay your ass out.”
Orion barely registered anything Merrill said. He watched open-mouthed, transfixed by every strike, marveling at the graceful and lethal way her long legs glided through the air. The opponent, Becky, was every bit as beautiful and long and dark, with natural curls that puffed out from beneath her headgear, but Orion couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off Willow.
“Okay,” he said stupidly, arms dangling akimbo. “I can see why you like this stuff.”
--
Willow always had pre-fight jitters, but today was a little different. She’d heard a lot of good things about Becky’s fighting, she’d even watched her train a little bit, and Willow knew this would be a tough fight.
“Wear her down. Let her come to you. Get your hits in when she comes in to lean on you,” Coach Hill was reminding her before the match. Now that she stood in the ring with her, she saw more clearly how difficult this would be.
Becky’s thighs and calves were massive and her shoulders were ripped. If Willow wasn’t careful, Becky could get a couple of good hits in and wind her for the rest of the match. She’d have to stay focused.
Before the match started, she searched the crowd to make sure her brother was out there like he always was. He was her good luck charm. Standing in the front row near her corner, she found him giving her a stern look. He mouthed, “Focus. You got this.”
Keeping to Coach’s and Luis’s advice, Willow did her best to stay focused through the five rounds. Somewhere in the third, after defending against a sudden burst of energy and a barrage of punches from Becky, Willow’s shoulders slumped a degree from fatigue.
Just as she heard Coach yelling at her to keep her fists up, a bright and painful spot lit up on her chin. Stumbling back a couple of steps, Willow blinked and found Becky grinning triumphantly at her. She’d gotten a good hit in. The way her ears rang, Willow realized with frustration that it was nearly a knockout.
That was not going to happen. Becky was not going to win this match.
Becky stepped in to try again, her fist dropping in preparation to draw it back for another punch, and Willow reacted before she had the chance to execute her next move. Shifting her weight to one foot, drawing strength from the mat below her, Willow drew up her foot and whipped it at Becky’s head. It made a satisfying and resounding smack!
The next instant moved quickly and slowly all at once. Becky’s eyes lost focus and her lips went lax around her mouth guard as she tilted to the side and fell over, crashing into the mat. The referee deemed it a knockout and was raising her fist before she had a chance to catch Luis’s gaze.
He was beaming at her from her corner when she turned around, and he and Coach barraged her with congratulations.
“She busted your lip good,” Luis remarked as he shook her shoulder.
“Yeah,” Willow laughed after she spat out her mouth guard and dabbed a towel over the bloody spot, “and I kicked her in the face for it.”
“That’s my sister,” he laughed.
—
Orion stood in the audience with his jaw on the ground. Merrill smacked him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you go meet her? She’s spectacular. She’d love to know she has a new fan.”
“Really? Because that--” he shook his head “--that kick was mind blowing. Jesus. The way she took that jab to the face? You could just see it on her face that it had been a good one. And then she just-- vengeance!” He dragged his hands down his face and then laughed, casting his friend a goofy grin. “Yeah, I’d love to go tell her I loved watching her fight. You don’t think it’d be weird?”
Merrill grinned back. “Nah. A lot of these ladies have local fans. Most of them are younger girls, still in high school, but I think a fan is a fan, right? It’s nice to know your hard work is appreciated.”
Orion nodded, shifting on feet excitedly. “Okay. Yes. Okay. Now?” He looked back up at Willow, standing nearing the ring and being noogied by a man who held a resemblance to her. He didn’t look old enough to be her father. Brother? “Is now a good time? I don’t want to crowd her.” He glanced at Coach Hill, standing with his arms crossed over his chest, beaming like Willow was his own daughter. “She looks a bit crowded.”
“Don’t be a pussy.” Merrill looped her arm around his and dragged him out of the bleachers by his elbow. He let her pull him, but his heart was beating hard in his chest. He’d never been a fan of a whole lot. He liked certain actors and musicians. But he never cared to meet them. He felt like he was meeting a celebrity.
She’s your age, dimwit, he scolded himself. It’s varsity kickboxing, calm your tits.
Merrill let go of him and bounced toward Willow. “Willow! That was amazing! My friend wanted to come say hi. He was amazed!”
Orion wasn’t sure if he was blushing but his face felt hot. He approached Willow. He was only an inch or so taller than her, and he was fairly tall.
“You were-- I’d never seen--” He plunged his fingers through his hair. “Holy shit! That kick!” Fuck, he wasn’t making any sense. “And you’re just--” He shrugged, blinking. “Spectacular! Amazing!” He sighed, finding himself staring down into her brown eyes. He was lightheaded. “Beautiful,” he finished firmly, grinning. “If you could understand any of that, I’ll be amazed. Sorry.” He blinked, holding out his hand. “I’m Orion.”
--
Willow was going over the next week’s practice schedule with Luis when Merrill interrupted them. “Oh, hey, Merrill! Thanks for coming—“ she noticed Merrill’s friend and her words fell off. He was a tall guy with blonde hair and blue eyes; typical beautiful white guy, right? But then he started gushing. His voice was honey smooth and his face so expressive and kind. His hair looked soft and feathery when he ran his fingers through it, and he looked her right in the eye when he called her amazing and beautiful. That smile of his was horribly charming and unlike any of the snakes she encountered in the gym. It felt like this was an honest appreciation, not some sort of twisted jealous back-handed compliment. Her belly fell out below her, and she blinked up at him: stunned.
Realizing he’d introduced himself, she ripped her glove off with the quick scratchy sound of Velcro and shook his hand. He had long fingers and a broad palm, but he didn’t squeeze too hard, and that was nice. Her knuckles were sore, she realized too late.
“Orion. It’s, ah, it’s nice to meet you.” She retracted her hand to thumb at the swollen corner of her mouth that smarted when she smiled. “Thank you. That’s really nice.I just practice a lot. Between here and Muay Thai, I spend practically all my free time at the gym. It’s kind of like cheating how much I’m at the gym.”
Coach interrupted to say, “Don't let her fool you. She’s a natural.”
“It runs in the family, too,” Luis bragged.
Willow shot a measured punch to his gut, annoyed that he was interrupting her meeting this new guy who wasn’t a complete asshat. “You never competed at college level competitions, Luis.”
He grunted and chuckled. “No, but I won that Muay Thai tourney when I was your age, remember?”
She turned away from him back to Orion. “Yeah, so, I have another tournament coming up. If you wanted to go. I mean, if you thought that was cool, it’s way more fun when there’s elbows and knees involved.” Willow swallowed, trying to not irritate her swelling lip anymore by smiling. “I’ve got guest tickets. If you—“ she glanced at Merrill, “If you both want to go.” She slapped the back of her hand on Luis’s chest until he produced his wallet and pulled out two tickets. She offered them to the two of them. “No pressure, though. If you’re into it—“
—
Merrill jumped in front of him. “We’ll go!” she burst.
