10.

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It lasted about a minute and twenty seconds. The awkwardness, the tension, the glares and pretending to ignore them.

Then something happened. More specifically, Hawk happened.

He walked out in nothing but his shorts and a grin, and Hazel forgot. She forgot that she was supposed to be winning over Hawk's family, and she forgot that she was failing miserably in this feat. She forgot that her stepdad was a dick and her life was hell from the time she went to bed to the time she woke up. She forgot her favorite color, and she forgot her fucking name.

What she remembered was that she had kissed that man. She had ran her fingers and tongue over his rock hard abs, she had wrapped her legs around his slim waist with the indents on each side and her arms around his giant, broad shoulders. She had stayed up all night talking to him with his head in her lap, and she had gotten stomach cramps from laughing too hard because of him.

And when you remember all those things, what else really matters?

So, when Cane and Liz realized that she was no longer holding herself with tension because of their glares, they followed her gaze to Hawk. Then they looked back at her and noticed her eyes. The slight glaze to them and the awe and almost reverence they held. They recognized the expression as the exact one Hawk got whenever he talked to her.

Cane sighed and ground his teeth together for a second before leaning in to Hazel to be heard over the cheers of the die hard Devil fans.

"You're a distraction, you know," he stated.

Hazel jumped and blinked herself out of her reverie to look at Cane with confusion.

"I don't mean to be," she stated.

"Well, you are. Today before you got here, he was pushing himself too hard to get his mind off of the fact that you weren't there. That's not good, for his career or his body."

Hazel's eyebrows drew together and she looked back to the cage, where Hawk and another man were bumping fists.

"But," Cane continued and Hazel's eyes went back to him, "it's only because of how much he likes you, and since I now know that you like him just as much, I'll support whatever you two think you're doing."

Hazel's mouth twitched up on one side in a sort of bitter smile.

"I promise you don't have to worry about Hawk liking me more than I like him," she said. She stared once again at the gorgeous man who in another three seconds would break his opponent's arm.

Cane said nothing, just leaned back and winked at Liz, who was still looking between Hawk and Hazel through calculating eyes.

"You did so good!" Hazel squealed when Hawk picked her up and swung her around. He set her down and returned Cane's nod.

"Thank you baby," he murmured, leaning down to kiss her cheek. Everyone in the room turned to look at Ryker when the kid started spinning in circles and jumping up and down and jabbing his fist out.

"You were like whoosh! Then he was like aghh! Then you were like boom-boom-boom! Then he was like-" he cut off and made a choking noise as he promptly laid down and executed an accurate imitation of Hawk's opponent at the end of the match.

"That's exactly how it went, little man," Hawk said with a chuckle.

"All right, Ryker, we have to go now," Liz said, ruffling the little boy's hair with her hand before walking over to give Hawk a hug. He hugged her back and whispered something in her ear that had her sending Hazel a quick glance then looking down at her shoes with a guilty expression. Hawk pulled away and slung an arm around Hazel's shoulders.

"It was nice to meet you, Liz," Hazel said with a small smile.

"Yeah, likewise," Liz practically whispered before leaving with Ryker. When she was out the door, Hazel hit Hawk on his arm.

She saw Cane stiffen out of the corner of her eye, but kept her glare on Hawk.

"What did you say to her?" Hazel demanded. Hawk ran his thumb over her cheekbone and smiled.

"Don't worry, baby, nothing bad. I just made sure to let her know how unfair she was being to you," he said. He was talking to Hazel, but his gaze was on Cane.

"She just hit you and you didn't get pissed," Cane said quietly. To Hazel, who had been reprimanding Hawk for his social no-no's since day one, this wasn't a big deal. But when Hawk made eye contact with Cane and raised an eyebrow, she sensed it was more.

"She's hit me before, and she'll hit be again. She's really quite abusive," Hawk said.

Hazel smacked his arm and rolled her eyes.

"Only when you deserve it," she muttered. Hawk grinned and kissed the top of her head.

"When do you have to be home?" he asked. Hazel checked her phone and drew in a hissed breath from between her teeth.

"Shit, well, I guess now it doesn't matter. He'll know I'm gone."

Hawk narrowed his eyes.

"Is there a certain time he normally comes in?" he asked in a sharp tone. Hazel lifted her hand to cup Hawk's face, and his jaw only relaxed slightly.

"When my mom's all the way asleep," Hazel answered in a soft voice.

Hawk turned sharply and walked to the punching bag, clenching and unclenching his jaw. He turned again and walked close to where Hazel was, then changed his mind and stormed over to the punching bag again, this time lashing out with his right fist with an angry roar.

"Hawk," Hazel whispered, shaking her head.

He immediately came over to her and held her face in his big hands.

"I fucking hate him," Hawk whispered reverently, leaning down so his forehead was touching hers. Hazel rested her palms on his chest and took a deep breath.

"Who?"

Hawk and Hazel both jumped and looked at Cane, who was watching the two with equal suspicion.

"Oh, God, does Hazel have a boyfriend?" he asked.

"No!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Jesus H., Cane," Hawk muttered.

"What? Just making sure," Cane defended.

"Look, I really have to go, but I'll see you soon," Hazel said, leaning up on her tiptoes to give Hawk a kiss on the cheek.

"All right, baby. Drive safe, okay? And call me when you get home."

Hazel almost sat up when she woke with a start, almost. The only thing keeping her from doing so was the soft, hairy chest pressed against her T-shirt clad back. It was such a contrast to the rock hard, smooth chest she wanted that she shivered in disgust.

Thank goodness, Clark didn't notice.

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