Touched by an Angel

[Parker]

The room had that soft, filtered light that only came from the wide gym windows, the kind that turned dust motes into slow-moving glitter and traced every movement with a pale gold edge. The LAW gym was usually a riot of sound, heavy bags thudding, ring ropes snapping, trainers barking, but the side rooms were quieter. Most were used for group sessions or filming tutorials, each one lined with mirrored walls and cushioned floors. This one, though, was empty.

had checked the door twice before stepping inside. No class scheduled, no tape up on the schedule board, just a clean mat and enough space to move without bumping into a rack or a camera stand. The kind of rare, private pocket you had to seize when you found it. She’d slipped in, dropped her gym bag against the wall, kicked off her shoes, and tied her hair up high.

Now she stood at the center of the room, barefoot, the faint hum of the air conditioner and distant clang of weights the only reminders that the rest of the world existed. Her reflection met her through the glass, a lone figure in motion, focused yet fluid.

She began with a roll of her shoulders, slow and deliberate, warming herself back into rhythm. The faint sheen on her skin caught the light each time she stretched her arms overhead. Her body moved with the easy confidence of someone who knew exactly how it was supposed to work, every muscle deliberate, every breath purposeful.

Her first kick came like punctuation, a clean, snapping arc that carried her leg up beside her cheek before the ball of her foot landed again in silence. She exhaled sharply through her nose, adjusted, and spun again. This time, she added the flourish, a half-twist, a flick of her hair following the motion, a momentary flash of her toned abdomen as she reset her stance. She looked composed, but there was fire in the eyes that checked her reflection.

Then came the no-arm cartwheel. She leaned into the turn, palms never touching, body a fluid ribbon of motion that rolled from one foot to the other. The mat gave a soft sound beneath her as she landed, one foot, then the other, and straightened, smiling faintly at her own balance. The motion had grace, but also a showmanship that came from knowing how to move beautifully.

She stepped back, paced once, and started into a flurry: a side kick, pivot, roundhouse, low spin, rise, the rhythm like a dance, her movements tight and fast enough to stir a breeze through her hair. Each turn of her hips had the measured control of a performer trained to be seen, but not self-conscious, attractive in the way confidence always is.

By the time she slowed, her breathing had deepened, her chest rising and falling with the kind of steady rhythm that came from hours of conditioning. She brushed a hand across her forehead, smiled at her reflection again, and gave the air one last playful kick, not for technique, but for the satisfaction of the movement itself.

[ADarlingDucky]

It had been far too long since Angel had truly had a day to himself. The hustle and bustle of LAW was often keeping wrestlers busy, usually providing them with more excitement than any one person would be used to normally, and so it was a rare thing when one was given the chance to relax and simply train on their own, and that went double for wrestlers who most commonly belonged to a tag team. With all the training that was required to be a functional unit, it usually meant that one would need to be with their partner more often than not, and Angel, along with his partner Jamie, were no exception. But now, with a whole day to himself, Angel had been spending much of it within the LAW arena, spending some time with a few fans who were visiting, before stopping by an area for catering to get some food, before his journey finally took him to the gym!

Angel adored the gym, as it often provided many chances to get to interact with fellow LAW talent, despite it being a toss-up on if they were as friendly in return. Still, just seeing them hone their skills, their bodies, practice and train to try and attain glory in the promotion was enough to consistently distract Angel, which is why Jamie had often been known to repeat the phrase "get a room," at him. And as it turned out, he meant it quite literally.

Stepping towards one of the doors, Angel would softly turn it's handle and open it just a touch, to reveal the empty space inside where he... Oh. Turns out, this space wasn't so empty.

Within the room, a lone figure was seen flowing through a series of strikes, her body swiftly transitioning from one to the other. A look of pure focus adorned her incredibly pretty face, and her body was both rigid while striking and fluid while moving between them, movements that had clearly taken plenty of time to get right. The way that she moved in the light nearly made her look transcendent, cloaked in pure gold, and by the time she had finished, Angel had let his grip on the door handle go, with it standing open as he watched her. She seemed to glow, and when she finally finished her routine, Angel was at a loss for words.

"Wow..." His voice filled the quiet room, and as was typical for Angel, he wasn't left lacking for words that long. "That was amazing! That was so cool and graceful and really really cool!" The blonde male sputtered, a beaming smile on his face as he interrupted Starlight's workout to gush over just how much he had enjoyed the sight!

[Parker]

Hailey’s final kick cut the air with a sharp crack before she let the momentum carry her into a clean landing. Her toes brushed the mat softly, and she held her finishing pose, one knee bent, arms extended in a practiced, almost theatrical balance. For a moment, all she could hear was her own breathing, steady and deep as she came down from the rhythm of her drills. A fine sheen of sweat glimmered on her brow, catching in the afternoon light streaming through the window.