Orion rubbed his hands together, bumping Merrill out of the way with his hip. “Yes! Absolutely. I think I could watch you fight forever and never get bored.” He accepted the tickets like they were fragile, unable to stop grinning. “I mean. I think I can hold my own in an amateur tussle, but you’ve got discipline and skill! You must love what you do if you’re always at the gym. That takes dedication; passion even!” He hesitated, feeling a bit awkward for his excitement. He scratched the back of his head. “Sorry. I love to paint. I spend all my time at home drawing in my room or painting in the studio back in the art department. I know what it’s like to have something that consumes you in the best possible way.” He held up the tickets. “I will definitely be there.” He arched an eyebrow at Merrill and frowned at her. “Even if you flake out on me. Like you always do.”
“What?” Merrill stopped her excited bouncing, scowling. “I do not!”
“Every time we plan to do something together that isn’t on campus, you text me an hour before and say you’re doing something else. Remember the art gallery? Or the museum--” He paused, narrowing his eyes at her. “I see. You just don’t want to go to art things with me.”
Merrill rolled her eyes and snatched a ticket out of his hand. “All right fine. Yes. All your art stuff bores the hell out of me. But women’s MMA , ‘Rion? All the women! You can bet your ass I’m coming with you. I’ll be at your house an hour early to drag you out of the shower.”
“Ew. Don’t show up at my house. That makes it look like a date.”
Merrill made a face of disgust. “Oh my god, why would you say that? I won’t be able to eat dinner now.”
Orion grinned, reading the date on the ticket and then fishing his wallet out of his pocket to tuck it away safely. He looked back up at Willow and winked. “She always eats dinner.” He sighed happily, looking up at Luis and Coach Hill. “It was wonderful to meet all of you. Thanks so much for the tickets. I will be there. Merrill will probably be there too.”
“I’ll be there! On my own. Not with him. It’s not a date.” She stepped in front of him again and he grabbed her by the side of her head and shoved her out of the way.
“We’ll get going and let you guys wind down. Thanks again!” Orion looped a heavy arm around Merrill’s shoulders and steered her away. “Stop making things weird,” he grumbled to her.
“I’m not making things--” she pouted. “I was making things weird?”
“Okay, not weird. But you kinda outed yourself as queer.”
She gasped. “I was too enthusiastic about the women, wasn’t I?”
“Just a little,” he whispered. “But I don’t think anyone noticed.”
“I don’t even know if I’m queer yet and I already outed myself?”
He patted her head kindly. “Mill. You’re queer. And that’s okay.” He scratched at his chin. “You wanna get sushi? I’m feeling sushi.”
--
Orion seemed to never stop gushing. If he was talking to Willow, he was saying things like she was passionate and thanking her for meeting him. She’d known him for approximately two minutes, and he’d already said the top five nicest things she’d ever heard. And then he started talking about how he’s an artist. Really? So, fighting wasn’t even, like, a thing to him? He wasn’t saying all of that because he wanted to train with her? Okay, okay, so he was gushing because his first impression of kick boxing was her totally sweet win. Fair enough. That made sense. Maybe he was just a really nice guy, and this was how he got excited. It’s not like he liked her or anything, he was there with Merrill--
Her face heated up as they did their best to make it clear that they actually weren’t together . There went the only defense her adrenaline soaked brain was able to come up with. What if he did like her? Oh god, shut up , she told herself. You do not have time for boys now or anytime in the near future. He’s cute, but that’s it. Maybe he’d be a good friend, but that’s it!
As the two of them left, she waved them off and turned back to her brother. Luis was grinning smugly at her.
“What the hell is your deal,” she snapped.
He chuckled. “He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?”
Her face felt hot so she hid behind the icepack Coach handed her. “No! He looks like a chump. Shut up.”
“Aw, sweet little Willow does have a heart! All these years, and I thought she was only meant to be a weapon. But now I see. She just needed a cute artist to soften her heart.” He hugged on her, but she shrugged him off, backing towards the locker room.
“You’re delirious. I don’t know what you think just happened, but I was just giving some friends some tickets. You’re always telling me to invite people. Well. There you go.”
“Yeah, I’m always telling you to invite people, but you never do! This is the first time you’ve ever invited someone like this.”
“I invited the Manchesters!”
“The ma and pa who own our favorite ma and pa restaurant do not count, Willow, and you know it,” he said with a smirk.
“Will you shut up and call them, by the way, so we can have dinner? I want stromboli when we get home.” She backed into the locker room for safety, embarrassed by the heat in her face and how weak her defenses against Luis had been. He could see right through her before she even knew what was going on. How was he so sharp? Whatever. It’s not like it mattered. Orion would probably forget to come to the match, and that would be that. End of story. No more angel haired artsy boy gushing over her to distract her.
--
Orion couldn’t focus. He was too excited. He hadn’t been excited about anything except art in a long time. Not even Christmas. His family was too big; Christmas was always a scary time.
He sat in the library at a table, trying to study for an upcoming exam. He had reread the same paragraph about Gothic Architecture about three times and still didn’t know what it said. He leaned back in his chair and heaved a sigh, staring up at the ceiling.
“What’s the matter with you? You love studying.” Merrill looked up from her notes and frowned at him. “You aren’t being a fuckin’ nerd. What, you sick?”
He looked at her. “I think I have a huge crush on Willow.”
Merrill blinked at him. “Wait, what? A crush? On… on a person?”
He sat up, frowning at her. “What… what’s that supposed to mean?”
She shook her head, blinking. “I thought this whole time you were ace.”
He snorted, stifling a guffaw as he dropped his face into his hands. He coughed. “Are you kidding? Why the hell would you think that?”
Her eyes went wide. “Are you kidding me ? Orion, we’ve been best friends since we were in daycare. The only time you’ve ever shown any interest in a girl was in the eighth grade. I don’t even remember her name or her face. You ‘went out’ for a week and then never talked about a girl ever again. Never talked about a boy. Never talked about a them!”
Orion snickered. “You’re ridiculous. You could have just asked me.” He shrugged, picking up his book and packing it away into his bag. “I’ve been painting and whatnot. I haven’t been paying attention to other people.” He sighed again. “But, shit, Mill. Willow? I’ve been slain.”
Merrill rolled her eyes. “You don’t sound like you have a crush, you sound like you’re disgustingly in love.”
“No.” He got to his feet, hooking his bag over his shoulder. “No, no. It doesn’t happen like that.” He paused and shook a finger at her. “No matter how many times my dad tells you he fell in love with my mother at first sight, stop believing him. He lies all the time. When I was a kid he told me the scar on his face was from a shark attack.”
Merrill smacked a hand over her mouth and stifled a cackle.
He frowned at her laughter. “All right. I’m going home to paint a little and get ready for the match. It starts at six. Remember?”
She waved him off. “I still got my ticket. I’ll be there.”
He turned and made his way toward the exit, weaving his way through the labyrinth of shelving. When he pivoted to make his final turn, he bumped into something small--someone slim and dense who smelled like apple blossoms. He held his hands out to steady his victim and ended up smacking the stack of books out of their hands. He finally looked them in the face, stammering an apology. Willow’s big brown eyes blinked back at him.
He went braindead.
--
It took several days for Willow to mostly forget about Orion. Every now and then she would see a tall blonde guy on campus and her heart would skip a beat, but it wasn’t ever Orion, and it wouldn’t have mattered even if it was. He was just a nice guy, and those were rare enough to get excited about, right?
