Post by charlirozzi on Nov 15, 2024 17:02:23 GMT -8
Haven was lying on the floor of her room, ice packs on her knees and sprawled out in a way that made it appear as though she had remained wherever she dropped after getting the ice packs she needed.
After training with Mel Reeves all day, requesting some one on one time to prepare her for her upcoming cage match, Haven was now exhausted. After joking earlier to Aiden that Mel was possibly trying to kill her, she was now wondering if that was in fact the truth.
Not the type to relax or sit back, she was also playing some training tapes on her phone, which was propped up for her to see. A recording of some of the earlier training as well as her matches since coming to the academy. Usually she would be taking notes, but for now she just made some mental ones.
Aiden entered the room quietly, his gaze immediately landing on Haven sprawled out on the floor, ice packs balanced on her knees, looking as if she’d collapsed there and hadn’t moved since. He stifled a grin, recognizing that exhausted expression all too well. It was the face of someone who’d pushed themselves to the limit and was still trying to absorb every last ounce of information.
Leaning against the doorframe, he crossed his arms, watching her watch the training tapes, an impressed look in his eyes. ”You’re relentless, you know that?” he teased, a hint of admiration in his tone. ”If Mel really is trying to kill you, you’re doing a pretty good job surviving.”
He stepped forward, careful not to block her view. ”How are the tapes looking? Spotting anything we need to work on, or just admiring your handiwork?” He gave her a small smirk, trying to coax out the same fire she always had, even when exhausted.
She made a sort of grumbling sound at him at first, her eyes flicking from her phone to his face and then back to her phone with an exhausted sigh, despite the tiredness she felt down to her bones, she was still keyed into the training, her mind never really switching off from it. He was usually the one exception to that rule.
”Survival is the bare minimum, I’m going to overcome!” Her tone was playful even with her assertion, for once the pressure she was putting on herself was fair. She had baited out Kian and wanted this match, the stipulations attached were designed to put her at an advantage, she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself after all that.
”I’m weaker when I come from the left, I leave the body too open and she slips out of any hold I apply easily because of it.” She noticed it in every recording she had, she hadn’t before but she did now, the more she learned about wrestling the more her critical eye was turned in on herself. ”We have to fix that.”
Finally pulling her eyes from the screen to look up at him properly and smiled, lifting one arm to reach out for his hand. ”Hi!”
Aiden chuckled, shaking his head as he watched her, admiration clear in his eyes. Even dead tired, Haven was relentless, her mind still locked onto the details, analyzing and dissecting every move. He reached down, taking her hand, giving it a light squeeze.
”Hi,” he replied, his voice softening with warmth. ”You know, I don’t think ‘overcoming’ is going to be an issue for you. You’ve got this fire that’s just… impossible to ignore.”
He knelt down beside her, glancing at her screen, watching her moves with that same critical eye she had. ”Alright, so your left side needs some work. We can tackle that with targeted drills, maybe a few sparring sessions where you only come from the left. Build up that defense until it’s automatic.”
His eyes met hers, a playful look as he added, ”But you know, all the training tapes in the world don’t compare to having someone actually there to help you adjust on the spot. So…” He gave her hand another squeeze. ”Whenever you’re ready, I’m here. Let’s fix it together.”
She looked up at him with a mix of affection and admiration that she reserved only for him. He understood her need to constantly improve, to focus on what needed work, not what was already worked on. Her own self criticisms didn’t come from a place of deprecating but from a desire to be the best.
”I was hoping you’d say that.” She sat up, sitting by him now and smiling, even through the slight grimace of her moving before her body felt fully rested. ”Because as much as I try not to be selfish with your time… nobody pushes me the way you do.”
Her hand wrapped around his, squeezing his in response. Using her free hand she adjusted the ice packs on her legs, getting a little more comfortable where she was sitting, looking up into his face, smiling again despite herself.
”How was today? Aside from the punctuality issue Sara seems… nice isn’t the right word really but she seems like she wants to achieve something, so that’s good.”
Aiden chuckled softly, his fingers squeezing hers back. ”Yeah, ‘nice’ isn’t quite it, but you’re right, she’s got a drive to achieve, and that’s something. She just… she has that edge that’s good but could use some refining. Like you said, it’ll probably hit her eventually. Everyone’s got that moment when they realize they’re not untouchable.”
He glanced down at her legs, noting her discomfort as she adjusted the ice packs, his expression softening. ”I know you’d do this all day if you could, but you’ve got to give yourself a break sometimes, too. Pushing you is one thing, but you also have to listen to your limits. Can’t keep that edge if you’re always running yourself ragged, yeah?”
