A prompt a week - 5. Empty Hands - Prompt 299

“I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!”

Andrew stood up quickly to stop his boyfriend, Luke, from going after the hulking behemoth that was making his way up to the food counter. “Babe, just let it go.”

Luke turned and looked at Andrew shaking his head. “No. This has to stop. That,” he turned and pointed at the giant bully moving slowly down the food line, “idiot has caused us both enough pain. I am tired of his snide comments and him slamming us as he goes past.”

“He is just a fool. Let it be, hon.”

Luke closed his eyes for a moment. “I know you don’t like confrontation, but I’m done with him. I may only be a shrimp next to that giant whale, but that pain the ass has a thing or two coming to him.”

Andrew bowed his head. He knew Luke was tired of being pushed around, but he also knew Luke had never been in a fight. He hated for the truth to come out about himself, but he couldn’t let Luke be hurt.

“You,” Luke began, his voice rising in cadence. “You need to knock it off. We are human beings and not dirt under your feet.”

Every eye in the cafeteria turned to look at the Luke and Charles.

“You think you can stop me, shrimp?”

Luke walked up and barely reached above Charlie’s stomach. He was trembling as he pointed up at Charlie, whose name was written on the jacket he wore for the college. “I think I can tell you to act human, you idiot.”

“Idiot? I’ll give you idiot.” Charlie dropped his tray and his arm pulled back as he prepared to deck Luke.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” Andrew’s soft voice seemed to suddenly fill the empty silence, breaking the tension in the room.

Luke swallowed and stepped back as he realized that this mountain was about to pound him into the ground.

Charlie turned and looked at Andrew. What he seen was a thin wiry guy in a bright purple shirt that read, Gotta be home in time to kiss the bf goodnight. “Don’t worry, queer boy, I will take you on after I pound your little girlfriend here into the ground.”

Charlie launched his fist right at Luke’s face and was surprised when Andrew stepped between them and stopped his punch.

“Again, I’ll ask you to stop.” Andrew stood there feeling the weight of all the eyes in the cafeteria watching the exchange. He took a deep breath and centered himself.

“You got lucky and blocked a punch, queer boy. Now you just got moved up in the pounding order.” Charlie glanced over at Luke. “When I’m done with him, I’ll finish what we began fairy boy.”

Luke moved back and began looking for help just as he seen Charlie lash out at his boyfriend. “Oh my god,” he screamed as he closed his eyes.

Andrew moved and again blocked the blows Charlie tried to deliver to him. Punch after punch, hit after hit, Andrew watched Charlie’s body and blocked each one.

When Charlie reached for chair is when Andrew finally took the offensive. He moved forward and with a lightening moves struck Charlie’s hand just as it closed over the chair. There was the sound of something breaking and suddenly there was blood curdling scream.

“FUCK!” Charlie fell to the ground cradling his hand in pain.

Andrew stood calmly to the side watching as campus police and local police ran in through the front door of the cafeteria.

“Stay where you both are!” A young woman in uniform announced as she took in the scene and then paused. “What the hell happened to him?”

Andrew sadly shook his head. “I did.”

The three other cops began spreading out and taking comments from various students sitting around the room.

“Are you alright?” Luke stood looking at awe at his boyfriend.

“I’m fine.” Andrew ran his fingers through his hair and looked for a seat.

A cop brought one over and gratefully Andrew sat down.

“I thought he was going to kill us both. Where did you learn to do that? I mean you hate confrontations.”

“I hate fighting. I avoid it as much as I can, but my parents wanted to make sure I could take care of myself.”

“Okay.” Luke carefully looked Andrew over again. “So how did you stop him?”

“Karate. Doesn’t matter your size, you learn how to protect yourself. I just kept blocking his punches till he tried to use the chair on me. I knew he wouldn’t stop unless I stopped him.”

Luke turned and looked at Andrew in a new light. He had always thought his boyfriend was sort of scared of his own shadow. Tonight, he learned his boyfriend could protect them both, but wouldn’t just fight for any reason.