daybreakacademy | Work It Out

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Work It Out

WHO: Orihime Inoue, OPEN
WHAT: Orihime tries out the training facility. There aren't any laser robots or floor buzzsaws.
WHEN: January 27th, Evening
WHERE: Legionnaire Training Facility

She was definitely impressed not only with how much equipment there was for the students, but how varied it was, too. Secret training in the woods was great for strengthening her powers, but her body needed to be strong too. While she wasn't much of a weight lifter, she did like sports. She took a peek at the basketball courts, but they were all in use, so...maybe later, she decided. Racquetball looked fun, she could easily do that on her own. But it seemed a little...pathetic? Lonely? It didn't really suit her mood.

Then she found that there were batting cages with an automatic pitcher, and she knew she'd found the best way to pass the next hour. If she was going to carry a baseball bat to the dance (and she absolutely was), then it would probably do her some good to get used to swinging it again and practice her aim at the same time.

She was surprisingly good at it. She dug in with the ball of her foot and twisted at the waist when she swung, putting her whole body into it. The satisfying crack of a bat smashing the baseball to send it arcing high, higher, hitting the netted ceiling before dropping, the vibrations it sent through her wrist and arms...she loved that. It would have sent an outfielder scrambling for sure! The machine whirred and Orihime hunkered, ready for the next shot.

She got a lot more hits than misses, and after the buzzer sounded to indicate an hour had passed, her arms and shoulders were nice and sore. She put away her equipment and rubbed at the back of her neck. It was a good way to work up a sweat, but she wasn't sure she wanted to call it quits.

So, she rented a bathing suit from the equipment check-out counter, changed into it, and stuffed her long, chestnut hair into a fitted cap so it wouldn't get damaged by the chlorine.

Walking on the textured concrete and smelling the mix of pool chemicals brought back a nostalgic wave of summer memories and she found herself smiling. She padded barefoot around the enormous pool, finding a spot where there weren't any swimmers to accidentally leap on, and hopped right into the water.

Cold!

...But then it got warmer as her body adjusted.

She scrubbed her hands over her face, blinking the water from her lashes, then pushed off with her feet to start swimming. She'd never done this in winter before, but she found herself enjoying the contrast. Her curves didn't seem to slow her down as she knifed through the water, using her strength to kick her legs and pump her arms. She was still a little sore, but the water felt good and didn't put as much strain on her muscles.

Eventually, after nearly an hour had passed, she hauled herself out of the pool and walked dripping back to the changing rooms to shower off and wrap herself in a thick white towel. She'd never been in a real sauna before, but she heard they were relaxing, so she decided to try that out. Her towel stayed firmly tucked as she took a place on one of the benches. And coughed. The steam was a little difficult to get used to, and it seemed ridiculously hot. But she stuck it out, beads of sweat clinging to her brow and body.

The only part she didn't like was the way her thoughts kept straying to the exchange of messages on her phone.

'you dont have to go with me to the dance!'

It still stung. She didn't know how to make her feelings clear, and she knew she would have to. But it was so awkward, and really, wouldn't it be better if she just kept quiet? ...Honestly, she didn't know. It was a little annoying, though, that her hours of exercise had delayed the sourness in her throat only temporarily. Maybe after the dance. It was a long time away, and she might figure out the right words by then.

When the steam was too stifling to bear any longer, Orihime left, taking another brief shower before toweling off and changing into her winter clothes. The shock of the cold January air stole her breath away when she stepped outside, a stark contrast to the balmy heat of the sauna. She shivered and zipped up her coat, gloved hands tugging the scarf higher over her mouth and nose as she hurried back to the dorms. It was pretty late, she'd have to be quiet in case Tatsumaki was already asleep.

[OOC: Places of interaction are the batting cages, pool, sauna, the walk home, and the Aube Dorm!]

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Well. Okay. If she was completely charmed by it. He ... reaches out a hand awkwardly? Help him, Orihime, he's not sure where this goes.

"Maybe show me how first," he says, uncertain. "Then we can try music?"

