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“Well, I wanted to ask that when we’re around the crew, we keep things to a minimum to not draw attention for the moment.”
“Okay, I can do that.” Quinn nodded. He understood the logic. It would obviously cause tension once Watson figured it out.
“Thank you,” she interrupted his thoughts.
“You’re welcome.” Confused about why this was something worth thanking him for. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable request to him.
They began at an easy pace for their first lap before Kira upped it into a steady gait instead of the easy jog, not an outright run, but quick enough to make it difficult to breathe.
She spoke as if they were standing still. “Even if it is not a small thing to you, it is a big thing to me. I need to consider their feelings as well.”
“I understand.” He huffed. “I figured it was something like that.”
She smiled, the one that always caught him off guard when she directed it at him. They continued on; him dropping off after about ten minutes, unable to keep up her pace any longer. She ran for another ten minutes, passing him. On his cool down lap, she stayed next to him, jogging in place until he completed the second. After that, she walked normally.
Recovering his breath, Quinn gave her a smile. “Well, I did my best.” He knew that she could have gone much longer, but he was still fairly happy that he’d lasted as long as he had. “Uh, I guess you are going to spar with Rick now?”
“For not being used to it, you lasted much longer than I thought you would. You’re welcome to watch.”
“I’ve been running in my room. The exercise machine I installed has a treadmill. It’s different running around the bay, though.” Harder on his feet than the machine design which favored low impact while still providing a full heavy workout. Running on the treadmill was like running on padded flooring. “Uh, I could watch, sure.” Watching violence didn’t bother him. He’d been fine with the fight scenes in recreations. It was just, he had no desire to do harm to anyone.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Quinn.” He recognized the way she looked at him, her eyes trailing over his face. She was judging how to treat him.
“I wouldn’t mind. I just wasn’t expecting it,” he assured her.
“For me to invite you?”
“Yeah, I thought you wouldn’t want me to, well, just to help with the whole keeping things under wraps thing?” He realized he did not know how to quantify her earlier request.
“Oh. I did not mean that I did not wish to be seen with you just that, well this,” she took his hand in hers, holding it lightly “Is alright. They’re going to know. I just have never been the sort to flaunt things in front of others, so to speak.”
“Ah, so just keeping it to handholding, which is a small display of affection. I understand.” He’d been researching this topic. So he knew that displays of affection had certain weights to them. With hand holding, being lower than a hug, kiss, or other things.
“Yes.”
“Okay.” He squeezed her palm against his, then did a quick peck since they were alone.
Having been running in the open space below the promenade, which had a wide open space on the outside, they moved to the gym. Which, to him, was the same as any other recreational space. Padded walls, floors made for a softer landing, and strength and conditioning equipment. All in varying shades of black and gray with silver accents. Not a large room, but their sparring explained the mats that were open and off to one side.
Rick, already present on arrival, acknowledged Quinn with a sharp nod, doing the same to Kira. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Two secs.” Kira removed her shoes by the edge of the mat.
Looking between the two, Quinn realized this would be the first time he would witness a full-on fight. He wondered if it would change the impact of it, seeing actual violence instead of the fake choreographed stunts he’d witnessed before. He also noted they did not wear protective equipment.
Rick didn’t come to play. No warm up and no warning. When she stepped onto the mat, he stepped towards her.
Kira stepped back. His net told him it was likely instinctive because of what they were doing. Rick smiled, the first that Quinn had seen, rather small still. Then he launched into it. Rick opposed his playing strategy in cards, becoming aggressively forward. He hardly went to defense, but it worked well for Kira, who ducked and moved under his advancements, and when she couldn’t avoid, she would block.
She didn’t continue to hold back, and in an opportune moment, she swept his legs out from under him, putting Rick on the ground. With a triumphant grin, she gave him a hand up. He paid her back a moment later with a swing that impacted her face directly. She’d misjudged, and the blow laid her flat upon the moment of contact. She would be looking at quite a large bruise not only on her face but on her hip if the sound of both were anything to tell by.
“Was that supposed to happen, or should I be concerned?” Quinn had been shifting from side to side, uncomfortable with what he just witnessed.
“No, I thought she was moving under.” Rick answered him, still standing upright.
It looked incredibly painful to him. But the whole fight looked pretty painful overall and unpleasant. This was the first hit that looked genuinely debilitating, and he was worried.
That was a slight understatement. He was extremely worried, but he did his best not to overreact, knowing that sparring was practicing combat. He knew that meant she would be hit, but not to that extent. Grasping and releasing the fabric of his pants, he twisted it. That blow left him very much wanting to put an end to it.
