Chapter Text
Most asked Ari how she did it, going to the gym at 5AM and then heading to her 8AM class after. Most idolized her, saying she’s “that” girl with her life put together and a job already lined up after she graduated. Most asked for her gym routine, guys eyeing her ass and girls envious of said ass. Most didn’t understand.
Ari wasn’t a morning person at all.
Still half-asleep, she stood in front of her bathroom mirror and slapped her cheeks to wake herself up. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she combed her hair into a sleek, tight ponytail and shivered as she hastily shed her pajamas to slip on her gym clothes: a sports bra, a long-sleeve compression shirt, and sweatpants. She didn’t like living off-campus because of how awful the utilities were, but she desperately wanted her own space, so she stuck it out even if she had to buy her own space heater to replace the broken one her landlord still didn’t fix. She stepped into her training shoes and walked to her small kitchenette to prepare her pre-workout. She scooped the powder into her shaker bottle as she shoved the rest of her equipment into her gym bag. Then she grabbed a banana and her water bottle, put on her puffy winter jacket, got her bag, and walked to the gym.
Many asked how she did it, and she was a little ashamed to admit that it was mostly because of a man.
Usually, Ari would go to the gym at 8PM, but when a final exam last semester conflicted with her typical routine, she tried going first thing in the morning, and that’s when she met him . Olric. Since then, she went in the morning to catch a glimpse of him, but in her defense, morning workouts really grew on her since it gave her more time later in the day. So it wasn’t just because of Olric.
He was muscular, with pecs that threatened to burst out of his t-shirt and thick biceps that she dreamed of being in a choke-hold. His broad back and slim hips in grey sweatpants nearly caused her to drop a dumbbell on her toes too many times to count. Most gym guys minded their own business, a permanent frown on their face to ward off any potential human interaction, but Olric didn’t. He would wear a faint smile, even when he was logging in his sets on his phone. He would bob his head to the music of his headphones as he rested, hands on his hips and walking in lazy circles and grinning at anyone who walked by. He was her ideal man – kind, gentle, and strong, but she could barely look at him for longer than three seconds. She never stood a chance.
Until he approached her one day in late January with his dazzling smile and gentle eyes. He had walked into her line of sight a respectable distance away and gestured to ask if she was using the cable machine nearby. Without pulling out her earbuds, she smiled, shaking her head no, and continued on with her workout, hoping she appeared mysterious and nonchalant and not crazy-in-love with him. Her heart had hammered in her chest, and she breathed deeply in an attempt to tame it. Damn, I’m down bad , she had thought. That day, she kept sparing him glances through the mirror wall, praying that he’d come up to her again.
He had, in fact, approached her again a few days after that, this time when she was at the squat rack preparing for a heavy lift with no spotter. She’d been busy texting Reina when she heard his handsomely deep voice over her music.
“‘Scuse me, ma’am?” he had asked. She jolted and pulled out her earbud, seeing his reflection through the mirror in front of her. He stood slightly behind her, looking relaxed in a loose t-shirt and sweats, his headphones resting around his neck. Blushing slightly, she turned to face him, mouth slightly agape. She remembered panicking, trying to come up with a response, but he continued before she could embarrass herself, “I noticed you don’t have a spotter. Would you like one?”
She had nodded dumbly after a beat of internal fangirling, mouthed her thanks, and turned around to face the rack. She tossed her phone carelessly on her gym bag. Popping her earbud back in, she jostled her shoulder blades under the bar and shuffled her feet into position. She felt him nestle up behind her, maintaining a comfortable distance between them, and she breathed deeply, mostly to ease her nerves. He was close, especially with his arms caging her as he got ready to spot her. She felt his body warmth and his breath fanning against the back of her neck and heaved the weight off the rack to begin. Miraculously, she didn’t fail, and after completing her set, she turned around and finally found her voice.
“Thanks,” she had said with a nervous smile, breathing heavily. She felt a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead and wished she wasn’t such a profuse sweater. She hoped she didn’t smell awful.