His free hand reached up to brush a stray hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. ”And don’t worry about my time. Pushing you, watching you get better? That’s exactly where I want to be.”
She leaned into his touch, relaxing into it as she nodded in agreement with a small sigh of playful defeat. She couldn’t really not listen to her body right now, it was screaming. But she loved it, she fed off feeling like she had reached new limits, a discipline she had learned young.
”You’re right, I know. I just… everyone is expecting a lot from me in this match, even Callaghan expects me to teach Kian a lesson and while I’m not so concerned with meeting his expectations?” She paused, wrinkling her nose up in an obvious sign of dislike for the man. ”There are a couple of people holding similar ones I don’t want to let down.”
Even when resting, she couldn’t completely turn off the goal. One part of her mind was always thinking, always providing back ups for back ups. Her own expectations were heavy for herself, this was her chance to show what she really could do if given the opportunity.
”I’ll skip the extra drill runs before training tomorrow and study some tapes of the last two shows instead…’and then you can help me strengthen my left side holds, deal?” She blinked her eyes at him, smiling sweetly as she offered her version of a compromise.
Aiden’s gaze softened, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he listened. ”Sounds like a fair deal to me,” he said, brushing his thumb gently over her hand. ”Besides, you’ll get more out of studying the tapes and conserving some energy than running yourself into the ground. And trust me, Kian’s going to feel those left-side holds once we’re through.”
He chuckled, recognizing the stubborn determination in her eyes. ”You know, I don’t think Callaghan knows half of what he’s asking you to do. But if anyone’s going to surprise him—and everyone else—it’s you. Not just because you’re meeting their expectations, but because you’re pushing beyond them. That’s what sets you apart.”
Pausing, he tilted her chin up just a bit to meet his eyes, his expression serious but warm. ”But remember, you don’t have to carry all of this alone. I’m here to keep you grounded, even when your mind’s ten steps ahead. And as much as I push you, I’ll be the first one to call it if I think you’re going too hard.”
His voice softened, sincerity clear in his tone. ”Deal?”
She smiled up at him, his tone, the way he looked at her. It filled her with a sense of security she hasn’t known before. She knew she could trust him, that in every sense of the word he would keep her safe. ”Deal.” She exhaled the word with a tiny nod of agreement. Her hand moved to take his, kissing the palm of his hand before pressing it to her cheek in a soft, warm show of affection.
”I know you’ll keep me grounded, if you say stop? I stop… there’s no one else in the world I trust with that but you.” She wanted to be the best, not just this week but overall. But she accepted part of that was stopping for a break when one was needed, even if she couldn’t quite tell for herself when those times were. ”Sometimes I forget, that I’m not carrying all of this alone, I don’t mean to. You know that don’t you? When I get all in my head and I get that tunnel vision… it’s not that I don’t need you, I need you. It’s just learned habits I’m unlearning.”
Her tone was soft and genuine, the only concern outside of her training she ever had, was that Aiden never felt as though she was holding him at arms length. The opposite was true, she would have him right there every second if she could. Physically and emotionally.
Aiden smiled softly, his hand warm against her cheek as he held her gaze. ”I get it,” he murmured. ”That focus, that drive—it’s part of who you are. I know it’s not about keeping me out. But just remember, you don’t have to do it alone anymore.”
He leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. ”I’m right here, through every high and low, pulling you back when you need it. Don’t ever worry about me thinking you’re pushing me away. I know where I stand with you.”
His thumb brushed over her cheek, his voice gentle. ”I love you.”
His words caught her by surprise, a little flutter of butterflies in her stomach as she kept her eyes locked on his, only closing them to lean in and kiss him softly, despite the softness her kiss was filled with emotion, responding to his words before she pulled back, finally responding verbally as well.
”I love you too.” Her voice was warm and soft, words she had never felt the way she did when she said them in that moment. Her forehead resting back on his as she smiled again, smiling so much her cheeks would likely hurt from it but she smiled just as much all the same.
Aiden’s smile widened as she leaned in, her soft kiss saying more than words ever could. He felt that flutter, too… The quiet thrill of sharing something real and deep. As she pulled back and whispered her own ”I love you,” his heart felt full in a way he rarely allowed himself to feel.
