It Takes Time / Reaper x fem!OC

20. Fighting Spirit

The next week went by so quickly, Sienna could hardly comprehend the time that had passed in her brain: her first session with Zarya had been so intense that she didn't think it could have been any harsher.

Flopping back onto her bed, damp with sweat and aching all over, Sienna's hair splayed out wildly underneath her. Thinking back on that first day, the memory was blissful in comparison to the state of her body currently.

'I couldn't have been more wrong about that' she observed, definitely feeling that today... Today had, by far, been the most difficult.

But, I guess that's how I feel everyday now. The voice in Sienna's head echoed around, mixing with her memories of the past week.

/

Clearly eager to have a student to train, Zarya already had a set plan ready for Sienna when she arrived at the kit room; wide eyed and nervous, but filled with the fire of determination.

The Russian had chucked a bag to her, containing some slacks, a sweatshirt and a pair of training shoes that she was promptly to change into. Figuring her new mentor had some sort of plan, she didn't question it and soon was dressed like she was about to run a marathon, or something.

... Which, coincidentally, Sienna found out she was.

'Follow the yellow markers through the forest. It's a 5 mile circuit, so I'll give you the target of 35 minutes.  Your goal is to beat that.'

'What?! Wait, Zarya, thats-'

Spluttering in shock, Sienna could barely get her words out - but they weren't much use anyway as Zarya took off at a fast jog, leaving her speechless outside the training arena. With no other option, Sienna pushed into a run after her - determined to beat this first task even if she did feel horribly, horribly under-prepared.

But as she rounded the final corner, drenched in hard-worked sweat and struggling with every breath, Sienna could tell immediately that she hadn't done enough. There stood Zarya, 100 meters away, leaning casually against the pale metal wall of the training arena; calm as anything and breathing as if she hadn't just run 5 miles in...  whatever impossibly short time she had done it in. As Sienna neared closer,  wobbling on strained legs, she bent over and placed her hands on her knees in exhaustion.

'42 minutes, Little Bird. You can do better than that.' Zarya's voice was warm and motivating, and she picked up a bottle of water to throw to Sienna. 'You've got 10 minutes rest. Then, you do it again and beat your time.'

Too physically exhausted to say anything in response, Sienna just nodded in defeat and poured the rest of the water down her throat, willing her heart to stop sounding so loud in her head.

Finally managing to get her breathing under control, Sienna lifted her head up to look at Zarya, finally realising just how she had managed to become the incredible woman she was today.

Really, really hard work.

But, thought Sienna with a groan, that doesn't stop her being an impossibly hard task-master.

/

Still lying on her bed, Sienna smiled at her progress. Today, she'd finally smashed that 35 minute run time - with 32 minutes. Hell, even Zarya was surprised this morning... She looked so proud.

It wasn't just Zarya who was proud though, and Sienna couldn't help the grin that flushed her face and made her laugh out loud into the empty air. After that first day, she had originally thought that every day post that would be torture... And thinking back now, Sienna's muscles twinged with the fresh memories of endless pull ups, push ups, sit ups and lap runs that she'd had to endure. In a minuscule sense, she guessed it was a tiny bit true.