“You did great! I’m Olric, by the way,” he had said, sticking out his large, calloused palm. She took it gingerly and shook it.
“Ari.”
Now, several 5AM gym sessions and two months later, they were workout buddies. She loved working out with him, not just because she liked him, but because she found herself lifting heavier, pushing herself to her limits, and making serious progress, especially for her upper body. (Most nights before she showered, she posed in front of her mirror and was always shocked at how good she looked, now that she could see the muscle lines of her arms, shoulders, and back.) He was easy to get along with after she got over her tripping tongue. They joked around between sets and worked flawlessly together, him re-racking her weights while she wiped down their equipment. They spotted each other, too, though she prayed he didn't need help during his bench press because she could not lift 225 pounds off a man's neck. And she never did cardio because she hated it, but Olric invited her to the treadmill one day, and how could she ever say no to him? She was running two miles with him at 6AM, who would have thought? Ari last semester would never .
Ari finally arrived at the gym with the sky still dark. She gave the guy at the front desk a grim smile through the fluff of her hood and sped past to the locker room to shed her jacket. She stopped in front of the sink mirror, fixing her hair and checking her teeth – just in case she got lucky – before walking out with her gym bag to meet Olric at the cardio area.
He was gorgeous as always, hair a little mussed, headphones around his neck, and wearing his usual gym attire of black t-shirt and sweats. He was typing away at his phone, a little pout on his lips.
“Whoa, Olric can frown? Who knew?” she said jokingly as she approached him and dropped her bag. He looked up and gave her a blinding smile as they stepped onto adjacent treadmills, him pocketing his phone and Ari holding back a squeal of adoration. God. He's so cute.
“Good morning, Ari!” he chirped as he pressed buttons to bring up the speed to a brisk walk. She did the same. “Just texting my little brother.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother,” she said, a little shocked.
“Yea! He’s about your age, I think.”
Ari blinked. Now that she thought about it, she never asked how old he was. She knew he was already working a full-time job, but she assumed they were close in age, given how youthful and energetic he was. He better not be 30 or I’m killing myself , she prayed. “You twins?” she asked and cleared her throat, hoping she was subtle.
He laughed, flattered, and she blushed, grateful they were both looking straight ahead. “Hm? No, he’s three years younger than me. You're…twenty-two?”
She shook her head and corrected him, “Twenty-three.”
“Mhm, okay, yea. He's twenty-four, but he’s still my baby bro!”
Okay, so he's twenty-seven…a four year difference isn’t that bad, right? “Wow, I'm learning lots about you,” she said, breathless. “Why were you frowning earlier?”
He flashed her his usual smile, and it seemed more vibrant from the glow of his light sweat. “I've been trying to get him to come to the gym with me, but he's so stubborn. Imagine how fun it'd be if we all worked out together! My gym bro and my bro bro. Double bros!” She giggled at his silliness and nodded slowly, trying to hide how upset it made her; her time with Olric would be interrupted by the addition of his brother, and she wanted Olric all to herself.
They finished their warm up and dynamic stretches before heading to the bench press. As she set up her weights, Olric was texting again with a frown, and Ari found herself beefing with his little brother whom she had never met because how dare he make such a handsome man frown.
“You good?” she probed gently as his fingers rapidly swept across the screen.
He nodded without looking at her. “Yea,” he said a little distractedly. “Y'know what? Maybe he needs a pic. Come here, let's pose together!” Her heart skipped a beat as he motioned her to come closer, arm outstretched with his phone as he readied for a selfie. “Say ‘protein’!” Quickly, they posed, and she walked over to see.
“Oh my god, I look good. Send that to me,” she said excitedly. She decided to flex her triceps and back while kicking her heel up, flashing a grin over her shoulder. In the foreground, Olric did a thumbs-up, and even with that simple gesture he looked handsome, with his biceps flexed and the veins of his forearms popping.
“Yea sure!” A pause. “Wait, I don't think I have your number…”
She bit back a giddy smile as she repeated her number and nearly squealed when her phone buzzed with notifications: a “Hiya!” and [1 attachment] from him.
