Blaze pulls the car into an empty bay outside a convenience store on the way back to his grandparents. We'd offered to pick up snacks on our way back from our disastrous trip to see my grandparents- not that they even deserve such title- for the film we're watching tonight... Gemmas choice meaning we might need a lot of sugar to get through it... and sugar is the best cure for all kinds of emotional distress, right?

Blaze shuts off the engine and jumps out, rounding to help me down from the car then we venture into the glow of the twenty-four-hour store. He holds my hand as we parade down the isles, me putting snacks in the basket and Blaze doubling them. We get more Oreos and Reece's than actually necessary but Blaze always finds somewhere to put them away under his fricking abs. The amount that boy eats is genuinely concerning but the amount he works out obviously evens it out. We pay at the tills and on the way out I notice see the wall of slushie machines, bright colours glitter the full length, my eyes watering.

"I'll grab them, you take the bags to the car." Blaze grins already watching me when I turn to plead. He chucks me the car keys, juggling the bags, I only just catch.

The nights air seems even crisper amongst the stary New York sky and I smile at the moon. It's so quiet around here you can still hear the whine from the centre of the city, the dark pinpoints of the skyscrapers against the polluted clouds and navy backdrop. I pull the keys from my palm ready to unlock the trunk but stop abruptly. The bags swing around my legs, a figure paces in front of the car. Our car, which I have to put our groceries in. His head is bowed, a black hood covering all noticeable features but he's tall and built.

I look back to the store unsure what to do, I don't see Blaze but he can't be that far behind. Maybe he's waiting for someone? There were other people in the store, maybe he's just waiting?

If I act like it's our car he'll probably move. Stop being so fricking paranoid, it's just a man. I pick up the pace and straighten my shoulders, when the man realises I'm walking towards the car he stops and stares at me. I'm now able to see what he's wearing.

All black.

Black combat boots. Black cargo trousers. Black hoodie and a black scarf tied around his mouth. Just a man?His face, still shielded by the hood and now covered by the scarf, is too shadowed to see but he has something flicking between his fingers. He doesn't move just stares at me.

"Hello... sorry... can I uh, help you?" I trying to keep my voice calm. I move the keys between my knuckles carefully.

"Where is he?" His voice is gruff and merciless.

"Sorry-" I squeak being cut off by his hands on me, pushing me back against the car. I didn't even see him launch towards me and drag me back. One hand tightens on my head pushing it against the car window, the other clamped on my waist, fingers painfully digging into my flesh. Panic courses through me- not just a man.

I can't breathe with his weight on me.

"Why is he back in New York." He growls in my ear.

"I.. I-"

"Don't you dare fucking lie to me?" His hand moves from my head, I gulp when I feel the blade on my throat. The cold metal digging into my skin. Bile rises in my throat, the beating of my heart loud in my ears. The man's breath against my cheek making me squirm. It's all too familiar, the dead weight being held on top of me, unable to breathe... the pain.

I try to push the car keys into him but I realise he's kicked them across the gravel. I'm going to die and I don't even know why. I can only presume he's talking about Blaze.

"I said. Why. Is. He. In. New-"

"You better drop that fucking knife, Durant." Blazes voice cuts through the air, both relief and fear filling me. His presence makes for safety but the hatred and violence in his tone make my skin crawl. A tone I've never heard before that chills me down to the core. I'm not scared of him but what he's going to do.

The man with the knife to my throat chuckles, "Kid."

"I mean it asshole. Move the fuck away from her."

"What you gonna do Beckett. Daddy's not here now. That's why he's sent me." His words laced with a New York drawl send a shiver down my spine. Going on what Blaze has told me about his dad I'm more worried about how he's feeling and why the frick we are all here.

"Fine have it your way," Blaze says nonchalantly his calm eerie in my ears, I can't see him from behind the scarf clad guy but I feel the weight of his body leave mine. I can breathe again, the grasp on my body is gone. My body crumples against the car sagging with exhaustion. A sharp male cry ricochets through the air making me straighten. I peel my eyes open, fear it came from a certain mouth.

The guy from before is flat on the floor, one arm behind his back in a crippling position and Blaze holding it to his hoodie. Blood streams from his nose, cheek flat on the gravel floor.

"Are you okay?" I can't draw my eyes from the scene in front of me, I know Blaze is talking to me but the blood on the floor seems hypnotic, I'm not sure whether to gag at the pool his face is smothered in or smile. "Atlas. Are you okay?" Blaze shouts harshly. My mouth gapes like a fish.

Words? HELLO?

Blaze has left his spot on the floor holding down knife guy and approaches me quickly, his presence doesn't startle me in like anyone elses would and he takes my face between his hands forcing me to look into his deep blue eyes. His calloused palms have never been so soft against my skin, warmth trickles into my iced veins. The viciousness is gone, worry replacing it as his bright blue eyes drop to mine, his voice low and rich. "Talk to me Blondie. Are you okay?" He murmurs, so close his breath warms my cheeks drained of colour. My stomach flutters even at this most inappropriate time. His thumb moves along my cheekbone, breathing grey clouds of breath into the sky.

