Alicia/Kalinda - Fencing is (not) foreplay
For SJL's 2013 Summer Ficathon
prompt: Alicia/Kalinda - Fencing is (not) foreplay
A/N to Tamoline, who left the prompt: OK, I am sure that this is entirely not what you were anticipating, but I still recall your response to 'role play' from last year. So I guess fair is fair. I hope you like!
----
Kalinda’s phone buzzes with a text; it’s Alicia asking if she’s free for a drink after work.
She could text back, she thinks, but it’ll be simpler to call. Alicia picks up on the first ring, asking “did you get my text?”
“Yeah. I’ve got class tonight. How about after?”
“Sure, what class?” Alicia asks, trying to think of a class she could imagine Kalinda taking, and drawing a blank.
“Fencing”, Kalinda replies. “Class ends at 8:30.”
“Ok, text me the address and I’ll meet you there. I have to run-- see you at 8:30.” Alicia says as she hangs up and steps into a meeting.
0000
Alicia arrives early, driven both by curiosity and not being able to stand another minute in her office. She arrives at the address Kalinda’s given her and slips into a seat to watch the last few minutes of class. Even though everyone is wearing protective gear including a helmet, it’s pretty clear who Kalinda is, as everyone else is at least a foot taller.
Class ends, and Kalinda steps into the back to change. When she comes out, she says “I know we said we’d go for a drink, but I need to eat.”
Alicia nods, compliant. She hasn’t eaten either.
“And there’s no shower, so I stink. Sorry.” Kalinda adds, sounding like she’s not.
Kalinda’s wearing yoga pants over a leotard and Alicia’s never seen her like this. She is bossier, more organic, and much, much lighter. They settle on a Chinese restaurant down the street.
At the restaurant, Alicia finds herself saying that she’d been thinking of taking some sort of class, feeling that the exercise would do her good.
“You should try it,” Kalinda says.
“Fencing.” Alicia says skeptically, trying to imagine herself with a sword.
“Why not? It’s fun, and we’d see each other. Classes are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday”. They hadn’t seen each other much since Alicia’d left Lockhart Gardner.
“I’ll think about” Alicia says, sure that she won’t.
0000
Somehow, though, the idea takes root, and Alicia shows up for the next class a few minutes early, in time to fill out some paperwork and borrow the gear she needs for class. Kalinda helps her put it on, and soon the instructor starts class. First there are some warm-ups, then some basic movements, and finally partner drills. Alicia is glad for the 15+ years of ballet she took; while the movements are very different, she is no stranger to bent knees and odd foot positions.
For the partner drills, Alicia and Kalinda pair up. One person is thrusting, and the other is parrying. They start slowly, moving back and forth, and as their movements smooth out, they start to have a little fun with the movement, the give and take. It ends with Kalinda coming in fast, Alicia missing the parry and falling in a heap on the floor, and Kalinda’s blade catching her right at the heart.
‘Great’, Alicia thinks. ‘She’s stabbed me in the heart again.’
But this time, Kalinda is holding out her hand to help her up and she takes it. They step back on the line and continue.
0000
After class, they end up at the same Chinese restaurant, laughing about each other’s clumsiness and toasting each other’s triumphs over cold beer and Kung Pao. It’s been a long time since Alicia’s had as much fun.
0000
Class becomes a habit, as does stabbing each other repeatedly, helping each other up, and giggling about it over cold beer afterwards. Time flies by. Alicia is surprised at how healing it all is, how it neutralizes the rifts and bolsters the rest, and how, without anything that seems like effort, Kalinda is once again the colleague she trusts most, an ally and a friend.
0000
One night after class, again at the Chinese restaurant, Alicia says “I’m divorcing Peter.”
Kalinda looks up over her Mu Shu, scrutinizing. “You’re seeing someone else.” She knows it’s not Will, but aside from that, she has no idea who.
Alicia shrugs.
“Anyone I know?” Kalinda asks.
“Yeah. Someone from class.”
Kalinda thinks on that. Most of the students are half Alicia’s age. Knowing Alicia’s history with Peter, and then with Will, she figures that she goes for alpha guys. Kalinda figures it must be the instructor. He’s a professional of some sort, not a lawyer, but something respectable. Yeah, that must be it. She’s happy for AIicia, but she’s also disappointed. She’s always thought she’d have a sense of when Alicia was ready to move on, and then…well, who knew.
Kalinda doesn’t mean to vocalize, but the words “so I’ve missed my chance again” come out of someone’s mouth.
Alicia sits a little straighter in her chair and cocks her head slightly to the side. “Kalinda?” she says softly.
Kalinda doesn’t answer. Alicia lets it go.
“Look Kalinda, it’s not like that. I’ve just finally figured out that no one is going to come knocking on my door when there is a big dog guarding the house. Even if he is a little grey in the muzzle and has arthritic hips.”
Kalinda can’t help herself; she covers her mouth and laughs. That’s the most sexually suggestive thing Alicia has ever said to her, and it’s true, Peter’s hips are stiff.
“Peter and I are old friends, now. The kids are grown, and we don’t need each other anymore professionally. There’s no fire, there hasn’t been for a long time, and we surely have our unresolved issues. I’m ready to move on. Being married is keeping me from that.”
They turn back to the food and the beer, and eat quietly. It’s not uncomfortable, it’s just unfinished.
As they leave, Alicia slips her arm into Kalinda’s and says gently “Are you ever going to tell me?”
