Post Limbo Workout

[Ember]

Aideen walked silently down the chrome corridors, the only noise heard was the light movement of the inside of her bag that rested against her hip. She passed the Med Lab and the Danger Room Control room, her glance lingering on the door. She wouldn't have minded a go there, making the place a desert again, or better yet Hell, just so she could feel the heat again and let her body be flooded with that power. She stopped off at the bathroom, mainly to wrap her hands. I never was allowed to have calloused hands. Sensei would tell me how a person's hands reflects their life, and Uncle always told me to keep my training quiet from the outside world. Wraps always served me well.

Smoothing a small bit of her usual Black Raspberry lotion on her arms, Aideen carefully and methodically wrapped her wrist and palm withe the think stretch wrap. She tucked the wrap in and then put a fingerless workout glove over it. Doing the same to the other hand, Aideen packed up and headed what she expected to be the empty gym/weight room.

Instead she walked to the entrance to find the door wide open. She walked quietly and stopped at the entrance, a softer look coming over her face at the sight.

Wolverine sat their in what she knew very well was a meditative state. She always meditated after a vigorous training session, to collect her thoughts and put away all the emotions that she couldn't let go of in training. She leaned against the doorway for a moment, and deciding whether or not to leave him in peace. I need this workout though. A small smile played on her lips as she entered the room quietly, walking along the wall. Setting her bag gently on the side, Aideen stretched her shoulder and looked back at him, knowing very well that he probably knew she was there long before now. "Rumor has it you ran off to the Danger Room. Had a good run?" she asked softly and bent over to unzip her bag.

[Wolverine]

He grunted a hello. Not a loud or obnoxious grunt more closely this side of a clearing of his throat."Thought I might load up a tranquil setting... someplace green... water flowing... then I changed my mind." He slowly inhaled, the scent of her filling his nostrils, Hell was blessed when she was there, Heaven never knew a sweeter smell. "It wouldn't be real. I needed someplace real."

He reached a hand up, feeling the scruff of his facial hair and decided he would clear out if she was going to use the room. "It's true what they say you know kid... there really is no place like home." He took another minute trying to clear his mind again, thoughts of the young girl flooding into his calm...crumbling his resolve... his peace, his harmony of mind and body was dissolving away.

Opening his eyes and turning slowly to look at her standing near her the wall with some mitts on, his lip twitched in a hint of a grin. "You got some plans in that head of yers for some speed bag, or you gonna pound out some frustrations?" he said knowing already which she had a mind for by the way she held herself. "I guess I'll leave ya to it, nobody likes a gawker and you seem like you know what you have to do. Hope you find yer peace in it." He turned back around and rocked up onto the balls of his feet before standing up.

[Ember]

Aideen searched through her bag as she tried to fathom why the 'Danger Room' would have a tranquil atmosphere. I suppose anything is possible with technology these days. She took out a jar of unscented baby powder and dipped her bare fingers in them, ridding them of all the moisture. "I... I want to see if a good workout will make it feel less cold," Aideen said quietly looking back at him. She may have not said that to anyone else, since exposing weaknesses was never something she was known to do, but with Logan and Haven she was at ease. She missed the heat, and when it was taken away from her it did a number on her body that took to it instantly. When Aideen woke up in Limbo, she felt like 'she stepped into a hot bath for the first time ever.' Now she felt like she left a heated house to go outside in the snow with a short sleeve shirt and jogging shorts. If anyone touched her she'd feel pretty warm to them, but for Aideen, that was too cold. Unless her skin felt feverish hot, she wasn't at a comfort level

"Well at home, the pizza party is in full swing. When I left, a girl fight was about to break out, empty pizza boxes were being thrown and people were being made into light sculptures. Pizza was good though," she said with a smirk. Aideen stretched both her shoulders and neck slowly, making sure her muscles were pliable enough to do her her workout. "You don't have to leave on my account. You were here first, and I don't mind the company," she said truthfully and plainly in her soft voice.

