in his arms | BOOK II

SEVEN

♠️

ellie

"HOW MUCH LONGER do we have to keep using the same moves?"  Ellie panted and collapsed on her back, her new favourite thing to stare at becoming the ceiling fan. "You've been teaching me them for hours. We're getting nowhere."

Blaze towered over her, his bare chest glistening with sweat. He adjusted the wraps on his knuckles, staring down at down with an expression she's mesmerized all too well. Bemusement.

"Maybe if you could get me to tap out, you wouldn't feel like that." He tilted his head, cocking his eyebrow. "We're making progress whether you think so or not."

The two had been in the basement for what felt like years. Ellie was okay with being pushed past her limits, but a problem Blaze quickly caught onto was that she didn't stop once she got started up. That and the fact that Blaze would not go easy on her even when she begged. She was growing frustrated by how often she was being overthrown by him, and how much he seemed to enjoy doing so.

During the first hour of his teasing chuckles, she made a vow to pin him as he has been doing, and shower her wrath down on him.

"I'm showing you some simpler techniques, kotek," Blaze continued, extending a hand for her to grab. She took it and he pulled, helping her to her feet. "It's only been a week and your body is still gaining its strength. I'd be at ease if you weren't trying to have yourself broken within a few hours of training."

Ellie scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "My bones are stronger than concrete, Blaze." His lips twitched. "I feel better than ever and want to fight. So...bring it."

"Hm." He circled her like a predator watching his next meal, carefully taking in the bounce on the balls of her feet and the determined set on her features. She raised her hands and closed them into fists. "Why do you want to fight so badly?"

"You're going easy on me," she snapped. "I can take it."

Blaze rolled his eyes.

She knew him well. He hadn't changed toward her even after the time they spent apart. Her safety always came first even if it meant the day ended in an argument. However, they had already gone all day with Ellie learning the basics and she wanted to prove him wrong.

Without another word, Blaze straightened out, turned, and walked to the towels in the corner of the room.

Anger blossomed in her chest. He doesn't think I can do it.

"What? That's it?" She called out to him. "You're not even going to give me a chance to prove myself?"

"In what sense did you think training was about proving yourself?" He asked with his back still facing her. "We're doing this so you're prepared if someone comes for you, not because you need to make a point."

"Then why are we using the same stupid techniques?"

"Maybe if you could pin me down for a change, this wouldn't feel like such a waste of time for you." Blaze spun to face her, his jaw held tight. "Why would you agree to do this if all you're going to do is argue? All I'm trying is to keep you from getting hurt."

Frustration grew within her and she didn't know if she could contain it. "I don't argue."

He started stalking toward her. "Don't you?" She backed away until she no longer could because of the wall against her back. "Why are you pushing yourself so hard, Elenor? And give me a real answer because I don't believe these vague ones."

Ellie's gaze moved to stare at the ground. A soft sigh breathed against her forehead before he grasped her chin and tilted her head back, forcing their gazes to meet.