His phone pinged and he laughed. She looked at him curiously. “He said you're hot,” he said with a chuckle, and she grinned bittersweetly. I wish I heard that from you , she thought. Another ping and he gasped, no longer smiling. “Oops, I wasn't supposed to tell you that.”
She rolled her eyes. “Tell him that I'm mad at him for distracting you when we're supposed to be lifting. We starting or what?” Her heart fluttered with glee as he chuckled and put his phone down.
After they finished their lift and cardio, Olric pulled her aside before she went into the locker room while he put on a sweater. “So I'm throwing a graduation party for my friend's master's program, and you’re invited! They've been dying to meet my gym bro.”
Her heart fluttered with excitement. Was he finally getting serious with her, inviting her to meet his friends? “Of course! Send me details?” she said with a nervous lilt. He nodded, oblivious as always, and said farewell when she went to gather her things.
Just as she was exiting the gym to walk back to her apartment, her phone vibrated.
Olric ☺️💪
Fri, May 18 at 6PM
Here's my address, hope u can make it!
Have a great day! 💪💪
She giggled, pocketed her phone, and went outside, her cheeks hurting from the wide smile on her face. She breathed in the crisp air of late winter and took in the sunrise, watching her breath come out in puffs of white. The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, casting orange hues across the dark blue sky. A chilly breeze swept through, making her clutch the collar of her jacket tighter as she sped home to get ready for her classes.
…
The lecture hall was still mostly empty by the time she entered, and she made her way to her usual spot, a few rows away from the back. Placing down her bag on the seat beside her and her water on the desk, she fished out her laptop and phone, typing to Reina, her friend from high school.
Reina 👩🍳🍳
I got his number and we posed together
[1 attachment]
GIRL!!!!!!
If I wasn't at work I'd come to u right away
Whens the wedding??
He doesn't like me like that :((
But guess what
😳😳
He invited me to a party
GIRK U JUST SAID HE DIDNT LIKR U LIKE RHAT ??
Ari snickered at her friend's enthusiasm, taking a sip of water and putting her phone away when the professor walked in. She actually liked this class and wanted to ace the final project, so she paid attention and tried ignoring the incessant buzzing in her pocket.
…
Before she knew it, the semester came to an end, she passed her final exams, and she walked for her graduation ceremony. She took pictures with Reina and her family, a few of her close college friends, and one with her uncle. It was a bittersweet moment; she wished her parents could see how much she accomplished: graduating, securing a job, and living on her own. The next morning after graduation, she showed the pictures to Olric, who beamed and congratulated her with a suffocating hug. Close enough to a choke-hold , she thought as her face pressed into his pecs.
She was sitting on her twin-sized bed, packing up her things as Reina swiveled around in her creaky desk chair. Her lease was ending soon and she managed to find a slightly cheaper place to live near Reina and her newly acquired job. It didn’t look any better than her current place, but she needed to minimize her spendings if she wanted to get out of debt any time soon. One thing she wasn’t compromising on was her gym membership though, despite how long it’d take for her to walk there. She didn’t care; she needed to see Olric, even if he didn't see her as something more than a friend.
“Y'know, the party is coming up soon,” the chef-in-training said idly. “This Friday.”
Ari paused from folding her clothes and gasped. “Shit, I totally forgot. What do I wear?”
Reina smirked, sitting up. “Good thing I’m here.”
Ari grinned gratefully as her friend jumped up and hopped around boxes to sift through the remaining pieces hanging in her closet. She made noises of approval and disgust as she flung hangers to Ari, who dutifully rolled them up and shoved them in boxes.
Reina gasped exaggeratedly, slowly pulling out a hanger and pressing it against Ari’s torso. “This is the one,” she said with finality. She guided her friend to stand in front of the mirror and Ari blushed prettily at her reflection.
“Oh wow, you sure?” she asked hesitantly, chewing her lip and turning her body. “It’s not too much?”