"Yeah, i-" My wobbly voice is cut off by the grunt of a figure getting to his feet behind us, Blaze's shoulder a direct target to knifeman who's now up off the floor. Blaze defiantly has a height advantage and he's built like a brick wall compared to the guy behind him and I've seen him in the gym, he fights with no mercy. Blazes brows furrow at my panicked expression then turns to see him, blade in hand and a dark malicious smile curling up his cheeks.

He doesn't turn back to me but from the sudden set of his shoulders I can tell the distant vicious Blaze is back, the one I should fear, the one people move out of the way in the halls for, the one I met before we knew each other.

"You should've stayed down Durant." He snarls presumably mimicking knife guys smarmy grin. "Atlas get in the car." He throws me the car keys that have magically reappeared off the floor. I hesitate, I don't want to leave Blaze with this fricking psycho and there is obviously crazy shitting history here but what can I actually do to help him? I've been going to the gym with Blaze but I still wouldn't be able to defend myself against a fly let alone a guy with a knife and a mad sense of vengeance. "Please." He only briefly turns, keeping half his face towards Durant. I nod feeling guilty he's even worrying about me right now, deciding I'm more of a danger to him if I do in fact stay, and scuttle off to the other side of the car. But I don't get in.

Call me stupid. Call me curious but I can't get in. Something compels me to stand and watch.

"Why the fuck are you here Beckett."

No answer. His smirk just deepens, power exudes from every one of his pores. He scrunches his fists, blood not of his own smeared on his bronzed skin.

"Yano I could kill you right here right now and take your pretty little girlfriend. I'm sure the boss would love that. You may be his son but that doesn't stop us going after your mom... your sister-" Blazes fist cuts him off, sawing into his jaw catching the guy off balance. He kicks him in the ribs before grabbing his hood and choking him to the floor. A few more punches land on Durnats face, I don't shy away from the violence- I peer around the side of the trunk and watch. It's not like a haven't seen this before anyway. Blaze picks his head off the floor by his hair with bloody knuckles. Durant whines in the vice-like grip, blood trickling from his lips.

"You even think about going near my girlfriend or any of my family again and I will cut you up and mail you back to your boss in tiny fucking pieces." Blaze spits inches from his face. I can see Durant visibly recoil into his hoodie. "Why the fuck are you here? What does he want." Durant says nothing which is rewarded with Blaze's fist to his nose for a third time tonight. "What the fuck does he wan-" Durant swings his leg up and manages to knee Blaze in the thigh, his grip loosening but not fully. His eyes narrow which is much less of a dramatic reaction to my gasp.

From the looser grip, Durant has managed to pull himself back with enough room to swing a fist into Blaze's cheek. This is what I can't watch. I want to help but I can't. Blaze and Durant pull themselves to their feet and a full forced brawl starts. Muffled grunts and the sound of flesh on flesh has my teeth on edge. Durant manages a few blows, mainly to Blaze's face and ribs but Blaze is much more powerful, much more vicious. Blaze has Durant in a headlock, looking like he's ready to surrender when Durant slowly reaches into his hoody pocket and pulls out the blade that was pressed against my skin earlier. Panic swims into my bloodstream- Blaze can't see the knife, he's too busy inflicting pain on his face.

Dread settles heavily in my stomach and my feet move of their own accord, running towards the partially immobilised Durant. I have no idea how to handle knives and am very aware this is a stupid decision but it's something that could kill Blaze and I refuse... I absolutely refuse to stand by whilst he gets hurt with something that could... that could- I won't say the word.

Before Blaze has time to protest and Durant sees me, I twist the arm holding the knife backwards. Durant calls out at the unnatural way his arm is bending and I grab the knife from his limp hand, throwing it as far away as I can towards the back of the parking lot.

Blaze grunts when he realises what he could have done and more anger floods his overly dark pupils, the calm blue now a tropical storm. Blaze takes his twisted arm from my grip and yanks it back harder until I hear a snap. A snap of what can only be bone. I turn away and grimace at that. Durant cripples to the floor in a harsh groan. He makes no more attempts to get up and when I'm sure of that I look to Blaze whose already got his gaze on me. His chest moves rapidly, eyes still ablaze and distant.

"Now run back to your boss and be fucking thankful I didn't kill you." Blaze turns to the man on the floor, demoralizingly. Durant just moans and whimpers clutching his bent arm.

Blaze moves back to towards the car taking my elbow and rather forcibly drags me towards it with him.

"You." Durant sighs, our feet freeze. "He wants you." And with that, he gets up and stammers towards the trees at the far end of the parking lot, spitting blood between moans. I turn to Blaze whose eyes are tightly shut, breathing fast and heavy. His hair is dishevelled in the moonlight and some red welts are already forming on my jaw and cheeks. He finally sighs, moving to open the driver's side door.

"Get in the car." He says in a flat tone. I don't hesitate this time and jump in the car on the passenger's side. A silence settles over the car, he doesn't turn the engine on, just sits there with his hands on the wheel. Knuckles going white. The air is tense but looking at his bruises settling on his tanned skin under the starlight I just want to reach out and hold him, kiss him and make sure he's still relatively unscathed. His ragged breathing fills the small space, jaw clenched so tight he must have broken his molars.

