fandomhighdorms | Gym, Evening

Still bemused over the odd happenings of the day, Jack trotted into the gym. Upon catching sight of Sam, he abandoned 'hello' in favour of watching her stretch.

Sam straightened, and headed over to the wall to stretch her hamstrings without noticing Jack. She braced her palms against the wall and set her heels flat on the floor.

Jack crept soft-footed to stand behind Sam and - not sure if she knew he was there or not - started to slip his arms around her waist.

At the motion and movement, Sam whipped around, right hand flashing out before she'd realized it.

Jack had been half expecting it, and he managed to avoid getting hit by the simple expedient of dropping to the floor. Of course, it would have been a lot more dignified if hadn't landed on his butt and ended up sprawled at her feet. "Hi, Sam," he said, smiling ruefully up at her.

"Jack!" Sam crouched down, her face horrified. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry! You should have said you were there."

"Yes, I should have. Which makes it my fault." He flashed her a grin. "I know better than to sneak up on you, but you were looking very irresistible."

"You mean I was looking very backwards," Sam snickered, standing up and offering Jack her hand.

"Maybe," he said innocently, taking Sam's hand and letting her pull him to his feet. "So I guess the first lesson is don't sneak up on people."

"Well, no," Sam admitted, "because sometimes being able to be sneaky is extremely important." She headed over towards the pads and began strapping them on. "A lot of places, the first thing you learn is how to fall."

"True. I've actually had a fair bit of practice being sneaky. When did you know I was there?" Jack followed Sam and followed suit, starting to strap on pads of his own. "I suddenly sense I'm going to spend a lot of time hitting the floor tonight."

"No, I didn't," Sam admitted, reminded of just how out of practice she was. Maybe she'd talk to Aeryn or Kawalsky about it. "It's okay. The more you fall during practice, the less it will shock you when it happens when it counts."

"I'm game." Jack bounced on his heels as he finished putting on the pads. "It sounds like fun," he waggled his eyebrows at her, "especially if you end up on the floor with me."

She raised an eyebrow at him and braced her feet. "Am I going to have to find someone else for you to spar with?" She put in her mouth guard and head gear, then pulled on her gloves and nodded at him, motioning for Jack to hit her.

"No, I'll be good." He made a vague crossing his heart gesture, pulled on his own head gear, then settled into the stance Sam had shown him previously. "I promise," he added as he struck out, aiming for her shoulder.

Sam blocked the punch relatively easily and threw a punch of her own, aimed for his ribs and midsection. "Don't be afraid to fight dirty, Jack. That's what the pads are for."

Jack twisted to the side, taking the hit but lesseing its impact. "How dirty?" he asked as he feinted at her face, then attempted to hook his foot around her ankle.

Sam fell back a few steps as she regained her balance, then nodded in approval at the foot sweep. "Dirty enough so I know you'll come out alive." She jabbed out with her left hand, then followed with a right cross, both to the face.

Jack jerked back, but the first caught him in the side of the head. He let it push him back and, using the same trick he had before, dropped to the ground to avoid the second. This time he reached up, grabbed the waist of Sam's pants, and tried to pull her over.

Off balance, Sam bent her left knee and kicked out with her right foot, aiming right for Jack's nose and teeth.

Grinning, he shoved himself up and forward - into the kick, which took him in the chest - and wrapped his arms around her leg, hanging his full weight off of it as he jerked backwards.

Sam went with the momentum, and winced as her back hit the mats. Then she kicked out with both feet, aiming for Jack's kidneys, and rolled to her feet, hands up in a block.

He scrambled away, not quick enough to avoid the kick, and he sucked in a sharp breath before he bounced to his feet, backing rapidly to put some distance between him and Sam, mimicking her stance.

"Good," she panted, slightly out of breath, "You still with me?"

He didn't have the breath to answer, so he just nodded, watching her carefully as he started to circle her.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject