Chapter Text
Akali's POV:
Friday, July 13th, 2018 | 5:00 am EST
Grumbling quietly to herself, Akali pushes open the doors to the public gym. The day was hot and muggy, which caused the sweat on her temples to stick to her skin before soaking into her hair and bike jacket. It was the middle of summer and this was the one time of the year Akali was actually opposed to using the local gym, but since moving in with Ahri and Evelyn, she’s been fortunate enough to use their private gym at home.
Ahri had been insisting on renovating the gym space for months now. So finally, after the promise of an upgrade to her office where she spent a good chunk of her time playing video games; Akali relented- agreeing to use the public gym down the road from the mansion for a few weeks while upgrades were in progress.
When questioned about what she wanted to change; Ahri had started on a list of different things. She wanted to add an extension onto the area where they could practice their choreography for their music videos and performances. Ahri herself was currently was taking lessons at a studio downtown and she loved it- but if K/DA eventually rose in popularity like they hoped- practicing in a public place could cause problems not only for them, but also for Irelia and Karma who were the owners of the studio. There was also mention about replacing the floors and re-painting. All in all, Ahri had told Akali it would only take a week or so- but after discussing it with Eve, the rogue was preparing herself to be using the public space for at least 3 weeks to a month.
It’d been months since she had stepped foot into a space like this. It was early. Stupidly early for Akali herself. The rogue couldn’t recall the last time she had willingly woken up at 4:30 in the morning to work out. But, she didn’t want to go to the gym around 8:00 am when people would be scrambling to get in and get their sweat on before work- and coming later in the afternoon when the general public were finished their work day sounded like an even worse option.
So, here she was- in the public gym at 5 in the fucking morning, and Akali was not a morning person.
The gym smelled of sweat and disinfectant. It had just opened, so everything was still relatively clean- but the smell of body odor was so permanently seeped into the stained walls it didn’t matter how thoroughly the building was cleaned- it would always smell like this.
There were nicer gyms further into town. Ones newly renovated with more advanced and well taken care of equipment; but there was more likely to be more people there and Akali didn’t feel like dealing with any attention today. So, when looking for a place to workout, she googled locations within a few minutes of their house before scrolling to the bottom of the ratings and looking for establishments with 2-3 stars in rating. No way was she going to the one gym who had a whopping half star. She didn’t really feel like dying this early in the morning.
Her head was aching with the dull thum of a hangover. Ahri, Evelyn and herself had gotten a little carried away the night prior and she had ended up drinking the most. Their drinking games had gone past midnight and not wanting the seem like the lightweight of the trio; Akali had puffed out her chest and attempted to toss back drink for drink with Evelyn. Probably wasn’t one of her brightest ideas.
When she woke up- Evelyn was nowhere to be found. It took her a few minutes to remember that the siren had mentioned something offhandedly the night prior about a car show event she had been invited to. Neither Akali or Ahri had as much interest in the shows; so both turned down the invitation to attend along with the siren. Ahri had been sleeping soundly beside her; crystal hued tails fanned out around them as they slept. ‘Lucky bastard.’ Akali thought silently as she de-tangled herself from the sleeping blonde’s grip. What she wouldn’t do to stay cuddled in bed with her partner- but, she had to keep a routine. If she didn’t- things would pile up and become overwhelming. Ahri and Evelyn always seemed to have everything under control. They knew what they were doing, what they had to do and what they could handle. Akali- well, she was new to this. K/DA was her first real gig. No longer was she just a street rapper or a sushi chef who sang too loud in the back kitchen- no, now she was a real performer and the last thing she wanted to do was let her girls down.
The group had done a few photo shoots and talks sporadically; but Ahri was insistent on their group having four members. They were one down and none of them had any idea who could fill the gap. None of them even knew what kind of spot needed to be filled; which made the search for the additional member even more difficult than any of them wanted to admit.
‘The right one will come along.’ Evelyn would sing softly. She seemed so unbothered by the delay they were all facing. Akali wishes she could feel the same.
