Chapter 12

Hot Yoga

Turned the Keurig on, grabbed my mug from the cupboard, picked out a flavor to brew, and waited. This had become so routine now it felt almost like being on autopilot and watching through a screen rather than being conscious of my choices.

I glanced out the windows to the backyard. Cell was nowhere to be found. I thought nothing of it. A sudden, odd presence coaxed me to glance over my shoulder.

He stood in the entryway, fully clad in black and green armor. His powers were back.

I felt myself gasp, caught somewhere between shock and panic. I didn't scream but my pulse was loud enough to seem like I did. My legs moved out of instinct until my back hit the wall. My body was wrapped in pressure and I felt suspended in midair, but he never touched me. All I saw was a flick of his wrist. He stepped forward, the floor creaking under the weight of his power. My breaths were shaky and erratic; I couldn't find my voice at all. He had me eye-level with him, our noses nearly touching he was so close.

"I know everything now," he purred, dragging his fingertips up the length of my bare arm. "It was so easy to see through you…into your mind..." His words made my body shake, my breaths nearly hyperventilating, but I was frozen solid. No matter what my brain screamed I couldn't move. "What a shame, keeping such interesting information from me…" he breathed, leaning in closer.

My mind was screaming, trying to get my frozen body to respond…

I jolted awake in the bed and opened my eyes to absolute darkness. My hands clutched the blanket and felt my body covered in a layer of sweat. Taking a few deep breaths I settled down, pushed the blanket off and felt the cool air reach my feet. My mind couldn't shake the fear that I might have said something in my sleep and, considering how good Cell's hearing was, that fear was certainly justified. My pulse started to settle down after a few minutes.

I kept getting flashes of the dream every time I closed my eyes. It was definitely not a nightmare; I was never truly scared for my life at any point. In fact it was hard to ignore just how damn sexy he looked as he closed in on me, taking control like that and using that seductive voice of his…

'Stop that you moron'

It was a good thing this was an off day; I would have been terribly distracted.

It was way too easy to slip into such vivid fantasies now, especially after how much we've conversed and grown accustomed to the sound of his voice. His speech patterns were so distinct I could nearly predict how he would answer questions too. And there was still the fact that he was still technically half naked at any given moment. Every morning he was in motion with that sculpted body too; it could be a sin to watch him. And after watching him lift a car over his head I now knew he was only showing a fraction of the power of his natural body. Oddly enough though he was not built like a bodybuilder at all; he was much leaner than the artwork alluded to. I only vaguely remembered his armor anymore, but it didn't seem bulky either…

At this rate I knew I was not going to fall back asleep and I rolled around in frustration. I pulled my legs up to my chest and stretched. Balla scooted closer and licked my arm, but Lati groaned and stretched out on her half of the bed. They never got fed early on lesson days so they learned to not get excited when I woke early. I rearranged the pillows and blankets, snuggled under the perfect layer to keep warm, and tried not to think about the weapon only meters down the hall.

I woke again several hours later with the light peeking through the curtains to my room. After kicking the blanket off I stretched my arms over my head. Much better. Today was going to be an awesome yoga day. The switch between training and yoga had me searching for more advanced poses on YouTube and I had a video I couldn't wait to try today.

The dogs skidded down the tile floor of the kitchen as I pressed the button on the brewer, reaching up to the cupboard for a mug…

I peered through the window, hoping to see him in the backyard. Nothing. The machine beeped and I brewed my tea, enjoying the smell of the steam rising from the cup. When the machine was done I shut it off, picked up my mug, turned to head for the main room to enjoy it…

"Morning."

I genuinely yelped and nearly dropped my hot tea but miraculously recovered.

His eyes went a bit wide, "Skittish today?"

With a nervous laugh I gestured with one hand, "Kinda, sorry…not your fault," and his look shifted from shock to confusion.

"You woke quite suddenly about four hours ago…are the incidents related?" Well shit. Obviously I wasn't going to tell him what the dream was about, but I could vaguely tie the two together.

"Yeah, an odd dream rattled me awake, but nothing too horrible. It was the déjà vu moment that got me." He shot me a curious look.

"So…I was in your dreams?"

Oh god damn it.

"It's not what it sounds like. Don't get too excited," I deadpanned, trying to keep it as convincing as possible. He shrugged with a scoff, so that might have been a win for me. "So, what's got you up and about?"

"I have a request of you today, but first I would like a tour. The room you practice yoga in, the basement, I would like to see it."

