Talent - Leo Fitz (AOS)

t w o

word count: 5490

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Grant Ward

2007

"This seat taken?"

Sophie glanced up at the boy staring her down. He was in her class, but she couldn't remember his name. He was one of the tallest, but she had still taken him down in combat training. Like she had taken down everyone else.

She shrugged indifferently and looked back to her textbook.

"Whatcha reading?" The boy asked as he took a seat down.

She didn't answer, but just turned the page.

"Silent treatment, what, did I do something wrong?" The boy asked teasingly, "oh come on, at least talk to me."

"Say something interesting and then maybe I will consider it," she said boredly.

He was silent for a moment, before speaking up again, gentler this time as if realising his first approach was misguided.

"You're an excellent fighter," he said, "I'm curious, where did you learn to fight like that?"

"The streets of Marseille, that is in France if you didn't know," she said, looking up at him for a second, before looking back at her book.

"I-I know where it is," he scoffed quietly, shaking his head and leaning back against the wall.

She was sitting cross-legged on the floor by the side of the academy, the rolling fields in front of them as the sun was setting. All around they could hear people were training, running, fighting, doing strength work. But the pair currently sat on the floor were done for the day, lucky for them.

"You have a name, no?" She asked after a long pause of silence.

He smiled at that, "Ward. Grant Ward."

"I am Sophie," she said.

"I know."

She sat reading her textbook whilst he sat beside her, watching the sun set. She had to study English and get to an American high school standard in multiple subjects whilst at the academy. Her English was already pretty good, but she had dropped out of school in France at thirteen so academically she was a bit behind.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Mhm."

"Okay. It's just...you've been on that same section for fifteen minutes."

She sighed and looked up at him, showing the first sign of any type of emotion - frustration, "I just don't get it."

"What is it?" He asked.

"Physics...these waves, zey are...there are different types? And when they say waves what does that even mean? I-" she leaned her head against the wall, her eyes sad, "I can't do it."

"Sure you can!"

She just gave him a look.

"Look," he shuffled round to face her, "I'll help you. I can do physics."

"Really? How?" She asked.

"Well, I did high school, paid attention sometimes," he said.

She cracked a small smile at that and looked back down at the page to hide it, "so you 'elp me?"

"I can try," he reached forward to touch the book, "may I?"

She nodded.

He took the book and studied the page, his blue eyes scanning it analytically. This was the first time she probably looked at him, his dark hair, his jawline, the understated strength he had underneath his shirt. He was really quite attractive, she just hadn't bothered to notice before.