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Kiki grins innocently up at Avery from her place on the floor as she stretches. “Any dates you have with me that might overlap a time for me to meet Nic’s father.”

“You don’t have to, we can just find a time that works for everyone…” Nic says as his ears turn red.

Kiki pats Nic’s calf in an assuring way, albeit a weird way from the placement. “Nonsense! You work in an emergency room; your schedule will be hard enough to plan around without us adding more constraints.” She turns again to smile up at Avery.

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Avery glanced down at Kimiko, a bemused expression on his face. He looked at Nic then back.

”Oh, not to worry. I have absolutely nothing planned. Nothing at all. Aside from her training regime in the mornings, I believe Kiki is completely free for you to take to lunch, Nic.”

A mischievous sparkle twinkled in Avery's eyes as he watched Kimiko, clearly picking up that she was trying to tease him and even possibly break his professional stance during training.

Avery turned his focus to Nic and instantly noticed the tattoo and how fresh it was. ”Wicked tattoo, Nic. When did you get it done?”

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“Uh, sure… that works…” Nic seems utterly confused by whatever game Kiki and Avery are playing. When Avery mentions the tattoo, Nic turns so Avery can seek all the details. “Cass did it just last night for me. She also mentioned not to use the arm today in the gym, if that can be helped.”

Kiki, meanwhile, shoots Avery a glare for his nonchalance about her schedule with Nic. “Wow, Nic, that tattoo really suits you. Very well done.” Her eyes don’t leave Avery’s face as she says this though, only moving to glance at Avery’s own tattoo before she smiles innocently.

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Avery examined Nic's tattoo closely, wondering if he should get Cass to add to the tattoo he had on his back. He really liked the 3D work she had done with the trees and the fox made him smile.

Avery had a tattoo on his left arm of the moon in brilliant detail, a wolf overlayed howling at it and a couple of evergreens making a rough 3D impression, but nothing like the work on Nic's arm. The moon contained the anti-possession symbol whereas the wolf contained a strength rune. On his back, Avery had the beginnings of a mountain scene across his shoulders and lower neck, with some specific line and dot work in the shape of a diamond. It was a work in progress as he didn't know what he wanted to do with it.

He pulled back, looking at Nic and nodded. ”Definitely we can do some core and leg stuff for you today. By Wednesday you should be fine to do arms. Just let me get Kiki set up.”

He looked at Kimiko, who he had been ignoring even though he felt her eyes on him. He smiled sweetly at her before bidding to the treadmill.

”Get up. Treadmill for fifteen,” he declared.

Caden meanwhile dropped the weight bar after finishing his rounds of deadlifts. He stopped to drink some water before Avery gave him weighted exercises to do for his lower body. Caden sighed. He didn't like these ones as much.

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Nic keeps glancing between Avery and Kimiko, trying to unravel whatever mystery is going on between them. The fox didn’t even look at him when she complimented his tattoo, which was bewildering to him. He watches as she sticks her tongue out at him, agile as she gets up off the floor and heads for the treadmill.

“Do I dare even ask about what’s going on?” Nic says as Avery gets Kimiko and Caden started on their next sets.

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Avery waited for Kimiko to start her run before he turned and looked back at Nic. He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

”Kiki and I made it official over the weekend. I told her I want to keep it professional while I'm training, but apparently she still wants to tease me. Anyways, let's get you started on some leg work.” He guided Nic over to some of the machines that would strengthen his lower body. He added weight to the machine's until Nic was lifting what he needed to properly build muscle.

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Kiki can’t help the blush on her ears from hearing Avery call the two of them ‘official’. Once through the sets Avery makes her do, it’s finally time for the two of them to try Kiki’s first sparring lesson. Nero had come to join them all, having finished moving essentials from Caden’s bedroom to the other side of the house and helped Caden with resistance training. Everyone is going through cooldowns at this point, but Kiki can feel Nero and Nic eyes on her as she waits for Avery’s instructions.

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Avery finished wrapping his hands while watching Kimiko. She seemed nervous, but they were also being watched. Avery smiled kindly and shook his arms out before cracking his neck.