"Okay!" she beamed. "I did a little research on this..." Which means, prior to Friday, she watched a bunch of dance videos on Youtube, some of which were relevant, some of which were not. No one was going to do the polka at a school dance.

"You hold up your left hand with your thumb up, and I take that..." she rested her curled fingers over the edge of his hand and closed her thumb, "and your right hand goes on my waist or on my shoulderblade. Waist is what most people do today, but shoulderblade is more traditional and gives you more control and communication for spins and things like that. If you keep a good frame, you won't be too close to your partner and then you're less likely to step on each other's feet," she grinned.

Her other hand came up to rest on his upper arm, right next to his shoulder. Being just an inch over five feet, she had to tip her head back to look up at him. It was starting to remind her of dancing in the snow with the silent ghost, and that was a pleasant memory.

"But if you just want to shuffle in a circle, then it's more like a hug. I think that one's more intimate, though," Orihime shrugged.

It really seems like she's way better at this than he is? But he can follow instructions, at least. Plus she's right about one thing: he is quite capable from an agility standpoint. So he's physically capable of the moves, just. Trying to string them together fluidly is tough?

Anyway. He's awkward, but learning. "I guess when you put it like that," he says. He's deeply focused, and frankly making some weird faces as he goes. That might ruin the illusion a bit. "I think I get it. I'm not good at it, but..."

Maybe he'll do all right at the dance?

"No, you're doing fine! And you're improving quickly," she reassured him, squeezing his arm. Besides, the weird faces were hilarious. All they had to do was step at the same time, one, two, one, two...

"Now if you raise your left hand and cross it to the right, you can twirl your partner out." She did that part for him, holding his hand as she brought it overhead. It made her own arm cross which made it more than obvious that she needed to spin in place. "And your partner can either stay where she is, or step out with a flourish like... Shaaaaa!" She threw her left hand out, and pointed her toe, then spun back in. "Just make sure it's left to right, doing it the other way is awkward."

That's honestly kind of cool? He laughs a little, though not unkindly. "Dude," he says. "You're way better at this than I am." But okay, he'll try it. Let him just pull her back in and then ... back out? He's very careful not to spin her too hard, given his strength.

"I had a good teacher!" she giggled. And at his direction, she twirled more smoothly than she had on her own. The practice was good for her too, she was learning too.

"You'll have to watch the other dancers," Orihime grinned, eyes twinkling. "Because once you twirl Maya, I bet you the boys will try to do the same thing to impress their partners. It's a gold star move, and pretty simple to do!"

She grasped his upper arm again with a wide smile. "Now dip me, and that'll finish the dance!"

He really, really doesn't think anyone is going to be out there imitating him. But okay, why not? It's a nice image.

But uh. She asks him to dip her? And that ... makes him pause. Right. Okay. He can do that. "Hold on, okay?" To his credit, he does manage to dip her? But he does it a bit too much, and ends up sort of. Picking her up bodily for a second. Good thing he's strong.

"Kyah?!" She clutched at his arms, eyes wide with surprise. Orihime wasn't expecting her feet to leave the floor! But once she was bent back and her foot settled, she stared up at him, face pink...and she couldn't help a little laugh.

"Th-that was unexpected! I didn't know your strength was that super!" He didn't think she was heavy?

It was fun, though!

Sorry, Orihime. He laughs too, carefully setting her back down.

"I'm really, really strong," he says by way of explanation. "Sorry. Got carried away."

But that was fun, and he's feeling better about dancing now.

"No, not at all! It was a fun surprise!" Her heart was still beating fast as she laughed against her fist. He was laughing too, and it felt good to hear it.

...She...really needed to tell him, didn't she? Putting it off for so long was cowardly. He deserved better than that. He deserved so much better.

She quieted as she disengaged and took a step back, bowing as if to thank him for the dance. When she came up, her smile was more subdued.

"...I...want to apologize to you..."

Peter kind of stops at that, sensing that something's up. Though maybe it's not sensing if he's, y'know, looking at her face with his eyes.

