Matt & Wade | Early Saturday Morning

[x-deadpool.livejournal.com]

Wade is in the gym practicing forms. Matt joins him.


The gym had become something of a haven for Wade, a place where he could go no matter the time of day to meditate. He worked through forms, practiced newly acquired techniques, and attempted to remind himself that the world was wrong but it was the only one he was going to get after the Dark Phoenix debacle. So he had to make the most of it.

He'd been practicing his bojutsu forms for almost an hour when the hair at the nape of his neck prickled. Someone was coming into the gym despite the early hour. He'd worked himself through to a state of zen, though, and so as he continued his bojutsu kata, his eyelids were at half mast and his breathing was calm - even.

Early morning workouts weren't really Matt's habit. He was used to working out after work in the evenings, but found that he enjoyed the early morning quiet at Xavier's. Padding into the gym, Matt could hear someone else working out, but the space was plenty big enough for them both. He'd gotten some odd reactions from people since coming here and he'd chalked them up to mutants being unsure about each other and strangers, and he'd encountered the guy working out once before. He'd turned and walked away without introducing himself, leaving Matt confused, but not otherwise bothered.

The man was finishing a kata, a bo in hand. Matt went to stretch, waking his muscles up and then picked up a matching one from the wall, falling into form along side him. It was a kata he'd done with Stick and had known for years.

Calm. Wade had to stay calm for precisely the same reason he'd simply turned and walked away the first time he'd seen Matt, this new version of Matt. This older, different Matt. So he just kept moving, maintained his steady breathing, focused on shifting muscle, the line of his bo, the forms. It wasn't easy to let himself sink into the kata this time, but it was familiar.

There wasn't any talking, wasn't any need for talking. It was all about movement, fluidity, breathing and focusing on the moment. Matt found katas like these and meditation to be very useful in blocking out the world from his powers and it was how his old sensei had first helped him to master them, even if it had been unintentional. He had found that it didn't matter if it was prayer or meditation, they both worked evenly so long as he used them as a focus inwards.

By the time the were finished sweat glistened on Matt's exposed skin, but he felt calmer, ready to face his day and the world. Some people needed coffee, he decided he was good with this. As the kata ended, he turned to the other man, bowing properly. He hadn't earned a black belt to ignore protocol and be rude. His sensei would kick his ass for that.

Wade returned the bow, acknowledging the young man. Then he put the bo away and turned to his bag to grab a bottle of water. He was centered, for the moment.

"Thank you," Matt spoke up quietly. There was no need to speak loudly in the gym, "It's been a while since I've had a partner for kata."

"You're welcome," Wade said, uncapping his water and taking a sip. Should he say more? He didn't feel like there was anything to say. "Have a good day." With that, he picked his bag up, shouldered it, and walked out of the gym. He had a lot to think about.

Well. That was short and abrupt. It was not rude though. Uncapping his water bottle, Matt took a sip before he headed to the gymnastics equipment to continue his workout.