”Okay. Which is easier for you, being attacked first or attacking first? I want to see what you usually do and teach as we go along,” Avery explained.

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Caden sat on a stool with Nero on his lap, resting his chin on their shoulder while his eyes tracked Avery and Kimiko.

”We can leave if you want,” Caden reminded Nero, although it was clear Caden wanted to see how this was going to play out.

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Kiki rolls her shoulders as she thinks about it. “I usually attack first and it ends well for me… I think I need more practice on reacting if that makes sense.” She says after a moment. “So attack first is probably easier then?” Using the palms of her hands, Kiki cracks her knuckles as she waits for Avery’s response.

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Nero wiggles happily in Caden’s lap as they shake their head. “I don’t want to miss this - it’s going to be too much fun.” The little demon chirps to Caden before looking over at the human.

“Are you going to stay too?” They ask with a tilt of their head.

Nic glances up from his seat on the floor. “Depends on how much time this is going to take. I don’t want to keep Cass waiting too long.” The nurse also will need a ride home since he drove the SUV to Caden’s to return it.

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”Alright,” Avery said. His eyes shifted down to watch her crack her knuckles, before she was done, Avery was running at her. He moved like a train, heading straight for her. At the last second, Avery turned in a three-sixty, his centre of gravity lowering as he swept his leg out and took at Kimiko’s legs. She fell back, slamming into the mat, and Avery stood.

”Rule one. Don’t let them attack first.” He walked around Kimiko and took up his first position again.

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Caden chuckled and kissed Nero’s cheek. His eyes shifted to Avery, watching him shift his stance. Caden’s hand twitched on Nero’s waist when he realized what Avery was about to do. Caden watched Kimiko’s back hit the mat and shook his head.

Avery was probably the best person to train Kimiko or any of them. He wouldn’t hold back. He never held back. Especially when it came to training like this. If Avery gave his all and Kimiko could get the upper hand, then he knew she would be safe. That they all would be safer.

”Let me know when you want to leave, Nic. I’ll get someone to drive you back to Cass’ house. If you ever decide you want a car, let me know. Cassi has room for you to store it at her place,” he informed Nic.

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Kiki finds herself staring up at the ceiling in seconds, blinking in surprise. She sits up and shoots a glare at Avery before standing up. “Okay…” She says slowly with a roll of her shoulders as she gets in more of a fighting stance while facing Avery. “Fair…” She tries not to get angry, knowing he’s trying to help.

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Nic cringes as Kiki goes down, his instinct telling him to make sure she’s okay, but Nero put a hand on his shoulder. “If Caden isn’t running to her, she should be fine.”

“That’s a very kind offer,” Nic says after nodding his head to Nero. “But I couldn’t possibly accept.” Sure, commuting to Caden’s would be easier and it would allow him and Cass to go on dates without having to steal Caden’s SUVs but… it’ll be too much.

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”Play into your strengths. Your opponent will often be larger than you. Of course, don't estimate those smaller than you. Right Nero?”

The little imp was perhaps the smallest thing he had seen that was still an adult human. And aside from Caden, the deadliest thing in this room..

”Rule number two. Don't let your emotions take over. Your anger will be the death of you. Unless you learn how to control it.”

When Kimiko had been taken, Avery's emotions were all over the place but he harnessed them when it came to killing the wolves. Of course, his size had been a factor in overpowering his opponents as well.

”Rule number three. Observation. Everyone has a tell in fighting. Some subtle, some obvious. It's best to figure it out sooner, rather than later.”

For Avery, it was a shift in his hips. They would move left or right depending on what foot he was going to step on. It was subtle. Most people would expect a foot to twist, the eyes to shift or a hand to move. A lot of Avery's power came from his centre, from his core and from his hips.

Before Kimiko could confirm she was ready, Avery ran at her again. He used the same momentum as before, but rather than going right he went left to take out her legs once more.

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”If you change your mind, let me know. I'm sure we could work out some sort of deal,” Caden said.

Caden could understand Nic not wanting to accept handouts, and respected him for that.