Reina smiled as she stared at her friend. Ari was beautiful, with olive skin and dark, long hair. She was kind-hearted despite the cards life dealt her and was insanely strong – not just physically but mentally too. After her parents died, she moved out on her own, worked tirelessly at her part-time job to help pay for rent, and went to get a bachelor’s degree in something she loved. Truly, she was amazing. Reina just wished she could see it.
“Yes, girl, I’m sure,” she said, staring at her through the mirror. “It’s perfect. Olric would be a fool to say no to you.” She gently nudged Ari and leaned her chin on Ari’s shoulder.
Ari gave her a look through the mirror. “I’m not confessing to him. And definitely not at his friend’s graduation party,” she muttered with a roll of her eyes, moving away to lay the outfit on her bed.
“His loss,” Reina said softly, restraining the longing in her voice with practiced ease.
“Okay, and which pants and shoes?”
…
Ari was at the gym with Olric a few days later, this time working on their back and biceps. Due to the warm weather of mid-spring, she abandoned her usual compression top and sweatpants for a simple sports bra and shorts while Olric dressed the same. He really was a simple guy.
“Ready?” Olric asked, standing close behind her. He patted his hands against his legs and bobbed his head to the beat in headphones. They didn’t need to take off their headphones to communicate anymore; they read each other flawlessly.
She nodded, lifting her arms up. He bent down and placed his hands on her bare waist, right on her rib cage, and she loved how his fingers fit perfectly in the dips of her ribs. She breathed deeply and, following her cue, he hoisted her up until she grabbed the pull-up bar. He stepped back a bit, arms ready just in case she fell.
She tried to ignore how her ass was right in his face, but looking in the mirror, he looked unfazed, watching almost analytically with no emotion. She bit back the disappointment. Ari did her pull-ups and dropped to the ground with an energetic smile, turning around to give Olric a thankful nod. He praised her with a smile and slipped off his headphones to his neck. She followed suit, popping out an earbud; he never took off his headphones unless he needed to actually speak with her.
“What’s up?” she automatically asked, hands on her hips.
“Don’t forget about tomorrow. You’re still coming, right?” he asked, a hopeful gleam in his eye. She tried not to interpret it as interest in her, but it was hard to deny her heart of such fantasies, not when he looked at her with those eyes and smiled brightly.
“Yep. Six o’clock in the evening,” she confirmed with a nod, her chest aching.
“You need me to pick you up? I see you walking home most mornings, and my place is kinda in that direction,” he offered casually. “Though, I make a different turn,” he muttered.
“Um,” she started shyly as her heart hammered in her ears. Say yes! “If you don’t mind. I’ll text you my address. But I’m also moving in a few weeks, so… don’t save it or anything, haha.” She cringed at her awkward laugh. God, why did I say that. Thankfully, Olric didn’t notice anything.
“Oh perfect! I’ll help you out with that too! I’m strong in case you didn’t know.” He winked at her animatedly and flexed his bicep, causing her heart to nearly burst.
“Oh I can’t ask you to do that!” she said, waving her arms in a panic. Reina was supposed to help her out, but she did mention that wouldn’t be able to stay the entire day…
“Don’t worry about it! What are friends for?” he asked with a thumbs-up, sliding his headphones back on and walking past her to the pull-up bar, effectively ending the conversation. With ease, he performed several muscle-ups and she rolled her eyes. Leave it to Olric to casually show off and crush her feelings.
“This one’s gonna be a bitch to get over, huh,” she muttered to herself before continuing with her workout, cranking up the volume of her music to drown out her thoughts.
…
March roused from his nap to the muffled noise of laughter, chatter, and music from the living room. He rubbed his face tiredly and fumbled for his phone to check the time and saw spam texts from Olric saying to get up and greet his guests. That was thirty minutes ago. Groaning quietly to himself, he sat up and stretched the kinks out of his muscles, eventually dragging himself out of bed and slipping on a simple maroon t-shirt and black pants. He fixed his hair in the tiny mirror on the wall and exhaled in his palm to check for bad breath. Satisfied, he opened the door of his room, wincing as the volume suddenly increased, and walked into the main living area to see–
Her.
