phasing_cat | Touch & Practice - for metal_of

Characters: Kitty Pryde and Piotr Rasputin (X-Men)
Rating: PG
Setting: Fortes Et Liber!Verse
Prompt: #71 Touch and #290 Practice - Drabble Table
Word Count: 332

She was sweaty and tired and she wanted to quit – but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. She’d asked him to teach her, and he had. She just hadn’t been prepared for it to be so hard.

“Ready to give in, Katya?” he asked smugly as they danced around the ring. She shook her head but didn’t speak, continuing to circle him. With each step she struggled to hide the wobbling of her exhausted legs. She was so tempted to use her ability to settle this. She could see at least four ways to take him down before he knew what was happening, but they all used phasing. She was supposed to practicing self-defense.

Without warning she dove forward, throwing an elbow into the side of his headgear before sweeping her leg behind his knees. The weakest point of the leg, he’d told her. Perhaps of the average attacker’s legs, but not his. She grunted as her shins hit the immovable man, then cursed in frustration as her back hit the mat.

“Good!” he said, reaching a hand down to help her up.

“Good?” she gasped, doubling over while she caught her breath.

“Da, you learn quickly. With practice you will soon be strong like me.” His smile faltered. “Are you all right, Katya?”

His touch, so forceful for the past hour, grew tender as he reached for her. Holding her up with an arm around her waist, he removed her headgear and dropped it to the mat. Looking up at him she found her breath taken away for a whole new reason. The flush on her cheeks from exertion deepened as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Dat is enough for today, ya?” His voice had become as soft as his touch.

She nodded, swallowing hard. “Thank you. I… I think I can stand now.”

He released her and stepped back, and she cursed again, this time to herself. Way to ruin the moment, you idiot.