Chapter Text
You checked into the Get Up and Go gym with your members' badge, wearing comfortable and breezy clothing, your hair pinned up into a bun on the back of your head. It was around five in the morning, but the place was already buzzing as everybody seemed to be here, trying to squeeze a workout in before their nine-to-five. You carried your backpack to the lockers and stowed everything but your phone, headphones, and water bottle safely away before heading out to the treadmills. You always liked to start with a decent cardio to wake up before moving to the ellipticals and the weight room. You turned the speed to a light jog and slipped on your headphones, your favorite Pandora station blasting in your ears as you ran, taking deep breaths as you slowly turned up the speed. Before long, you were at a full run, pushing a sprint. It felt good. You could feel the muscles in your thighs tightening and loosening with every step and focused in on making your footsteps light and quick. Here, it was just you, your heartbeat, and your music. You cut everything off for so long that you didn't notice the man standing next to you until his hand jutted in front of your eyes and waved around. Reluctantly, you slipped off your head phones and slowed the treadmill to a casual trot so you could address him.
"Can I help you?" You asked him, trying not to sound cold. Now that you were paying attention to him, you could take in his appearance fully. He was about your height, maybe slightly taller, with a wide, muscular frame, and freckles all over his face. He had a silver labret piercing and two bars on his left ear, giving him a punk look that contrasted his friendly green eyes and curly mass of dark auburn hair.
"Um-" He started to reply, his voice a little deeper than you'd first expected, "There are no other treadmills, and I... uh..." He trailed off, seemingly staring at you.
You began to grow impatient, "And you what? If you got something to say, then go ahead and say it."
You weren't usually rude or snippy, it was just that this was your you-time. You were missing out on precious moments to get lost in your tunes and the stress-relief of exercise, and you always waited till after your morning workout to get coffee. In other words, now was not really the time to test you.
"W-well, I just... wondered if I could take over. You'e been using this machine for a while," He stammered, clearly trying not to upset you, "but I understand if you're not finished."
You stared at him, trying to decide if you were ready to move to the ellipticals yet. You were also trying to decide if he was on your good side. After a bit, you slowed the elliptical till it was fully off, smirking as you grabbed your towel and wiped off your face.
"You can have it," you say, stepping off and taking a swig from your water bottle, "Or you can follow me to the ellipticals. We could be workout buddies today."
His face lifted, but it was tinged with confusion, "Um- that's really great, but I just gotta ask... why?"
"I like your moxie," You reply, coolly, "You're not shy, but you're still polite. Most people don't know how to find the balance between confidence and compassion. And I usually work out alone, so it might be nice to mix it up."
"Hah, okay," He said with a grin, his labret sparkling, "Sweet. Sounds good."
You led the way to the ellipticals, which were fortunately unpopulated, and claimed a machine, climbing up into position and turning it on. You lifted your headphones on instinct, and then spotted the guy settling in on the machine bedside you and lowered them again. You'd have to make conversation. The two of you started out in silence, focusing on getting into a good rhythm before you attempted to speak.
"So, whats your deal?" You ask, your arms and legs pumping, your heart thumping in your chest.
"Oh, uh, my name is Grizz," He said, sounding more out of breath than you did, "I uh, don't really have a deal? Uh, I have two great brothers, we're all really cool, and we always like to make new friends."
You nod, straightening your back and breathing through your legs as they pumped tirelessly. You were surprised at how easy it was for you to get back into your groove, even when you were carrying on a conversation with this guy.
"That's cool," you say, your eyes fixated on a point directly in front of you as you listened, "I'm not as much of a people-person myself... I mean, people are alright and stuff, I just like to focus on me. Oh - that probably sounds selfish."
He laughed, a hint of wheeze in his voice, "Not at all, dude, self-care is super important! And you, uh, definitely do take care of yourself..."
You finally looked at him, giving him a confused expression, "What makes you say that?"
He looked away, his freckles seeming a bit brighter as he blushed lightly, "Oh- uh- b-because, you know... you're so... fit. And your skin is really clear, so you probably drink a lot of water and take nice showers and do face masks and stuff..." He clearly realized how weird it was that he had noticed all this stuff about you, but he decided not to back down, and he plunged onward, "I mean, you take care of yourself. I respect that. I mean, I exercise a lot, but I could definitely work on my diet, you know?"
You narrow you eyes a bit, trying to decided if you admired his bravery or found him really creepy for saying all this. You turned your gaze back to the front.
"Well, maybe we could exchange numbers," you mused, innocently, "I could send you some tips. Plus, you said your brothers are cool, and I really don't have all that many people I hang out with. It might be nice to meet them. Make some new... friends."
This seemed to surprise him, because he stumbled, his foot slipping off the elliptical. He tumbled sideways off the machine and landed in a heap on the floor. You slowed down to help him, but he had already hopped to his feet, apparently unharmed and clearly excited, "Oh my gosh, really? That would be so great. I would totally love that!"
You laughed, slowing to a stop on the elliptical, "Well, alright then... here's my phone."
You unlocked the screen and opened up your contacts, handing the device to Grizz, who enthusiastically tapped in his digits. When he handed it back to you, you shot him a text with your name ("Yo, it's me, ") and hopped down from the elliptical, "Alright, Grizz. I'd better get home to change and shower before work," you smirked, "I'll see you around."
With a wink, you spun around and headed to the lockers to pack up, leaving a dazed and grinning Grizz in your wake.