The sound of a treadmill whirling in the other room catches Akali’s attention. Who the hell was already here? The gym practically just opened.
Stifling an irritated sigh, Akali shoves her bag into a locker, then she kicks off her shoes and sits on the bench to tie up her runners. The locker door bounces off the broken hinges before opening and staying that way. Akali groans. Here she thought she’d have two hours at least of uninterrupted silence to work out in, but no- now she’d probably have to share the space with some thick skulled man that would pester her for the entirety of her time here. ‘You’re lifting that wrong.’ ‘A small girl like you? Here? Let me give you a hand doll.’ Those were just the beginning of what she was mentally preparing herself to deal with this morning. Maybe next time she should ask Evelyn if they could book out the entire gym for the morning- that way she could guarantee she’d be the only one there.
Putting on her headphones, Akali presses play on the small nano iPod she has clipped to her sports bra strap. Yes, the device was old; but it worked perfect for when she was working out. High energy, 2010’s dance music begins to blare through the muffs of her headphones. The tunes put a little pep into the rogue’s step as she shakes her hands, working up the patience to enter. She could do this. Maybe if she entered in with her headphones on- the other person would take it as a message she’d not be in the mood to talk and leave her alone. Hey, a girl could dream.
Akali makes her way into the gym space, water bottle in hand. Above head, a fan whirls loudly. It sounds like it’s struggling to work and when Akali looks up to it she figures out why. Clung to the blades of the fan is the thickest layer of dust Akali has ever seen. It slows the blades down substantially, making the fan practically wheeze with effort to keep spinning.
Flicking her gaze back downwards, Akali takes a moment to look around her. The gym consists of basically two rooms that are connected by a wall with no door between them. On this side, a variety of workout equipment is scattered sporadically. Some look used while others seem to have a small layer of dust atop them. Those few are cautioned taped off; though, in places the tape looks pushed aside in order for people to use the seats as a place to sit while they wait for the working equipment to free up.
The connecting room looks to be an open space. Blue, padded mats that remind Akali of the one’s you would see lining the walls in a public school gym are thrown across the ground; offering padding for people she considers must need open space to work out in. A few, well beaten punching bags hang from the ceiling and on the farthest wall is a shelf with a variety of boxing gloves that look older than even herself.
Bright, hazel eyes scan the room for whoever is here. Yah, she wouldn’t be able to tell everything about a person from first glance- but she could get an idea at least. When her eyes skim across the body of the other figure, Akali feels herself choke on her breath.
On the treadmill towards the far right of the main space is one of the most attractive women Akali herself has ever seen. She can only really make out the side profile of the stranger- but she is still astoundingly gorgeous. Her hair is a smokey black in colour with a long, teal streak going through it. It’s puln back into a high ponytail which bounces from side to side as she runs. Her arms are toned and even from this distance; Akali can see the defined muscles in her back and shoulders as she runs; arms pumping at her sides. Above her shoulders hover two crystal-like objects. They’re unfamiliar- but hey, she was the one who was dating a siren with two lashers and a Gumiho with ears and a tail.
The thing that catches Akali’s attention the most though is the woman’s legs. They’re long. Like, this lady is mostly all leg. Even though they are covered by leggings- Akali can see the muscles in them which are more pronounced then the other places on her body. Feeling saliva pool in her mouth, Akali turns her head away. ‘Quit staring, you idiot. You’re literally acting like the type of people you wanted to avoid here.’
Forcing her gaze away from the beautiful stranger; Akali makes her way over towards a small but open space near one of the broken machines where she can begin stretching. Sitting with her back to the other woman- Akali stares at the wall while occasionally closing her eyes and bopping her head to her music. She needs to stretch before she begins- or knowing her luck, she’d end up pulling something and looking like a complete idiot. The stretches don’t take incredibly long though, and before she knows it- Akali is left glancing around her, trying to figure out how she wants to start her workout.
Usually, she starts with a run- but, would it seem weird if she went to literally the only area of the gym that was currently occupied? Probably.
