The Fighters Girl

4.

"All right, Devil, what does she look like. Start at the top and work your way down."

Hawk ignored Damon and instead bent low and tackled Terry to the ground. In one move, He straddled the guy's shoulder and locked his ankles at Terry's chest, holding onto his forearm in an arm bar. He flexed his hips slightly to show Terry that he had won and the guy automatically tapped out. Hawk jumped up and, after offering his hand to Terry and pulling him up as well, he walked over to the edge of the mat where Damon was watching.

"What are you talking about?" Hawk asked, taking a huge swig from his water bottle.

"I'm talking about the fact that you've laughed at least five times in the past four days, and before you took that trip, I hadn't seen you so much as smile at anyone other than Ryker, Cane, or occasionally Cane's sister. So, either you got a lobotomy, or you got yourself a girlfriend. Which is it?"

Hawk smirked and shook his head like a dog, making droplets of sweat going every where and his hair stick out even more than normal.

"I didn't get a lobotomy," he said.

"Ha! I knew it, what's-"

"But," Hawk cut in, "I don't have a girlfriend, either."

Damon looked confused for a second at the truthfulness he saw in Hawk's face, until his lips formed a small 'o' and his eyebrows raised.

"Oh, I got it. I mean, that's cool, I guess I just figured from the way you always bang chicks in the bathroom when we go clubbing that-"

"I'm not gay, Delgado," Hawk chuckled.

"Then-"

"She's my girl, but not my girlfriend. Since she lives two hours away and I'll be fighting a ton, we're not putting a label on us or anything."

Damon smirked.

"Well, she's obviously something to you to put that smile on you face," he noted.

Hawk opened his mouth to confirm, but his phone rang. He knew that ringtone. He snatched it up and opened it immediately.

"Hey, baby," he cooed. Damon's mouth dropped open.

"Hey, you," Hazel said softly, her voice sending a mix of relief and pleasure shooting through his system.

"What's up?" he asked, leaning against the bands on the outside on the mat.

"Oh, I just called because, um, my, uh, heater's broken and I figured, you're a dude, you can help me," she said, sounding slightly uncomfortable. Hawk bit his lip on a smile.

"Your heater broke?" he asked.

"Uh huh," she confirmed.

"All right, Hazel, I'm going to talk you through it okay?" he said.

"Kay," she breathed.

"Okay, you're holding your phone right now, right?"

"Of course," she said.

"Well, look up the number to a heating and air conditioning place, call them, and have them come take a look," he said, barely able to make his voice serious.

"You're such a dick," she mumbled.

"Hazel, baby?" he said gently.

"What?" she snapped.

"Is there any chance you called just because you wanted to talk to me?" he asked, just as softly.

There was a long silence then a deep breath.