Ablaze

13

It was first thing in the morning, and the sounds of grunting echoed throughout the concrete room. The violent exchanges compelled me to observe the men with my face screwed up, disapproval evident as the men voluntarily got pummeled.

Harry and Liam were currently in the weights section of the gym, spotting each other and encouraging the other to lift more, grunting obnoxiously. Louis was shirtless, boxing at one of the punching bags, my concentration on him as he struck the boxing bag repeatedly, fatigue not affecting him. Zayn was running on a treadmill, sprinting for a short period, then coming to a slow jog, repeating the routine an absurd amount of times.

Niall stood beside me, obnoxiously chewing an apple, eyes following wherever I watched.

My gaze always landed back on Harry, monitoring him intently. He was dressed in black joggers, a black singlet clinging to his body, a headband pushing his curls off his face. The gold chain dangled around his neck, resting on his toned chest, conceding he was every teenaged-girls fantasy.

I felt like I was witnessing some Playboy wet-dream fantasy as Harry lifted weights, grunting as they became heavier. Dazed, I practically drooled at the oozing testosterone within the gym, my hormones on hyperdrive as I stupidly gaped at Harry.

"Not bad, huh?" Niall voiced beside me, eyes on Harry as he bit into the apple.

I nodded in agreement, "That magazine, Honcho, I think it was called, didn't prepare me for this."

The chunk of apple got lodged in Niall's throat, forcing him to punch his sternum as his face reddened, spluttering a choked cough. The noise attracted Harry's attention, anxiously checking I was okay with narrowed eyes before returning to what he was doing once he realized it was coming from Niall.

"Fucking hell, El. Honcho? Where'd you even get that?"

I shrugged unperturbed, "Some girl at school. I saw it over her shoulder in the gym change rooms."

"You're tapped," Niall shook his head, muttering, "Honcho," under his breath.

Giving Niall a wistful grin, I focused back on the flurry of activity. The men all appeared comfortable pushing their bodies to physical exertion. In contrast, I had never been permitted to step foot in a gym. My Father always claimed that women weren't meant to look like men, which infuriated me. I wholeheartedly craved to be physically strong, tired of fumbling my way through life.

Not really having appropriate workout clothing, I was dressed in a pair of spandex shorts, a sports bra under one of Harry's shirts, and tennis shoes. I looked down at my attire, conceding I looked as awkward as I felt. Wishing I could be confident within myself, I hoped that whatever Louis had in store for me at least alleviate the minor clumsiness.

Niall resumed his nauseating chewing, deliberately trying to piss me off. The recognition solidified that he would be my first target once I learned to use a gun.

With an open mouth, still chewing, Niall jutted his chin at me, "Why is your eye twitching again?"

The smirk on his face told me all I needed to know. To further exemplify it, he maintained eye contact, slowly raising the apple to his lips, taking an abnormally large bite, and munching loudly.

I stoically waited for Niall to take another bite, which he seemed more than happy to oblige. He lifted the apple to his lips again, and I rushed forward, shoving the apple further into his mouth. Now that the apple was almost to the core, it lodged itself inside his mouth.

I smirked at his appearance, pleased as his eyes widened in surprise.

Niall squirmed in protest, allowing me to release my grip as he fought against the apple wedged between his teeth. Cocking my head, I delicately pushed his shoulders, driving him to stumble backward. My movements were incredibly ungraceful, and he likely exaggerated the actual effect I had on him.