By the day of the Muay Thai tournament, she was as focused as she’d ever been again. If she could just get through this school day, finish her homework, and meet Luis outside in time to warm up before the match, everything would be perfect. She was feeling so good about this match.
Luis texted her that he was waiting for her outside of the library, and Willow stood up so quickly, she nearly knocked her chair over. She was officially excited for the tournament; there wasn’t time to pack everything in her bag. She put her notebook away, but carried her books in her arms as she slung the bag onto her shoulder and pulled her hair out from where it got caught under the straps.
Just as she was making the last turn before the entrance to the library she ran face first into someone’s chest. It was a guy wearing a nice musky cologne that had a hint of citrus or something fresh. “Oof,” Willow grunted as she took a step back, her hair slipping over her face to block her vision. Her books tumbled from her hands onto the floor. “Oh, it’s okay, sorry,” she mumbled as she pushed her hair from her face and looked up at the person who she had run into. “Orion.” For a split second she thought she was mistaken, but he blinked his blue eyes at her in stunned silence and she felt small and delicate in his presence. She exhaled a surprised and shy laugh as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Hey. Sorry for bumping into you. I, uh, I’m kind of in a hurry and wasn’t watching where I was going. I’ll just get these real quick.” Willow knelt to pick up her books. “You didn’t drop anything, did you?”
--
He frowned, dropping to one knee to help pile her things. "No, everything is in my bag." He held her stack of books and then paused, hesitantly taking one of her hands and looking over it. "I think I'm the one who smacked the books out of your hands. I didn't hurt you did I? I wouldn't want anything to mess up your match tonight." He let the stack of books rest between his chest and his knee, reaching to take her other hand and examine it. She had long graceful fingers but her hands were callused from hard work and training.
He nodded, releasing her. "I'm glad I didn't hurt you." He got to his feet and helped her up by tugging gently on her elbow. "Oh, your bag is unzipped. Let me just--" he stepped around her and slid her books inside, zipping it up for her. He stepped back in front of her, taking her in. She wore cut off mini shorts and a turtleneck sleeveless tee. Her legs were endless and her arms were toned and elegant. The way her long silky hair hung over one shoulder and framed her face made his chest go tight.
"You're gorgeous," he sighed absently. Then he cleared his throat, realizing he had voiced his thoughts out loud. "Um. I mean. I'm excited for tonight. Good luck. Though you probably don't need it. You're just amazing." He was feeling lightheaded. "I'm just-- I'm gonna go. I'll see you tonight!" He pivoted on his heel and resisted the urge to grasp at his heart.
He made it to the exit and realized Merrill had beat him out of the building. She met him with a large crooked grin.
"Don't say anything," he ordered, stopping to catch his breath. "You can tease me later when I've remembered my name. Right now, I gotta, um, get my head on stra--" he turned and lost his words, watching Willow’s beautiful form float down the front steps of the library and make it to a beat up car that had to be about twenty years old. "--straight," he finished.
--
Willow was too stunned to say anything. She nearly jerked her hands free of his when he went to inspect her fingers, but he was so gentle and his skin so soft that all she could do was stare. The only thing that was going to mess up her match tonight was thinking about this stupid moment and how he was making her face feel hot.
She thought the moment was nearly over when the weight of her books in her backpack tugged on her shoulders—she could see the exit just yards away—but then he called her gorgeous. Willow took a step back from him, blinking up at him in disbelief. “Awkward,” she mumbled judgmentally with a short laugh so she could hide the blush his compliments were giving her. No one in her entire life had said stuff like that to her before, except for guys who wanted something from her. Even then, they weren’t as sweet about it as Orion. What was his deal?
Willow was starting to regret giving him a ticket. He was cute as hell: too cute. Actually, he was fucking hot and all the nice things he said we’re driving her crazy. She could practically feel her focus for the fight tonight dull in his presence. If he was there, how was she going to stay sharp?
When he left the library she took a deep breath and set her jaw. He was just a stupid boy. She wasn’t going to forfeit this match just because he was there.
Darting outside, she made a bee line for Luis’s car. When she opened the door and tossed in her bag, she could see him grinning and looking passed her at the steps.
“Hey, is that Pretty Boy? I think he’s looking at you. Should I see if he needs a ride to the match later?” Luis teased.
“Shut up and drive, old man,” Willow demanded as she slammed the door shut and buckled in. “I need every minute I can get in my warm up. I want to win this match tonight.”
—
Orion watched the car pull away and blinked, turning to look down at Merrill, who watched him with her mouth open.
"Okay," she said, nodding. "You've got it so bad. I'm sorry I was going to tease you. This is serious."
He ran a hand over his hair and sighed. "She makes me stupid, Mill. I can't stop talking when I'm around her. I just ramble." His shoulders dropped. "She called me awkward. She doesn't know I heard her, which makes sense. She doesn't know I have demon ears." He blinked. "I'm going home. I need to calm down and paint something."
Merrill patted him gently on the back. "All right, big guy. I'll see you tonight."
Orion rushed home, kissed his mother hello, and then immediately disappeared into his bedroom downstairs. He pulled his sweater off over his head and then spotted his tablet of watercolor paper. He picked it up and found a 1B pencil, sinking onto his bed and crossing his legs. He let his mind go blank and drew.
--
The butterflies set in before she was off campus. Willow always had pre-match jitters, but they usually waited until she at least saw the building. Most of the time it wasn’t until she was putting her mouth guard in that she got nervous. But tonight her whole body and mind were buzzing from the very start.
Coach noticed during her warm up. “You’re head’s not in it. I need you to get focused, Willow. This match is important.”
Lucky for her, Coach Hill worked for the university and ran a Muay Thai training organization at a local gym, so she had one coach for all her sports. She liked Hill. He’d been working with her since middle school when she started Muay Thai with him, and he always noticed when something was bothering her. He was almost like an uncle, if uncles were known for pushing you to your mental and physical limits every week.
“I know. I’m sorry,” Willow said as she shook out her arms and head.
“Don’t be sorry. Just focus on me. Whatever else you have going on in your life is out there. When you’re in the ring, that’s your whole world, remember?”
“Right. Leave everything else outside of the ring,” she repeated the familiar mantra. She could do this.
—
Orion showed up to the match with his head full. He had painted a watercolor portrait of Willow from how he remembered her face at the library. Now he was nervous for her. He was nervous for himself for being there. He was nervous because he painted that picture and couldn't stop thinking about it.
He spotted Merrill in the stands and took a seat next to her.
"You look like you need a hug and a cry," Merrill told him as he lowered himself to his seat.
He sighed, leaning his elbows on his knees. "I feel like I'm going to throw up. I've never been this nervous before, not for anything. I can feel how much she wants to win." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "And also I painted a picture of her. So that's in my head now." He heaved a sigh.
Merrill frowned and patted his knee. "I'm sorry buddy. But it's okay, ya know? You're just a guy who's got it bad. It’s frustrating but it's normal. Deep breaths."
He looked up at her and offered a tired smile. "Thanks, Mill. I think I'm also just exhausted. I've had project after project due since last week and I've been busting my ass. But I think they're gonna give me the gallery space next month for an exhibit. I'll have one small section while the seniors display their senior projects everywhere else."