Sighing softly, Akali pulls herself off the ground and makes her way over to one of the working leg press machines. She stays there for a little, steadily increasing the weights as she casts periodic glances to the long legged goddess in front of her. It’s incredibly difficult to not stare due to their locations in the room, but eventually Akali is able to settle her gaze on her feet as she continues to work.
After about 20 or so minutes Akali grows bored of the lifting. A small ache has begun in her calves, signaling that it was about time she moved onto something else in her routine. It was Friday today, meaning it was leg day.
Her gaze flickers back to the treadmill where the girl has yet to slow down. She was already at this pace when Akali entered the gym- how in the hell was she still moving at such a steady pace and so gracefully at the same time? Damn did Akali wish she looked like her when running. The smaller girl had been told by both her girlfriends multiple times she looked like a dying cat after she got longer than 5 minutes into a sprint.
Swallowing her anxiety, Akali rolls her shoulders; the curving dragon tattoo on her back moving with the motion and makes her way over. There are two treadmills in the row. The right one by the wall is occupied by the stranger- so Akali makes her way over to the one on the left. Stepping onto it her eyes scan for the power button. Upon finding it, she clicks the button and waits. Nothing happens. She clicks it again. Nothing happens… again. Before her frustration can bubble over, Akali feels a gentle tap on her shoulder.
Looking to her right Akali blinks, her breath catching in her throat once more. The beautiful stranger paused her run- her feet resting on the edges of the treadmill as it continues to move quickly between her feet. She’s panting softly, sweat glistening down the side of her face and down her neck- into the dip of her valley of her ches-
Snapping her eyes back up to the woman’s face, Akali notices she’s tapping her own earphones that are settled over top of her ears. Confused, Akali tips her head. At this, the stranger’s face lights up and her lips part in what Akali can only assume is a soft laugh. The stranger then covers her mouth as she stifles her laughter and all Akali can do is stare. Who is this girl and why is she only just appearing in her life now? Her eyes are incredible. They are the softest shade of lavender Akali has seen someone have. Her facial features are chiseled, but soft in all the right places. Up close, Akali realizes just how tall she must be. She herself was rather short; only around 5’2” in height, but to meet this stranger's gaze Akali physically has to look up. She has got to be about 6ft in height, at least.
Not realizing she’s been staring; the stranger’s laughter dies, but her smile remains spread across her face. Akali eyes flicker to the other girl's hands as they reach out towards her. Her eyes glance from hand to hand in confusion as they hover by her head, but eventually she realizes what’s happening as the stranger gently removes her headphones from her ears and rests them around her neck instead. The smell of peaches washes over the smaller girl as she gazes up almost dumbly at the other woman.
Flushing in embarrassment, Akali glances away; but she chuckles to herself anyways. “Sorry.” The smaller girl huffs slightly.
The stranger laughs softly again and Akali was right- this girl’s laughter sounded like an angel. “It’s alright.” The stranger hums. Even at those two words; Akali feels her knees grow weak. Was that an accent? Holy shit.
“I was just trying to let you know that the treadmill doesn’t work.” She says with a small gesture to the one Akali stands on.
Glancing down to her feet, Akali feels her face flush once again. Of course it doesn’t.
Trying to play it cool, Akali looks at the stranger and laughs as she rubs her hand behind her neck. “I should have guessed that when it didn’t turn on the first time.” She shrugs with an awkward smile.
The stranger shakes her head thoughtfully. “No you’re okay. You’re not the first person to try. It’s honestly been broken for over a year now but management hasn’t bothered to fix it- like a lot of the equipment in here.” She sighs softly, eyes flickering to glance around the rundown gym for a moment. She then presses the off button to the treadmill she was standing on. The whirling sound slowly dies around them, plummeting the pair into a silence which is only broken up by their conversation as well as the hum of Akali's music leaking out of her headphones that rest around her neck. “There used to be an ‘out of order’ sign on it ages ago- but it disappeared and most of the people who use this gym are regulars so no one really thought to replace it once word got out.”
