Up and Out…
Time Jump
Sophie storms into Ryan’s room, heading straight for the windows, she rips the curtains apart letting the rare sun rays in.
Ryan groans in disapproval, “What the fuck?”
Sophie: Get up…
Sophie stands at the end of Ryan’s bed, both arms on her hips waiting for Ryan to come to.
Ryan: No
Sophie: Get up Ryan
Ryan rolls onto her stomach, covering her head with her sheets. She’s been hiding from the world for weeks, wallowing in her self pity. Everyone’s tried to cheer her up, tried to encourage her, to get her moving but nothing worked so far. So it was Sophie’s turn. After she was begged countless times, she finally relented.
Ryan: I said no. How many times do you need to hear it before you leave me be?
Sophie: I'm giving you one more chance to get up on your own….
Ryans voice is muffled by her covers, “Or what Moore? Please just leave”
Sophie: No. You've been doing this for weeks. It’s overplayed, so get your ass up we’re going out
Ryan peers over the top of her sheets, “Why are you dressed like a gym bunny?”
Sophie rolls her eyes, “Get up and find out. I mean it Ryan, I'm giving you 10”
Ryan: Urgh, 20. I need to shower and get ready. Not all of us can look as presentable at the ass crack of dawn
Sophie gives her a blank stare and remains at the end of her bed, Ryan holds her stare and raises a brow
Ryan: Areee you gonna watch me shower as well oorrrr?
Sophie: Yeah, right. I'll be outside. 20
Ryan got ready and made her way out to Mary’s kitchen where breakfast was already made and waiting for her.
Ryan: oo, to what do I owe the pleasure of having the one and only Miss Moore making me breakfast?
Sophie chuckles, “Whatever, eat something. You're gonna need it”
Ryan: Oh Miss Moore, care to tell me why I'll need sustenance so early in the morning? Apart from the obvious reason of course
Sophie: You’ve been cooped up in here for too long. Time to get some fresh air
Ryan: Hmm..
Sophie: I’ll take that as a “Okay Soph, I won't fight you like I’ve fought everyone else”
It was Ryan’s turn to roll her eyes. Sophie never failed to call her out on her shit, she loves it. Though if anyone asked, she would deny deny deny. They ate breakfast in comfortable silence, when they were done they both got ready and Sophie drove them to their destination. Ryan was in no mood to ask questions so she enjoyed the ride and the scenery along the way. Since she's been back she’s barely been out, not much has changed about Gotham but she's missed it. The slight crisp of the morning air, the sun and clouds fighting for dominance, the doom and gloom of the city aiding the weight of her broken heart.
After a few minutes they pull up outside of a boxing club, much to Ryan’s confusion
Ryan: Whyy, are we at a boxing place?
Sophie: Because, I think you’re well past the “woe is me” stage of this break up and I think you need an outlet. So, lets go
Ryan: I don’t need to let anything out Sophie. How are you gonna tell me how I need to navigate this?
Sophie: Ryan, everyone’s worried about you. You’ve barely left that room since you've been back. You barely say anything, your light is literally dull. Does Jada even know you're back in Gotham?
Ryan: No the fuck she doesn’t and I’d appreciate it if it stayed that way, thank you. And what happened to whatever you need we’ll be there Ryan? What happened to that? What I need right now is for my friends to leave me be
Sophie: Yeah, we've done that and this funk is still hanging over you so, we can stay in the car or go in, whichever you want
Ryan: How about I want to go back home
Sophie: No can do
Ryan: Fine, I'll call myself an Uber
Ryan searches her pockets for her phone but it's nowhere she would usually put it
Sophie: You left it, remember….
Ryan lets out a frustrated growl, “You know this is kidnapping right?”
Sophie: Sure. I kidnapped my friend and took her to a gym to let out her frustrations. How do you think that would fare with GCPD?
Ryan rolls her eyes and sits back in her seat with a huff. She knows her friends are worried, and she knows she's been sitting in her pity for too long. She's been here before, in the same situation and she's doing the same thing. Another breakup and another stint of letting her life go to the gutters because she can’t pick herself up. But Angelique can't do this to her, again. She knows she deserves better, maybe it's time she starts acting like it.
“It’s not even open”, Ryan mumbles, not wanting Sophie to realise that she’s relented, but she heard
Sophie: Doesn’t need to be when you part own it..
Ryan: Why do you -
Before she could finish Sophie steps out of the car, because if she didn't, neither would Ryan. Ryan followed shortly after, walking up to Sophie as she opens the door.
Ryan: Why do you part own a boxing gym? Of all things?
Sophie chuckles as she lets them in, “My sister and I part own this and the community centre. I wanted the kids to have a separate place to channel whatever it is they need to”
Ryan: And…You…box?
Sophie chuckles again, “There's a lot you don't know about me Ry”
Ryan: After so many years of friendship. Mysterious.
Sophie: Barely. I just liked to keep my mental free spaces, private.
Ryan: But you're sharing it. Right now
Sophie walks over to the ring, parting the ropes and climbing in, “mmhm. Maybe you're just special enough”
Ryan smirks, “Oh, Special by the great Sophie Moore’s standards. Maybe it's true huh
Sophie laughs as she picks up the gloves, slipping them onto her hands. Ryan follows.