"What? To me?" He looks baffled, frankly, because he also feels baffled. "What for?"

"Because I..."

How was she supposed to put this into words? Her jaw tightened silently for a moment as her gaze drifted, her brow furrowed in frustration. That was the price of spontaneity, she couldn't put her words together as eloquently as she might have wanted. But if she faltered now, or tried to take it back, it would only be harder to tell him the next time.

So she balled her hands into fists and took a deep breath, then bowed deeply at the waist.

"I spoke carelessly when I said I would be your back-up! I thought I was being less intrusive and giving you your freedom to choose anyone you wanted, because I thought you were amazing! And I still do! But I didn't know you didn't think that way, and so..." Her throat tightened and she pressed her mouth into a thin line. "And so...I made you feel like a second-rate man. And I didn't even realize it until I saw how happy and surprised you were to have someone ask you out."

Her fists loosened just long enough to grip her skirts into a tight knot of fabric at her sides.

"I'm sorry. I never wanted to make you question your worth like that. You're one of the nicest people I've ever met, and I'm so sorry I made you feel like you were a discount date."

He hears her out, of course. How could he not? As soon as she bring up this topic, he winces guiltily, bracing for something worse? And ... it never comes. She really is apologizing to him. For - what? Making him feel second-rate? What? He's confused at first, then just quiet. If he weren't 100% convinced of her utter sincerity, he might have wondered if she was making fun of him. (But not Orihime, no. Never her.)

"Orihime," he says after a moment, his voice quiet. "You didn't make me feel like that. You really didn't." How does he explain this without self-deprecating again? That's his go-to response, but it doesn't feel right in this situation. He'd be proving her point. Right, okay, find another way to describe it. "Being a backup date was awesome? I was really flattered, okay."

He pauses here, rubbing at the back of his neck. And getting kind of red for a second. "Plus you're really amazing and nice too. I'd have had said yes if you'd asked me for real, you know."

Orihime lifted her head at his response. She wasn't crying, but her lashes were damp after expressing all of her guilt and remorse. Was he being honest or was he just saying she didn't hurt his feelings to spare hers? She wasn't sure. That was one of the rare downfalls of knowing that he was a nice person. He put others before himself, and hated seeing other people get hurt.

Slowly she straightened, uncertain, but unwilling to interrupt. She still felt ashamed...she'd made him think his offer was an obligation and she was liberated once someone asked him...but he really didn't seem angry with her. Her thumb moved back and forth as she swallowed, glancing away...but glancing back when he said he would have agreed to go with her.

Now it was her turn to experience a hot face. "Maybe I should have," she admitted, the corners of her mouth turning up a little. "I'm just not that brave. Tatsumaki-chan is. Maya too. So...it's a good match, and I support it! ...But I would have been happy to fight beside you, too. So please don't doubt yourself anymore."

Well. That much is true. He had thought he was an obligation, and that she'd feel better knowing she didn't have to uphold it. He's a dumb kid with dumb feelings that he can't express well sometimes. Peter Parker has never been cool with anyone, especially romantic partners, so. That's gonna take some time to chip away at.

But hey, he doesn't have to talk about that part of himself at least. He can look at her red face and realize that, well. He hasn't been very brave in all this either, has he? Waiting for other people to ask him out because he's too afraid to do it himself. That's not fair to Orihime either. Plus he's a guy, right? Which - okay, doesn't mean anything really, but if a girl is waiting on him because she thinks guys should make the first move, then that's understandable, right? It gives him more of a reason to speak up.

"Let's definitely fight together. When the daemons show up and stuff." He thinks that would be amazing. "And - I mean, we could go out after the dance? Maybe later that weekend. If there's a movie playing in town or something..."

Is it weird asking another girl out when he already has a date with a different one for the dance? Probably??? Oh boy. This might cause him some problems later.

She felt warmer inside at his offer to fight daemons. It strengthened her heart, and the guilt she'd been clinging to so tightly was starting to slip through her fingers. Her hand relaxed, leaving wrinkles in her skirt, and she finally exhaled a shaky breath. "I'll watch your back," she promised, smiling from ear to ear. She wouldn't let a single monster hurt him, not if she could do something to prevent it.