He refocused on the training session. Avery shifted his weight and ran at Kimiko much the same way as he did before but there was a slight change. Caden's opposite hand twitched when Avery went left rather than right, and Caden hoped Kimiko saw it but he wasn't sure. Avery moved fast, and hadn't given Kimiko much time to recover from her first hit.

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“There’s a reason I choose to be this tiny!” Nero chirps in reply to Avery. Kiki’s eyes stay trained on Avery now, not wanting to end up flat on the floor again, only nodding in response to what Avery is saying. He’s right about the anger - even if it feels like she has more power behind punches while angry, the rage could just as easily distract her.

Avery comes at her again, his movement mimicking the first time he attacked. Kiki flushes as she tries to think of how to avoid it and retaliate, but she can only just vertical jump as high as she could to avoid the sweep this time. Landing lightly on her feet, she turns to find Avery.

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Nero watches as Nic’s ears turn a light shade of pink at Caden’s words. “If anything, I think my dad or Cass would need one more than me.” He tells Caden.

“Why doesn’t Cassi drive?” Nero asks. The little imp hasn’t learned how to either, but they plan to change that when the opportunity arrives.

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Avery stood and grinned at Kimiko. "Good." He circled back around, and lined up with her again. "Make sure to keep your legs tucked in if you are jumping. Your opponent could easily grab your leg and pull you back down," he warned her.

Avery ran at Kimiko again. He kept his momentum straight, shifting only when she did. He grabbed her arm and spun her around, twisting her arm and pinned it between him and her. He hooked his fingers around hers, spreading them a part while he pulled on her arm and shoulder.

"Can you feel that strain in your shoulder? I can easily sublux your joint from this position or break your arm or your fingers. You want to keep your arms in close as well. But if you find yourself in this position there are a couple of options. You can shapeshift, you can hook your foot around my ankle and roll us forward, using my speed against me, or if your opponent is the same height as you, you can break their nose," Avery said.

Avery's back was to the little audience Kimiko and him had acquired, and she was pressed right against his chest. Despite Avery saying he wanted to remain professional in the training gym, Avery can't help himself and placed a kiss on Kimiko's cheek before he released her arm. He stepped back from her and reset his position.

Avery's mind whirled with different training regimes he could do with Kiki. It ranged from bag training, to one-on-one boxing moves with gloves and pads, plus agility training. From what he observed during the morning workouts, Kiki had a lot of flexibility that she would have to use to her advantage.

Avery held up one finger. "Rule one," he said, waiting for Kimiko to repeat it back to him.

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"Mmm, that was one part of the modern world Cassi could never get behind. She appreciates public transportation, but she never had a desire to learn to drive. It didn't appeal to her. Honestly, up until the second world war ended, Cassi always took a horse everywhere," Caden informed Nero and Nic.

Caden watched Avery pin Kimiko, and nodded in agreement with the options Avery gave her to get out of it. He let her go though and Caden watched that with interest.

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Kiki feels a little swell of pride when Avery says ‘Good’ to her reaction. That may have distracted her a bit because the wolf suddenly has her pinned against him. Kiki would be lying if she said she hasn’t fantasized about positions similar to this, but tries to remain calm. When Avery kisses her cheek and releases her she has to take a steadying breath before facing him again.

“Don’t let them attack first.” Kiki says before running at a full sprint towards Avery, aiming her whole body as if to face him head on. At the last moment, she lets herself slide onto her knees, her hand flat as she aims to jab him hard in the back of the knee.

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A silly grin curls Nic’s lips as he imagines Cass on a horse in the middle of downtown Chicago. “Are there any horse stables around here you might recommend?” He asks Caden as a date idea forms in his head.

He watches as Nero sits up a little straighter to watch the sparring between Kiki and Avery. The small thing is making notes of moves the demon might be able to pass along to the fox as someone with small stature and fighting experience.

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Avery's grin returns with fervour when Kimiko makes the first move. She keeps charging him until she drops and swipes out at his knee. He pivots so she gets the side of his leg rather than the back, and he laughs before fixing his stance and turning to face her.

"Good, good," he said happily. He's glad Kimiko is a quick learner. It will give him more options for training her, and hopefully build her confidence back up again. "Rule number two."

