Chapter Three: Combat Training

[backinthsaddle]

Cole's managed to get signed up, last minute, for one of the self-defense courses at his college to use as a refresher, and to learn some new techniques. But for now, he plans to start passing along what he already knows, so long as he can figure out the best way to be a teacher.

He has the workout room outfitted with floor mats and cleared of machines so there's enough room to spar without tripping over or falling into things, and he has handwraps in case things stray into boxing type territory. But he's going to see what she seems more comfortable with first, then go from there.

Comments

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"No, no... he's a good man. He's done right by me, I just... he must think I'm so awful."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"No, I promise you, he doesn't. He knows exactly what we were doing, and that was not it."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

She chews down on the inside of her cheek, and she nods, and she slowly, carefully, uses her hands to push herself up into sitting. "Okay," she says, quietly, wiping her eyes with trembling fingers.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

He's not sure what to do, whether he should get her a tissue, or just a hug, or what. "Maybe we should call it a day?"

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"I'm okay," she says, taking a deep breath that she feels all the way in her diaphragm, filling her up. "I'm alright."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"You sure?"

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

She stands, steps toward him, and gives him a hug to prove it.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

He glances around to make sure that Liam isn't watching, because the last thing he needs is for him to come back and say something else stupid and set her off again. "Right, okay." He clears his throat.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

She steps back. "I'm sorry," she mumbles, to the ground. "That was probably out of line for me."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"No, it's okay. I was just making sure my idiot brother wasn't going to do something stupid again." Now it's his turn to give her a hug.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

She relaxes significantly, and, instinctively, her hand cups the back of his head and she wraps her other arm around him. "Thanks. I know I'm kinda a freak and... thanks."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

He wants to say you're not a freak, but he gets the feeling they would argue for hours, so he just says, "You're welcome."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

She gives him a squeeze, nudges his shoulder with her forehead, and steps back again. Then she studiously studies her shoes.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"So, um... should we start where we left off?" he asks, a little awkwardly.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Sure," she says, and she stretches, so carefully, back out on the floor, moving gingerly.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"You okay?" He means physically, this time.

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Totally," she says, sort of nodding her head from her spot on the ground.

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"You sure? This is a lot I'm throwing at you at once."

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Absolutely. I like to learn. And this is gonna greatly help me."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but there's such a thing as overdoing it." He doesn't know yet that she doesn't quite know her limits or when it's important to stop, but part of him seems to pick up on it. "I'll show you a couple more holds and then we'll call it quits, okay?"

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"No such thing," she says, fiddling with the wrapping around her wrist, plucking lightly at it. "I mean, if you wanna stop, that's okay. But I'm totally fine."

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

"A couple more holds and then we'll stop," he repeats, trying to sound authoritative. Then it's time to get down to the task at hand.

((not sure where to go after this?))

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

"Okay," she says, because she's very wont to just (mostly) blindly agree with authority at this point.

((You could go after what he's feeling, if it's any different than before Liam's little outburst, or we could call it a thread and start on the fourth chapter, and/or on Clark's?))

[backinthsaddle.livejournal.com]

((I think we can call this a thread and do chapter four next, although it'll have to wait until tomorrow since it's about ten minutes from closing time anyway))

[victormakesart.livejournal.com]

((Okay, that works for me. Are you up for Clarking it up tomorrow, too?))