Merrill brightened. "That's amazing! And stressful as hell. What's your theme?"
Orion found Willow warming up with her coach and his heart stuttered. "Um. I don't know yet."
--
The jitters seemed to reach a plateau that she was learning to adjust to. It’d get better once the bell rang. It always did.
There were several fights before her time finally came, and when it did she left the locker room and crossed over to where the ring was. Coach Hill was waiting for her with her mouth guard and words of encouragement. She looked out for her lucky charm like she always did, but she found someone else. Orion was in the stands with his blonde head of hair making him stand out like some kind of obnoxious beacon. Her gut clenched and she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Focus, Willow,” Coach called to her, patting her cheeks. She got a glimpse of Luis and nodded at Coach Hill.
Muay Thai competitions weren’t as heavily regulated as the university funded kickboxing competitions were, so it was standard that competitors didn’t wear as much safety gear. Willow had her hair braided back tightly, but she didn’t have a head guard like in kickboxing. Her gloves were thinner, too, and her feet were in padded wraps instead of the traditional kickboxing shoe.
She shook out her elbows and looked at her opponent as she climbed into the ring. The butterflies were still there, but she finally felt like she could focus. If she could just strategize against this chick for three rounds, she’d win the Muay Thai competition for the county.
Willow couldn’t hear the announcer over her measured breathing, Coach’s words of strategy and encouragement, and her inner mantra that the ring was her whole world and she needed to defeat her opponent. Finally, the bell rang, and they circled closer to each other until Willow threw the first jab.
—
Orion sat deathly still, which was new for him. Merrill and his mother were both always pestering him for fidgeting and bouncing his knees. But he was fixated on Willow. All of his energy was directed at her. He couldn't bring himself to look away. She looked like a powerhouse of energy and aggressive strength. Every move she made was like a step in a dance.
Merrill looked over at him and smiled, reaching over to grasp his hand. "You're kind of adorable. I can see the tunnel in your vision. Hell."
He opened his mouth to respond and it took a moment for him to find his voice. "Y-you know how I said love at first sight was bullshit?" he croaked.
"Oh my god," Merrill gasped, eyes bulging out of her head. She clutched his hand in both of hers, squeezing it against her heart. "My little Oreo is all grown up!"
He looked at her, blinking. "I'm freaking out," he whispered to her.
She laughed, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "Don't freak out, 'Rion. Love is a wonderful thing. And Willow is a wonderful person. You two would be great together."
He looked back to the ring. His heart clenched when she took a sharp elbow to the face, but she managed to brace herself on the step back and come back with her knee, pulling her opponent forward to meet the lethal looking blow.
"She's so out of my league," he sighed. "She's a badass. I-I paint. Like a sissy."
"Shut the fuck up," Merrill snapped. "You love art. You're good at it. You make beautiful things." She reached for the bag at his feet and unzipped it. She yanked out the small sketchbook he always had with him and slapped it against his chest. "You're being a sissy about Willow and it's not because you do things like paint. It's because you're chicken shit. Stop being chicken shit and draw a picture of the match."
He looked up at the match again, gripping his sketchbook in both hands. Willow radiated confidence and strength.
"That's… a good idea." He found a pencil in his bag and flipped the book open. "Thanks, Mill. You don't usually have good ideas."
She rolled her eyes. "Your picture better not suck."
--
Willow’s opponent was good. She kept coming in with elbows and knees, and Willow was struggling to fend her off. More than once she had to embrace her just to catch her breath. The first round went quickly, and Willow wasn’t sure who she would have judged the winner to be. She was doing her best to counter and get body hits in as often as she could.
The second round went quickly too, even when she stepped up her attack with a calculated flurry of kicks to her opponent’s ribs. Even Coach Hill said that the match was really close. He dabbed a cloth at her bleeding nose just before the third round began and urged her to give the last round all she had.
“You can win this one, Willow. She’s favoring the left side of her face after that elbow you got in on the first round. See if you can’t go for a KO.”
“She’s got a hard left elbow, too,” Willow said with an exhausted sigh before taking a swig of water.
“Not as hard as your head. Find her weak spot and impress those judges.”
Willow pushed off the ropes and the bell dinged with the signal for the final round.
Each round was three minutes long, but this was by far the longest round yet. It seemed to stretch on. Every time her opponent kicked her hip or kneed her ribs or jabbed for her swollen nose felt like a slow motion train wreck she couldn’t stop from happening. But she fought it anyway. Every time she took a hit, she dealt two more, and it looked like her opponent was giving in.
Willow’s elbow made contact with the girl’s cheekbone and she stumbled, though she kneed Willow’s ribs again. No matter, Willow could handle a knee if she could send another elbow her way, and she did. The second time her elbow hit her across the ear so hard Willow’s arm burned with the slap of skin against skin. Her opponent stumbled again and fell.
The bell dinged somewhere far off and the referee called the knockout. She’d done it in the last seconds; cool.
Coach Hill entered the ring to embrace her and usher her to her corner as Luis climbed up onto the edge of the ring.
“You fucking knocked her out cold. You’re a monster, Will. I am so proud,” Luis praised her as he pressed a towel against her bloodied nose.
Willow winced and shouted through the towel. “I think she broke my fucking nose, so she deserves a concussion.”
—
Orion had finished his sketch in the second round, and the whole third round kept his stomach in knots. He was fascinated, amazed, and the most anxious he's ever been. Willow’s nose wouldn't stop bleeding. It looked like it sat wrong on her face, swollen and crooked.
"Shit, that things broken as fuck," Merrill said beside him, standing and hooking her purse over her shoulder. "Let's wait for things to calm down and go say hi. She should know her complimentary tickets got used!"
Orion began his typical fidgeting, bouncing his knees and wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. He looked down at his sketch of Willow. He liked replicating realism on his art, so he captured her likeness as well as he could. He had drawn a picture of her mid-strike, arm outstretched, eyes wide and focused, braid in mid-swing behind her as she stepped into the punch. She was mind-numbing.
"What if she hates it?" he lamented. "The eyes aren't right. They… they aren't sparkly enough."
Merrill snorted. "If you made them more sparkly, she'd look like an anime character." She smacked him on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's go."
He got to his feet reluctantly. "I should have brought flowers. Or--or--"
"Oh my god. No. Don't bring a girl who spends all her time at gym flowers. Bring her a homemade meal or something. With lots of protein. It's gonna be fine. Come on."
Orion could feel his pulse in his ears. They approached Willow’s small team and he lingered behind Merrill, suddenly shy. He had never been shy before in his life. He had talked to her fine twice already. He couldn't get his thoughts in order. Holy shit, he was blushing. He could feel it. His face was molten.
"Holy hell, look at that thing!" Merrill cried, putting her arms up in victory. "A badge of honor." She grinned, gesturing to Willow’s broken nose with bloody gauze poking out of each nostril. "That was a great match. You both went hard. That KO at the very end; Holy shit!"
Merrill straightened. "Pretty boy, here, has something for you."
Orion flinched. "Mill, don't--"
"Oh, right. I'm sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it." She frowned. "He doesn't like being called that. Um. Orion has something for you." She smiled sweetly.
Orion held out the sketch, swallowing. "Um. You don't have to keep it. If you don't want to." He took a step backwards, prepared to run away.
