Love and Kickboxing (Grave x EveningSky)

Vanessa Vasselli rolled her eyes at Brandon's behaviour. Deep down she knew he was right, it was selfish of her to involve him in the first place. Despite his warnings, Vanessa knew what she had to do, and she needed to do it quick. Brandon Hargrave retreating to his bedroom had given the feisty brunette a good opportunity to escape. Within minutes Vanessa Vasselli was on her way back to campus. Conjuring her plan to take Mark off Brandon's scent, helping the athlete maintain his life of anonymity in school. Righting the wrong she so carelessly forced upon him.

"I'll fix it..." Vanessa breathed as she stepped out of the taxi, preparing herself for the battle ahead.

Mark smirked when he saw his beautiful ex step through the door of the fraternity house. The football player laid on the couch, nursing his bruised ego with a bottle of vodka.

"Drinking during the day" Vanessa commented, sitting on the lazy boy sofa to Mark's right. The scent of sweat, sex and alcohol an unwelcomed guest to sense of smell. "How unlike you"

Mark eyed the brunette "Don't test me"

Vanessa shrugged "I need to say the same. Leave Brandon alone...I'm not dating him. "

Mark scoffed "Is that what you came to tell me? He's such a wuss he sends a girl to defend him"

"No, he actually wanted to smash your face in but I convinced him otherwise" She lied "You cheated on me and it has nothing to do with Brandon and the fact that I kissed him to make you jealous...which you fell for like a lamb for the lion"


Mark chuckled " You're playing games Vanessa. That's unlike you.."

"Mark you started it, the moment you got between Stephanie's legs you lost me. Don't sit there and act like this is all my fault"

"I want a second chance..." He whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "I miss you"

It took everything Vanessa Vasselli had not to scream, their relationship lasted long and now it was harder than ever to end. Mark destroyed them and now he was trying to mend everything crocodile tears and his fist. The sad part was that Vanessa fell for it, she loved the dumb jock, despite his infidelity. Before the brunette knew what was happening she shifted from her seat, moving over to the cheating asshole.


"I miss you too"

Mark turned to Vanessa, his hands treading through her dark hair, lips crashing onto hers. Her lips responded to his, but Vanessa hardly felt the spark that had once been there. She broke the kiss and smiled "Don't over do it" The girl warned

"Yeah sorry, I'll take it slow" Mark stood "I've got football practice"

" I've got something to do too"

"I'll meet you tomorrow for lunch" Mark grinned, placing a sweet kiss on his girlfriend's lips.

Vanessa nodded in response as he walked her to the front door, watching her wall down the cobbled pathway to the sidewalk. What had just happened, she could not quite comprehend. One thing was certain, she had to avoid Brandon Hargrave at all costs. A sadness washed over as Vanessa thought of the kickboxer, her reunion with Mark would make his life easier, but their budding friendship would die in the process.

Brandon had just gotten his head together and was going to try and smooth things over with Vanessa when he heard the door open. He rushed to the door as quickly as he could, but she was gone from his view.
"Dammit!"
He raced to his truck and hopped in just as his manager pulled into the driveway in his own car.
"Brandon, what's going on?" he asked as the young man started the truck.
"No time to talk, be back soon!"

Brandon backed out of the driveway and put the pedal to the metal back to the college. He knew that was where Vanessa would go, to see Mark and try to handle this by herself regardless of his warnings. Maybe she thought she was protecting him, but all she was doing was making the situation worse for herself. As he pulled into the parking lot, he saw Vanessa standing in front of the fraternity building, looking unhurt but conflicted. He strode up to her with a purpose, his eyes hard and determined.
"Are you serious, Vanessa?"

Brandon picked her up by putting one arm between her legs and hoisting her up so that she was resting behind his shoulders. His other arm was locked around her neck, completely out of reach of any teeth. From this position, the best she could do was beat on his back, but she would get nowhere. She was coming back to his home with him, and that was the end of it. He began walking down the side of the road, not caring about the weird looks he was getting. Though he was sure Vanessa was most unhappy, he kept his tone calm and even.

"Vanessa, running out of my house before giving me a chance to explain my plan is just rude, you know?"
He smiled, feeling amused by the situation.
"My plan is a good one. I can legally fight with anyone if the fight is in a controlled environment, my opponent wears proper protection, and he signs a contract absolving me of any legal accountability for his injuries. Within the contract, I would also stipulate that he would have no contact with me or you, under penalty of law. Any attempt at contacting either one of us would send him to jail, not so good for a football jock like him."

He looked back at her.
"My plan will work to perfection. He would lose the fight and be bound by that contract. We would never have to deal with him again."
Brandon's face tightened.
"Much better than your plan of getting back together with him even though you know how stupid that is and he'll just hurt you again. Why do girls never seem to know how to put their emotions aside to do what's best for them?"

Brandon reached his house and walked in, locking the door behind him as he set Vanessa down at the table where his manager was.
"Brandon, what the--"
"It's okay, man. This girl is in a bad relationship with a douchebag that's been hassling me, so we're going to pull a C Block and put an end to that."
C Block meant Contract Block, short hand for the plan he had just explained to Vanessa. Brandon held Vanessa's hand to keep her from running off again, and his manager began to explain the plan to her in detail.