He paused behind the corner, like a deer in front of headlights. He didn’t know she was going to be here. She was even more gorgeous in person, all dressed up for the occasion: she was wearing a dark red tank top with straps that exposed the entirety of her back, her muscles rippling as she moved her arms. Her shoulders and arms were well-defined, no thanks to working out with Olric, and her legs looked amazing in her pants. She was a little short even in heeled boots, probably reaching up to his nose. She was talking with Balor, who he could tell was flirting up a storm, given by how his gaze flickered down to her lips or cleavage and how he leaned into her personal space, but she seemed oblivious to it all.
Hyper-aware of her, he sped past her for food and saw her look longingly over Balor’s shoulder at Olric, who was across the room entertaining another group of guests. He faltered; of course she was interested in his brother. He watched her chew her lip as Olric laughed at something Hayden, Olric’s coworker, said.
A little irritated, March continued to the kitchen, nodding to some of Olric’s friends as he passed by. He picked at some food and was doing a great job of ignoring her until she sighed longingly across the kitchen island. He glanced and saw her alone, slumping miserably and staring at his brother. He opened his bottle of beer and rolled his eyes.
He walked around the island to stand a little bit behind her and leaned against the counter, taking a large gulp of liquid courage before saying gruffly, “You look pathetic staring at my brother like that.” His eyes widened as he listened to the words roll out of his mouth and immediately wanted to retreat to his room and cut off his sharp tongue.
She jolted, swiveled around, and straightened assertively despite having been caught off guard. He tried not to stare obviously at her gorgeous eyes framed by thick lashes. “Excuse me?” He wanted to shoot himself. Great, he made her mad and he hadn’t even introduced himself! He needed this alcohol to start kicking in; maybe it'd help.
He cleared his throat, standing up to his full height to stare down at her. Her rouge lips were pulled into a pout, clearly offended by his statement. “Olric.” He watched her eyes soften and her posture melt. He scoffed quietly and looked down at his beer. “I know you like him.”
She blushed prettily and looked away, immediately letting her guard down. “It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
“Yea,” he admitted. She flushed deeper, fiddling with her plastic cup. “But because I’ve seen this happen a thousand times.” Her confident posture faltered, her shoulders caving in and her face cringing.
“A thousand times, huh,” she said bitterly. They stood in silence, March itching to flee from the awkward silence. “You’re March, right?” When he nodded, she relaxed as her lips stretched into a smirk. “So you think I’m hot, huh?” she asked mischievously. Even without context he knew what she was referring to, all those months ago when Olric sent him a picture of them, and his cheeks warmed.
“No, I think you’re ugly,” he blurted and took a sip. She burst out laughing. The corner of his mouth curled up at the sound, pride fluttering in his chest from evoking unrestrained laughter from her.
“So what’d you study in school?” she asked cordially once her chuckles subsided. She was still smiling.
He winced. He knew this question would come up eventually, and his hopes of maintaining a conversation usually died with it. Most people looked uncomfortable when he answered, either pitying him or frowning upon him, and didn’t know how to progress.
“I didn’t go. I went to trade school,” he answered with a cough, seeking comfort in his beer as he sipped.
He didn’t expect her reaction. She gasped, clearly impressed, and smiled. “Oh my god! I was debating going to trade school! Y’know, because you’re always going to have a job and you make good money with experience.” She sighed regretfully. “But here I am, a hundred thousand dollars in debt and soon-to-be working a low-paying job.”
He snickered, the effect of her enthusiasm making him dizzy. “What job?”
“Soil technician at a lab,” she responded plainly. “What about you? What do you do, March?”
“A bit of everything,” he said with pride. “I blacksmith in my free time but I mostly work as a freelance welder. I can pretty much do anything around the house, though. Plumbing, electrical work, fixing shit; you name it, I can probably do it. Been doing it since I was old enough to walk, basically.” Okay, lay off on the bragging. You sound like a dick. But he couldn't help himself; he was proud of his work and would take any opportunity to plug himself.