--
Willow had hardly overcome the bout of involuntary tears that came when Coach Hill set her nose and plugged it with gauze when she heard Merrill’s voice from over the noise. Her gut clenched in preparation for another punch when she saw Orion shadowing her. She was sweaty and bruising and her nose undoubtedly looked terrible; why was he coming over here right now? She grabbed the towel from Coach and wiped it over her face and neck hastily before draping it over her shoulder.
“Thanks, Merrill,” she said in a huff, realizing she was still trying to catch her breath. Her heart was going wild, and it stuttered when she looked at how red Orion’s face was. Was he blushing? Or was it just hot in here? She was hot, but—?
“Oh, you do?” Willow was a bit surprised that Orion had anything at all for her. What could he possibly want to give her? Just being near her was giving her enough of an adrenaline rush that she thought she could win another match. He was so pretty and so nice. How was this even possible? Not only did she win the biggest match of the season, but now this beautiful kind man had something for her?
When he held out the sketchbook to her, she leaned in a degree. “Oh.” A trickle of sweat tickled at the corner of her nose and she thumbed it away. When he took a step away from her, she reached out to steady the sketchbook where he was holding it for her to see, but when she pulled her hand back she found that she’d left a thumbprint in blood on the white edge of the paper. “Oh jeeze,” she said with a wince as she put the towel to where the gauze was failing her. “I’m so sorry. I bled on your sketch. It’s so nice. Is that me? Did I ruin it?” She covered the whole bottom half of her face with the towel to hide her nose and the blush and bruising in her cheeks.
“Hey that looks really good!” Luis butted in from over her shoulder. “Look at that jab! I can practically hear the wind whistling off your knuckles in that drawing. You did good pre—Orion.”
—
Orion felt himself relax and then smile a little more easily. "Of course you didn't ruin it. You just signed it, is all. My name's here, with the date. And now there's the signature of the subject." He took the book back and gently tore the sketch out along the perforated line. "I know I said you don't have to keep it, but…," he held it out to Luis. "I would like you guys to have it. It was an amazing win. Think of it as a commemorative photo." He met Willow’s gaze. "I couldn't take my eyes off you."
--
“I thought it was alright,” Willow said with a shrug, lowering the towel from her face. His blue eyes were sharp, and even when she looked away from him she could feel him looking at her. She was hot all over, and sweat beaded anew on the back of her neck. “Thanks. I really didn’t think you guys would come. Fighting is kind of a niche interest. For a certain kind of people. And I didn’t think you were the types…” She cleared her throat, flexing the fingers of her free hand to stave off the cramp that was threatening to set in.
“But, uh, yeah. Really. Thanks for watching. It’s really nice that you came out. I, uh, I need to go take care of this broken nose and stuff before the adrenaline wears off.” She finally looked back up at Orion and gave him a smile that was more confident than she felt. Giving him a gentle punch to the arm before stepping away, she pointed at him. “Maybe I’ll see you around campus sometime soon.”
Her heart was pounding when she walked to the locker room. Why did she punch him? Was it as gentle as she imagined? Her knuckles were too fucking numb to tell. And that was so awkward. All of it. Her broken fucking nose, bleeding on his drawing. Did she even thank him for it? Probably not. She had fighter’s brain and couldn’t think straight. Not to mention being around him made her heart beat way faster than it needed to.
“Shit,” she grumbled to herself as she started unwrapping her knuckles. She had such a huge crush on Orion. This was stupid.
—
It took Orion two days to come down from the high that talking to Willow had sent him into. At home he couldn't stop sighing and his parents noticed at supper.
"You doing all right, Ri?" Kelvith asked him, his furrowed brow looking deceptively intimidating over the great scar scratched across his face.
Neriah perked right up, talking around her food. "What happened, baby? Spit it out. Mom will help."
Orion looked between his parents across the small dining table in their home. He narrowed his eyes. "If I tell you guys, everyone else will know. Like the triplets and Tamaia. They all go to school with me."
"It's a school problem?" Kelvith set his fork down. "Sweetheart, the last time you had a school problem, you were being bullied."
Orion gave his father a reassuring smile. "Dad, I'm not being bullied. Hell, I'm bigger than most of the people in the sophomore class. Half the time people are scared to approach me. I think I have most of my friends now because Merrill drags me into all her social circles." He hesitated.
Neriah nodded. "A girl."
"What?" Kelvith looked at him. "Really?"
"Uh…." Orion looked down at his plate.
"A boy?" Neriah tried again.
"A them?" Kelvith offered.
Orion blinked, shaking his head. "All right. Yes. A girl."
Neriah giggled happily. "Is she pretty?"
"She's the most exquisite creature I've ever laid eyes on. I'm in love. She kickboxes! She's powerful but she's also sweet. She smells like apple blossoms." He ran his hands through his hair. "But I don't think she likes me."
Kelvith snorted. "You have been making girls cry since you were a tot, son. She likes you."
"You look like me, you act like your dad, you're smart, and you're a talented artist. If she doesn't like you she's nuts."
Orion rolled his eyes. "I'm awkward around her. I blush, I get all stiff. Mill talks for me just to get the conversation going."
His father nodded. "Merrill is an A plus wingman."
"Talk to your lady friend without Merrill for once," his mother told him. "Get the jitters out. Have a good talk. Become actual acquaintances who are comfy around each other."
Orion grumbled. She was right. He had to be an adult about this.
--
In the car on the way home from the Muay Thai competition, Willow was resting her head against the window so that the AC could blow directly in her face. The vent on the passenger side stopped adjusting years ago--maybe even before Luis bought the car--so this was easily a normal occurrence for her after practices and matches. Actually, Willow was pretty sure that even if the vent worked, she’d still be resting her greasy forehead against the glass like this.
“Coach Hill said that my winning the tournament got a nice cash prize for the gym, so I don’t have to worry about my dues or gear next year. And he’ll put a new bag in my workout corner,” Willow said over the radio, her eyes shut. She was tired, but she felt great. There wasn’t another feeling like winning a competition that big. The plaque with her picture would go on the wall, and she’d be able to be proud of it for years to come. Not to mention the equipment Hill could replace with the winnings. That made it all worth it. Some of the beginning Muay Thai students had some pretty worn out gear.
“So what’s up with Pretty Boy?” Luis asked, changing the subject entirely as he turned down the volume of the radio.
Willow winced and groaned. “His name’s Orion.”
“Okay. Orion. What’s up with him?”
Casting him a tired and dark look, she asked, “What do you mean?”
“You know,” he prodded as he glanced back and forth from her sour expression to the road. “The googly eyes. The stuttering. That horribly obvious blush on his face tonight. He practically caught fire just talking to you.”
“He did not,” she barked.
“He did too! So what? You’re telling me that you didn’t notice how flustered he got around you? Come on, Will, he drew a picture of you. He’s totally crushing on you.”
“Shut up, no he’s not. He’s just some nice guy.”
“You haven’t seen him around campus before? Maybe had a class together?”
“I don’t know. He’s just a guy. I wouldn’t have noticed. Why are you bugging me so much about him? Guys are weird around me all the time.” Willow crossed her arms and sat a little lower in her seat.
