✦ gym ✦

@wang ∶ jackson [if anything feels godmoddy and you want me to change it lmk!!]

Felix was sitting at the low row machine, arms bare in a loose tanktop, his cheeks flushed as he waited for his cooldown to end. He was watching a familiar face on the other side of the gym. It was definitely that guy he'd met a few days ago, and he was surrounded by people as before. 'Popular guy.', he thought. It made enough sense. He was friendly, unabashedly loud and radiated good energy. Felix didn't remember his name. After his 60 seconds were up, he returned his attention to the machine and finished his last set for the day. So far, the gym was his favourite place at the university- beside the chapel, naturally. He theorised that it was because gyms were more or less the same everywhere, and it reminded him of his university. The university he had applied for and studied at for 2 years before being convinced to return to his hometown. The term 'convinced' is being used very liberally. It didn't matter where you went, at a gym all you really focused on was your body. It was grounding, an absolute necessity for someone like Felix who lived more in his head than in reality.

Set complete, he grabbed his tower and his water bottle, which was feeling a little light. The water dispenser was right behind the guy. 'I'll go get some water, and if our eyes meet I'll say hi.' Felix had yet to make friends here, and a second encounter was as good a reason as any to strike up a conversation. At the same time, Felix liked to make things unnecessarily complicated. He couldn't just go and say hello, no, that might be rude and awkward. Only if the guy noticed him and seemed to recognise him AND didn't seem disturbed by his presence, then he would say hello. Better even if the other said hello first, then Felix could be certain it was alright to greet them back. Complicated much? Yes. It was a side effect of living life mostly 'in theory'. He was an observer at heart, which inherently implied remaining passive and not engaging with the world. That had been the easiest way to grow up, and now back home old behaviours were being rekindled. Armed with a plan, Felix casually approached the water dispenser, keeping Jackson in the periphery of his vision.

[post deleted by owner]

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