And this time it won't involve me breaking down. She sat on the bench, bringing her leg up and reaching over to stretch some more. Her demeanor in general was comfortable around him and not stiff and proper like she was around others, and it showed. Aideen was relaxed and focus and she liked that. It was usually that she was in this state when she was totally alone, so it was an odd but not unpleasant change. She was still getting use to it Haven as well.

[Wolverine]

"Well, I" you can't stay here, you just spent all this time getting yer head on straight, now you gonna stay? "I could stay a couple minutes," oh great, now you done it "girl fights in the school are not what I had in mind for enjoyment." He looked at her as he walked along with her, a friend not a teacher at this moment, not rushing her to begin her workout.

"You know I have seen a lot of students come through here and you" careful old man, don't say too much "well, you have a lot better grasp on your abilities than most. Lets see if we can't turn up the heat." He walked over to the thermostat on the wall and cranked it up, he often did this for punishment when the kids were slacking in their physical training, but this time he knew it would be well received. "It'll warm up in a few minutes. Let's see what you got."

He stepped over close enough to her and watched as she got herself ready to begin. His eyes casually trailed up and down her form, it was more than an innocent look, more than a look of sheer desire he was scanning her moves. He knew he had recognized a few of the techniques she had used in Limbo and even though she was airborne at the time her fighting skills still shone through. I know I've seen these moves before, I'm sure I know her teacher...no...more like...teachers

[Ember]

Aideen watched him turned the thermostat up, quite pleased for the most part. Her room was usually extremely warm, but it wasn't tonight. Working out in a warm place would certainly help her. Uncle never let me train with heat. Said it would weaken me, even if I needed it. A smile ghosted across her face. She stood up, stretching her arms over head one final time time. "No technique, only principle," Aideen quoted and Ancient proverb her Master, the one who had been teaching her the art of Shaolin Kung Fu since she was six years old. She held the principles of fighting he taught her close, and lived by them everyday and in every new art she learned. In Aideen's mind, the skill of the different fighting styles out there is an art.

She walked to the balance beam calmly. "What exactly is it you want to see? What I know? To figure me out?" Aideen asked before she jumped high and with a spin in the air, she landed gracefully on both feet on top of the high beam. She needed to get centered, breathe and allow her mind and body to become one with each other. Her large dark eyes fell closed and her hands and body moved to 'Feather Form,' her favorite way to get centered. On leg raised up and bent and her arms moved into formation, lightly and elegantly doing the Ancient Chinese art proud while raising up on her tip toe. Aideen held her balance for a moment, grounding herself and letting her stomach rise with each breath. Her every moves was done slowly and precisely, her hours and years of training shining through as they did whenever she fought. Natural movement holds all key, as Master said.

From that move without missing a beat, she jumped up, doing a neat full flip before landing lightly and gracefully on her feet, her mind and body going through the movements as easily as if she was walking. Aideen opened her eyes, blinking a couple times and looked at Logan calmly. She was comfortable and trusted him more than she ever expected to trust anyone really. Most likely because like Haven, he didn't seem to expect anything from her. Not how to act or behave or anything that usually made Aideen project the image of a soft spoken soldier. She didn't feel the need to keep a guard up with them. The room was heating up and she looked down at the exposed area of her skin. Her body absorbed heat like a sponge and her skin was already retaining some of its naturally darker tone.

[Wolverine]

"Maybe" Logan replied. "Why? Does that set your guard up?" He watched her move, her graceful stances, her body line. It was almost more than he was able to take, this girl was in his head. The way she had cried on him, she let her whole insides pour out like she had performed Seppuku and spilled out her guts for him to see all her pain, all her frailty. Why did you cry so hard on me? You cried so hard you cried yourself into me girl. he thought as he watched her.

