Looking Back to Where We Were
Summary: Irina sets Gwin an impossible mission – complete one push-up.
spoilers for the end of chapter 5 - don't read if you haven't completed it!
this is set pre-game btw. hope you enjoy!
"I - I can't do it!"
"You can do it!" Irina barked. Her shadow was looming over him, and even when he wasn't looking at her, the 'severely pissed off' vibes were coming in waves. "You have to do it! What sort of soldier can't do push-ups!?"
"I can't!" With a violent huff, Gwin sprawled onto the cool tiles of the test hanger. He allowed himself a deep sigh – he deserved that much. "Mim bodies can't even gain muscle – what is the point of doing this!?"
"Only a weakling complains!" Irina tapped his shoulder with her boot. He chanced a glance up, only to be caught with her eyes boring at him from over her crossed arms.
Whoever said the Murderess was scary was wrong – Irina was easily the most terrifying person Gwin had ever known.
"You didn't answer my question-"
Another kick, slightly sharper. "Push! Ups!"
His arms wobbled as he pushed himself back into the log position.
"Arms out, Gwin! I want a push-up, not a plank!"
"So picky..." he grumbled, but did as she said. He stretched his arms out, planted them down hard, and tried very hard not to cry.
"Now down!"
He lowered himself, and something in his stomach clenched – muscles he didn't even know he had were screaming at him.
"Do butts have muscles, Lieutenant?"
He heard Irina pause, then she stomped her boot. "Up!"
His elbows shook.
"I said up!"
Hissing, Gwin pushed down on his hands – and immediately collapsed into a sloppy pile of limbs on the floor.
He heard Irina's boots squeak as she crouched down, but he was too busy feeling sorry for himself to notice. He nuzzled his head into his folded arms and groaned.
What sort of soldier was he, if he couldn't even do push-ups? How the hell was he meant to protect anyone, much less Irina?
He'd never be a good soldier. Simple as.
"Hey, Gwin," Irina said, voice soft.
He made some sort of noise of acknowledge.
"Hey." Her hand shook his shoulder. "Look at me."
"Lemme feel sorry for myself," he mumbled to the listening audience of his elbow.
"I didn't get a word of that," Irina muttered. "Lift your head."
He raised it an inch or so.
Irina gave a frustrated huff and dug her slim fingers under his chin. She jolted his head up so that they were eye-to-eye - and whoa, she had really pretty eyes.
Very pissed off looking eyes, though.
Very.
Pissed.
"You're putting way too much effort into this," Irina said. She linked her fingers with Gwin's – and he did not jolt, definitely not, no sir.
She had really sweaty hands.
She yanked him up with practiced ease – it was a good thing Marcus wasn't with them today, or else he'd be sniggering in the corner the entire time. Today was his day off, though, and he was going on a date with some guy. Gwin couldn't recall his name for the life of him, but he'd been kind of cute.
She let go of his hand as soon as he was up. Gwin tried to swipe off some non-existent dust. "How do you put too much effort into push-uppush-ups?" he muttered. "Did I give my elbows too much muscle – oh, wait, I don't have any."
Irina raised her eyebrows, eyes narrowing. Then, without another word, she stood up fully and walked around behind him.
"Lieutenant?"
No reply. Gwin sighed. He flopped down to the floor again, figuring that Irina wouldn't mind if she was leaving, and settled himself on his elbows-
Something heavy smacked his back all at once. "Whoa whoa whoa!" His face smashed against the floor, cheek burning, and then he realised that the mass on him was breathing. "W-what the hell, Lieutenant?"
"push-ups," Irina droned.
"How is you sitting on my back meant to help at all!?"
A large huff was her only response. She wasn't that heavy, not really, but Gwin knew that she was tiny and every inch of her was muscle – a hell lot more than what he had, anyway. And, okay, maybe he had imagined a few situations with Irina sitting on him, but this – this was not one of them.
"Irina," he whined.
"C'mon, Gwin," she said, a grin in her voice. "Just the one."
"I can't do even one normally!"