Their foreheads rested together, a comfortable warmth settling between them as he mirrored her smile, not caring if it made his cheeks hurt too. In that quiet moment, with nothing but the sound of their steady breaths and the warmth of her close, everything felt exactly as it should.
After training with Mel Reeves all day, requesting some one on one time to prepare her for her upcoming cage match, Haven was now exhausted. After joking earlier to Aiden that Mel was possibly trying to kill her, she was now wondering if that was in fact the truth.
Not the type to relax or sit back, she was also playing some training tapes on her phone, which was propped up for her to see. A recording of some of the earlier training as well as her matches since coming to the academy. Usually she would be taking notes, but for now she just made some mental ones.
Aiden entered the room quietly, his gaze immediately landing on Haven sprawled out on the floor, ice packs balanced on her knees, looking as if she’d collapsed there and hadn’t moved since. He stifled a grin, recognizing that exhausted expression all too well. It was the face of someone who’d pushed themselves to the limit and was still trying to absorb every last ounce of information.
Leaning against the doorframe, he crossed his arms, watching her watch the training tapes, an impressed look in his eyes. ”You’re relentless, you know that?” he teased, a hint of admiration in his tone. ”If Mel really is trying to kill you, you’re doing a pretty good job surviving.”
He stepped forward, careful not to block her view. ”How are the tapes looking? Spotting anything we need to work on, or just admiring your handiwork?” He gave her a small smirk, trying to coax out the same fire she always had, even when exhausted.
She made a sort of grumbling sound at him at first, her eyes flicking from her phone to his face and then back to her phone with an exhausted sigh, despite the tiredness she felt down to her bones, she was still keyed into the training, her mind never really switching off from it. He was usually the one exception to that rule.
”Survival is the bare minimum, I’m going to overcome!” Her tone was playful even with her assertion, for once the pressure she was putting on herself was fair. She had baited out Kian and wanted this match, the stipulations attached were designed to put her at an advantage, she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself after all that.
”I’m weaker when I come from the left, I leave the body too open and she slips out of any hold I apply easily because of it.” She noticed it in every recording she had, she hadn’t before but she did now, the more she learned about wrestling the more her critical eye was turned in on herself. ”We have to fix that.”
Finally pulling her eyes from the screen to look up at him properly and smiled, lifting one arm to reach out for his hand. ”Hi!”
Aiden chuckled, shaking his head as he watched her, admiration clear in his eyes. Even dead tired, Haven was relentless, her mind still locked onto the details, analyzing and dissecting every move. He reached down, taking her hand, giving it a light squeeze.
”Hi,” he replied, his voice softening with warmth. ”You know, I don’t think ‘overcoming’ is going to be an issue for you. You’ve got this fire that’s just… impossible to ignore.”
He knelt down beside her, glancing at her screen, watching her moves with that same critical eye she had. ”Alright, so your left side needs some work. We can tackle that with targeted drills, maybe a few sparring sessions where you only come from the left. Build up that defense until it’s automatic.”
His eyes met hers, a playful look as he added, ”But you know, all the training tapes in the world don’t compare to having someone actually there to help you adjust on the spot. So…” He gave her hand another squeeze. ”Whenever you’re ready, I’m here. Let’s fix it together.”
She looked up at him with a mix of affection and admiration that she reserved only for him. He understood her need to constantly improve, to focus on what needed work, not what was already worked on. Her own self criticisms didn’t come from a place of deprecating but from a desire to be the best.
”I was hoping you’d say that.” She sat up, sitting by him now and smiling, even through the slight grimace of her moving before her body felt fully rested. ”Because as much as I try not to be selfish with your time… nobody pushes me the way you do.”
Her hand wrapped around his, squeezing his in response. Using her free hand she adjusted the ice packs on her legs, getting a little more comfortable where she was sitting, looking up into his face, smiling again despite herself.
”How was today? Aside from the punctuality issue Sara seems… nice isn’t the right word really but she seems like she wants to achieve something, so that’s good.”
Aiden chuckled softly, his fingers squeezing hers back. ”Yeah, ‘nice’ isn’t quite it, but you’re right, she’s got a drive to achieve, and that’s something. She just… she has that edge that’s good but could use some refining. Like you said, it’ll probably hit her eventually. Everyone’s got that moment when they realize they’re not untouchable.”
He glanced down at her legs, noting her discomfort as she adjusted the ice packs, his expression softening. ”I know you’d do this all day if you could, but you’ve got to give yourself a break sometimes, too. Pushing you is one thing, but you also have to listen to your limits. Can’t keep that edge if you’re always running yourself ragged, yeah?”