Luis grinned so broadly he looked ridiculous. A long awkward moment of silence stretched between them until Willow finally cracked, “What the hell is your deal?”
“Are you serious?” Luis looked like he was about to burst.
“Dead serious. Why are you being such a freak about Orion?”
A long obnoxious laugh bubbled out of him, and he didn’t get control over himself until they pulled up in their driveway and he put the car in park. “You like him! That’s why! You’re totally nuts for him.”
“What?” Willow unfastened her seatbelt and let the metal clasp bang against the interior of the car. “I do not!”
“Aw, you do! ” Luis got out of the car squealing.
“Shut the hell up, you absolute gremlin! I’ll fight you right here.”
“Deal. I win, you have to admit you like him.”
“And if I win, you have to shut the hell up forever. Let’s go!” Willow hopped out of the car and assailed him with blows. Luis sidestepped her and grabbed her in a headlock. She punched at his ribs until he booped the tip of her nose and she cried out. “You jerk! That’s cheating!”
“I win. Admit it. You got the hots for the artsy guy Orion.”
Willow pulled out of his grasp and stomped to the trunk of the car to grab her bag. When the car blocked him from view, she muttered to herself. “Okay, I might think he’s cute.”
“Ha! Awesome! Who woulda thought she’d go for some softy. Dad would be proud.”
All weekend Luis bothered her about Orion and where they would hang his artwork of her. Finally she had to snatch it when he wasn’t looking so she could hide it in the den of her bedroom. Luis was ornery, but he always did his best to respect her personal space, and her bedroom was her sanctuary. When they’d first moved in together when she was ten, Luis had given her the master suite. It was a lot more room than a little girl needed, but he argued that she needed a bathroom of her own for “privacy,” and that’s how it had stayed ever since.
By Monday morning, Willow was happy to get out of his car at the edge of campus so she could have a few hours away from him. It wouldn’t be until evening before he picked her up, and that suited her just fine. She needed time to come up with more clever comebacks to him pestering her about her crush.
By lunchtime, Willow had finished all her classes for the day and was reading a textbook in the cafeteria. Her store bought salad sat untouched in front of her; it was less than appealing today. The roast the cafeteria was serving to the students who bought meal plans looked a lot better than a salad, but she didn’t have the cash to buy lunch today. Absently, she rubbed her thumb over the sore bones in the back of her hands as she read.
--
Orion hefted his bag against his shoulder, readjusting it as he looked through the cafeteria for a place to sit. Merrill was busy with some social thing that he wasn’t into. She had all kinds of friends from every corner of the school that were always doing something for lunch or for study sessions, and she always tried to drag him to them. Sometimes he would go, and he always felt out of place. So he opted for lunch alone this time, feeling like a nice quiet meal by himself might help him settle the constant butterflies he had in his chest lately.
Except then he saw Willow sitting by herself near a window, sitting in front of an untouched meal and reading a textbook with a small frown on her face. He saw the way she massaged the back of her hands and immediately wished he could offer to do it for her without sounding like a creep.
He heaved a sigh, gathering up his courage to move toward her. It was fine. This was going to be fine. And easy. It wouldn’t even be hard. He knew how to talk to her. He had done it, like, two times already. Three times! He had talked to her three whole times.
Here he went. Just going to talk to the girl he was in love with. No big deal.
He arrived at her table way too soon. He wasn’t ready yet. Oh god.
He sat down. Then he stood back up again. “Um. Sorry. I just-- is it all right if I sit with you? I didn’t mean to assume.”
--
Willow looked up from her book, startled by someone sitting down. She was startled again by that someone being Orion. She blinked up at him. “Oh, hey. Um. Yeah.” She cleared her throat and put her pencil in the center of her book so she wouldn’t lose her place when she shut it. “Sure. You took me seriously about seeing me on campus, huh?”
--
He cleared his throat, a flush beginning at his throat and crawling up his jawline. “Ah. Hmm.” He gave a tight smile. “Y-you don’t have to stop reading. I’ll be quiet while you study. I’m sorry. I saw you from across the-- well, I don’t really eat here very often so--” He heaved a sigh, blinking. Why was he so bad at talking to her?
He slid his lunch box out of his bag and slid his bag off the table to let it sit in the chair next to him. He unzipped his meal.
“I’m not as, um, social as Merrill. And she’s busy. So. I saw you. Thought I’d sit by you, instead.” He furrowed his brows, giving a short dry chuckle. “I’m the quiet art nerd that everyone went to high school with but never talked to. I don’t know a whole lot of other people very well.” Christ, why was he telling her how pathetic he was? Just say it, Orion! You have one friend and she’s your security blanket!
He cracked open a tupperware container and the smell of grilled chicken and rice permeated the air between them.
--
“It’s okay. It’s just World Lit. I’m not really a fan of English Literature of the 1800’s, so I’m happy for a distraction from it,” Willow said as she pushed the book away from herself and moved her salad in front of her. “And, ah, some company is nice. I don’t really know anyone very well on campus, either. Like, Merrill, I know her because of class and because she’s such a, you know, social butterfly, or whatever. There’s others like her, but they’re all part of their own circle.” She eyed his grilled chicken, becoming consumed by envy in a split second. This guy had what looked like some home cooked chicken, and she was sitting over here with a store bought cold salad like some sort of heathen. She’d fight him for it if she didn’t think she’d hurt his feelings. “So, yeah, I get what you mean. Most of the people I like talking to are gym rats anyway.”
Willow took her water bottle and cradled it in her lap. God, what else was she supposed to talk about? She didn’t know shit about art, and she had a feeling he didn’t know much about martial arts. It was kind of cute how he stammered and rambled on, and she really hoped he would come up with something for them to talk about in one of his speeches.
--
“Yeah,” Orion said, looking thoughtful. “I’ve tried to be friends with other art students, but, ah, it’s hard to be friends with anyone when all I want to do is hole up in my room and draw.” He smiled somewhat sheepishly and then caught her looking at his lunch. His smile turned into a grin. “You’re eyeballing my food,” he accused good-naturedly. “You not feeling that limp salad over there?”
--
Willow’s brows raised and she sat up straighter by a degree. “What?” Her gaze darted down to her untouched salad, then to his chicken, and up to his face. He was grinning at her in such a way that made her face feel impossibly hot. Her nose burned, and she rubbed at her cheek near where it was sore. “I mean, well. I guess not. No, it’s really off putting today, actually,” her stammering devolved into a shy laugh. “I kinda want the biggest burger I can find, to be completely honest. I did a leg workout yesterday that I still haven’t recovered from, and I just want protein.”
--
Orion nodded. “Wanna trade lunches?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. He pulled her salad toward him and slid the chicken and rice in front of her. “My mother eats like some sort of machine, and my dad likes to pamper her. She’s the most spoiled woman I’ve ever met. So my dad cooks, and he’s a protein junkie. You can have this. And--” he pulled out another smaller container. It contained a whole apple sliced up around a mountain of peanut butter. “Here. Dessert. Don’t mind the huge portions. I eat like my mother. We both have monstrous appetites.” He popped the lid off both containers, smiling as he pulled the salad toward him. “Except for today. Today my stomach is in knots.”