Akali nods as she watches the woman step off her treadmill before gesturing to it. “Here, use mine.” She says with a smile as she turns over to grab a water bottle and towel off the ground.
At this, Akali’s eyes widened. “Oh, no! It’s okay!” She says, shaking her hands. “You were here first- I can wait.”
The stranger smiles as she takes a sip of water. Akali watches silently as the girl's throat bobs as she drinks. Her mouth goes dry at the sight. “I’ve been here since 4, so I’ve been running for more than enough time.” She hums after taking a moment to catch her breath after her drink.
At this, Akali snaps back into reality. She tears her eyes away from a drop of sweat that is running down the girl’s neck. “Wait, you’ve been here since 4? I didn’t think the gym opened until now?” She questions, her head tilting to the side in slight confusion.
At this, the other girl nods before taking a second to dab the sweat off her forehead. “Technically yah.” She admits. “I’ve been coming here since college though; so I know the owners fairly well. I have to be at work at 6:30 so they let me come in a little earlier. It’s just kind of a little deal we worked out. They let me use the space earlier than usual and in return I pet sit their dogs when they need someone to.” She chuckles softly.
Akali can only nod. This girl wakes up to be at the gym for 4am before going into work at 6:30am? She’s got to be crazy. Determined and driven as well. But definitely crazy.
“Uh, well, thank you.” Akali says with a small nod as she steps over onto the other treadmill.
At the foot of it, the taller woman smiles. Akali watches as the stranger's eyes flicker very briefly down to her exposed abdomen. Her gaze starts at the edge of the blue dragon that dips below the waistband of her shorts; its trail follows along the natural ‘V’ on her waist. A soft flush blooms on the taller woman's face causing Akali to chuckle. With a sharp grin, the smaller girl flexes her abs slightly, causing the stranger to redden more and glance away.
“Do you like the tattoo?” She asks, amusement clear in her tone. She watches as the girl turns her attention back to the smaller woman. Shyly, she nods. “It’s beautiful.” She comments quietly.
At this, Akali can’t help but grin. Turning around, the smaller girl shows off the ink that extends over her shoulders. A large, blue, Chinese inspired dragon stretches out across the expanse of tan skin on Akali’s back. Hidden slightly behind her sports bra, Akali can feel the girl lean in to get a better look at the design. The smell of peaches grows stronger, causing a flush to spread through the younger woman's body as the stranger reaches out to brush her bra strap slightly to the side in order to see the head of the dragon. “It’s amazing.” The taller girl breathes, her breath warm on the back of Akali's neck.
Akali glances over her shoulder- a cheeky grin spread from ear to ear as she gazes at the pretty stranger. “Thank you Peaches, got any ink yourself?”
At the nickname, the stranger smiles warmly, a neat eyebrow rising in amusement. She didn’t seem to mind the teasing. “I do.” She hums softly with a gesture towards her right leg. “You just can’t see it.” She smirks.
At this, Akali feels the slight hint of a challenge. She wants to flirt back- but she also doesn’t want to make the other girl feel uncomfortable. Nodding, the smaller woman tips her weight from side to side as she turns back around to start fiddling with the settings of the treadmill. “Maybe I’ll get to see it another time then, hm?” She laughs softly to which the stranger chuckles along with a soft shrug of her shoulders. “Maybe.” She hears her reply.
The thought of inviting the woman out for a drink after working out had crossed her mind- but if she had work, that clearly wouldn’t be an option.
Just as she’s about to tug her headphones back up, the stranger speaks. “Do you ever do any boxing or sparring training?” She asks quietly, her tone a little more shy than before.
Akali pauses before she lets her headphones rest back on her neck. “Yah.” She answers casually. “It’s part of my routine when I have a partner.”
At this, the stranger's purple eyes light up. Akali feels her heart skip a beat in response. “Do you think we could train together for a bit this morning? If not, it's totally okay! It’s just- I’m usually the only one in at this time and punching the bag has become very, very boring over the years.” Her words are spilled fast, the ends sometimes blurring together as she rushes out her request. It was made clear that this girl wasn’t used to asking for favours.