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Caden pulled his focus from Kimiko's attack to look at Nic. He smiled slightly at the human and nodded. "There are a couple, actually. I know she also expressed interest in traveling to Montana. I have a ranch out there with roughly twenty horses. I haven't checked in with them for a while though. They could have more at this point."

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Kiki shoots Avery a pout when he turns, scrunching her nose a bit in a playful glare. Nimbly, she gets back on her feet and circles Avery in a manner much like Avery had done to her earlier. “Don’t let your emotions control you, even if you really want to.” When her back faces the peanut gallery, she sticks her tongue out at Avery. She’s trying her best to stay jovial, knowing if she starts to take things personally that it’ll impede on the lesson. She resumes her first position, trying to keep her legs spread just wide enough to move easily.

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“Montana?” Nic turns to face Caden and Nero more now, even if Nero is more concentrated on the sparring match currently. “I’m actually going to a medical conference there in November.” He’s sure Cass had brought up that Caden had a place out there, but he’d forgotten about asking.

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Avery smirked when she stuck her tongue out at him. "Tellement mature," he declared. "Rule number three?" He held up three fingers now, wiggling them while he watched her.

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"Oh, really? Are you bringing Cassiopeia with you?" he asked curiously. "The place is fully staffed all year round due to all the live stock I have, but you are welcome to it and the jet if you want it," Caden told Nic. "I'm sure we can comes to terms on what a fair payment is if you'd prefer that," Caden added.

He could understand if Nic didn't want handouts. He didn't seem the type to not to earn his way. Of course, Nic would more than pay his way with all the help he would be giving them by getting information from the hospital.

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Kiki just smiles widely and innocently back at Avery for his comment until he asks for rule number three. “Observe your opponent and find their tell.” She has an idea why Avery’s is, but she wants to observe him attacking her again, even if it means breaking rule one.

“I think I know yours, but I’d have to throw one of your rules out the window to be sure.”

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Nic’s ears warm. “I did invite her,” Nic says with a nod and a smile before he mouth drops at Caden offering his jet. He can’t help but think of all the celebrities who receive flack for using theirs, but he also can’t forget how crowded traveling economy has become.

“If we could come up with a payment plan or something, I’d like that. I think Cass would prefer not having to act like a sardine on a commercial flight.” He adds the last part, thinking of how she had told him that crowds weren’t always the best place for her.

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"What a quick learner you are. Alright. Let's have some fun then," Avery said and started to pace back and forth. He watched Kimiko, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. He looked for weak spots, a foot she favoured more, one of her arms longer on one side than the other. The things that people didn't see unless they were really looking. Like how Kimiko turned her head or moved her hands, her feet. Every little thing she did was a tell. A story that told Avery how she preferred to fight.

The wolf made his move forward, coming at Kimiko from the side. His hips had shifted slightly to indicate when he was about to move, but his eyes didn't change their focus, nor did the rest of his body.

His arms came to wrap around Kimiko's waist in a vice grip and he lifted her from the ground. He shifted the momentum quickly and threw her back to the ground, pinning her to the mat. He debated on throwing in a jiu jitsu move to either pin her legs or to pull her arm that would elicit the same intention as when he pinned her arm behind her back, but he figured getting the breath knocked out of her was good enough.

Avery released her, rocking back onto his knees with his feet tucked underneath him. "What's my tell?"

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Caden laughed and nodded, shifting his hold on Nero. He watched Avery toy with Kimiko until he went for her. He watched Kimiko go into the air, a second of nothing before she was quickly thrown in the opposite direction.

"Damn Zain, you really don't go easy on anyone, do you?"

Avery glanced back at Caden and shook his head. "You don't learn if you don't what it feels like."

Caden nodded in agreement before he popped Nero off his lap and stood. He held his hand out to Nic, making an unofficial agreement with the man. "Alright. I'll have something drawn up for you to review. Make sure you ask Cass about the ranch. She might not want to have to deal with staff while the two of you are there. I can dismiss the house staff, but the ranch hands would have to stay to tend to the animals, but they have their own staff housing," Caden told Nic.