"Maybe I know you from your moves already. I can see you starting out, as you learned them, the long hours...and your Master, I see him through your movements as well. So many things can be learned just from watching, if ya got the patience and the inclination." He held his hand out to her. Not that she needed a hand down, but wanted to touch her and he didn't want it to become something more, he hoped he could keep it in check. "Sweet, elegant....but how are you close in?" he asked with a lifting of his eyebrow.

[Ember]

Aideen looked down at him for a moment and very simply said. "No, it doesn't." For reasons she couldn't exactly put in words, she didn't feel the threat to put a guard up, or a need really. He's seen me cry, held me while I cried. How can I even have much of a guard around him? She knelt down on the beam so she balanced on her the balls of her feet easily, studying Logan with her observant and analytical dark eyes, just as she did most people but this time without any form of wariness behind her eyes. Her mind wasn't categorizing him like she did the first time she met him either, it just let her think free thoughts.

"Not many people," Aideen began slipping her hand into his and accepting the kind gesture. "have the kind patience or the inclination." She jumped down on the ground easily and lightly. She dropped his hand and leaned down to fix the picture that was peaking from her shoe, tucking it safely inside before straightening up to look at him in the calm nature that she kept around. "My Master was a good man. He trained me well, instilled principles in me that haven't been followed or honored in a long time," Aideen said, in her mind remembering his stern and kind face, arguing with her Uncle for her sake. He did not deserve his fate, but should be honored for his accomplishments.

"Close in?" This time a smirk came on her face. "That's untouched territory Logan. It would probably require about as much patience and inclination as it might take to get you to know you the same way." Aideen's smirk dropped and she looked at him in an honest and relaxed composure. "Then again, I don't take you as the kind to be put off by that," she added quietly and truthfully. Aideen took a step back and looked at the empty mat, memories of the training room at her home in Boston flashing through her mind. "I saw you fight too, twice now. You know those moves and maneuvers better than anyone I have ever met. I doubt I am able to surprise you a whole lot," Aideen said looking back at him, her skin getting warmer and gradually dark as the room got hotter.

[Wolverine]

"Yeah well, it helps. When you have to just 'know' what your enemy is going to do next." he led her in front of him placing a hand on her hip as he walked her over to the thick tumbling mat that covered a large area. "Trust me?" he said stepping in front of her. He already knew the answer.

"Get in a nice comfortable horse stance, like this, not too low." he set his feet just wide enough apart and crouched down some bending at the knee and keeping his back straight. Pulling her closer, almost uncomfortably close if they weren't so comfortable with one another, to a point that was well within each others strike zones. Too close for punching- maybe not for elbows, but as close if not closer than if they were going to waltz, he lifted her arms up to bring them against his own.

"You may not have studied Mantis Style, but it is invaluable for a fighting edge that will come in no other way. It is a dance of sorts, a dance of the violent sort." he began pushing against her arms with his own forearms, trying to throw her off balance. Gently at first until she caught on and as they moved back and forth against one another the friction of their arms against one another and shoulders and hips rocking hard into each other he looked into her eyes.

"Feel my body moving, know how it reacts to what your body is doing " oh how it reacts, stop...gotta stop, keep my mind focused on the lesson "-don't anticipate, react...no thought, no hesitation...use the instinct" his arms began moving faster, heart beating harder, lungs drawing the intoxicating Black Raspberry aroma in through his nostrils as they flared and he pressed against her. Shoulder, elbow hip, harder... building pressure, building speed...the intensity, harder, oh much harder, more pressure...more heat.

[Ember]

After being trained all her life by many different people, Aideen took to Logan's instruction easily. She found the proper positioning, not being bothered in the least by the closeness. She may have been if it was someone else, but she didn't need to tell Logan that she trusted him, her actions spoke louder than her words. Aideen caught the movement quickly, matching his every move and keeping up with him easily. Her back was straight, her movements moved fluidly with his and she caught the rhythm quickly.

