Chapter Text
“Nashi just a few more!” the trainer, Dan, says over my grunts of pain and annoyance. The bar was heavier than any that I ever benched before. Dan continued to yell encouragement even though he knew how much it irritated me. I grit my teeth and pushed through the last rep of ten lifts before I slammed the bar down and the weights bounced off the ground. “That’s my girl,” he grins at me.
“Shut up,” I growl as I slump onto the mat. All of my bones felt like jelly and my muscles like pools of liquid. A few of the other trainers from the athletic training major came around to talk to my trainer. One of them nudged my side and I hissed at them. “I’ll cut your foot off!”
“Yeah, yeah keep talkin’ Nash,” it was Jarod. That prick.
“Dan help me up,” I grunt as I push myself up and hold out a hand to my trainer.
“You’re going to kick ass at the bodybuilding competition in December!” Dan laughs as he hauls me up. “See you on Wednesday?” he asks.
“Yeah, yeah,” I grab my water bottle and towel before heading off towards the locker rooms. Being an athletic trainer is such a cool job, but it was a pain in the ass with my dad as a “professor” and making us join this stupid competition. I started to walk by the rooms were special interest classes were held. I stop at the edge of one of the rooms and peek in.
“Alright everyone great job today. Miri you did so much better with the handstand today,” I could hear a girl giggle and I rolled my eyes. “Make sure next week you guys bring your blocks okay?” a chorus of approval followed the question. “Have a great day!” A stream of people started to exit the room talking and laughing. Once the room cleared out I peeked around the corner again. At the front of the room messing with the sound system was my long-time friend and rival.
“Storm,” I purred in my best imitation of Miri, his student that was too attentive. I watched as the muscles in his back tensed and his head snapped up. “ Storm ,” I sing-songed again. With the heaviest sigh I’ve ever seen Strom turns around with a frown.
“Miri I told yo--damn the gods Nash!” he shouts and throws his phone at me. I cackle before catching his phone. “You are such an absolute bitch,” he seethes. “You know I could always tell my mother to be extra particular with your latest assignment,” that stops me cold.
I narrow my eyes, “you wouldn’t,” I threatened.
He smirks before walking over to me and plucking his phone out of my hand. “Oh,” he purrs this time. “Wouldn’t I?”
“Storm,” I ground out, but before I could throw a fist a muscle in my leg tense up and I yelp.
“Nash?” he said, suddenly concerned as my leg gives out. “Gods you forgot to drink water while lifting again didn’t you? Remind me to fucking kill Dan tonight,” he helps me sit down on a mat.
“Storm,” I groan as he starts poking at my leg. “It hurts.”
“Stop whining this is your own fault,” he massages the muscles and it hurts like a bitch. “What have I told you about stretching and drinking water?” he begins his lecture and if I want my leg to stop spasming I had to endure it. The same way that I have to endure listening to his mother rattle on about nutrition in class. “So what are we goin’ to do next time?” he pinches me in the cheek when I stick my tongue out at him.
“Owie,” I sob with a pout. Strom only pinches my cheek again before standing up to resume what he was doing before I showed up. I watch as he strips off his shirt and throws it at his bag before closing the electronics closet. He rolls up his personal mat and slides that into his bag to then zips it up. The ab muscles bunch and flex as he gathers all of his things and for a moment I forget that he is just a friend.
With a smirk, “take a picture it’d last ya longer,” he was so arrogant. Just like our fathers. I huff in indignation before standing back up and limping to the door. I don’t make it far into the hall before I feel him behind me. A gentle tug on my wrist has me stopping to look back at him. A trail of sweat races its way down the side of his face as he tilts his head. “You comin’ out tonight?”
It must be the lack of moisture in my body, that was why my tongue felt thick and heavy as I spoke. “N-no I’m not going out tonight,” for a moment I swear he looked disappointed. If it was there or not it was gone in a blink as he shrugged and threw me one more smirk before turning to go the other way.
“See ya around,” he gave a wave and didn’t look back. I sigh before turning back around and actually going to the locker room.