While an odd request, I didn't hesitate. "Oh, yeah, sure. Right now? Or later?"

"Now would be more ideal." Without a second thought I turned back down the hall, opened the door and led him down the stairwell. I turned as I got to the last few steps to warn him of the lower ceiling.

"Watch your head here, I've had people nearly knock themselves out on this beam." His feet reached the tile flooring with a tapping sound and he glanced over the system in front of him. There was a small sofa and two recliners arranged before a flat screen TV with an oversized rug in between. The oak entertainment center that housed the TV had two matching audio piers on either side filled with either décor or electronics. He stood before it, looking it over.

"Explain how this works to me. I am unfamiliar with the technology." I took a sip of my tea before setting it down on the end table next to the sofa. I understood that he was curious but his request could have sounded demanding to anyone else. After opening the cabinet doors I explained the system that was connected to the TV; the speakers, the PS4 (after explaining what a gaming console was), and the receiver that handled the different channels that could be used. I grabbed the controller and fired everything up so he could see it all power on.

After studying the electronics he looked around the room once more. "Do you follow an instructor for your practice?" I fiddled with the controller once more.

"Kinda. Here, I'll show ya what I'm planning for today." I pulled up YouTube and went through the playlist of videos. "Since these are all pre-recorded she's technically not an 'instructor', more like a motivator, but I enjoy the videos anyway." I scrolled over to a specific one, "This is the next step up I'm gonna do today. The poses are a bit more advanced and she moves quickly through them, so it'll be a tougher one."

"I would like to attend your practice today, if you will allow it."

I hesitated for a moment, "Define 'attend', cuz if you're just gonna sit here and stare… that might be a hard no."

His eyes lit up, "After the countless times you've watched me you don't find it fair to be repaid in kind?" I tried to scowl but a grin mixed in, so I looked away.

"I guess it's fair…" I grumbled sarcastically. I wasn't going to tell him no, but I was nervous just thinking about it. After a moment I looked back, "Let me enjoy my tea first?" He nodded and I went back upstairs to get ready and have a quiet panic attack.

After the creatures were fed I changed clothes and went back to the basement where he was waiting. I pulled out my mat and clicked on the video, pausing it just as it came up so it could load for a minute. I sat down cross legged on the mat and turned to see Cell standing off to the side a few feet away. "So, what's the plan? I don't have a spare mat, so you're on your own there…"

"No, I will not partake. I intend to intervene if I see anything that needs to be corrected."

"Oh, well, you'll be pretty bored for the first 10 minutes," I laughed, "It's mostly breathwork…then it'll get to the motions."

"That's fine. Whenever you're ready." The instructions were clear enough to me, so I resumed the video and the introduction started. I was a few minutes into the rhythm and had closed my eyes when his voice cut through the video.

"Pause this for a moment." I snapped out of my trance and hit the controller. He came up behind me and knelt and I felt his hands on each of my shoulders. "Continue from where you were but without the video. She doesn't spend enough time on the posture and talks far too much." Closing my eyes again I took a deep breath and rest my hands at my knees, but as I let the breath out he pulled my shoulders back more. "Draw your shoulders back and tighten that core. Your posture is lazy." He didn't pull too hard, but he tested the resistance in my shoulders. "The right shoulder is decent, but there is something off with your left. Do you know why?"

"Yeah, bad posture as a computer desk when I was in high school. I've known about it but it's rarely a problem…"

"Have you encountered any pain?"

"Only if I have to lift anything over my head. It feels like a pin being pushed into it…" He pressed his thumb into that shoulder, pushing into every tendon and muscle that could be moved until I felt something that was like a hard knot in my back. I grit my teeth and my reflex was to move away from the pressure, but he held on tight.

"There it is. We will work on that. Any other injuries you'd like to share before we move on?" I almost didn't want to talk about old injuries, but I had a feeling he was going to find them eventually.

"Um, maybe? I don't know what's a serious problem…" From there I mentioned some pains I had dealt with and which ones I didn't know how to correct. He listened to my rambling and terrible descriptions of each one and told me not to worry about them for now. I took the advice and we continued with the rest of the video.

"You need to straighten your hips, and your arms need to be higher…" At this point I was struggling to keep up, but not because of the pace of the video.

I paused it once more, "Like this?" He shook his head and circled around me once more.

