Angel academy

Rope burn

Guys; say hello to Hunter Matthieu (Nick Bateman, can I get an amen?)

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I quietly enter the gym, nervous for what the day may have in store for me. It feels a little anti climatic when I realise the room is empty. I walk towards the changing rooms, intending to get changed before Hunter arrives. As I walk past the equipment room, I'm surprised to see Hunter sprawled across some exercise mats reading a book with an intense pirate battle scene on the front, he looks so peaceful, the Hunter from my dream had seemed so up tight and angular, but the Hunter before me looks so peaceful, with a small smile playing on his lips.

Before I can think twice, a giggle escapes my lips. It all just seems so bizarre, here is this big, masculine guy, completely lost in a pirate book... at least he was lost in it until he heard me, oops.

He gracefully gets to his feet before I can apologise for intruding. "Harrington," he acknowledges, as his features change before my eyes to the Hunter from my dream, he stands as if he is in the army and his face shows no sign of the smile I had seen only moments before, "you're early, gear up and we'll do some fitness tests." he strides over to an equipment bag and tosses it over his shoulder and exits the room. "Do you need to be told twice?" I quickly scurry to the changing rooms and gear up into my sports bra, an extremely loose singlet and some 3/4 exercise pants. Shoving my feet into my runners, I jog back out to the gym.

"That won't do" Hunter warns without even glancing up at me. What on Earth is he talking about? "your hair" he answers, did I say that out loud? with a sigh he walks over, grabs my shoulders and turns me around. I'm about to protest but my thoughts suddenly disappear. Hunter gently grabs onto my hair and begins to braid it, I'm shocked by the movement, how can his big hands move so swiftly and gently... and why does he know how to braid? As he gets towards the bottom of my hair, his knuckles lightly brush my shoulder blade, sending a chill up my spine. He quickly jerks his hand away and ties off the braid. Before I can thank him, he is already on the other side of the gym, testing the rope that hangs all the way from the ceiling (which is easily the height of four houses) to the ground.

I mentally slap myself to forget the chill Hunter sent down my spine. What was my body thinking reacting to the touch of my mentor like that? I mean he was handsome, but this would be like those stories on the news that always creeped me out about the student and the teacher having an affair, I shiver. But then again, Aria Montgomery and Ezra Fitz made it look cute? ugh, again I mentally slap myself and look towards Hunter who is giving me a strange look, he shakes his head then motions towards the rope. "Your first task Harrington, we won't be leaving this room until you reach the top of this rope." My jaw drops, he was joking, right? I could hardly get up in the morning, how was I supposed to get up there. Hunter walks over and passes me some gloves and I make my way to the rope. Gripping on, I attempt to climb up, I get about two metres off the ground before I lose my grip and fall right onto my butt. I'm sure it's going to leave a huge bruise. "It's impossible!" I sigh as I give the rope my most menacing look.

"What kind of attitude is that?" Hunter asks as he hovers over me, he extends a hand to me. The memory of the shiver his touch sent down my spine, forces me to get up without his taking his hand for help. I reach for the rope again, and I don't get much further than last time before I land on my butt again. Frustrated, I jump up and try again and again and again for what feels like hours. I finally manage to get about three metres off the ground when I swear I hear laughter, which surprises me enough to loosen my grip and end up back on the ground with a loud thump. I stand, rubbing my poor bruised butt and glare at Hunter, "It's impossible and we'll be here until we are old and grey if you're waiting for me to reach the top." Hunter stares back at me, "It's not impossible" he walks past me and effortlessly grabs the rope and climbs to the top, as he climbs back down, he gives em a smug look, "see, it's very much possible." I mumble a few other things I can think of that are very much possible, most of which end with his death and some uncomfortable positions. 

"I have all night." I glance at my watch, 4:17pm and I've been here since 12:30pm, I sigh.

I grip onto the rope and carry on with my attempts. It's almost 8pm before I finally reach the top of the rope and my moment of triumph quickly fades when I realise one huge problem. "Crap," I  look towards the ground, if the rope seemed long from the ground, it was even longer from up here. "You can come down now" Hunter calls up, he looks like a gnome from up here, my muscles begin to shake from all of this rope climbing. "Harrington?" I begin to panic a little.

