"This where I say I told you so, right?" Lizzy grins out, getting once more out of the hold Dean had managed to put her in. He hasn't been able to effectively pin her yet and slowly but surely his confidence is waning. She loves it.
"So not done with you yet, sweetheart," Dean says while breathing heavily. He circles around her atop the padded floor of the training room, predator stalking its prey, and scouring his brain for a solid next move, though he's running out of ideas.
Lizzy confidently stands in the middle of the large open room, ready stance taken with a dark, determined look on her face, and she waits. He can think and prepare all he wants. She's good and she knows she can take him… as long as she doesn't get too distracted that is. Oddly enough, she's finding herself leering at him now and then. Something about Dean on the attack, being quick and fluid with his motions, showing off his strength and doing his best to overpower her is much more of a turn on than she'd planned for. In all honesty, earlier she simply wanted to literally kick his ass just to prove that she could. But now, well, now the physical activity she has in mind is a little different. Focus, Lizzy!
"You just gonna stand there?" Dean challenges, hoping he can for once get her to take the first move. She's patient and it's killing him.
"Waiting on you grampa," she returns quickly. "You need a break? Getting too tired? You did miss your nap today."
"You're totally gonna pay for that," Dean smirks as he finally advances on her, making his move.
Swinging with his right fist, Lizzy ducks quickly under his attempted punch and just barely avoids the quickly following left uppercut. She jumps back a bit and finds a ready stance again, winking at him to taunt his failed attempt.
"Son of a bitch," Dean complains under his breath, though the smile tugging at his lips gives him away. He's proud as hell of her and he knew she was good, he'd seen it first hand before, but this was beyond all expectations.
"Have to do better than that, bad ass," Lizzy taunts boldly. "Where's that legendary Dean Winchester I keep hearing about?"
"Big talk for a little fraidy-cat," Dean laughs while standing tall. "Come at me, Wonder Woman!"
Before the insult can make its way fully past his lips, she's charging in his direction, her shoulder plowing into his stomach. She pushes him back with all her might, plants a foot behind his legs, and immediately drops him when she forces him to trip over her. Landing hard onto his back with a loud exhale of surprise, she pounces atop him. The shock of the sudden forceful change of position dazing him for a split second, Lizzy takes full advantage like a pro. Straddling his chest, she swiftly grabs both his arms and pins them out to the side, her knees pressing into his biceps and hands grasping tightly to his wrists, forcing them into the floor. She brings her face down to his only an inch away and flashes her huge, toothy grin.
"And the big man is down," she gloats and kisses him on the lips quickly. "I win."
Lifting his legs up as high as he can behind her, Dean drops them down to the ground with all the strength he could find. He uses the momentum he creates to pull his upper body forward and off of the floor, pushing her backward as he does. It's Lizzy's turn to fall onto her back, Dean moving to lean over her now and pin her hands above her head.
"Spoke too soon, L," he informs her while kneeing between her legs that are now wrapped around his middle. "Knew that overconfidence would catch up to you sooner or later." He takes a moment to look her over, skin glistening with sweat, cheeks flushed with the effort she puts forth. She wore tight clothes, black yoga pants and a sports bra, leaving nothing to the imagination. She looks good and kneeling over her like this, he's putting himself at risk for getting a little too turned on for such a public place.
"Like what you see up there?" she questions after following his eyes and easily reading his thoughts.
"Always," he says with obviousness, leaning forward to kiss her again. Before he can reach her lips, he's falling sideways. Lizzy uses her legs that are locked around him to push him off of her and switch their positions, once again her being on top of him. Yanking her elbows back behind her, Dean loses his grip on her wrists. She scrambles up to her feet again, avoiding his attempts to grab her before she does.
"I have the appropriate amount to confidence, thank you very much," she says to him while walking backwards and getting back into her ready stance she's been taught to always take by her trainer Mike.
"Ok, I'll admit it," Dean says through labored breathing as he gets back to his feet. "You've got some moves."
Lizzy just grins like a kid. He's taken off his game, disheveled at best with matted hair and his sweatpants twisted to the side. He looked adorable, to be honest, but she brushes aside the thought. She watches as he fixes his attire and returns his gaze to her.
"If it's alright with you, I think I'm gonna stop going so easy on ya'," Dean warns, a playful yet sinful look in his eyes.