“No.” Kalinda says definitively. There’s mischief in her eyes, though. “But if you invite me up tonight, I’ll show you.”
prompt: Alicia/Kalinda - Fencing is (not) foreplay
A/N to Tamoline, who left the prompt: OK, I am sure that this is entirely not what you were anticipating, but I still recall your response to 'role play' from last year. So I guess fair is fair. I hope you like!
----
Kalinda’s phone buzzes with a text; it’s Alicia asking if she’s free for a drink after work.
She could text back, she thinks, but it’ll be simpler to call. Alicia picks up on the first ring, asking “did you get my text?”
“Yeah. I’ve got class tonight. How about after?”
“Sure, what class?” Alicia asks, trying to think of a class she could imagine Kalinda taking, and drawing a blank.
“Fencing”, Kalinda replies. “Class ends at 8:30.”
“Ok, text me the address and I’ll meet you there. I have to run-- see you at 8:30.” Alicia says as she hangs up and steps into a meeting.
0000
Alicia arrives early, driven both by curiosity and not being able to stand another minute in her office. She arrives at the address Kalinda’s given her and slips into a seat to watch the last few minutes of class. Even though everyone is wearing protective gear including a helmet, it’s pretty clear who Kalinda is, as everyone else is at least a foot taller.
Class ends, and Kalinda steps into the back to change. When she comes out, she says “I know we said we’d go for a drink, but I need to eat.”
Alicia nods, compliant. She hasn’t eaten either.
“And there’s no shower, so I stink. Sorry.” Kalinda adds, sounding like she’s not.
Kalinda’s wearing yoga pants over a leotard and Alicia’s never seen her like this. She is bossier, more organic, and much, much lighter. They settle on a Chinese restaurant down the street.
At the restaurant, Alicia finds herself saying that she’d been thinking of taking some sort of class, feeling that the exercise would do her good.
“You should try it,” Kalinda says.
“Fencing.” Alicia says skeptically, trying to imagine herself with a sword.
“Why not? It’s fun, and we’d see each other. Classes are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday”. They hadn’t seen each other much since Alicia’d left Lockhart Gardner.
“I’ll think about” Alicia says, sure that she won’t.
0000
Somehow, though, the idea takes root, and Alicia shows up for the next class a few minutes early, in time to fill out some paperwork and borrow the gear she needs for class. Kalinda helps her put it on, and soon the instructor starts class. First there are some warm-ups, then some basic movements, and finally partner drills. Alicia is glad for the 15+ years of ballet she took; while the movements are very different, she is no stranger to bent knees and odd foot positions.
For the partner drills, Alicia and Kalinda pair up. One person is thrusting, and the other is parrying. They start slowly, moving back and forth, and as their movements smooth out, they start to have a little fun with the movement, the give and take. It ends with Kalinda coming in fast, Alicia missing the parry and falling in a heap on the floor, and Kalinda’s blade catching her right at the heart.
‘Great’, Alicia thinks. ‘She’s stabbed me in the heart again.’
But this time, Kalinda is holding out her hand to help her up and she takes it. They step back on the line and continue.
0000
After class, they end up at the same Chinese restaurant, laughing about each other’s clumsiness and toasting each other’s triumphs over cold beer and Kung Pao. It’s been a long time since Alicia’s had as much fun.
0000
Class becomes a habit, as does stabbing each other repeatedly, helping each other up, and giggling about it over cold beer afterwards. Time flies by. Alicia is surprised at how healing it all is, how it neutralizes the rifts and bolsters the rest, and how, without anything that seems like effort, Kalinda is once again the colleague she trusts most, an ally and a friend.
0000
One night after class, again at the Chinese restaurant, Alicia says “I’m divorcing Peter.”
Kalinda looks up over her Mu Shu, scrutinizing. “You’re seeing someone else.” She knows it’s not Will, but aside from that, she has no idea who.
Alicia shrugs.
“Anyone I know?” Kalinda asks.
“Yeah. Someone from class.”
Kalinda thinks on that. Most of the students are half Alicia’s age. Knowing Alicia’s history with Peter, and then with Will, she figures that she goes for alpha guys. Kalinda figures it must be the instructor. He’s a professional of some sort, not a lawyer, but something respectable. Yeah, that must be it. She’s happy for AIicia, but she’s also disappointed. She’s always thought she’d have a sense of when Alicia was ready to move on, and then…well, who knew.
Kalinda doesn’t mean to vocalize, but the words “so I’ve missed my chance again” come out of someone’s mouth.
Alicia sits a little straighter in her chair and cocks her head slightly to the side. “Kalinda?” she says softly.
Kalinda doesn’t answer. Alicia lets it go.
“Look Kalinda, it’s not like that. I’ve just finally figured out that no one is going to come knocking on my door when there is a big dog guarding the house. Even if he is a little grey in the muzzle and has arthritic hips.”
Kalinda can’t help herself; she covers her mouth and laughs. That’s the most sexually suggestive thing Alicia has ever said to her, and it’s true, Peter’s hips are stiff.
“Peter and I are old friends, now. The kids are grown, and we don’t need each other anymore professionally. There’s no fire, there hasn’t been for a long time, and we surely have our unresolved issues. I’m ready to move on. Being married is keeping me from that.”
They turn back to the food and the beer, and eat quietly. It’s not uncomfortable, it’s just unfinished.
As they leave, Alicia slips her arm into Kalinda’s and says gently “Are you ever going to tell me?”
“No.” Kalinda says definitively. There’s mischief in her eyes, though. “But if you invite me up tonight, I’ll show you.”