Then he asked her out. Her heart leaped into her throat as she gaped at him. Her...her first time being asked out by a boy...was this real?

It was real.

"Y...yes... I mean no! I'd be a homewrecker!" she quickly waved her hands. "I really want to! But I'm...Maya really likes you. If I said yes, I'd hurt her feelings, wouldn't I?"

She really wanted to say yes. She was kicking herself even now.

"So...maybe I could still be your back-up. If things don't work out, then... But I really want things to work out...a-anou..." She rubbed the back of her head, looking away with an idiotic grin. "But if they don't, I would like to go to the movies with you. Very much."

He's really asking her out. And maybe doing something real dumb that will hurt Maya in turn? That. Is a thing he needs to examine too. Maybe see if he can figure out what her feelings are prior to the dance so that he doesn't hurt her.

But in the same breath, he's really not going to make Orihime be a backup date, jeez. Especially after she apologized so profoundly to him for asking him to do it.

"I'll tell her what's going on," he promises. "Before we go on a date. And if she's upset then maybe we can just go as friends." Deep breaths. "But I don't want you to be a backup date for anyone, okay? Especially if it makes you feel second rate."

That...sounded reasonable. Maya was a good person, and had been so kind to her. It would have been horrible to repay that kindness by stealing her date's attention.

Her smile was slow, and tentative, but it was also a million times more genuine and warm then her usual cheery expression.

She nodded vigorously. "Then yes. I'd love that! More than getting laser beam eyes, ha ha...!" Orihime wiped the heel of her palm against her eyes, feeling a little dumb for being weepy about the whole mess. But she was so excited. Even if it was just as friends, she knew they would have fun. "Thank you! A-and next time I'll ask you out, so I can prove my courage!"

If he's doing better than laser beams for eyes, he must really be doing good. That's a real compliment from Orihime.

He grins in turn, his own expression bright. A little nervous? Oh god he has two dates with two different girls, how the heck did that happen. But he's pleased too, and pink around the edges. "Then it's a deal," he says. "We'll just go back and forth, okay?"

However long that ends up being.

She was so excited she thought she might explode. Of course, it was too soon to say they were in love with each other, right? It had only been a couple of weeks since they'd met!

But...looking at him now, seeing the same nervous excitement on his face that she was sure was written all over hers...knowing how much she admired his bravery and goodness, how much she trusted him...

...wasn't that...a little like love after all...?

"Okay," she agreed, and that felt like the right thing to say. She actually felt confident about it, and completely unafraid. However things worked out between them, she didn't think they'd lose that trust and care for each other. He was still her friend.

"...Do you want to take our drinks upstairs and watch a video, or TV?"

Look. Putting a label on it might legitimately scare him off, so maybe don't do that. But it's some sort of fondness for sure. Fondness and trust, which are more important right now anyway.

"Yeah, let's do that," he says. "I figured out how to get some streaming apps set up here so we could watch something?"

Literally Netflix and chill here.

"...Anything?" There were a lot of movies she wanted to see, that was for sure. And there were a lot of old favorites too! But his Japanese probably wasn't that good, and she couldn't expect that there would be subtitles.

She picked up her mug, feeling the warmth of the tea seeping into her fingers. She was glad he'd agreed, because she wasn't sure what else to say, but she also didn't want to leave him just yet after all of those spilled emotions. So just being together for a little while longer sounded good, before she called it a night.

"How about...you pick something really funny," she decided. "Action movies are good too, though!"

His Japanese is ... not great! Better than a few basic phrases, but nowhere near conversational. A Japanese movie with no subtitles would be very difficult.

"I think I got one in mind," he says with a grin. "C'mon."

"Okay!" A surprise movie... This was exciting! She emptied the kettle and put it away, gathered up the winter gear she'd taken off, and looped the mess over her arm. Coat and tea in hand, she hastened after her friend.

"What's it called?"

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Work It Out

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