When the ocean meets fire

~~~~~~~~~~~~Embarrassment~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, just to specify- when it says nine months, no- Taz hasn't gone over the eight months since 'Pride', but there were five months from his injury to when 'Pride' is, so they've been training for four months, and five months plus four months is nine months, so it works!

Thank you so much for reading!

ThoseSunsetEyes

Xx

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“ALRIGHT PEOPLE!” Taz’s face was colder and harder than ice, but inside she was relishing in yelling at the group of about fourteen ensigns who were standing in front of her in a line as she’d instructed them to do, “JOU IDIOTAS ARE HERE BECAUSE JOU THINK JOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR MISSION, EH?” One ensign stupidly nodded, different from the others who stood up straight and unmoving. Taz stormed up to the boy, and smacked him across the face. Hard. He fell to the floor and covered his now bright red cheek with his hand. Taz stood over him and lowered her head until it was only a foot away from the ensign’s. He clutched his ears instead of his cheek when she hollered at him, “JOU ARE WEAK! JOU WILL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR MISSIONS! JOU HAVE TO APPLY MISSION RULES EVERY DAY! NOW GET UP JOU HIJO DE PUTA, AND DO 50 LAPS!” the boy looked horrified, and glanced around at the huge gym hall questioningly, “SI OF THE WHOLE GYM, IDIOTA! DID JOU EXPECT SOMETHING WEAK? GO!” she stepped back to her previous position as the ensign scrambled to his feet and started running, cheek still glowing. She looked to the rest of the group and noticed they’d slumped a little from their stance. “HEY!” She yelled and the whole group stood to attention again, “GO AND START LIFTING WEIGHTS! THE ONE WHO CAN LIFT THE MOST DOESN’T GET THE SAME AS HIM,” she gestured over her shoulder at the already-panting ensign, who’d only done a lap and a half. She could see the terror in the rest of the group’s eyes, but she was almost impressed that they didn’t break as much as the other kid had done. She went over to set up the sparring ring and mats, and smirked to herself: she sort of got a kick out of torturing ensigns, but she knew it would do them good- they needed to be tough if they wanted to survive on missions. She wondered if Up would be proud of her, and even though she wouldn’t ever let it show, she wouldn’t mind if he said so.

Right on cue, she heard the door opening behind her, and she noticed the ensigns at the weights slowing slightly (Mr Red-Cheek was still too terrified to stop his running). She stood up from bending over the mats and spun around to see Up leaning against the doorway. His eyes fluttered up to her face from something lower down, and Taz paused: I was bending over... wait- was he looking at my... uh, never mind... Instead she focused on what he was wearing: yeah, his usual grey sweatpants for training, but instead of the usual grey t-shirt he was wearing a black, and rather tight tank top, showing the full extent of his muscles. Luckily she pushed back the rather nervous and girly giggle that was about to come out of her mouth when she remembered the ensigns in the room. Phew, that would’ve been embarrassing. She cleared her throat, and snarled at the ensigns who’d slowed down their weight lifting a fraction, “I DIDN’T TELL JOU TO STOP WORKING IDIOTAS!” she looked back to Up and he looked like he was holding back a grin. She walked over to him, her eyes already asking her question so he answered when she reached him:

“I wanted to see the hell you were giving them;” he couldn’t help smiling now- so attractively, she added mentally, but Up spoke again to knock her out of her thoughts, “finally we’re getting back at them for their stupid whispering,” his voice sounded triumphant as she hadn’t heard it since the last mission before Qu’Onos. She smiled up at him and leant against the inside wall next to the doorway he was leaning on. “Yeah, stupid’s right: that tonto over there broke his stance when I hadn’t even given him permission to move.” She rolled her eyes as she gestured to the running, and now heavily sweating ensign. Up chuckled and looked down at her, “you gave him laps just because he moved?” Taz nodded with an ‘uh-huh’, “nice!” Up replied, and Taz felt that same triumphant feeling, but not just because she was getting back at the ensigns. She didn’t want to show how thrilled she was at his praise, so punched him lightly (for her) on the arm, but realised this was a big mistake, as it brought her attention to his arms again...