A cheeky grin splits across Akali’s face as she nods. “Sure.” She agrees. “I usually run for a little. Is that okay? We can spar until you have to leave if you’d like.”
The stranger nods happily in response. “That’s perfect! I usually head out here around 6:00am or so.”
Akali offers the girl a thumbs up, “sounds like a plan Peaches.” She hums teasingly before tugging her headphones back up onto her ears as the girl walks away in the direction of the weights. If she’s able to complete her distance in a bit shorter of a time, that means she'll have a longer opportunity to hang out with this stranger- and possibly even get her number. That would be the best outcome to all of this. If not though- she was getting the opportunity to do some hand to hand combat sparring with the sweaty and beautiful stranger. This was far from what Akali thought her morning would play out- but she was not in the slightest bit complaining now. She’d take loud fans and shitty equipment if it meant getting to work out alongside this beauty on a daily basis.
Exhaling deeply through her nose; Akali turns up the volume on her iPod before starting the treadmill. She builds the pace quicker than usual and to even her own genuine surprise, she’s able to finish the run in about 15 or so minutes.
Panting, Akali takes a second to catch her breath. She pushed it- but it did feel good in its own way. She’s never been much of a runner; but it’s something she works on pretty much daily at this point. Her legs burn in the best way.
Tugging her headphones down, Akali turns to look for the pretty stranger. Eventually she spots her over by the weights, curling some of the handheld dumbells. She’s humming quietly to herself and for a second Akali just watches and listens. The tone this girl has is phenomenal. The muscles in the girl's arm curl as she brings the weight up close to her chest before extending her arm back straight again. She’s sitting on the bench, her head swaying along gently to the tunes of her music.
Hoping off the treadmill, Akali takes a swig of her water bottle before jogging over. The adrenaline is still pumping in her legs, offering a small spring to her step as she approaches the taller woman. “Good to go!” She chirps happily as she moves around to stand in front of the other girl.
Blinking herself out of her own little world, the stranger’s eyes flicker to look up at Akali; the smile very quickly returns to her face as she nods. “Wonderful! You finished quicker than I thought you would.” She hums with a glance to the large clock on the wall.
Smiling sheepishly, Akali shrugs. “Guess I had more motivation to finish it today.” She chuckles with a wink.
The stranger laughs softly as she places the weight down on the ground beside the others- tucking it away neatly. She then stands up, looking back to Akali.
“So, we have a few options.” She hums. “We can wear the boxing gloves and do the traditional back and forth switch of the gloves and pads, or we could just do some like, hand v hand wrestling spars?” She asks as she makes her way over to the opposite end of the gym where some mats have been left out in the secondary room. The gloves are stacked along a shelf on the far wall; some hang out the wall as well with the flat, padded ones beside it.
“You choose.”Akali hums casually as she takes her headphones off her neck to rest them on the ground beside her water bottle. God did she hope the stranger went for the hand on hand. Those gloves looked to be carrying more grime and what not then she cared to admit.
The stranger nods. Her gaze flickers to the gloves before going back to Akali. The rogue catches out of the corner of her eye the stranger looking her up and down. The tips of her ears glow red as she turns away, motioning to the mats. “Why don’t we just do hand on hand?” She offers gently. “That way we don’t have to worry about swapping gloves.”
Akali then nods and the two then part and take a stance across from one another. The stranger brings her arms to her chest and Akali raises her own up in response. She was the shorter one in this fight; but, Akali knew what she was capable of. Plus, this woman may be muscular, but based on the way she walked and carried herself- there was a sense of grace to her that left the rogue skeptical about her strength. She watches silently as the woman exhales before swinging out at her right hand. The impact is a little more than what Akali had been expecting. She catches the blow with her opposite hand, her body giving in slightly to the impact so as to not lose her balance. So, this girl did have some bite? Interesting.
