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Being a superhero will never get old for Waterboy. Yes, it’s dangerous and unstable and he could die at any moment or be injured beyond repair ... but so what? He’s a SUPERHERO. He gets to work alongside the likes of Flambae and Mecha Man! OH, and Star Blazer! It still amazes him that he got to be there for the ‘birth’ of a new superhero!
Though, unlike the rest of the team, he still hasn’t quite forgiven Visi for causing Chase to nearly die, though trying to sacrifice herself to save Robert went a long way toward it. He tries to give her the benefit of the doubt, but her attitude can be a little too much for him. He knows that bullying is basically her love language, but he still has trouble with it at times.
He slinks his way into SDN, still finding it unusual to be in the building on the weekend, when they’re all off from work. There are still plenty of people working the weekend shift, the building as lively as it is on the weekdays. He recognizes a few coworkers, but he does little more than nod or wave if they acknowledge him.
It takes forever for him to find the gym in SDN, having never had a reason to ever seek it out. He knows that a lot of other superheroes go there, but it has never occurred to him. He has super strength, so he’s not really thought about needing to use one. It’s mostly just for strength training .... right?
He’s actually uncomfortable when he steps into the room full of equipment. A little intimidated, in fact. He knows there’s no rational reason to feel that way, but something about all of the machines and weight benches and posters makes him feel small. Makes him feel self-conscious. Since the death of Shroud, he’s managed to gain so much confidence, but being in here, it feels as if he’s about to be right back at square one.
“H-Hel-Hello?” He winces at the stumbling of his voice, the way it seems to bounce off the walls of the empty room, reverberating back at him. Putting his sudden self-consciousness on display.
“Herman.” He flails wildly as a voice calls out to him from somewhere in the back of the gym. His heart stutters in reaction, and he reaches up to pluck and twist at the goggles settled into his hair.
“Uh, yeah. Me. Uhm, that’s me. P-Present – I'm here.” He circles around to where the voice came from and trips over his own feet. It takes a wide, 360-degree spin for him not to fall flat on his face. It’s only once he’s come to a stop that he realizes he probably looked like a dog chasing an invisible tail. Not the first time he’s felt like a complete idiot, and won’t be the last, either.
The reason he tripped over his own gangly feet? Robert Robertson III is standing in front of him, shirtless, jeans sagging low enough on his slender hips to show off defined hiplines. His torso is a little bruised still, riddled with scars here and there. He vaguely remembers Invisigal labeling the superhero as having a ‘dad bod,’ and that’s one of the dumbest things he may have ever heard.
He starts to move forward now that his feet are stable, but immediately stops when he sees the soft, warm smile Robert is sporting. The kind of indulgent, I just saw something so adorable, smile. He finds himself glancing over his shoulder, trying to spy what put the smile on the handsome man. When he doesn’t catch sight of something, he assumes he just doesn’t get it, and that’s okay.
“You, uh, alright there, Herman?” When he looks at him blankly, not understanding, Robert’s smile grows even warmer. He nods toward Herman’s feet and he blushes deeply. Reaches up to rub sheepishly at the back of his head.
“Sor- uhm. Just .. unsteady – clumsy. Hmm.” He ends the stumbled sentence with an unintelligible sound, and blushes even more. Why does the ground never open up and swallow you when you need it to? Not that it matters when Robert reaches toward him out of nowhere, and grabs him by the shoulders, maneuvering him around until he’s gently pushing him toward a bench.
“Don’t apologize, Herman. Now, get changed.” When Robert lets him go, he suddenly feels a little ... bereft and cold. With sagging shoulders, he leans over to look at the clothing on the bench, before turning to look over his shoulder. Robert is standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, and Herman blushes for the umpteenth time when in the older man’s presence. After a moment, he twirls a finger insistently through the air, in the universal turn your ass around, gesture. Robert actually laughs and turns, putting his back to him. Herman hesitates for a moment, then tries to shed his wetsuit.
Tries, because he immediately gets stuck with his head inside the sleeve, which should be impossible, but ... Herman. So, he manages to get two arms stuck in one sleeve, and his head in the other. He’s in the middle of grunting and trying to flail against the restrictive material, jumping up and down a bit.
“Uh .. you okay back there, Herman?”
“Mrrfkay.” The thick, reinforced material muffles his response, and he’s met by another laugh from Robert. Part of him celebrates the sound .. part of him is ready to die of embarrassment.
“I’m sorry, but ... was there an actual sentence there, buddy?” He tries to speak again, and it comes out just as jumbled and muffled and he gives up. Just keeps trying to tug the material. “Jesus, Herman.” Robert is snickering even as Herman feels hands begin to work across his body. His arm pops out of the first sleeve, loosening the material enough he can free his head and then his second arm. He shivers as the material falls down on either side of his torso, revealing something he had never expected anyone to see.