"Now your knee is incorrect, what a mess…" I was nervous in the beginning when he had his hands on my shoulders, but I had gotten over it quickly. So, at this point, I was not afraid to make a suggestion.

"Well put me where I'm supposed to be. You're better off doing that than talking me through it."

He hesitated, "Do I have permission to touch you in that manner?"

I gave him a ridiculous look, "Really? I thought we crossed that line already." He didn't respond. "Of course you do, I'll give you free rein if it helps at all." He seemed stunned for only a second before he lined himself behind me. One hand went to my knee to push it inward a bit, which threw me off balance, but I ended up leaning on his hip while his other hand went for my hipbone. As soon as I recovered he poked my gut with a finger.

"Tighten here, do not be lazy. I understand you are trying to relax, but that defeats the purpose of the pose." He took my arms as I tightened my core and twisted slightly. I felt the stretch and the wonderful feeling of popping in my spine.

"Oh, damn," I breathed out, "that's wonderful." He stepped back and I fought to keep my arms up as his support left.

"Hold that for a few more breaths. Then you can resume the video." The rest of the time alternated between following the video and pausing it to correct my poses. It easily doubled the time I had originally planned, but it was a welcome adjustment. The last stretches he helped me with were hip openers that I always struggled to gain ground on. Turns out having someone that knew how far to push your limits was a huge plus.

The last few minutes were devoted to the greatest pose in the world: the corpse pose. It was like a reward for all the new progress I had made, and I welcomed the out-of-body feeling I got from it. Of course, I had an additional teacher to thank on top of it all. My previous teachers were more like guides with simpler poses to follow along with. We never did anything complex enough to consider it a 'breakthrough' in capabilities. My video instructor ended with a 'namaste' and I closed YouTube.

"Are you going to do this again in the future?" I looked over to Cell, who had sat cross-legged on the floor nearby for the last part of the video.

"I would never be opposed to having more influence in your progress. I take it you are not opposed then either?"

It was incredibly difficult to hide my enthusiasm, but I kept it down to a dull roar, "I never realized how much I was missing in these poses, so, yeah, I'd be ecstatic."

"I must admit, I was very underwhelmed by your choice on 'instructor' for this practice of yours. She's mediocre, at best. You said you took a personal class in the past as well? What kind of teacher did you have there?" I smiled at the memory.

"She was a 65-year-old woman that worked at the city hospital. For her age, she was a fantastic beginner teacher and, honestly, inspiration for a healthy life. It was a good workout, but the real benefit was the stress relief."

"How advanced was she? Could you perform at her level?"

"I picked up some things quickly, but there were still poses she could do that I couldn't, but there were ones I learned, and she could not do. So we balanced each other out. We were really good friends too." It was quiet for a bit. The awkward moments like this still occasionally happened, but I was learning to enjoy the peace rather than squirm in it. And it didn't usually last too long.

"Why are you not in that class anymore?" His hesitation was a bit obvious, but I was glad he asked.

"She got promoted and sent to another hospital in the next state over. We still keep in touch, but not frequently enough…" I noticed his posture relax as soon as I said that. "What kind of answer were you expecting?" I pressured him.

"For a moment I feared I had brought up another bad situation…perhaps that she had died and you lost your motivation." I felt bad, but I genuinely laughed.

"Nah, nothing like that! I was happy for her and told her I was a yogi for life because of her, but that also took the only instructor they had in the area away. I'm sure they found a replacement, but it would never be the same."

"Well, at least you maintained some of your ability; albeit not with the greatest of instructors, but you retained the discipline. That alone contributes to your development significantly." I stretched my arms over my head and was just about to head back upstairs when he started again, "One more thing, if you don't mind."

With a small tilt with my head I paused, "Sure, what's up?"

"You said you were able to do things your instructor could not, correct? Could you show me one?"

In an instant I went back to my mat and started rotating my wrists and rolling my shoulders, "Yeah, this one was fun to learn, and she had me demonstrate it in class a lot since I was the only one that could do it!" I bent my knees and crouched on the mat, palms together at my chest and my elbows pressed against my knees. I leaned forward and put my hands to the floor while putting my weight on my wrists. Finding my center of gravity, I lifted my feet and balanced perfectly on my hands. "This is the crow pose, but it's really hard for the elderly with arthritis in their wrists. That's why she couldn't do it." The pose forced me to look to the floor so I couldn't see Cell anymore, but I could hear him just fine.

"Not bad. How long can you hold that?" I could feel my wrists disagreeing with me already, but I pushed through it.