Smirking, Akali lowers herself slightly down; her stance more serious than before. The rogue sways back and forth, hazel eyes trained on the stranger who is staring back at her intently with a smile on her face. “That all you got Peaches?” The smaller girl chirps playfully. At this, the other woman’s eyes narrow playfully. “Oh you are so on.”
The two move back and forth for a while. They don’t say a whole lot- but the occasional chirp and tease are tossed between them which is more often than not followed by laughter between the two. Akali isn’t sure exactly what this stranger is feeling at the moment- but for herself, it’s like she has been reunited with a friend she hasn’t seen in forever. The way they work together feels natural. The way the taller girl moves specifically is so graceful and natural; even when she’s doing something as blunt as wrestling. She moves like a dancer and there is more than one time Akali’s hands are pushed further back then she meant too because she was zoning out and just staring at this woman.
There comes a point when the stranger- who Akali has affectionately been referring to as solely ‘Peaches’ since meeting- find themselves in a head to head spar. Neither girl seems to want to back down and it eventually ends up with Akali pinning the taller woman to the ground beneath her.
“Ha!” Akali grins at the woman below her. For a moment, the stranger struggles- her wrists held down by the smaller girl before she relaxes with a loud huff. She rolls her eyes playfully before giggling and sticking her tongue out at the other girl. “Fine, fine— you win this time.” The woman smiles, gently wiggling before huffing. “Next time though- our positions will be switched.”
At this, Akali quips an eyebrow as she moves Peaches’s hands towards each other, holding her wrists together with one hand while the other trails down the girls muscular arm before it moves to rest under the woman’s chin, tilting it up to meet her own hooded gaze with a smirk. “Are you saying we’ll be in this position in the future?” The rogue purrs playfully.
Looking up at her, the woman’s face flushes. The deep rise and fall of her chest increases noticeably and Akali feels the urge to lean down and press their lips together. Just as she’s finally building up the courage to move down- the ringing of a phone stops them both in their tracks.
Akali freezes before glances around. That’s not her ringtone.
The stranger below her looks confused and slightly shocked. “Sorry.” She mumbles softly. “That’s my phone.”
Nodding dumbly, Akali shifts, allowing the stranger to wiggle out from below her. The woman mumbles out a soft apology before she scrambles to her feet before jogging her way over to where a bag has been left by the treadmills. She digs into it before pulling out a cellphone.
Akali watches quietly as the stranger answers the call. The taller girl’s body grows rigid. She turns around, looking past Akali towards the clock before her eyes widen in surprise.
Akali can’t make out everything that is said; but she does hear the girl rush out a variety of apologies. She turns to look at the clock. It’s 6:45am. Wait. Wasn’t the girl supposed to be at work for 6:30? We’re they really sparring and goofing around for that long?
“Dammit. Dammit.” The stranger seems to have hung up the phone and is rushing around the gym to gather her things. She grabs her water bottle before she scrambled to collect her headphones. She looked frazzled and stressed as she rushes around the gym. A sense of guilt settles in the rogues stomach.
She watches quietly, unsure of what to do. This was partially her fault too, right? She knew what time the girl had to leave- she could have kept an eye on the clock too and let her know when it was getting close to the time she had to go.
The stranger looks stressed as she looks at Akali with startled eyes. “Do uhm- you know the number for the cabs around here?”
Akali blinks. She’s never had to take a cab here. Either she, Ahri or Evelyn pretty much drove everywhere in the area. Thinking about it- Akali actually can’t remember the last time she sat in a cab. “I don’t.” She admits with a frown.
At this answer, the girl's shoulders sink. She’s silent for a moment before looking back at Akali and smiling weakly. It's not a full smile like Akali has been accustomed to seeing on the stranger. This one doesn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you anyways.” She sighs. “I’m sorry to have to rush. I wasn’t keeping track of the time. That was my boss. They’re wondering where I am. I’ve never been late before so they were worried about me.” She ends with a weak chuckle.
Akali nods quietly. Before she can speak, the stranger continues. “Anyways- it was lovely to meet you.” The stranger adds as she looks towards the door to the locker room. “Maybe I’ll see you again?” She asks, a sparkle of hope flashing in her eyes as she shoulders her backpack.
