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Billy's not familiar with Failume Heights. He's visited, sure, but he's never really explored.
He only comes back on the offer of seeing a certain martial arts school, offered by a certain someone. He schedules accordingly, pools the funds for travel, and he's there.
He doesn't remember everything being so.. overwhelming? It definitely wasn't as loud back on Sixth Street.. but the activity was something he could appreciate.
Glancing down at his phone for the route, he saunters up to the intimidating doors.
He slots his items away, looking beside himself, intending to knock, before—
“Hello. I'm glad you could make it.”
The doors swing open under his fist and he.. looks up, for once.
Banyue gazes down at him, tail swishing near his feet.
Billy waves up excitedly. “I hope I'm not late?”
Speaking while he ushers Billy in through the doors, “Not at all. Right on time, in fact.”
Taking it all in, Billy looks around; the spacious nature of it all, wooden dummies, cement blocks and buckets, planks…
While indistinguishable shuffling sounds from behind, he finds himself a little worried.
“And you said humans train here?”
He turns, Banyue finishing setting up a wooden dummy. He dusts his hands.
“They do. Although, they are of a different disposition. Oh, by the way..”
“Huh?”
Banyue gestures to his jacket.
“You're gonna want to take that off. Allows for better flexibility.”
Take my jacket off?
.. Is that necessary?
Uh…
Guess we're getting serious.
Mustering up the sudden courage to reply with a steady voice, “Alright, makes sense.” he shrugs the garment off and haphazardly folds it best he can before tossing it somewhere neither of them pay any mind to.
He feels warm under Banyue's stare. It makes his internals whirr in a way he can't describe.
But Banyue seems satisfied enough, giving a curt nod with his hands tied behind his back, and he beckons the both of them over to a rather weathered wooden dummy.
He displays as follows:
“Before we begin, it's important that I lay the groundwork first to best avoid any potential injuries.”
He raises his arm, pointing accordingly. Billy watches (but hardly listens) diligently.
“Flex your arm like this, make sure you're applying the most pressure with the index and middle finger. Make sure not to curl your thumb on the outside.”
Billy nods, albeit a bit dazed.
“Uh huh..”
Banyue steps back, angling himself.
“Foot behind you, and when you're ready..”
Sentence fading, he coils back, and lands a punch that properly knocks the dummy down. Like it was nothing, Banyue dusts his hands and turns to Billy.
“Easy enough. Think you can do it?”
Sorry.. Billy internally laughs. I wasn't really.. uh… paying attention…
“Sorry, I'm new to all this.. could you show me again?”
There's that sound again.
The amused laugh in the form of a mechanical sounding exhale that Banyue always does. If Billy wasn't so suddenly helpless to wanting to hear it again, hear it more, he would've paid more attention.
Wavering attention becomes a common event that evening.
Banyue looks at him in a way that has him fleetingly wishing he'd save that look for only him.
He really was hopeless.
“We can take all the time you need.”
…
A handful of hours pass; after instructions, physical demonstrations, endless practice…
Banyue skids back an impressive amount.
“You're getting better!” He chants. “But I don't think you're trying your hardest.”
“What?”
Billy just heaves a sigh and slouches.
Recovering from the blow, Banyue walks up to him and stares, like he's inspecting something. Banyue's ability to recover from hits that send him multiple feet back makes Billy oddly intrigued.
“I think a different type of practice is in order.” Humming, he brings a clawed finger to his face before hiding it behind himself again in the studious fashion he always wore. “You should fight me next.”
Pardon?
Billy? Go up against Banyue?
“You can't be serious.” Billy shakes his head and waves in front of himself. Banyue had told him he improved and learned quickly, but surely that was just shallow encouragement?
Banyue dips his head.
“I am.”
He slides back, tail swishing slowly by the floor. His eyes are unwavering, but undoubtedly sincere.
“Let's do it together this time.”
Promptly, Billy assumes the stance he's been taught.
“Don't go easy on me,” Banyue quips. “I'm rather curious about how far you can get.”
Because of course you are.
And he goes in.
Billy immediately aims to dash behind, only for the first swing of his arm to hit dead air and be swept off his feet.
Banyue knocks him to the floor with a dull thud, and he rolls over just in time to jump up and land a hit on the back of Banyue's head that seems to stagger him.
Utilizing the daze, he surges forward again and lands another blow square in the middle of his back.
He thinks he's doing good; only for Banyue to sidestep at the last minute when he gets overzealous.
“Huh—?”
Both rushing to score a hit, they clash arms instead. Billy has to squint to focus. Through the break of space between them, Billy sees Banyue lower his head and squint.
“Is that the best you can do?”
It gets on his nerves.
How dare Banyue speak to him like that. Like he wasn't trying his hardest, like he wasn't doing his best with what he could remember, like he wasn't—
Distracted. Horrendously distracted.
Too little too late, Billy realizes he'd gotten lost in just staring at Banyue. He jolts back when he's shoved by large arms, nearly losing his footing.
A barrage of hits cloud what he can see as he does his best to deflect, and he curses at himself for being so embarrassingly unable to stop looking.
Alas, he doesn't last much longer.
Banyue scores the final hit, and time momentarily slows when he leans in close and whispers, Billy's defenses successfully disarmed and face free.
“You should've focused.”
Billy slips and falls onto his back for the last time, choosing to stay down and pant, not even daring to think of standing.
“Billy?”
Billy mumbles, worn out. “Mm yeah yeah, just gimmieasecond…”
He hears the faint sound of metal clicking together, and he turns a weak head to see Banyue sitting next to him.
“What're you doing?”
“Sitting next to you.”
Never would've guessed.
Idle humming graces Billy's audio processors. Then a voice.
“Was that too much?”
He thinks.
“Mm.. no. I'm just not used to fighting with my hands. I'm better with guns.”
“You'll get better.”
“You think so?”
Banyue looks at him like he's got three heads.
“Of course. You learn fast. Faster than those I've trained.”
“Huh.."
That's.. probably only partially it.
Sure, everyone considered Billy a fast learner. He even thought of himself as one.
But he'd be a damn liar if he said Banyue himself didn't play a key part in all of this.
His respectful nature, stoic way of going about everything, his feline-like mannerisms… it was all seriously distracting. Billy found it all insufferably adorable.
“D'you think we could do this again?” Billy inquires, fighting to keep his gaze steady when Banyue peers down at him. “It was kinda nice.”
Banyue looks at him for a spare moment, then sets his hands down.
“I would also like to do this again sometime. Give me a call and I'll arrange it.”
Billy sighs, but internally thankful.
I'll get to see you again..
Little did he know, Banyue was more eager than he was willing to admit that maybe, just maybe, he wanted to meet again too.