She smiled faintly to herself, pleased. The form had been right this time, her transitions tight, her balance smooth. She let her arms fall to her sides and rolled her shoulders out with a quiet exhale, until—

A voice.

Hailey jolted, her muscles tensing instantly as her eyes darted toward the doorway. She hadn’t even realized the door was open, and there, leaning halfway through it, stood a blond young man with an easy smile and wide, honest eyes.

Her breath hitched, heart skipping a beat from the sudden intrusion.

"O-oh—!" she blurted softly, one hand flying to her chest before she managed a nervous laugh. " I didn’t… I didn’t think anyone else was here."

It took another moment for her to process his words, the compliments tumbling from him in rapid succession, equal parts enthusiasm and sincerity. The warmth in his tone made her cheeks bloom faintly pink, and she turned her head just slightly, brushing a damp strand of hair behind her ear as if to hide the flush.

"I, uh… sorry," she said with a small, sheepish smile, voice light but earnest. "I didn’t think the room was reserved. I checked twice, promise. I can go if you need the space."

Her tone was polite, but there was a bashful edge to it, like she wasn’t quite sure if she should stay or sprint for the door. She shifted her weight, one hand resting on her hip as she tried to regain a bit of composure, her gaze flicking briefly to the floor before looking to her gym bag tucked against the far wall.

"You, um… saw all that, huh?" she added with a faint, embarrassed laugh, the corner of her lip quirking up. After a small pause she tilted her head just enough to glance sidelook at him, a curious look like a child covering their eyes but peeking through the space between their fingers. "I actually did look cool though?" She inquired with a timid innocence, a hint of excitement bumbling over into her tone as she started to unpack his compliments.

[ADarlingDucky]

Having stumbled onto the sight of Hailey Cho training on her own, Angel was surprised to find the practice room occupied, but transfixed once he saw what was going on within, as the Young Lioness diligently snapped through a series of strikes, flowing into each one. She wore a look of extreme focus throughout, and when she finally finished with her routine, she looked both happy with her performance, and still able to do much more, only a scant few drops of sweat showing themselves on her forehead. But Angel, who had been unable to hide his awe at such a practiced and coordinated rhythm, had let his presence be known in the form of a low exhale of wonder, causing her to start! He'd hold his hands up quickly as she turned towards him with a look of surprise, not wanting her to mistake him for some random attacker, something that seemed to happen more often than you'd think within wrestling promotions!

"Oh, uh, sorry! I didn't mean to startle you, or to really throw so many words at you at once..." He bashfully rubbed the back of his head, before continuing as Starlight apologized. "Oh, and please don't worry! I hadn't reserved the room myself either, I just didn't hear anything before I opened it!" He quickly assured her, stepping further inside as she let a small smile cross her face.

The black haired woman seemed a bit bashful, caught in the midst of her training, but after a moment, she fixed him with a curious look, and she'd ask him a very important question, that being if she actually looked cool! And to Angel, there was only one right answer!

"Of course! You're so graceful and snappy! Like... bam!" Angel turned and threw a few kicks of his own into the open space! They were pretty decent, but clearly lacked the precision and snap of Hailey's movements! "I wish I could do that stuff! But I guess I'm still pretty happy with my own style, so nothing that's too bad! Still, I'd love to see some of your moves in action!" Angel chimed, a giddy smile on his face as he turned back to face Starlight, bright smile on his face as he stood with her in the training room, a perfect place to do so, provided that she felt a similar excitement at the idea!

[Parker]

"Oh! You…you think so?" she asked, voice lilting with a mix of bashfulness and pride. A few loose strands of hair clung to her cheek, and she brushed them aside, unable to hide the shy grin spreading across her face. "I mean, I try to make it look cool, but usually I’m just hoping I don’t trip halfway through my spin kick."

She laughed softly, a sound both airy and genuine, that musical kind of laugh that came easily from someone who didn’t take herself too seriously. Her brown eyes followed his little improvised kicks, and she covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, shoulders shaking.

"No, no, that was actually pretty good!" she assured him quickly, bouncing once on the balls of her feet. "You’ve got the rhythm for it, just a little more snap, and you’d look like a total action hero!"

Hailey’s hands slipped behind her back, fingers loosely interlacing as she tilted her head, her tone warming with curiosity. "So, what kinda moves are you interested in, Angel?" she asked, voice playful but sincere. "Kicks? Cartwheels? Handstands? Something flashy and spinny?" She gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes as if to demonstrate the spinny aspect of what she was talking about , grinning ear to ear.