Aideen kept her concentration on him, soaking in his words and locking her eyes on his so her body can concentrate. It didn't take long after she caught the fluidity of the proper movement for the shift in her mind about the situation and a new air detected in the heated atmosphere. Her breath hitched and Aideen forced her body to stay relaxed as her heart sped up more and more with every movement made. What the hell is wrong with me? This isn't the closest position I've ever been in when training or in combat. Focus on the training, his face. I need to get a hold of myself, if I can deal with Mossad training, I can do this...

She struggled to keep her breathing even, matching his gaze evenly with her own. "Instinct..." she said quietly, in an odd voice. Aideen took another deep breath and tried to steady her mind, let out enough control that she was comfortable with. "Studying, knowing what they will attempt before they show any sign of attempting it," Aideen said in a quiet voice, trying to keep her breathing even, slow down her racing heart. The red rimmed eyes were gone now, her skin warmed to her natural healthy tan, not as dark as in Limbo, but close enough. "Learning common signs, predicting their every move..." she recited the little she did know about it, keeping his gaze and doing her best to keep her breathing even. Her Master had touched on it, made sure she knew the element. However her Uncle insisted that it not be studied further, for the philosophy behind it was not something he wanted his Weapon to learn. "Until it becomes instinct..." she trailed off in her soft quiet voice, the part of her mind that held control storing the lesson and the movements for later use.

[Wolverine]

"Still feel you holdin back girl....no time to be timid..." or too bold you salty old dog, you know better, she's a kid...a student..but her eyes... skin's getting hot too "Better." he said as she relaxed even more with the feeling of his arms against hers. He sped up the pace as his heart quickened, increasing the ferocity to compensate or re-channel the urgings he was feeling.

He pushed hard against her, feeling her push hard back as they had been doing all along. Then he changed his tact, relaxed the pressure quickly and felt her fall slightly forward with the absence of his weight and strength against her. He used that unbalancing of this lithe opponent, the object of his lustful desire, to wrap an arm behind her guard and pull her into him.

With a thrust of his hip against hers, he brought her over and unseated her position, her feet losing contact with the mat. She was falling, but he went with her cradling her to the ground to land with his forearms behind the back of her neck, the small of her back, and looking right into her eyes, his face close to her own. I feel her breath on my face, smells sweet...pizza sauce, vegetables...no cheese, she's mindful of her whole person, even down to her diet...her body shows it, feels incredible in my arms ...those eyes...

[Ember]

Aideen wasn't sure how comfortable she was with herself anymore, but the humanity in her,and the more primal side just did not really care for a moment. What am I doing? This shouldn't be affecting me at all, it's not allowed to- it's not supposed to! Uncle taught me control, its not supposed to be so shook up. It's just training... Her breathing was getting slightly more erratic than acceptable, and her mind was struggling to keep any natural instincts she had at bay. Aideen was breaking her own rules whenever she let her mind stray even for a second.

It was that whirling mind that got her unprepared for being thrown off, being pulled into his hard chest. Aideen's gaze had not once left his, but she struggled to maintain her composure. A sharp gasp escaped her lips when she was lowered to the ground, for once caught off guard and with little control, as far as to say her chocolate eyes somehow managed to go darker. This shouldn't be like this... I'm not supposed to be affected by anything, but its so...nice. No, no! I'm just still shook up from Limbo, this wouldn't feel so... no, it's just training. I can't really be this comfortable and okay with this, but... She held his gaze steadily and didn't waver once.

Aideen was breathing hard now, her chest rising and falling with each heavy breath while her arms were pressed into his chest. Her mind went blank for just a minute, the lack of space between their faces and the intensity of this staring contest that came up. After a couple of more minute, none of which lessened her heavy breaths or slowed her pounding heart, Aideen was able to form words. "And that's the... first lesson," she whispered, feeling her breath bounce back at her face from the closeness. Her thoughts seemed to be on hold and she didn't even blink, staring up into those blue eyes that made her feel so accepted, now stirring a whole different set of feelings in her.