"Ha!" Lizzy laughs at his audacity while pointing at him. "You've been trying your damnedest and you know it!"
"No way," he lies. "Just warming up, little lady."
"That's it, I am gonna fuck you up!" she tells him angrily while striding toward him, ready to make him eat his words.
She takes her first swing, her right fist cutting through the air and missing its mark when Dean leans back out of its path. He didn't see the combination she planned coming, however, and she hits him square in the ribs with the heel of her left palm, not enough to actually hurt. Just enough to let him know she means business. Following it up with another right punch, she connects with his cheek lightly. If she meant it, the bruising would already be starting.
Lizzy spins backwards around herself using the momentum of her right arm's effort and brings her left leg up with all intentions of bringing her foot clean across his face in a fanning motion. Shocking him as he somehow let it slip that she was an extremely flexible person that could easily get her foot up to his much taller height, he blocks her kick with his left forearm and instantly brings up his right forearm to block her attempted quick blow to the gut she tried for immediately after.
Backing up a bit, Lizzy takes a second to think quickly and devise a new plan of attack. Dean sees the opportunity of her pause and runs with it. He steps forward into her space and throws a solid right hook, which she avoids just barely, ducking low and crouching to the floor. Sweeping a leg level to the ground, she tries to take out his legs. Dean jumps up, letting her leg pass underneath him. Lizzy stands back up but gets attacked before she's ready.
His light punch lands to the side of her waist, then another to her left cheek, neither doing any real damage. Dean reaches both hands out to grab her shoulders with the aim of pushing her back into the wall. Lizzy brings both of her arms up between his and around them, her elbows bending and linking around his limbs tightly. Dean's arms now locked in hers, she makes a blunt forward motion to simulate a head butt right into his forehead. She then let's his arms free and brings her right leg in and thrusts her foot out into the center of his stomach, kicking him backward. Dean stumbles a few steps and breathes deeply, a little of the air in his lungs having just been forced out.
"Fuck," he shakes his head, staring at her with anger over the fact that she's once again managed to get the upper hand.
"Watch your mouth, old timer," she grins, holding her arm out to him and flexing her fingers herself, beckoning him Matrix style and asking him to bring it.
"Oh, this shit ends now!" Dean shouts with the hint of a grin on his lips. Even though he's pissed that all five-foot-five of her is literally fending him off and, though he'd never, ever admit it, kicking his ass, he can't help but love her that much more for it.
Dean charges her, unable to hold back his growing need to win and prove to her once and for all that she can't take him down. Her eyes grow wide with the shock of his sudden attack and she does her best to steady her stance and be ready. Instead of throwing fists, Dean plows right into her, lifting her off the ground and draping her body over his shoulder. He keeps going until she hits the padded wall back-first with a loud 'oomph'. He drops Lizzy onto her feet, spins her around roughly, and presses the front of her body into the wall. Her head is turned to the side, her cheek smashed to the blue pad, and he can see the frustration in her expression.
"Here's your legendary Dean Winchester, baby," he quips while holding her arms together behind her with one hand and pushing his forearm into the back of her neck with the other. Lizzy, never one to give up easily, begins kicking at him blindly with her free leg. "Uh-huh," Dean warns, bringing one of his own legs between hers and pressing his body weight into her, effectively pinning her to the wall with no way out.
"Alright," Lizzy's struggling voice says. "You fucking got me, Hot Shot."
"Sure did," Dean says low into her ear, letting the moment turn a bit racy for himself. "You're all mine, L. Not getting outta this one."
"Yeah, yeah. And it only took you a half hour to pin me once. Oh," she punctuates her diss with a moan as Dean runs his tongue along her neck, licking up her sweat.
"Now I'm just pissed that we're in public," he nearly groans, hips pressing harder into her with the sudden urge to take her right then and there. "You're fucking hot when you fight, you know that?"
"Sure do," she smiles jokingly.
"You know," Dean begins, voice still low and gravelly. "I'd give anything to keeps you against this wall and…."
"Enough you two!" Mike shouts light-heartedly from the doorway of the training room when he spies them against the far wall. "I have kids coming in here for class in about five, so the fight-porn has to stop."
