An Unexpected Meeting: (A Lawsworth Fanfic)

Chapter 1: In The Shower

Friday June 12th 2015

Steam rises and billows out from above the glass shower. Though it had only been running for a few minutes, the water's temperature had reached a high enough for the large mirror to fog up and obscure Liam's reflection. He looks through the cascading water streaming down the glass door and can see the now shiny white marble tiles winking at him in invitation. He drops his boxers, kicks them into the corner and proceeds to enter the shower. He sighs, feelings the welcoming heat surrounding him as more steam escapes through the open door and feel small droplets of water pepper his skin. He shuts the door and gingerly moves to stand under the shower head. When the stream of water begins falling from the top of his head, his eyes close and a sighs of relief seeps from his lips.

Today's workout with Marko had seemed particularly tough on him. His whole body was aching now that the adrenalin and endorphin rush had dimmed and slipped away on his drive back to the hotel. He lifts his hands, intending to run them through his head but a twinge in his left shoulder stops the action. "Damn!" he mutters to himself as he feel the familiar pull on his muscle. He knew he shouldn't have pushed himself as hard as he did but he couldn't help but rise to Marko's challenge to 'kick things up a notch' with their weight lifting. True, he rose to the challenge and had beated it spectacularly but he now knew he'd be paying the price for a couple of days. 'Not one of your smarter impulses' right, Hemsworth?'  He thinks to himself, bringing his right hand to gentle rub the aching shoulder.

The excitement and giddy anticipation he'd felt from hearing the news that he'd landed a part in the movie Independence Day 2 a few weeks back was still with him but was also beginning to slip since he'd began his new training routine with Marko. It was ok to start with as they got the measure of his fitness level and physically stamina and then they'd begun a new workout to get him looking ready for the stunts he wanted to do. The character he was playing was a typical solider type build, which made him smile because he was sure he was already there, given that he had spent 18 months playing a rebel solider in a post apocalypse world but turned out he was wrong. He needed to put on around 50/60 pounds of muscle, which meant a hell of a lot of protein and massive amounts of weight lifting. Though Marko was everything you'd want in a fitness trainer, encouraging, intelligent, insightful and ready to answerer any questions about whatever type of body you wanted. Their senses of humour weren't exactly what you'd called a match made in heaven.

Marko seemed to delight in ridiculing others around him. He would point out other people in the gym and claim that they were doing something wrong and would cause themselves an injury but would make no attempt to go and help them. So unlike his previous work out buddies, like his brothers or Josh who not only made his workout productive but also fun. Liam's lips crack into a secret grin as he recalls so many happy times spent in and out of the gym with his former co-stars Josh and Jennifer, joking about silly and idiotic things like 'if you unscrewed your belly button would your ass fall off?' Spit and shower water burst from his mouth in laughter when he remembers Josh's question that had appeared out of nowhere when they'd finished shooting a scene in Paris. That question had kept all three of them laughing all day and been the cause of quite a few bloopers that.

'Wonder if it will make the DVD?'  Liam smirks absentmindedly as he grabs and begins working shampoo into his hair. As his fingers massage his scalp more and more happy memories of time spent with Josh and Jennifer flow through his thoughts. 'Have you ever had sex with a kangaroo?'  Ah, yes, that one had particularly tickled his funny bone and made him temporarily forget his line.

A small pang of loss grips Liam's heart and his arms and head drop as he remembers how long it been since he saw or spoke to his co-stars. Of course, all three of them were busy with other project nowadays. Jennifer was in Canada shooting X-men and Josh was busy fighting for gay rights and working on filming Journey 3 in LA. 'I should give them a call' Liam thinks to himself as water and shampoo runs from his hair. Of course, he would see them again in October/November while they travel and do press for Mockingjay Part 2 but after spending 4 and a half years together filming and promoting around the globe the bond of friendship they'd created where something that he'd fight hard to never forget or let dim.

His brother Chris had told him about how strong those friendships on set can take hold you and how difficult the aftermath of having to part ways can affect you. His brother had grown particularly close to Robert Downy Jr, Chris Evens and Sam Jackson while they filmed The Avengers and said he felt gutted that he wouldn't be hearing any of Rob's on set jokes for a while. Liam could relate to that feeling now but the thing was his brother still had more times in the future to kid around with his superhero buddies where as The Hunger Games movies were over. Once the press and premieres for Mockingjay Part 2 were done, he didn't know when or where he'd next see his friends for District 12. The thought saddens him even more and even the heat from the shower can't stop the chill crawling up his spine. Giving his head a light shake, Liam turns around to let the water banish the chill as he focuses on cleaning his skin. The hot water does its job and he can feel the aches in his muscles relax and unclench. Once he feels better, he shuts off the water, climbs out and wraps a towel around his waist. 

Grabbing a smaller towel, he uses it to wipe away the built up of steam lying the mirror and catches sight of his refection. His tanned skin was slick with water, his hair shiny and dripping. He brings his free hand up and slides it from his forehead over his nose, mouth and over his beard. He was oddly proud of his facial hair and was happy that he didn't have any reason to shave it off for a few more months as he and some others thought it suited him quite well. He gives himself a slight shrug and begins towel drying his hair as he makes his way back into his main hotel room.

'The Arb' is one of Malibu's best hotels. Five stars on accommodation, food, customer satisfaction, located in a prime spot 30-minute drive from the beach and 20-minute walk to one of the main shopping area's, nearby parks and best of all a private underground car park with three separate entrances and exists. Dead useful for slipping around any photographers hanging around the hotels main entrance. The hotel room's themselves were perhaps not as elegant as the one's he'd stay in in Europe but Liam thought they held a certain charm and beauty of their own. The one he was now in reminded him somewhat of his father's beach house back home in Australia. Clean whitewash walls, solid wooden desk and bed frame, deck chairs on his balcony and soft cotton blinds across his windows. Of course, that's where the similarity's ended, His father's beach house wasn't 30 stories from the ground, it didn't have Wi-Fi, room service, a 5 star restaurant or a fully working nightclub but it had a view of the ocean better then anywhere in the world. The hotel was recommended to him by his sister in-law who had stay here a few years ago and claimed he would love it as much as she did. Liam made a mental note to give her a call and thank her for the suggestion.

Liam continues to dry the back of his hair as he moves further into the room until he reaches the end of the bed. Then he rolls the towel one last time over his head and lets it fall to the floor when his eyes go wide then focus on the person grinning at him from within the muted television screen.

"Jen?"