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Setting: In 2058, the idea of fighting with robots emerged.
Granted, the idea had been in sci-fi stories for awhile now, but it wasn’t until
2058 that people actually thought of the idea to do it in real life.

Now, in 2158, the world revolves around the game. Most people are involved in
it in some way. There are the competitors, of course, but each robot needs a
mechanic.
Especially since they need maintenance when they haven’t done anything
but simple practice. Then there are the ones that put the summer tournament
together, the managers that take care of the athletes, the reporters that cover
the tournament.
Everyone.
During the fall, winter, and spring seasons, they’re either preparing for a
season, or recovering from one.

The story starts in the winter season, following Abh Kree and Katherine Harring, your classic rider / mechanic duo. Though they are both not your classic anything when you get to know them.

Abh has recently lost his sponsors due to far to cruel "trash-talking" during fights. All he has left is his self-designed "bot", and housing.
He has recently found Katherine and they have started working together, and it seems there is a budding romance starting, or, so Abh has been trying to start at least.


We come in on Abh and Kat as he is cooling off from a practice run on the track...

Katherine looked up from the bot, concerned for her rider. She walked over to him and toweled off the exposed skin. "Strange... this fabric should breathe properly" she said, mostly to herself. She reached up and placed a hand against his forehead "hmm... you seem to be at a normal temperature... and your vitals didn't say anything about this... They should've told me if you were heating up like this" she muttered.

Standing with water in one hand, and riders' suit open from neck to waist, wondering what brought on such a sudden change for her to do something such as this.
' I wonder how long it will take her to realize just what she is doing? ' he thinks to himself.
"Well it's little surprise that my body heat is up, and I do believe it has very little to do with the run i just did, and more to do with you..." he says while looking down at her with a flirty tone in his voice.

It took about a minute or so before Katherine realized what he'd said. When she did, she froze, refusing to look up. Slowly, her hand lowered from his face and down to grasp her necklace. "Don't say things like that, I'm just worried about your health. Can't have you heating up in there. that reflects on my ability as a mechanic. I should be able to know these things!" she exclaimed and stalked off back to the bot, sticking her upper half inside to find out what happened. Surely there was another reason why he was heating up.

Watches her run off clutching her necklace once again.
' I know it's a touchy topic, but I'm going to find out about that thing one of these days...'
Shaking his head to himself as he walks towards her form quickly disappearing once again in to his bot.

"You can worry about my health all you like, you should just remember that I've always taken as much care of my body, as you would any machine. Also," as he adds a bit of a flirty and teasing tone to his voice "why would me 'overheating' be a bad thing? It has no reflection on you as a mec', only you as a woman. "
Climbing onto the bot to guaranteed she will at least hear half of what he said.

" Oh, and try not to get stuck this time, unless you would like for me to help twist you out of it again."

Unfortunately for her, his last words made her flinch, getting her stuck. She muttered a curse and sighed heavily. "If you overheat in the bot, it's because I didn't do my job properly and keep it running perfectly" she answered. She was not going to tell him that she was stuck... she didn't think she could handle being in that position again. Yet... she was going to have to get out somehow. She twisted and turned, only to make the problem even worse. She let out a loud curse at her situation.

"Well, you said it yourself, nothing showed up on the vitals. So what do you think could have spurred this, apparently only after I was out of the bot?" He is unable to help the slight smirk that forms from his words, and the muffled curse that came from inside.
"Something wrong?" he asks, half knowing the answer to come already.

He knows... she thought to herself. She sighed heavily "I'm stuck" was her annoyed response. She really hated admitting it, she really did. Admitting it meant he was going to get dangerously close to her to untangle her. That meant that once she was out, she'd be pressed up against him. That meant that he'd probably turn her around and she'd feel the urge to... she hated it.

He represses the urge to make any kind of laughter like audible sound.
" If i was one to believe in such things, it would seem i jinxed you when I said that, " he says while tying the arms of his suit around his waist.
" Hold still while I try to get to you, though, it's not like you could run from me now anyways. "

Poking his head inside, he can see that she is much further inside than he first estimated. Maneuvering around the parts to get behind her and help shift her out turns out to be tricker than last time.
" You sure worked yourself in far this time Kat. "

She was silent for a few moments "I was trying to make sure it was working properly... I didn't want you to get overheated like that again" she said quietly. Momentarily, she allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of his body enveloping her. But only momentarily. "Careful of my necklace, I think it got twisted in... I don't want it to break" she warned, scared that when he pulled her out, her necklace would break. And she couldn't have that... it was the only way to keep Kade's memory alive.