"Sorry, Mike!" Lizzy yells back as Dean lets her go. She turns to face him and has to keep down her threatening laughter when Dean immediately hides himself behind her. The situation turned him on a little too much apparently.
"Don't be," he tells her. "That was some of the best sparring I've ever seen. You guys should do demos for us, ah, without the whole sexual tension stuff of course."
Neither answer back, the red flush creeping over their faces, as Mike walks out of the room and leaves them be before the next class starts.
"Well, that was embarrassing," Lizzy says as she walks towards her bag in the corner of the room. "Fight-porn?"
"Dude, he might be onto something there," Dean tells her, making his way to her to take the bottle of water from her offering hand. "It's a good idea."
"Huh," Lizzy think for a moment while taking down hefty gulps of water. "There's a freak of every kind out there. There's got to be an audience."
"Hell, I'm one of them. I'd totally watch that," Dean admits.
"You'd watch anything as long as people are banging in it," she rebuts.
"Yeah, I would," he concurs with a smile. "You ready to head?" He tosses her her coat and starts putting on his own.
"Definitely. I need a shower so bad," Lizzy laughs while putting her arms through the sleeves of her winter jacket.
"I could help you with that, you know, if you wanted," Dean smirks while dropping an arm around her shoulder as they begin walking towards the door.
"Hmm, I wouldn't mind that… ooh!" Lizzy stops mid-response when a kid from the incoming class runs straight into her and bear hugs her waist.
"Lizzy!" the young boy shouts up to her with a partially toothless grin.
"Hi Joey!" Lizzy responds brightly with a smile, dropping her bag on the floor and leaning down to pick him up.
"Are you coming to class today?" he asks her hopefully once he's in her grip and sitting on her hip.
"No, kiddo. I'm sorry," she tells him, disappointed that she won't be hanging around today. She always had fun helping out the kids classes and Joey was one of her favorites. "I have to go hang out with this guy today." Lizzy points to Dean at her side.
"Hi. I'm Dean," he greets.
"I'm Joey," the five-year-old responds while jumping down from his lifted spot. He looks up at Dean from his much lower level. "You can stay too. I can show you what Lizzy taught me last week!" He takes his well ingrained ready stance and Dean's eyebrows fly up with surprise at his boldness.
"Oh, I got to see that," Dean pretends to plead to Lizzy. "Clearly this kid can kick a… uh, butt." He holds back the swear he almost let out.
"Maybe another time," she laughs.
"What!" Joey loudly protests while pointing to Dean. "This guy wants to stay! You should stay too."
"Yeah, Lizzy," Dean exaggeratedly joins Joey's plight. "Don't be so lame."
"Yeah!" Joey responds, high-fiving Dean as he does.
"Looks like Joey made a new friend today," Lizzy says while glaring at Dean, getting his usual shit-eating gin in return before looking back to Joey. "But you have Danny working with you guys today and you know how awesome he is."
"Yeah," Joey responds, looking off across the room at Danny with a thoughtful look. He puts his hands on his hips and turns back to Lizzy. "He is pretty cool."
"The coolest," she laughs. "You go kick some butt today and I'll come back next week so you can show me what you learned. Deal?" She holds out her hand to shake on the deal.
"Ok. Deal," Joey answers back, grabbing her hand hard and shaking.
"Ow!" Lizzy fakes pain. "So strong, dude!"
Joey flexes his muscles with a meant to be mean grimace before running toward his group gathering at the other side of the room.
"He's, ah," Dean pauses, trying to come up with the right word.
"Rambunctious?" Lizzy guesses.
"Oh yeah," Dean laughs as they leave the classroom and head for the parking lot.
"That kid is awesome, dude. Thank you kind sir," she says while walking through the front door Dean holds open for her. "Man, he is a fucking character and a half. Those kid classes are a blast."
"I can only imagine," Dean responds, having gotten a very high energy vibe from the gathering children before they left.
"God damn, that felt good. I needed that," Lizzy says once they're out in the biting cold air of the day before tossing him the Mustang keys. "Wanna drive?"
"Is that a real question?" he returns, always excited to take the opportunity to drive a kick-ass car.
"Here it is," the large, tattoo covered, and intimidating bald man says from the other side of the glass counter. He opens a manila file with the label 'Noonan' on it and pulls out a paper, sliding it across the countertop for Lizzy and Sam to see. "Quite a piece I like to think… not bragging or anything."
