Atlas Gym, Sunday Afternoon

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

After recovering from his... little expedition out into the snow yesterday and going for a nice, horrifically brisk run this morning, Tony was ready to learn how to fight!

Because who wouldn't want the honor of saying Captain America taught them out to punch people? Not that he was thinking about that at the moment, of course. That would mean thinking about rubbing it in other people's faces. Which wouldn't happen at this age.

But, you know, soon enough.

So, Tony sat on one of the mats, texting Rhodey constantly as he waited for Mr. Rogers to show up.

[[For screwyoumarvel, but open like a gym tends to be!]]

Comments

[screwyoumarvel]

"Put the phone away," Steve said when he arrived at the gym, and then told Tony, "So, lesson one: learning to fall."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I thought falling was a bad thing," Tony replied, sending his last message before putting the phone down.

Separating him from technology. Tsk, Steve.

[screwyoumarvel]

"It is," Steve said. "That's why you have to learn to do it properly, so you don't get hurt any more than necessary when it inevitably happens."

'Falling While Texting' is filed under 'Advanced Falling.' Begin at the beginning.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"And this isn't just an excuse to watch me fall over or anything?" Tony asked. Because he was dubious about all this. So very dubious.

[screwyoumarvel]

"This isn't just an excuse to watch you fall over a bunch of times," Steve said reassuringly. Yes, Tony. A bunch of times. (It was also an excuse to watch Tony fall over a bunch of times, but it wasn't just that.) "So, first rule: protect your head. It's always better to bang up your arms than your head, so if you can get an arm between it and the ground, do it. If you can't, if you're falling backward, try to keep your head tucked toward your chest. If you're falling forward, turn your head to the side so you don't hit the ground nose-first. Got that?"

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Don't break your head or nose," Tony replied, curling his arms up in a defensive position. "Got it."

[screwyoumarvel]

"Great. Now we're going to practice!" Steve declared. "On the mats." At least you got mats, Tony. Steve got dirt.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

But that was because Steve grew up when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Or something like that.

"Do you fall first to show me how it's done?" You know. Just in case.

[screwyoumarvel]

"No," Steve said, like that was ridiculous. "Second rule, slap your palms on the ground, or one if you're falling to the side, but don't try to use them to catch yourself; you'll just hurt your wrists that way. To the mats," he said, pointing."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Tony sighed, walking over to the mats. "And injured hands mean not being able to work."

[screwyoumarvel]

"As would an injured head," Steve agreed. "Also, you'll want to breathe out and try to relax and collapse yourself as much as possible before you hit the ground." And then he reached out to shove Tony over, oh noes.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

Which was abuse, Steve. Such abuse.

Tony made an exaggerated noise, falling over and hitting the mat with his forearms. Because that was a good idea, right?

[screwyoumarvel]

It wasn't abuse. It was training. "Hands, not forearms," Steve reminded him. "If this was gravel, you'd have just damaged your skin a lot more than if you'd used your hands." He offered Tony a hand up.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"If it was gravel, my hands would be cut up," Tony replied. taking the hand to stand back up.

[screwyoumarvel]

"The skin on your forearms is thinner," Steve pointed out. Then he pushed at Tony again.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

This time he went down like a sack of potatoes, handing on his butt with his hands sprawled out wildly. "Hey! I wasn't ready!"