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The bell jingled happily, announcing another customer in your small shop. You already had a smile on your face as you hastily wiped flour off your hands before turning. ‘’The usual, darling?’’
The ‘darling’ in question was your long time friend Azhug, who currently looked like steam would burst out of his ears at any moment. It was obvious that your use of pet names was for the sole reason of embarrassing him but he never did anything to discourage it either. Who could refrain from it when they had a 7ft orc squirming just from a look? You’d know him since you both were small children and he had since made a name of himself in MMA because someone decided that he had the perfect build for heavyweight division. Despite his brute force and fierceness in fights, he had an eagerness to please that reminded you of a puppy.
You had barely waited for his answer to your question before you had already bagged two of his favorite lemon scones. He mumbled a thank you before shoving them in his bag, still unwilling to leave. It would have been unheard of for the two of you to part without catching up on latest happenings. He seemed hesitant to open his mouth though. Relying on your reputation for being a touchy feely person, you took his hand to run your thumb over his still bruised knuckles.
Azhug, even though still embarrassed, relaxed and placed his other hand on top of yours for good measure. Whatever it was about physical contact that made it easier for him to talk, you were more than willing to give it. People passing by the bakery’s window would giggle behind their hands and cast knowing looks at the two of you. It was obvious to anyone in town what Azhug’s feelings for you were but he stayed in the belief that he was being subtle.
He was telling you about his next opponent and how he had been thinking about trying a hand in baking himself. Your face lit up at this. ‘’You should definitely try! I would love to see what you make! I’ve never had any of your cooking in all these years, you know’’ you teased with a pinch to his thumb. Azhug chuckled and tried to wipe a wayward strand of hair from his face. He didn’t keep his hair as long as some orcs due to his sport career but it was long enough to gather into a bun. You had half a mind to pull it apart and run your fingers through it.
You were abruptly pulled out of your thoughts when he waved a hand in front of your face. ‘’So will you be there?’’
‘‘Where?’‘
‘‘My next match, at the old warehouse.’‘
‘‘Oh! Of course I will! I wouldn’t miss it for the world, you know that, don’t you?’‘
He did know that and if the twitch of his lips was any hint, it meant a lot for him. Azhug patted your hand before letting go. ‘’I’ll make sure to dedicate this one for you’’. You would have questioned his need to do so if he hadn’t quickly left, leaving you to continue work without much thought put into it.
You were feeling just a bit queasy towards the end of the fight. Neither of the two contestants were very pleasing to look at at this point but despite this, it was clear that Azhug had the upper hand. His opponent was just a tad too slow when Azhug’s fist finally came flying his way. A loud horn blared through the warehouse and the judges wildly gestured towards the ring.
KO.
Through the cacophony of people shouting and pushing past each other to collect their winnings, you navigated your way over the railings to Azhug who was looking around, presumably trying to find you. You nearly toppled him over when you crashed to his back, gripping him for dear life. ‘’Not sure if you wanna do that right now. I’m pretty gross’’ he sighed, his breathing still heavy. You let go of him when he turned around to face you, the front of his chest was splattered lightly with blood.
You grabbed tissues out of your pocket which he shoved to his nose as a temporary solution before leading you out towards the dressing rooms. No one was there to keep watch if he let you in to his side and at the moment, he didn’t care if someone disapproved. The bench creaked under his weight and his shoulders slouched as the exhaustion settled in. ‘’You did really well out there’’ you blurted after a moment of silence.
Azhug picked dirt from under his nails and shrugged. ‘’Could’ve done better too. I didn’t train as much as I was suppose to last week’’.
‘‘What kept you busy then?’‘
‘‘I had other important things on my mind. I had expectations to meet, didn’t I? When I went and said I’d try baking, not that it’d be anywhere near what you make.’‘
He had reached into his bag while talking and pulled out a paper bag. He tossed it to you and you had to stifle a delighted laugh once you looked inside. Heart-shaped cookies with colorful frosting. You picked one up to see the carefully done text on it. ‘You are loved’
You were sure you had tears in your eyes but did nothing to wipe them away. Azhug already opened his mouth to say something until you put a finger on his lips. ‘’They’ll be just as good as mine because you put the same effort and love into them as I do’’. Azhug’s confidence in confessing like this would have dramatically dropped had you not said those words and sealed them with a kiss.
It nearly made you giggle when you felt him practically melt under your touch and a shiver ran up his spine when you bit his lower lip. ‘’My fierce orc, how is it that you were so shy with me?’’
‘‘I had everything to lose, didn’t I? If you hadn’t returned my feelings’‘ he said, absent-mindedly rubbing a strand of your hair between his fingers. That alone told you enough about the magnitude of his affection for you and you couldn’t have been more happy. There was a spark in his eyes when you took his hand and walked out of the warehouse and a spring in your step. It was late by the time you reached home but you figured that neither of you would sleep for a long while still.