Reaching around her, he feels along her neck for the chain of the necklace.
" You don't have to worry about that, I'm pretty good at untangling things, and people. " he finishes with a smirk right by her ears.
While he is twisting her necklace out of the wires by feel alone, he can not help but to feel the heat that is not coming from any parts of the bot.
" And it seems that the bot is cool, while what's inside it doesn't seem to be as cold anymore. " he says in almost a whisper with her back against his chest.

Kat was silent fr a few moments "stop saying things like that" she demanded. She couldn't give him a reason why, though, because she couldn't think of a good lie. She certainly couldn't tell him the real reason... the fact that when he says things like that her barrier around him breaks a little more. She can't have that... she can't forget Kade.

He feels the last of the wires come lose in his fingers.
"Ah got it." he claims with a bit of regret at not being able to be this close to her anymore.
Tugging lightly on her waist to twist her out, he can't help but feel how she forces herself to stay away from him.
"Now why should I stop saying the things that come to mind when your around? If that blush you occasionally get is any indication, you like it when I say things like that. " He can't help but wonder just why it is she keeps holding herself back.

' It's not like she's seeing anyone, or married; and she sure doesn't hate me by any stretch of the imagination, so I just don't get it. '

Kat was speechless. There he was, in all his sexy glory. I did not just think he was sexy!!! she declared in her mind. "I... I... I don't! Of course I don't!" she stammered, her hand flying up to clutch her necklace. Her eyes, however, never left his. In her mind she could see them getting closer... and closer... 'stop!!!!!' she cried in her mind, refusing to let it go any further than that. "And I don't blush!" she declared, though knew she was lying if the heat on her face was any indication.

As Abh moves closer to her, he can't help but grin; well, it's a bit more of a smirk than a grin, but a grin nonetheless.
"Then tell me what it is that's turning your face such a lovely shade of crimson now." he slowly says to her as he moves one hand to her well heated cheek.
" Because if it's not you 'overheating', I'm not sure what it is." he says to her as he slowly draws her closer still.
Almost speaking the words against her skin.

"I... I.... it's just hot in here, that's all. you were heating up earlier as well!" she declared. She couldn't, however, ignore the fact that they were just inches apart. Unknown to her, her grip on her necklace loosened some. She also didn't seem to notice that she had leaned her face into his hand. She... liked this.

"Like I said, I was cool until I came out. It was only once you came near me that you noticed I was heating up. " he couldn't help but want to remind her that it was she that came near him first. Looking down at her bushing visage was better than he would have thought it could be.
He wanted to see the look in her eyes, so he turned her face up to his, lifting her chin higher towards him. While lowering his own face closer to hers.
"Don't you think, that we would both be sweating heavily if it was hot in here...? "

Kat's eyes flicked to Abh's lips briefly before her eyes were drawn back to his. My heart is pounding... like last night... why? she asked herself. Surely she couldn't feel attracted to him... they're... they're just friends at best. They couldn't possibly... Kade... but... it feels so wonderful. Kat leaned up, ever so slightly, partly against her will. Her hands moved up until they rested on his chest. The stone wall that was built so securely around her heart was slowly, but surely, crumbling... every time he was around her.

As brief a sight her eyes were, it was an enthralling sight to him. As is the warmth of her hands pressing against his chest even now.
Putting his free arm around the small of her back, Abh gently tugs her closer to him. Slowly lifting her face up towards his, as he lowers his lips towards her.
" Though you do feel so very warm. " he whispers against her lips.

Kat's breath caught in her throat when she was tugged closer to him. Caught again when he was whispering to her and his lips brushing hers. She closed her eyes in delight. As much as she hated admitting it... she loved that feeling. But she will only admit that... after all... what girl wouldn't want to get kissed? "Well... if you can blame it on me... then I can blame it on you" was her soft reply, cursing herself after she said it for letting that be spoken.

"That's fine with me." he spoke in an almost inaudible softness.
"Blame me all you want..." was the last thing she heard from his lips before they were pressing against hers.

Kat gasped, stunned at the feeling of his lips on hers. It'd been awhile since she'd been kissed... she'd missed it... though she missed the kisser even more. But... Abh was a good substitute... at least he was... handsome. She found herself pushing closer to him to deepen the kiss. As she pressed against him, she felt a sharp poke from the crescent shaped pendant on her necklace. She gasped and pulled away sharply, turning around. She didn't, however, move away from him. Her hands flew up to her necklace and clutched it tightly, like it was her only lifeline. Kade... came the quiet whisper in her mind. Somehow... she felt as though she'd betrayed him. She knew that was stupid, of course. He'd want her to move on... but the betrayal came in possibly forgetting him. She couldn't forget him.