Hero's POV
The answer to that was... I couldn't.
I couldn't tell him I didn't want to go back, not yet anyway.
"Yeah I know, I just wanna see some familiar faces and see if I've still got it" I laughed as I began to play fight with him...
Lydia's POV
I forgot about college. I'd applied for a few but most of them close by. Nowhere near where Archie and Hero go. I just knew I would struggle without my mum, and most of my friends were staying local or not going to college at all.
But most importantly, I needed to stay close to dad.
Luckily Stanford was only 30 minutes by train from home, so it was the perfect choice. Archie had gotten in but he went with Hero to Washington State. So that would mean that I'd be separated from Hero, again.
Hero noticed that this gave me a saddened expression and sent me a message asking if I was okay, to which I just replied yes with a smiley face and went upstairs.
Not long after, Archie left for work and then Hero knocked on my door.
When I was upset about something, I liked to shut myself away and ignore everything and everyone. It was easier that way. And so that's what I'd decided to do with the information that Hero was going back to college at the end of summer; isolate myself, curl up in bed and over think it.
However unfortunately, Hero liked to talk about his feelings and expected everyone else to be the same, and so he didn't understand the concept of leaving me alone...
"Hey what's up beautiful?" He asked with a little smile as he sheepishly entered my room.
"Nothing, I'm all good" I said from underneath the mountain of covers that I had burrowed myself in.
Suddenly the covers uplifted and I was met with his familiar gaze as he too attempted to burrow beneath them with me. "You can't just hide under here and shut me out" he said.
"I'm not hiding I'm comfy like this" I said as I continued to lie.
"Is this about me going back to college?" He asked.
"Maybe..." was all I said back.
"Don't stress about it okay? We'll figure that out when it comes to it. For now let's enjoy spending all this time together" he responded as he cuddled up to me.
I suppose he was right; I saw no point in spending the already limited time we had stressing about being without him. "Yeah I guess you're right." I replied looking up at him.
"As much as I'd love to stay here all day, I've gotta go, I said I'd meet the guys at 11" he said as he gently kissed me in the forehead and left.
And then I was left once again for my stress hibernation...
Hero's POV
Was I nervous?
Yes. Extremely.
Id kept up with the gym but I hadn't had a fight since I left. For me, boxing was an escape, but it also drew out a darker side of me. A side fuelled by anger and hate. I was never one to be open about my feelings, so I put all of that negative energy into my fights... and that's why I won.
My trainer always said I fought to hurt, not for the joy of the sport, which is something he hated about me. He said it would last me for now but it would destroy me in the long run. But to me, I was winning fights and making a name for myself, so I let it all get to my head and became a reckless party-boy who's ego was sky high.
But it all caught up to me eventually I suppose... I started drinking heavily to avoid facing my home life and my fitness deteriorated until I became such a physical and emotional mess that my trainer ditched me. From there I carried on getting worse until I went off to college where I'd decided to fix myself.
Losing boxing was like losing my life. It gave me purpose. So getting it back was so immensely important to me...
My breathe hitched in my throat when I heard the familiar ringing of the old-fashioned bell on the door which let the reception know there was a customer. From there, the nostalgia set in from all of the familiar senses around me... the sounds of punches on leather bags; skipping ropes hitting the cold, concrete floor; and most of all, my trainer shouting a countdown for the kids class.
He hadn't noticed me come in, so I quietly observed him teaching his class.
I sat there for a while until I saw one kid in particular who was struggling more than the rest with his form. He must've been no older than 8 or 9 and was considerably smaller than the rest of the class. So I walked over to help.
"Hey buddy, move your left foot to point your opponent a little more and bend your knees slightly..." I said calmly as I altered his frame. "Yeah that's it, perfect".
"What about my elbows are they right?" He asked; desperate to impress his trainer.
"Yeah you're just right" I smiled.
"Never thought I'd see you back here... and sober at that" my old trainer Nick said as he watched me help the kid with his guard.
"Sorry for meddling with your class, just thought this little one could do with some extra attention, I hope you don't mind" I said sheepishly as I stood before him.
"No, no... go ahead. In fact stay for the rest of the class, you always had a way with these rascals" he laughed.
I remained there helping for a little while longer until the class was over; at which Nick sternly called me into his office.
"Why are you here Hero?" He asked bluntly.
"Damn, straight to the point then?" I nervously joked before clearing my throat and continuing. "Right sorry um, shit. I had this whole speech planned in my head and I've forgotten it all. Fuck."
"Hero I-"
"Wait no" I interrupted "please here me out" I pleaded with him.
"Hero stop. I don't wanna hear it. You made a fool of this gym last year, so if u expect me to take you back now then you've got some nerve" he responded harshly.
"-Yeah I am expecting you to take me back. Because infact, having a lot of nerve is what you said you most admired about me... I took chances no one else took, was brave enough to do things no one else would do. You said it's what made me great. And if you think I was good before, I'm better now. I'm stronger, sober and a thousand times more level headed. I'm ready to focus and succeed here, and I refuse to have anyone else in my corner while I do it." I said brazenly.
Nick sat for a moment and pondered, before locking eyes with me and saying intensely "don't disappoint me again Hero, i won't be as forgiving this time".
"I wont let you down Nick, you can count on me" I said with a huge grin plastered across my face.
It was all looking up for me. I had the most perfect girl and my boxing back...
YOU ARE READING
Trauma Bond - Falling for my brothers best friend. (Hero Finnes-Tiffin)
Romance"Hero had been my brothers best friend since we were kids, and I'd been in love with him since before I could remember." - Your typical brothers best friend story with a few twists and turns along the way :)