"Whoa," Sam says, brow wrinkled and stomach jumping when he takes in the image. It was her, no question about it. His heart races with seeing her face again after so long. "Holy shit."
"It's awesome, right!" Lizzy brightly smiles, bouncing on her heels with excitement to show Sam the artwork.
"So awesome," Sam quietly agrees while picking up the picture and examining it closer. It was absolutely Lou, her bright blue eyes and warm smiling face looking right back at him.
"Lizzy came up with the concept a while ago and we've been messing with it ever since, trying to get it just right," Mitch explains. "Been a real labor of love. The way this one talks about her friend makes me want to get it perfect before we start making it permanent. Remembrance tats are always my favorite and this one, it's been a fun one."
"Trust me, it is perfect," Sam says to the artist without looking away from the drawing. He couldn't even if he wanted to. "She'd love this."
"Hell yeah she would," Lizzy grins, so happy that Sam likes it. "Mitch is an insanely talented dude."
"Thanks," the hulking man laughs off.
"Ok, so don't laugh," Lizzy warns Sam as she pulls some pictures out of the file Mitch placed on the counter. "But these are what I based the tattoo on." She hands them over, Sam finally letting go of the drawing and taking the pictures from her. The first one is the two of them, dressed in Wild West period clothing and in black and white, clearly taken at an amusement park tourist attraction. Lizzy's sitting atop an old piano, whiskey bottle in hand, and Lou is reclined in a rocking chair, a shotgun in her grip and feet propped on the keys of the piano.
"We took that after our senior year of high school, the summer before college hit and separated us for a little while," Lizzy explains. "I obviously chose to hold a whiskey bottle and Lou obviously chose a shotgun. I like to think that the whole thing is some kinda creepy foreshadowing." Sam huffs a laugh, finding the irony in it just like she does. How damn fitting. "We then replaced the shotgun in the pic with her favorite sawed off, which luckily," she flips to the next picture for Sam, "I had a picture of her holding."
Sam looks the second photo over carefully, the picture being of Lou standing next to an old weathered Route 66 sign with the sun setting in the background. She has the sawed-off slung over her shoulder and she's looking off to the side, loose strands of hair blowing across her face.
"She didn't want to take it, saying I was being corny and dumb, but I made her do it anyways. The sun set was fucking gorgeous. Couldn't waste it."
"Well, I'm definitely glad you took it," Sam says, once again looking down at the tattoo-in-progress. It was a 1940's pinup version of Lou in old western style clothing with her beloved sawed-off in her hands, the date she died carved into the metal barrel. It really is perfect. "I love it."
"So do I," Lizzy explains. "But I just need one last detail added before I am ready to take the plunge, which is exactly why I dragged your ass down here with me!"
"What?" Sam asks as he watches her pull the collar of his shirt down and reach in to uncover the necklace he never took off, the black cord with Lou's ring on it. She drops it and lets it rest against his t-shirt.
"Need have this in there too," Lizzy smiles up to him. "Mitch, can you make it so she's wearing this?" Lizzy wants to incorporate the ring Lou loved so much along with something of the man Lou loved also.
"No problem," he responds, taking out his digital camera and aiming it at Sam, snapping an image before Sam could protest. "Come back tomorrow and check it out. Maybe we can get started." The large man smiles, ready to get to work on a piece he's been invested in for weeks now.
"That'd be great! I'll definitely give you a call!" Lizzy smiles brightly. It took a long time figuring out how to properly honor her best friend and sister. Now that it's almost done, she's ready to have it on her forever and always have her friend with her. She looks up to Sam, seeing the faraway look in his eye. She links her arm through his and takes the pictures out of his hand, dropping them back on the counter.
"I think the necklace will give it a nice finishing touch, don't you?" She grins knowingly at him.
"Yeah," Sam smiles down to her.
"I figured it wouldn't be complete without a little Iron Giant in there somewhere!"
Lizzy laughs as Sam feels the slight embarrassment. Lou gave him that name for, uh, anatomical reasons and the fact that Lizzy just used it felt uncomfortable. But it also made him feel like Lou was still there, still objectifying him a little. And that he didn't mind, not at all.