Her eyes glowed in awe and it stroked his ego when a pretty girl like her recognized and appreciated his skill. “You're perfect! ”
He scoffed into his bottle, his cheeks warm from the praise. “Of course I am.”
She chuckled, brushing the hair out of her face. “I could use your services.” She was oblivious to his cough of shock as she finished the rest of her drink. “I'm gonna be moving out soon but the new place is definitely gonna have some issues. I can feel it, so if you wouldn't mind helping a hot girl out…” she trailed off with a teasing smile.
He rolled his eyes. “You're letting it get to your head. Don't you have a landlord to go to?”
She pouted. Just then, Juniper and Valen approached them, Juniper giving March a look, and he knew what was about to happen.
“Hey, Ari, right?” she said in her saccharine voice. Poor Ari was oblivious. She smiled at them and nodded. Juniper introduced themselves to her and hooked her arm around Ari's bicep. “Come with us; girl talk.” Valen rubbed her forehead in exasperation, no doubt having been dragged into this by her fiance. Ari gave March a look of discomfort as she awkwardly followed them, and he nodded his chin to her in farewell.
Now alone, he downed his beer and went to open another when a familiar clap on his shoulder stopped him. “Hey, little bro! I saw you talking to Ari! I knew you'd like her.”
He sputtered. “I don't like– she's alright.” He fumbled with the bottle opener.
Olric grinned. “If you ever wanna join us at the gym, let me know! But come on, you gotta show ‘em how it's done.” With that, he guided him to a table where people were gathered around, the group letting out a collective shout of excitement as a hammer struck down on a line of three nails. The nails didn't budge, drawing out a boo from the people. He watched as many people attempted and failed.
Olric's friends finally turned to March and jostled him towards the hammer. With all eyes on him, March picked up the tool with one hand – the other still holding onto his beer – and struck down with power and accuracy, hammering down all three nails snugly in one hit. The people around him cheered, roughly shaking his shoulders, and March couldn't hold back a smug grin.
Over the heads of the people starting up another line of nails, he saw Ari exit the bathroom with a frown, a solemn Valen and Juniper following closely behind. She turned back to bow her thanks to them, smiling faintly. March squinted, watching her slip into the kitchen with an over zealous Balor going after her. He clenched his teeth; Balor was a charming flirt with an attractive and successful marketing career but was relentless when he set his eyes on a woman. Most times, he gave off more of a “nice guy” personality rather than a “prince charming” one, so March pushed his way to the kitchen under the guise of getting food.
“I appreciate it, Balor, but I'm okay with walking. Seriously,” Ari said with a kind smile, popping a loaded chip into her mouth.
“It's a far walk, I'm sure. I really don't mind driving you home,” he pressed, reaching for a chip and leaning into her space, almost caging her between his body and the counter. March walked in and made his appearance obvious with a nonchalant cough.
“Heading out already?” he asked, helping himself to food.
Ari extracted herself from Balor's reach and stood next to March. “Oh, um, not yet. I wanna hang around a little longer for cake.” With Ari's back turned to Balor as she spoke to him, March watched his gaze flicker down to her ass and linger appreciatively before their eyes met. He smirked tauntingly and repressed the urge to flip him off when jealousy flared in the marketer's eyes.
He looked at the clock and hummed. “Yea, should be here any moment. Let me know when you're leaving; I'll walk you out. Olric is gonna be busy entertaining his friends,” he offered, trying to sound casual while his heart thumped loudly. He hoped she couldn't hear it, given how close she stood. Balor slipped out of the kitchen with a roll of his eyes, and he felt victorious, like he had won something.
As the party dragged on, Ari fluttered to different groups of people to introduce herself but would eventually and always return briefly to March, who stayed on the couch and watched people play board games. It was an eclectic group of people: a mix of Olric’s coworkers, mutual friends he had with the graduate, and college friends, and they all seemed to merge seamlessly. It was because Olric was easy to get along with that he had so many friends; it made March a little jealous. He always struggled with socializing because of how blunt and harsh his words could be, even if he didn’t intend to hurt anyone. As a result, he only really kept in touch with Ryis, the brothers’ childhood friend.