His free hand reached up to brush a stray hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. ”And don’t worry about my time. Pushing you, watching you get better? That’s exactly where I want to be.”
She leaned into his touch, relaxing into it as she nodded in agreement with a small sigh of playful defeat. She couldn’t really not listen to her body right now, it was screaming. But she loved it, she fed off feeling like she had reached new limits, a discipline she had learned young.
”You’re right, I know. I just… everyone is expecting a lot from me in this match, even Callaghan expects me to teach Kian a lesson and while I’m not so concerned with meeting his expectations?” She paused, wrinkling her nose up in an obvious sign of dislike for the man. ”There are a couple of people holding similar ones I don’t want to let down.”
Even when resting, she couldn’t completely turn off the goal. One part of her mind was always thinking, always providing back ups for back ups. Her own expectations were heavy for herself, this was her chance to show what she really could do if given the opportunity.
”I’ll skip the extra drill runs before training tomorrow and study some tapes of the last two shows instead…’and then you can help me strengthen my left side holds, deal?” She blinked her eyes at him, smiling sweetly as she offered her version of a compromise.
Aiden’s gaze softened, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he listened. ”Sounds like a fair deal to me,” he said, brushing his thumb gently over her hand. ”Besides, you’ll get more out of studying the tapes and conserving some energy than running yourself into the ground. And trust me, Kian’s going to feel those left-side holds once we’re through.”
He chuckled, recognizing the stubborn determination in her eyes. ”You know, I don’t think Callaghan knows half of what he’s asking you to do. But if anyone’s going to surprise him—and everyone else—it’s you. Not just because you’re meeting their expectations, but because you’re pushing beyond them. That’s what sets you apart.”
Pausing, he tilted her chin up just a bit to meet his eyes, his expression serious but warm. ”But remember, you don’t have to carry all of this alone. I’m here to keep you grounded, even when your mind’s ten steps ahead. And as much as I push you, I’ll be the first one to call it if I think you’re going too hard.”
His voice softened, sincerity clear in his tone. ”Deal?”
She smiled up at him, his tone, the way he looked at her. It filled her with a sense of security she hasn’t known before. She knew she could trust him, that in every sense of the word he would keep her safe. ”Deal.” She exhaled the word with a tiny nod of agreement. Her hand moved to take his, kissing the palm of his hand before pressing it to her cheek in a soft, warm show of affection.
”I know you’ll keep me grounded, if you say stop? I stop… there’s no one else in the world I trust with that but you.” She wanted to be the best, not just this week but overall. But she accepted part of that was stopping for a break when one was needed, even if she couldn’t quite tell for herself when those times were. ”Sometimes I forget, that I’m not carrying all of this alone, I don’t mean to. You know that don’t you? When I get all in my head and I get that tunnel vision… it’s not that I don’t need you, I need you. It’s just learned habits I’m unlearning.”
Her tone was soft and genuine, the only concern outside of her training she ever had, was that Aiden never felt as though she was holding him at arms length. The opposite was true, she would have him right there every second if she could. Physically and emotionally.
Aiden smiled softly, his hand warm against her cheek as he held her gaze. ”I get it,” he murmured. ”That focus, that drive—it’s part of who you are. I know it’s not about keeping me out. But just remember, you don’t have to do it alone anymore.”
He leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. ”I’m right here, through every high and low, pulling you back when you need it. Don’t ever worry about me thinking you’re pushing me away. I know where I stand with you.”
His thumb brushed over her cheek, his voice gentle. ”I love you.”
His words caught her by surprise, a little flutter of butterflies in her stomach as she kept her eyes locked on his, only closing them to lean in and kiss him softly, despite the softness her kiss was filled with emotion, responding to his words before she pulled back, finally responding verbally as well.
”I love you too.” Her voice was warm and soft, words she had never felt the way she did when she said them in that moment. Her forehead resting back on his as she smiled again, smiling so much her cheeks would likely hurt from it but she smiled just as much all the same.
Aiden’s smile widened as she leaned in, her soft kiss saying more than words ever could. He felt that flutter, too… The quiet thrill of sharing something real and deep. As she pulled back and whispered her own ”I love you,” his heart felt full in a way he rarely allowed himself to feel.
Their foreheads rested together, a comfortable warmth settling between them as he mirrored her smile, not caring if it made his cheeks hurt too. In that quiet moment, with nothing but the sound of their steady breaths and the warmth of her close, everything felt exactly as it should.