Just me and the birds.

Levi had arrived at the gym during what most people would consider early hours, though with Leo’s schedule it was probably closer to the end of his workout schedule than the beginning. Her gym bag slung over her shoulder, long pink blonde hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. She was dressed to work out, which was almost always how she dressed actually. Gym shorts and a matching sports bra, a gym jacket thrown over the top.

”Hey.“ She called out to Leo as she dropped her bag to the floor, lifting a hand to wave her greeting before grabbing a water bottle from her bag. ”I wasn’t expecting to see anyone here this early.“

She paused to tuck the small saints coin she wore into her top before she approached with an awkward smile. ”It’s usually just me and the birds.“

He barely heard her voice over the music playing in his ears. He quickly paused the tune and removed the headset, meeting Levi with a smile. ”Hey, sorry I didn't hear you coming in.“

He was wearing black sweatpants and a black sleeveless muscle shirt, highlighting his physique. Sweat beads rubbing down his skin from what looked like an intense workout session. ”I have the most random workout schedule, be prepared to find me here at the wildest times.“ He then added, flashing another smile at his new team mate.

She half laughed in a not casual enough to be casual kind of way, nodding her head. ”You have a pretty crazy schedule right? Makes sense you’d be here at weird hours.“

Her eyes trailed over his body, before she caught herself and with a small shake of her head looked back at his face, which didn’t do much to help the small rise of heat in her cheeks, turning them a soft shade of pink. ”I hope I’m not intruding or… interrupting!“

He noticed the slight change of color on her cheeks, but he wasn't gonna show it. Still, he couldn't help but chuckle lighting, hiding it behind the towel he grabbed to wipe his face.

”Absolutely not.“ He looked around, eyes moving to all the machinery in the now empty gym. ”This place is big enough for the both of us, and it's always nice to have some company.“

She exhaled and nodded, she hadn’t realised she had been holding her breath until she let it go, turning slightly to look around the gym and agreed, taking a moment to not look at him and have a serious, silent word with herself.

”I like to come when it’s quiet, less people looking.“ That was something she had noticed, at home the gym was full of people she had grown up with and similarly, people who knew her brothers would murder them for looking. ”I guess that’s something I have to get used to!“

She finally turned back to look at him again, forcing herself to stay focused on his face. ”Wrestlers kinda need the audience so.“

”Yeah, bit of a mixed blessing, isn't it?“ He could tell she was slightly uncomfortable, despite this wasn't the first time they interacted. Social media, Nightfall group training sessions, there have been a few occasions where they had a bit of back and forth, but this was the first time alone and in person.

He didn't know much about Levi, only what Chris told them. She came from a wrestling family, youngest and only girl in a long list of siblings. And yet, her attitude was different from any of the other second generation wrestler in the Crucible. Humble, never a word out of place, barely acknowledging the heritage her last name was carrying. ”It's not that bad, you'll get used to it.“

She widened her eyes just a little, almost in disbelief at the idea that she could get used to anything like being gawked at all the time. She had noticed the way people tended to be intimidated by her, which was funny in a not so humorous way, since she was one of the least scary people in the place.

”It’s what we’re all here to do, right?“ She leaned against one of the machines ever so slightly, trying to relax her tense stance. Usually she wasn’t quite this awkward, but something about Leo made her feel like a bumbling idiot… thinking about it made her blush again and she folded her arms over her chest trying to ignore it.

”I hope I don’t come across as nosey or rude or anything but… how come you are, here to do it I mean?“

He crouched down, reaching inside his gym back to grab his water bottle.

”Wrestling? That's an old dream of mine, one I almost outgrew.“

He admitted, taking a sip of the electrolyte beverage he brought with him. Looking up at her from that position made her look even bigger. Which, in return, made her awkwardness even cuter.

He could tell that she was unease in this situation, and couldn't help but think it was his presence that made her feel that way? Arrogance? Some might say so, but he had been in this shoes before, and he could see the signals.

But this wasn't some club in LA he hit with his buddies to unwind after a long shift, and she wasn't some girl he could forget about in the morning.

”Then life led me on a different path, I made some choices I don't regret that took me where I am, doing the most beautiful job in the world.“ His eyes sparkled whenever he mentioned his career in the Fire Department, pride and passion adding a glow to his intense glare.

He was quick to break that brief eye contract, not wanting to make things even more uncomfortable for her than they already were ”But I always had this itch I wanted to scratch, and I feel like the Crucible is the last chance to live this dream, for as long as it'll last.“

Everything about him made her nervous, he had a quiet confidence about him that she had only ever seen around her brothers. But with Leo it was different, there wasn’t the same cocky self-assured nature they had. It was closer to him just being comfortable in who he was, which wasn’t something she could relate to.

”How come you waited? If it’s always been a dream of yours?“ Her curiosity just outweighed her shyness. Even so her eyes occasionally flicked away after meeting his. Her arms folded at her chest hiding some of the tension she felt asking such personal questions. ”You don’t have to answer, if it’s too personal…“

Boundaries she didn’t have a full grasp of, even as a kid she was constantly told she asked too many questions, was too forward socially. It hadn’t helped her awkward nature any and was why she was often too quiet, especially in group settings. Like she was constantly a little afraid of being found out.

