Between the Lines | ✓

Cliche 7: Badboys Can Be Gentle

See, punching people looked pretty cool in movies. Maybe it was the whizzing of the camera angles, the post-production sound created by foley artists and the funding from big media companies. Maybe it was the million dollar fight choreography intermingled with the strong odour of 'manly-men-flex-muscles-and-save-the-world'. Or, maybe, it was the fact that actions stars were, by trade, smoking hot and made violence look chic. 

To be fair, Xander's face and body gave every Hollywood action star a run for their money, but maybe I was just biased because this was now my body.

But getting back to my point - punching in movies was cool. Punching people in real life, not so much.

CRUNCH.

'Oh, fuck, that hurts!' I screamed in my mind as I reeled back after my fist collided with the brunet's face, the boy tumbling to the ground and clutching his cheek as he howled in pain. What the hell is your face made of, dude?! Bricks even harder than my abs?!

I shook my sore hand while blowing on my knuckles, which I was sure were going to bruise. Why would people ever want to punch someone when it hurts this much?!  Every bully is just a closet masochist, huh?

"Fuck, my face, my face," the brunet whimpered, voice sounding clogged as he scuttled back, staring at me with wide eyes full of tears. As I held my fist up the boy stared at it in fear, quickly muttering a "Fuck, let's get out of here, dude". I shook my hand again to try and regain feeling in it, causing the brunet to blanche and quickly stand up, grabbing his friend and taking off. 

I stared at the patch of pavement that the boy was collapsed across just seconds before, before blinking and turning to see their hastily retreating backs. 

Oh.

Wait. 

They ran?

Because they... were scared... of me?

Me?

"Ohhh my God," I warbled, leaning over to take a deep breath because, God, I just punched someone in the face.

I punched someone in the face.

I. Punched. Someone. In. The. Face.

"Ohhh, that's not good. I punched someone in the face. That's really not good. Oh, shit. Shit, shit, shit. I punched someone in the face," I mumbled to myself, sucking in deep, wracking breaths. "Ohhh God, oh God, ohhh no."

"Oh my Gosh, are you okay? Xander, help!" Aubrey's voice said, pitch raised in panic behind me. Turning towards her, I found the protagonist gently rubbing the second lead's back as he hunched over, tenderly cradling his face with one hand while the other pinched his nose. I could see a little smear of blood brushed under Elias's nose, an unsightly blotch of dark rust on otherwise pristine almond skin.

Oh, God, who cares about my bruised knuckles, the kind second lead is in far worse condition.

"Oh, Jesus," I breathed, crouching down beside Elias, who flinched slightly as I raised my hand to help him from where he was kneeling on the ground. I glanced at my hands, one slightly reddened, and licked my lips nervously. "Shit, sorry," I mumbled, dropping my hands to my side, offering Elias a tiny, weak smile. "You, um, can you stand up? Keep pinching your nose and keep your head tilted forwards, so the blood doesn't, you know, go down your throat."

Elias let out a short noise of affirmation from the back of his throat, slowly peeling himself off the ground. Some blood had dribbled onto the front of his T-shirt, and I winced at the sight. 

"Shit, should we go to the doctor? Your nose, it's not broken is it? I think we should get you to a hospital... it might be awkward explain what happened but if you're hurt, it's better to..." I rambled, biting my lip as I surveyed Elias's face, his eyes staring at me from above the hand covering his nose with a feeling I couldn't quite place. Wariness, probably.