Femslash February 2020 Day 6: Upside Down.

Weightless

I'm flying, Akamatsu thinks.

But that isn't right. She absolutely is not flying. In fact, she realizes that she'll be propelled to the ground in a matter of seconds, but for the time being, she can't feel the mat under her feet, nor can she feel gravity pressing down on her. Her limbs have been swept up in the air, and her bangs fly in front of her eyes, blinding her to the bright fluorescent lights above her.

What she can feel are the strong hands clutching her right arm. Hands with their knuckles burning white, fingers twisting into the fabric of her long-sleeved shirt bring her back to reality when she starts to her descent. She catches the fire burning in her opponent's pale green eyes, the rosy hue in her cheeks from the slight exertion of flipping her over, and Akamatsu welcomes it as the strangled yelp finally frees itself from her tight throat.

Her back slams into the mat and sends a shock through her spine. A groan splits past her chapped lips, and she splays herself out like roadkill. Akamatsu cups her head, her eyes spinning and distorting Chabashira's research lab in hues of bright green and oak brown.

Chabashira heaves out a sigh. She squares her shoulders and smiles down at Akamatsu, saying, "You let your guard down."

"I...sure did." Akamatsu sounds as if the words are tumbling out of her mouth.

Chabashira offers a hand, and Akamatsu reaches up for it. She misses, her fingers pressing against her palm before falling on to her stomach. Chabashira chuckles and bends forward, grabbing Akamatsu's limp wrist and helping her sit upright. She stays like that for a moment, simply watching Akamatsu regain her senses, commenting that her eyes look like they'll start spinning like a dizzy cartoon character.

Akamatsu's lips twitch upwards, and she puffs out a snicker. Closing her eyes, she welcomes the darkness and breathes in deeply through her nose. Sweat and lavender perfume hit her nostrils, bringing her back to earth. She clips stray locks of limp hair behind her ears, the beads of sweat on her brow beginning to slide down her cheeks and cool her skin.

"Are you okay? Tenko shouldn't have been so rough," Chabashira asks, lowering her voice as Akamatsu opens her eyes. She purses her lips and fidgets with the bell on her choker.

She cuts a clean line in the air with her finger. "No, no, even though I'm a novice at aikido, I asked you to take me seriously, and you did exactly that. I couldn't have asked for anything else." Akamatsu pushes off on her knees and wobbles, Chabashira quickly grabbing her shoulders to steady her. She arches her chest forward and sighs as her back cracks. Groaning, she curves her shoulders and slouches, her poor posture making her inner pianist cringe.

Humming, Chabashira shifts to Akamatsu's left and presses her hand against her back. She traces the individual ridges of her spine, carefully testing for injuries. The warmth in her palm elicits a sigh from Akamatsu, who lets it reverberate behind closed lips, her hum melting Chabashira's worries.

"Tenko doesn't feel anything misplaced or shattered, which is good. You're quite sturdy, Akamatsu-san," she chirps, clapping her hand back on to Akamatsu's shoulder. She massages her collarbone, dragging her thumb along the cotton fabric of her sweater and smiles.

"I always did have a strong back. It's what I get for practicing my poise for so long," she replies, slipping her hand on top of Chabashira's. She caresses her knuckles, which jut out, her callouses hard compared to the soft skin surrounding them. "Want to try me again?"

"Only if you're sure you can take it," Chabashira says, looping her finger around a blonde curl falling out of place. She smooths it back and strokes Akamatsu's cheek, her smile making her eyes crinkle as she watches Akamatsu melt into her hand.

Let me soar again, Chabashira-san, she thinks, and they resume their stances, their training not over until they are both on the floor, arms wrapped around each other tightly and kissing in the cool solitude of Chabashira's lab.