Agatha woke up feeling exhausted. Her body fell victim to fatigue, yet it was the kind of exhaustion that makes you happy. The tiredness was proof of her effort, a reminder of the new person she aimed to be. So, that morning, instead of complaining about her headache, the girl jumped out of bed ready to confront the training. 

The past two days she was bombarded by messages from Ellis, Demir, and Lorcan. The boys sent her questions about her health every hour. Agatha appreciated the concern, she truly did, but after the first five hours, she didn't want to receive any other message related to her wellbeing. Besides she always got overwhelmed when she had to answer so many fewer, holding conversations took a lot of effort for her.

Thousands of reassuring words and a little bit of pleading were necessary to convince the three of them to space the time between messages. Still, she kept them informed so they wouldn't worry. Even that day, before heading to the training, she wrote to them about her plans. 

Her trip to the headquarters increased her excitement, she was minutes away from learning how to defend herself. And she'll be able to see Lorcan which was a plus. 

As she crossed the main entrance the girl remembered how big the building was. Big enough to get lost trying to find the training room.  She walked around the place, all the grey walls looked the same to her, even the white doors to the rooms were identical.

Agatha took a look at the hallway she was in, searching for someone to ask for directions.

She spotted a teenage boy some steps away from her position. He seemed kind, or at least that's was she concluded after looking at his sparkling blue eyes.

As the young woman got near him, she realized that he was taller than she thought, some inches taller than Lorcan. His height combined with his muscular body should make him look threatening, but the way the boy stood and his big smile made him look sweet. 

"Excuse me," said Agatha trying to get his attention. "I'm a little lost. Can you help me find the training room?" 

"Yes I—just follow me." The boy's voice came out low, similar to a whisper. His eyes were hidden by his black hair while he lowered his head. 

It resulted that she wasn't so far from her destination. The walk took less than three minutes, during that time the teenager didn't say a thing, he kept his gaze on the ground, avoiding eye contact. 

"You're here!" Exclaimed Lorcan as the duo entered the room. "Thanks for accompanying her, I should have waited at the entrance." 

"Oh, no. It's okay," Agatha dismissed Lorcan's words before turning to the boy who helped her. "Thanks for everything."

"No problem," he muttered, before slipping out of the room.

"That's Bertram," explained the young man after the boy left him alone with Agatha. "He's a little shy around women." 

"I can see that." 

The training began immediately. Step number one was warming up, so she wouldn't get hurt. That's the reason why Agatha ended up running for ten minutes, sometimes she would add some arm movement. Then came the stretching to finish the preparation. 

"I'm so out of shape," Agatha complained. Her lungs were forcing her to take deep and irregular breaths. "I must look horrible."

"You look gorgeous as always," Lorcan rushed to say. Warm spread through the girl's heart, as she focused on hiding the blush forming on her face. "I'll start showing you some basic defense postures." 

Adopting a serious attitude Agatha studied every posture the boy showed her and recreated them the best she could. Beginner's luck was on her side, no complications arose, her confidence was present once again. 

The young woman had a little taste of her moment of glory. For some, it might sound like an exaggeration, but for the ordinary librarian to be successful in fight training meant a lot. 

Anyways, independently of the value of her accomplishment, it didn't last long, because when the attack posture made its big entrance they brought failure along with it. 

"It's not so bad but you need to make some adjustments," concluded Lorcan. "Can I?

After she gave him permission, he stood behind her, his hands found their way to her waist. Agatha could feel the warmth they provided, his touch was soft and welcoming. 

"Your waist should be a little more to the left to maintain the balance," the boy whispered to her right ear while he corrected the position. 

Agatha's heart decided to go against her, its beating skyrocketing and she feared that Lorcan could hear it. 

"Raise your arm like this," he continued as he moved her arms. His voice was so close to her ears that the girl could feel a shiver going down her spine. "Remember this and you'll be okay."

She nodded with enthusiasm, yet she didn't know what she was confirming. Lorcan's words lack meaning, the only thing she could focus on was his touch. Without realizing it she started comparing it with Ellis' touch.

Agatha concluded that Lorcan's hold was soft, inviting, she felt safe between his arms, protected. On the other side, Ellis was demanding, passionate, when he touched her she received a shock of adrenaline. They were so different, and she couldn't choose only one. 

"There, now try to throw a punch." The boy's voice brought her back to reality. He retreated, taking the warmth away with him. 

Agatha wished to melt in his caresses once again. 

She complied only in order to push her strange thoughts away. To focus on the training, on her punches, allowed her to stay far from the new feelings that hunted her every time Lorcan got close to her. So Agatha forced herself to concentrate on her movements, and it worked. 

"Not bad for a rookie," Lorcan commented once the lesson was over. "How was your training with Momotaro?" 

"Better than I thought. He's not as bossy as I imagined," confessed Agatha, earning a loud laugh from her friend. 

"Don't tell him I said this, but he's actually a softy." 

At the end of the training session, with a long, tight hug she manifested her gratitude. And after the promise to come back, she initiated her way back home. 

Waiting for Agatha, in the front yard of her house, was Ellis. He had sent her a message asking if he could visit her, getting a positive response. 

"How was your training?" Asked the tattooed boy as they set foot in the house. 

The young woman gravitated towards the blue couch. Making use of her last energy storage she dropped herself on the comfy furniture.

"Good," she breathed out, her voice similar to a whisper. 

"Seems like you ran out of battery," he mentioned the obvious. "I'll prepare your bath, give me a moment." 

In her state of exhaustion, Agatha lost the ability to respond, so she settled for shaking her head a little to communicate her permission.  The girl closed her eyes for some minutes and when she opened them Ellis was back. 

"The bath is ready. I'll prepare dinner while you're at it." 

Agatha dragged her body to the bathroom, taking twice as usual to reach the room. The warm water helped to soothe her muscles, and the sweet smell of the jasmine bath bomb relaxed her mind. 

Sometime later she walked into the kitchen feeling better or at least being able to move without the constant pain. 

"Thanks for doing all of this," Agatha spoke while she took a seat. "It smells delicious. Do you like to cook?"

Ellis finished plating the food and offered one plate to the girl. "Not my favorite thing to do, but I don't dislike it either. I see it as part of being a functional adult," he explained. "I hope you like risotto." 

"This is amazing!" She exclaimed after tasting the risotto. "It's so creamy. Absolutely delicious."

"I'm glad you liked it." 

Between conversations and subtle flirting the night emerged. Agatha's eyes couldn't fight the weight of fatigue anymore. Noticing the girl's condition, Ellis comprehended that it was time for him to say goodbye. 

They parted ways with the certainty that they'll see each other again. The hug they shared gave them comfort. The kiss that he placed on her forehead, remained as a memory of his presence until they met the next time.