#adair's faceclaim plays a character named havoc

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

Only A Matter of Time

Got a bit carried away... 961 words...oops

Adair looked at the clock quickly as he checked his duffle bag one last time, humming a little to the music that was pumping loudly through his earbuds. Gloves, water, mouthguard, tape… yeah, got everything. He zipped the bag shut and pulled on his sweatshirt, zipping it up and pulling his hair back. He stepped out into the hall and made his way to the door. On his way through the kitchen, he snagged a small tomato from where Ewan and Avanda were making dinner, popping it in his mouth.

“Hey, where d’you think you’re going?” Ewan asked with a frown.

Adair pulled out an earbud and frowned back at his twin. “Same place I go every Thursday night. The match.”

“But you’ve got that date tomorrow night with your girlfriend, don’t you?” Ewan asked.

Adair shrugged. “Yeah. But she--we aren’t--she isn’t my girlfriend.”

Avanda raised an eyebrow at him now. “Yeah? Then why aren’t you telling her about this little hobby of your’s? Afraid she’ll worry about you?”

Adair rolled his eyes. “No, I just-- Look, you’ll patch me up before the date, right Av?” 

Avanda shrugged, “Depends. Are you gonna admit that you two are an item?”

Adair rolled his eyes again and backed out of the kitchen, ruffling Carrick’s hair as he went. “Yes or no, Av. That’s all I’m looking for here.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll fix you up so your girlfriend doesn’t worry. Now get going so you aren’t late.” Avanda said, tossing him another cherry tomato.

*******

Adair took a deep breath and bounced from foot to foot. He chewed on his mouthguard a little, making sure it was in place properly while he waited for the referee to introduce him. Marin reached over the rope and patted his head, tugging on the hood of his sweatshirt to get his attention. 

    “You’re up against McAvoy again, so it should be a quick fight. Don’t wear yourself out too much though, I heard a rumor that they want to do a double header after.” Marin shouted over the screaming crowd.

    Adair frowned a little and nodded. “Who?” He asked thickly around the mouthguard.

    Marin shook his head. “No idea. Just do me a favor and keep your head in the gam, ’kay MacClyde? I’ve got a lot of money riding on you.”

Adair grinned and threw the assassin a wink and a fake punch to his jaw.

“ARE YOU READY?” The ref shouted over the cheering crowd, “FOR THE SCOTTISH SMACKDOWN?”

Adair stretched his neck, leaning his head side to side as he bounced on his feet again, loosening his ankles. 

“IN THE YELLOW SHORTS, WE HAVE JIMMY “HAVOC” MCAVOY!” The crowd surged, some of them cheering in support, others letting out jeers as Adair’s opponent stepped into the center of the ring, holding his red gloves high in the air.

    “AND IN THE BLUE WE HAVE ADAIR “MAYHEM” MACCLYDE!”

    Adair wadded up his sweatshirt and threw it to Marin, then jumped to the middle of the ring, holding his fists in the air and grinning at the crowd as the cheered for him as well. 

    The ref turned away from the crowd now, waving to the two challengers to meet him in the middle. “Good luck, lads. May the best man win.” 

    Adair and McAvoy nodded to each other, and tapped gloves, before the ref stepped closer between them, whistle in his mouth. The two men stood, eyes locked as the ref stepped back with a loud whistle blast, signaling the start of the match.

    McAvoy didn’t wait, swinging a right hook fast at Adair’s jaw. Adair stepped back quickly, knowing that his opponent would start with some sudden strike. He moved back two more steps, opening up space between the two of them and forcing McAvoy to take a step forward to fill it. When he did, Adair threw a fast jab at him with his right hand. As soon as the hit landed, he threw a left hook as well. McAvoy blinked heavily, then threw a wild punch. Adair put his gloves up to block the blow, but wasn’t quite fast enough. The punch clipped his jaw a little and sent his ears ringing. 

    “I wasn’t completely sure you’d show up,” Aislin’s voice cut through the shouting, and Adair frowned, shaking his head.

    Head in the game, Addie. Head in the game. He told himself. 

    He stepped forward, throwing an elbow up to McAvoy’s nose, then kept moving forward, accompanying each step with a blow to force the other man back. McAvoy moved back a few steps, then stopped, putting his hands up and leaning forward, holding his ground. He threw a jab, catching Adair by surprise and making him jump back, loosing the ground he had made.

    “How about you? What do you do when you’re not buying ginger you don’t need?”

    This. Adair thought, throwing all of his weight behind the left hook. I do this.

He drove McAvoy back again, the hits falling like rain until the other man was against the ropes of the ring, arms up and body leaning down. Adair threw a knee into the other man’s gut, and then he thought he saw her. His eyes flicked away from his opponent just for a second, but that was all it took for him to regain his feet and shove Adair back. 

    Taken by surprise, Adair stumbled, falling over and landing hard on his back. McAvoy was on him in a heartbeat, fists pummeling him and drowning the crowd out. Adair curled into a ball, and winced, his eyes screwing shut. 

    Avanda’s gonna have her work cut out for her… he though as he felt the cuts open up and the bruises start to blossom on his shoulders and face.

[mrs-mikko-rantanen]

@childrenoflight-darkness-nothing look I did part 2!!

Only A Matter of Time

Got a bit carried away… 961 words…oops

Adair looked at the clock quickly as he checked his duffle bag one last time, humming a little to the music that was pumping loudly through his earbuds. Gloves, water, mouthguard, tape… yeah, got everything. He zipped the bag shut and pulled on his sweatshirt, zipping it up and pulling his hair back. He stepped out into the hall and made his way to the door. On his way through the kitchen, he snagged a small tomato from where Ewan and Avanda were making dinner, popping it in his mouth.

“Hey, where d’you think you’re going?” Ewan asked with a frown.

Adair pulled out an earbud and frowned back at his twin. “Same place I go every Thursday night. The match.”

“But you’ve got that date tomorrow night with your girlfriend, don’t you?” Ewan asked.

Adair shrugged. “Yeah. But she–we aren’t–she isn’t my girlfriend.”

Avanda raised an eyebrow at him now. “Yeah? Then why aren’t you telling her about this little hobby of your’s? Afraid she’ll worry about you?”

Adair rolled his eyes. “No, I just– Look, you’ll patch me up before the date, right Av?” 

Avanda shrugged, “Depends. Are you gonna admit that you two are an item?”

Adair rolled his eyes again and backed out of the kitchen, ruffling Carrick’s hair as he went. “Yes or no, Av. That’s all I’m looking for here.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll fix you up so your girlfriend doesn’t worry. Now get going so you aren’t late.” Avanda said, tossing him another cherry tomato.

*******

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