"Eh, maybe 30 seconds? I've never gone longer than ten seconds, so that might be pushing it…" I could still talk, but I was straining to concentrate on both.

"Can you push yourself into a handstand from there?"

I immediately started laughing, and my balance went with my concentration and I had to fall back on my heels. I clenched my fists as I set on my knees, "That's funny. It took me months just to find the balance and the wrist strength to do this." After a second I raised a brow at him, "Can you?"

The look he shot me was of absolute disbelief, "I do hope that was rhetorical."

I clapped my hands together, "Wonderful, I wanna see it." He narrowed his eyes at me. "Please? Show me how." My eyes were lit and I kept the bright expression on my face despite his disgruntled one. I could not falter; if he could teach me the more advanced moves then I could reach the levels I had always wanted to do.

"It is pointless and does not benefit me or you in any way."

I was ready to challenge that. I have learned how far to push him.

"I can look at pictures and watch videos all day and get nowhere. But if you can explain how to do it, guide me and correct me when I'm wrong, then I've got a chance. Help me."

He closed his eyes, sighed, and then chuckled with a small smirk.

"Tell me, why do you want to see this so badly?" His eyes opened with a mischievous glint in them. My composure was slipping pretty badly at this point and I grinned from ear to ear.

"Inspiration!" I chirped proudly. "Motivation, ya know, all that good stuff," I giggled with a wink. With a sigh his arms came from across his chest and he sat on his heels.

"Alright, to start off you need to stop putting your knees on your elbows. Get them higher; put them on your triceps." He demonstrated as he talked, balancing on his palms. "From here you need to push your arms straight before attempting the handstand." He did what I could only describe as a pushup but only on his hands as the muscles in his arms and shoulders rippled under his skin. "Once you find balance here then you can proceed with your legs. This will require much more core strength before you attempt it though."

His legs went straight up toward the ceiling, but I held my breath as I realized he was too tall for the basement. His foot gently touched the ceiling. "Yeah, this location might not have been the best choice…" He bent his elbows so he could touch both feet, and then slowly reversed the moves. The control was staggering to watch and he showed little to no strain the entire time. He brought himself upright without a word and crossed him arms over his chest again.

"Satisfied?" he playfully huffed.

"Always am," I smiled. I probably looked like a puppy being thrown scraps when he would give in to my pleads. The desire to see more poses was overwhelming, but I knew not to push my luck. "But I think I'm a few months out from being able to do that," I giggled. He offered a hand and pulled me up from my knees.

"I can work some extra strength training to aid you with that. Your shoulders aren't quite where you need them to be, but it won't take too long."

"Alright, so pushups? Weights? What are we lookin' at?"

"You'll find out soon enough." With that he turned and headed back up the stairs. I cleaned up the mat and other tools before heading back upstairs myself.

The day continued with the usual routines: laundry, dishes, dog and horse-related chores, and any other miscellaneous situations that arose. A random text from my mother surprised me, but it didn't require an instant response, so I left it unanswered. I hadn't heard from her in so long I was happy to see who it was from, but mom's messages were always…ambiguous.

She's always been that way, and, to be fair, I didn't really fall far from that tree.

And I knew that if I didn't get a panicked message from my little brother it wasn't anything to worry about.

Lunch was uneventful, but then I was informed that I was cooking dinner for two tonight.

As I cut the vegetables and prepared the rice cooker I found myself resorting to previous sauces and seasonings. I went through the motions as I stir-fried the beef strips, mixed in the vegetables and brought the plates out. Cell never said a word throughout the meal. He never did, aside from the 'thank you' as I collected the plates after.

I always wanted to ask him if he ever got bored of the flavors, but I knew much better than that by now. It seemed like he treated food as a necessary evil, like how we look at doctor or dentist appointments. He was never curious about the process or asked in advance what I was making. Just a simple 'I request a meal tonight'.

I went to bed with an unsettled feeling in my gut. It was happening more and more frequently and it was getting harder to ignore. Plans to apply for new jobs were tossed to the wind. Money wasn't technically an issue, but it couldn't last forever either. I kept telling myself 'One more year won't hurt' and 'As soon as this is over', but those were the same things I told myself two years ago.

As much as I enjoyed the distraction he provided, it was starting to take its toll.

A/N: So if it feels like it has been years since I've posted, you might be right. Motivation is funny like that. This story will go on and will never be abandoned, so all I can ask is for your patience and continued support!