Guarded (Sugawara x OC)

Chapter 17

Early morning training wasn't normally a problem for Machi, in fact it was often expected, and she excelled at it. Normally. But when said training began at 4:30 in the morning, it was a bit excessive, even for her. Reo had returned early from whatever trip was supposed to last the full weekend, and in a foul mood. Any sane person might have gone straight to bed after arriving home at the ass crack of dawn, but Reo Harada wasn't one to play by the rules. So instead, he barged through the door, threw his bag down angrily, and dragged his still groggy daughter to the studio for some drills.

"You're technique is sloppy; you're distracted." He barked, watching Machi stumble through a perfectly simple combo, leaving an opening on her right. He took the chance and landed two quick jabs to her shoulder.

"I'm not distracted, I'm tired." Machi groaned, rolling her now aching shoulder. Ok, she was a little distracted. No matter how hard she tried to focus on sparring, Suga's kind hazel eyes kept appearing in the forefront of her mind, continuously reminding her of how soft they looked when gazing at hers. Never in a million years would Machi admit any of that to her father though. And in all honesty, she really was tired. "It's 5:45, we don't normally start training until now. Why did I have to wake up so early?" It sounded a bit whiny, almost like a child complaining when they don't get what they want, which only made Reo scoff before demanding they start the sparring sequence over again. When it looked like Machi was going to complain, Reo sent her such a withering stare that she changed her mind and they began their practice once more. The results were much the same the next few rounds; Machi flubbed her punches and missed opportunities to counter, while her father's strikes were fast, strong, and always found their mark.

"Damnit." After the fifth straight hit to the exact same spot, Machi's shoulder was starting to burn. Even swinging her arm back and forth now made her hiss in pain, which only earned her a tempestuous look from her father for being a wimp about it. He must have been in a really bad mood, because he didn't finally accept that things weren't going to improve until it was 7:15, and Machi felt like she had noodles instead of arms.

Barking angrily about picking up tomorrow, Reo stalked off the mats, slamming the door behind him. Sighing with relief, Machi flopped to the ground and lay there for several minutes. The sun had barely risen, yet she did not feel well rested. Everything hurt, especially that spot by her shoulder she knew would need an ice pack later, and it was a monumental effort to push herself up off the floor and shuffle slowly to her room.

So far the only positive note of the start to her day was Machi had all morning to take her time getting ready. And the way her muscles were screaming at her, it was definitely time she needed. When the girl had finally showered, rummaged through her entire closet before settling on a simple pair of jeans and Micky Mouse t-shirt, and dragged herself into the kitchen for food, it was almost 11:00. Another slow hour passed in which Machi finally started to feel awake with the help of the strong cup of coffee she had made herself, and the large bag of ice tied to her shoulder. The boldness of the coffee was enough to break the fog that came from waking up too early, and the sharp chill of the ice sent a shiver through her entire body, dulling pain and shocking her muscles awake. If these weren't enough to fuel an otherwise dreadful morning, Suga's customary morning greeting definitely did the trick.

To: Machi
Good morning! Though, I guess it's afternoon now. Hope your practice went well. I'm making popcorn for this afternoon so send a text when you're on your way. And feel free to bring any other snacks you may like. See you soon.
Sent: 12:03pm

With the anticipation of a more enjoyable afternoon than the start of her day, Machi sent a quick reply to Suga, shoved as many packets of chocolate and pretzels her tote could carry, and bounced out the door, a new spring of energy in her step. The newfound energy that seemed to propel her down the street was absolutely about a fun evening with friends, and had nothing whatsoever to do with seeing only one in particular.