Akali nods. She sure hopes they can see one another again.
With that, the woman turns on her heels and speeds out of the room. The space dissolves into a silence that causes Akali’s shoulders to sink. Only moments ago the room had been filled with laughter and bubbling energy. Now, the only sound around her is the slow, lazy whirling of the old fan overhead.
Once the girl is out of sight, Akali freezes. Wait, she drove herself here- and she has a spare helmet tucked away under her bike seat for when Ahri joins her. She can take the pretty stranger to work! That is if she still needed a lift.
“Hey! Wait up!” Akali calls, rushing to grab her stuff before heading towards the locker room. ‘Shit!’ The rogue hisses as she trips over the edge of the mat as she scrambles to grab her water bottle before stumbling after the stranger.
Fumbling her way into the locker room, Akali swings her head from side to side before her eyes widen. In front of her, standing by one of the open lockers is the girl. She must have rushed in and quickly threw on her work pants before beginning to tug on a white, button up dress shirt. The article of clothing is still open; and even though she had just spent a few hours with the girl in just her sports bra- there was something about catching the woman mid changing that causes Akali’s face to flush before she looks away quickly.
The stranger looks equally as embarrassed as well as she stammers out an apology. “I-I’m sorry. Usually I get dressed at work but-,”
“I wanted to offer to drive you.” Akali manages to squeak out as she peeks through her hands to look at the woman.
She pauses, the white button up settling around her elegant frame. “Drive me?” She asks in surprise, her head tilting to the side.
Akali nods, eyes flickering to look at the wall. “Yah,” she stammers nervously. “I drove here and I’m happy to drop you off if you’d like.” The smaller woman says softly as she stands up straight again. Her eyes still flicker around- unable to settle solely on the woman.
The stranger is silent for a moment. Akali then hears the rusting as she glances to look at her once again as she finishes buttoning up her shirt and tugging her ponytail out from the back of it. “If you don’t mind- that would be really appreciated…” her voice trails. “Usually I take the bus but I already missed the one that heads out that way. I checked my phone and the next one doesn’t come around for another half hour.”
Akali nods as she jogs over to her locker. She doesn’t really have time to change herself, so she simply grabs her backpack; shoves her stuff into it before grabbing her helmet and motioning for the other girl to follow as she moves to tug her leather jacket on. She stops then, glancing to the stranger. This girl definitely wasn't dressed to be on the back of a motorcycle. "Here Peaches, throw this on." She hums as she tosses the girl the article of clothing.
The dancer catches the jacket, eyeing it skeptically before tugging it on. The leather jacket looks tight against her frame, the sleeves ending just above where they should. She’d probably look crazy on her bike- and if Evelyn found out she rode in her shorts and a t-shirt the siren would most likely rip her a new one… but! It was for a pretty girl! Eve would understand surely.
The stranger glances curiously at the helmet, but follows Akali out into the parking lot without question. As they jog outside, the girl pulls a tie from her bag; wrapping it around her neck and struggling to tuck it under the collar of her shirt and tie it while running.
When the pair exit, the warmth immediately floods over the pair. The taller woman glances around in confusion. There isn’t any cars here other then–
Akali approaches her bike. It’s black with diamond accents; details courtesy of Evelyn. Originally; Akali had been against them- but overtime they had grown on her and come to remind the rogue of her lovers. Flashy, eye catching and a little over the top. That was Ahri and Eve.
Akali lifts the seat up, pulling out a white helmet. The two cat ears at the top match her own tiger themed helmet- but on the spare helmet, the ears are actually hollow; allowing space for Ahri to comfortably wear overhead. She then turns to the stranger who is standing, staring at the bike in shock.
“Catch!” Akali calls as she tosses the taller girl the extra helmet before pulling her own on overhead. The stranger looks from the helmet, then to Akali then back again. The look she offers Akali causes the rogue to laugh; the sound muffled by her helmet slightly. Peaches was looking at her like she was crazy.