”It is a pretty cool job, very selfless and serving the greater good.“ When he broke eye contact she looked down at her water bottle quickly. When his eyes sparkled like that, she forgot to look away, so she was glad to have the reminder when he did. ”They’re both pretty stunted longevity wise though, right? Especially at the same time…“ it wasn’t really a question so much as her thinking out loud.

”Why I waited...“ He repeated the question she asked, scratching the back of his head as he chuckled softly. ”Well, first of all there's my job, of course. It's very demanding, both physically and mentally and let's say I wasn't disciplined enough when I was nineteen to juggle both.“

He couldn't help but chuckle. His claim, while true, was definitely an understatement to picture his wild youth. A reckless attitude both in his private life and on the job he luckily lost as he grew older. ”I'll be honest, even now I'm finding it harder than I thought it would be. But I'm managing so far.“

He was, but he was also visibly tired. He was at the end of his workout when she joined him, ready to pack up and get some rest. He sat down on a bench, gathering his thoughts for a moment before continuing. ”Like I said, I'm just trying to enjoy the ride and live my dream. One day at a time for as long as I'm capable of.“

She nodded quietly, pensive for a moment. He made wrestling sound like an option, something he chose to do out of all the things he could’ve chosen. It wasn’t really an outlook she was used to, even Zxavier who was her only friend so far, didn’t see this as a choice, it was just what they were supposed to do.

”Well, you’re doing a pretty good job of it so far.“ Even her compliments were awkward, a half smile as she dropped her hands from her chest and turned slightly to have a view of the door from where they stood. It was something she did even in training as a group, she always liked to have a view of the entrance.

”I think we all probably had a shock in one way or another coming here…“ again she was half thinking out loud as she spoke. Crucible hadn’t been anything like she imagined, there was so much outside of the ring that people seemed fixated on and she didn’t have even a beginners grasp of that yet. ”I know coming in, I wasn’t expecting anyone to know where I was coming from… I get why Chris said something, but it hasn’t exactly helped me make friends.“

Was that what she wanted to do? Make friends? Her eyes lingered on him again as she spoke. It felt like everything she said was wrong, too formal for how she meant it. As she inadvertently stared at him for slightly too long a pause she did that, musing out loud thing again.

”You’re definitely fit enough for the balance, at least.“

”Haha, well both jobs require me to be in peak condition so..“ Leo chuckled, instinctively flexing his muscles for the briefest moment. A gesture he immediately regretted, trying to downplay it with a swift deflection.

”But it's actually taking a mental toll too. Things are.. Not exactly how I pictured them. I mean, we all heard the ugly stories, I knew this business had a very dark side. But I thought in a wrestling school, that kind of shit would be the exception, not the norm.“

”Instead..“ He started packing up his stuff, throwing everything back inside his bag. ”All these attacks, the betrayals, the deceptions, this cutthroat mentality... It's affecting people I care about, and I hate that I can't do enough for them.“

Her cheeks blushed furiously when he flexed and she looked back towards the door with a quick turn of her head. Only redirecting her attention back to him at his final words, shaking her head slightly as she frowned, a small crease between her eyebrows as she watched him for a moment.

”You can’t be the hero all the time.“ Again, it wasn’t aggressive or judgemental, she mused the words as much as she said them before she caught herself. ”All I mean is that, you can’t be responsible for things others say or do, even when it feels like you should be doing something. We can’t avoid all of life’s challenges, we can only overcome them. In time.“

She trailed off again, trying not to come off as preaching and always worried she did.

”You're right.“ Leonardo said as he picked his back up from the ground.

He knew she was, he knew that he couldn't do much more than he already was for the people he cared about. Support them, offer comfort when they needed it, a distraction from those negative thoughts haunting them, give advice. But that was it, as frustrating as it was.

”But what kind of shitty hero would I be if I didn't at least try?“ He joked, playing into what she said moments ago. He accompanied those words with a playful wink and his characteristic charming smile, a light chuckle escaping his lips.

If she wasn’t blushing before she was now, her cheeks bright red and everything cognitive thought left her mind in that second. An awkward laugh left her before she could stop it, pressing a hand over her mouth to silence the tail end of it. Only moving her hand when she was sure it had passed.

”Yes. Yeah. Of course.“ It was almost like babbling as she tried to find the sentence she meant to say. ”I don’t mean to keep you!“ She pointed to his bag. ”Maybe next time I’ll actually catch you at the start.“

”Why leave that up to fate? Tomorrow, this time. Sounds good to you?“

His offer took her by surprise, after a long pause of surprised silence she finally shook her head in agreement, trying to focus on the conversation at hand.

”Oh! Yeah, sure. I always like to get in an early work out before everyone else is awake.“

”Wonderful. See you tomorrow then.“

Leo took the way to the door, leaving Levi alone in the gym. Before exiting the gym, he added. ”Try not to break any record in the meantime!“