--
“Really? Are you sure?” Willow marveled at him. Her mouth watered when he pushed the dish in front of her, and she looked down at the chicken and rice as if it was the kindest gift she’d ever received. She would have argued against it, but he had taken her salad before she could stop him. Then he produced a container of apples and peanut butter, and her mouth fell open. Was this guy prepared for a picnic or what? This was the height of luxury. She went from eating salad like a peasant to grilled chicken and apple slices like some kind of princess.
“Woah, thank you, Orion. That’s super nice. I’m actually, ah, really excited for this. I don’t want to eat your whole lunch, though. Um. You can grab whatever you want. It’s yours more than it’s mine.” Willow had a fork in her hand before she knew where she’d gotten it from, though, and she speared a chunk of chicken and stuffed it into her mouth happily. “Oh god, that’s good,” she said as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand. “You said your dad made this? Damn. Luis should take notes. Your dad’s grilling skills are amazing.”
--
Orion watched her eat with a satisfied grin on his face. His appetite had been completely forgotten. He shrugged. “My dad learned to cook because my mother loves to eat. Everything they do is centered around one another.” He leaned his chin on his fist, relaxing against the table. “They’re super in love. It’s endearing. It’s sweet and cute. It’s obnoxious and disgusting.” He looked into his lunch box and spotted a sticky note covered in hearts. He picked it up to read his mother’s handwriting.
Good luck with the girl! Love Mom. xoxoxoxo
He cleared his throat, face turning red.
--
Willow snorted a laugh as she chewed through her mouthful of chicken. “That’s cute,” she commented as she looked down into the dish, selecting her next bite carefully. Her dad was like that with her mom. She never thought it was disgusting, though.
Thankfully, a brightly colored piece of paper in her peripheral vision distracted her from the thoughts of her parents. “What’s that?” She asked after she swallowed the bite in her mouth.
--
Orion crumpled the note and stuffed it into his pocket. “Ahem. Nothing. Nothing at all. Just-- nothing.” He smiled a little too broadly. “But also, don’t worry about eating the whole thing. You exercise. You need it more than I do. I go for a run every morning, but it’s not the same as what you do. And anyway, I’m not feeling too keen on eating anyway.” He peeled open the salad packaging and tore open the package of vinaigrette, pouring it over the wilted iceberg lettuce and shredded carrots. “This will keep me fine until my stomach settles down.”
--
“Let me see it, then,” Willow urged as she reached across the table with her palm up. “I saw hearts on it. I wanna see what this nothing is,” she teased. “And what’s wrong with your stomach any way that you’d willingly choose that rabbit food over this delicacy?” She forked another succulent bite of chicken and put it in her mouth, rethinking her habit of stuffing food in her cheek when one of her bruises complained.
--
Orion chuckled. “It’s a note from my mother. It’s embarrassing.” He sighed, popping a mouthful of greens into his mouth and chewing. “I have a nervous stomach. It’s not a big deal. I’m not really an anxious person or anything, but if I get wound up, I kind of lose my appetite.” He paused to swallow. “And my dad cooks like that constantly. I should share it once in a while.”
--
“Okay, I understand the nervous stomach. I get like that before a fight. Then after I just gorge myself whether I win or not,” she commented after she swallowed again. “Maybe that’s why I’m so hungry today. Not enough protein over the weekend.” Before she stabbed her next choice bite, she looked up at him. “What’s got you nervous today? A test or something?”
--
Orion gave a dry laugh and scratched his head for a moment. “N-no, it’s more like--” He sighed. He cleared his throat. He reached back into his pocket and uncrumpled the note from his mother. He nodded, flattening it on the table and sliding it over to her. “All right. Take a look.”
--
She leaned over a little to read the note, then immediately leaned back into her space again. Girl? Ah, shit, he was seeing someone. “Oh,” she said, her face getting hot all over again. “That’s nice of her.” She looked down at the lunch of his that she was eating and felt kind of weird. Why wasn’t he hanging out with the girl?
--
Orion furrowed his eyebrows, watching the way she shrank back into herself. He could hear the way her heart thumped in her chest as her shoulders sagged.
“Willow,” he said quietly. “I may be remiss in, uh, saying this but I feel like you might be misunderstanding something. The girl is you.” He tapped the note on the table with his forefinger. “You’re the one who makes me nervous.”
--
Willow’s face got so hot that all the bruises and her broken nose throbbed. She touched her face tenderly, half hiding behind her fingers as she searched for the lie in his expression. No way, she had the crush on him. Luis could not be right about this. “What?” She sounded stupid to her own ears. “Are you serious? W-why? I mean,” she looked down at herself and back up at him, feeling terribly embarrassed and confused. “Really?”
--
“Why?” Orion repeated, bewildered. “What do you mean why ? You’re a badass, Willow. You’re strong, you’re disciplined, you work hard, you kick ass. And you’re kind. I mean. This giant goofball starts showing up at your matches and stammering when he talks to you, and you’ve still managed to be gracious about that. You’re amazing!” He cleared his throat again, catching his breath. He gave a nervous laugh, opening his mouth to say something else, when someone walked behind him and knocked him in the back of his head with their lunch tray.
“Sorry, Pretty Boy, your big head was in the way,” some guy said loudly, striding past him and laughing with his two friends.
Orion went stiff, setting his jaw and closing his eyes for a moment. He exhaled slowly and then opened his eyes to settle on Willow again. He relaxed. “Quite frankly,” he said calmly, “You’re out of my league. But I will continue to ply you with grilled chicken if it means I get to have lunch with you.”
--
Willow listened but barely heard him as she watched how his eyes lit up and a little smile dimpled his cheek as he spoke. Her chest clenched and she almost felt like she’d fall out of her chair if it weren’t for her forearms on the table giving her support.
“Orion--” She began to say, her voice teeny tiny, but she stopped when someone passed behind him and called him Pretty Boy. Merrill had said that he didn’t like being called that, and it didn’t seem like these guys were saying it in a friendly way. She almost got whiplash from how quickly she went from stunned and flattered to angry and defensive. Orion did the work to calm down, and she watched how he controlled himself as she allowed herself to steam up about the offhand comment and bullying.
She hardly heard his last words. Pointing a fork in the guy’s direction, she leaning on her elbows towards him and asked, “What’s up with that guy? And that name? You gave me chicken, I’ll beat his ass.”
--
His eyes widened. She was up in shackles in a matter of seconds. He chuckled quietly, shaking his head. “He’s really not worth it.” Orion shrugged. “It’s not an interesting story. I look like my mother. She’s something my father calls ‘an ethereal beauty.’ And growing up, I kind of got picked on by boys my age.” He smiled. “This was before I hit my growth spurt in high school, of course. Most people didn’t want to mess with me once my hands were big enough to crush their heads between my palms. But that guy, Chaz, he’s not very smart. And he makes up for it by being an asshole. He’s not worth my time. Or yours, really. Save being a lethal weapon for worthier opponents. Him knocking me upside the head every once in a while is tolerable.” He pressed another forkful of salad between his lips and then chewed before he spoke again. “I don’t think he has any other hobbies other than that, and I’m sure if he stops picking on me he’ll just hone in on some poor freshman. Might-as-well keep him busy from hurting others, right?”