At the end, he spread his hands.
"Vanessa, for Brandon to care enough about you to do this is rare. He's a good young man, and those are far too lacking nowadays. You can walk out of here and be with that asshole until the cows come home if you want, but Brandon and I are offering you a safe and legal way out. Brandon did this for an ex-girlfriend of his back in Manhattan a year ago, and the vicious ex, a professional MMA fighter, has not dared to even breathe in her direction since Brandon and the law got involved. If he can do that for her in that situation, he can certainly get this jock with an overinflated ego out of your life for good."
Brandon remained silent, holding her hand and hoping that Vanessa would do the right thing for both of them and let him help her.

Vanessa stared at the ground as she exited Mark's fraternity. Walking along the sidewalk as the previous events ran through her mind. What exactly had she done. Vanessa took a deep breath raised her head and exhaled, her eyes raising from the concrete sidewalk to the view of Brandon Hargrave truck pulling up, an annoyed expression on the young man's face.

Her heart raced when Brandon yanked her up, slinging her petit frame easily over his shoulder. Vanessa Vasselli held back her.screams, instead she used a free hand to hold down her dress. An attempt to stop it from blowing over her head, exposing her white lace underwear to the public. Despite her irritation Vanessa struck Brandon only once. A hard fist to the lower back to show her disapproval of his actions and the brunette stayed silent until she was placed on a chair in his apartment.

After hearing the two mad men out she opened her mouth, ready to tear them a new one. "I'm not his ex girlfriend....." Vanessa turned to Brandon "You don't need to help me, I am perfectly fine. Before your little kidnapping stunt back there I sorted everything out." She tried standing but Brandon's hand kept her firmly in place.

Vanessa stared him in the eye, searching for any sign of weakness. She was no ordinary girl, Vanessa knew how to spot the fine print. Truth be told, the brunette saw no fine print in Brandon's deal. All cards were laid face up on the table, a genuine offer.

His manager's words echoed in her mind. Did he really care that much?

Vanessa took a deep breath and prepared herself for whatever she was about to say. Words that would enter her into a deal with Brandon Hargrave and exit her from the hell that was Mark Samuel.

"Fine..." she whispered, eyes falling toward the table. Vanessa's browns eyes travelled toward Brandon, piercing his very soul "As long as you don't ever fall for me" She was not going to become an ex girlfriend he helped. She was a Vasselli.

Brandon turned to her, letting her have her say. As he suspected, she had gotten back together with Mark in order to defuse the situation. However, if Vanessa was honest with herself, she would know that Mark would cheat on her again. Maybe it would not be today or tomorrow, but eventually he would. It was not because of 'once a cheater, always a cheater', but because Mark would not work on himself or try to change his actions. Vanessa, due to her feelings for Mark, was putting herself in a position to waste the best years of her life on someone who did not deserve it.

Brandon started back into her eyes, holding her gaze with an emotionless look. He could tell that she was looking for some catch, some way that he was trying to twist this to his advantage. Where would an average young woman like her learn something like that? Or was she average? Food for thought. Apparently satisfied, she momentarily dropped eye contact to take a deep breath.

When she met his eyes again, it was so like a punch that he almost moved his head to avoid it. However, he returned her soul-piercing gaze with a strong one of his own, showing that he had nothing to hide.
"I could never promise something like that, not even objectively."
Brandon's manager smiled, as he realized that this one-on-one conversation between strong individuals was like flirting with a steel edge. Brandon leaned forward with his hands clasped together and his arms falling between his legs. His eyes were warm and kind as they looked into Vanessa's, dodging her razor hardness just like he dodged punches.

"What I will promise is that this is something I will give to you without expecting anything in return. I'm simply getting Mark out of both of our lives. Objectively or subjectively, we are both better off without him."
Brandon broke off eye contact and turned to his manager, giving him a nod. The manager nodded back and slid copies of the C Block paperwork toward them. They spelled out all that they had discussed in the proper legalese, but the new part was where they would sign and date at the bottom.

Brandon took a pen and signed his name neatly at the bottom of the contract before dating it. Under his signature, Vanessa would have to sign and date as a witness. The second copy was for Mark to sign as a participant and Vanessa to sign as a witness. Brandon slid the pen to Vanessa to when she was ready for it, telling her not to sign the one that he had not signed just yet. He would give her plenty of time to read the contract to fully understand what she was getting involved in. After all, once this ball was rolling, there would be no going back.

Vanessa sighed when Brandon refused to give her the answer she wanted. The one she needed to hear before agreeing to his plan. Despite it all, she went along with him. Part of her wondered if Brandon Hargrave knew she would take him up on the offer. The way he signed without hesitation, passing the pen to her confidently.

Like the idiot she was, Vanessa Vasselli signed, dated and laid the pen onto the table. Her eyes found Brandon's "This better work..." She took a deep breath. "Because if it doesn't..." Vanessa chuckled, shaking her head "I'm not exactly sure what would happen next." . It would work, she knew it would. The faith she had in Brandon was immense, there was no way Mark would beat him at his own game. There was nothing fair about the contract, the way Vanessa Vasselli saw it....C block was all in Brandon's favour. That brought a smile to young girl's face "Dont kill him" her eyes met Brandon's seriously.

