fandomhighdorms | The Gym, Sunday Early Morning

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The Gym, Sunday Early Morning

Ino was at the gym bright and early. In theory she was waiting for Liir, but really Ino had no idea how they were supposed to train with Andrew-bunny nearly surgically attached to her big brother.

It was cute, yes. But it did rather put a crimp in any physical training for the day.

Ah well. Maybe they'd work on his meditation instead? Ino shook her head and fell to practicing her taijutsu, hand-to-hand, combat while she waited for him.

[Ino is here for Liir, but totally open for any of your gymish or Inoish needs.]

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"I'll have to wash them," he pointed out. "And they will be the first thing I see when I wake. Would that do?"

"It might," she said, considering it, "but will you cringe at them?"

"Almost certainly every morning," he said. "Especially while Andrew isn't there to improve the aesthetic."

"Hmmmmm..." Ino grinned at him. "I'll keep that in mind if I've got to do anything drastic."

He looked sideways at her before getting to the rest of his stretches.

Then he stood, stretched his shoulders once more, and looked at her expectantly.

"Alright," she grinned, "now, I'm sure you remember were we ended last time, so let's go from there."

Ino slipped into the stance, clearly expecting him to do the same. "And now, from here, it flows into this stance..." she carefully suited her words to actions, making sure to keep her speed to what she knew he could follow.

He moved with her to the first, then slowed down his way to the second. Broke it down. Repeated it again. And finally did it at the same pace as she had.

She smiled, a proud silly little smile that'd make her totally blush to be caught out on.

"Then from there, it's generally best to try this one..." she continued, moving into another stance so he could follow her.

He approached every stance the same say: broke it down piece by piece, worked out how to move between the pieces, learned to increase the speed, and finally perform it as she did.

He, luckily, didn't notice the smile. He was busy concentrating.

It was probably for the best that he didn't notice. Though her smiled widened a bit and she hoped it would be taken as she was just enjoying herself, which she was, and nothing more.

She went back one stance, and waited for him to match her, before saying, "I mentioned that 'it was generally best' to follow this stance with the one we just did, but generally isn't always and if the first stance isn't going to work in the situation then, instead, you can try this one..." words to actions, once again.

"These stances," he asked, following her, "how do I know when to use what?"

"Well," Ino said, "this stance tends to work better if you're in an enclosed area, like a hallway or something similar, where the other one is better for when you're not quite so constrained. But it also depends on what you're up against--this one takes slightly less time to perform, but the other one enables you to put more power into your blows."

"So, for now, you learn them all and we'll be doing a bit of sparring in a lesson or two so you get a better idea of what I'm talking about. It all depends on the fight, really."

"Just as depending on who you're talking to, you use a different tack," he said thoughtfully.

"Exactly." Ino nodded. "Just like that, so really, in a way, the stances are like the 'words' and how you string them together in a fight is the important thing."

"Ingredients and devices in a recipe," he said with a shake of his head. "I'm not that good with words."

Not good enough by half.

"I think you're doing fine with words," she said mildly, "but yes, that works too. The stances are the building blocks to putting everything together properly when you've got to."

"I've learned," he admitted to her. Almost entirely to her. He couldn't be self-depreciating with her; he knew she wouldn't stand for it, not when he meant it.

"I'd round the sounds in my mouth, learn the words inside and out, every edge and curve.

"But not well enough yet. That will come."

He smiled at her.

"When did you learn all this?"

"Practice makes perfect," she said, bobbing her head, "and you really are doing fine, honest."

Ino tugged at her hair thoughtfully. "The stances? And how to put them together? Um, well, Dad says I got into his kunai when I was really little--could've cut myself to ribbons--and when he took them away from me that I'd screamed so much about wanting to be a ninja 'like Daddy' that he caved and gave me my first taijutsu lesson right then. Though," she admitted with a laugh, "it wasn't much of a 'lesson', not at that age. Too little to want to pay attention for long."

Something brittled entered his smile before he nodded again. He said nothing, though. It wasn't Ino's fault that she'd had a father, that she'd wanted to be like him, that he'd doted on her. She was wonderful family for him, more than he'd ever really thought he'd have, goldfish lies or no.

She wasn't a father, though.

He suddenly, desperately, wanted the diamonds back. Even for a second. Even for just long enough to look down at his hands. It would hurt less to tell himself he wasn't Fiyero's than to hear it in Sarima's voice from dusty, rusted memories.

"Good," he said. "I'll keep up with my practice then."

"Practice is always good," she said, frowning a little at him. "You alright?"

Ino was, slowly, getting better at reading him.

"As all right as I ever am," he told her truthfully. But she deserved more than that.

"I'm being childish. If there was anything to be done for it, I'd mention."

"Hmmm," Ino said, slipping out of her stance to just sneak over and hug him. Which wasn't really very sneaky but oh well. "Hopefully you're getting better?"

He relaxed into the hug and hugged her back. He did feel better.

"If you want to hear what it was, you can. But you've already made it better. So you know."

"Tell me anyway?" Ino asked, glancing up at him.

He leaned down and kissed her hair.

"I always wanted a father. That's all. Desperately."

Part of the discontent was with his reaction. He loved Ino dearly. He should be happy for her. He should be glad that she hadn't been denied as he had. But that touch of jealousy was still there and he couldn't help it.

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