Starting at his left pec is a tattoo depicting a beautiful, androgynous male with waist length ginger hair. The body of the male is human until his hips, where it bleeds into the body of a seal. The Selkie’s flippers disappear around his back across his waist, and around his right side. The two flippers end with fanned around his belly button, which is pierced with a smoky, purple pearl.
“Ho-ly shit ..” Robert breathes the words out slowly, his mouth agape. He’s staring so hard, it feels like a physical caress. Herman quickly crosses his arms over his chest, looking away from the older man. “Hey, no .. don’t cover up. That ... Herman, man .. it’s beautiful.” Herman blushes so deeply that he can feel the color climbing down his neck, flushing across his shoulders.
After a few moments of hesitation, he lets his arms drop to his sides, fingers digging into the material of his wetsuit. He watches as Robert slides his hands behind his back and leans forward at the waist, taking a close up look at his chest.
“That ... is unexpected. Why?” Robert’s breath, hot and wet against his skin, makes him shudder momentarily. Makes him bite the inside of his cheek.
“My, uh ... ex? They – he – was an ink – a tattoo artist. I was 19, he – 28. Did it for free.” His eyes grow distant for a moment, fingers dropping to touch the purple pearl. Lost in thought. “I found out he was marri -- had a wife. They had .. an open relationship. But .. only with sex. He .. he didn’t ... I found out later. I was just .. physical. I ended it.”
Robert suddenly snaps upward, standing so straight Herman wonders if it hurts. Shouldn’t his spine ache like that? Robert clears his throat and turns away. For a moment, Herman thinks he looks sad, but the expression is gone, face blank, within moments
“Hurry up and get dressed.” He watches the older man walk away, and he snaps up a blue tank from the bench and shrugs it on quickly to hide his torso.
Herman feels awkward after changing into a blue tank and yellow shorts. They’re his colors, but they expose him in a way he isn’t used to. His wetsuit has been his life for so long, it’s weird to be without it. But Robert told him to change and he has to have a reason for it. He trusts the older superhero!
“Robert?” He calls out to the older man as he approaches, pulling at the thin strap of the blue tank. Robert is standing in a small sparring ring, and Herman isn’t sure how he recognizes what it is. The sight of it makes his heart start beating wildly. Why would Robert want to meet him here? What does the superhero want with a sparring ring??
“Whoa .. calm down, Herman. It’s okay, buddy. I promise.” Is it, though? Because he can’t begin to understand what the plan is, here. “Herman .. look at me.” He blinks rapidly, lifting his wide gaze to the shorter man, staring at him. Watches Robert smile reassuringly. “It’s going to be okay. Promise. I just want to help, Herman. I ... worry about you.”
Herman’s wildly beating heart feels like it wants to grind to a halt, wants to jump and squirm, and he exhales deeply. Why would he worry about him? Had he done something to make the superhero lose confidence and trust in him, that he is now worried over him? Hadn’t he proven himself during the fight with Shroud and the Red Ring?
“Whoa, HERMAN. I need you to calm down, man. I can see you overthinking. I’m not saying I don’t trust you, not saying I think you’re a shitty superhero or something.” That statement is all it takes for him to begin to breathe normally, realizing that he hadn’t messed up somehow. “I just ... need to know you can protect yourself. Okay?”
“O-oh. O-Okay.” He feels himself smiling stupidly, eyes dropping to the vicinity of his feet as he thinks about it. So, he just wants him to be safe? Yeah, okay .. he might be able to do this. “So .. how do we start?” He watches as something seems to relax in the older man’s face, and he’s glad he had assuaged his worry.
“Okay. Good.” Robert exhales softly and walks over to a bag that Herman hadn’t noticed. He assumes that’s where the clothing came from. Herman tilts his head, watching as he pulls out a pair of focus pads, slipping them on. Oh. He suddenly realizes what they’re going to be doing and he feels a puddle starting to form under his feet. Feels water pouring out of each pore, dripping down his legs and splattering the floor.
“Calm down, Herman. It’s gonna be okay.” Right, right. Herman trusts Robert, and he will help him get through this. “Alright. For starters .. I just want you to hit the pads when I tell you to. A couple hits, left, right, left, right, okay? You don’t have to use your full strength right now, just gauging your form.”
He can do this. It’s just a test, right? He was always really good at those when he was in school! So .. how does he do this? In movies, they plant their feet, put their hands up to kinda block their faces? He does that, biting at the edge of his bottom lip as he concentrates. Left, right ... left, right .... miss, barely hits, hit, hit.
“Hmm, okay.” Did he do alright? Were the misses bad? Is Robert disappointed? He struggles to shut down the overthinking, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. “Not bad. Better than I thought, actually.”