Brandon watched as Vanessa signed and dated the contract he had signed. He was glad that she was seeing what needed to be done. Someone like Mark was not used to having to take responsibility for his actions, but now he was going to answer for all of them. He could understand why she was nervous about this plan, but he was glad that she had faith in him. He looked her in the eyes and smiled when she asked him not to kill him.
"I only plan to kill his ego."

Brandon gestured to Vanessa's cell phone.
"You should call him and let him know you'd like to see him tomorrow. Don't breathe a word of this to him, as it would spoil the surprise. The look in their eyes when they realize how deep they are in is priceless. I have to go and get my truck out of the college parking lot."
He got up and went out the door, leaving Vanessa to make her call in relative privacy.

"I'll be leaving you as well" Brandon's manager spoke, gathering his papers in a black briefcase. He stopped for second, glancing back at the pretty girl sitting on the chair. "Will you be alright?"

Vanessa glanced back, her smartphone to her right ear "I will..." she smiled.

"See you soon then"

She nodded, watching as Brandon's manager exited the apartment, the door closing gently behind him. Vanessa sighed and hung up the phone. There was no way she could tell Mark to meet her without him knowing something was wrong. "Text him silly" She pursed her lips, hands typing away at her screen. Vanessa took a deep breath as her perfectly manicured fingers hit sent. "I hope this works" She made her way to Brandon's fridge. Without much thought Vanessa Vasselli began cooking, boiling pasta and grilling seasoned chicken breast she found in the freezer.

"Mmm" she mumbled tasting the pasta sauce, her tongue running along the bottom of her lip. Vanessa dug through Brandon's cupboards before laying out two plates and the necessary cutlery. The entire apartment held the aroma of herbs and grilled chicken.

Vanessa tried spraying febreeze, waving her hand in the air frantically "Hes gonna kill me"

Brandon had made his way to the college and found his truck right where he had left it in front of the dorm. He was thankful Mark had not felt the need to vandalize it, and this probably had a lot to do with him thinking that he had won since Vanessa had gotten back together with him. The dumb jock had no idea how badly the game had turned on him, and it was going to be so awesome to see his face when he realized not only that Vanessa was leaving him, but that he would be legally bound to not be able to see her. He started the truck and drove it back to his place. He noticed that his manager was gone, probably to get the contracts notarized so that they would have full legal power. When he stepped inside the apartment, he was hit all at once with the smells of herbs, grilled chicken, and Febreze.

"Wow, is that strong."
He saw Vanessa frantically spraying and laughed.
"Don't use the whole can now."
He walked into the kitchen and saw how delicious what she had prepared looked.
"That looks amazing. Thank you, Vanessa. You didn't have to do this."

Brandon went into his room and got out a quality laptop to take into the living room. He sat down on the couch and began doing homework. Even though it looked odd to be doing pencil and paper at a university, he left behind this laptop so that it could not be used to track him. It was also for this reason that he did not have his Android smartphone turned on very often. Hiding from the mafia forced many people to adopt strange habits. He focused on doing his homework, trying to ignore the cloying odors around him.

Vanessa stopped her frantic attempt at trying to get the scent from Brandon's apartment. Instead all the short girl's attention had been focused on the fact that he owned a laptop. The more time she spent with the kickboxer the more he became a mystery. "You're crazy..." Vanessa sat next to him, glancing at his laptop screen. "So you choose to take notes with pen and paper?" The notion confused the poor girl. Why would anyone chose to give themselves more work, then again there was nothing normal about Brandon Hargrave. A champion kickboxer who returned to college for a general degree. Vanessa Vasselli stared at him, as if an alien would soon appear. When five minutes passed she finally gave up, there was no trying to figure out his oddness. One day it would all make sense Vanessa told herself as she moved into kitchen to grab a plate.



Carefully she returned to living room, balancing two plates of her home cooked meal. Vanessa laid both gently down on the glass coffee table. "I'll take this" she smiled cracking Brandon's laptop. "You're going to eat with me before I go home" Vanessa ran back to the kitchen bringing back two glasses of juice and their cutlery.

"Say Grace" She gently held Brandon's hands, her eyes closed. A soft ands sweet smile on her beautiful face.

Brandon kept his attention on the laptop screen, but smiled when she said he was crazy.
"Yeah. It helps me remember the stuff better and gets rid of the temptation to get on Facebook or something."
Brandon had once had a Facebook account, as well as a Twitter and Youtube account. After the incident with the mob, he deleted all of them and now just had a celebrity page on Youtube where his fans could comment on him. Brandon had really endeared himself to his fan base by not doing that, actually having normal communication with any fans that contacted him, and it hurt him that some people accused him of getting full of himself because of the change he had to undergo just to stay alive.

He could see her staring at him out of the corner of his eye, knowing he had to seem terribly strange to her. Why would someone with a well-established and successful career and no money worries return to college? Why would someone who had an expensive laptop not bring it to class? Most importantly, why would such a well-known sports figure try to live life so anonymously? It would make complete sense to her if he told her the truth, but it also might scare her away from him. After not having a real friendship with anyone since the mob debacle, it felt good and he did not want to give it up.

