The breath was slammed out of Oliver when his back hit the mat. He laid there, staring at the ceiling, as he gasped for air. Polina's face, grin stretching from ear to ear, filled his vision as she bent over him. She pat his cheek gently as she spoke, voice laced with humor. “You're not down for the count, are you?”

Getting his breathing under control, he managed to answer without grasping too much. “Nah, just... enjoying the view.”

Polina blushed as his eyes lingered on her. Even though she was wearing exercise shorts and a loose t-shirt, sweating, and not even a hint of makeup, he found her captivating. She helped him to his feet, hands lingering on him for a few extra seconds. They both grabbed a drink of water as she took a moment to coach him.

“You're actually pretty good Oli. Better at grappling than I expected, and you're picking up throws and disarms well. You just need to work on not hesitating when you strike. I know you don't like hurting people, especially me. But when it becomes necessary to drop someone, you do it fast and hard. Don't give them a chance to hurt you, ok?”

Oliver smirked and waggled his eyebrows at her, his voice dropped into a whisper meant just for her. “Not exactly the situation I was hoping for when you encourage me to do something fast and hard, but it's still good advice.”

Her blush deepened and she playfully pushed him away. “If you're recovered enough to talk dirty, then you're recovered enough to go again. Though,” Her voice dropped into a sultry tone. “If you can pin me this time, maybe you'll get that 'encouragement' later.”

Walking back onto the mat, Oliver's heart raced at the implication. Distracted by the thought, he was slow to react when she attacked. Finding himself on his back once again, he could only laugh at Polina's smug grin.

“Stay focused Oli. You're in for long, rough ride.”

Oliver had to admit to himself that asking Polina to teach him was a good idea. Tough and a little painful, but a good idea. She was a much better fighter, and had a way of explaining things that made it easy for him to understand. It being fun and allowing them to spend time together were nice bonuses. It was definitely something he wanted to do again.

It also gave him a better understanding of his increased attributes. His Agility being two points higher was already noticeable, but his Strength... The five point increase for it was incredibly obvious to him. He knew that before the system he wouldn't have been able to carry Polina very far. But after all the practice in grappling and throwing her he could see just how drastic the change was.

Her shoulder bumped into his, pulling him from his musing. “That was a lot of fun, Oli. I was kind of surprised when you asked, but, considering how that Carl guy is always messing with you, it makes sense. I doubt that you would really have any trouble dealing with him, but it's always a good idea to be prepared.”

Oliver smiled and pulled her close while they walked. “I wasn't really thinking about him when I asked. I just don't want to be caught unprepared if anything happens in the future. Plus,” He squeezed her gently and kissed her cheek. “I got to spend time with you. That by itself is a good enough reason for me.”

Polina leaned into him, smiling brightly. “Thank you hon. I hope I didn't hurt you too much. Especially your ego!” Giggling, she skipped ahead of him to the truck. “So, what are we doing next? An early dinner?”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Oliver shook his head, smiling fondly at her. “I was actually thinking we should check out the local Scadians. It's been a while since I attended their practice, and I bet you'll enjoy it.”

Oliver chuckled at her puzzled look as she asked, “What the hell is a Scadian?”

“Is this what you meant by Scadians? Guys running around in armor, hitting each other with sticks?” Polina snorted in amusement. “I think one of the guys in the department mentioned people doing this every week.”

Oliver nodded as he led his girlfriend towards the group. “The Society for Creative Anachronism, or S.C.A. It's a little more complicated than 'guys in armor fighting with sticks'. They do medieval reenactments, though some prefer to call it a recreation. The fighting, clothes, chivalry, arts and crafts, even the food! It's really complex and detailed. Of course, they use rattan swords instead of metal to avoid hurting each other, and there are a lot of rules and safety guidelines. Especially for the armor; I think the minimum required includes protection for the head, neck, joints, hands, kidneys, and groin.”

They watched as two men faced off. Both wore a layers of padding underneath armor that had seen a lot of use, many of the pieces obviously made of thick plastic. Though both used a rattan sword and shield, one was a round shield nearly three feet across while the other a well-made heater shield. Eyes peaking over the tops of their shields, they watched each other carefully as they circled step by step. In a flurry of motion they attacked, swords swinging rapidly. The thumps of sword meeting shield rang out. The exchange ended suddenly when the round shield came up just a bit too slow and the sword slipped over the top to clip his helm.

The surrounding watchers applauded the fight, a few even shouting encouragements and jokes. Oliver turned to Polina and almost laughed at the eager look in her eyes. “They are usually pretty open to teaching, if you're interested. And I know a couple people keep some loaner gear around; It helps them get people interested and involved. So-”

“Hell yes, Oli!” Polina interrupted him. “If I had known about this before... You said they do the whole reenactment thing, right? Including clothes and stuff?”

Chuckling, he kissed her cheek. “Yes hon. We'll have to see about getting some stuff together so you can check out an event some time. Maybe the Crown Tournament or something.” Her eyes blazed with excitement, so he tugged her towards the group. “Come on, I'll introduce you to the people I know. I'm sure they will be happy to tell you all about it. And show you how the fighting works.”

Oliver sighed in relief as he sat in his truck. His whole body ached from all the intense exercise, and he knew it was likely several bruises were forming- especially on his leg where Polina had tagged him with a rattan sword. He didn't even need to look to know there was a smug smile on her face. Chuckling softly, he started the truck. “Smile all you want hon, I'm counting this as a win for me.”

“Oh? I could have sworn they called it my win. Three times. In a row.”

Beneath her friendly teasing, he could hear a kernel of worry. He had always been receptive of how tough and capable she was, but how many guys could spend an entire day getting beat up by their girlfriend and not be upset. Especially in front of a crowd. Even if it was just training, she was worried about his reaction.

Taking her hand gently, he kissed her knuckles as he drove. “You may have had the upper-hand in the fights, but I got the nerd victory. Not only is my girlfriend a bad ass, I got her to wear armor. That's a win in my book.”

Her musical laughter made all the pain and bruises worth it in his mind. While the day had started as simply wanting to train while spending time with her, it had quickly turned into the best date he had ever had. And it was clear she had enjoyed it as well, making it even better.

She gave him a quick kiss as he dropped her off. Neither wanted the date to end, but she still had work to do- which was mostly just paperwork, she explained after he worried about her being tired for work. He smiled when she paused at the door to wave at him, wondering how he got so lucky.

On his drive home, Oliver let his mind wander over the events of the past few weeks. The system had offered him a lot of opportunities and benefits. He was stronger, faster, tougher... and richer than he was before. And he wasn't done with it yet, not by a long shot.

Because, despite all of it's benefits, it wasn't the best thing in his life any more. But that wouldn't stop him from using it to make things even better. And he still had a lot of unanswered questions about the system.

It was time to get back to work.