Eventually, they all gathered to cut the cake, and after she finished her slice, she came back to him and tapped his shoulder. He looked down at her, and when he couldn’t hear her over the echoing laughter, he leaned down to allow her to speak into his ear and tried to ignore how her breath fanned at his neck.
“I think I'm gonna head out now. Walk me out?”
He nodded and walked towards the door. Her brows furrowed and her lips pouted in disappointment when Olric said a cursory farewell but then congratulated the graduate and walked out with March, now wearing a light jacket. They walked side by side up until the sidewalk, where he stopped and she lingered, unsure of how to part.
Then March remembered their “girl talk” and coughed uncomfortably. “I saw you leave the bathroom. You okay?”
She hummed, closing her eyes as a spring breeze swept her hair. “I will be,” she said, opening her eyes and kicking a stray pebble. “You were right, though. Juniper and Valen just wanted to nip it in the bud before it got worse. Hell, they had to tell a girl last week . It just sucks because I’ve known your brother for months , and I want him to like me as something more than a friend, and I know I can’t force feelings, but ugh . It hurts,” she rambled, her voice breaking at the last word. There were unshed tears in her eyes.
Now he felt extremely awkward. As someone who wasn't familiar with his own feelings, the thought of comforting someone else with theirs was suffocating and paralyzing.
“But at least I can start healing,” she continued, breathing deeply and carefully wiping her eyes without smudging her mascara. “I'd still love to be his gym partner. It’ll be hard but I want to stay friends. He’s a great guy; he’s funny and kind and strong.” All he could do was nod slowly as she spoke, and she looked at him. “You're quiet.”
“You'd be too if someone started pouring out their heart and soul on you after knowing them for” – he glanced down at his bare wrist and forgot he left his watch on his bedside table – “two hours or something,” he bit back snarkily without thinking. The alcohol was loosening his lips, and he’d better be careful. He sighed and rubbed his face.
She snickered, now uplifted and entertained by his outburst. “Sorry,” she said with no remorse. “You're funny.”
He rolled his eyes and turned away. “Don't make me regret walking you out.”
She laughed again, making him flush. He hated how weak he was for strong, beautiful women with a pretty laugh. “Alright, grumpy. Thanks.”
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away. He watched her over his shoulder until her silhouette faded then made his way back inside the house where the party was still going on. No longer seeing the need to loiter around, he grabbed one last loaded chip and headed to his room. An hour later, his phone vibrated as he was laying in bed, feeling dizzy as the alcohol fully kicked in.
Unknown Number
Hey, it’s Ari. I got ur phone number from Olric jic i need u to fix smth for me
what am i, ur personal maintenance man?
yes.
Thanks for the contact name idea, maintenance man!
But srsly, maybe youd be willing to help out a friend at a cheaper rate :))
He scoffed with a slight grin, charmed by how unashamed and bold she was. It was refreshing for someone to be upfront and audacious with him; most people he interacted with, which tended to be customers or acquaintances, were sickeningly pliant, sweet, and guarded. Rolling onto his side, he texted back, emboldened by the lack of face-to-face communication and the alcohol.
Ari
technically i should be charging u more bc ur a friend :p
Is that a no :(
no
but
its not a yes
I'll take it
He chucked his phone aside and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling fan as he replayed every interaction he had with Ari. He was no doubt attracted to her; her laugh, her smile, her eyes, her muscles –it was like a tattoo inside his brain. He scrubbed his face with his palms, then pressed them against his eyes as if he could push her out of his head, yet she lingered. He had a great time with her and realized he wanted to be close to her like Olric was, and it scared him.
March was nothing like his brother. They may have shared a womb, but they were polar opposites. He wasn’t empathetic or kind or humble or agreeable. He was blunt, prideful, stubbornly competitive, and socially awkward. He naturally drew most people away, so throughout his childhood, he relied on Olric and hid in his brother’s sociable shadow like a ghost.
Now, the most he could do was hope that Ari could see him.