Brandon saw her get up and head to the kitchen, and he was getting close to being finished with his essay. The college assignments were thankfully not as hard as he had feared, and this paper had been one he could choose his topic on, so that always made it easier. He heard Vanessa set the plates down, and he was just about done with the paper when she took the laptop off of the table and closed it. He was surprised by her actions, but smiled after she said he was going to eat with her.
"Sure."
In a way, this would feel like a date, and he hoped it wouldn't be the only one he would get with this sweet and beautiful woman.

When she came back to the table, he was surprised when she suddenly took his hands and asked him to say grace. Her hands felt so soft, and her skin against his sent a jolt up his spine. He gently held her hands in his grip, letting her feel the strength and security coming from him. The soft and sweet smile on her face made his heart do backflips, and he was glad that her eyes were closed so that she could not see the admiring look on his face. He wasn't sure what she really felt about him and did not want to seem like he was taking advantage of her. She did seem scared to be loved after all, and who could blame her after being with an asshole like Mark?

Brandon closed his eyes and bowed his head.
"Heavenly Father, we come to you today to ask that you please bless this house and this meal. Please wrap your loving arms around us and protect us as we enjoy this meal and our lives to come. Please protect Vanessa once she leaves this house, and protect me as I continue to fight for what I believe in. May your love and your grace prevail throughout this house. In Jesus' name, amen."

Brandon opened his eyes and let go of her hands, picking up the plate and forking some chicken. He took a bite and his eyes popped. After swallowing it, he gave Vanessa a wink.
"Wow, that is really good. My manager is great at what he does, but he's not a great cook, and I'm not so hot, either. I would love it if you could cook for us more often."

"You mean like a personal chef?" Vanessa pursed lips at the idea. "Doesn't sound too bad" It was actually brilliant in the brunette's mind. Leaving her current job was very satisfying, as long as Brandon paid her fairly. "Can you afford me?" Vanessa Vasselli knew the answer to that. A professional athlete who could afford the lifestyle of a king but chose to live simply was bound to have money saved. Brandon Hargrave was not the usual athlete, Vanessa wondered in the guy ever partied. Money, fame and good looks attracted many girls.

I'm sure he's had his fair share of wild nights

Vanessa dug into her food, the taste quite average to her. "I don't get what you see in this" she shrugged sipping her juice.

Brandon was actually a bit surprised by her suggestion.
"I actually was just thinking that you might come over every now and then and cook for us if you wanted to."
As she continued, he could tell that she was actually serious about the idea, and that made him feel torn. A part of him wanted to offer her the job in a second, because it would guarantee that she would always be around to give him food and company. However, the problem was also that she would always be around, meaning that it would become increasingly more difficult to hide the fact that he was running from the mob from her. There were definitely pros and cons to that idea.

"We can afford to pay you fairly, but my manager would have to work out the logistics of an employment contract. I could technically hire you on the spot, but my manager understands the business angle a lot better than I do."
He did not want to give an affirmative answer one way or the other right now, so he settled for a reasonable stall.
"Why don't we settle all this business with Mark before we talk employment? There would be a lot more to it than you think, what with travel and all."
He continued to eat her wonderful cooking and sip the cold juice.

Brandon smiled as Vanessa revealed that she did not see what he saw in her cooking.
"We never see the true merit of what we do. Things we do will always be appreciated more by others than ourselves. For example, my fans all think I'm the perfect kickboxer, but I still see a long way for me to go before I'm satisfied that I've done all that I can to be the best I can be. To that end, I've been studying both Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the side, and plan to travel to both Brazil and Thailand on school break and take part in tournaments there."

He looked into her eyes and smiled.
"However, on the subject of your cooking, it's amazing. In the culinary culture, they say that you can feel the emotion that went into the dish by eating it. That's the "art" part in "culinary arts"."
Brandon had spent much time alone with not much to do, so he had fought boredom by looking into anything and everything that interested him when he was not training or fighting. He went back to eating her cooking and let the atmosphere remain light and happy for continued conversation.

Vanessa studied Brandon's expression, the slight pauses he made in his sentences gave the brunette the answers she needed. Her head nodded in agreement as he spoke. It had been wrong of her to simply give herself the job without waiting on his feelings. "I understand" Vanessa spoke softly, reaching for her glass of water. "You don't have to beat around the bush with me, I was too forward" Vanessa Vasselli resumed eating her meal in silence, her mind on the meeting am that was to take place with Mark tomorrow.

Vanessa finished her meal and took her dishes to sink "The cook never does the dishes" She smiled. Making up some random phrase in order to get Brandon to wash up somehow amused her.

"I should be going" She grabbed her bag "Bring me the document when you're coming to class....I'll take it to him" Vanessa smiled sadly, waving the kickboxer goodbye, before she exited the apartment. Making her out of the building and onto the street to catch a bus or taxi back to campus.


Next day, while Vanessa Vasselli had been nervously walking through the corridors of campus a voice called out to her. Her heart raced, the familiarity of the person once soothed her worries. Now his voice was like nails on a chalk board. It made her sink further into her seat, eyes shut and hand over ears.

"Vanessa..." Mark grabbed the short brunette's shoulder. Easily stopping her stride.

"Mmm?" Vanessa forced a smile

"What do you wanna see me about?" He grinned, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist

"Not now..."

"Why not?" Mark buried his face in her neck, taking in the lovely scent of vanilla, Vanessa's signature smell.

