Heartbeat // A Derek Hale Love Story (Teen Wolf)

Sketchy

As well as that, the gym advertised martial arts.

Back in Durham, there was a martial arts studio that specialised in jiu jitsu and Kali de Leon, my best practice.

I knew a few things about jiu jitsu, which was basically ground self-defence, because of the exposure I experienced in the studio, but my real skill lay in Kali.

Kali de Leon was the practice of combat using various hand-to-hand weapons like bamboo sticks and machetes.

Because of my training, I had about six pair of sticks varying in length, a couple machetes and throwing knives.

I was really hoping I could find someone at the gym here, that trained in my favourite discipline. If there wasn't, I'd find someone.

...

I pulled into the parking lot of "the Foundry", which was the name of the gym, looking as though the letters had been hammered out of wrought iron, curved over the entrance.

It would make sense if the place really used to be a foundry because of the industrial, flat roofed building it was in: it looked the part.

I immediately liked the place because of the modern vibe that it gave off, even though the physical building itself was old.

In any case, I grabbed my black bag, which held my sticks and had places for knives. I left them at home because walking into a place with a bag full of knives was certainly not the best way to make friends.

I hauled the heavy door open, revealing a huge warehouse-looking room, with high ceilings that had climbing ropes hanging down. There seemed to be a second room; a concrete ramp led into it through the wall of the first room.

"Hey, can I help you?" A woman, who must've been aware her tight tank top highlighted her absolutely ripped physique, greeted me. "I'm Jean, my sister and I own the gym."

On the back of her shoulder and snaking down her bicep, she had the tattoo of what appeared to be a dragon, colourful markings l permanent to her tanned skin.

As I glanced around at the gym, I noticed many people like her had tattoos.

It looked like I'd fit right in here.

"Lillian." I introduced myself before continuing. "And yeah, I'm hoping there's someone here who trains in Kali de Leon." I said, watching someone launch off the floor to grab the rope suspended in front of him.

"Oh-- yeah," Jean began, looking over her shoulder toward the second room. "I don't know if he's here, but I know someone."

"Sweet." I said, following her as she walked to the second room of the gym, which was more dimly lit that the first because all the windows were there.

"Okay, so he is here--" Jean told me, pointing over to the far left corner of the gym, where a thin man was deadlifting. We continued over to him, Jean's low ponytail of straight brown hair swishing against her back.

"Tynan--" Jean called to get his attention, but at first he didn't respond, he gripped the barbell at his feet and got into a proper deadlift position. He flicked his head and gaze from the floor to ahead of him, sending a shower of sweat flying from his shoulder-length hair. Needless to say, I was happy I hadn't been in front of him.

With a loud grunt of exertion, Tynan stood up with the weight in his hands, glancing at Jean, then me.

After standing straight for a few moments, he dropped the weight and let it bounce off the floor forcefully.

"Yeah?"

"Lillian here was wondering about Kali de Leon."

"What about it?" He asked, wiping the sweat off his narrow face with his t-shirt.

"Do you train in it?" I cut in, trying to move the conversation along. Though his lift had been impressive, I got a relatively sketchy vibe off of the guy.

"I do." Tynan replied, seeming pretty apathetic.

"I do too, and I need someone to train with."

"Oh." Tynan hummed, leaning all his weight on his left foot, looking at as though he was sizing me up. "You?"

"Yeah, me." I snapped, fishing my favourite pair of sticks out of my bag. "So what do you say?"

"Eh, why not?" Tynan rolled his eyes and shrugged, making me grit my teeth.

"Let me know if you need anything else." Jean interjected placidly.

"Sure." I smiled at her and watched as she walked away.

"When do you want to start?"

"Right now would be nice." I growled, fixing my 'quiver', a piece of strappy equipment where I could put extra sticks as well as hold my original two. Either that or a machete, another weapon used in Kali. In a real fight, if I had my sticks, it would be beneficial to have extras on my back if ever I needed it.

"Oh, someone's prepared. Did you buy those off of Amazon?" Tynan asked, clearly insinuating I knew nothing about Kali as he gestured to the hand-carved bamboo shafts in my hands.

I looked down at the mahogany-stained wood I was holding, as I thought back to the day my Sensei gave them to me after earning my gold belt, a high rank in Kali de Leon.

"Oh, these?" I huffed, looking from them back up to Tynan's cringe-y face, twirling the one in my right hand in a full circle. It was a skill that took my weeks to get the hang of, mostly used for show, but nonetheless impressive to people.

"Yeah." I drawled sarcastically to answer his question, winking. "I've practically never used them."

I raised them, after begrudgingly letting Tynan borrow the worst pair of sticks I owned, though they were still probably better than whatever he used.

"You want to spar?" Tynan probed.

"Yes."

"Alright, you asked for it." He chuckled, making me grit my teeth yet again.

I swung my right stick at his shoulder, which he blocked far more slowly than I was moving. I continued with the left side, until Tynan threw a block, moving at a snail's pace to guide my arm away.

"So are you new in town?" Tynan asked, flicking back his greasy hair, not paying much attention to what we were doing anymore. "I feel like I would've noticed a girl like you."

"Just moved from Durham." I replied curtly, trying to keep the pathetic sparring match going.

"But yeah, you're really hot."

"Dude, what the hell?" I scoffed, releasing a swift blow to his shoulder without feeling remorse, to which he yelped.

"Ow!"

"Here's the thing: I am not here, existing, merely for your pleasure." I stated clearly. "Frankly I do not care how 'hot' you think I am, I'm not. I am here to train."

"Ooh, feisty." Tynan smirked, looking at me out of the corner of his beady eyes.

The worst part about what he just said, was I was pretty sure he was still trying to flirt, failing miserably.

"Can you just spar?" I asked exasperatedly, relaxing my arms so my sticks rested at my thighs. "And can you actually try?"

"I like it rough, I'm not sure you want that." Was Tynan's response, to which I nearly gagged.

He must have been aware of the connotations of what he'd just said to me.

"You do you, I can handle it."

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt you."

"Jesus Christ." I scoffed, bringing my hand to my face, befuddled by Tynan's ridiculousness.

"You're not doing her any favours, Tynan." A deep voice called from behind me, and it sounded strained. I turned to face the person, cocking my head as I recognised him.

It was the man who almost ran me over last night: Derek.