"If you tell me what you wanna see, I could show you a few, I’m a professional though, so dont try any of this at home." she added, giving a tiny hop in place, her boundless energy too much to keep still. There was a glint of excitement in her eyes now, the kind that only came from someone who loved what they did and couldn’t wait to share it.

"It’s more fun when someone’s watching, anyway. I’m just not used to such a small audience, so you’ll have to clap extra loud, okay?" she chirped brightly, giving Angel a small wink.

[ADarlingDucky]

Showing off his pure excitement and enthusiasm to Starlight, Angel seemed to have put her worries to rest in very quick fashion, with the two happily beginning to talk wrestling as Angel fully entered the room, letting the door close behind him! It seemed that the pair had become comfortable fast, at least comfortable enough to begin excitedly talking about wrestling, something that would always bring Angel together with most anyone that he met, an infectious enthusiasm pouring out of him. Hailey seemed more than happy when it came to Angel's interest in her moves, even taking a moment to pause and ask him what he specifically had an interest in, offering to show him some of the things she was best at! And while it was a splendid idea, Angel truthfully wasn't just looking to watch, as much as he was looking to interact with those very same moves firsthand!

"Those all sound amazing! But really, I'd feel bad if this just became you putting on a show for me! Even if I clap as loud as I can, I can't just let you have all the fun showing off! So..." Angel said, before putting a finger to his chin and beginning to pace around in a slow circle, doing his best impression of deep thought as a small smile spread across his face, Angel unable to hide it as he pondered. When he was finally done with his pondering, he'd turn and plant his hands on his hips, fixing Hailey with an excited smile!

"So I've decided! That in return, I'll show you some of MY moves! They may not be cool and hard hitting strikes, but I bet I've got some offense that will really help in the ring! So, how bout it?" Angel offered, smile on his face as he proposed his idea!

Of course, while Hailey seemed to have a penchant for striking, what had yet to be said out loud was that Angel's offense very much leaned into the sensual submissions/smothers area, something that he didn't even think to mention! But given that he was offering to show them off to Hailey, the Young Lioness might find herself learning quite soon, should she accept his offer!

[Parker]

Hailey’s eyes lit up the second Angel mentioned showing her his moves. The sheer enthusiasm in his voice was contagious, it was hard not to smile when he spoke like that, his excitement filling the room as easily as sunlight through glass. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, rocking on her heels like she was trying to contain her energy, hands clasped behind her back.

"Oh! That sounds super fun!" she chirped, the words tumbling out before she’d even fully thought about them. "I mean— you’re totally right, it shouldn’t just be me doing the showing off! If you’ve got moves you wanna share, I’d love to see them!"

Her tone carried that genuine spark that made it hard to tell if she was being polite or genuinely thrilled, though, in Hailey’s case, it was almost always the latter. She leaned forward a little, her ponytail swaying behind her, eyes bright and eager.

"And don’t say yours aren’t cool!" she added, wagging a finger playfully, her lips curling into a grin. "I’ve seen all kinds of moves before… powerhouses lifts, high flyers flippies, technicians holds, everyone’s got their own kind of flair! You might surprise me!"

Without hesitation, she bounced backward a step, giving him space. Her energy was infectious, her excitement, unguarded.

"Okay, okay! You show me what you got first, then I’ll show you something of mine after! Deal? I'm Hailey, by the way."

Hailey raised a hand between them, her expression bright and sincere as she offered him a handshake to seal their “training exchange.” Completely unaware of what Angel’s particular style might entail, she added with a soft laugh:

"Just let me know if I need to play along, for a setup or something."

[ADarlingDucky]

With boundless enthusiasm seemingly shared between them, Angel was quick to rebuff Hailey's idea that she be the one showing off moves to him, as in his eyes, it wouldn't be very becoming if he simply had her put on a display that he sat around and watched! Instead, he offered the idea that the pair show off to one another, with his own set of moves being what he would share with her, something that seemed to pique her interest, as she very quickly agreed to his terms, happily exclaiming that she was excited to see what he had! Angel was equally excited to show them, gently shifting his weight between his feet in a move that showed just how much trouble he was having containing his excitement, with Starlight only stoking the fires as she encouraged him!

With the pair having settled on what they wanted to do, Starlight would take a slight step back, making some space, before extending a hand towards him, offering him a proper introduction. Angel, who hadn't even realized that he had yet to find out her name, would eagerly reach out and grasp her hand, shaking it up and down excitedly as he fixed her with a warm smile.

