Her body hurt worse the second day. Like it was angry at her. She rolled out of bed and cursed at her buzzing doorbell.
"I'm coming!" she yelled at it, clawing her way out into the hall. Her palm slapped against the intercom screen and the blue-filtered image of her father at the gate grinned up at the camera. She whacked the button to let him through then unlocked her front door before clambering onto her couch and sinking into the cushions.
She had almost drifted back to sleep by the time he stepped into the apartment. Adrian observed the mess of tangled limbs that was his daughter embedded in the couch. It looked uncomfortable but cozy at the same time.
"I brought juice," the man clad in fitness gear offered, shaking a tall container of something green. Nora heard the sloshing but only murmured in response. "What's that?" he said, leaning down and perking his ear.
"Go away dad I don't wanna..." she groaned, turning her face into the back of the couch. Adrian shook his head and set down his things.
"Up you get, sleepy head," he said, lifting her up under her arms, somehow unfolding his daughter until she was on her feet. She managed to stay upright but her eyes were still closed, her lips pouting. Just like when she was a kid, Nora was a bit of a drooler. It was adorable and Adrian couldn't help brushing her messy hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. Nora's eyes fluttered open and upon seeing her father she dropped back onto the couch reflexively. That was enough bratty behaviour, she decided, foggy brain whirring into gear.
"It's too early for this," she complained, wiping her mouth absently then trying to stretch back on her couch.
"Well it's almost midday," Adrian noted, turning to pick up one of the bottles of juice and passing it to her. She took it but just let it sit on her lap. "Late night?"
"Basically," Nora conceded. At this point she mainly made her own schedule, but there was a release deadline last night that required her to stay up pretty late and forget about dinner. She undid the bottle at that thought and took a ginger sip of the green sludge. There was ginger in it, she noted, smacking her lips. It wasn't as bad as it looked so she took a braver swig.
"But you have today off," he recalled, which was true, but Nora was regretting scheduling another workout with her dad so soon. She would have much preferred to stay in bed and veg out for the entire day. Adrian would not let that happen of course. "Let's get you moving then," he announced, clapping obnoxiously then he leant down and started bodily pushing the couch back. Nora didn't want to laugh as she was taken for a ride across the room and focused on not spilling her drink onto the upholstery. He clapped again and she winced at the sharpness in her ears. "Get changed," he commanded. "Let's get warmed up!"
****
The soreness was eased away from her muscles as she used them. She stepped up then stepped down and stepped up, in time with her father, mimicking how he swung his arms in case that was part of it.
Nora could appreciate the easy charisma of her father on this second session. She was mentally prepared this time at least, if not physically, so spent less time recovering from the shock to her body and more time watching him. His enthusiasm was infectious, and his encouragements were genuine. And he was so classically good looking. He had a bod. Not a dad bod. A bod, sculpted from years of hard work. So hard. Like marble.
She nearly slipped, missing her step up from the distracting, intrusive thoughts.
"Woop!" Her father took hold of her arm and steadied her. "Careful."
She felt warm then. Granted she was already sweating, but the solidity of her father was so comforting. She felt so safe. Knew he wouldn't ever let anything bad happen to her. "Squats!" he announced, shaking Nora from her misty mind. Well that was short lived.
****
"Good job today," Adrian congratulated her. Nora didn't bother lifting her head from the cool, though now slightly damp, kitchen counter. Everything burned, and while she was still having second thoughts about this whole endeavour she didn't mind the now familiar ache. She didn't want to move yet. "Are you going to wash up?" he asked, somewhere behind her and she raised a hand and gave a dismissive wave. "Alright I'll go shower first. Drink," he added, pushing the bottle nearer to her before taking his bag to her giant bathroom.
****
He took a deep breath before entering that place again. Nothing bad happened once he stepped through the threshold and his shoulders relaxed. He shook his head at his silliness and peeled off his sweat soaked shirt. Shorts and underwear were removed and he put them down neatly next to his bag. From the corner of his eye he spotted it. A hot pink spot of colour half hidden beside that laundry hamper. He leaned over and confirmed that... yep. That was his daughter's pink dildo.
