Aria’s POV
Enzo chuckled, pushing off the floor and walking toward me. “Ready for your first lesson?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, trying to sound confident.
Dante placed the weights down with a soft thud and came over. Ite handed me a small towel and a water bottle. “We’ll start simple. Don’t push too hard. Just do your best.”
I nodded, letting their presence give me a strange kind of comfort. With them here, I didn’t feel scared. I felt… protected. Stronger.
We began with stretches. Dante showed me how to loosen my arms and shoulders while Enzo corrected my form when I leaned too far. Matteo circled me like a personal coach, teasing me when I lost balance, catching me when I almost stumbled.
“Careful,” he whispered close to my ear once, making me shiver, “Wouldn’t want to fall for me.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled. “Too late.”
www
Their laughter filled the room, warm and deep. Even in this serious moment, they made it feel fun.
After the stretches, they had me do some light cardio. Jumping jacks, slow jogging around the mat, squats. My body wasn’t used to this kind of movement. My breath came faster, and I could already feel sweat beginning to form on my forehead. But I kept going. I had to.
“You’re doing amazing,” Enzo said as he jogged beside me.
“Speak for yourself,” Matteo said, pretending to wipe sweat from his forehead dramatically. “She’s showing us up.”
I grinned and pushed through it, even when my legs started to burn.
Then came the harder part.
“Hand to hand,” Dante said gently. “This is the beginning. Just simple stances and movements today. Nothing crazy.”
He stood in front of me and showed me the proper stance. Feet apart, knees slightly bent, fists up by my face.
I tried to copy him. It felt awkward at first. Like my body wasn’t sure what it was supposed to do. But he walked around me slowly, adjusting my arms, tapping the inside of my foot gently with his own to correct my position.
Matteo handed me hand wraps and helped me tie them. His fingers moved slowly, carefully around mine, his eyes flickering up to meet mine now and then.
“Have to protect these,” he said, wrapping my knuckles gently, “They’re going to be dangerous soon.”
“Right now they just feel heavy,” I mumbled, and he laughed.
We moved into basic punches. Matteo showed me how to throw one without hurting my wrist, holding up padded gloves for me to hit. At first, it was soft. Too soft. He raised a brow and gave me a look.
“You can hit harder than that.”
I narrowed my eyes and tried again, this time putting more weight into it.
“That’s my girl.”
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Enzo took over for blocks. He raised his arms and told me to try pushing them away using my forearms. We did it slowly, again and agam unul. I could feel the motion beginning to feel more natural.
Dante stepped in next, teaching me how to escape from a wrist grab. He took my hand gently, then gripped my wrist tighter. “Now pull and twist. Like this.” He showed me again and again until I got it.
I surprised them when I landed a solid little punch on Matteo’s shoulder. He blinked, then gasped dramatically and fell onto the mat.
“She killed me,” he groaned, sprawled out.
I laughed hard, out of breath and sweaty. “You’re such a drama queen.”
“You wound me again,” he moaned.
Enzo helped him up with a shake of his head while Dante smirked. I couldn’t stop smiling. I had never felt like this strong and light all at
once.
We took a break after a while. I dropped to the mat, breathing hard, my whole body buzzing.
I wiped my face with the towel and looked up at them. “I don’t want to be helpless again.”
The room grew quiet.
I swallowed and continued. “I don’t want to just hide or run. I want to learn. I want to fight back. I want to be someone who can protect herself.”
Enzo came to kneel in front of me. His hand gently rested over mine. “Then we’ll teach you.”
Dante nodded, his voice soft but steady. “Every day. Until you’re ready.”
Matteo sat beside me and brushed sweat–soaked strands of hair behind my ear. “By the time we’re done with you, even we’ll be scared of you.”
I smiled, tears almost filling my eyes from the weight of how much they cared. It wasn’t just about teaching me to fight. It was about giving me power, control, and choice.
We ended the session with me stretched out on the mat, sore all over but proud of myself.
Enzo gave me water. Dante massaged my shoulder gently. Matteo lay beside me, arm behind his head, smiling at the ceiling.
“You’ll be sore tomorrow,” Dante warned.
“I’m already sore now,” I groaned.
“Good sign,” Matteo said, tapping my knee. “Means you’re leveling up.”
I looked at all three of them, their faces glowing with sweat and warmth, their eyes filled with quiet pride.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was becoming someone stronger.
Not because of them.
But with them.
And I was ready for whatever came next
As I lay there catching my breath, the ache in my muscles slowly spreading like a warm reminder of everything I had just pushed through, I felt
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a soft pressure at my temple Enzo’s lips pressing a gentle kiss there. I turned my head and found all three of them close, their bodies creating a shield around mine, as if they were silently promising they’d never let anything hurt me again. Dante’s hand found mine, his thumb brushing softly over my knuckles, while Matteo leaned over, tracing light circles over my stomach with his fingertips, his touch teasing and tender. I felt surrounded, held, cherished in ways I’d never known I needed. The connection between us was more than just physical it was this growing, humming energy that made my chest feel full and my throat tight with emotion. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t need to. In that quiet moment, sweat drying on our skin, breaths slowing in sync, I felt something shift. This wasn’t just training. This was the start of something real something mine. Ours.
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