"Of course you can." She gave the space between his shoulders a soft smack – he nearly toppled to the ground again. "Just do it, come on!"
He somehow managed to get himself into position, but he could feel every vein in his arms screaming. "Irina, I think my veins are going to explode."
"Nice."
"Nice!?"
"Hurry up, Gwin. Alexa needs to use this hangar in about ten minutes."
"It won't take me ten minutes to do one push-up!"
He could feel her looking at her. "Prove it, then."
Something unfamiliar swelled through him at that moment – adrenaline, or something, anyway, that suddenly made all of the pain ebb away. "I will," he hissed, and put all of his energy into his hands. He huffed and puffed, and he could feel himself slowly dying.
His elbows shook-
And then he was up.
"Excellent!" Irina yelled. "Now down!"
Grinning to himself, Gwin lowered himself down. The weight on his back eased as soon as he did so; then, exhaustion hit him all at once. With a sigh, he flopped onto the ground and gave his first kiss to the tiles.
He rolled onto his back, panting, but grinning. He did it! He managed to do a push-up!
"I did it!" He pumped a fist into the air. "Lieutenant, I did it!"
"I know you did." Irina's face fell over him. Her smile was like the kind a big sister would give. "Well done, Gwin. I'll make you dinner tonight as a well done!" She stretched her hand out to help him up-
"I, uh, how about we go to a café instead?"
Irina's hand froze just shy of Gwin. She frowned, then raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms. "Excuse me?" she said, with the tone of 'I'll kick your ass into Mira's second moon if you say anything offensive'.
He swallowed, hard. This was a life-or-death situation!
"I-I mean - you went to all of this effort to help me! You shouldn't have to cook tonight. And, um, besides, Marcus isn't here? It wouldn't be fair to have it without him."
Irina smiled. "Good point. How about the one on Barista Court?"
"That, uh, sounds brilliant!" He smiled, and she grinned back. The very few parts of him that weren't screaming in agony were screaming in delight. He had a date! A date!
...Okay, so maybe Irina didn't view it as a date, but he would!
They could do so many things together! Have a (hopefully) romantic dinner, with candle light flickering between them, talking about the future, the past...
Their hands would come together, slowly, and then-
"I'll see if the Colonel and Lin are free. It'd be good to catch up with them, we haven't seen them in ages."
Gwin jolted and stared at Irina. She had her comm device out.
They had seen Elma yesterday.
Now everything of Gwin was screaming in agony. "Uh... sure?"
Irina tapped her cheek with a quiet hum. "How about Doug and Lao? I think they were just finishing up a mission together, so they should be free as well."
"Go for it?" Gwin murmured.
"Is there anyone else-"
"No no no!" Gwin said quickly, waving his hands about. He gave an innocent whistle and looked away as Irina glanced at him. "I-I mean, uh, do you have enough money to pay for everyone?"
Man, he was clever. Irina would realise how broke they were and limit the date to just the two of them!
"Huh?" Irina frowned. "I'm not paying." She grinned. "I thought you were."
"Sure – wait, what?"
"You're the one who suggested the café." Irina put a hand on her hip, a teasing smile on her face. "And what's the number one rule of Team Irina?"
"Whoever takes the offer has to pay-"
"Gwin."
"Whoever offers has to pay," he mumbled.
His money. His sweet, sweet money – all of it, gone.
"Can't we, uh, spilt the bill or something?"
Irina gave him a look.
"Gwin, I know you got a huge reward for tracking down Mathias's cat yesterday." She stretched out her hands, her knuckles popping loudly one after the other. Gwin winced at each and every single noise. "So!" She swung her arms out to her sides, grinning. "It's only fair that you pay."
"Irina."
"Don't 'Irina' me." She gave his shoulder a friendly tap as she walked past. "Let's go and get a good table."
"Lieutenant-"
"Evans." She stopped and looked over her shoulder from the entrance, grinning.
Despite himself, he had to grin back. He'd have time with Irina before anyone else arrived – and, hey, it'd be nice to catch up with the others.
"Wait for me!" he yelled and broke into a jog after her.