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Ashe relished in the comfort he had under the shade of the umbrella, contently laying in the sand as his large group of friends played various games and leisured in the shallow waves. The faint volume of the group’s portable speaker danced around his ears alongside the crashing waves and occasional caws of the seagulls. Under the umbrella was the place Ashe was happiest while at the beach, partially owing to his susceptibility to sunburns that poor Fargheans genes carry. The other reason he laid in the umbrella was not having to worry about people seeing him shirtless, feeling self-conscious about the solid 20 pounds on his chest and belly. The rest of his friends being occupied with other activities on the shore allowed Ashe the perfect opportunity to decompress and experience some much needed alone time.
That is, until a certain redhead made his way towards the umbrella and sat next to him on another towel. Ashe thought Sylvain had a sixth sense for deducing when his friends were peaceful and content, and finding them to disrupt them from their relaxation.
“Recharging for a bit, huh? Good call, man,” Sylvain began, to which Ashe contently hummed.
“It’s nice under here,” Ashe began calmly. “I don’t get burnt like a lobster,” he cheekily replied, as the two stared at Dimitri’s unfortunate sunburn.
“You’re not wrong about that,” the redhead chuckled, scooting back and forth nervously. Ashe knew Sylvain wasn’t good at staying still, but today had him wondering if he took his medication.
“He’s lucky he’s so ripped,” Ashe said flippantly. “He can get away with it.”
“What do you mean?” Sylvain asked quizzically.
“His body is just so perfectly sculpted, even if he’s burnt like hell he can still look good,” Ashe elaborated.
“Got the hots for him?” Sylvain asked with his signature devilish grin.
“Oh, my, not quite,” Ashe quickly replied, lifting his head up a bit. “It’s moreso me comparing myself to him.”
“Really?” Sylvain asked in a matter of fact tone.
“I mean, yeah,” Ashe admitted. “I get a bit insecure because he is the body standard and I don’t fit that at all. I don’t have abs.”
“I mean I can’t talk, man,” Sylvain quipped. “I lost mine,” he continued, leaning back slightly.
Ashe stared for a brief second, and now that he paid attention, he realized the redhead was right. Sylvain was known for being the beauty standard right alongside Dimitri, but unlike his blonde friend, Sylvain’s abs had seemed to make their exit. An evenly distributed but subtly noticeable layer of paunch made its home in the redhead’s midsection, Ashe noticing the larger bellybutton and tasteful brush of body hair trailing from his pecs to his small gut.
“Does it bother you at all?” Ashe asked, his tone unsure about how to broach the topic.
“At first, yeah,” the redhead admitted, staring down at his midsection. “But really, I don’t mind it at all. I think it’s neat how the human body can change, and I feel relaxed embracing it. Is that a tough thing for you?”
“Oh, definitely, especially because I’ve always had this layer of pooch, so I think about it a lot,” Ashe confessed.
“Pooch, huh?” Sylvain quipped. “That’s quite the word.”
Ashe was ready to interject, but the redhead continued nonetheless.
“It’s hard to give yourself grace when you’re in a place where you either compare yourself or are being compared to, what, a standard? What does that mean to me? My body is my body, there’s beauty in letting it be alive and dynamic.”
That bastard. He was so eloquent when he wanted to be, and Ashe wanted this side of him more often.
“I suppose so?” Ashe replied hesitantly. “I mean, it’s a tough thought process to dismantle, really. Being an adult while doing this is definitely tougher on me considering how stuck in our ways we get after a certain age.”
“It’s definitely not a magic fix,” Sylvain replied. “But seriously, man, there’s nothing wrong with your lack of abs. I can already tell you enjoy life much more than the people trying to stay freakishly ripped. Say, how about we hit the diner once we’re done here?”
“See, I can’t refuse good food,” Ashe jokingly lamented. “You’re setting me up.”
“For an excellent time, sure,” Sylvain cheekily replied.
The two enjoyed a comfortable silence for a bit longer before the group decided to head to the beachside diner. Sylvain and Ashe sat across from one another, entering their own world for a bit as they discussed the options on the menu. When the time came to order, the two settled on a plate of waffle fries and chicken nuggets as an appetizer. Ashe ordered a barbecue-style burger, while Sylvain turned to a double cheeseburger. One appetizer turned into two, chocolate shakes made their appearance, and the two finished Felix’s meal, who looked horrified at Sylvain’s chocolate shake having extra whipped cream.
Afterwards, with many of their friends driving home, Sylvain and Ashe were left to their devices at the parking lot. Sylvain stretched his back, his shirt lifting slightly, allowing his swollen belly to be visible above his bathing suit.
“Whew, my goodness,” Sylvain groaned. “Felix’s meal tipped me over.”
“Right? This is what gives me my beach body,” Ashe replied, “or lack thereof.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that, though,” Sylvain suggested. “I wouldn’t have tried to finish Felix’s plate otherwise.”
“I suppose”, Ashe giggles placing his hands on his hips, which allowed his shirt to tighten around his spare tire.
“I mean it,” Sylvain affirmed in a rare note of seriousness. Ashe smiled at his friend, giving him a brief hug and brief rub to his belly.
Maybe Sylvain’s advice was worth listening to. Just this one time.