And for a moment he thought nothing of it. Seeing it on the floor next to the basket of dirty clothes was almost reassuring and his instinct to clean up after his messy girl kicked in. He picked the thing up again, and indeed he wasn't naive enough to think it just happened to fall out of the cabinet and roll across the bathroom floor on its own. Obviously his daughter had used it and then just forgot to put it away. So what?
He didn't think twice as he went over to the sink and gave it a quick rinse. It was only when he started patting it dry on a hand towel, feeling the thick, protruding vein under his hand, did the reality of it hit him. He had a similar vein running in a similar position down his own shaft, and the mechanics of it all started to fill his head. Nora would have slid this thing inside of her... worked its thick head in... she would have felt its molded bumps and ridges and he wondered what kind of face she must've made... He gulped, unable to stop himself from imagining what kind of position she would have to get in to use it, and his body responded in kind. The heat filled him and his erection literally ballooned up next to his daughter's thick dildo in his hand. Aside from the colour and slight difference in size it was almost like he was holding his twin. Which at some point in the last couple of days had been stuffed inside-
He threw the cabinet door open as he shook the thing a few more times for good measure to ensure that it was dry, and plopped it back into its place. He shut the door and stomped over to the shower head, flashing on the cold water. He shuddered at the chill, but after a few seconds it started to have the desired effect of subduing his desire. Adrian was not in the habit of masturbating in other people's bathrooms, not the least in his daughter's. He gradually increased the temperature of the water and slowly broiled the tension out of his broad shoulders.
****
Nora was glad for the aerobic intensity of that day's workout, and the variety. Adrian seemed to throw as many different types of exercises at his daughter possible, likely to see what worked best with her. What would stick. That meant she could focus on how to properly do the next set of motions and not think about how she was sweating. And how he was sweating. And how it smelled so good when he sweat. And that it was making her sweat in places she really hoped he wouldn't notice.
When her dad returned from his shower she was relieved to see him wearing a shirt. He was clean and dry too, though not completely odourless. There was just that recognizable dadness of his presence as he wafted past, a tinge of an earthy, iron smell that was always on his skin. Freshly showered the scent was even clearer without anything else to distract from it.
"You have to eat," Adrian said, observing the inside of her fridge and obviously counting how many containers of his preprepared meals were still left. "You can't exercise with no energy."
She felt that lack of energy but it was post-workout so Nora didn't get his point. She did perk up when he put another box of salad in front of her. She was surprised again by its deliciousness, the crispness almost making the pain in her thighs begin to subside. A wave of gratitude swept over her as she watched her father sit down to the meal.
"Thanks for doing all this dad," she told him, which put an odd expression on the man's face. Like he was scared of what was to come next, even if it was just emotional sincerity. Luckily he sensed she wasn't going to cry and relaxed a little. "Work stuff's been pretty crazy so all of this," she went on, using her fork to indicate the food containers but also his training, "has really helped." It had only been a couple of days since they started working out together but she was already glad for how it broke up her routine.
For the last few months Nora would work all day then eat some garbage before spending her downtime scrolling through social media in bed until she fell asleep. She didn't even have the energy or time to play videogames. She would feel like crap the next day and rinse and repeat. Granted, she still felt like crap these last two mornings but it was different. Purposeful.
"No problem, baby girl," replied her father graciously. He couldn't help himself and gave her that cliched playful brush of his knuckles against her cheek. Nora suddenly felt her face burning and she stuffed as much shredded carrot into her gob as possible. Oblivious, Adrian went back to his salad with a chuckle. "Let's go for a run tomorrow," he suggested.
Nora nodded. Getting out of her apartment sounded like a good idea. It was a roomy place, but the air was starting to feel stuffy to her. There was a thrumming vibration on the counter and Nora watched her phone skitter along the surface before picking it up. She frowned at the messages. Urgent ones.
"God damnit," she breathed, getting up and shaking her head.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh it's just work stuff," Nora said. She waved a hand airily in place of further explanation. "I'll be back in a minute." Adrian nodded and watched his daughter retreat down the hall. After he finished his salad and saw hers was still on the table.
****