"Because....it's a surprise"

"Ooh...I like surprises" He squeezed her mass, Vanessa sending an irritated look his way. "I'll be waiting by my car for you after class" Mark whispered, placing a soft kiss on Vanessa's cheek.

"Lovely" She lied

Vanessa scurried away with what little strength she had left. The short brunette entered class just before Mr Horowitz did. Taking her seat as usual, Vanessa steadied herself, then glanced back to see if Brandon Hargrave had been there. Part of her wondered if Brandon would slay her dragon, the other half knew she could fight her own battles. Vanessa was no weakling, at least that's what she wanted to believe.

Brandon nodded.
"No, it's alright. I just need time to think about it is all."
Once the meal was over, Brandon took his dishes over to the sink, seeing that he was going to be doing the dishes again. As Vanessa grabbed her bag, she asked him to bring her the contract in class.
"Actually, I..."

Before he could finish his sentence, though, she was gone and had caught a cab back to the college. His actual plan had been to get her to take him to a wrestling gym, which has manager had just gotten permission from the owner to use. It had a ring that could be used for kickboxing, and Mark would suspect nothing of Brandon's involvement. He wanted Vanessa to use the allure of wrestling with her to get him there. After all, a pig like him would never pass up that opportunity...if he could keep his eyes only on Vanessa, of course, and not on the other women.

Brandon sighed, knowing he would have to explain all of this tomorrow. He understood how Vanessa felt, wanting to be a strong, independent woman. However, he had seen one too many specials about how women ignored signs of abuse or tried to handle a situation the wrong way and ended up either dead or disfigured. Brandon wished he would have taught her some Kickboxing now, since that would be a good way to help nullify the strength advantage Mark had on her. Brandon was caught in an emotional pull of wanting to protect her but also wanting to respect her ability to protect herself. He cursed the damn Mafia again for uprooting his life and making even the most normal of interactions extremely complicated.

Brandon hand washed every dish, dried them, and put them up. After that was done, he returned to his laptop in the living room, finished his paper, and sent it to his professor via e-submission. Brandon got up and looked out the window, hoping that Vanessa would be safe in her dorm tonight. He tried not to be ill as he imagined that pig Mark trying to sleep with her. He headed down the hallway, still amazed that one kiss had so complicated his plans for a normal college experience. He laid down and went to sleep, hoping that he and Vanessa would both sleep peacefully tonight.

The next day, Brandon headed to class, thankfully missing the interaction between Mark and Vanessa. He sat down in his usual seat and smiled at Vanessa. After class, he would talk with her about his plan. He did not have the contract with him, giving it to his manager to take to the wrestling gym. Today was the big day, when he would finally be able to strike back at Mark for his disgraceful behavior. Brandon would not hurt Mark more than necessary, but he was going to resolve this situation for good.

As soon as class was over Vanessa braced Brandon, sitting in the desk next to him. The girls eyes glanced over, a nervous look hidden beneath her beautiful brown orbs. "Do you have it?" She whispered. Still somewhat unsure of whether or not Brandon's plan would work or not. "He saw me in the halls..." She stared at her hands solemnly "I'm not sure how he's going to take all this. In case you hadn't notice he isn't exactly the rollover type."

"I can go on my own...it's better If I do." She nodded "If Mark sees you that's gonna set him off. Both of you together...too much testosterone" her smile was small but still visible. "You might just beat him then and there and we won't have a contract anymore....but a charge for assault." Vanessa stood, swinging her bag onto her left shoulder. " The last thing you need is bad publicity right?" She had not fully understood the extent of his stardom, but if Paul's reaction was anything to go by. Vanessa Vasselli would guess that Brandon Hargrave's name was whispered among many athletes. "Walk with me?" Vanessa asked as she made her way through the aisle of desks to the door.

Brandon turned to Vanessa as she came over to him.
"I don't have it right now, my manager does."
He could tell she was nervous about this, and he did his best to calm her down.
"Just relax, it will be okay."
He stayed in the room and leaned forward with his hands to tell her what was going to happen.
"Okay, here's the plan."

Brandon told her that he would be leaving the school and heading to a wrestling gym. It was best for Mark not to see them at all together so that he would not suspect anything. He gave her the address of the wrestling gym and had her take it down in her phone before telling her that she should walk with Mark to there. She should get him to go inside with the temptation of wrestling together. Once they were inside, Brandon and the manager would confront Mark and give him the choice of either accepting the fight or leaving. Brandon knew how he could play on Mark's ego to get him to go through with it.

Brandon got up and smiled at Vanessa.
"I'll see you at the gym. By this time tomorrow, Mark won't be a problem anymore."
He walked off and headed to the parking lot, getting into his truck to head to the wrestling gym. He met his manager in the locker room and changed into his fighting outfit while his manager went over details of his next pro fight that had come up. As soon as this Mark business was concluded, he would have to begin training seriously for this fight.

Vanessa listened to every word as carefully as she could. The uncertainty of what they were about to do hanging like a great cloud over her head. "I know I shouldn't be nervous but I am" It was not the solution she expected, but her trust laid entirely on Brandon in this moment. This made Vanessa uneasy, as the brunette had a hard time trusting anyone to handle her personal affairs. Mark had been her problem, and her stupidity dragged Brandon into it as well. "For our sake...I hope he falls for it" she mumbled slinging her bag over her shoulder, watching Brandon exit the classroom first. Vanessa waited a few moments before she left, not wanting to draw attention to them as instructed.