Herman gives a big, double thumbs up at that, grinning goofily. He honestly expected to miss all four punches! He watches as the older man pulls the pads off and shoves them back into the bag, rooting around in it for a moment before producing a roll of some kind of white tape and a bunch of gauze.
“Alright, come here.” Herman rushes over, head tilted like a curious puppy as he watches. Robert grabs Herman’s hand, turning it over and studying it. He then wraps the hand in gauze, padding his knuckles and wrists the heaviest. Once done with that, he uses his teeth to pull the tape up from the roll, then begins to wrap the gauze with the rigid, white tape, until fully covered.
“Test it for me?” Uh .. what? He looks between his hand and Robert several times, watches the older man chuckle and start clenching and unclenching his hand. It takes a moment for him to understand, and he quickly starts working the hand. Making a fist, flexing his fingers, even rotating his wrist to see how it feels.
”Not too tight?” Robert’s hands are suddenly there, fingers probing at his wrist, trailing along the curve of his palm. Testing the wrap job. Herman swallows thickly and shakes his head quickly, not trusting his voice at this moment. He’d stutter and second guess himself into oblivion if he even attempts it right now.
He watches silently as Robert picks up his other hand and repeats the process. Carefully wraps both layers and Herman quickly tests it again. Not too tight, hand still moves.
“Okay, good. First thing’s first; making a proper fist.” He quickly makes a fist, and Robert laughs, shaking his head. “Yeah, no. Wrong kind of fist, buddy. Here ...” Herman sucks in a hissed breath as Robert takes his right hand in his, and begins to poke and prod, tucking and manipulating his hand into a perfect fist.
Herman is 100% sure he couldn’t recreate how to make the fist, because his mind is on a mini-vacation. Robert holds a hand out, and Herman raises his second. This time, he forces himself to concentrate through the gentle touch, making sure that he memorizes how to do it this time.
He doesn’t want poor Robert to think he’s creeping on a professional moment.
“Alright. Now, unfurl and make them yourself.” Uhm ... right. After a few seconds, he quickly folds them back the way Robert had them.
“Like that?” His voice is hopeful and a little pathetic to his own ears. Robert simply smiles that indulgent smile.
“Yeah. Now, stance. Erm .. can I?” He eagerly nods, not really sure what Robert’s asking permission for, but agreeing all the same.
He is in NO WAY expecting Robert to disappear behind him. Sure as hell not expecting the hands that suddenly clasp at his hips. He actually flails and jumps a little at the touch; hearing Robert laugh behind him.
“Sorry, Herman. Wasn’t trying to startle you. Now, your first instinct is going to be to lead with your dominant side. Don’t. You need to learn to block with that side, and hit with your dominate, since it’s stronger.” I’m sorry ... what? Did Robert just speak words, cause he’s still stuck on the hands practically clinging to his hipbones! Deep breath, his left foot moves forward and he balances on the balls of his feet.
“Good.” Herman feels like he could beam and glow with pride at the compliment, trying not to grin and failing miserably. The grin vanishes when he feels a sudden tug on his hips and he stumbles backward. Smacks right into Robert who steadies him. “You have to be aware of your environment, Herman. Ready for quick changes. Don’t listen to anyone who says you need to be prepared for everything. That’ll drive you crazy, because it’s not possible. Shroud thought it was, and that got him killed.”
Herman steadies himself and slips back into the previous stance. He’s about to ask something when he feels a second tug. This time, on instinct, he goes with the motion. Allows himself to be tugged back, and turns at the last moment, causing Robert to stumble and fall to the ground.
“O-Oh god, s-sorry! So sorry!” He practically lunges at the older man, helping him to his feet. Robert is grinning, brushes himself off.
“Don’t apologize. That’s good, Herman.” He’s totally not blushing and squirming with happiness, at all. Robert stretches and Herman swallows down a sudden wave of panic. Had he hurt him? “I’m fine, Herman. Calm down. But that’s enough for today. I have to meet Royd in a little bit. Same time tomorrow, and we can take more time to train. Sound good?”
Herman tries so hard not to deflate and let his disappointment show. He begins to pick at the tape on his left wrist, nodding his head in agreement.
“A-Alright. Sure. We can meet tomorrow. Tell Royd ... I hi. Said hi.” He flashes a smile and is about to turn when Robert gently snags his hand. Begins to oh so carefully peel the tape away.
“Oh, I will. He’ll be happy to hear you thought about him.” Once the gauze and tape have been removed from both hands, Robert reaches out. Places a hand lightly on Herman’s side above Selkie, and he shivers at the touch.
“Looking forward to tomorrow, Herman.” His head is still swimming by the time Robert pulls away, grabs his bag, and exits the gym. It’s only after the older man is gone, that he remembers he should’ve given him back the workout clothes.