All The Hurt Would Go Away

That part of you is here with me...

"Hi what's up?"
"Hey, uh, am I on speaker?"
"No... why? What happened?"
"Can, can you just come round mine for a bit?"
"Uh sure, I'll tell Lin."
The call ended and I hesitantly put it down, what's going on? I told Lin to which he slid a crude comment about possibly staying the night but waved me off nonetheless. I got an Uber there and tipped the driver. When I pressed the doorbell I got called again.
"I can't come t-to the door, through the gate is a back entrance it's unlocked."
I rolled my eyes ending the call and finding the back entrance, Andrew was there and looked absolutely terrible, he had a severe black eye and a split lip along with various gashes across his face.
"What the fuck happened?"
He tried to smile but winced at the pain,
"Just, sit down, I'll get some ice then tell me okay?"
He nodded and sat down, I found my way to the kitchen returning with an ice pack.
"Okay, I don't care if you type it out or something just tell me what happened."
He shrugged then replied
"Fucking homophobes."
"Are you kidding."
He shook his head
"Jesus Christ about time they got past that there's bigger problems in the world than this. Do you know who it was? Where did this happen?"
"Went for a drink at the pub, some douche recognised me from Falsettos and bashed me up. Got a few hits in, but fighting isn't my forte."
He raised his hands and indeed he had bruised knuckles from punching.
"I'm sorry, he is a douche, more than a douche. But hey, you're reasonably well off just, be careful okay? I don't want you to get hurt."
He raised an eyebrow at me and I blushed quickly distracting myself.
"Uh, you need a shower or a wash or something to get the dried blood off."
"Wanna join?"
I was taken aback, even more so when he was serious.
"Uh, umm no I'm fine."
He smirked then went upstairs, while he was there I texted Lin what happened.
Me:
Andrew got beat up
by a homophobe not
looking good

Lin:
People still have
a problem with
that? Ffs. Make
sure he's okay
then come back
home :)

Me:
Gotcha.
I turned my phone off as Andrew walked back in, his hair all wet and tousled on his head. He looked like the rogue type with a bashed up face and his hair looked like he used gel.
"Jon you're staring."
He lightly sung as he walked past.
"Sorry."
I quietly murmured and looked down, embarrassed with myself.
"Hey, don't get all flustered it's not a big deal."
He lifted my head up with his hand as he crouched on the floor opposite me.
"Besides, you're nice to look at too every once in a while."
I smiled and he nodded back, unable to smile because of his cut lip.
"Did the cuts sting in the shower?"
"Why wouldn't they?"
That was a dumb question. Stupid. Stupid.
"Was anyone recording the fight?"
"Nah it was around the back of the pub, no one was there. He could've done a lot worse."
I nodded, at least the Press have no material to use if they do find out.
"Have you had dinner?"
"No..."
"I can make it, if you want, I mean, I might struggle a bit but you've had a rough day so I'd thought it'd be nice to just -"
"That's okay. It's only my face that's mucked up not my ability to cook. I think he only beat my face up cause I look better than him."
I laughed, only a theatre nerd would have the ego to think that after a fight.
"What, so, he wanted to make you ugly?"
"Did he?"
Ah, a trap question. Fuck.
"No"
"Aww thanks boo."
I laughed at the crummy nickname as he winked at me with his black eye. I don't get how someone can get beat up so bad yet look so good. If I got beat up I'd look like the hunchback of notre dame more than anything.
"Jon, do you like bad boys?"
"W-What?"
"That's the second time I've caught you staring at my face. It makes sense, that's why you've forgiven me and can't stop looking at me now."
I was lost for words, how do I respond to an assessment such as that?
"Speechless? Do you think I look sexy after being in a fight?"
I stumbled over the right word to use.
"I'll take that as a yes and I am not surprised. Our secret right?"
I nodded, dumbfounded at all of this.
"I don't think you're capable of speaking right now so how about a game, chess?"
I nodded and he got out the board and set up the pieces.
"White or Black."
"White."
He smirked and turned the board so he was the black side.
"You start."
I nodded and moved a pawn as he did the same, we continued for half an hour until it got to the last few pieces.
"Are you kidding me? I didn't know I had a champion as an opponent fricking hell Jon!"
I laughed to myself looking over the board. I had my castle, bishop, queen and king left whilst he merely had his king. It was not in his favour.
"Umm..."
I moved the castle two spaces to the right and smiled.
"Checkmate."
"Fuck."
I laughed as Andrew rolled his eyes.
"Alright big brain you win, I'm just as bad as Whizzer Brown it seems."
I smiled nonchalantly and sang
"We are the champions we are the champions no time for losers cause we are the champions of the world..."
He rolled his eyes chuckling to my victorious display.
"Well anyways, wouldn't want to keep you here you've probably got dinner waiting, call it a night?"
"Alright then loser."
"I'll beat you at something else."
"Oh yeah? What?"
"Just you wait."
I was about to reply when he shut the door, I called an Uber and texted Lin on the drive home. All I could think of was whether I had a thing for bad boys and it was starting to annoy me. I tipped the driver and knocked on the door.
"¡Hola!"
I laughed at Lin's energetic welcome and walked in to see the table set for dinner. Good old fish and chips.
"Just what I needed!"
I rushed to my seat and, once sat down I realised there were four plates? Who else?
"Ariella!!! Isaac!!! Dinner!!!!!!!"
Lin turned back to me and laughed as I groaned hearing the thumping of the kids running down the stairs.
"Welcome to the family dinner Jon!"
I glared at Lin who was smiling evilly,
"Be prepared for the most stressful loud agitating dinner of your life!"
I groaned again.