~~~Wednesday
“You got this!” Dan yells as I drag almost three hundred pounds behind me on the astroturf. Rock music was blasting in the background which told me Jarod was in charge of the front desk today. As I went to turn around and do my last lap I caught a quick glimpse of Storm and Miri by the lat-pulldown machine. I grit my teeth and I don’t stop for one second; yesterday when I was talking with my dad about my progress he was so excited for me. I wasn’t going to let something as stupid as feelings distract me from my goal.
“Dan!” I spit out. “Throw me the water bottle!” Dan laughs before quickly darting his eyes to where mine where a second ago.
“Suddenly not wanting to cramp up?” he asks as he jogs over to me. His tone was playful, but there was an edge to his voice. Dan was my friend and sometimes I hated how easily he could read me. He helped squirt a few mouthfuls of water at me as I continued to push through the pain.
“Nashi!” a feminine voice calls out.
“Dr. Dragneel!” Dan smiles as my mother approaches. Her high heels clacking against the cement as he approached. I didn’t stop as I grunted out a greeting and pushed on. “How are you?”
“I’m doing just fine Daniel, how are you?” I can hear the smile in her voice. It never continues to surprise me how much my parents love each other and yet are so different. I finally crossed the finish line and dropped to my knee. I listen to Dan and mom talking quietly behind me as I catch my breath.
“Hi Dr. Dragneel,” it was Storm. He joined in on their conversation and I could feel Dan’s eyes drilling holes into the back of my head. I fist the turf roughly in my grasp before standing up and undoing the buckles.
“Here let me,” Dan comes over to help me undo the buckles. I brace my hands on his shoulders as he helps me step out of the straps. “You okay?” he asks softly without looking up at me. I grip his shoulders and hiss at him to mind his business. “You know training you is also for my grade right? I just want to make sure you’re okay,” he snaps. Once I’m out of the damn contraption I stomp away.
“Mom I’ll be right back,” I snap before heading to the locker room to shower and change. A couple of the other girls chatted with me about our respective workouts.
~~~~Storm
“Hi Dr. Dragneel,” I say to my literature professor. Dan threw a contemplative look over at Nashi as I walk up.
“Oh Storm!” Dr. Dragneel smiles at me brightly. I laugh to myself every time she smiles because I know a few of the guys in my class have a crush on her, but they don’t know who her husband it. It would be the end of their days if Mr. Dragneel ever found out. She asks me about my class and the work I’ve been doing when Dan suddenly moves.
“Here let me,” he jogs over to Nashi who is struggling to get the buckles undone. I half-listen to Dr. Dragneel as I watch as Nashi braces herself against Dan’s shoulders and let’s him so close. I felt an icy rage tear through me as Dan moves to unbuckle the straps around Nashi’s thighs. It took all my willpower to not go over there and push him away. Dan was her trainer after all. Even though I offered and she turned me down flat.
“Mom I’ll be right back,” Nashi calls over her shoulder before she walks off towards the locker rooms. Dr. Dragneel smiles at her daughter before placing a hand on my arm. I have enough mind to drag my eyes away from Nashi’s retreating form to look at her mother.
“You know...I remember the day your father finally admitted he loved your mother,” her eyes were too bright, too sharp. “I thought Juvia was going to melt into a puddle right there in the middle of the street,” she laughs. “I also remember asking her the day of their wedding if she was ready. Do you know what she told me?”
“N-no,” my mouth was dry.
“She had the most beautiful look on her face when she told me that this was the moment she was born for,” Dr. Dragneel looks back to where her daughter had gone. “She knew your father was the one she was supposed to love for the rest of her life. There was nothing to be ready for,” she sighs.
“I...I never heard that story before,” I admit.
“Mhm…” she hums. “I think your dad is a great man and a good friend. But I also think he is an idiot.” She laughs at my startled expression and continues, “he didn’t let himself believe he deserved any of it. So don’t...don’t give up-”
“Mom!” Nashi yells from the stairs, “I’m ready.”
“Coming sweetie!” Dr. Dragneel calls out. She puts her hand on my arm again and squeezes it gently before heading towards her daughter. “Good luck,” she whispers.