"Just shut up a moment" I shout back, in my not so finest moment. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, I have no idea how to climb down, I try to lower myself a little, but can already tell I won't be able to make it as my hands begin to sweat. "WHAT!?" Hunter shouts up, "What do you mean you don't know how to get down!?" I look down and see Hunter walking away, no way, he wouldn't just leave me here. I swallow the fear down and loosen my grip a little so that I begin sliding down slowly, but it doesn't go to plan as all of a sudden I'm sliding down the rope so fast that I can smell smoke from where my pants are ripping from friction with the rope, the rope cuts two holes through my pants where my inner thighs are and before I know it, my inner thighs and forearms are getting a killer rope burn. I let out a few profanities and decide to just let go of the rope and fall the rest of the way down. I brace myself for impact but am surprised when instead of smacking onto the ground, I bounce right off it and then hit floor softly.

I look to my left and see Hunter has placed a small trampoline where I landed, I give out a small laugh as the adrenaline begins to fade and the burns start... well they start burning. I sit up and look my body over, I have two big red welts on my forearm and blood is starting to show, I inspect my thighs and find two similar welts on my inner thighs. "Rope burn" Hunter observes unhelpfully,

"Thank you Captain Obvious," I huff, I hate the sight of blood. I stand and waddle my way to the changing rooms, I find the first aid kit, as I sit down and try to fix myself up, Hunter gently pushes my hands aside and begins with my forearm burns, he gently wipes them with something that makes it sting more, I flinch my arms away but he holds on tighter. "Stop moving" he commands as he reaches into the kit and brings out some cream that he rubs lightly on top of the burns, then lastly he covers them with bandages.

"You're going to have to take your pants off" I'm mortified at the idea, he sighs, walks out and is back within a few seconds, he hands me a shirt that I assume is his, it'll cover you but I really need to check your burns. I put his shirt on top of my own clothes and am happy to see it hangs down to my knees. I carefully remove my pants and then sit back down. Hunter lifts the shirt a little and begins to gently wipe my inner thighs. I clench my teeth hard to stop from shivering. My heart beat picks up and I'm afraid he'll be able to hear it. Breathing in and out slowly, I try to think of anything but the hands that are delicately stroking my inner thighs as he applies the cream. Hunter glances up at me and the eye contact throws me off, he leans forward and reaches towards my hips. I forget how to breathe until he grabs the bandages that I was partially sitting on and crouches back down and wraps my legs up. "All done." He stands and packs the kit away. "Don't think this will get you out of training, you're a long way from winning your spot as the Valentine's next wife. I'll see you tomorrow at 12:30." Hunter walks out and I'm shocked by his words. Valentine's next wife. How could I forget? The first competition was coming around the corner.

My brain goes into overdrive thinking about the competition to come, what if it was a physical one? what if I was pitted against Indigo? could I sacrifice myself to spare her from the whore house? could I sacrifice her to save myself from the whore house?

I start walking back to my room with plagued with thoughts of what the year had install for me and what I would have to sacrifice to what? avoid the whore house and for what? to marry Valentine?

"I've been looking everywhere for you" I look up and I'm glad to see Caleb's face, I've actually kind of missed him.

"I didn't think you were talking to me" I confessed, he smiled,

"oh no, we need to talk, I just had some things to get sorted first." I sigh, not liking the sound of the talk we 'needed' to have,

"Can it wait until tomorrow? I'm dog tired" I admit, but through the haze of my tiredness, something clicks... "DOG!" I shout as I sprint off for my room, which is harder than it sounds with four bandaged burns. When I finally burst in my room, I whistle for Lenny, "Here Lenny" Lenny comes crawling out from under my bed, wagging his tail in delight to see me, but I feel so bad for leaving him for this long. I'm so lost in patting Lenny and apologising that I don't hear Caleb walk in after me, "What the hell is going on in here?" he asks, I gulp, busted.