Sophie: Have you ever boxed before?
Ryan: Maybe a little. But you can teach me like I'm a newbie. I haven't done it in a while
Sophie caught that mischievous glint in Ryan’s eyes, the one she’d seen throughout college. She's flirting, but Sophie wasn't interested in becoming the rebound so she steals her features like she does with the kids. She positions herself next to Ryan, getting into stance.
Sophie: Okay, you wanna stand like this…
Sophie positions her arms and legs and Ryan follows. They end up staying a few hours longer than Sophie anticipated but they had fun.
Ryan: I had fun
Sophie: Good, same time next week?
Ryan: It's a date-
As soon as the words leave her mouth she winces, she didn't mean as in a date date but-
Ryan: I mean, as in yes, same time next week, a date, but not a date date like that-
Sophie burst out in laughter, “Ryan please, not you tripping over your words hahhaaa”
Ryan playfully shoves Sophie’s arm, “shut up. Whatever”
Sophie: Okay Miss Wilder, it's a date. But not a “date date” of course”
Ryan groans and rubs her forehead as Sophie collects her things
For the next few weeks they meet at the gym for their sessions. Ryan would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying Sophie’s company. More entertaining is the fact that Sophie doesn't yet know that Ryan’s trained in muay thai and has indeed, done some boxing when she was younger. Her mama demanded it when she was adopted, Ryan was such an angry kid. Cora wanted her to have an outlet because she'd be getting her anger out one way or another, constantly getting into trouble wasn't Cora’s idea of an outlet.
More than anything Ryan really just enjoyed Sophie as a whole. Sophie was different, a lot different than she was in college. She's so sure of herself, her life. She knows what she wants and what she deserves, she's fearless and to the point. She doesn't care what people think, and Ryan loves that, she loves likes this Sophie.
—----------------
Sophie’s back hits the floor with a loud thud. Ryan stands to her full length with a smirk, her hands on her hips
Sophie: What the hell was that?
“What the hell was what?”, Ryan feigns innocence
Sophie raises herself up on both elbows, her eyes squinted in Ryan’s direction
Sophie: That was not the move of someone who’s barely had a few weeks of boxing lessons…
Ryan lowers herself and sits next to Sophie, tucking her legs under her, “Hm?”
Sophie: What aren't you telling me?
Ryan: I don't know what you’re talking about
Sophie: Liar…
Ryan: I may have done a biit of boxing in my younger days
Ryan shrugs, but Sophie isn't buying it
Sophie: Naah, what else? I'm not buying that. You got the drop on me way too perfectly for someone who’s only done a “ biit ” of boxing
Ryan puts both her hands in the air, a sign of surrender, a grin slowly spreading across her lips, “Okaayy, ookaayy. You got me. I may also be trained in martial arts. I cannot confirm nor deny”
Sophie’s mouth drops open in shock, “You let me train you for weeks when you already knew what you were doing?”
Ryan: Hold on hold on. One, you said this was to help me get better, and it has. And two, it was fun seeing you in teacher mode. The whole being in control thing suits you. It's kinda sexy….
Sophie’s throat immediately feels like it's the Sahara desert with no water in sight. Conscious of whether Ryan can see just how much she’s affected her, she acts unbothered
Sophie: Huh, who would've thought Ryan Wilder likes being told what to do?
She quirks an eyebrow and Ryan mirrors her expression
Ryan: Who said you were telling me what to do?
Sophie: You let me instruct you, didn’t you?
Ryan: Key words, I let you .
Sophie: Hm, control freak. Noted
Ryan: Whatever…… Big head
Sophie: Mature….
The banter remains, ever since they met each other in college their friendship was built around their constant back and forth. They had each other’s backs when it came down to it but they were also always at each other's throats. They knew what buttons to press and they had no problems pressing them.
They got their things together ready to leave. Ryan was grateful for what Sophie’s done for her, making time for her to have space to blow off some steam. Despite her earlier statement, Ryan was holding on to a lot of anger. She was angry at herself for letting Angelique in, angry that she’d convinced herself that she changed. She knew, she knew she would end up in this exact situation. Not quite with Sophie but having to mend herself after another breakup.
She also knew she didn't love Angelique, she was just a safe space. She was familiar, better to be in bed with the devil you know than to open yourself up to a new one right? Being together was unfair to them both and Ryan was ready to admit that to herself. She’s ready to get up and move on, put her life back together. Starting with her moving out of Mary’s and back to the loft, which they kept for emergencies, and a good thing too.
“Thank you”
Sophie: Huh?
Sophie looks up at Ryan
Ryan: Thank You
Sophie: Oh?
Sophie stands to her full length, “For what?”
Ryan: For this..
Ryan gestures around the gym, “You somehow knew this is exactly what I needed”
Sophie: I just wanted you to blow off some steam and get outta your head. Angelique isn't worth you going into a spiral for. She -
Ryan: Okay yes, I get it. But still, Thank You
Sophie smiles. Her dimples look a little deeper, her eyes a little brighter. She's a breath of fresh air, the kind of freshness Ryan didn't know she needed. Though the elephant in the room still remains unspoken of. The Kiss.