“Control, Steve,” Sempai Tyler shouted.
Sempai Tyler sounded about ready to bound across the dojo and kick the crap out of someone. For a moment, Jaime wondered how personally Sempai Tyler would take Jaime’s failure. When Jaime dared look up, he didn’t see disappointment in Sempai Tyler’s eyes. Instead he saw the same challenge Jaime had seen so many nights after class. It was almost like the man was daring Jaime to take Steve to the mats and make him pay for his lack of control.
This time, when the two squared off at the center of the room, Jaime thought about doing just that. The idea of pinning a homophobe like Steve brought a smirk to his lips. Steve didn’t take too kindly to that. He lunged at Jaime so quickly, Jaime had no choice but to step back again. It was all a matter of getting his timing down. Jaime counted the gaps between Steve’s attacks. He just needed time to find an opening. Before he could take another step back, Sempai Tyler stepped directly behind Jaime. Unable to move back, Jaime moved to the side as Steve launched a wild haymaker. The movement was so fluid and familiar that Jaime instinctively returned a shot to Steve’s ribs. The contact was so sweet and solid it sent Steve to one knee with a stunned expression. Jaime only had a few seconds to enjoy the exhilaration of the strike when he saw Steve’s face twisted in anger. Now he’d done it. The tool was going to kill him. Jaime braced himself for a real fight.
* * * *
Before Tyler could move to step in, Sensei Melissa gave him a stern look and shook her head. The urge to protect Jaime was so strong, he actually contemplated disregarding Sensei Melissa’s unspoken warning. Instead, Tyler forced his body to still and mentally willed Jaime to stand up for himself. It was something every student needed to learn to do. Unless Steve got out of hand, Tyler had to step back and watch. Knowing that fact didn’t make it any easier.
It felt like an eternity before Jaime finally found his groove. With every shot he blocked or avoided, his confidence grew. His keen eyes caught Steve’s movements as they grew more exaggerated and obvious with his growing frustration. Steve wasn’t holding anything back. But instead of cowering, Jaime moved quicker than Steve. He struck Steve with a natural ease that was free of self-doubt and self-consciousness.
Pride spiked in his chest.
“That’s it,” Tyler mumbled as Jaime swept Steve’s leading leg out from underneath him.
Steve didn’t even know he was going down until he hit the ground. Jaime smirked as he stood over Steve.
“What the…” Steve looked ready to kill as he shot up from his knees.
“Yame.” Sensei Melissa’s voice boomed through the dojo so loud, everyone froze.
Despite her command to stop, Steve charged Jaime. He didn’t get far before Tyler grabbed Steve’s gi collar and yanked him backward. Off-balance and caught off-guard, Steve’s momentum came to a stop.
“Sensei said ‘yame’.” The words caught on Tyler’s front teeth as he fought the urge to slam Steve to the ground. Losing control now wouldn’t be a very good example. “It’s over.”
“But he swept me.” Steve’s face beamed red, a mixture of shame and anger. “That’s a brown belt technique.”
“Consider that your introduction to the technique,” Sensei Melissa called from the front of the class. “Line up.”
As the other students ran to form the line, Jaime and Steve remained frozen in place. Tyler wondered if he was going to have to break up a real fight instead of a sparring match. Steve didn’t look like he wanted to back off, and Jaime had that wild look in his eyes as if he was expecting round two. After a few tense seconds, Jaime bowed to Steve and took his position in line. Steve’s muscles clenched beneath Tyler’s hold. If he attacked Jaime now, Sensei Melissa would kick him out of the dojo without hesitation.
“It’s over unless you choose to keep it going.” Tyler relaxed his grip, prepared to drag Steve out of the dojo, kicking and screaming if he made so much as a move toward Jaime.
Steve looked Tyler over, but the man didn’t look ready to square off against Tyler and he knew it.
“Hai, Sempai,” he muttered before joining the rest of the line. His eyes bore into Jaime’s back as he walked.
Everyone passed the testing, although Sensei Melissa spent nearly ten minutes talking about the importance of not underestimating an opponent. She added a few words about self-mastery being a prerequisite to mastering the art of combat. Though she spoke to the entire class, Steve’s head hung so low he might as well have been receiving a personal browbeating. Tyler’s temper had propelled him into stupidity more than a few times. He just hoped Steve could get control of it before he did something he would regret. Even though the guy wasn’t at the top of Tyler’s list of favorite people, he still wanted to see Steve take the right path.
After Sensei Melissa handed out the new belts, class was dismissed. Then the congratulations began in earnest. It was customary for every student to congratulate the newly promoted students. Tyler kept an eye on everyone, especially Steve, to make sure there were no hard feelings.
“It isn’t easy to let people stand on their own,” Sensei Melissa said as she joined Tyler in observing the students celebrate. “Jaime is improving.”
A broad smile swept across Tyler’s face as he thought of Jaime and knew he had some part in it. As he expected, Steve was the last to congratulate Jaime. They two shook hands, and Steve uttered hollow congratulations despite Jaime’s genuine words about it being a good fight.
“What about Steve?” Tyler asked.
“Watch
