The Bodyguard

The Training

Lorelai stands in the middle of the gym with her running shorts and unzipped hoodie over her tanktop  (a/n- for those of you who read the other chapter before I changed it, I know I said she just had on only a tank top but ignore that, she had on a hoodie over it. You guys will know why that's important later). They four boys stand in front of her with their workout clothes on as Niall and Louis try to rub the sleep out of their eyes. 

"We'll start out easy and do a quick three laps around the gym" she says.

"Easy" Harry says with a face of disbelief. "Three laps isn't easy". 

"Go" she says forcefully. She hides how much just talking loudly hurts her side but she can't show them she's in pain. A bodyguard not only keeps them alive but keeps their hope alive, and her standing strong and taking command can help them see that she hasn't and won't give up. If they see her curled up in a corner crying from pain, they will lose hope, and that's dangerous. When you start getting it in your head that you aren't gonna make it through something, you don't try as hard to make it through it. And in a situation like this, trying their absolute best to simply stay alive is the only thing that's gonna get them through this, and maybe not even then. 

After a lap and a half, Louis stops running and puts his hands on his hips. "Why do we have to do this, why do we have to listen to you".

"Remind me, who was standing in a corner and who was fighting three armed guys for your life again" she says. She knows that was a low blow but this kid needs to get it through his head that she is only there to protect them.

"Louis" Liam says. "I understand you're hesitation to trust her in the beginning, but after what she did for us, the least we can do is trust her and let her help us be prepared" he says. 

Lorelai feels a quick rush of respect and thankfulness towards Liam. Louis glances between Lorelai and the other three boys who have also stopped running. Louis stands still until he makes eye contact with Harry who gives the slightest nod. At that Louis lets out a sigh and continues running. 

While they finish their laps she finds herself looking at Niall while he's running. His back muscles and biceps buldge out perfectly against his skin tight workout shirt. She bites her lip then realizes what she's doing and shakes her head. She can't think like that. 

They get a quick drink then run back into the middle where Lorelai is and catch their breathe. 

"First things first, defense". 

She teaches them how to correctly block punches, kicks, elbows etc. and the whole time has the corner of her eyes on Niall much to her dismay. After a while she teaches how to use the momentum of their offenders attack against them. Like how they do those fancy tricks where the bad guy swings at the good guy, but the good guy blocks it and flips the bad guy over his shoulder. 

Lorelai sits on the ground leaning on the wall while watching the boys try to flip the other over their shoulder and cracks up laughing when Louis tries to flip Harry, but only ends up falling over with Harry on top of him. 

They all stop and turn their heads to her and Lorelai hopes they missed her cringe from pain after she laughed. "What" she asks as they all stare at her. 

"That was the first time you laughed" Niall says.

"Was not" she argued getting defensive.

"In front of us it was" Liam argued back. 

"Well then maybe you guys need to start being more funny" she says.

"Or you could take the stick out of your ass" Harry says getting up from teh ground.