It had not taken long before Mark found her, she had barely gotten a foot out the main building.

"Gotcha!" He grabbed her by the waist "What's soooo important?"

Vanessa tried hiding her disgust "Nothing"

"Really?" Mark raised an eyebrow

"Yeah..." She turned, a sweet smile on her face "I just wanted to see you....maybe do something fun...ya know" Vanessa bit her lip, giving him the wink.

The dog in him barked his hands inching toward her bottom, giving it a light squeeze "What did you have in mind? "

As seductively as the brunette could manage, she tip toed, but whispering in the athletes ear "Wrestling...."

All Mark could see was his girlfriend's skirt blowing in the wind as she whisked herself away toward the gym. "Vanessa I'm gonna get you!" He laughed heartedly.

Vanessa fast walked toward the gym, taunting her boyfriend to no end. Thankfully the brunette reached before Mark could catch up. "He's coming" she said breathlessly, running over to Brandon. "You better be right about this.." Mark entered the gym, just in time to hear Vanessa finish her sentence.

"Right about what?" He inquired, anger seeping through his expression at the sight of Brandon Hargrave. "What the fuck are you doing here?" His eyes travelled to Vanessa "You little Bitch"

Brandon checked his watch and saw that Vanessa and Mark would arrive soon.
"Let's get going. Vanessa is counting on us to make this work, and I won't let her down."
His manager walked with him out to the gym and set the contract on the table with a pen. Brandon saw Vanessa come in, and Mark was right behind her. It was time to put their plan into action.

"Mark, I'm here because it's time for you to answer for your behavior. You are a manipulative bastard preying on Vanessa, and you attempted to assault me because of your own insecurity. I've had it with you, so we're gonna settle this."
Mark was still focused on Vanessa, his anger still mostly on her.
"Oh, so you're fucking him, is that it? The whole time you were lying to me?"

Brandon stepped in front of Vanessa.
"Your fight's with me now. Or are you too cowardly to man up and take your medicine?"
Mark's glare shot over to Brandon.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll stop running your mouth right now. I don't care if you're some kickboxing champion, I'll still fuck you up."

"You'll fuck me up, huh? Then why don't you stop running your mouth, put on some gloves, and step in that ring with me? We'll see who gets fucked up then."
Mark wanted to walk away, because he knew that Brandon most likely would hurt him badly. However, here was also a chance to prove that he was the better man and show Vanessa that she belonged to him. He was not a bad wrestler, and if he could get Brandon on the ground, he could win.

"Fine, but you'll regret sticking your nose into this, Brandon."
"Step over here and sign this contract first. It stipulates that you won't hold me legally responsible for you being hurt, that you entered into this fight of your own free will, and that if you lose this fight, you have to leave Vanessa alone completely. You will be arrested and taken to court if you attempt to contact Vanessa after losing this fight. Think carefully before you sign it."
Mark felt his stomach drop, seeing that his entire future with Vanessa was on the line.

If he signed this contract, he would have to abide by it, even if he did not want to. If he was arrested, he would lose his scholarship and his dream to play in the NFL. There were many other women, and losing Vanessa was not the end of the world. But having this pro fighter steal his woman and put him in his place was something he could not stand. Mark put other people in their places, not the other way around. He was going to beat Brandon to a pulp, and so he signed the contract.

As Mark went to get changed, Brandon turned to Vanessa.
"I've thought about your offer to be my personal chef, and talked it over with my manager this morning. We both are okay with hiring you, but he wants to discuss pay after the fight. Should you choose to accept the job, we'll pay you fairly a dollar amount a day, seven days a week. We'll make sure you get enough to pay tuition, and we'll cover benefits, as well. We both agreed that if we're going to hire you, then we will make sure you have enough to live a good and fair life."

Mark returned at this point, with yellow trunks, blue gloves, black headgear, and a gray mouthguard. Brandon had chosen to forego the headgear, but did slip in a mouthguard.
"Be back soon," he said to Vanessa with a wink.
His manager also entered the ring to act as referee.
"This fight will be three five minute rounds. If at any time, anyone quits, gets knocked out, or I have to stop the fight, a winner will be declared immediately."

Mark nodded, ready to get the show on the road.
"Touch gloves to make the fight official."
Brandon extended his gloves, and Mark hit them as hard as he could. They returned to their corners and his manager gave the go-ahead after stepping back. Brandon moved forward and Mark began swinging as fast as he could at his head. Brandon easily countered with a punch across the jaw that knocked him to the ground.

Mark jumped to his feet and was knocked back down by a well-placed uppercut. Brandon was not holding back, and either one of those blows would have knocked Mark unconscious had he not been wearing headgear. Mark got to his feet and tried to strategize his moves better. However, Brandon gave him a right kick to the leg, a right punch to the face, and a left kick to the head in rapid succession to knock him down a third time. Mark could not defend himself at all, clearly far outclassed by the champion kickboxer. Brandon chuckled as Mark staggered to his feet.

"I just knocked you down three times in less than one minute. Are you ready to quit yet?"
Mark shook his head.
"Never!"
Brandon saw him come in and went for a kick that would knock him unconscious, the same kick that had won his last pro fight. However, Mark actually countered by ducking under it and throwing his full weight at Brandon's back leg.