--
“No, no, no,” Willow said as she shook her head, laughing in a tense sort of unfunny way. “Not right. We don’t just let assholes walk around being assholes to us to save some other person. What we do, Orion, is beat their ass so they leave us alone and everyone else for the rest of time. Okay?” She set the fork in her hand down, realizing she was wielding it like a weapon. “Now, the only way I can accept even a single one of those compliments you just paid me, not the least of which being that I’m a badass, is if you so kindly let me kick Chaz’s ass for being a dipshit.”
--
Orion couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh, holding his stomach. He palmed a tear of mirth from one eye and shook his head incredulously. “You’re asking me to choose between you and Chaz,” he said, trying to catch his breath between laughs. “Obviously, I pick you! If you want to kick his ass that badly, who am I to stop you?” He sobered, realization dawning across his face. He frowned. “But if you get into a fight, won’t you get in trouble with Coach Hill?”
--
Willow laughed too, though she was serious about her offer. She sobered up at about the same time that he did, realizing that he wasn’t kidding about her making him nervous. The little heart embellished note from his mom meant it was serious, didn’t it? He talked about her to his mom? She chewed on her lip. There was no way this tall handsome sweet guy was crushing on her too. Oh god. What was she supposed to do? This was getting out of hand, and they hadn’t even really addressed it for more than a second.
“What? Coach?” She blinked, looking a bit lost for a second as she came out of her internal panic to pay attention to him again. “Huh? Oh, yeah, probably. I guess he wouldn’t be very happy if I just… Threw hands with any dipshit I saw walking around.” She rubbed at her knuckles again mindlessly. There was a lot going on here. The noise of the room was getting to be too much, and she was a little overwhelmed with all the points they had and hadn’t covered. She wanted to know more about all of it.
“Hey, you want to go out to some bench or some grass to finish eating? It’s kind of stuffy in here.”
--
Orion’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, his heart beginning to gallop in his chest. “S-sure. Here let me put everything up and I’ll carry it out for us.” He reached across the table and snapped the lids back on the tupperware, stacking them carefully in his lunchbox and zipping it up. He pulled his bag onto his back and let the lunchbox dangle from his forearm, collecting his salad and packaged bowl of fruit. He nodded to her. “Lead the way.”
--
Willow stuffed her book into her bag and zipped it halfway before slinging it over one shoulder. She cast a sharp look at Chaz, and she was happy to find that he glanced in her direction. He felt the heat she was putting off, because he looked around, determined she was looking at him, and then ducked his head back down to the table he was sitting at.
She had a brief moment of clarity as they walked through the glass doors to the quad that she was walking with perhaps the most beautiful guy she’d ever met, and he’d just admitted to how she made him nervous. Okay, so, maybe most of his nervousness was due to the fact that she was trained in a lethal martial art, but still. He switched lunches with her and sketched an amazing picture of her. Was this real life? How was she so chill right now?
Finding a much quieter spot under a large tree, Willow tossed down her bag and plopped down into the grass. “Is this okay? Crowds at matches are fine, but I think sometimes my brain doesn’t know the difference between match-related crowd noises and normal crowd noises, and sometimes I get kind of freaked out like I’m in the ring, but I can’t find my opponent. You know?” She laughed at herself. “Normal people probably don’t get that way. Maybe that’s a result of one too many concussions. I don’t know.”
--
Orion lowered himself onto the ground with her and reached to pull his sweater up over his head. He shook it out and then shook his hair out, laying the sweater on the grass in front of her. “No, I understand. I don’t think it’s weird. And I think it’s more normal than you think. I don’t like crowds. I’ve never been terrible at going places or meeting new places. I’m not really an anxious person, but crowds in general tend to make me feel like I can’t think. There’s too much noise in my head.” He retrieved the lunch again and put the tupperware on the sweater in front of her. Then he crossed his legs and held his unfinished salad in front of him, taking a big bite.
He cocked his head to one side, watching her. She seemed a bit on edge. It could be because of the crowd, and part of it probably was, but he felt like she wanted to talk to him, or just ask him questions.
He hadn’t meant to confess that he liked her to her face. If anything, he just wanted to get to know her a little better so that when he did tell her he liked her, she wouldn’t be so freaked out about it.
Fuck. Was she freaked out about it? He basically told her he was a sad kid growing up and had no friends. And he confided in his parents. Did other people confide in their parents? Merrill said she’d die before she talked to her mother about anything. He’d always thought that was kind of sad.
“I’m… I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “If I made you uncomfortable, I mean. I didn’t really plan to tell you I liked you today. I just wanted to know you a little better. I’m just, um--” he sighed. “I can’t lie. Like, I’ve tried, growing up. I’ve been told it was comical. Lying makes me feel kind of gross. So when you asked why I was nervous….” He winced.
--
Willow had already snatched up the Tupperware with the chicken and rice again and was halfway chewing through a big bite of rice when he started apologizing. Guys never apologized for anything. Except Luis, he apologized when she really needed it. But everyone else seemed to not have the words in their vocabulary. She choked a little on a grain of rice before swallowing hard. Was this the part where she was supposed to tell him that she liked him too? Her heart fluttered in a way that told her she wasn’t ready. How would she even say it? “Ditto?”
“Oh, um, you’re fine, I guess,” she said as the throbbing blush returned to her bruises. “I mean, you seem like a nice guy. You make cool art, you give thoughtful, uh, compliments, and your dad makes good food.” Up until that point, she’d been staring down into the Tupperware dish in her lap. Now she looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat when she saw how pretty he was with the sun dappling through the leaves to hit his hair. God, he looked like a damn angel. “I think it’d be nice to get to know you, and make a friend outside of the gym for once.”
She said friend. Did she mean friend? Friend was okay, right? But he said he liked her. Did he mean like -like, or just like as in a friend? Shit, she sounded like some air headed chick worrying about her dating prospects. Cool it . This didn’t have to be complicated. So, she wasn’t ready to say she liked him too, no big deal. She’d just have to do things at her own pace.
—
Relief flooded through him. He sighed, finishing his wilted salad and forgetting about the fruit. He propped himself against the tree trunk and stretched his legs out in front of him. It was an easy day for him. He had a core curriculum math class in the early morning and then studio painting right before lunch. His next class was World Civilization II and it wasn't for another three hours. Usually this was the time he spent drawing, studying art history, or wandering through the art galleries.
"I'm glad," he said to her, closing his eyes and taking in the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the breeze. "I would really love to be your friend." He opened one eye to look at her for a second. "For now, at least," he muttered under his breath.
He clasped his hands in his lap and yawned.
--
Willow pulled her hair over one shoulder, using it as both a shield to help hide behind and something she could keep her hands busy with when she wasn’t using her fork. The way he reclined against the tree, looking nearly godlike with how the sun played in his hair and across the freckles in the bridge of his nose, made her heart stutter. This guy. This big dork. Who gave him the right to be so wonderful?
“Okay, cool. So, now that we’re friends,” Willow began, a grin growing on her face. “Would you call yourself the biggest nerd ever, a total momma’s boy, or both after that note-packed-with-your-lunch incident?” She giggled until it turned into a laugh that had her eyes watering from how it hurt her nose.
—