“I promise I’m a good driver.” Akali teases as she swings her leg over the bike before pulling her backpack on so it rests on her front instead of her back like usual. If she did- it would push the other girl further back on the bike seat. Also- it was an excuse to get her a little closer on the bike. Why would she pass that up?
The stranger hesitates for a moment longer before she glances at her watch and winces. Sighting softly, she pulls the helmet on before approaching the bike as she puts her own backpack on her back. She then shifts to sit on the bike behind Akali who is insanely grateful for the fact her helmet is hiding her blush as she feels the stranger’s front press against her back. Despite complaining about the warmth in the air- the press of the other woman against her is warmth she welcomes.
Clearing her throat, Akali starts her bike. The motor rumbles to life and Akali can feel the stranger behind her tense. Reaching back, Akali feels for the other girl's arms. Eventually, she finds them. The girl's skin feels flushed beneath her own. Gently, her fingers trail to the other girl's hands where she grabs them before pulling them forward, encouraging the other girl to hold onto her.
The stranger is hesitant, but after a moment and an encouraging nod from Akali to let her know the action is okay; she relaxes. Strong, muscular arms wrap around Akali’s mid section. Reminding herself to breathe and focus, the rogue switches the bike into gear. “Where am I heading?” She asks.
Behind her, the girl presses a bit forward so Akali can hear her better. “Lakeview Country Club and Resort. Be careful, it’s going to be busy. There is an event happening today.”
Akali nods. She knows where Lakeview is. As the name suggests- the building is along the cliff side overlooking the lake. Her and the girls spent many days during the summer down on the beach. Eve seemed to have a liking for the area there. Lucky for the stranger as well- it wasn’t too far from where they were currently. “Got it!” Akali replies before she pushes the bike into drive and out of the gym parking lot.
The drive to the Country Club is comfortable. It’s been a bit since someone has ridden on her bike with her and the longer the pair cruise; the more comfortable the stranger seems to become. Her grip loosens, but stays where it is. There is a point on their drive that Akali can feel the stranger’s open palm press against her abdominal muscles. Exhaling deeply, Akali pushes the flare of heat in her stomach away. Not the time to be thinking spicy thoughts. Just get the pretty girl to work safely.
Eventually the two pull into the front parking lot of the country club. The amount of retro cars and other vehicles here is insane; so Akali is able to come to the conclusion that this is the event the girl was talking about. She should mention it to Eve. The siren always loved cars and being at a place such as this surrounded by them would most likely end up being a highlight of the other girls day.
They pull to a stop off towards the side of the building where the stranger points to. Akali shifts the bike into park and tugs her helmet off as the taller woman stands up, her leg swinging to the side as she climbs off the bike. She too removes her helmet; handing it back to Akali as she runs her hands over the top of her hair trying to flatten the stray wisps that have sprung up. The stranger then removes the jacket, handing it back to Akali who accepts it with a cheeky grin.
Akali watches her silently. Even in her work clothes and messy hair- this girl is undeniably gorgeous. Just as Akali is working up the courage to ask for her number- the girl speaks. She looks at Akali, still clearly frantic, but relieved. “Thank you so, so much for giving me a lift.” The girl smiles, glancing back towards the side door. “I promise, I’ll make it up to you!”
“O-oh! No, that’s fine, I don’t min-,” Akali’s words die in her throat as the girl leans in, placing a quick kiss to her cheek. The now familiar scent of peaches spills over the rogue for another time this morning and Akali finds herself craving more. Did the stranger taste of peaches as well? The woman pulls away quickly before she turns and races up the stairs towards the door. “Thanks again!” She calls.
Before Akali can even respond the girl is gone. “Farewell Peaches.” The rogue mumbles softly to herself. Reaching a hand up, Akali brushes her fingers along the flushed skin where the stranger had kissed her. Her lips had felt feather soft. Holy shit. Damn was she already head over heels for–
Wait. Akali didn’t catch her name. Fuck.