Markus swung the baton at her, causing Lily to step back, almost dropping hers in the process. "Come on Lil's," Sheppard Junior taunted.
"Well I said I don't want to so I don't want to!"
He only smirked and swung at her again, narrowly missing her body as she jumped back, giving a squeak in response. "Too bad."
She glanced around the room to see Carson, John, Ronan, Rodney, Jennifer, Laura, Teyla, Torren and Major Lorne watching their 'fight'. She knew they were betting on who would win, the girls cheering for her along with her Dad whilst the other men cheered for Markus. Four to four, for the one on one battle.
She grimaced as Markus grinned and took another swing at her. "You know I was blackmailed into doing this right?" Lily told the younger Sheppard.
"Oh right? Really?" The sarcasm in his voice didn't go amiss to her. "By who?" Another swing, narrowly avoiding her legs as she jumped over it.
Lily decided to try to swing back, attempting to get Markus in the leg. He blocked it easily and caught her on the back, sending her stumbling but not losing her footing. More cheers and boos erupted for both sides. "Your dad."
Markus only shrugged at the accusation. "Sounds like him." He took another swing and clipped her shoulder lightly. "But you will have to practice soon enough." Another swing that caught her other shoulder.
"Well maybe I don't wanna learn how to fight okay? If I don't want to then why should I?"
"Self defence," he blocked one of her blows, and lightly tapped one of her ankles mockingly. He knew that there was a three years age difference, but he was the one who had had more practice in the gym, adamant on training, which was why he was currently winning, quite well in fact.
After delivering a few more blows to her he paused slightly, rushing the baton to her and pushing it against hers. "How about we make a deal."
"What kind of deal?" She hissed out, pushing back just as hard.
He grinned and leaned closer, not wanting anyone else to hear it. "If I win, you let me play that game on your laptop."
He watched as she contemplated this. "And if I win?"
"Whatever you want," shrugging absently he pushed harder against the sticks.
She thought it over for a minute and grinned evilly. "Okay, deal." Markus grinned in return and pushed harder on the sticks, sending her flying to the floor. Kicking her baton out of her hands he went to pin her down.
Lily rolled and quickly sat on his back, jabbing fingers into the back of his shoulders and placing one hand around the back of his neck, pushing it down. Feeling him pushing himself up she squeezed his neck harder and he yelped. This earned her cheers from the girls and boos from the guys that were betting on them. "Say 'Uncle' dirt bag," she mocked.
With her free hand she jabbed at his shoulders, making contact with the thinly protected areas several times before he cried out. "Alright, alright! 'Uncle', 'uncle' just get off me."
She smiled and stood up, offering him a hand. "Go on, what have I got to do."
Another smirk. Leaning in close she whispered her half of the deal to him. Markus almost jumped away, "No way! Uh uh. That! That is way too far." He immediately took a step back to try and get away from her, but she was quick and grabbed his ear in her hand and twisted on it. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, let go, ow."
Lily twisted harder, "Then agree."
"Fine, fine. Ow, let go," he pulled himself free and rubbed at his now sore ear. "I hate you."
His only response was a smirk as she patted his head and walked past him. "Starting tomorrow," she whispered on her way past. He grimaced and walked out of the gym, sullen from the deal.
Lily sat in the mess hall, an ear to ear grin on her face as she drummed her fingers on the camera in hand. Torren had eyed it suspiciously when he had first sat down with his mother, asking what it was for. She only told them to wait, leaving them to give each other a quizzical look.
She had asked her parents, John, Ronan, Laura, Carson and Evan to be there that morning, before nine, so that she could show them all something. She was adamant to keep it a secret before a voice buzzed in her ear. "Lily please, anything but this."
Her hand shot to her ear to reply, "Nope. You made the deal."
"I hate you," was the response. She only laughed at the thought and gripped the camera in her hands, her brown eyes straining to look towards the doors to the mess. Seconds later they slid open to reveal one Markus Sheppard, face already blushing brightly.
John's eyes had followed her, automatically widening at the sight. His hands covered his face as several people around the table began to chuckle and laugh. Markus stepped into the mess hall, grabbed a tray and tried to order food by attracting as little attention as possible.
He made his way towards the table, face grim and anger written clear across it as he spared a glance to his shocked father. John had his hand over his mouth, eyes squinting in pain at the sight before him. A flash drew him to a widely grinning Lily, who was taking several pictures for later use. "Hey! That wasn't part of the deal!"
"Deal?" Everyone called out.
Lily shrugged, capturing another image of Markus Sheppard wearing white fluffy bunny ears and a pink t-shirt saying 'I love my little pony' with a black arrow that pointed down. Clad in only bright neon green boxers and black sandals.
He attempted to snatch the camera away from her as she captured another picture. "Gimme that!"
"No," she called back happily, climbing out of her seat and stepping away from him. He dropped his tray onto the table, slipped out of the sandals and tore of the bunny ears before chasing her out of the mess hall and down the halls of Atlantis.
Everyone sat at the table stunned by the appearance before laughing erupted, causing John to wince even more.
Thank you to Zentris, for alerting my story.
Nachtigall, thank you for favouriting.
Everyone else that's reading this: thank you and remember - reviews are love. Also, I only own Lily and Markus, everyone else I rent for the weekend.