[Wolverine]

"Uh....." Logan looked at her for a second more, feeling her in his arms, wondering if he could ever hold her this closely without some pretense to training. "..yeah. Well, call that lesson number one." he slipped his arms out from under her, slowly, feeling the heat of her skin. Making a process out of getting off of her so their closeness would remain, he lingered, maybe too long for her comfort but not long enough for his desire.

"Perfection's a road, not a destination...but i see you on it like me, we keep on pushing forward, keep going...keep...."he didn't want to leave her, the heat of her body, the sound of her heart pounding in his ears, her smell. The distance between them growing by only inches, slow agonizing inches, and the yearning for her lips on his own growing at the same rate. Every inch was more desire, the ache within him fueled the desire to and he could take it no longer...

He got up quickly, figuring it would be like pulling a knife from his side. Do it fast- less pain that way...can't get too close...can't "...We keep training. Stay centered, keep our balance.." pulling her up with him he got a hold of himself before he did anything he would regret later "We keep our feet under us as we walk the road, travel the way and realize we can't have everything we want unless we want for nothing." Yeah, keep telling yourself that bub, maybe one day you'll believe it. "At least...that's the way I heard it kid." he said to her softly, his tone less fortune cookie now and more the real guy underneath...he, the warrior poet, the samurai.

[Ember]

Blinking for the first time in a good while, Aideen's dark eyes searched him closely as she tried to get her hazy mind straight. She swallowed hard, calming down her breathing the best way she could, her mind slowly piecing itself back together. What just happened? What is happening rather, this is.... I'm not supposed to be feeling like this... It's colder now. Aideen looked much better than she did when she first arrived, her skin darker now and the red rings gone from around her eyes, no longer feeling like she was jonesing for a fix.

Aideen watched him the entire time, her large observant eyes studying him, the pounding in her heart slowing but not going away. I really need to get myself centered later. She straightened up when he pulled her up, eyes not leaving his face once. Her mind was having more difficulty getting together than she thought, and she pushed back the feeling of missing something that was trying to surge forward since he let go. A soft smile played on her lips, not moving from where he pulled her up. "Better to take the things we can get, rather than nothing at all," she said softly.

"Thanks for the lesson. I'm... much warmer now," Aideen said softly looking down at her lightly tanned skin. She plucked off her protective fingerless gloves and unraveled the hand wraps, smiling slightly that the color was back in her skin. It was nothing like the rich tan she was in Limbo, but it was a start. She took a deep breath and looked back at him, trying to calm down. "Thanks. Really, I'll remember that lesson." It may be a bit hard to forget.

Aideen let out a small breath and put her gloves together neatly and folded them. "So... wanna go 'not' have a beer?" she asked with a smirk growing on her face, that if anyone looked closely might almost call playful, but maybe that was too strong of a word for someone like her.

[Wolverine]

"Yeah, I think I need a beer. Limbo is a hell of a place, and it's getting a little hot in here." he said letting his eyes linger on her as he walked over to turn the heat back down. He picked up Aideen's bag and walked to meet her at the doorway. "C'mon lady, I think you 'didn't' earn one, at least as long as anyone's askin." he smirked at her, playing on her pun.

He held out her bag as he wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her through the door with him. Walking up the chrome hallway together in silence he felt a yearning for more, but for the moment he knew he had to contain himself. He was not going to be that teacher. He wouldn't allow himself to feel this way, if it was what it would take, he would cut out his own heart before he pushed himself on this girl.

Oh, but if only... he thought as he let his arm slip off of her shoulders. The immediate loss of contact was enough to make his heart drop into his stomach. This can't be happening, not to me...can't be... he steadied himself, steeling his emotions, or at least trying to. Ahh, but the heart has a will all it's own... and Logan, strong and resilient as he was, was only a man. There was no way he would outlast desire....no way he could.