"What. Were. You. Thinking. Atlas." Blaze breaths between his teeth not looking at me.

"What?"

"Never ever try and put yourself into a fight. Especially when someone has a fucking knife!" He finally turns to look at me but instead of seeing anger in his eyes they swim with an overcome amount of concern and worry, love and guilt. My heart deflates making me feel guilty, he's just worried about me. "I don't care what's happening or who it is. You do not, and should not have stepped in. Never do that again, promise me you will never put yourself in danger like that again."

I understand where he is coming from, I really do and I hate to be the cause of such worry but "I won't apologise for it Blaze. He was going to stab you... he could have... killed you and" My eyes float shut with a dull ache in my chest, tears brimming under my lashes, "... and I can't lose you too.." I choke out the last words barely a whisper, trying to keep the pain out of my voice.

Blaze lets out a long sigh and closes his eyes. "Oh blondie..."

Well, at least we're back to nicknames but the pain in his voice cracks me on the inside. There's a few more moments of silence but when Blaze opens his eyes he turns back to staring out of the front window, his posture tensing again. I'm not sure if he's still mad at me or whatever the frick just happened. He lets out another long sigh and rubs his thumb over his bottom lip- nervous tick.

"I'm... I'm sorry. You shouldn't have seen me like that. The real Blaze Beckett. Angry. Violent and fucking disgusting." He finally turns fully to me, jaw hard set trying to conceal the emotion beneath. He hesitates to take my hands but takes them shakily, dried blood clutching around the knuckles, bruised and battered. He notices me looking and sighs, the light chuckle full of shame. "This is who I am Blondie, this is what I meant when I told you about my past. You deserve better than that, I'd get it if you wanted to... leave."

He drops his head, unable to maintain eye contact with me. I lift his chin and place a soft kiss on his lips, smooth and injury-free.

"Did you not just hear me, dummy? I said I didn't want to lose you. I know who you are, I knew who you were before we started dating. I like you for every part of you, angry and not. And I don't think you realise that tonight you weren't being the person you think you were. You were the protector, protecting me and your family."

"I'm so sorry he even got close enough to hurt you like that."

"He didn't hurt me, I'm okay Blaze."

He looks at me disbelievingly, cupping my face, eyes ablaze with intensity. He leans down and kisses me fiercely, tingles running down my spine. It's the kind of kiss that leaves you breathless and yearning for more. When he pulls away I'm even hungrier for more. It ignites the familiar ache that's been settling in me these past couple of weeks, getting stronger with everything he does.

"Can I ask you something though...?"

He nods ferociously.

"Who was he? I gathered he... worked for your dad but why did he want to hurt you? I thought you didn't talk to your dad?" I fiddle with the rings on Blazes fingers, some coated in blood so I choose the less evidenced ones. He lets out a heavy sigh and turns back to watching the stars.

"Yeah, he works for my dad and as for why he wanted to hurt me, I don't know." He glances at me, long enough to know that's not all, " I know I should have told you, and it's not that I don't trust you or anything, I just thought it would go away if I ignored it..."

I squeeze his hand in mine, "What would?"

"My dads been contacting me again... letters, calls, texts and now sending his minions for me I guess."

"Really? How long?"

"Since last summer but it's been getting a lot more intense recently. Are you mad I didn't tell you?"

"Of course not, I wish you'd told me so you didn't have to worry alone but... you need to tell your mom Blazey. If she's in danger she needs to know." I go to kiss his hand but pick a spot on his forearm instead when I see the blood again.

"I know. I didn't really take the threats seriously when they were just written. I didn't want to burden you or her considering everything that's been going on and how hard my mom works." A light tinge covers his ears, embarrassment is rare in Blaze Beckett. I kiss the top of his ear wishing I could do more.

"Your problems are just as valid as everyone else's and you won't be burdening anyone. We just want to see you happy and safe. You don't always have to be the quarterback. Be the guy that wears glasses and comforts me when I can't sleep. Let us help you and shoulder the weight for you."

He pulls me into his chest placing a chaste kiss on my head, I wrap my arms around him, careful of his ribs and take a long breath of his minty scent, letting the serenity wash over me. His hands tickle my skin, part of me urges for them to travel lower, firmer. I shouldn't be thinking about that kind of thing right now but it flows through me when he holds me. Some of the adrenaline from tonight still buzzes at my feet but I feel safe here.

"Will you- will you talk to my mom with me." He huffs, asking for help is the furthest thing in Blaze's vocabulary.

"Of course. I'll always be here to help you and there's no shame in that." I clutch him just a bit tighter and he makes a satisfying noise, a smile pulling slight at his bruised face.

"Crazy day huh."

"Yeah and Brady's not even around." I grin but the worry running through Blaze fills the car, it's going to be an interesting conversation when we get home.

Hey hey guys! I'm so so sorry I've been so slack recently, I had my Alevel results last week and the good thing is I got into university! The not so great bit is I've been so busy getting ready to move to central London that it's all been a bit mad! So I apologise and the next few updates might be a bit slow but I hope you enjoyed this one!

Please please hit that star if you did! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️