Secrets in the Skin (BoyxBoy #Wattys2015) **ON HOLD**

Ch.12

-Hiro-

I stare wide eyed at Axel as I am pulled by the Instructor onto the mat.

"Clean fight you two," Joshuah says as he looks both of us in the eyes.

Collin is a small boy, the same size as me, only he has muscles and I don't. His blond hair flops into his brown eyes as he stares at me. He looks back at Joshuah.

"I can't duel a human," He complains.

"I can't fight him," I whine.

Joshuah glares at the both of us and blows his whistle. I stare in horror as Collin pounces on me, sending me flying onto my back. I am so glad that the whip wounds have healed so quickly, the impact still hurts though. I pull myself up onto my feet just as Collin pounces again. I feel my skin prickle and jump out of the way, making Collin stumble.

He glares at me and growls an inhuman growl. He runs at me again but I jump back again. My skin prickles as the tattoos on my body swirl. Somehow I know when and where he is going to pounce, giving me time to doge his attacks. The shorts don't hide the tattoos on my legs and feet so I feel everyone's eyes on them, along with the tattoos covering my arms and hands as well. Collin jumps and grasps the collar of my shirt. I try to pull away but Collin is stronger than me. He pulls the shirt and I stumble backwards as I hear a tearing sound. I fall onto my back and look in horror as Collin holds Heath's now ripped shirt.

All eyes are on me. Collin gasps and backs away from me, dropping the shirt like it burnt him.

"What the hell?" He asks, his eyes wide.

I must really be a sight to see. My skinny body with my bones showing through, black swirling tattoos from chest to my toes, and an angry knife wound in my abdomen and arm.

I feel arms on me and look to see Axel pulling me up to him. He glares at Collin, if only looks could kill. He tears his shirt off his body and slips it over my head, his body heat left in the shirt warming me up. I have to pull my arms free myself. Axel's hold on me is almost too tight as he glares at Collin.

"Stop gawking at him!" He screams at everybody. "Haven't you seen tattoos before?"

Instructor Joshuah jumps onto the mat and runs to us. He stares at me with curious eyes.

"Take him upstairs." He says and turns to the crowd. "Go back to what you are supposed to do!" He yells at the younger people who came to watch like it was some show.

Axel holds me to him as he pushes people out of the way. I feel eyes on me the whole way we make our way through the room and up the stairs. He never lets me go as he leads me up to his room on the second floor.

I can tell he is mad so I don't say anything. He lets me go and starts to pace his bedroom floor, his hands in tight fists at his sides. I watch awkwardly for maybe a minute before I grab his wrist and pull him into a tight hug. His arms wrap around me and he buries his head in my neck. We stand there for what feels like hours, when in reality it is only a few minutes.

"I'm so sorry, Hiro," He whispers in a strained voice into my neck.

"It's okay, you couldn't have stopped it," I reassure him.

He shakes his head and looks me in the eyes. "That's the thing," He whispers. "I could have stopped it. I was just in shock that Joshuah made you go out there."

"It's okay, I wasn't hurt," I stare into his forest green eyes, his eyes are turning red with the need to cry. "I don't blame you for not stopping it, I'm supposed to train anyway,"

A tear slips down his cheek so I wipe it away. It's odd seeing Axel Black, the toughest guy I know, cry. I wipe another tear off his cheek and smile. I pull him closer and stand on my tippy toes to plant a kiss on his lips. At first Axel doesn't respond, but then his lips move against mine.