If it hit, Brandon's leg would almost certainly be broken. Jumping off his back leg to avoid it, Brandon turned around and landed back in a stance. He kicked out with his right leg, spun all the way around with it, and then connected with Mark's face on a kick with more momentum after he stood up. Mark dropped to the ground, his eyes very unfocused. Seeing that he was knocked out, the manager called the fight. Brandon nodded in happiness, his plan having worked perfectly.

Brandon stepped out of the ring and smiled at Vanessa.
"I told you it would work."
Once Mark came to, he looked at all three of them and nodded.
"Yeah, I get the message. I'll leave Vanessa alone. She was a terrible lay, anyway."

Mark got dressed and left the gym, ready to bed down with a new chick. Brandon went into the locker room to get dressed, happy that he had made Vanessa's life better. Brandon's manager sat down with Vanessa and produced an employment contract on the laptop.
"Well, Vanessa, I think I have payment taken care of. We will pay you $100 a day to cook for a week, meaning you'll make $700 a week. That will put you making $8400 a year, and we'll cover all medical expenses within this contract, meaning that you can mainly put that money toward school. Does that sound fair?"

Vanessa Vasselli found herself cringing everytime Brandon hit Mark. She could not watch, the brunette turned away, but the sounds were much more frightening. Groans, and loud protests of pain. Vanessa shook her head and left the gym, stepping outside till it was all over. She stood at the entrance staring at the campus, praying to God they were both alright. After collecting her wits Vanessa decided it was time to go back in and face the music. Her father, the crime boss had done worse things. A little fight between her ex boyfriend and was nothing.

When Vanessa came back into the gym it was just in time to see Brandon deliver the final blow. Mark went down, eyes unsteady, hitting floor of the ring with a loud thump.

"He really did it" Vanessa whispered to Brandon's manager. A sense of happiness in her voice, a weight lifted from her shoulders. She smiled as he exited the ring, rolling her eyes as he spoke. Vanessa knew she shouldn't have doubted him, she vowed to herself it would never happen again. Mark rose from his stupor, blabbering about how he'd leave Vanessa alone, admitting that he found her terrible in bed.

The brunette simply shook her head, knowing that his statement was simply to make himself feel better. His words however affected her, and Vanessa could not help but wonder if she really was a terrible lay. She hadn't much time to wallow in her misery, Brandon's manager pulled her aside taking out the contract for the job she was asking about. This made Vanessa smile, but it also made her think.

"I don't want it...thank you though. I mean everything sounds fantastic but i don't need the money." Lying was something she had been good at, a skill her dear old dad passed along. "I'll do it for free, consider this my way of paying him back for today. As long as you keep the fridge and cupboards stocked....and.not tell him." Vanessa glanced in the direction of the male locker rooms "Just let him assume I'm being paid and I'll cook all his meals for two months"

Brandon's manager was surprised by Vanessa's decision. He understood her desire to pay Brandon back for what he had done, and would respect her decision.
"I can agree to that. Just let me know what ingredients you'll need and I'll make sure they're on hand. I will agree not to tell him as long as he does not ask. You can understand that it's bad form to lie to somebody, especially when they're a trusted friend."

Unbeknownst to both of them, Brandon had heard everything as he was heading out of the locker room. He knew that Vanessa was not wealthy, so he was surprised that she would turn down being paid for the job. It also made him kind of sad that she was only signing on for two months, since he was hoping for a longer time. He guessed she had her reasons, though, and he understood that. For the time being, he would act like he hadn't heard what had been said and let things roll. After all, there was plenty to be happy for right now.

After waiting ten more minutes, Brandon came walking out of the locker room in his street clothes. He approached Vanessa with a smile as his manager put away the contract.
"See, I told you it would work. The guy was all talk."
He began heading for the door with the other two.
"I have to get started training for my next fight, and I should be home in a few hours."

Once they were all in his manager's car, Brandon turned to Vanessa.
"Would you like to be dropped off at my place or at the college? Either way, we'll meet up with you at my place in a few hours and you can get dinner started."
With Mark out of his hair, Brandon was excited to get ready to defend his championship title again. He was also really happy for Vanessa that she would not have to worry about Mark anymore. The future was looking bright for both of them, although he still had his Mafia problems to worry about, and though he did not know it, so did Vanessa.

Vanessa dug through her handbag, trying to find her phone. "I'll go to your place and get dinner started." Her phone appeared from the bottom of her bag and she smiled. "I've got some studying to do so I'll prepare dinner and leave early....don't worry" she spoke typing on he phone with a small smile "It won't be cold"

Vanessa Vasselli read the messages she missed while the fight was taking place, replying to all. One in particular catching the brunette's eye. An urgent message from Samantha, Paul's girlfriend. What's going on she wondered.

"Can't come right now, what's up?" Vanessa replied

"Paul is what's up" Samantha immediately responded.

"Huh?"

"He let it slip that he told Brandon You liked him"

Vanessa's eyes widened "But that's not even true, I mean he nice but I don't like him in that way. Omg, I'm going to kill Paul!"

