Fairies of The Black Circle

23

Ogron could practically see the air around her simmer with heat.

Sweat lined Bloom's jaw as she hammered the punching bag in the corner, the victim of her anger.

Her anger for him.

It was captivating. And it left him feeling sour.

A similar flavour to the way he felt as he had woken her up and walked her home after having left her lying in the dirt.

She had refused to let him help her up. She'd insisted on always walking at least three meters in front of him as they made their way back, she hadn't spoken a word to him since.

It was clear she loathed him. But that didn't amuse him as much as it used to.

Now he watched as she furiously pounded the bag to a pulp, the fire in her chest swelling with each swing. Still plastered with dirt, the odd twig nested in her hair, and drenched in sweat.

Bloom heard his footsteps draw closer. Her brows knitted together at the sound, slow and taunting, each punch becoming steadily fiercer.

She didn't dare turn to face him. She could already picture that smug expression he wore, the one that made her blood simmer. However, much to her confusion, he stopped a few meters away and waited silently.

No mockery? No degrading comments?

Bloom sighed, giving way to curiosity, and painted on her best glare before turning around. But what she saw was not smugness.

It was worse. Much worse.

Pity.

She felt the fire inside her blaze.

"What do you want?" She snapped.

"You're going to hurt yourself."

Bloom scoffed, rolling her eyes. "As if you haven't done that already."

"What?" His eyebrow arched, confusion painted across his features.

"You really have no idea?" Bloom said, shivering at his icy stare that seemed to pick her apart. "All you've done is hurt me over and over again!"

She wanted to sound angry, but her voice betrayed her, wobbling as she yelled. Her face flushed with chagrin. His gaze pierced her further and she fought down the urge to shiver again.

"Today, you left me unconscious in the middle of a forest!" She pressed on, keen to reclaim the control she felt slipping away rapidly. "Not even a month ago, we were enemies. Do you remember that day at the mall?"

Ogron's blank expression gave nothing away and he didn't deign to reply. Bloom felt her hands curl into fists as she fought the urge to hit him in his stupid face.

"Do you know what you did?" She hissed, her voice dropping threateningly. "You nearly killed me. And then you laughed. You fucking laughed!"

Ogron's eyes darkened and Bloom's flared with triumph.

"Bet you didn't think I'd hear you, right?" She sneered, a twisted elation rising within her as the months of unresolved resentment were finally being vocalised.

A muscle in Ogron's jaw twitched, aside from that he remained unreadable.

"I will do whatever it takes to protect this planet; tolerate you, even work with you. But just know that I can't stand to be around you. Do not think for a moment that I will let you walk over me. I will not be docile just to appease you. I hate you. With every fibre of my being."

The crescendo of her speech echoed around the room, dimming until Bloom's heavy breaths were the only noise.

Finally, Ogron spoke.