"I'm Angel! It's so nice to meet you Hailey! And I will definitely let you know! But actually... you're kinda perfect just as is!" Angel said with a grin, keeping his grip on Hailey's hand, as he very quickly decided on what to do first!

"Alright... check this out!" The curvy male said, before suddenly pulling on Hailey's hand, tugging her close and spinning her, almost as if the two of them were dancing, so that she was pulled into him back-first! And as soon as she was flush against his body, he'd slip a leg around one of hers, before pulling her arm up and behind his body, as he locked her up in an abdominal stretch, fast enough that if she blinked, she would have missed it!

Spoiler

"This hold is a classic, but I think because of that most people don't really care for it! But, you can still set it up in cool ways like that! And the best part is, because this twists the core, it's really hard for even flexible wrestlers to just go through it no problem!" Angel happily bubbled, eyes staring deeply into Hailey's as he applied the hold, enough to feel but not so much that she'd be in real pain! Of course, it also brought their bodies together, hips rubbing up against one another as he held her from behind, showcasing just how fast he was able to get her into the painful position!

[Parker]

Hailey’s face lit up the moment Angel grabbed her hand, that bright, infectious grin of hers coming alive like someone had just flipped a switch. His energy was exactly the kind she vibed with: warm, spontaneous, and just a little goofy in the best way possible.

"I am?" Hailey’s lips tugged cutely into a small expression of curiosity and confusion. She wasn’t sure if he was complimenting her or not. "Oh! Um sure! she laughed as he twirled her suddenly, the movement catching her totally off guard. Her ponytail flared behind her as she spun, only for the breath to catch in her throat when she was pulled flush against him, back-first, in one fluid motion. Before she could even react, her arm was swept up and her leg hooked, her whole torso bending with a surprised little squeak as he locked in the abdominal stretch.

"O-ohhh, I know this one!" Hailey said between giggles, her voice lilting with admiration and a touch of disbelief at how quickly he had her caught. "I’ve seen it before, but I’ve never had it done quite like this… ya’know with the leg up over the head instead of the arms like this. " she admitted, twisting her hips slightly in the hold, half testing the pressure, half just trying to find her footing again. The stretch tugged pleasantly across her core and side, forcing a breathy little sound from her as she wiggled, laughing through it.

"Yeah, I can feel the twist. It really does get everything, huh?" she said encouragingly, trying to peek back at him over her shoulder, her smile bright and genuine even as she shifted and squirmed in his grip. "It’s really good, though, and your setup’s so clean! I especially like the little spin. Here anyway. I dunno how much I would appreciate it if you actually had me in this."

She gave a playful little bump of her hips against his as she laughed again, still wriggling lightly in the hold but making no move to actually escape. "Okay, okay-" she said between soft giggles, tilting her head back a bit to meet his eyes again. "So I should show you something now?"

[ADarlingDucky]

Grabbing hold of Hailey's hand gently, the beautiful young woman had unknowingly given Angel a perfect opportunity to show off something from the get go, as he used his grip on her to gently spin her in close to him, turning her around so he pressed up against her from behind! In a swift and technical movement, Angel would almost immediately have his own body tangled up with hers, a leg hooking around her base as he quickly maneuvered her into the abdominal stretch, giving a gentle pull to let some pressure through! It was a fast and surprising way to apply the hold, and as soon as she was put into it, Hailey would give a slight giggle as she caught herself, seemingly quite entertained by Angel's application of it. She'd even give a little twist, seeing the limits of the hold firsthand, as he held her tight, making sure that she wouldn't fall over or break free, to show just how useful such a move was!

"Yup! This hold goes right for the core, and no matter how flexible you are, you can only twist so much! It's a really good thing to use at the beginning or middle of matches! Also, there's a version on the ground, but I don't wanna throw either of us down right now." He explained with a giggle, leaning forward so that Hailey could have an easier time looking at him. "Thank you! I've worked hard! Jamie helps me a lot with the more technical stuff since he's better at it, but the spin was something I just came up with in the moment! Who doesn't love a little flair?" Angel happily continued on, the two kindred spirits bonding quickly through their love of wrestling!

Angel would feel his cheeks flush ever so slightly as Hailey bumped her hips against his, her plump behind pushing into him for a moment, but he soon focused instead on the prospect of letting her show something off as well!

"Oh, definitely!" The blonde would happily release Hailey from the hold, letting her free and even gently spinning her out in the same way that he had reeled her in, catching her hand gently to make sure she didn't stumble or fall. "Just let me know what you want me to do! Oh, and try to leave me conscious after you do it!" Angel winked, smiling at Hailey as he gave the floor to her!