"Dont worry I did it for you. Set things straight with Brandon before it gets messy"

"Gotcha "

Vanessa Vasselli looked up from her phone and realised they were nearing Brandon's apartment. Her brown eyes travelled to his manager "Would you joining Brandon for dinner" Vanessa needed to speak with the athlete alone, she doubted his manager Would care to be in the middle of a "we're just friends" conversation.

Brandon's manager looked back as Vanessa asked if he would be joining him for dinner.
"Of course. We always eat dinner together."
He pulled into the driveway and Brandon opened the door to let Vanessa out.
"I'm really looking forward to what you cook. See you later."

Once Vanessa was out of the vehicle and safely in the house, Brandon and his manager were on the way to the Iron Jaw Kickboxing Gym. Once inside, Brandon changed into his workout attire, which was the same outfit he wore during his professional fights, and he began the training regimen. They went through several basic workouts to keep his muscles sharp, and he did a weight lifting session. At one point, he was made to run sideways back and forth through tires, drop to the ground for a push-up, get up and throw two punches and a high kick before repeating the process at the other end. He ran on the treadmill at full speed to increase his speed and cardio, as well. After two hours of these kinds of workouts, Brandon took a much-needed break to re-hydrate and they moved into the boxing ring.

In the ring, his manager told him more about his opponent, Daniel Rogers. Rogers had been moving his way up the ladder, and unlike the veteran Glover, he was pretty young. He was in many ways a young talent just like Brandon, and had even said in interviews that Brandon was his inspiration for getting into kickboxing. This was not the first time he had heard such admiring remarks, but this was the first time that an admirer was challenging him for the title. Rogers was known mostly for working the legs of his opponents in early rounds,which left them open to powerful high kicks in later rounds. Because of this, it was crucial that Brandon perfect his lower-body defense, and they got started on that right away.

Vanessa smiled and waved as the two men drove away "Bye" she whispered a solemn expression on her face. Taking a deep breath the short brunette smiled, turning on her heels and making her way into Brandon's apartment. Once inside Vanessa poured herself a glass of water and rummaged through the cupboards and fridge, hunting for inspiration on her dinner menu.

"No point in cooking unhealthy things" she muttered pulling out her phone and researching athlete diets. If Vanessa agreed to cook for a champion she needed to educate herself on the nutritional needs of champions. After ten minutes of scrolling through endless pages and some competitive forums on bodybuilding websites the brunette set to work. Cutting and lightly seasoning the vegetables "No salt" Vanessa repeated over and over again as she seasoned the chicken and threw it in the oven along with vegetables. Within half and hour Vanessa Vasselli finished the meal and sat on Brandon's couch scrolling through her phone, bored out of her mind and tempted to snoop in the kickboxer's bedroom. With her mind so confused the short brunette quickly fell asleep, comfy and unbothered on her employers couch.

After an hour of working on technique and lower body defense, Brandon and his manager decided to call it a day. They were both tired and hungry, and Brandon was very much looking forward to what Vanessa had cooked. After a refreshing shower, he put his street clothes back on and met his manager at the door with his bag. They chatted amicably on the drive home, and when Brandon entered the house, he was a bit surprised to find Vanessa asleep on his couch. He got a spare blanket out of his bedroom closet and draped it over her before he went into the kitchen with his manager. There they found seasoned chicken and vegetables ready to serve, and it all smelled wonderful.

"Looks delicious," Brandon said, and his manager nodded in agreement.
They both got plates and got as much as they wanted of the food before sitting down at the table. They were both so hungry that they began eating heartily, not talking until they had both had seconds. His manager was really impressed with her cooking, and it was what Brandon had expected of her. Once they were done eating and had put up the rest of the food, they sat back down at the table. His manager folded his hands and sighed, prepared to broach a bit of an uncomfortable topic.

"Brandon, I like Vanessa, I really do. She seems like a sweet young woman. However, with her being around for two months, she might become risky."
Brandon understood what he meant, as her being around so much could lead to her discovering about him being on the run from the mob.
"I realize that, but it's natural that she would want to pay me back for helping her. It seems rude to reject someone's friendship."

"Brandon, I think this is about more than friendship. I can tell that you care for Vanessa more deeply than that."
"I don't know about that."
His manager knew better than to press the subject.
"All I'm saying is, be careful with her."
Brandon nodded, and his manager got up to head to his room.

Brandon looked over at Vanessa on the couch. With her being here while he was gone, he guessed it was prudent to hide evidence. Going into his room, Brandon hid envelopes that had his assumed name on them, which was about the only evidence of being on the run that Vanessa would have access to. He kept thinking about what his manager said about his feelings for Vanessa, but he honestly was not sure about them. Their situation was so unusual that romantic feelings were complicated, and he could only come to the conclusion that feelings between them were not a good idea right now. In two months she would be finished with what she felt was an obligation and would put all of her focus on her future, and that was a good idea while he was in his current situation.

Vanessa awoke half an hour later with a blanket draped over her body. The brunette quickly assisted the situation and jumped up "I can't believe I slept" She muttered. How could she fall asleep in someone's apartment, someone who she had not known for too long.

"Brandon?" Vanessa called getting up from her place on the couch. Her stomach growled telling its owner that she had not eaten since breakfast. Vanessa rubbed her tummy gently, a pizza definitely needed. The brunette went to bathroom, washing her face and fixing her hair rumpled hair. "Good job V, you could've been kidnapped" she whispered.